"You've always known, I think, that I am a dangerous man. And now you know that I am a foolish, wicked, and cowardly one. How can you possibly want me now that you know me?"
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It's 1943, and both the wizarding and Muggle worlds have explod...
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"Yes, I imagine it can be quite tiresome to have to fight off unwanted advances all the time."
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One annoyance Minerva had not counted on when she had decided to remain at Hogwarts over the Christmas holidays was Tom Riddle.
In her happiness at the prospect of two weeks of private study with Professor Dumbledore, she had forgotten that Tom would also remain at Hogwarts over the holiday, and was only reminded of that unpleasant fact when he had appeared for breakfast in the Great Hall the first Saturday.
Given the small number of students who remained at school over Christmas, Headmaster Dippet had invited them all to gather at the High Table for meals rather than at the large, empty House tables. This was not an entirely welcome invitation for some of the "holiday remainders", as the group would take to calling themselves; the prospect of eating one's meals right under the eyes of one's professors would cause a few of them to lose their appetites to nerves. For Minerva, however, it was a welcome chance to listen in on, and even participate in, the adults' conversation. She eventually found that the professors' casual chatter was not much more enthralling than her schoolmates', but the opportunity to sit near Professor Dumbledore—just to be in his presence—was a lovely consolation.
When Tom spied Minerva sitting across from Professor Dumbledore, he strode up to her.
"Minerva! I didn't expect to see you here. Do you mind?" he asked as he prepared to take the empty seat to her left.
"Oh, certainly, Tom," she replied, just barely concealing her irritation as he took his seat.
"Change of plans?" he asked.
"Yes. I decided to stay on to take on some extra lessons." She didn't want to be too specific, although she wasn't sure just why. Professor Dumbledore had never stipulated that their lessons should be kept secret.
"Well, I hope your extra lessons will leave a bit of time for us to spend in Hogsmeade," Tom said. "It can be really lovely at Christmastime, and I'd enjoy showing it to you."
Oh, he was annoying! As if she needed to be escorted around the village like a tourist. She had, after all, been visiting Hogsmeade for two years before he ever saw the place.
