Solving Riddles

Meeting The Snakes

Hermione awoke with a scream, she was gasping and covered in sweat. Nightmares of the war had been haunting her ever since she travelled into the past. She swung her legs over her bed and peeked through the curtains, everybody was still asleep, good. She picked up her watch from the bedside table, it was 2:00 am she groaned, she'd have to be up by seven since classes started at eight. She lay back down on her bed but was afraid of going to sleep because of the nightmares, she soon got bored of lying there doing nothing and so she decided to go for a stroll around the castle.

She truly didn't know where she was going as she swerved in and out of corridors but she soon found herself in front of the stairs that led to the astronomy tower. She walked up the stairs making sure to make no sound at all, she reached the landing and conjured herself an armchair. She sighed as she sunk into it, a cool breeze hit her and she stared at the moon and the stars wishing she was amongst them. She sat there for a while until thoughts of her plan crept into her mind.

She knew she couldn't show him that she hated him, she knew she had to control her emotions, she'd have to become a Slytherin, she'd have to become his equal. However, she didn't plan to make him think she was joining him, in fact, she wanted to make sure he wouldn't notice her, she wanted to be hidden in the shadows but still be able to capture him and destroy him. First of all, she knew she couldn't be too naive about anything, she had tampered with her memories incase he got suspicious of her and attacked her mind when she wasn't expecting it. Second of all she practiced her story; her name was Hermione Bellouve a seventeen year old transfer from Beauxbaton the reason she had an English accent was because she lived half her life England and moved to France when she was eight years old, her whole family was murdered by Grindelwald's men a month ago, she was the only one that survived. In a way it was true, a tear a ran down her face as she thought of Draco, Harry, Ron and Ginny. She couldn't get her mind around it, even though she saw them die, it was still hard but it didn't matter because she would avenge them now and she wiped the tear away.

Third of all she'd have to play dumb, she'd have to act like the girls that were always fawning over him. She'd have to be a typical girly girl no matter how much she hated the idea if she wanted him to not notice her she'd have to do it.

She sighed, she was feeling tired but was scared to sleep, she'd need to brew some dreamless potion or sneak out of the castle into Hogsmeade to get some. She groaned and got out of the chair and made it vanish, she might as well try to get some sleep even if the nightmares would come back.

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Hermione scowled as Emma Parkinson shoved her in the hall, she had half the mind to turn around and hex the girl to pieces but she decided against it and continued on her way to Potions. She walked into the classroom and sat down at a random desk before she could register that it was at the front, the wrong choice. Before she could move, Abraxas Malfoy came up to her, "You're in my seat." he said looking her in they eye.

"Huh? What did you say?"

"You heard what I said mudblood, you're. In. My. Seat."

Hermione looked him up and down and realised that he was Draco's grandfather, he didn't look too much like him but you could see the similarities, his sparkling grey eyes, his jawline and his blonde hair, his cheekbones and they way he spoke. It made her miss him more but he wasn't Draco and he would never be Draco.

"It doesn't have your name on it." she raised an eyebrow. He was about to retort when Slughorn came in and greeted everyone telling them to be seated. Abraxas scowled and sat in the seat next to her. "Today's lesson will be on the draught of living death. Now can anyone tell me what that is?" Hermione was dying to raise her hand and blurt out the answer but she stopped herself in time. Tom raised his hand and Slughorn obviously picked him (there was no one else to pick but even if there was she was sure Slughorn would have still picked him).

"The Draught of Living Death brings upon its drinker a very powerful sleep that can last indefinitely. This draught is very dangerous if not used with caution. When a person drinks the Draught of Living Death, they go into a deep sleep so strong that they appear to be dead, hence the name. It is made from the powdered root of asphodel which is added to an infusion of wormwood." he says.

Hermione was amazed by the way he was able to say that without sounding too pompous or big headed but again he was the dark lord and was supposed to be an amazing actor.

"Brilliant Tom, ten points to Slytherin!"

The rest of the lesson was spent with Slughorn explaining what it was used for and how it was used and Tom earning Slytherin a bunch of house points along with a few other people.

She had transfiguration next and couldn't wait for it. The idea of Dumbledore teaching transfiguration made her happy.

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Hermione sat in the back of the library were no really ever went running over the details of her day. Dumbledore still acted like Dumbledore until it came to Tom Riddle. He acted a bit cold towards Tom and barely acknowledged him at all, Hermione found this quite odd because Dumbledore never treated a student that way, he always seemed happy and welcoming towards students even if they were the most troublesome Slytherins.

She sighed and got up, some of the books in this section were books that weren't available in her time, and she didn't even wonder why. The books seemed to be radiating a very strange magic and she was sure it wasn't good. She reached for one but decided against it, it was best to leave them there, not knowing what they contained. She picked up her bag and walked out the library; she was heading towards the room of requirement when a hex zoomed past her ear crashing into the wall, she spun around immediately standing in defence mode and behind her was Rose Macmillan smirking at her. Hermione scowled and she sneered at her, "Where do you think you're going mudblood?" Said Rose.

"What's it to you, Macmillan?" Hermione replied, her face blank and not displaying any emotion.

"Being a prefect and all, it's necessary to know what students are doing prowling around the castle after curfew especially when it comes to filth like you."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, "And that gives you permission to hex me?"

"Well, the rules can be bent when it's a mudblood."

"I really doubt that Macmillan. How would Slughorn react when he finds out that one of the prefects in his house is out hexing students just because she feels like it?"

"You wouldn't dare." She snarled and sent a hex at Hermione. Hermione deflected it before Rose could register what happened and it crashed into the wall.

"Expelliarmus," Hermione said and Roses wand landed neatly in her hand.

"Give me back my wand, mudblood!"

"Tell you what, you swear not to bother me again and I'll consider not snapping your wand in two." her voice dripping with false sweetness.

"Fine, fine just give me back my wand!"

"Swear," she said in a sing-song voice.

"Fine, I swear not to bother you again."

Hermione threw her back her wand and walked away before she had the chance to say anything. Slytherins, she thought, shaking her head, what a vicious bunch.

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Ok so I know the wasn't any Tomione interaction in this chapter but you'll have to bear with me on that. This was all just a filler nothing too interesting but the next chapter will have more detail.