Tom Ridde Imagine [Non-Voldemort AU]

chapter five - ❝i'll just have to trust him. my own friend, harry potter.❞

The first person to walk into class was obviously Tom, having put his book neatly on the desk in front of him. Professor Lupin hadn't arrived yet, so Tom decided to do some pre-reading before anyone came.

Despite Tom sitting in the back of the classroom, he could hear, see, and understand everything perfectly. He was glad that no one decided to sit next to him — they would make too much noise or ask too many questions for him to concetrate.

But his focus shifted from his book to the person who'd just walked in — the girl with the (h/c) hair and the pretty smile on her face. Tom gulped. Concetrating didn't seem like an option anymore.

(Y/N) noticed Tom and waved at him. She sat in front, so she wouldn't be able to see him if he decided to stare at her back the entire class. She was followed by Hogwarts' Heartthrob, who sat next to her.

Tom tried to keep his eyes on the book, but (Y/N)'s every movement was way more interesting, even if it was just combing her hair with her fingers, or punching Cedric's shoulder because of some bad joke he said. Tom sighed — he felt stupid. Not being able to get closer to her.

"Good morning!" It was Professor Lupin, walking from the back of the class with a single book in his hand. "Seems you're all very early."

"I'd say you're late," a Slytherin said. Lupin ignored her and placed his book at front.

"I see you're all settled with your new classmates," he grinned. But unlike his statement, the Hufflepuffs were sitting seperated from the Slytherins — except for Tom, who sat in the back on his own, on the right side, where the Hufflepuffs were.

"We'd like to have Gryffindor back," another Slytherin said. His friends agreed. "Even though we are obviously better than Gryffindors, we might have equal skills and talents. But Hufflepuff?" He scoffed. "A bunch of brainless airheads, I'd say."

Tom looked at the person who said it. A boy named Cassius was mocking the Hufflepuffs as if it was a sport.

"Last time I checked, Warrington, your grades in DADA is lower than the average of Hufflepuff's. If we're brainless, what does that make you?" (Y/N) snapped back. Cedric tried to stop her, but she wouldn't back out this fight.

"Who are you again? Sorry, Hufflepuffs are just not relevant." His friends laughed with him as (Y/N) stood up and walked towards his desk. Professor Lupin looked at his class with wide eyes — he really had no clue what to do.

"What're you gonna do, basement peasant?"

(Y/N) slammed her fists on his desk which shocked everyone — even Tom jumped a little from her sudden action. "You want a duel?"

"As if it's much of a duel."

"Does that mean no?" (Y/N) smirked and got her hands off the table. "You're pathetic. But, you're right — you shouldn't accept a challenge from a Hufflepuff. We're too good to even waste our time on you."

The right side of the classroom cheered and shouted at the Slytherins. Tom had to hide behind his book so that his housemates couldn't see him laughing.

He was wrong, though. Plenty of people saw him. Cassius and his friends saw and immediately made a comment about it.

"Look at Tom Riddle, a bloody traitor!" he exclaimed, pointing at the boy in the back of the class, who had stopped laughing to glance at his House's side of the classroom. Truth to be told, he was ashamed to be part of them. In all means, he would rather be in Gryffindor, together with Harry. Or in Hufflepuff, where they all seemed so loving and caring. But Slytherin didn't appeal him that much since the day he entered the Slytherin common room.