(TW: mention of self-harm <3)
Guilt was a natural emotional response when one caused harm to another. It was normal to feel this after a misdeed, and could often be remedied by apologizing and taking steps to make up for whatever pain or offense had been caused.
Which was something you couldn't do. You obviously couldn't show your face in that place again, had to live with it even long after it happened. It was an accident and you acted purely out of self defense, but you still found it difficult to forget about, at times.
It was easy enough during the day when you had something to do on your hands. One thing you were grateful for around here, aside from fancy bathtubs, was the allowance of magic. Exercises like jumping jacks, sit ups, and magic were your outlets.
But you had to do that outside. It was still a strain to get ahold of your magic properly now that it felt like it packed more power than prior Patronum. The Malfoys even had their own personal trainers.
Shocking, I know.
Training was not for today, though. A seventh book snapped shut as you sighed. You gave up trying to conduct your latest investigation, namely finding anything about the symbol engraved in the stone on Marvolo Gaunt's ring. So far no luck.
Slowly you stood and gathered the books where you dumped them. Tackling this research wouldn't be easy. The ring was an old item, and it wasn't like you could just ask anyone hey would you know anything about some weird shape I've never seen before? Very unspecific.
With a thud you placed the piece on the shelf's empty space, and put the others away. You'd gone through Magical Artifact books and Symbols, anything that had some sort of connection to what you were looking for, but alas.
Your best bet would be to see if Headmaster Dumbledore knew anything about it, but the new semester would only start in a couple of days from now.
You simply couldn't wait that long—your curiousity needed to be quenched now.
...
...
...
Why didn't you think of this earlier?
You ruffled in your open bag for a moment and withdrew an unrolled sheet of fresh parchment. You would send a message to the only artifact collector you knew—who better to ask?
It was right after New Year that you received answer. Contacting Hepsibah had been the right choice—as you knew what name, or story, rather, to ask about.
One Albus Dumbledore had a knack for telling them. Something you'd come to expect during your visits was being offered a piece of candy but this time, declined. There was not enough room for even one of them in your stomach right now. There hadn't been since yesterday.
Dumbledore seemed to age every time you saw him and while that was normal, you feared for the day there would be no Dumbledore in Hogwarts. Nothing could keep anyone from growing old or living forever and even if there was, immortality didn't sound like a good thing. Being alive to see all of your friends being lowered into the ground, one by one?
...No thanks.
Long were the moments the office's solitary occupant paused staring into a round, blue crystal sphere to instead listen to your questions, one question, after another, all part of a conversation you did not know how long would go on for.
The strange, heaved-out language from the orb stopped, as did the swirling of the mist within it when he ceased looking. "The Deathly Hallows is an old tale to be sure. But, child, since when are you looking into those? History hasn't been your highest scoring subject."
YOU ARE READING
Hogwarts: a school of Witchcraft and Love (Tom Marvolo Riddle x F!reader)
Fanfiction"Years ago, I met a boy who made all the wrong choices." As orphans, you and Tom Riddle have more in common than having no parental figures in your lives. One day, it turns out that you, too, can use magic, and it changes everything. For better or f...
