Stolen Time A Tom Marvolo Riddle Fanfiction completed

Chapter Twenty

Percival and Lance looked at Cassiopeia, anxiety painted on their faces, neither of them saying a word.

"What have you been talking about?" Cassiopeia decided to ask at last.

Percival pursed his lips. "Nothing important."

"You're teaching them extra lessons, aren't you?" Cassiopeia asked, ignoring his answer.

"That's illegal," Lance said flatly.

"I know," Cassiopeia said, cocking her head.

"We wouldn't do anything illegal, would we?" Percival gave a short, humourless laugh. "Not after what happened to Victor..." His voice trailed away.

"Who's Victor? What happened to him?" Cassiopeia heard herself asking, even though she had a feeling in her stomach that she'd rather not know.

Lance didn't meet her gaze. "He used to teach here. He was good and he was an idealist. He taught the students more than what was allowed." Lance paused. There was bitterness ringing in his tone when he continued. "Someone got to know about it and reported him to the government. He came home and....he saw it right away....they had been there."

Cassiopeia swallowed. "The mark?"

Lance nodded. "They had murdered his whole family and they were waiting for him. They tortured him but they didn't kill him. He returned here that night, and he was a wreck. He didn't want to go home because he couldn't get the images out of his head. All those bodies....they had been innocent children, for Merlin's sake." Lance's voice was hollow.

Cassiopeia felt like his words were choking her. Of course, she had known how Tom's Death Eaters enforced his rules. But it had always been so comfortingly abstract, no names, no faces. It had been surprisingly simple to drown out this harsh reality of Voldemort's world, making it rather easy to separate Tom from Lord Voldemort, pretending they weren't one and the same. And yet it had been nothing but a lie, designed for the sole purpose of easing her conscience.

"What happened to Victor?" she whispered at last.

"He couldn't stand it. He killed himself a few days later," Percival said tonelessly and eyed the table in front of him.

Cassiopeia swallowed again. She knew that this was only one of the many similar stories behind Tom's doings and it made her feel sick. How could she ever have fallen in love with a monster like this? How could his presence make her magic feel so indescribably whole and complete when he brought nothing but disaster and destruction on others? She knew there were far too many stories like Victor's linked to Tom, after all.

"I want to teach with you." Cassiopeia could tell that her words took Percival and Lance by surprise even though they tried to hide it.

"Victor's story clearly advises against this," Lance said cautiously.

"Actually it's because of Victor and his story that I feel we have to stand up against those unreasonable rules." Cassiopeia looked at them. "We have to make his sacrifice count. Fear mustn't win."

Percival and Lance exchanged a quick look. Then Percival nodded. "Alright. We may talk about this, but of course all hypothetically."

The ghost of a smile crossed Cassiopeia's face. "Of course."

******

It turned out there were four of them teaching a couple of students in additional lessons. Besides Lance and Percival also Melody and Felix participated. They had chosen the students carefully in order to keep the risk of being discovered at bay.

When Cassiopeia arrived for her first lesson Ben, Anna and Livia were already waiting, a look of excitement on their faces.

Ben cleared his throat. "We want to thank you, professor. We know you don't have to do this but we are very happy that you do."

"It's ok. Just try your best, that's the best way to say thanks." Cassiopeia smiled at them and started the lesson.

From then on they met every Thursday afternoon. The months passed and things were going rather well until one afternoon Livia arrived late.

When she closed the door behind her, she whispered, "I don't know but I had the impression that someone was following me. But whenever I turned around there was no one there. I took several detours and I hope I got rid of them..."

Cassiopeia looked alarmed. "Ok, but then we should take no risk. If anyone intruded on us you'd be all in great danger and I'd be in lots of trouble. We won't study today. I'll cast a disillusionment charm on each of you and you go back to your dorms. Be careful. We'll try again next week."

They nodded. Cassiopeia waved her wand at them and opened the door of the classroom, letting them out. When they had left, Cassiopeia went straight to the staff room. On her way there she paid close attention, trying to determine if there was anything out of the ordinary, but everything seemed as usual. Nevertheless, she informed Lance, Percival, Melody and Felix to be more careful than ever.

*******

Tom was holding his usual Saturday Death Eater meeting. Black, Malfoy and Nott had been talking about the latest changes at the ministry for over an hour and Tom was starting to get bored.

"Anything else?" he asked, intending to end the meeting.

Rosier cleared his throat. "My lord?"

Tom raised an eyebrow, prompting him to continue.

"One of my informers told me he suspected there might be some irregularities at the Mudblood school."

"Irregularities?"

Rosier pursed his lips. "He didn't know any specifics...."

"Then you had better find out the details, don't you think?" Tom retorted, his eyebrow still quirked.

Rosier nodded.

"Take Lestrange with you," Tom ordered curtly. "And while we're at it...what did you find out about that blood traitor family in Manchester?"

Rosier and Lestrange exchanged a look. Then Lestrange said, "They keep consorting with Muggles. But nothing happened so far."

Tom eyed them sternly. "Then make sure they don't start tainting their blood. And remember, no unnecessary bloodshed of any magical blood."

His knights nodded.

Tom cast another look around. "If there's nothing else, we'll meet again in two weeks."

*******
Author's note: Thanks for reading, voting, commenting and just being as wonderful as you are!!