Dead Love || Tom Riddle

Chapter II - Professor Riddle

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The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom had been cleared out of Gybert's old things; pickled spider eyes and petrified animals in yellowing glass jars, molding books and the cracked blackboard. It was clean and no longer smelt of dead things. Neat rows of freshly published books lined the glossy wooden shelves, a large dragon skeleton dangled from the arched ceilings, and a new chalkboard sat at the front of the classroom.

The class slowly filled with the students. Aurelie waited in a wooded seat in the mid-section of the class for her friends to arrive. Rosie quickly sat beside her, Julian and Laurie joined them, and much to Julian's disappointment Killian took a place with his Slytherin friends in the back. 

Professor Riddle entered the classroom in his usual simple black and white suit and tie and moved to his desk in long strides.

"Push your desks to the side and form a circle." Hesitantly, the student stood and hauled the wood to wall leaving an open space in the center of the classroom. Professor Riddle leaned against his desk watching the students settle into a circle awaiting the lesson. "I want to see the skills you've cultivated in your five years at this school." He scanned the class with narrow black eyes, "You and you," he pointed to a Slytherin, Benedict, one of Killian's friends and a Ravenclaw. "Wands at the ready," he demanded.

"Aren't we going to go to the dueling platform, Professor?"

"Why glorify the measly skills of sixth years?" he countered. A couple of students whispered as the two participants raised their wands. The Ravenclaw landed flat on his back. "You and you," the professor pointed to Locke and Aberforth.

Julian smirked widely pulling his wand from his pocket and standing in the center of the room. Killian wavered to meet his boyfriend in combat. The two fought often and publicly, when Julian was too flirty, Killian was too detached, or over literally any rupture in their relationship, but never drew out their wands.

From their wands spewed bursts of blue and red light that hurtled into each other, their impact released sparks. "Stupefy!" Killian shouted quickly, Julian fell backward and landed on his ribs. He stopped himself from running to his boyfriend's side, Benedict laughed pulling him back into his group, and Rosie picked Julian off the floor.

Professor Riddle didn't have a visible reaction to any of the victors, he silently took mental notes about flaws in their skill and directed more students to the duel. Eventually, it was Aurelie's turn. She grabbed her wand and faced the Nott boy. Riddle's back straightened and chin raised watching the Black girl intently. Her ebony hair was tied into two braids with short curls framing her face, her boots were untied, and her black and gold robes descended below her knees.

Aurelie's palms were sweating as she lifted the wand to point at Nott. Bursts of gold and green light clashed in the center of the room. When his wand was aimed away from her, she shouted "Expelliarmus!" His wand rolled under one of the desks. Another burst of gold light sent him flying backward into the door. She watched his friends pick him off the ground. "Are you alright?"

He nodded sheepishly and scuffled into the corner of the class while the professor called forth the next pair of students.

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As the lab assistant to Professor Slughorn, Aurelie would stay after class to organize ingredients, clean cauldrons, sort textbooks, whatever he needed done. Usually, the position belonged to a Slytherin or a member of the Slug Club, but since the last one exploded a vial of unicorn blood and set a fire, Aurelie had been cleaning the class for a year. He was very familiar with Augustine and often spoke of him, now he was quiet.