"What?"
"Who died?"
"...how did a Dementor get into the Hospital Wing?"
There was no warning before complete chaos ensued, it appeared the Hufflepuffs were divided with half of them crying and the other half yelling at Dippet in outrage, claiming that there wouldn't have been a death if the School didn't allow the Dementors here to begin with.
They weren't the only ones, the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were standing by them appearing equally outraged as well. Here and there students were running to each others tables leaving the teachers to try in vain to maintain order.
Dumbledore was nowhere to be seen, only Dippet, Flitwick, Slughorn and a handful of teachers I didn't know were going table to table trying to aid as many people as they could.
"Who cares that Ora Plum is dead."
Tom Riddle said from over at the Slytherin House table, surveying the rest of the school carelessly. "She was only a Hufflepuff, and probably the stupidest one, come to think of it. I'm more concerned with the fact our Headmaster is a imbecile who decided to let Dementors enter the school. If it was up to me he wouldn't have got the position at this School in the first place..."
He stabbed a piece of lamb on his plate and continued eating, clearly not the least bit concerned about both the loss of a girl's life or the way I was gaping at him in open shock.
"Tom." I reprimanded. "A girl just died. Don't you care?"
"Of course I care," Tom said, staring at a slice of meat on his fork thoughtfully. "Now my Defence Against the Dark Arts classes with the Hufflepuffs won't be so agonisingly slow. It's been an absolute disaster having someone in my class asking more questions than a first year."
I was too gobsmacked to reply. There was no point trying to evoke emotions from a monster, I guess.
"How did a Dementor get into the Hospital Wing anyway?" Daniel Dolohov frowned.
"Have they gotten rid of it? Or has it gone to other parts of the castle? Can you imagine running into one of those in the halls? I hate those creepy hooded bearers of doom..."
"Creepy hooded bearers of doom...?" Shalini echoed, her dark eyes amused. "That's a way to put it."
"Just look up, you'll see what I mean," Daniel defended. "Anyway, it's putting me off dinner to have them here. That, plus the dead girl, the criminal on the loose and all of the Hufflepuffs glaring at us."
We all looked over, sure enough the Huffepuff students looked mutinous. I don't think that Tom being the only student serving himself second helpings of food whilst none of the other students had touched their own plates was really helping anything.
"Did you see that? That Dementor was like bigger than the rest!" Shalini shrieked, pointing up at the glowing barrier with a squeal.
"You imbecile. All Dementors are the same size." Tom gave her a look , the type which said you're testing my patience but I'm going to let it slide just for now since I can't hex you in public which is the type of look I knew all too well.
"No but that one in the corner is massive..."
Only the protective barrier was keeping them all from us, I didn't want to think about what would happen if it for some reason suddenly broke.
"Why the hell do they have to be in the Great Hall?" Jade demanded. "And why so many of them? Every single time I look up I almost have a heart attack."
"Same..." Shalini looked a little queasy. "I have to admit, out of all the ways the Minister for Magic could've dealt with this situation this is... unusual."
"Well, what do you all expect?" Tom placed his goblet down, his voice edged with the trademark condescending tone. "The Ministry of Magic is incompetent. They could have sent a few highly skilled Aurors, but what do they do? Send us at least 50 damned Dementors."
"I think the school is hiding something," Xavier added, "For all we know that one stray Dementor could be going through more non protected parts of the school, sucking the souls out of any idiot who hasn't come down here and just, you know, gliding around-" He made a strange flapping movement with his cloak, and continued doing so until he caught Tom's expression.
"Stop that." He said flatly.
"Sorry..."
"Look," I said, causing a few surprised glances. "There is no way the Dementor would still be here. A teacher or someone would've cast a Patronus and banished it by now. But that's besides the point. It was stupid of Dippet to have allowed them to enter the school. Now an innocent life is lost!"
"How do you know Ora was innocent?" Zero Zabini snapped. "Her mother knew that criminal."
I threw my hair out of my face, turning to face him.
"That's her mother, not her." I retailiated. "I'm sure she didn't deserve what that criminal or Dementor did to her."
"Well, none of us will ever know for sure and personally I couldn't care less." Tom said drily. "I'm surprised, as a matter of fact. I never thought a Dementor would do me a favour," With all the ease in the world he poured himself a generous goblet of pumpkin juice, his expression completely emotionless as he raised the goblet.
"One less Mudblood to deal to. We ought to be celebrating." His dark eyes shone when they looked out past the Slytherins to the rest of the school. "I would raise a toast to her death but I doubt the rest of the school would appreciate it right now."
The other Slytherins laughed sending chills down trickling down my spine. What would Tom do if he realised there was a Mudblood sitting on the table next to him?
"That's the thing, why raise a toast to her being dead when it was just her soul that was sucked out of her body. She is still alive." Zero Zabini contributed. "Big difference."
"Not really." Said Tom coldly. "If she's without a soul then she's practically deceased. Would you really consider that a state of life? I think I'd rather be dead than be in that form, wouldn't you?"
"Someone should just kill her and finish the job, then."
"Maybe you should do it," Tom remarked. "Since you feel so deeply about it."
"I was only saying-"
"Guys!"
Isabella Rey raced over to our table, panic showing on her face. "The Dementor is gone. Apparently it nearly took Madam Pomfrey too, but she managed to defend herself... Imagine if we lost her too."
"That would be heartbreaking." Tom said in a tone of voice that more than implied the direct opposite, but Isabella wasn't looking at him anymore, her eyes had met mine and she gave me a searching look as if to say are you ok?
Yes I gave her a small smile.
"Why exactly are you here?" Tom caught our little exchange, watching us suspiciously.
"Oh, I uh-" She paused. Clearly she just came over to see if I was ok. "I just wanted to speak to Daniel." She improvised wildly.
"Whatever you need to tell him you can tell all of us, too." He said. "Well, go on Isabella. We're all listening."
Sure enough, basically everyone around Tom myself included was staring at her expectantly. I coughed, looking away.
"Oh, well uh. Daniel. We should..." Her words were innocent but her eyes held meaning. "...We should meet up later. To study, I mean. And talk."
"We can talk later." Daniel said quickly. He really wasn't looking the least bit comfortable now that all eyes were on the two of them.
"Cool. Only if you're not busy." Isabella rushed. "Meet me outside the Ravenclaw tower after this, ok?"
"Ok. Fine."
Even to everyone else Daniel seemed to trying to get her to leave, although it appeared Xavier and Tom were the only ones who were really aware of what was happening.
I wasn't the only one whose patience was expiring, either. Tom was quietly eating his food, appearing to grow increasingly angrier each bite he took. And then all of a sudden, he snapped; from the corner of my eye I saw him release his cutlery with such a clatter Xavier Malfoy swore, almost dropping his drink all over his meal.
"The teachers are instructing everyone to return to their House tables." Tom told her mildly, there was no sign of warmth on his pale features. "So I suggest you go." He smiled but his jaw was clenched.
"Fine."
"Really?" Daniel slammed his goblet down extremely hard the second Isabella left. "What was that for?" He demanded. "She was just telling us-"
"She doesn't need to tell us anything," Tom said over him with a snarl. "Why do you continue lusting after that Mudblood, Dolohov? Think for once what your Pure Blood family would think if they knew you had fallen head over heels for vermin." Daniel clenched his jaw. Clearly Tom had crossed a line here, family was clearly a sensitive subject. Xavier Malfoy who was always the type to joke looked over at the two of them warily.
"Easy, lads." He said lightly. "Do we really want to start shit right now? How about we all chill out."
But both Daniel and Tom were glaring at each other like they wanted to duel to the death.
"He's right. We can't just loose our heads." Jade agreed.
"Humph." Nearly Headless Nick the Hogwarts ghost floated past the Slytherin table looking extremely offended and muttering something about who should loose their heads instead before going back to the Gryffindor table.
"I wasn't even talking about you!" Jade called to him. "What's that damn ghost doing by our table anyway?" She added as soon as he was out of earshot.
"I have no idea, Jade." I said watching as he floated off with a slight pang of guilt. "Anyway this is just hopeless." I sighed. "How long are we supposed to just sit here while-"
"Attention." Headmaster Dippet called from the front of the Hall. "Silence!"
Everyone shut up immediately. Dippet was not known to yelling type, almost every eye turned to him at once.
"There is no need to panic." He said in a carrying voice, "The Dementor has been expelled from the School. As it appears there was a unexpected lapse in security, unfortunately the protective enchantments had been broken around the Hospital Wing. We have yet to figure out who has done this."
Tom laughed lowly beside me, only loud enough for me and a few others to hear. The difference was no other Slytherin except for Daniel, Jade, her sister Shalini and me actually cared, exchanging unsettled looks amongst each other. I froze. For a moment Jade and I locked eyes, and one pure second of comprehension revealed to us a terrifying truth:
Tom did it.
"...whoever the culprit was has severely broken the moral ethnics and rules of this School, and should be deeply ashamed of themselves. Until we find out who this person is I suggest all of you keep a close eye on those around you during this unsettling time. If you see anything remotely suspicious in the following days alert a teacher at once."
Dippet gave one last searching look at the school.
"Now, if the prefects could all come forth to the front please! Thank you."
Tom swore under his breath. "What could they possibly be asking from us now?" He took another swig from his goblet, and that's when I he was drinking Firewhisky instead of Pumpkin Juice.
"Riddle! That means you, my dear boy!" Slughorn waddled over, his large belly almost busting open his lime green waistcoat. "Come on up, don't be shy..."
In my personal opinion, Tom looked more murderous than shy but nonetheless, as silent as a shadow he stood, adjusting his collar smartly.
"Special instructions?" Shalini echoed after him. "What special instructions could they possibly be telling you?"
"Perhaps if you had been a role model student you would've found out." Tom replied. "But you're not."
"Savage..." Xavier muttered under his breath.
Tall, dark and pale Tom was easy to spot amongst the sea of seated students as he made his way to the front of the Hall. By the looks of things, a few teachers such as Dumbledore, Flitwick and Slughorn were gathered giving what appeared to be a sort of pep talk.
"Hermione." Jade leant across the table. "About before. Whatever Tom has told you is a lie." She explained. "Me and my sister wouldn't just pretend we were assaulted by him or anything like that. You have to believe us."
"I know. I do believe you both." I said finally. What else could I do? Believe Tom?
Jade beamed. "I'll admit I thought you hated me. I didn't know what to think. Tom has ruined a lot of my friendships..."
Jade obviously had no idea I couldn't stay in the past forever, soon I'd have to leave and never see her again. I didn't think I'd make Slytherin friends at all. But now I was, and what was going to happen when I had to leave them all behind?
"Don't worry. We've got your back despite everything. We'd never backstab you like that, even though I'm basically a mega bitch." Shalini gave me a small smile which I returned a little guiltily.
"That means a lot... Same with you guys."
"Well, that was utterly pointless." Tom suddenly came back to the Slytherin table, sitting back down beside me with a irritated look. I suddenly became quiet. Why did he have to come back so soon?
"What did they ask you?" Shalini said. I had to admit, I was curious myself. Everyone leaned in eager to hear some news.
"They didn't say anything overly important," He smirked. "But Slughorn invited me to one of his dinner parties tomorrow. He's organised it months earlier, and figured now is the only time to get it done with since his select students wouldn't be caught up with school work."
"In these circumstances?" I demanded. "I think he's chosen his timing wrong." There was a few murmurs of agreement on the table, and Xavier asked "Who's your date going to be?" Which Tom ignored.
"He's organised it months before this happened," He said lowly. "As for the criminal? Madam Pomfrey stunned him as he was running from the Hospital Wing. He's in Azkaban as we speak."
"Who told you that?" Jade asked. "Slughorn?"
"Naturally." Tom bristled. "He's a weak man. It doesn't take a lot for him to spill secrets to me that he shouldn't."
I shivered. Slughorn was yet to be telling Tom about Horcruxes, giving him the key to rising in darkness. And that's when it hit me. All I had to do in the past was convince Slughorn against revealing this information to Tom in the future. And the sooner I could convince him, the better.
"Who did you choose to be your date?" Xavier asked again.
"I didn't actually choose anyone." Tom said coldly. "But actually, Hermione you might as well be my date. Considering Slughorn invited you as well."
"He invited me?" I asked in surprise. "Why? I've barely been here long at al-"
"I know. But he told me you're one of the smartest students in the year." Tom said, staring sharply at me as he spoke. "So make sure you look the part tomorrow night. I wouldn't want you to bring down my image."
"Oh- ok."
———————————
"No, you cant wear that dress." Shalini snapped. Get rid of it. Burn it, for all I care."
It was 7pm. I was supposed to meet up with Tom Riddle for the dinner party of Slughorn's in less than hour. I had wrongly assumed I'd gotten myself done up enough but then suddenly I had been ambushed by Shalini who'd just walked into our dormitory and exploded in a fit of outrage after spotting me curled up on my bed re reading a rather large novel about Horcruxes I had left in my beaded bag.
"What's wrong with this dress?" I shoved the book back in my bag hastily before turning to her. "It's fine!"
I admit, there wasn't many options for what to wear, quickly I had thrown on my simple red dress and heels I had worn to Ron's brothers wedding to Fleur Delacour.
"It's fine. It's fine?" Shalini threw back her glossy black hair with a cry. "Girl, please. I can barely even see your boobs. You look like a nun!"
"I do not!" I protested. But Shalini had raised one perfect arched eyebrow and was beckoning me forward with one finger.
Come here.
"This isn't just any guy." She said, grabbing my wrist and dragging me forward. "This is the most popular guy in Slytherin, and practically the entire school. Do you even realise how many girls are after him?"
"No- not really-"
"Do you even care that the whole school is going to be talking about this night for a long time?"
"No one knows that Slughorn asked us-"
"The whole school already knows. I would know, I'm basically the female equivalent of Tom at this school. Well, in terms of popularity, at least."
I rolled my eyes.
"I get it. But look how revealing this dress is already!" I gestured to my chest dramatically. "Anything with a greater plunge than this would be a skirt."
"Wow." Shalini stared at me as if I was the saddest thing she'd ever laid eyes on. "Your sense of style is such a boner killer. Girl. Do you want to turn Tom on or off? You've got to shed your nerd identity for just one night, ok? Don't be scared." She raised her hands as though I was a small startled bird. "Relax. I'm here to help you."
"I don't look like a nerd-"
"Shut up."
Before I could run screaming in the opposite direction she had rummaged in a bag under her bed and brought out a short slinky piece of black fabric.
"This is more what you should've been wearing."
She held it up. A dress, tiny and tight looking with spaghetti straps, the front split generously down the middle leaving nothing much to the imagination.
She threw it at me.
"What is that." I demanded.
Shalini smiled widely in response. "This is what you're going to wear. And it's also going to make every guy drool over you. Put it on."
I stepped into it, shrugging off the red dress as I shimmied into the tiny stretchy dress.
"I feel ridiculous." I looked down. Basically my entire chest was hanging out, the cut was low and tight, the top part slightly frilled to emphasise what Shalini called "the goods."
"Is this really necessary?"
I walked over to the large mirror propped beside her bed, turning to see the dress at all angles. Nothing whatsoever was left to the imagination.
"It seems more you than me." I said, voicing my personal opinion. "I don't know if I can wear this."
"You're right...." Shalini said. "It is more me than you. You're more innocent than I am, anyway."
She stepped behind me, so I could see her large black eyes staring at me in the mirror.
"Oh... hang on." She said slowly. "How much time do we have left?"
"About 20 minutes."
"Excellent." A positively excited look came across her face. "I think I know just the thing." She rummaged in her bag, bringing out an old book.
"I actually stole this, so don't judge me."
I watched her flipping through the pages feverishly, feeling more confused as the seconds went by.
"I don't even know what that is."
"What? Are you crazy?"
"It's been suggested..." I snapped.
"It's a transfiguration spell book. For practically anything. You can even alter clothes."
She drew out her wand, holding it towards me. "We can make that dress more you than me. The spell should pick up on your personality and sort of fuse it with the idea of the dress, if that makes sense."
"Is it safe?"
She frowned. "I'm not sure. I've only done this once before, so I hope it doesn't backfire. What?"
"Nothing..." I muttered. I didn't exactly have much to lose. "Just do it."
Isabella said the incantation, blue sparks and gold sparks rushed out of her wand. A sweeping feeling like a rush of cold ocean breeze came over me I instantly knew the spell had worked.
"Open your eyes, and tell me what you think."
Shalini turned me so I was facing the mirror, my jaw dropped.
Instead of black, the dress was angel white and flowy from the waist down, the bust still as revealing as the last however slightly bejewelled.
"It's beautiful."
I stared at myself in the mirror. My hair was half up half down, a few loose curls coming astray. My eyes were slightly shadowed from the lightest trace of eyeliner, the heels adding length to my legs somehow.
"You're missing something." Shalini passed me a tube of sparkling cherry lipgloss which I swept over my lips.
"Well. What do you think?" I asked.
"Personally," Shalini said, "I think it's more sweet than badass. But that is totally you. And you're trying to seduce the big bad wolf, right?"
"I'm not trying to seduce-"
"He will be seduced. You look part Veela in this. Plus, your boobs look even bigger in this dress."
"Why are you so obsessed with my boobs?" I examined. "Seriously, woman."
"Tom is going to eat you alive," Shalini said happily. "Mark my words."