Chapter 6: Nightmare
The large Slytherin Commonroom was dark apart from the green lanterns upon the stone walls that cast an eerie glow of emerald around them as Tom Riddle sat in his usual chair. The chair where no one else dared sit as he stared into the darkness, unknowingly turning his wand around in his hand.
"- and then I reminded the filthy half-blood that her father was dismissed from my grandfather's department within the Ministry," Rosier said with a grin as his remark was met with a round of callous laughter from the other boys.
Riddle twitched at the word. Half-blood. He heard the way it rolled off Rosier's tongue like poison on his lips. Little did his gang of elites know that their leader was a half-blood like the ones they all despised. He was interested to see the looks on their faces if they found out; to see that flicker of fear behind their eyes if they knew they were currently insulting him. But, of course, his blood status was a secret he intended to take to the grave if he could.
"To think that he has the nerve to speak to any of us like that," Abraxas Malfoy spat, idly brushing some dust off of his black jacket. "They're beginning to think they have some sort of status. Next think we know, mudbloods will be squaring up to us in the hallways."
Lestrange grimaced. "Not while we walk these corridors, they won't."
Malfoy sniggered. "You're right. While the Knights of Walpurgis walk these halls their numbers will be falling like flies." His praise-hunting gaze fell upon his leader, who was still staring into nothingness. "Riddle? Is everything all right?"
Riddle did not move, but he stopped spinning his wand between his fingers. "Yes," he said slowly. "You know, your story is quite relatable, Rosier."
Rosier sat up in his chair and cast uncertain glances around at the rest of the boys who had all stopped to listen. "It is?"
"Yes. Your story about the half-blood speaking out of terms has made me ponder." The boys seemed uncertain, but listened attentively to each word Riddle spoke nonetheless. "It seems that worthless people have begun challenging our authority."
Mulciber piped up. "But we still run the school, there's no doubt about it. Few people dare challenge us."
"But that doesn't erase the minority who do, does it, Mulciber?" Riddle said darkly, and Mulciber's mouth snapped shut.
"You've encountered impertinence?" Avery asked warily.
"I have." Riddle nodded, and finally he turned around to face his followers, and each of them sat up a little straighter. "From none other than Estela Markorp."
Lestrange grunted. "Insolent piece of filth. I've never liked her."
"What's her blood status?" Nott asked, and Riddle's attention sparked a little at this question, too.
"Pureblood," Abraxas Malfoy said with an upturned nose. "Unfortunately."
"Pity," Lestrange said. "Or we could have made her our first victim. What did she do?"
Riddle scowled. "She's not intimidated by me in the slightest. Of any of us, for that matter. And after our encounter in the bathroom I'm not sure I can trust her not to go blabbing. After all, if she opens her mouth about what she saw, she could foil our plans completely."
"Surely she wouldn't dare," Nott said.
"I'm not so sure. She's not like the rest." Tom said reluctantly. "There's more to her. I can feel it."
"She's just an ignorant girl. If she knew half as much about us as she thinks, she'd never dare to so much as glance in our direction." Malfoy said, brushing his hand over his slicked back hair. "If she gets to be too much, we'll show her exactly how dangerous we truly are."
Hours after the rest of the Slytherin boys had left the Common Room, Tom Riddle was still sitting in darkness – alone – as he tried to put pieces together in his mind to figure out Estela Markorp.
***
The rain was hitting hard as October came by in full swing. Estela was sitting on the ledge in front of one of the windows in the Common Room, listening to the wind and rain hammer against it.
Her mind always seemed to manage to find its way back to Riddle. She had hardly seen him since the incident in the girl's bathroom. She couldn't help think he was trying to avoid her. But perhaps she was trying to avoid him, too.
He'd been occupying her mind far too much for her liking since that night. She couldn't figure out what he had been up to as he lurked in the shadows of the girl's lavatory. Calling it strange would be an understatement, and she became frustrated each time she tried to figure out what he'd been up to.
"Checkmate!" chirped a high voice from the other end of the Common room, and Estela turned to see Cayra Williams grinning broadly as Anthony Goodwin shook his head.
"I don't believe it, that was even fewer moves than the last game!" Anthony said.
"I told you, I'm a natural," Cayra said with a wink.
"That you are," smiled Anthony, and when he noticed Estela looking in their direction his smile widened. "That's the fourth time she's beaten me now."
"Wizards' chess? Impressive." Estela said.
"Well, I was Wizards' chess champion three years' running," Cayra said, leaning back in her chair and shooting Anthony a triumphant smile.
"Really?" Anthony asked sarcastically. "It's not like you've ever told me that before."
Cayra hit him gently. "Oh hush, you're just a bad loser."
Anthony shrugged. "Can't deny that."
The next moment, fellow Ravenclaws Eve Meadows and Dean Capron came into the Common Room. Eve was holding a scroll of parchment as she headed over towards the bulletin board.
"What's that you've got, Eve?" Anthony asked.
She pinned the scroll to the wall and tucked a strand of her mousy brown hair behind her ear. "I just met Professor Flitwick in the hallway and he gave me this," she said, gesturing towards the scroll. "It's a notice that there's going to be a Halloween ball!"
"A ball?" said Cayra, excitement spreading across her pretty face as she leaned in to get a closer look at the flyer.
"Yeah, it's like a proper formal event, and everybody has to bring a date," said Dean Capron, and Eve's cheeks flushed pink.
"A date, you say? So who are you going to ask, Anthony?" Cayra asked jocularly.
He grinned. "Anyone but you."
Cayra stuck out her tongue and leered at him impishly.
"Now, now, lovebirds," Dean teased. "Save your flirting for the ball."
"Shut up, Dean," Cayra laughed. "So what about you Eve, Estela? If there was one person you'd want to ask you to the ball, who would it be?"
Eve laughed nervously, her freckled face blushing again. "I'm not too sure."
"Well I hope it's no one too handsome," Dean said. "I'd hate to have competition."
Cayra beamed as she saw the look in Eve's eyes as she looked up at Dean. "Estela?"
"Oh, I don't think I'll be going."
"What?" Cayra blurted. "You have to go! Everyone's going. It's the historic Halloween Ball! It's tradition!"
She shrugged. "I'm not really one for parties."
"Then go for the food, I hear it's considered the best buffet of the entire year."
"And what's a better excuse than food?" Anthony chipped in with a smile.
That night, they continued to discuss the ball. And in the end, Cayra, Anthony, Eve and Dean just about managed to persuade Estela to go, after which they imagined different scenarios that might take place at the ball.
"I bet Slughorn will be showing us his usual dancing moves," Dean said.
Anthony laughed. "It's hard to believe how flexible he is after a few glasses of sherry!"
"There's a Hogsmeade trip in two weeks, it will be the perfect time to go dress shopping," Cayra was telling Estela. "You can come with me if you like, we'll help each other choose our dresses!"
Estela agreed, and that night, after they all retired to their dormitories, Estela drifted into an almost immediate sleep – something that was quite rare for her. But when she did, she regretted laying her head on the pillow.
***
It was dark and cold and Estela was alone in a small empty room. There was nothing but darkness filling her vision, except for a tiny ray of light that came in through the small crack of a window, through which a rush of cold wind brushed her skin.
A door door swung open and a tall figure stood in the entrance, his robes drenched from the vicious storm outside.
The door closed behind him. And the echoing sound of dripping sent a chill down her spine. He made towards Estela, slow at first, before his pace quickened. As he stepped into the dim ray of light, she could make out the malicious smile on his face. He stopped before her and she cowered backwards against the wall, feeling the sharp stone edges dig their way into her spine as an evil grin spread across his face.
Then suddenly his face was shifting, morphing into something hideous. Her vision blurred as the pain on her back threatened to overwhelm her, but she could just make out a chalk-white, skull-like face with slits for nostrils. The figure's eyes flew opened to reveal blazing crimson eyes, and she saw some long white fingers reach within his robes and pull out his wand. She heard herself scream, the noise echoing around her, before everything turned black.
Estela's eyes shot open, she was sweating and trembling in her bed. She sat up and looked around the room in terror - her wand raised as she panted uncontrollably. All she could see and hear was the rest of the girls in her dorm who were sound asleep.
It was just a nightmare.
She saw it was still dark outside, but she didn't want to go back to sleep, she was afraid of closing her eyes in fear that she might see that terrifying thing again.
What was that?