Into The Past | Tom Marvolo Riddle

Decisions and Annoyances

"He saw the darkness in her beauty and she saw the beauty in his darkness"

-Anonymous

"Dumbledore you don't understand..." Flora trailed off in annoyance.

"Flora, nor I or Dippet know how to get you back and we won't  be finding a way," Dumbledore spoke. "The note simply said you'd find a way when it was time," his wise voice spoke.

"It is time. He's a manipulative bas-" she was cut off as Dippet held his hand up.

"Language," he quipped. Flora sighed her mind wandering to the night before...

"Having fun there?" Tom's voice spoke. Flora's eyes snapped open and she pulled away from him. "You must really like me, don't you?" He asked. Flora frowned as the Tom before her didn't speak. "I'm behind you," he hummed in annoyance.

"What?" She questioned, her body turning to find Tom leaning against the wooden railing of the dock.

"It's quite easy to go and trick ones mind when one is angry," he pointed out. Flora eyes were wide as she cautiously looked back to find  the fake Tom disappearing  in pieces before her.

"You went into my mind?" Flora screeched, her anger flaring.

"Watchout, I may do it again Nightingale. It's all about influence," he cautiously teased. Flora's glare soon fell into a sad stare as she spoke.

"Do not worry Tom. You won't have the chance to do it again," she spoke, her brown eyes unnaturally calm. "You should watch out, yourself," she threatened.

"Was that a threat?" He asked, his jaw tight in irritance.

"I thought you were smart enough to realise that it was. Maybe your smart persona is as fake as your emotions," she back chatted him.

"I think it's best if you give me your time turner, Flora," Dumbledore told her. Flora absentmindedly felt for her necklace that was the most important thing to her at the moment.

"Don't worry. It'll be in safe hands," Dippet encouraged her. Flora sighed as she unclasped the back of the time turner and hesitantly placed it in Dumbledore's grasp. Dippet smiled at her, meanwhile Dumbledore placed it in his robes. Dipper left shortly after, mumbling he had important tasks that awaited him.

"Off you go. Defence Against The Dark Arts should be in 5 minutes," Dumbledore ushered, his hand reaching for his feather and ink. Flora nodded as she got out of the chair and made her way to the door before halting to a stop.

"Dumbledore?" She called out, turning her head to the side.

"Yes Miss Nightingale?" He replied.

"Why didn't you change my last name for future referencing?" Flora questioned. It was silent for a second, just their breathing before he opened his mouth to answer her.

"Have you heard of Andrei Flewington?" he asked her.

"No, I can't say I have, Sir," she replied.

"The point exactly Miss Nightingale. Now off you go, I expect you have 3 minutes left," he tutted before a piece of parchment filled her hands. Obviously a late slip.

"Thank you," she breathed out before going to class.

Flora now sat in Defence Against The Dark Arts in boredom as the professor spoke. She had the class with Ravenclaw students and she was sitting next to a boy from that house. Tom Riddle sat near the front with one of his followers and Flora glared invisible holes in his head.

"Now," the professor spoke, "It is not the size of the wand that matters. It is how you use it my students! Some of the shortest wizards or witches can produce very magical displays from their wand so-" he stopped as snickers filled the room from Slytherin.

"I beg to differ, sir," Malfoy laughed. Flora rolled her eyes as she joined along. She couldn't just mope around all day, could she?

"Sir, I agree with Malfoy. I've had plenty of encounters with short wands, and let me just tell you... it's  just talk. You have to know how to use it though for optimal outcomes," she drawled out, all of it a lie. Ravenclaw tried to hide their smiles as Malfoy sent her a smirk.

"Thankyou for your opinion Mr Malfoy and Miss Nightingale," the teacher spoke. "But my wand is fairly short. Would you call me incompetent?" He asked.

"I'd rather not answer that Sir," Flora brashly spoke.

"As I was saying..." the professor loudly continued. "As you prepare to duel with your partner there is a trick. Close your eyes and let the magic flow through your body. You should feel it building up inside of you... in your veins and come to a poin- What Miss Nightingale?" he aggravated.

"Nothing," she piped up, hiding her face in her robes.

The professor continued to speak as he tried to ignore the student before him. "Some common problems are that the magic does not build up and not flow properly. Instead of a perfect spell you will only get a trickle of sparks coming from the tip of your wand," he spoke. Flora raised her hand in apprehension and the professor sighed. "Yes Miss Nightingale?" He monotonously announced.

"Don't they have potions for that?" She coughed out. Tom even internally smirked at her wit before it fell. The professor was frozen for awhile as he finally realized.

"What is wrong with you today? 15 minutes of detention and 10 points from Slytherin,"he ordered. Flora shrugged as she tried to behave for the rest of class. Flora wrote some things down on her parchment feeling guilty now at misbehaving. What was Slytherin doing to her?

Or yet a better question...

What was Tom Marvolo Riddle doing to her?