modification | t riddle [complete]

Chapter 10: The Room of Requirement

Chapter 10: The Room of Requirement

A short man with a shiny bald head, prominent eyes, a large belly and an enormous silvery walrus-like moustache was watching the class before him eagerly. He walked up and down the rows of tables, peering into the students' cauldrons every now and then, huffing and grimacing if something was wrong or sneaking a cheerful wink if they were brewing the potion correctly.

The class was in the midst of brewing a Draught of Peace, and Estela was concentrating hard on mixing the potion the right amount of times and in the right directions. But the sensation of someone watching kept on distracting her. She knew it was Tom, but she didn't look up. They hadn't said a word to each other since the Halloween Ball, and she wasn't sure she wanted to hear anything he had to say.

"Estela," Cayra whispered. "I think my brain has stopped working. What in the name of Merlin am I meant to do with these?" she asked, holding up a bunch of porcupine quills.

"Crush them into powder," Estela replied idly, concentrating immensely on her own potion which was, thankfully, beginning to turn orange.

"Right, of course, thanks," Cayra said. But not a moment later, she spoke once more. "And is it supposed to be green?"

Estela looked in surprise at her potion. It was a bubbling, spitting green. Cayra may be an expert when it came to astronomy, but potions was most definitely not her subject.

***

Tom watched Estela from across the classroom as he put the finishing touches to his potion which was turning white and beginning to emit a silvery vapour. Reading someone's thoughts was easy for him, as easy as performing a spell or brewing a potion. But he couldn't read her mind, and in truth, it infuriated him.

Like him, she also knew the art Legilimens and Occlumency, and so she could defend her mind. It was rare - very rare - for a witch or a wizard their age to be able to shield their minds to such an extent. Even some of the oldest, most powerful wizards had trouble mastering the art. Though Tom had mastered the art of invading peoples' minds since his days at Wool's Orphanage, and had never had trouble reading someone's thoughts until he met Estela.

He'd broken past the barriers of people who knew how to shield their minds in the past. And yet he couldn't break through her barrier. It was as though she was constantly trying to shield her mind, every minute of every day. And that made him think that she had something to hide. And that fuelled his curiosity in ways that angered him further.

***

Once everyone had finished brewing their potions, Professor Slughorn praised Tom and Estela for brewing the draught perfectly.

"A few drops of this and all of us in this room would be in total harmony with each other!" he exclaimed joyfully. "Well done you two!"

As Estela walked out of the class, feeling elated at having brewed the tricky potion correctly, she was stopped by three Slytherin girls who appeared to be waiting for her. The girl in the middle seemed to be the head of the group, and she sniggered as her eyes landed on Estela. The girl was slim, had bouncing black curls, and sharp bottle green eyes.

Astrea Black.

"Well well," said Astrea. "We've been hearing rumours about you." She declared coldly as a leer stretched across her face.

"Fascinating ones I'm sure." Estela drawled unenthusiastically as she made to push past her.

Estela could sense the challenge in the air, and she wanted no part in it. Astrea Black was a pure-blood wizard and was very popular amongst the Slytherins for her strong and 'noble' family background. But above that, she was, and always had been, a bully.