The Return Of The Half-Blood Prince

Chapter 10-Two large plates of Pizza and five Pieces of Strawberry Cake.

Ted Riddle walks down the Ravenclaw Tower and stops before the potions class. I quietly follow him out. Suddenly, his head jerks up. I hear him mutter, 'not again' and he enters the class.

"Professor, what exactly are you doing here?" says a voice behind me, making me jump.

I turn around, startling that person. "Um, hi.. I mean Good Afternoon Professor Slughorn. I...I"

"Anyway, you are just the person I wanted to meet."

"Me?" I have a distant feeling what this is about.

"I'd love to invite you to my Slug party. You see, I organize a tea party in the starting of every year for the members and students of my club, the Slug Club. I'd really love it if you'd come."

"Definitely. I'll definitely come. When is it?" I try to look excited but all I manage is a frown.

"Tomorrow, in my office. Is that all right?" he says eagerly.

"Of course, thanks for inviting me." I sigh with relief as Slughorn enters the class humming and I get ready for my next class.

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It is evening and I'm walking back to my bedroom after I come back from the lavatory the 10th time. I press my stomach with my hand. Believe me, two large plates of pizza with double layer of margarita cheese and a five huge pieces of strawberry cake forcibly stuffed down by a man named Horace Slughorn is enough to choke someone. I've burped almost 25 times up till now. Never again am I going to accept food from that man again. I groan. I think I've got something what Muggles call loose motions.

One second. Merlin's beard!.... I forgot about his party tomorrow! Oh how can I forget. I wish I'd refused. I groan again. Suddenly, it feels like the pizza and cake has digested all at once and I rush to the lavatory the 11th time.

Just as I am walking back from the lavatory, the 11th time, an opportunity stretched its hand out for me to grab. I run into Riddle. Not Tom, but Ted. He has blue eyes, not green.

"Hello, Tom. What's the hurry? huh. Going to meet our twin, are we not?" I lean against a pillar

"No, um no Professor, I was just going back to my dormito....Hey, wait a minute! Twin!?" he looks up at me and gulps. "What are you talking about, sir?" he asks with a shocked tone.

"Tom, I need to talk to you. Or, should I call you Ted?" I add, lowering my voice.

He gulps again. His voice, softer than a whisper, " Ted? Who'se Te...."

"Don't bother denying it." I raise my voice a bit and lower it again. "Come, now."

"But I, sir, I...um, I didn't," he fumbles, tears welling up in his eyes as he follows me into my office.

Okay now. here I have this boy, the brother of my so called victim. I tell him to sit down on the chair opposite mine, in my office.

"You've been hiding this fact from when? Last year? Or from when you were in the orphanage?" I ask.

"No... you've got it all wrong. I don't have a twin. I mean,..." he cries.

"DON'T... LIE.... TO.... ME." I remember saying this same line to Potter Junior when I'd wrongly accused him of stealing stuff from my personal chambers during his fourth year.

"No...I'm not supposed to speak about it. I mean, do you know everything about me?"

"And your twin?, no, not everything. Now, does your brother know that you're here?"

"No."

" I hoped not." I smirk. " I'll advise you not to tell any one about this. Not even your brother. Can you do that?"

"I thought you'd tell me to reveal my secret." he frowns .

" That, you will surely do in time." I smile. "But can you do as I said?" I lean forward in my chair.

After hesitating for a moment, he replied slowly, "Yes, sir."

"Well then, you may leave." I say

He walks to the door and opens it. All of a sudden, he turns around, "Thank you sir. I feel much better after confiding into someone." He smiles politely. I give him a nod and he rushes out of my office.

Ok, so the effect of two large pieces of pizza and strawberry cake didn't turn out to be so bad, after all, although I think I need to visit the lavatory once more, for the 12th time.