Slytherin Roar: Through the Maze || Tom Riddle's Era

Chapter 3 || A Bothersome Declaration

The sorting was, as always, filled with anxious eleven-year-olds waiting for their turn to figure out which house they are in. It was filled with tension at the silence when the Hat mumbles to itself before shouting out, its voice echoing through the Great Hall like thunder. Through that process, I was observing everybody in my grade.

What I noticed was that everybody changed in third year. It was as if a switch was turned on, as my father said, for our "rushing teenage hormones." Every girl glanced furtively at some boy and started to giggle quietly while the boys—again—stared furtively from the other side of the room to some girls they were interested in. Although it was amusing, what peeved me the most was that a lot of girls watched the Slytherin table. Though admittedly, there are many attractive people in Slytherin, I just knew that most of them were looking at Tom Freaking Marvollo Smart-mouth Riddle.

I didn't exactly know why I cared about it so much. But I did.

Soon, the feast started and the food on the dishes instantly vanished. Students started to stream out of the Great Hall in a rush. The first years followed the Prefects like puppies while the older years leisurely stayed behind. It was loud, but despite that, I was able to hear the call of my name from the Slytherin table. Turning around, I halted on my steps and waited for Tom and Abraxas to catch up.

"I think we should start searching for the relics immediately," Tom said instantly after arriving in front of me.

A year and a half. It has been a year and a half and we had no trace of where the remaining two relics were. In a sentence, it was painful, knowing that we have failed to recover them after the first success that was short-lived.

Swallowing, I replied, "Sure. I'm guessing we're going to start the research by the library we've visited almost a thousand times."

Tom scowled. "Do you have any problems, Vivienne? As far as my memory serves, my plan always worked."

I raised a brow. "Did it, now?"

"Don't you remember that my plan worked when we faced the basilisk?" he said. His chin was raised high as if achieving victory to this argument.

"And do I have to remind you that we almost got ourselves killed?" I countered. "You almost got yourself killed by me. Because of you."

"Are you two trying to flirt?" Abraxas looked between us, slightly disturbed.

"No!" Tom and I both said, our heads spinning at him.

The platinum blonde raised his hands in surrender. "Just trying to make a joke."

"Ms Pearce, Riddle, Malfoy."

We all froze at the familiar voice and we slowly composed ourselves, flushed.

I acknowledged the older wizard with a nod. "Professor Dumbledore."

"We have an urgent discussion to make," he said. His voice was uncharacteristically grave and there was a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" Tom asked.

"Unfortunately, yes."

Our faces paled, stunned and horrified by what would happen.

Deja vu.

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1 Year Ago...

It was gloomy and rain-drenching weather when the last day of first year came tumbling to an end to us. It was rather unceremonious and from the distasteful expression on the other students' faces, it was clear they were not exactly pleased with the weather. Yet despite all that, they were still whirling with pure excitement and anxiety for the next year.