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—TOM LOOKED AT 'MAD-EYE MOODY' IN SUSPICION, GLARING AT HIM. "What's the second task, Barty?" Tom asked, the golden egg in his hands. It was now 23rd of February, meaning the second task was tommorow, but Tom didn't have the time to check the golden egg since he was too busy planning raids that would happen next year.
"All I can say is that you should take the egg and listen to it underwater, my lord." Moody said and walked away, not wanting to wait long enough to experience Voldemort's wrath.
"Take it— underwater?" Tom asked himself in confusion.
••
Thomas Gaunt walked to his dorm, ignoring his dorm mates/friends, and walked to the bathroom.
He filled the bathtub with water and took his clothes off, already thinking of ways to kill Barty if this didn't work.
Grabbing the egg, he sat in the bathtub, taking a deep breath, and going under the water, opening the egg.
'Come seek us where our voices sound, We cannot sing above the ground, And while you're searching ponder this; We've taken what you'll sorely miss, An hour long you'll have to look, And to recover what we took, But past an hour, the prospect's black, Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.'
His head no longer under the water, Tom closed the egg and stood up, putting a towel around his hip.
What did he care for the most?
All he cared for were his horcruxes, power, Rigel—
Tom's eyes widened. Rigel!
He didn't even have time to think about how he just admitted to himself that he cared for the boy and rushed out of the bathroom, changing quickly.
••
Draco and Blaise were in the middle of the conversation when their dormitory's door burst open.
"My lord?" Draco asked in confusion.
"Where's Rigel?" Tom immediately asked.
"Professor Snape and McGonagall needed him for something. Is everything alright, my lord?" said Blaise.
Tom didn't answer, and closed the door, making the two boys share a confused look.
••
"I beg your pardon?" Rigel asked when they were finally done.
Dumbledore peered over his spectacles, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "You are Mr. Gaunt's treasure, Mr. Potter-Black."
"Black." Rigel corrected immediately. "I apologize, but I'm not agreeing to any of this."
"You have to, Mr. Black." Minerva McGonagall said, giving the quiet Hermione Granger and Gabrielle Delacour two potions that Snape made.
Rigel frowned. He had been ignoring Tom for about 2 months now, and now— he had to be saved by him?!
