The Beginning of the End • Tom Riddle

Chapter 6

" No Killian! That's not how you play!" Mae's ticked off tone could be heard throughout the grand hall as her, Killian, Raidon, Ji, and I sat at the Gryffindor table.

" Oh? Well next time don't illegally slice my queen in half with one of your knights!" Killian fired back, just as irritated. When it came to Wizards Chess, these two bickered like an old married couple. Though Ji playing against his older brother was equally as entertaining, it was just more of a spectators sport considering Ji always won and Raidon had no chance.

I started to zone out as they continued their high tension game. It had been just under a week since I had agreed to join Toms cult, and I already felt as if I'd betrayed my friends trust. It was starting to eat me from the inside, so I kept reminding myself, my secrecy was for their protection. I knew enough to know I didn't want any of them swept up in it.

" Isla, come on, we're going to the library to study." Ji broke me out of my daze. I gave him a smile and nod before standing and following my friends down the corridors.

Upon our entry Madame Paige Sylvester, Hogwarts residing librarian, gave us a stern glare. A pre- warning if you will, it being well known we were a rowdy lot. We gave her innocent smiles and made our way to the back corner we often took up.

...

" Isla can you pronounce the charm one more time?" Killian asked. We had been studying for hours and he seemed stuck on the particular 'Diminuendo' charm, which was used to make objects shrink.

" Alright say it with me, Dih-min-you-en-doh." I spoke clearly so he could repeat when we next said it.

" Diminuendo" we pronounced synchronously. I smiled and gave him a thumbs up, letting him know he succeeded, he shot one back before turning to look for something in the room.

Before we could realize what he was doing, the words left his mouth.

" Diminuendo!" And with that an entire bookshelf was shrunk to pocket size. I gasped but couldn't manage to hold in a laugh.

" Killian! Why did you do that!" Raidon asked with hushed anger.

" I had to make sure I could actually do it! And I figured we could just enlarge it again right?" He said with wide eyes at Raidons mini outburst and shifted around looking at each of us.

We could do this... but upon looking at my friends expressions, my anxiety rose.

" Now is not the time to forget a charm guys! Think!" I whisper shouted as we all frantically racked our brains. Terrible timing we picked to dumb down to one shared brain cell.

" Is it Deletrius?" Mae asked. I shook my head knowing right off the bat that wasn't it. Deletrius was used to disintegrate a target. That'd make our situation even worse.

" Gahhh mates, Madame Sylvesters really going to kill us this time!" Killian paced back and forth, each of us joining him in beginning to freak out.

" Can we hide it? Would she notice it's missing?" Killian spoke again. We simultaneously looked at him with a 'duh she would notice, she's the librarian' glare and he went silent.

Suddenly Ji sighed and scooted all of us to the side as he made his way next to the tiny bookcase.

" Engorgio." He casted, each of us having that lightbulb moment. How could we forget such a basic charm? It was obvious Ji thought the same as he turned back to us with disapproval. Raidon made his way to his younger brother and hooked an arm around his head, ruffling his hair.

" I never lost the hope that you'd be useful for something once you were born, and at last my wish has been fulfilled." He joked with him, pretending to wipe a proud tear from his eye. Ji scoffed as he pulled himself away from his brother and walked back to the table as we laughed.