modification | t riddle [complete]

Chapter 25: The Duel

Chapter 25: The Duel

Estela hadn't heard anything from Tom for two days since he set off to find the person who cursed Cayra and Anthony. He insisted it wasn't him, but Estela could not trust him. She knew he would never confess. She didn't know of anyone else who would do such a thing. She didn't know what she would do if she found out it was him. She could never forgive him, but that would mean having to abandon her task and disappointing Dumbledore in ways she couldn't even begin to imagine. Not to mention possibly the entire Wizarding World.

As she sat in the library finishing a number chart for Arithmancy, the air of concentration and the sounds of scribbling and turning pages surrounding her, she strangely felt as though she was being watched.

She looked up and scanned her surroundings. Most people were reading or doing work except for one person at the other end of the room who was staring at her. She tried not to look directly at Lorcan Avery, but when their eyes met he quickly looked away.

She had heard that Avery had spent the last two days in the Hospital Wing recovering from a badly rebounded hex after he'd been hexing first years as they'd been passing.

She sneaked a quick look at him again and took in his appearance. His usually shiny, well-styled blond hair seemed dull and messy, his skin seemed grey and sweaty and his overall appearance was sick and colourless. He wasn't even wearing his usual expression of a sickening sneer and a snobbish glare.

She watched him as he got up from where he sat, his body wobbling as he very slowly seemed to be coming over to Estela, his frame even thinner than usual. She quickly looked down at her number chart, praying he wasn't coming over to her. But with a thud, he sat down in the chair opposite Estela.

"What do you want?" she asked him dryly.

He rested his head on his hand as he stared at her with tired eyes that didn't hold a trace of their usual scrutiny. Estela shifted in her chair slightly as she watched him, dazed by the sight.

"Your little friends have started remembering, I hear?" he said hoarsely.

"What?" she snapped, narrowing her eyes.

"Williams and Goodwin, they remember what I did to them."

Estela gave him daggers as she leaned in across the table. "It was you?"

"Well there's no point denying it now, is there?"

"Why?" she asked in a low snarl.

"Why?" he asked, raising an arched eyebrow. "Because you and your pathetic little friends are nothing but a waste of space. The girl's a pathetic excuse for a student and the boy's a muggle-lover," he spat feebly, his voice hoarse as he spoke. "And you," he paused. "I just wanted to enjoy seeing you squirm," he said, just about managing a roguish smile.

Estela opened her mouth to retort when she paused. "So you're telling me that your boss didn't put you up to this?"

"My boss?"

"Riddle. How am I meant to know that he isn't just pinning this on you to clear your own name?"

Avery smiled, and it was deadly in its contempt despite his weak movements. "We could go with that little story if you'd prefer. After all, blaming Riddle could grant my own innocence. But then if you believed that you'd actually be as idiotic as I already think you are, and I'd say you got what you deserved when the cruciatis curse took its toll on you."

"I got what I deserved? I'd say you got what you deserved when that hex of yours rebounded," she said, as she began to quickly gather her things off the table. Avery gave a weak laugh from where he sat, followed by some painful sounding coughs.