To Answer A Riddle [Tom Riddle Era / Harry Potter]

Entry #21

(The song which matches this chapter is Monster, by Imagine Dragons. It is presented at the top of the chapter, if you wish to listen to it. It is quite good and matches well the ambiance of this chapter. Enjoy!!)

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Elliott kept finding little notes.

They were everywhere. On his books, at his desk in Astronomy class, hidden between two parchments he had completed for homework... Three days passed since he had found the first one, and Elliott kept finding new ones hidden in his stuff, still written in the same calligraphy.

He had tried to ignore them at first, but they seemed enchanted to pop up in his face if he did not read what was written on them. Sometimes, it was little pieces of advices that had been laid down on the small notes of parchment, other times it was simply witty and sarcastic comments about the most random and ordinary things.

Elliott wasn't an idiot. He knew very well who they were from.

So when he found himself smiling at the note he had just found stuck to one of his quills, the young man realized something was wrong.

Why was he happy to receive such papers? Why did he like the attention, the thought that someone cared about him?

Again, Elliott knew the answer, but he still wouldn't admit it. He couldn't say it out loud...

But truth was that he was slowly starting to forgive Tom.

Why?

That, Elliott wasn't sure. Tom had betrayed him, played with his feelings for months before revealing his true intentions. He had only wanted Elliott as a weapon.... Right?

The blonde wasn't so sure anymore. He remembered what had happened during the Winter Ball: his conversation with Avery, who assured him that Tom did care about him, the talk between Sybill and Tom he had spied on, where Tom asked of a way to make Elliott forgive him...

All the facts were laid out in front of Elliott's eyes. Tom did want Elliott to forgive him.

Elliott was almost ready to do so, after days of thinking about it and receiving little notes.

Almost.

There was something that completely stopped him from even talking to Tom once more, from making the step forward to mend their friendship.

Elliott was scared that Tom would betray him again.

After all, who said that Tom simply didn't want him back for his powers once more? It could very well be a trap...

That was what Elliott was thinking as he laid down on his bed in the dormitory. He had just gotten back from Charms class and was extremely tired, even if it was only one in the afternoon. The young man took out his book from his nightstand. Elliott had been reading the Dark Curses book every since he had received it from Tom the night of the Winter Ball.

His gloved fingers turned the pages slowly. He was very careful with the book to be sure that he wasn't cursed once again. The nurse did say that another dark curse could very well kill him next time...

The book however seemed harmless compared to the other one Elliott had read. And this time, he felt like he was very close to finding the spell that was the source of his powers.

He turned the page he had just finished and noticed a peculiar potion on the next page. The making was said to be illegal in the wizard world, but it was still shown in the book. Elliott read the instructions: it was pretty simple. The only difficult thing mentioned was the spell used to activate the potion. Elliott was really good in dark spells, less good in potions...