Tom Riddle - Downfall

Chapter 2: Bullies

The next day. I'm sitting on the Slytherin Table for breakfast with Kim and with Sebastian. I notice that Tom is looking at me from the other side of the table. He is sitting alone like most of the time. I give him a little smile, and Kim notices that Tom gives me a quick, shy smile back. A moment later, Kim nudges me with her elbow..
"Hey, stop looking at him!" she says, sounding slightly annoyed. She clearly doesn't understand why I would want to smile at him.
Sebastian, who has been watching the exchange with a curious look, steps in to defend me.
"Come on, Kim, leave her alone. Tom isn't that strange... he's just... different. Some people don't understand him."
"Relax, Kim." I roll my eyes. "I'm just trying to be a bit friendly to him. Nothing more. Thanks, Sebastian. You're right. Yes, we are Slytherins, but does that mean that we have to bullie each other?" Sebastian smiles at me encouragingly, and Kim grumbles in annoyance.
"Yeah, whatever."
She leans closer to Sebastian and whispers something in his ear, which makes him laugh and roll his eyes. I get the vibe that they are close.
Tom continues to watch the conversation from across the table. I can tell that he's listening intently, but it's impossible to tell what's going on behind his unreadable expression.

Then there is a loud bang, and Tom and another student start shouting and pushing each other. Professor Dumbledore separates them and sends them out of the Great Hall. Kim looks at me with a judgmental look that says,'I told you so' "Don't say anything"
Kim's eyes are filled with a smug, "I told you so" look, as if she expected this outcome.
She's actually right. Tom has always had a bad reputation of being difficult and temperamental. But...
The curiosity about his strange behavior is still nagging at me, and as Tom leaves the Great Hall, I can't help but feel bad for him. He obviously has issues, and perhaps deep down, he's not a bad person.
It's true what Sebastian said. Tom is different. I don't really know what to think about him yet. And I don't even know if I want to find out.
I feel torn between trying to understand Tom and simply avoiding him altogether. He is strange, but perhaps there are layers to him that I have yet to unravel.

Meanwhile, I can't help but be a little worried about him. He never seems to have any friends, and he is always alone. Maybe I should try to talk to him more often? Or maybe I should leave him alone? Perhaps it's best not to get involved.

Later that day. We stand in front of the potions classroom. Me, Kim, Sebastian, and a few other students, and we are talking a lot. Tom stands beside the classroom door and leaned against the wall, looking over to me. Some of the other students notice him looking to us and start gossip about him.
Some of the other students are gossiping, clearly disgusted by the mere sight of him.
"Did you see him yesterday...?"
"He is so weird. Why does he always... just stand there... like that...?"
I roll my eyes and say to them "Oh come on. Stop it now. This is totally unnecessary. "
The students turn to look at me, but they don't stop gossiping. They seem to think that I'm being overly sympathetic.
"He is so weird..." one of them says, with a dismissive wave of their hand.
"Yeah, he's always doing things that are just... odd..."
They continue to gossip, their voices filled with prejudice and disgust. I feel my heart beat faster from the tension.
Then I turn to one of them, and I come dangerously close to him with an angry look. "Stop it now. I won't say it again. "
The boy I confronted seemed surprised, like he didn't expect me to stand up to him. He takes a small step back, clearly intimidated by me. The other students also look a little shocked. They weren't expecting me to defend Tom, and they aren't quite sure how to respond.

The other students follow him and stop talking about Tom. They talk about the potions class instead. I may be a kind person, but a lot of people underestimate my temperament. I don't know if Tom notices what I did, but I try not to look over to him again. The class starts.
Once inside the classroom, I take a seat and try to focus on my work. For some reason, I can't get Tom out of my mind. Why were the students gossiping about him? He's obviously different, but is he really that scary? My curiosity is still nagging at me, and I can't help but wonder what he's thinking right now. Did he see what I just did for him? Does he appreciate it?