Lost | Tom Riddle ✔

Chapter 49

This chapter is dedicated to my wonderful readers who are from the USA, Canada, Mexico and the UK. You people are awesome.

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Walking earlier than usual, Tom entered the empty classroom. It was the first day of his classes, but he couldn't resist a temptation to come early. Hogwarts was his home, and the vacations that he had to spend away from this place made him homesick. His nostalgia forced him to even skip his breakfast. If it had been his choice, he wouldn't leave the school. Muggle world was nothing but a torturous reminder of his failed family relationships, so he wanted nothing to do with it anymore.

Tom looked at the empty seat beside him. The seat that belonged to his friend - Anthony. His mind playing back the events from the night before. Apparently the latter needed some sleep that morning.

*Flashback*

Still, in a daze, Anthony entered their dorm. His mind not noticing brooding Tom following him. With wand clutched in his pale fist, the latter was barely managing to conceal his displeasure. And apparently, the Avery was the only one who was oblivious to that vulnerable volcano.

Tom's gang-members, or knights of Walpurgis as he had planned to call them from this year, had dutifully deserted the two best friends.

Tom turned around and locked the door of their dorm cautiously.

"Silencio" He muttered, making sure the anticipated conversation stayed private.

"So, mind telling me what exactly is happening between you and my girl?" Tom spat. His pent-up tension exploded. The hold he had on his wand tightened.

It was difficult to tell whether it was his tone or his words or both together had brought the elder Avery in the real world.

"Nothing," Anthony replied.

"Don't lie to me," Tom said through gritted teeth. "I hate it, and you know that."

"I am not," Anthony denied again. His hands held up in surrender. "You know I am not one of those who will go after a taken girl."

This calmed down the raging fire inside the Slytherin Prefect, which came back with full force when he recalled their bittersweet interaction. Sweet for them, bitter for him.

"Then tell me, my dear loyal friend, why were you sharing secret smiles with the taken girl?" Tom hissed.

"Alexa is yours, but we are friends now. She told me herself that she was anxious about the sixth year and I was just trying to ease her nerves. I got to know her better this summer. She was a guest in Avery manor," Anthony explained.

Anthony was used to Tom's tantrums. In his heart, he believed that the latter won't hurt him over a girl. Well, that was his opinion. They were best-pals for a reason. And presently, he could tell his friend was too occupied to process the bomb that had been dropped, to perform an actual action.

"What the hell!" Tom exclaimed once he came outside his state of meditation. "Why was she in your house? How long was she there?"

"Calm down, Tom," Avery spoke. He was trying hard to hide his amusement. He was fairly acquainted with jealousy. "Dumbledore wanted her to stay at our place for a month. It wasn't preplanned, at least not from my father's side."

"And you didn't tell me because-"

"You told me not to send an owl at your place, remember?"

Well, that was the truth. Unfortunately for Tom, he stayed in a muggle orphanage. And unlike wizards, muggles were not accustomed to receiving and sending messages using owls. To avoid any suspicion, Riddle had instructed his friends to not send owls. Since they were all from pure-blood families, they never got the concept of postal services clearly. This meant the Slytherin prefect was isolated from the magical community during his stay at the orphanage. This was another reason he detested the muggle world.