His Saving Grace

Chapter 35 - Imperfect Man & Final Stage

Only the Heir of Slytherin could open the Chamber of Secrets. Tom Marvolo Riddle, overly pretentious and despicable Slytherin half-blood, was the Heir of Slytherin. I did not know how that was possible, but this was the only thought that consumed my mind which was usually filled with whimsical images and endless desire for knowledge.

My mind had become as dark as Tom's heart, but I would refuse to acknowledge the impact the Slytherin had on me.

Trying to distract myself, as per usual, I was walking through the large halls. Sadly, what I found on my small expedition did not sidetrack my bleak thoughts.

"Little mudblood has gone mute! Are you even going to try to retort? You are making your torment quite... boring.", I heard Tom tauntingly say to a fourth year muggle born.

"What is going on here?", I questioned as I walked closer to them and crossed my arms against my chest.

Looking up at my face, Tom was surprised to see me and the fourth year was thankful. I could sense how scared the boy was because his eyes were screaming for me to save him from Riddle's wrath.

"I am waiting for an answer. Is there a problem here?", I further inquired.

The younger male shook his head and walked closer to me as a way to shield himself from Tom's presence.

"Well, if there truly is no problem then go on about your day. If anything or anyone troubles you, do not hesitate on informing me. Now, go along... I need to have a chat with Riddle."

As soon as the words left my mouth, the boy ran away faster than a Seeker flying towards the snitch.

When I knew the boy was nowhere near us, I scolded the man who had made it his mission to screw everything up as long as it did not have to do with dark magic. He reached his arm out, but before he could lay his fingers on me I reacted with the reasonable anger that had welcomed itself in me.

"Don't", I threateningly screamed and walked away from him.

Always being observant, I knew he was not a kind soul and that he always treated people as inferior, especially muggleborns. Despite this, I never visualized him stooping so low. Actively seeking out the child to torment them was different to being extremely rude and arrogant. He was cornering a child without reason! I simply believed that keeping to himself meant not wasting his time on making himself known as a bully, but apparently I was wrong. Then again, if he could easily kill why could I not see him tormenting others with more than a few rude words?

Feeling his presence behind me, I started walking faster. Of course, my fast walking was no match for his long strides. He aggressively grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him.

"Do not touch me", I sneered as I pushed him back.

"You were not supposed to see that, but you cannot treat me as anything less than the future Lord. The mudblood now thinks he has a chance at treating me like his equal or thinking he is safe, he is neither!", Tom snarled while a devilish look deformed his face.

He grabbed my arm again and dragged me away from the hall. Squirming and fighting him was unsuccessful, he was much stronger. Finally letting go of me, he stopped in front of the now infamous wall that revealed the Come and Go Room. He pushed me inside the dark room and raised his wand.

"Tom, what are you doing?", I nervously ask taking long steps back in order to further myself from him and subtly place my hand inside my robe in search for my wand.

Before I could process what was happening, Tom shot a spell my way. I shielded myself behind a mirror, now taking out my wand and throwing a jinx in his direction. He continued walking towards my hiding spot throwing countless of verbal and nonverbal spells and jinxes in my direction.

Once prepared, I moved from my position and tried to stun him but, he blocked the spell. We continued performing all kinds of spells, charms and jinxes in hopes of one of us coming out victorious in this duel that commenced out of the blue. I was growing tired and was losing the upper hand, but the anger brewing within me was the fuel I needed to continue. I also knew Tom was blinded by rage and I could die this instant if I let him gain the upper hand.

"Cruc-" "Expelliarmus", I screamed out the disarming charm before the unforgivable curse could hit me.

Tom and I stumbled, but remained standing as our wands flew across the room. He forgot about a very important detail, we could never actually harm each other. Our sister wands would not allow it. The detail I refused to ever bring up, but in this moment saved my life. Despite this, he almost hit me with the Cruciatus Curse; which was a spell that inflicted tremendous pain on whomever was on the receiving end and was considered one of the three Unforgivable Curses. The use of any of the Unforgivable Curses was one of the most sinister acts a wizard could engage in.

Picking up my wand, I pointed it at Tom's face and waited for him to say or do somethign, anything. I was prepared for the very worst, but that never came.

"You can burn in hell!", I sneered.

"Athena, I'm sorry... I... I don't... I do not know what came over me.", he whispered with his hands up in surrender.

"No! You know exactly what came over you and you would have hit me with an unforgivable curse if I had not reacted on time. You risked killing me, killing us, losing our wands, all due to your impulsive and malevolent desires that I have ignored for far too long! Do not try to manipulate me, again. You say whatever you think will make me stay, but I am tired of these games. You know fully well you are behaving like the lowest of scum and I hate myself for not knowing how to hate you anymore!", I screamed in agony as tears welled up in my eyes with my wand still shakily pointed at him.

Why or how could I see goodness in such an imperfect man?

"Athena, do not say things like that. Everything I have ever done or thought of was always solely for my benefit and for the betterment of the wizarding world, but you know it is not like that anymore. Whatever I do now, you know it is for us.", he replied trying to reason with me.

I did not buy into what he was saying, but that same part of me that admitted to seeing goodness within him was now yearning for me to not give up on him.

I lowered my wand and said, "You know I do not believe you and I never asked for any of this. Are you even considering how all of this makes me feel?"

"I cannot even feel, do not be daft Athena! I care for nothing beyond than my ambitions and just maybe my convoluted thoughts concerning you.", he frustratingly replied walking towards his wand which still laid on the floor.

Pointing my wand at him again, I replied, "Then why are you courting me in the first place, huh? Why have you made me believe you could possibly change? I want to believe you are better than this, but you are making it rather difficult."

He picked up his wand and retorted, "You have always been known for your wild imagination."

"I am disappointed in you.", I whispered in defeat.

The final stage of our journey was near and I had a feeling that something ominous would be taking place soon.