In Servitude to the Dark || Tom Riddle

𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙮

August 31, 1993

'Morning, Marvolo. How are you feeling?'

'Adequate.'

Aster cringed at the answer. Adequate for Marvolo was probably pretty crummy. 'I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help make you stronger?'

'No apologies necessary, my Little Serpent', came the response, and Aster grinned at the pet name. 'Was there an explanation for the dementor's presence on the train?'

'Not just on the train', she wrote back. 'Dumbledore says they'll be around the school too. They're looking for Sirius Black.'

'...Idiots!'

Aster could almost hear the snarl and see the flash of red eyes. 'Is there anything I can do to protect myself from them? I don't even think I can get close to them without feeling sick.' It took a moment for Marvolo to answer back, and Aster took a few seconds to check if her dorm-mates were still snoring away.

It amused her, even after two years, at how loud Lavender Brown could 'saw a log'. Fay Dunbar and Parvati Patil had both been extremely grateful when Hermione had taught everyone the Silencing Charm...

'There is a charm, called the Patronus charm', Marvolo replied, pulling her attention back to the diary. 'I will teach it to you, though I must warn you, it is a very difficult piece of magic. It will likely take some time before you can achieve its most basic form, let alone its full power. Till you do, you'll need something else to act as a stop-gap'...He seemed to pause as if in thought. 'I will show you how to make a Knot of Misery tonight.'

Aster stared at the words, not liking the sound of anything with the word 'misery' in it. 'Is this dark magic?' she scribbled down.

'Yes, and it will serve as a decent introduction to the dark arts.'

'Will you be strong enough to leave the diary tonight?' Aster wanted to know.

'For this, I will.'

'Okay. I'll see you tonight then. I have to go to breakfast now.'

'Be safe, my little one.'

Aster gave the page a small smile before closing the book and tucking it safely inside the inner pocket of her robes. With September 1st falling on a Sunday this year, classes didn't start until tomorrow, giving the students an opportunity to look over their class lists, find their classes, and complete any unfinished homework over the summer, or in Aster's (and obviously Hermione's) case, to read ahead. With that in mind, Aster slipped her potion's book into her bag and after a thought also added an advanced Charm book she had purchased over the summer. Marvolo had told her the name of the charm to ward off dementors, and Aster was determined to at least know the basics of it before her lessons with Marvolo. She was going to do him proud if she had any say on the matter.

Because it was only Sunday, students were trickling into the Great Hall at random intervals. Not surprisingly, Hermione was already up, eating and reading, no doubt doing a final check on her homework. Neville was there as well, but the other three Gryffindor boys were still up at the tower. Aster nodded to them as they spotted her and then cocked her head towards McGonagall, who was passing out their individual class schedules, as were the other three House Heads.

"Out of all the excitement this summer, I forgot to ask which classes you picked," Hermione said as soon as Aster seated herself.

"Hold on, let me check." Aster ran her eyes down the class list and frowned. "They must have gotten Ron's mixed up with mine," she finally said.