For the Greater Good || Tom Riddle ||

Chapter Thirteen: A Visit to Hogsmeade

The weekend had come. Gwen had struggled through the past several days. Prefect duty had added another dash of stress to her already full plate. A sort of melancholy hung over her.

Typically, Gwen enjoyed Fridays. But yesterday was comprised of nothing but papers and ink.

The rest of the school resumed to its normal tendencies. Very few students actually appeared to be affected by the fact that a girl had been found petrified earlier that week. Not many professors even felt threatened by the possibility of another attack.

Gwen found herself still reeling from her encounter with Tom Riddle. She had avoided him at every turn. She had even considered skipping the classes that she shared with him.

Tom hadn't even glanced at her once. It was as though she had never stumbled across him, lurking in the girl's lavatory. The more she thought about everything that had happened on the first floor, the more confused she became.

Tom was beginning to occupy too many of her thoughts. She was suspicious of him. Every time she walked passed him in the hallway, she made sure her mind was heavily guarded. The last thing she wanted was Tom to know about her task.

That would ruin me...

As she returned from a lonely breakfast in the Great Hall, she crossed paths with Professor Hollingshead in the corridor outside of the Ravenclaw Tower.

The woman's face immediately lit up. "Gwen," she gushed. "I'm so glad to have come across you! Good news! Your professor from Durmstrang, Professor Mandragora, has sent an owl. He wrote a detailed list for Professor Beery to follow in order to make the Mandrake Restorative Draught. Isn't that just splendid?" she smiled.

"Yes," Gwen agreed, "that's great to hear."

"It should take about a month before it's ready," Professor Hollingshead explained. "But Headmaster Dippet has decided to exempt Jane from any missed assignments."

"That's very kind of him. I'm sure Jane will appreciate that very much," Gwen replied, pleasantly surprised by the Headmaster's understanding.

"She's very lucky to have such good friends like you and Mister Selwyn," Professor Hollingshead said as she placed a hand atop Gwen's shoulder.

Gwen feigned a smile, and Professor Hollingshead returned it before she sashayed down the hall and out of sight. Gwen stood in the hallway by herself for a bit before she wearily climbed up the tight staircase.

As she entered the Common Room, she was surprised to find that Simon was sitting in one of the large leather chairs situated next to the fireplace. He looked up from the small flames with a sullen look on his freckled face.

"Oh, Gwen. It's you."

"That's not much of a greeting," Gwen simpered as she moved to sit beside him.

"Yeah, well I'm not looking forward to enduring another day full of pain and misery."

"And why not? Pain and misery are perfectly enjoyable things," she joked.

"Not when I have to spend the day at Hogsmeade with my brother and his fellows," he reasoned unenthusiastically. "You don't want to go. And it just doesn't feel right, with Jane in the Hospital Wing, petrified."

"Hmm," Gwen quietly murmured. "Well if it makes you feel any better, I spoke to Professor Hollingshead a couple of minutes ago. She said that Professor Beery is working on the Mandrake Restorative Draught right this very minute. It'll be ready to be administered to Jane in about a month."

"Really?" Simon's eyes widened. It was first time his attitude had improved since the start of the week. It looked as if a huge wave of relief washed over him.