For the Greater Good || Tom Riddle ||

Chapter One: Quidditch

"Gwen?" a soft voice called out, breaking the sleepy silence of the Ravenclaw Common Room.

Gwen pulled her nose out of her book and looked up to see Simon and Jane standing over her, wearing smiles. Two weeks had passed since winter holiday and school had resumed to its normal business. Professors had assigned homework, exams had been given, and lectures had already become tedious.

Upon returning to Hogwarts, Jane had gifted Gwen several small trinkets as Hanukkah gifts—a dainty beaded bracelet, a small bouquet of dried flowers, and several leather bound notebooks. Gwen couldn't help think of Tom's infamous diary when she first glanced at the leathery-covers. A shudder had run through her body at the thought that a piece of his fractured soul resided in the pieces of paper.

Simon, unlike most students, had been relieved to return to the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He loathed going home for the holidays. It meant spending time with Quillish and his parents, whom Gwen found out didn't approve of his friendship with Jane. Apparently Quillish loved bring up his brother's "fraternizations" with a mudblood at the dinner table, which, of course, didn't end up going very well.

Gwen felt bad for not bringing back either of her friends Christmas gifts, but she had plenty of her own troubles to worry about over the holiday. From taking care of her sick aunt to dealing with the boy with half a soul that just so happened to have the one object she so desperately needed in his possession, Gwen was not very overcome with yuletide spirit.

In fact, during her stay in Godric's Hallow, there had been no mention of Christmas or New Years; her aunt was too sick with Dragon Pox to leave her bed and Tom had left the morning after their tense encounter in the library, leaving Gwen alone to her thoughts. He had silently disapparated in the early hours of the morning, only leaving behind a vague note in his annoyingly perfect scrawl. Gwen had numbly read it, staring at the empty cot he had occupied. She hadn't a slightest clue where he disappeared to, she just knew he didn't return to the orphanage. He would never willingly return there.

After Tom left, Gwen was haunted by horrible nightmares of the strange man with red eyes. With each new nightmare, Gwen's fear for the future increased tenfold. She didn't want to see a day where her grandfather turned into an absolute monster and the world crumbled at his feet. Each night terror only reinforced her decision to not steal with the Resurrection Stone from Tom.

It's for the Greater Good...

"Are you ready for breakfast?" Jane smiled, breaking Gwen's train of thought as she tugged on her hand to pull her up from her seat.

"It sure seems you are," Gwen teased lightly, raising herself up to stand with her friend's help. "What's the hurry?"

"It's the first Quidditch match of the year!" Simon said excitedly, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

He had gotten a new pair for Christmas as a gift from his parents. They didn't know that Quillish's friends were responsible for breaking his old ones. Gwen thought the new pair complimented his freckled face nicely.

"That means everyone's going to be getting breakfast early in order to watch the match."

"Who's playing?" Gwen asked with a raised brow as the trio left the Common Room and made their way down to the Great Hall.

"Slytherin versus Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff's keeper graduated last year, he's playing professional now. The Caerphilly Catapults picked him up. It's a rebuilding year for Hufflepuff, they lost several starters. And Slytherin always plays dirty so you know the referee will be watching closely. But it'll be a good match, I've bet Benedict five knuts that Hufflepuff will come through."