Before He Was Voldemort (A Tom Riddle Fanfiction)

Chapter 2: Sixth Year

September, 1943

Wizards always say that once you go to Hogwarts, you never want to leave.

This was not the case for Corinne. In fact, she was counting down the days until her very last day at Hogwarts. Because once she turns 18 and graduates, she's free to move out and live on her own.

Away from her family.

Unfortunately, she wasn't quite at that point yet. Corinne had only started her sixth year, but really it felt like she had been at Hogwarts for a decade. Before the term started, she couldn't help but have high hopes. Caine and Clarice, Corinne's least favorite siblings by far, had finally graduated, meaning she wouldn't have to deal with any bullying from her siblings anymore. She was now the only Carrow left at Hogwarts. Finally, she could own a new identity besides "the youngest Carrow sister." Maybe people would start noticing her as a real person, as Corinne.

Now, with it being over a week into the school year, her hopes quickly deteriorated.

At least when her siblings were at Hogwarts, people had somewhat of an idea of who she was. Now, it was like she didn't exist. Classmates she'd known for five years acted as if they'd never seen her before. Her Slytherin housemates, even roommates, never acknowledged her existence. Professors always forgot her name.

Not only was Corinne the black sheep of the Carrow family, but of Hogwarts also.

Her troubles had prompted her to not only be immensely conscientious of her time left at school, but to also start planning what she wanted to do with her life after Hogwarts. She would love to possibly be a famed reporter for the Daily Prophet, but women rarely had jobs like that these days. Finding work wouldn't be a difficult task, since Corinne is a Carrow, after all. Even if she doesn't find a job right away, she has enough money in her vault at Gringotts that could easily last her for the majority of her life. Being a Carrow isn't all bad.

I sound just like my wealth-obsessed family, Corinne thought, laughing to herself.

She stopped scribbling into her diary when she realized she'd just written her previous thought, immediately scratching it out. Sighing, Corinne slipped her precious diary into her schoolbag, along with the textbooks she'd be needing for the day. Taking one last look in the mirror at her appearance, straightening her stiff skirt and tie and combing her fingers through her now darker hair, she exited her dorm room and started making her way to the Great Hall for breakfast. She squeezed past some of her housemates loitering near the Slytherin common room entrance, but of course they didn't pay her any attention. Corinne half expected them to make a rude remark to her, just like old times.

That was basically the only perk of suddenly being invisible to all of Hogwarts campus.

The Great Hall was as suffocating and crowded as always, the echoey acoustics already setting Corinne up for a nasty headache. She sat down at the end of the Slytherin table, where no one sat, and helped herself to the assortment of breakfast foods that appeared before her. Her eyes scanned the room, watching everyone laughing with their friends and enjoying each other's company. Corinne couldn't help but glare withe envy. Then, suddenly, the volume in the room dropped significantly, and everyone's attention drifted to the entrance of the Great Hall.

Right on time, Corinne thought, rolling her eyes.

The posse of Slytherin males strode into the massive room, all in sync, as if they were soldiers marching. Each of them were popular in Slytherin house, but they weren't the ones that brought everyone's attention to the tight-knit group.

It was the particular male leading them, right in the front and center.

Tom Riddle shepherded his "followers", as Corinne referred to them, to their usual spot in the middle of the Slytherin table, everyone's eyes on them as they did so. Truly, it was amazing how loyal the boys were to Tom, following him everywhere he went and doing whatever he asked. It was like Tom was their king or depiction of a god. Surely they didn't stick around with him because they wanted to be his friend. Everyone knew Tom Riddle wasn't one to have friends.