Tom Riddle X Reader | ✓

Part 21 The Feud Of The Students | Edited

Tuesday right after muggle studies you had double potions lessons with professor Slughorn.

After walking into the classroom you noticed that the circular tables had been removed and rectangular ones were scattered across the room instead, seating only two people per table - no longer for a group of 6.

Now all of the tables faced towards the professor's messy main desk. Tom was seated at one of the tables in the front row whilst Lily and Severus sat at the table next. It appears that the assigned partners hadn't moved

And therefore you sat in your usual spot - next to Tom.

"Now, everyone" - Slughorn said, breaking the chatter in the room as all of the students watched him hold up a vial full of red liquid "Who can tell me what this is?"

Tom calmly raised his hand and so did Severus Snape among some of the other students seated at the back of the class.

"Go ahead, Mr. Snape" - Slughorn nodded at Severus

"It seems to be a babbling potion." Snape easily replied

"Very good!" - Horace broadly smiled "Can anyone name me at least two of the ingredients?"

Again, Tom confidently raised his hand as well as Severus. But Slughorn didn't appear pleased with the lack of knowledge in the room as most of the students remained as stiff as boards.

"Miss Evans?" - his eyes stopped at quiet Lily who hadn't been raising her hand for a while

"...Aconite..." - she slowly said, leaning back and forth on her seat, thinking about the answer as she wasn't completely sure "And... Dittany?"

"Yes! Excellent!" - Slughorn lowered the vial on top of his pile of books "I sure hope you've read up as this is what we'll be making today. Your instructions are in front of you, you have one hour, good luck"

When the rumbling between the students began and the professor trailed between desks to help and guide, next to you Riddle broke into the chatter too.

"Impressive. At the duels" - he said with his green eyes steadily watching the cauldron before looking into yours "How does someone as young as you know such advanced transfiguration of Incendio charm?"

"My father taught me that move." - you told him

"Your father." - he repeated, now at least aware you couldn't be muggle-born "Must be powerful. Or carelessly foolish."

"He is a great sorcerer. Please try to watch what you say."

"How did you do it." - he calmly asked, inquiring about the spell

"It's just rage. And any rage within, like fire, it spreads or bursts after time." - you glared into his eyes with a blank stare "So I'd watch out if I were you."

"Hm." - he smirked, completely unalarmed as he looked back at the cauldron, grabbed Aconite, stripped it off its toxic leaves and dropped it into the cauldron as he switched the topic "Did you have a delightful date?"

"A tutoring session. And yes, it was very pleasant until..." - your voice lowered "You know." - you watched him move the ingredients as if they were precious.

"I've heard the mudblood will recover" - he replied, this time reaching for dittany herb

"Yes, fortunately. The incident is considered very serious though, it happened just outside the school and she was a first year."

"Nobody knows what caused it." - he dropped the herb into the cauldron and admired the smoky result.

"And yet. There are suspicions."