my riddle to solve (tom riddle)

thirty-two*

warnings//exorcism, spiritual possession, mature sexual content

I suppose that no matter how often I heard Tom speak Parseltongue, I would never really get used to it. The hissing noises that left his mouth were a bit unnerving, although I might have only felt that way because of our current predicament. A rather large snake suddenly came slithering into the room, coming from Merlin-knows-where.

"It's almost time. Ophelia, cast some more Silencing Charms," Rowle instructed. I did, all the while keeping an eye on the obsidian-colored serpent. Rowle summoned a small bottle of salt from a shelf, and began to sprinkle it's contains around our area. "To prevent the spirit from leaving before we've dealt with it," he explained. I had already known that was what he was doing, but I nodded anyway.

Sebastian slowly raised his hands, causing more of the black blood to pour from Adelaide's face. His lips were moving, although his words were inaudible.The blood trickled down to her chest and began to de-solidify even further, until it was a dark mist that rose to hover above us.

The blonde girl's throat began to make a horrible gurgling noise, crimson blood continuing to stain her lips. It took every ounce of willpower that I had to not rush over to her and have a go with various healing spells. If Tom trusted Sebastian with this, that meant the younger boy was extremely competent. Granted, I had no clue how he was so experienced, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to know.

"Such a pretty group of friends. What a shame."

A high-pitched feminine voice rang through the air. There was a shrill quality to it, much like the one I had detected on Fake-Tom earlier. The dark mist swirled with every syllable spoken.

"You are quite far from your resting place. It was unwise of you to attack a Hogwarts student," Selwyn said sternly.

"Hogwarts does not scare me. They have never taught their students of the dangers of my realm. It was unwise of the girls to disturb me. A shame that the dark-haired one was able to banish the others." My skin prickled at the mention of myself. Tom turned his head slightly in my direction and pressed a finger to his lips.

"Disturb you? Graveyards are allowed visitors. Don't lie to me. I may be a Hogwarts student, but that does not mean I have crafted my skills solely from the guidance of the school." I had never heard Sebastian talk in such a way. He was usually very light-hearted and carefree, even when it came to the topic of murder.

"What a clever boy you are. I suppose you ought to be my next vessel. The blonde's mind is already inhabited by a darkness, it was not very fun inside there."

"What are you talking about?" I spoke suddenly, which earned me glares from all three of the boys.

"Ah, she speaks! Would you like me to explain? I can answer any question you wish; for a small price." I was not foolish enough to bargain with a trickster, no matter how curious my Ravenclaw brain was. "No? What a shame. Maybe a look inside your head will change your stance." The bloody mist dissipated so quickly that I barely had time to cast a Shield Charm. The boys all raised their wands and did the same, not wanting to be possessed by such a thing. An ear-splitting scream bounced off the walls as the spirit struggled to find a new inhabitant.

The only living being left was the serpent; the trickster had no other place to go. Black mist swirled around the snake for a moment before being absorbed into it's skin. It convulsed and twisted in agony on the ground. I glanced up at Selwyn nervously, wanting him to confirm my theory. Before he could speak, the snake lunged at me.

Riddle jumped in front of me at the last possible second, pushing me backwards and out of the way. I tumbled to the floor as a flash of green light filled the room. The sharp scream bounced between my Silencing Charms for a moment before disappearing forever.