Breaking Hermione

Origins Of Evil

"You will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me."

-Albus Dumbledore

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I tossed and turned in my bed.

Go and get it back from him!  My mind hissed.

Oh hell no. The last thing I wanted to do on my first night was to go and get myself cursed.

The Time Turner is your only way back to the future! You have to get it back!

I couldn't help but feel worse as the seconds turned into minutes. Soon it would be breakfast, and I would be starting the day on such a bad foot.

I lurched over and grabbed my wand. The sheer panic I was feeling made a burst of sparks errupt from the end that nearly set the bed on fire.

I had tried a simple accio charm but that hadn't worked at all. Which could only mean...

Tom Riddle must have performed some sort of advanced dark magic over my Time-Turner, some type of curse that would make it virtually impossible to locate... Was that even possible? I had read a few books on Time Turner lore but there was nothing said in them about curses, or even how to reverse them.

Perhaps I hadn't read enough books.

Fear twisted my insides, I swung myself out of bed, sweat dripping down my forehead. I had to find it. Tonight. In the time I was wasting now, Tom Riddle could've gone and thrown it away for all I knew.

Gingerly, I got out of bed and tiptoed past Jade and Shalini and the other two unknown sleepers before finally reaching the door. At this point, my heart was pounding in my throat.

Just get it over and done with My mind snapped. Or do you want to be having anxiety attacks for the rest of the morning?

I pushed the door open, there was a faint source of light coming from the common room at the bottom of the staircase. Someone was awake, and I already knew who exactly it was but that didn't stop me from creeping up to the bannister to take a closer look. Through the dim lighting I couldn't see any sign of him. I stepped closer, wondering all the while why I just didn't turn around and go back to the dorm, where my cosy bed was waiting...

Get a grip My mind hissed. Do you want the Time Turner back or not?

Before I could even think what to do next I heard it.

Movement. A light rustle of parchment and the closing of a heavy book.

And that's when I saw him.

Tom Riddle sat, or rather lounged lazily on one of the large comfortable arm chairs, his long legs propped carelessly on the minature table before him. He had the appearance of one who was studying long into the night but at the same time he appeared to be waiting for something. Or someone. Swallowing my nerves, I cleared my throat.

Tom looked up, his face was completely expressionless.

"Having trouble sleeping?" He asked innocently. It wasn't fair. Here I was looking like I had spent 3 rough years in the Forbidden Forest and Tom Riddle was dressed as perfectly as ever down to his black hair which was perfectly styled minus a single lock of hair.

"You could say that." I stammered. Geez. Were sadistic people like him ever able to not play with their food before eating it? What type of question was that? Did he really think I was that thick?