A/N Dedicated to everyone who loves this book. Breaking Hermione will continue. ♡
Hermione
So Tom had charmed Madam Pince too? I wasn't surprised in the slightest. He was the type to just manipulate his way into people's good books so that whenever he needed to use someone they wouldnt resist him. And it certainly didn't hurt to have the one person in charge of the Restricted Section in his favour. Unfortunately for me, Madam Pince appeared to strongly dislike me. Whether Tom had told her about me or not, I didn't know. But I wouldnt be going near the Restricted Section anytime soon. Tom didn't know that I had eavesdropped on their little conversation about the books Tom had loaned. I was standing by the door, listening intently with one of Fred and George's extendable ears in the library picking the entire discussion with clarity. Of course, no one from this time even knew what Extendable Ears were, which was all the better for me. If anyone saw it in the library they'd have just thought it was a stupid kids collectable.
However I had to quickly throw the Invisibility Cloak over myself as Tom started striding toward the door on his way out. I only covered myself in the nick of time, Tom passed me so close, his cloak almost touching mine.
I exhaled sharply. This was bad. So Tom was trying to find some darker types of Magic now, was he? Didn't he already know enough evil? What more could he possibly need to know about the Dark Arts?
I considered the book that Headmaster Dippet had attempted to destroy not once but 3 times to no avail. What was it? Would I be able to sneak into Tom's room and find out? Or would I just be risking my life again for no necessary reason?
I couldn't just track down Headmaster Dippet and ask him about it.
You know that book you tried to destroy 3 times? What is it called?
I cringed. If I did that, not only would Dippet be suspicious but Tom would most likely be found out when they realised the novel wasn't safe in the library.
Hold on...
That was it. I would secretly snitch on Tom and get the Headmaster onto him. No student was permitted to borrow whatever book that was. Not even staff. I frowned, starting to walk back to the Slytherin Common Room. Perhaps I'd sneak into Tom's room first to see what other books he had loaned. I wanted to know what he was doing.
Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.
I had to be aware of what he was doing to get the advantage over him that I needed. And I desperately needed as much time as I could get, yet I couldn't just hang around in the past forever. The end had to come soon. A resolution had to be reached. I wanted to succeed. I needed to succeed. While Tom thought he was just smiting an issue that was bothering him, I was trying to destroy the very path that Tom would take that would lead to the wizarding world becoming corrupt.
And another thing was plaguing my thoughts was coming face to face with Tom again. How was I going to act around him now? I lived in the Slytherin Common Room too, I couldn't avoid him forever. We would see each other again. And sure enough, Tom was already in the Slytherin Common Room as soon as I got back. He looked at me as soon as I walked in. He was sitting in an armchair appearing perfectly at ease, one arm hanging lazily off the side of the seat. He was so tall I was surprised he even fit to begin with.
"Hermione." He smiled at me widely. "Headmaster Dippet told me to pass a message on. He wants you to meet him in his office."
I stared. He was emotionless. Cold. Detached. There was nothing to be found on Tom's face to reveal what the hell was going on. Whatever he was hiding he was giving nothing away.
"What?" I thought of everything I was expecting and this was far from it. My first thoughts were that Tom had gotten me into trouble. "Did he mention what it was about?" I asked.
"He didn't tell me." Tom said smoothly, his eyes shining very brightly in the dim light of the Common Room. "How about you go and see for yourself?"
Oh great. This shit again. Go and find out what my next practical joke is, Hermione!
"Fine." I said stiffly. I walked out of the Common Room, my head held high. But as soon as Tom was out of sight I wiped my head on the sleeve of my cloak. What the fuck was going to happen now. Tom obviously was planning something for me, and I was entirely oblivious to what lay in store for me.
I approached Headmaster Dippets office, hanging for an unnecessary amount of time at the bottom of the spiral staircase anxiety starting to get the better of me.
Just get this over and done with. My mind snapped in a voice eerily similar to Tom's. Or are you just going to stand out here all day?
I felt like I was on death row. And technically speaking I was. Tom Riddle hated me, and no one he hated ever managed to live for long. I knew I had wasted too much time already. And I couldn't afford to waste anymore.
I ascended the spiral stairs, my heart beat loud in my ears. Whatever was going to happen next I just had to grin and bear it.
I had no choice. I knocked twice on the Headmasters door, making sure to knock loud enough that he would hear me.
"Hermione." A stern voice said. "Come in."
Oh shit.
I pushed the door open. Headmaster Dippet was sitting at his desk with his hands clasped in front of him. He looked grim, and his narrowed as I walked in.
"Miss Granger." He said again. "We must talk. Take a seat." He gestured stiffly toward the seat directly opposite him.
"Sir, I don't understand." I pulled the chair forward and sat, wringing my hands on my lap. "What is this about?"
"Oh, don't play the innocent, Hermione." Headmaster Dippet said in an uncharacteristically cold voice.
"I am sure you are well aware of your actions."
I frowned, wracking my mind for what I could have possibly done over the last few days that would've made Dippet this angry. But try as I might, I had absolutely no idea.
"You can play the fool, but word has already reached me of your wrongdoings. Do you not remember stealing 3 books from the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library? Do you not remember using Dark magic to untether them from their magical bindings?"
"W-what? That wasn't me!" I said, both shocked and offended.
"You have broken countless School rules!" Dippet raised his voice.
"Really?" I said, pushed past endurance. "And where's your evidence? Sir." I added hastily.
"These 3 books were found in your room." Headmaster Dippet said, a finality ringing in his words. He extracted from a drawer the exact 3 books I had seen Tom borrow.
"That is impossible. Look, I can even take Veritaserum just to show you that I'm innocent-"
"Using Veritaserum on students is forbidden." Dippet told me, his eyes a steel grey. "I am surprised that someone supposedly as competent as yourself is unaware of that."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" I snapped.
Dippet raised an eyebrow. "I would appreciate if you could maintain yourself. I know it's not easy when you are caught in the act by another student doing atrocious deeds such as -"
"Caught doing what?" I demanded. "I haven't done anything! And by who?"
"Do not raise your voice at me, young lady." Headmaster Dippet said in a warning tone. "I am the Headmaster. And you are nothing but a troublemaker."
"A troublemaker?" I bristled. Anger and adrenaline were coursing through my veins. I could've flipped his stupid desk, I was enraged beyond belief. This was all Tom, I knew it.
"Well, to further explain things." Dippet said shifting to annoyed to calm unnervingly fast, "Tom Riddle was the informant who has told me what you did. He was in the library and witnessed you stealing these books from the Restricted Section."
"Like Hell he did." I snapped. "I never touched those books!"
"If that is indeed the case," Dippet leant across his desk toward me, a steel glint in his eye, "Then how come this was found in one of the books?"
Dippet reached out to one of the books and opened it with a tap of his wand. I watched in horror as the magical binding fell off to reveal...
Nothing.
"What the Hell am I supposed to be looking at?"
"I will let Tom Riddle explain that to you himself." Headmaster Dippet leant back in his seat just as two cold hands made contact with my shoulders.
I swore loudly. Dippet looked appalled but Tom's quiet laugh was worse. I whipped around in my seat.
"You." I said, my voice trembling in rage. "You did this."
"Did I?" Tom said in a quiet, musing tone precariously on the cusp of full blown amusement. "That's a rather grand accusation to make especially when one considers you have no evidence."
"You have no evidence either." I retorted. I stood up, Tom Riddle's towering figure right beside me. I looked into his face, finding nothing but emptiness in those dark eyes.
"Look at the book and tell me that handwriting is not yours." He said.
I frowned, turning to the book. On the innermost corner of the front page near the author's own dedication was somehow attached a tiny piece of parchment with my writing.
"Someone put that there." I said tersely. "You have no proof asides that?"
"Read it." Headmaster Dippet said.
"Read this book at your own discretion." I read aloud. "What the hell? I don't remember ever writing that."
I stared at Tom. "So you thought you'd frame me, did you?"
"Now, now." Headmaster Dippet said. "Tom has done no wrong here, so I suggest you watch what you say."
"Madam Pince has testified to say that she saw you stealing as well." Tom said smoothly before I had the chance to open my mouth and object, "Headmaster Dippet, what is the course of punishment you'd advise me to take here? I am a Prefect after all."
I wanted to slap Tom across the face. He really had the nerve to start this petty shit and get me in trouble.
"Well, I am the Headmaster of this School." Dippet said bluntly. "I think it is I that should decide what happens here. The offence is great, after all."
"The offence never happened!" I yelled, getting to my feet.
"Deny it all you want." Tom said calmly. "The evidence is against you."
I gripped the Headmaster's desk, my head bowed.
"For the last time." I said, struggling to maintain composure, "You have NO evidence!"
"I have performed Magic which has linked traces of DNA from your cloak to the DNA found on the pages of these books." Headmaster Dippet said solemnly.
"And that could've easily been placed there by someone else." I looked up, staring directly at his stubborn face.
"How about the pair of you compile some real evidence and then call me in." I gave Tom one last piercing look and walked out of the Headmaster's office unsure of whether my actions were wise or not. Either way, I didn't care at all.