Motivation ⌁ Tom Riddle ✔

44

A loud ruckus was what had awoken Tom from an admirable dream the next morning - Bellatrix's head on a stick. His eyes shot open and he sat up, smoothing down his hair and moving his scowl around the dormitory. All the other boys had awoken beforehand and were getting ready for the day or studying without a speck of consideration.

"I suggest you lot keep it down and sleep for the next hour or I, as Head Boy, will take points," Tom threatened, feeling his glare harden as a couple of the boys had tried to restrain themselves from sniggering.

"You wouldn't take points from Slytherin, Tom," said Abraxas, huffing to blow his long, blond hair out of his face. "Besides, it is better to study now than at breakfast. People will think you actually care about the exams."

"For your lack of information, many people are aware of how much I intend to pass my exams, Malfoy. Now keep it down or I will take points. I have no care for the House Cup, and you lot should already be aware of that." Tom scowled one last time before tucking himself in for the rest of the early hours, rolling on his side so that he faced away from the trumpet of boys.

If anything, and unlike the other boys, Tom didn't need to study anymore. He had already studied from the beginning of the year 90% of his free time. In fact, as most others should have expected, Tom already had the knowledge of a seventh year in his fourth year. Possibly even his third. Being alone in an orphanage where not many kids wanted anything to do with a 'mad' boy, where the guardians wanted nothing to do with a 'mad' boy, the mention of Hogwarts the very first time Dumbledore had spoken with him sparked him with a mixture of excitement and relief. He did his research on his mother's bloodline, on Salazar Slytherin, on the dark arts, and many other things, and along the way, had unintentionally picked up a fair bit of knowledge that remained stored in his mind. Tom wouldn't even mind returning to Hogwarts as a Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. He knew he'd be great at it. He knew more than he probably should have. He knew more than most teachers and he even knew more than his Defence against the Dark Arts teacher.

Tom woke again from a blank dream much to his disappointment and threw off his covers and set himself up for the day. Avery and Abraxas were still studying together while the other boys had already gone off to the Great Hall. Huffing, Tom glanced at the round clock up on the wall, and it told him that he had got ready in time for meeting up with Abigail before she left on her own - something she wasn't afraid to do which annoyed Tom greatly.

He swept past the empty, green common room and strode silently out of the dungeons. When he got to the west side of the castle and spotted the portrait to the Ravenclaw common room, he had to look back twice to make sure the blonde was actually outside of it, leaning lazily against the wall with her bag strap slipping down her shoulder. Abigail exhaled loudly at the sight of Tom, followed by a loud, stiff, "Morning," and then she walked quickly past him before he could even reach and greet her.

Shrugging it off, Tom spun on his foot and followed closely behind the blonde, unable to keep up with her pace even after all those time he had outpaced her. It seemed as though she was learning from him. When he reached the Great Hall, he watched as Abigail dropped herself at the Slytherin table beside Avery without complaint, and, confused, Tom slowly sat on her other side.

Brianna Marshall had, to Tom's surprise, waved at him with a big smile on her face. Tom scoffed and ignored the redhead, most people already knew how strange and dopey she was. His Knights who followed closely behind Bellatrix as they entered the Great Hall greeted him with nods, which Tom did not return, and they took their seats.

"They're so stupid it's almost hilarious," Avery leaned over and uttered to Tom, seemingly enough tried making his conversation with Tom look casual. "Not once have they said a thing about her sitting with us."