Slytherin Roar || Tom Riddle's Era

Chapter 10 || The Long Game

It was a chilly morning, the frosty air isolated in the corridors, ready to pounce to bite at the students that exit the classroom. Upon entering the Potion classroom, I unravelled my scarf and shoved it inside my bag while taking out my essentials for the class. Placing the quill inside the ink bottle, I straightened up my things and waited patiently for the teacher to begin.

"I have an idea," started Tom, sliding to the seat next to me.

"Good morning," I muttered, staring at the blackboard blankly. From the corner of my eye, I saw him give me a disapproving scowl of my response.

Abraxas seated himself on the other seat next to me and leaned towards with his usual sneer. "That's not really a good way to greet your friends, isn't it Pearce?"

"I was being polite," I said half-heartedly, finally giving my attention to the raven-hair. "And I won't call our relationship exactly friendship."

"As I was saying," Tom spoke, "I had an idea of looking through the Restricted Section in the library."

"I thought that place is only available for older students," I said, cocking my head to the side. "And how would you know that the Restricted Section would have the specific books we need?"

"Well, I'm sure that Dumbledore or Headmaster Dippet would be able to give us access," he countered.

I remembered him staring at the dark section of books hungrily as if he wanted to learn every secret that was hidden between those shelves. Eyeing him apprehensively, I asked, "So we're going to go ask Dumbledore for permission if we can look for information about the relics in the Restricted Section?"

"Yes," he replied. "But just in case he doesn't agree, I want to, ah, discuss with Professor Slughorn something to solve the problem.

I almost missed the slight glint in his eyes, showing some mysterious eagerness to access the knowledge. "And what is that?" Tom gave me a small smirk and before I could say anything, the said professor started to speak for attention.

"Now class, today we are going to take some notes so please pay attention."

Giving both Abraxas and Tom side glances, I dropped the conversation and gazed at Slughorn, wondering what Tom meant by discussing with the Potion teacher.

«««««

The class for the day ended, everyone packing up swiftly for the awaiting rest they were waiting for, which is called Friday. However, unlike my housemate, I packed slowly as the scene from this morning replayed in my mind.

Slughorn finished his sentence, rapping up the Potion class. Students started to head for the door and flowed away to their next subject while the teacher erased the chalk on the blackboard with a wave of his wand.

While putting my things back, I said to my two companions, "Do you have Transfiguration today?"

"No," they replied in unison.

"Then I would ask Professor Dumbledore for permission today in class."

They nodded in acknowledgement and we got up from our seat. I was about to exit the door when I peeked over to see that Tom, as he said, strode his way towards Slughorn and started to speak towards him, giving him a charming smile for an eleven-year-old.

"Come one, Long," Abraxas said, slightly pulling on my arm.

Looking back at him hesitantly, I replied, "Alright."

Taking one last glance over my shoulder, he guided me through the corridors for our next class.

Sighing, I stood up and plastered a warm smile as I walked towards Dumbledore. Reaching to his desk, the professor noticed me and flashed me a greeting smile.