Not Broken, Not Yet | Tom Riddle

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

I hadn't gotten much sleep that night. But for once it hadn't been nightmares keeping up. No. Instead it had been Ruth and June. My new roommates. As the stars travelled across the night sky I found myself sitting in my pyjamas as I spent the night laughing and taking part of their world of gossip and boys. Julius had already made himself comfortable on my pillow, sneaking June's large Maine Coon suspicious glances every now and again as the large feline stretched out in front of the fireplace.

We carried on talking well into the early hours of the morning, and when it was for the first lesson the next morning I was positively drained. I found myself struggling to keep my eyes open as I stood surrounded by the other Gryffindor girls outside the transfiguration classroom.

I had planned to wake up early and explore the ground. The day before I had caught a glimpse of them. They were massive, stretching over hills, a lake and a dark forest. A dark forest that apparently was forbidden. Like that would stop me. My habit of instinctively doing the opposite of what was asked of me told me the forbidden part would not be an issue.

"Merlin's beard, Ruth! Didn't you let poor Amberly sleep at all?" Clara, a freckled Gryffindor girl asked when I almost nodded up a third time. By her side Mary, her best friend, giggled.

Ruth shrugged. "She could have gone to bed at any time. It's not my fault me and June are interesting."

Clara rolled her eyes and gave me a sympathetic smile. "You're free to change dormitories to mine and Mary's if you want."

"It's a trap!" Ruth warned. "They will have you join at least five school clubs by the end of the year."

Clara looked annoyed but I shook my head, smiling. "I appreciate the sentiment but I'm fine. Ruth's right, I could have gone to bed at any time. It was no one's fault but my own."

"Hah!" Ruth exclaimed, sweeping her red hair to the side as she smirked at Clara. "Told you."

"All I'm wondering is why I'm the only one of us feeling like a zombie. The two of you kept at it well after I passed out." I said, giving June and Ruth an accusatory look.

"I don't kiss and tell." Ruth said, grinning.

"Ruth has a special potion." June responded.

"June!" Ruth exclaimed. "Traitor."

As the two started bickering another girl approached us. The blue and bronze of her uniform told me she was from Ravenclaw. The brainiacs, according to Aiden. She was a brunette of medium height with quick grey eyes and a rather pointy face. A prefect's badge glinted on her uniform and almost immediately she shook my hand, introducing herself as Agnes Williams, the Ravenclaw prefect.

"How are you enjoying Hogwarts?" She asked me, voice sounding a lot like that of a little mouse.

"Well, from what I have seen so far I quite like it." I said, trying not to look at her too much. The more I did the more similarities I found between her and the small rodent.

"Brilliant. It truly is a most marvellous school." She reassured me.

Ruth snorted out a laugh.

"I wouldn't exactly call it marvellous. You can't have already forgotten what happened last year with the Warren-girl." She said, grimacing ever so slightly.

The effect on Agnes was immediate. Glittering tears filled her eyes as she took a staggering breath. I realised that Agnes probably knew the girl, both of them being in Ravenclaw.

"I talked to Myrtle just hours before it happened." She said quietly. "The other girls had been teasing her, I asked her about it but didn't press the subject when she insisted it was fine. If I had asked more questions, sat down with her..." She mumbled, regret flashing on her face as she looked into the distance.