dark// tom riddle⚡️

v

   The holidays had ended and the New Year had brung tons of snow and cold air. Since the holidays were long over, the students who went home would be coming back to Hogwarts around noon for the new term and the New Year's ball. Most of the boys and girls had already bought their suits and gowns for the ball, but for the ones who didn't there was a Hogsmeade trip this weekend before the Ball. 

   Hermione was one of the only ones at the Gryffindor table, which was weird because Gryffindor house had the most amount of people who stayed back for the holidays. It was Hermione, Eliza Graylon, and her younger brother Ethan Graylon. Hermione had become very close with the Graylon siblings but it wasn't the same relationship she had with Harry, Ron, and Ginny. So obviously, she was very excited that the three of them were coming back to Hogwarts today and couldn't wait to see them. Hermione ate her eggs and bacon as she played with her bracelet, her bracelet would change either gold, sliver, rose gold, or black depending on what she was wearing and today it was a lustrous sliver. She still hadn't figured out who Tom Riddle was and frankly it was taking up too much of her time so she decided to put her research aside and study for the OWLs which were coming up fast. Hermione looked over at the staff table and noticed that Dumbledore was missing, once again. He had been missing for a three days and Minerva Mcgonagall, being the deputy headmistress, took over for those three days. Hermione wondered where Dumbledore had gone, oblivious to the fact that a certain platinum headed boy was staring at her. 

   "My Lord?" Theodore Nott asked his Lord who was in his best friend's body, "Are you alright?"

   "Yes, I am alright." Voldemort hissed, 'She is wearing the necklace and the bracelet.' he thought, happily. Voldemort felt the cold necklace under his white oxford shirt vibrate. It did that every time he was anywhere near her. If the two parts of the necklace were to connect, it would turn the two souls into one. Binding them to each other for all of eternity. Even though Voldemort was a dark soul, whenever he was with her or near her, he would turn whole again like he had been all those years when he was with her. He shook his head, got up, and left the hall with Theodore Nott hot at his heels. Everyone was ignorant of their departure except for a certain brunette. Who wondered if she should follow the two suspicious students, but didn't want to get into any sort of trouble so she stopped herself before she did something she would regret. 

~*~

   Dumbledore paced around the extravagant kitchen of Grimmauld Place. He was gone from Hogwarts for three days for some Order business. The Order's first task was to get Harry's prophecy from the Department of Mysteries and Arthur Weasley had volunteered to get it despite Molly's many protests. Unfortunately, Arthur was not able to get the prophecy since someone had tipped off Voldemort and he sent his snake, Nagini to kill Arthur. While Arthur was trying to get away from the enormous snake, he saw another prophecy, one about Hermione Granger and Voldemort. He stopped, reaching out to grab it but the snake got to him first, piercing every bit of Arthur's skin with it's great fangs. Once Arthur had recovered a bit, Dumbledore visited him for a quick talk as to what happened in the Department and that's when he heard the prophecy about Hermione and Voldemort. Since he was a teacher when Voldemort went to school at Hogwarts he knew what he was like and he knew who he was obsessed with, whether Voldemort knew or not. Someone had tipped of the Order saying that Voldemort was at Hogwarts for special business but he was disguising as someone else. So that is why Dumbledore put in the New Year's Ball, for him to keep an eye on who Voldemort was taking over. He had his suspicions but the only way he could confirm them is if Voldemort's host body approaches Hermione Granger. 

~*~

   Ron, Ginny, and Harry departed the scarlet train to the Hogsmeade platform. Sprinkles of snow was dusting their clothes and hats as they walked towards the carriages to take them to the magnificent school. All of them were anything but silent, as they were talking about how their holidays went.

  "Dumbledore came for a few days to Grimmauld Place." Harry said

  "For what?" Ron asked

  "For Order business, are you dumb?" Ginny replied to her older brother. 

  "Yeah and I overheard parts of it when I was going to get a glass of water."

  "What did they say?" Ginny asked as she and Ron shared a look with each other. 

  "Something about Hermione and Voldemort. That they had a connection but not the same one he and I share."

  "And?" Ron asked incredulously.

  "That's it, I told you that's all I heard and then Sirius caught me." he said before adding, "I was told not to tell Hermione. So don't tell her I told you guys. Sirius and Dumbledore would kill me."

  "No they wouldn't." Ginny said, grinning.

  "Yeah, but still, I gave my word that I wouldn't tell anyone and I just told you two. So don't tell her. AT ALL." he said emphasizing the last two words and the brother, sister duo nodded. The trio sat in silence the rest of the way to Hogwarts. 

~*~

   Hermione sat on her bed in her dorm, playing with her bracelet, waiting for her friends. No matter how much she wanted to take her bracelet off she just couldn't bring herself to do so. She felt as though it was part of her and if she took it off, it would feel like a part of her was missing. 

   Her head shot up as soon she heard a loud knock on the door. She crawled out of her fluffy bed and went to answer the person on the other side of the door who was now knocking impatiently.  Hermione grabbed the knob on the door and twisted. She didn't see anything but a blur of red and she concluded that it was the one and only, Ginny Weasley who was holding her so tight, Hermione couldn't breathe. 

  "HERMIONE! I missed you!" she yelled, pulling away from the intense hug with the brunette. 

  "I missed you too, Ginny." 

  "How were your holidays? By the way, Ron and Harry are downstairs and they want to talk to you." 

  "Mine were great ," Hermione didn't want to tell her friend that it wasn't the best she had, "I missed you guys though." she said sincerely, as she and Ginny made their way down the stairs to the common room. As the two girls went down to meet the two boys, they talked about how their holidays. Hermione had said that she was finishing homework, when she was actually trying to figure out who Tom Riddle was. Finally, the two found the two boys, talking animatedly and went towards their direction. 

  "Ron! Harry!" Hermione screamed, so glad that she found her best friends. 

  "Hey Hermione!"

  "Hi 'Mione!"

  The two boys squashed the brunette girl in a bone-crushing hug. When they finally let go, Hermione asked, "How were your holidays?"

  Harry and Ron looked at each other discreetly, but Hermione didn't miss it. Instead, she became suspicious as to what happened, "Is everything okay?" she asked, concerned. 

  "Yeah, yeah everything it okay." Harry replied, rubbing the nape of his neck and giving a 'Don't you dare.' look to Ron when Hermione turned to talk to Ginny.

  Hermione was unaware of the secret that Harry, Ron, and Ginny shared from her. Likewise, the trio were ignorant of the well-hidden secret that Hermione Granger was hiding. 

  They had to figure each other out before it was too late. 

  But it was already too late. They prophecy was made and the plan had been prepared. Only a miracle could help them now. 

But even miracles were rare.