Masquerade¹ → Tom Riddle ✓

chapter sixteen

The Christmas holidays passed by in a blur, with little interference from Tom Riddle in her dreams or her reality. Over the course of the holidays, Evelyn received several books from her family and friends wich kept her busy for the whole two weeks. She had also utilised the library every single day, delving deeper into dark magic with each book. Although she had struggled, Evelyn had even made her way into the restricted section of the library, securing herself books that she could never have imagined reading at the start of term.

Ever since school had re-started for the spring term, Evelyn, Lily and Sara had spent the majority of their time inside the library. Both Lily and Sara had failed to do the majority of their holiday schoolwork which had left them in the library as soon as they got back. For hours, the girls had been working on the vanishing spell, with Sara getting nowhere despite Evelyn's best efforts.

"I can't believe you've already done a mouse, Evelyn," Sara said in hushed tones. "I can't even do this quill." Sara stared angrily at the quill, still placed evidently in front of her. "Evanesco." She whispered, staring down as the quill which was still sat in front of her.

"You're not saying it right Sara!" Evelyn exclaimed, the annoyance in her voice evident.

"I can't do it!" Sara declared, shoving the quill into her bag. "I give up."

"Well I give up as well, I have prefect duties." Evelyn sighed, placing the book she had been reading away on the shelf behind her. "Keep going Sara, Lily will help you." She gave a smile to Lily, hoping she would take over. Lily willingly obliged, lifting up her own wand and beginning to repeat the incantation.

By the time Evelyn got to the third floor, it was silent. She passed through as she usually did, without a problem. As the hours passed, she felt her body beginning to tire, her eyelids getting heavier with every step she took. Mustering all of her energy, she made her way down the staircase and onto the second floor, hoping it would be as empty as it usually was. Although Evelyn suspected that the second floor would be empty, she knew that she still had to inspect all the rooms for students in order to maintain her good moral conscience.

Evelyn peered into the girl's bathroom, her eyes briefly scanning the room for students before turning away. She was about to leave when suddenly she heard the muffled sobs from inside. Slowly, she made her way back inside the bathroom, following the sound of the crying until she was stood outside the bathroom stall.

"Hello." She called out, unsure whether she truly wanted to hear a response or not "Are you okay in there?"

Silence followed. Evelyn stood outside the door for a few more moments, her eyes eventually falling on the unlocked sign displayed on the door. "I'm coming in," She whispered gently, pushing the door open with the tips of her fingers to reveal a small crying girl. Her glasses were steamed up, tears falling from her eyes and settling on the apples of her cheeks. Tissues covered her nose and mouth, blotting away the tears that had made it that far.

"Myrtle Warren?" Evelyn recognised the girl from the frog choir auditions one-year prior where she had unsuccessfully auditioned. "Are you alright?" Evelyn knew it was an awful question, the girl was crying so she quite clearly wasn't alright but she didn't know what else to ask. "What happened?"

Myrtle stood up, disposing of her used tissues in the bin beside her and stepping forwards, closer towards Evelyn. "O-Olive Hornby keeps making fun of my glasses." She stuttered every word, her chocolate brown eyes peeking out from behind her giant frames.

"Well, Olive Hornby should mind her own business, I think you look lovely in them." She smiled at Myrtle. Evelyn hoped it wasn't obvious that she was lying, Myrtle's glasses were the kind of monstrosity she didn't think people still wore.

Myrtle looked up sheepishly, the corners of her lips twitching upwards as she wiped away the last of her tears with her sleeves. "You really think so?"

"Definitely." She smiled through the lies, hoping it would be enough to convince Myrtle. " Now you better be heading back to your dorm otherwise another prefect might give you a detention. You shouldn't be wandering around this late," She glanced down at her watch to check the time, looking up at Myrtle with a disapproving glance once she saw the time.

Evelyn saw tears reforming in Myrtle's eyes at the thought of detention on her squeaky clean school record. "Head back to your dormitory and get some rest." Myrtle didn't need another warning, with that, she fled from the bathroom, leaving Evelyn alone.

Seeing how she had almost missed a student whilst patrolling, Evelyn checked each and every toilet cubicle. Once she was inside the final cubicle, she heard the sound of harsh footsteps flashing against the tiles and almost immediately she could tell whoever entered wasn't a girl. Evelyn was about to step outside of the stall, ready to confront whoever had entered but something inside her made her stop. Evelyn closed the door, leaving just enough room for her to see out, but not enough for someone else to see in.

Evelyn knew who it was instantly upon laying eyes on him, he had such distinctive characteristics that no other could match. Tom stood in the bathroom, a hissing noise escaping his lips: Tom was speaking parseltongue. As he spoke, she watched on, the rocks that made up the sink slowly separating with a rumble. He had found the chamber, and now so had she. Evelyn knew she had enough, she had enough information to finally take him down.

Peering out of the stall once more, she saw Tom in a trance and took her chance. Quietly, the pulled open the door, sliding out and sprinting as soon as she left the bathroom. Evelyn ran as though her life depended on it because she knew it could. She ran until she reached the only place she knew she could. As soon as her finger latched onto the doorknob, her body went numb, time passing slower as she fell to the floor and was engulfed by the darkness.