An ENTERPRISING OMEGA

Chapter 62 : Tour in the past

Decades ago...

He was finally there, he was finally among those people they could correspond to. Hungry in his stomach, but aware that he had to have good manners, Tom ate his meal, aware of the eyes on him. Too many looks from people in his household, containing an emotion that he recognized only too well having seen it on the faces of the matrons of the orphanage: contempt. But why ? What could he have done already? Sure, his clothes weren't the freshest, but he had done his best with the money he had been given. He even dared to negotiate with merchants and was able to obtain some discounts with some. Not enough for appearances, one had to believe.

After this half-hearted dinner, Tom was able to discover the Slytherin dungeons. The tension did not leave his body while their guide was careful to show them the way. Around him, there were murmurs about the school but Tom didn't feel ready to participate in any conversation. He was starting to have a hard time believing that he was going to fit in even though they were all wizards. As the dinner progressed, he was able to understand that they were mostly surrounded by noble wizarding families and that the money they had would allow them to make fun of him, the penniless orphan. Even though Tom knew he was on their level from a magical point of view, that wouldn't be enough.

Once in their Common Room, their head of house, Potions professor Horace Slughorn, gave them a speech with a jovial smile. Tom felt invisible in her gaze and he clenched his fists. He already hated their prejudices. He already hated them all for judging him without knowing him. Should he do the same? Probably. He had to protect himself and now. He had had a slight hope, the kind of hope that had to be nipped in the bud when adversity became very real. Tom would have to prove himself. But he would do them above all for himself, that was how he should see things. Because no one would expect anything from him.

A month later…

-It's starting to feel good, Riddle!

Tom had thought that this would happen today when Slughorn had been literally enchanted by his potion. Humiliation after humiliation, this is what the poor orphan could give thanks to his magical and intellectual abilities to his comrades. And obviously, the camel’s back had just overflowed. Heir Theodore Nott stood at his desk in the library, his eyes flashing, followed by his small group of supporters. Not friends. Tom had carefully observed the Slytherin connections and was certain that Nott was not friends with anyone. Too haughty and too sure of himself while Abraxas Malfoy got along quite well with Cygnus Black. Tom forced himself to appear neutral.

-What's starting to go well, Nott?

-You will stop cheating right away, you dirty mudblood. You don't deserve to clean my shoes, let alone be top of class, understand?

Mudblood. It wasn't the first time Tom had heard the term and he swore to himself that one day he would make Nott swallow him back with his teeth and a lot of pain and blood involved.

-I don't cheat. As you see, I'm studying. Do you even know what it is?

Nott oscillated between paleness and redness. Tom knew he was playing with fire, but he had long since stopped allowing his toes to be stepped on with impunity. His magic was already reacting to his emotions, ready to strike like a poisonous snake. He noticed a sort of recoil from Malfoy, as if he sensed it. It also proved how paper-thin the bonds between these people were.

-You… I’m provoking you by…

-I don't think that's necessary, Nott.

Tom almost jumped at the feminine voice that interrupted them, soft and musical. He turned his head to see a girl of thirteen or fourteen, blonde… Malfoy's older sister. He didn't know his first name.