Forgive me | Tom Riddle

Chapter 4 - Academic Rivals

Lillian

He would regret treating me like that.

Having dealt with bullies my entire life, I knew just what would make them mad and eventually stop their harassment. Thus, I ignored Tom and his minions most of the time and did not respond to their hateful comments. It got especially bad anytime I scored a higher result on a test than Tom, which only made me study harder for the next.

Since I arrived at Hogwarts I had been trying to consume as much knowledge as I could. First and foremost, I wanted to know for what exact reason Tom picked on me. I found out that his father, who they called You-Know-Who but was actually called Voldemort, was one of the greatest dark wizards of all time. His hatred for people like me, muggle-borns, stemmed from his ancestor and the founder of our house, Salazar Slytherin. Slytherin wanted to get rid of muggle-borns and halfbloods, ensuring blood purity in the British wizarding world. Voldemort was his descendant and heir, killing many people that did not fit into this scheme. And of course, Tom was his son. This explained why he did not want to have anything to do with me after finding out I was one of the people his father would probably murder if he got the chance. Luckily for me, Voldemort was dead.

Plus, I could handle a Tom Riddle.

It was almost Christmas time, which I was looking forward to a lot. I would go home to see my parents again, for the first time since we said goodbye at Kings Cross station. Saying I missed them was an understatement. With everything going on, I couldn't wish for more than a hug from my mom and dad. However, I was keen on finishing Hogwarts. To show the purebloods that muggle-borns were capable of just as much as them.

The days were short now in the highlands of Scotland. It was freezing cold outside, snow covering the Hogwarts grounds. I longed after home then, wishing I could go outside and enjoy the cosiest time of the year, but every time I tried doing just that, Tom and his friends showed up to chase me back inside. While I couldn't leave, Violet was kind enough to keep me company, which I appreciated more than she might have thought.

On this particular day, I felt brave. Earlier that afternoon I saw the brunette boy study in the library for an upcoming exam. It was my chance to finally go outside. I put on my unused winter cloak and boots, then sneaked out of the dungeons and made my way outside. No one was in sight. Deep exhale. I did it. As soon as exited the castle, a snowflake landed on my nose and the biting cold made my fingers go numb. Oh, how I missed this. Winter had always been my favourite season. I loved how peaceful everything was, nature taking a well-deserved break, trees and animals hibernating under a thick snow blanket.

Sometimes I wished I could be one of them - no worries, just sleep.

Talking about worries.

"Hey mudblood, who allowed you outside?" Malfoy yelled from a distance, Theodore and Blaise appearing behind him.

Ugh.

"I do not need your approval to exit my dorm." I yelled back. I probably should not have said that.

They walked towards me now and I immediately turned around to return to my dorm. As most of the time, I was not quick enough and had a huge snowball fly into my face. Stumbling backwards, I almost fell over a shovel someone had left lying on the ground. This allowed them to catch up, having Nott grab me by the hood of my cloak and push me face first into a pile of snow.

"This is what you get when you think you can outsmart us, dumb girl." He added, wiping his hands off on his pants as though by touching me he had made his hands dirty.

As soon as their voices disappeared in the distance, I freed myself. My cloak was drenched and my snow-covered face felt like a thousand needles were piercing through the skin. I made my way back inside, the thought of a peaceful walk in the winter scenery ruined yet again.