Extreme Ways ( A Tom Riddle fanfiction )

Chapter 33

“Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat” said Dumbledore simply.
HP2
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Tom inhaled and exhaled deeply as he pondered all the possibilities to find the sword.
"Accio sword" he tried several times, replacing "sword" with other names.
Nothing happened.
"It couldn't be so easy" she sighed touching his arm to comfort him.
"We can't swim down there so we need to find another way" he turned to the woods and started to hiss loudly.
Evelyn shivered when later she saw a long snake approaching them.
Tom kept hissing until the snake slithered into the lake.
They waited for several minutes until it came back and spoke to Tom. From his face Evelyn understood that that plan failed too.
Tom kneeled and caressed the snake as it was a dog, to Evelyn's horror.
"We couldn't expect to find it so quickly" he said suggesting to go back to the castle to think better about it "Something or someone should be keeping it safe. Maybe it is held by some of the water creatures".
She agreed "Should we try to contact the merpeople?".
"The lady of the lake could be a mermaid".
Evelyn grimaced at that "You are welcome to deal with merpeople. I'd rather stay away from them".
He rolled his eyes "I don't like mermaids. Because I have someone much more beautiful".
She narrowed her eyes "Funny. I know muggles believe that mermaids are beautiful creatures like that portrait in our bathroom, but if you check the portraits of the real mermaids they look quite scary".
"I know. So let's make a list of all the details we got. So we can try to have a clear image of this puzzle" they went back to the library and Tom started to scrabble down everything they learned that far.
"Weren't you looking for the sword on your own for your uncle years ago?" Tom asked suddenly glancing up at Evelyn, who was just watching him writing.
She shrugged "Yeah, but I managed to find only copies. My uncle is used to sell plenty of fake swords. And no hint of the real one in this castle, although it must be here".
"Hmm" he checked what he had written, then he got another question "Do you remember that sentence in latin?".
"The one talking about being a true Gryffindor would allow to get the sword?".
"That one. Maybe we need a Gryffindor to succeed".
It didn't make sense to her "A Gryffindor? Who?".
He thought about it, then smirked "The Head Boy. Prewett. He has a crush on you".
She watched him flustered "What does this have to do with our quest? I should use him? Why don't we try with a girl? That McGonagall is pretty smart too for being a true Gryffindor".
"No, I think she's not" he said quickly "I would bet he has more chances to be the one we need. Or do you know other Gryffindors with some special talent?".
Her mind was blank "Slytherin had his heir. We can't be so lucky to get also a true Gryffindor" she bit her lip thoughfully "Unless we don't take into consideration just student. I would bet on Dumbledore, for instance".
The idea didn't please him "Dumbledore? We can't trick him".
"You're the Heir of Slytherin. I wouldn't be surprised if the true Gryffindor is someone you dispise" this time she was the one to smirk.
He sighed standing up and rolling his writing "Anyway, you are the one who can play him. Why don't you use his beloved half giant to persuade Dumbledore to take out the sword? You know that Dumbledore suspects of me since I made expel his favourite pet".
"If we want to involve someone like Dumbledore into this, we should try to bring him to oir side instead of using misdeeds and violence".
Tom turned more acid "Then why don't you try to flirt with him? Although I'm sorry to say that he has different tastes, so you have no chances".
"What the hell are you talking about?" She snapped.
"Him and Grindelwald" Tom said in a whisper "Didn't you get it? Haven't ever wondered why Dumbledore always refused to fight Grindelwald when he would be a good match for the dark wizard? Because he is a coward? Or there was something bigger between them? Something big enough to make Dumbledore hide in this castle instead of doing something against Grindelwald to stop the Global wizarding war".
She stared at him with shock, but he looked deeply convinced of what he was talking about "You can't be serious".
"Then find me something to prove that I'm wrong. You admire Dumbledore because he looks so good and kind. But trust me, he has secrets worst than mines" he hissed bitterly.
Evelyn didn't know what to think "So does it mean that you don't believe that Dumbledore could be a true Gryffindor?".
"I didn't say that. I'm just saying that I disagree with trying to befriend him. We can't trust him. In a blink of an eye he could manage to make me expelled".
"You're freaking scared of him" she stated frankly "Does he have proofs to do that?".
He inhaled with anger, but swallowed it, replying in a whisper "He managed to keep the half giant at Hogwarts instead of letting him go to Azkaban. Because he realized he couldn't trust my version of the facts. I'm sure he's just waiting for the good occasion to turn it against me".
"I don't see all this hostility against you, Tom. I think we should try to get his help. Otherwise we can just give up on finding the sword for now and focus on the other relics".
He pondered her idea, then agreed "Alright. But you deal with him. And if you put us in danger you will pay for it. I try to focus on the other relics in the meanwhile".
Evelyn felt grateful and impatient to give a try to her plan.
"Did you know that Dumbledore can speak to the merpeople?".
He just stared ather blankly, then admitted "No, I didn't. How do you know that?".
She shrugged "I read it somewhere, maybe on an interview on the newspapers or behind a chocolate frog. I just recalled it now. And it fits with the hints we have. Gryffindor. The sword. The lake. The merpeople... Why would someone learn to speak with merpeople?".
Tom shrugged "As I speak to snakes?".
"Being a Parselmouth is a blood stuff. It's something you inherited by being a direct descendant of Salazar" she explained "Dumbledore isn't related to merpeople so he learned their language. While Parseltongue can't be learned".
Tom smirked "I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore descends from a freaking fish" he moved closer to her "How can you turn me up so violently and a moment later make me so angry and then aroused again?".
She gave him a bad look "Maybe it's not me. But you who are crazy".
"I don't think so" he hissed confidently "Shall we go down into the dormitory? Maybe we can spot something helpful from the windows".
Evelyn scoffed "You can't push into that trap so easily".