In Servitude to the Dark || Tom Riddle

𝘽𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙏𝙤 𝙃𝙤𝙜𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨

"Really? You have?" Neville asked, bringing Aster back to the present. "That's amazing. Those things are supposed to be impossible to crack."

Aster simply shrugged. "It probably won't work," she said and lowered her voice. "Does the Longbottom family have a grimoire?"

Neville suddenly looked nervous at the change of topic. "I'm not sure, but every old line is supposed to have one," he answered, matching Aster's tone. "But even if I knew where it was, and even if Gran would let me, it's not like I can read it anyway. Not even Gran remembers how to break the enchantments on that book."

Aster frowned. "Don't you find it sad?" she asked. "I mean, this is your family's history. Every single Longbottom has contributed to it. I know if I find the Potter..."

"Shhh! Aster!" Neville interrupted panicky and glanced at the door as if someone would walk in right this moment. "You don't know what you're talking about! This stuff is illegal and dangerous. If you keep on about this, people will think you're a dark witch."

Aster crossed her arms and scowled. She had hoped to find a like-minded person in Neville Longbottom, someone in the Gryffindor house who would not go screeching at every little independent thought she had. It would be a shame if she had to go to the Slytherins to talk about this kind of stuff. Well, she wouldn't give up so soon. Out of all the Gryffindor's of her year, Neville was the most level-headed, and Aster decided she wouldn't give up so soon.

"Aster?" Neville prodded, not liking the determined look that came over those overly bright green eyes. "What are you thinking?" he asked nervously. Before she could answer, the door really did slide open, causing the pair to jump.

"Oi! There you are, Aster!" came a very familiar and very loud voice.

"If you had woken up earlier, we wouldn't have had to search the whole train for her, Ronald," Hermione scolded.

Aster shot her friend, Ron, an annoyed look, and scowled at the changes Ron had undergone over the summer. In addition to an impressive number of freckles from being under the Egyptian sun, he had also shot up at least four inches!... And Hermione, who had squeezed around him, was now an inch or so taller than she was! It was maddening being the shortest third-year in Hogwarts...especially if the second or even first years topped her as well!

Maybe Marvolo knows a growth potion or something...she wondered, resolving to ask her friend that evening.

"So why were both of you looking so serious," Hermione asked, sliding in next to Neville, while Ron took the seat next to Aster.

Aster and Neville traded glances. Given the panicky look still in Neville's eyes, she decided it was too soon to broach the subject again. And she instinctively knew Ron and Hermione wouldn't be as open-minded as Neville was. "Oh, I was just asking Neville about some wizarding culture thing that I didn't understand."

"Hey! You could have asked me," Ron protested, looking insulted.

Aster rolled her eyes, even as she quickly made up some kind of question to ask. "Alright, then. You know all the titles Dumbledore has?" She began ticking them off. "Supreme Mugwump, Chief Warlock, Grand Sorcerer. How come no one else has titles like that? And what do they mean?"

Everyone glanced at Ron, who remained silent. Finally, he just shrugged. "Who cares what they all mean," he said. "The only thing we need to know is that he's the most powerful and brilliant wizard of today. The only wizard that You-Know-Who is afraid of." Ron ended it with a decisive nod as if to close the subject.

"Oh Ron," Hermione shook her head. "Wizarding politics absolutely baffles me, and I for one think it's an excellent question, Aster." Then she turned to Neville with a sharp look, her eyes practically demanding an answer. "Well?"