Extreme Ways ( A Tom Riddle fanfiction )

Chapter 27

"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."
HP2

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She was back. She realized. It wasn't like a dream. Her body was still aching, her scratches were still on her skin, her clothes were still medieval ones.
Soon she heard some approaching steps, so she removed the transfiguration from her clothes and turned her hair into their usual darker colour.
She was standing up from the floor when Dumbledore stepped into the room.
"Miss Burke, here you were" he said with a happy tone "We had been looking for you for hours".
She frowned. Hours? She spent days in the Middle Ages.
"I'm sorry" she stammered trying to hide how messy she was "What time is it?".
"It's 11 pm. You missed dinner and your patrolling shift".
"Damn. So I will get detention?".
"It's not something that bad" his smile was a warm remedy to her worries "All that matters is that you're alright. Are you?".
She was still alive, she couldn't ask for more "I think so".
The wizard nodded, but before he could speak again other steps warned them that someone was coming.
Evelyn's eyes widened in shock as she recognized Tom Riddle peaking into the opened door.
He stepped in, noticing the professor so he turned into the polite and innocent student he was famous for.
"I'm sorry, I heard voices" his eyes lingered on Evelyn, his face showing surprise and worry "Can I help?".
Dumbledore glanced at the scared face of the girl "I don't think so. You can leave".
Tom glanced back at him clearly disagreeing, but he didn't dare to argue, so he left.
Evelyn felt momentarily safe.
"Can I walk you to the infirmary?" Dumbledore offered.
"I think I need a bathroom more than an infirmary" she admitted, looking forward to enjoy the comfort of a real bathroom.
"Alright" the professor led her to the prefects' bathrooms "You will find some healing potions in your common room when you'll go back there".
She thanked him and hurried to lock herself into the bathroom.
She felt like a queen when she got rid of her damaged clothes and enjoyed a bath, using a lot of perfumed soap. She had never felt that dirty before. She didn't take a bath nor a shower for days, she hated how her body was stinking. But after all she had been through, she got her deserved reward.

When she stepped out of the bathroom enjoying the feeling of being clean, she felt a hand wrapping around her wrist and pulling her to a dark corner where she came face to face with an upset Tom.
"What the hell happened?" He asked scanning her bruises and scratches.
"Nothing. Leave me alone" she struggled against his grip, her wet hair made her feel cold.
"Who did that to you?" He insisted.
"None. I just got some troubles, but now it's over. Why don't you go back to your lover? She must be impatient to know where you are".
She attacked him staring into his eyes. She missed him too much, but she had to force herself not to tell him that she met Slytherin.
Tom slightly grimaced but agreed to let her go. His face turned into a mocking smirk "She can wait. I know you are hiding something. I will find out what it is, no matter what".
Silent as a ghost, he moved away, disappearing in the night.
Evelyn sighed heavily and rushed to her tower that she missed so much.

On the following days she was obsessed with finding something to prove if her experience was just a trick of her mind or it had historical evidences.
She spent most of her time in the libraries, focusing on history more than she ever did.
There was nothing about wars with Scottish muggles. Also there were more legends and fables around the Founders than historically facts.
But how could that all have been just an illusion? When the Founders looked so realistic? What kind of wicked magic she experienced?
She wished she could ask Tom's opinion, but they weren't together and she didn't want to involve him.
She stayed away from him, but she knew she attracted his attention and he wouldn't get peace until he knew what she was hiding from him.
Evelyn sneaked out from the Restricted Sections keeping a pile of books close to her chest.
"What are you looking for there?".
Tom's voice gave her start, but she didn't look intimidated by his hungry face.
"Nothing. This library is mine just as it is yours".
He tried to snatch the books from her but when he spotted the title of the first book he gave up. It was just a banal title of a historical volume.
"What's the matter, Tom? Control freak?" She teased him.
"I simply wanted to know if I could help" he said with a penetrating stare that unsettled her.
He could read everyone's mind except hers. But in that moment she wished he knew about her adventure and would tell her his opinion.
"I'm afraid you can't" she replied unwillingly. It was her secret and her secret only. And she had to solve the mystery by herself.