Turned - Tom Riddle

Chapter Twenty Seven

Elizabeth opened her book. She gathered the ingredients and began adding Shrivelfig. They had made this potion once before at Baxtart's. She remembered the pain she went through after keeping a vile of the elixir to take back to a young boy. His sister had just been killed. One of the disciplinary advisors used a spell on her that made her experience all of the pain she'd ever felt in her life, except twice as bad. It was a curse that her Potions professor had created. The memory made Elizabeth's head hurt.

She dropped a few porcupine quills into the bubbling liquid. Elizabeth always liked making potions. They calmed her nerves.

After going through the rest of the steps, she added the Wormwood, causing the potion to turn yellow. She stirred it anti-clockwise six times. "Professor, I've finished," Elizabeth told Slughorn, who was helping Bonnie across the table.

"Oh my, let me come take a look," he set down Bonnie's Sopophorous beans and waddled over to her. "This is perfect," he whispered. "Everyone, please congratulate Miss Maryn on her potion!" Slughorn went back to the front of the room.

The students clapped for a brief moment. "Good job, love," Joshua kissed her on the cheek.

The words made Tom nearly snap his porcupine quills in half. He wanted to murder Joshua. Not for a Horcrux or anything meaningful, he just wanted him gone. "How would you fancy I take him out?" Tom asked Abraxas.

"Who, Corrington?" Abraxas asked, setting his stirrer down. "Well, I'm sure if you blew him up, the explosion would still be smaller than his ego, so I'd choose something painful rather than extravagant," he rolled his eyes.

Tom genuinely laughed, "You really are my favorite, Malfoy. Lestrange would have just muttered something, but you truly see eye to eye with me on these things. However, you are correct, it needs to be something to make him feel pain, rather than let everyone know he's dead."

"What is the most painful spell that she's taught you?" Abraxas asked.

"Well, there is this one that turns your skin inside out, although I would rather just go the old fashion way with the Killing Curse," Tom pointed out. "I wouldn't want to cause myself the trouble of using an interesting spell on that oaf."

Abraxas chuckled, "What are you planning on using one of the better ones for?"

"Might try one on the other boy, Asher, I believe," Tom shrugged.

Elizabeth gave a side eye towards Tom. She wanted to ask him how he was doing, just to see. The stress of wanting to talk to him made her feel sick. "Professor, could I be excused?" Elizabeth asked Slughorn who was passing by.

"Of course," he answered, waving her off. He had obviously forgotten about the traveling in pairs rule.

She stood and tried her hardest not to look at Tom, but she couldn't help herself. He was so hard to ignore. Trying to be as discreet as possible, she glanced over to where he sat in the back of the room. Of course, he saw her. Being the narcissistic man he was, he thought she was telling him to meet her. A moment after she exited, he stood and slipped out of the classroom.

"Elizabeth," he called after her as she walked up the stairs. She didn't acknowledge him. "You aren't seriously ignoring me?"

She kept walking and went straight into the lavatory. As she attempted to close the door to her cubicle, he opened it. She didn't even need to use the toilet, she just wanted to be away from him.

"You have to stop following me," Elizabeth told him, attempting to close the door. He opened it wider and entered, closing it behind him. "I don't want to speak to you anymore, do you understand?"