A Little Trip Through a Diary / TOMIONE (COMPLETE)

Chapter Eighteen: Strenuous Summer

'The castle grounds were gleaming in the sunlight as though freshly painted; the cloudless sky smiled at itself in the smoothly sparkling lake, the satin-green lawns rippled occasionally in a gentle breeze.'

_Order of the Phoenix_

Tom despised the summer holidays. Almost two months of perpetual boredom, waiting impatiently for letters from his followers and the usual invitation from Abraxas to stay at his ancestral home. It was made worse by the crucial fact that the last of Tom's bandages had only been removed about a week previously, and so he'd sat through his OWLs in a head-aching stupor, writing feverishly in the hope that he still remembered absolutely everything that would pertain to an Outstanding in all of his subjects.

Furthermore, he had to return to the dreadful orphanage that was Wool's, and be feared by Mrs Cole and her weak-willed helpers for longer than he could cope for, and attempt to ignore the mutterings of Billy Stubbs and suchlike behind his back. All in all, it would be one of many similarly soulless stays in the vile place.

*

Ginevra usually enjoyed the summer: its joys, the good weather, seeing her parents, reading all day long. That had been the case when she had gone by the name of Hermione and had parents to lovingly embrace at King's Cross. Now, annoyingly, Tom believed that she lived in Wiltshire, and subsequently expected to see her when he visited Abraxas, or so she assumed. In reality, Ginevra would be staying at Hogwarts for the summer, and had told Tom and Abraxas that her parents were abroad in France, and that she'd lacked the enthusiasm to join them. She'd sensed fury in Tom at that point and had endeavoured to flee the conversation.

During her stay at the castle, she browsed the library to her heart's content, revising for her NEWTs. It was annoying, really, that she had none of her old notes on her. She would have been sorted for these exams. However, strangely, she was almost more concerned with the subject of her return to present-day. The NEWT results would go down in history under a different name, if she was even stuck here for that long. She had no reason to be disappointed with Acceptables or even Exceeds Expectations, she realised that now. She understood Ron's exasperation. Oh, Ron...

Ginevra was determined to find a way back. She couldn't leave Ron quailing under Lav-Lav's womanly wiles. Or Harry without her font of knowledge. She searched the multitude of books at her disposal with determination, and even resolved to ask Dumbledore for authorisation to enter the Restricted Section. Once permission was granted, she ferreted around for any books referencing time travel.

*

Tom had finally received confirmation of his stay from Abraxas, and had immediately taken all possible modes of Muggle transport to get to the Malfoy abode. He'd been greeted by the very boy himself at the door, and had proceeded to dump his few possessions in the guest room before enclosing himself in the gargantuan library, fully prepared to find everything about Horcruxes.

He'd made one, and that was a good start. But Tom wanted seven, and that meant that he should properly research the after-effects of the Dark objects, before setting off on a killing spree. He briefly considered murdering another student at Hogwarts but, no, it was too risky. Dumbledore already suspected him of having a hand in Warren's death, despite all the other professors hailing him as a hero for framing the giant oaf.