unholy waters » tom riddle

six

𝓿𝓲𝓸𝓵𝓮𝓽⇝

It starts like this. The new school year goes well enough and Violet puts the escaped murderer in to the back of her mind. She ignores Pansy's growing courage, something she knows she'll have to address before it's too late. And she focuses on her classes.

For once, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is competent. Even if he looks after her and Harry a bit strangely, it's not worse than how Snape looks at them though. And Remus Lupin is far more pleasant to be around.

But then, the portrait to the Gryffindor common rooms is found shredded. And any hope for a decent year is shredded with it. They find the fat lady eventually, hiding in other portraits, and she relays information that has Violet feeling a bit unhinged.

⚕

"I'm just asking you to be careful," She nags Harry not for the first time. And usually, he listens.

Usually, he's got enough sense to know when to nod and agree to her demands. He knows better than to argue with her. Today is not a usual day though. No, he's got his nose stuck in a piece of parchment. And he nods but it's distant and she knows he didn't hear her in the slightest.

"Harry!" She exclaims, shocking him enough to look away from the paper. "What is that?"

"Don't worry about it," He snatches it back before she can ever look at it. And at that, she pulls out her wand, an accio on her lips as it whips into her hand. "Vi! Come on, that's not fair!"

She doesn't respond, looking at the map and realizing quite quickly what it shows. "Where'd you get this?!"

"The twins gave it to me." He sighs, defeated. "I was using it, you know."

"Let me borrow it." She doesn't so much as asks as she does demand it. "I'll give it right back."

"How long?" He asks, raised brow and all.

"Not long."

In the end, he allows it, and she begins her search. After all, it's not as if she'd ever willingly let a murderous man go after her brother. She'd handle him, she was confident about that. Perhaps it was foolish thinking but then so be it if it was. Let her be a fool if it meant her brother was safe.

⚕

It takes three weeks to finally spot one Sirius Black on the map. It's outside the castle walls and she doesn't hesitate, grabbing her wand and a pair of shoes as she quickly heads to where he is before he disappears for good.

It's near the shrieking shack that she finds him. Barely a man, looking more like a husk of one, or a warmed up corpse even. Covered in dirt and clothes riddled with holes, he looks like a beggar. Not at all the mad killer he's painted to be.

"Stop where you are," She snarls, wand pointed towards his back, and dark curses on the tip of her tongue. "Sirius Black, yes?"

He turns slowly, a wide smile stretched across his face. And now, she can see the madness creeping beneath the flesh. "And who might you be?"

"Violet Potter! You're after my brother and I. You should at least know who you're targeting." She haughtily remarks.

He chuckles lowly, sounding so inhuman it would unnerve anyone else in her place. "My apologies but I'm not targeting anyone but a traitor."