Loyal | Tom Riddle

6: Persuasion

"If everybody could gather 'round, that would be great," Professor Merrythought directed.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was an ancient, withered-witch, having taught at Hogwarts for at least fifty years. Her once-auburn hair reached just above her hunched shoulders, her thin lips were almost always pursed as if she had just bit into something unpleasant, and her eyes were dark and beady.

The Gryffindors and Slytherins that shared this particular lesson shuffled forward, peering over each others' shoulders nervously at the caged animal perched on Merrythought's desk.

"Now, can anybody tell me what type of dragon this is?" Two hands shot up immediately -- John's and Tom Riddle's. "Hargreaves."

"It's a Hungarian Horntail, Professor," John answered.

A smile lit up her face. "Excellent. What is most special about a Hungarian Horntail?"

"It is considered the most dangerous type of dragon there is, Madam," Tom Riddle said quickly. "Its fire can melt stone in seconds and reaches up to fifty feet. Some say that its powerful tail is just as bad as the mouth, if not worse. Hungarian Horntails are also great fliers that can reach speeds of 150 miles per hour in ten seconds or less, so they're faster than any broomstick."

"Perfect, Tom," Merrythought beamed; for such an old woman, she was curiously cheerful, truly living up to her surname. "Ten points to Slytherin, and five to Gryffindor."

John glared so viciously at the triumphant Riddle that those around him feared holes would be seared into his robes.

Arabella stared blankly at a fixed point on the wall, unable to focus on the words coming out of her Professor's mouth. It seemed impossible to concentrate, with all these people around her when there was only one she wanted to talk to.

Merrythought dismissed her class before the bell rang, promising them that their next lesson would be over the ways to fight and flee dragons. Several of the students gave a cheer when she announced that there would be no homework due -- but the room went silent when she suggested researching dragons in the library.

Arabella glanced up from the floor that had captivated her for the past half hour just in time to see her brother exit through the door behind his usual gang of friends. Grimacing and ignoring John's yells, she hurried past her classmates and into the bustling hallway.

Scanning the sea of heads, she almost thought she'd lost Nikolai. Just when she was about to give up, a certain unmistakably blond head appeared in her line of vision. Silently -- and for the first time in her life -- she gave thanks for Abraxas Malfoy.

"Nikolai!" she called out.

He quickened his pace before turning sharply into an empty corridor, his friends following suit. Arabella rounded the corner soon after, breathless from shoving her way through the throng to reach him.

Her brother looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and exasperation, something that she was very used to. "What?" he snapped.

"I need to talk to you," Arabella said. "Alone."

Tom Riddle took a step towards her. "Now, Arabella, I'm sure that whatever you have to say to your brother, you can say in front of us. You are a Prefect, after all, and you aren't doing anything troublesome, are you?"

She sighed, waving her hand at him. "Please, just leave."

"You might be up to something," Tom insisted, taking yet another menacing step forward. "Remember what Prewett said? We must do anything to keep Hogwarts safe. Surely, you can talk to Nikolai in front of us."