To Revive a Soul || Tom Riddle

16. A Spy Among Us

The nightmares had ceased, at least for the next month. Eleanor was grateful; it had been too long since she had slept peacefully, and even with the knowledge of Tom's Horcruxes looming over her, he didn't seem to be making any advances toward creating a fourth.

She truly couldn't believe it. Three Horcruxes. That meant that only a fourth of Tom's soul was still in his body. She couldn't help but wonder which parts of him were left. How many Horcruxes until he removed the most integral and important parts of himself?

It was upsetting that the boy seemed to be occupying all of her thoughts recently. N.E.W.T. classes were strenuous enough as they were, but she could only imagine how stressful it must be for Tom, who was getting by in school with a side job as a serial killer.

Reinhard nudged her shoulder with his own, knocking her out of her thoughts. "You look frustrated," he said, taking a bite of his waffle that he had doused in maple syrup. "It's been a while since I've seen you like this."

"It's nothing important," she muttered, stabbing her own breakfast with her fork. "I mean, it's important, but it's nothing you need to worry yourself over."

He nodded, swallowing his bite and chuckling nervously. "Uh," he began, looking up at the candles that adorned the ceiling of the Great Hall, "I don't know if now is the best time to ask you about this, but I guess it's a matter of urgency." Her hand stilled, her mouth just inches away from a bite of scrambled egg. "The Knights of Walpurgis... is that Riddle's group you were telling me about?"

Her eyes widened. How in the world had he found out? She glanced around the table, searching for anyone who may have told Reinhard about the details of the group behind her back. "Yes, it is," she confirmed through gritted teeth.

"Just to clarify, you said... you said I shouldn't join it, correct?" She nodded tightly, staring at her knuckles that were turning white over her grip on the fork.

"Don't join it," she told him, not daring to look at him.

"I was just thinking, you know? You seem to have some inner monologue about this, and I was wondering if you... you know, maybe... want to let me help?" She finally turned her head to him, instantly regretting the decision as she peered into the puppy eyes he was giving her.

She forced herself to bite her tongue. "I don't think you'd be of much help."

"What? Why?" Eleanor shut her eyes tightly when she heard how hurt he sounded.

"Because he doesn't trust you enough." It was an honest enough answer, but Reinhard didn't seem to be satisfied. "Granted, he doesn't exactly trust me, either, but he asks of me things that he wouldn't ask anyone else. I know too much."

Reinhard grinned. "You make it sound like he's up to something malicious."

"What kind of person who forms a cult revolving around himself isn't up to something malicious?" she replied, shrugged.

"Fair point."

"Look, you can... you can join if you think it's best, but I'm under oath to keep Riddle's secrets. I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to—and I definitely want to."

Reinhard shoved the last bite of his waffle in his mouth. "I might," he said through his chews, "if only because I feel so in the dark. Seems like everyone else in our house is a part of it."

"Well, Riddle is... he's—"

"Persuasive?" he guessed.

Eleanor laughed lightly. "I think that was the exact word he used to describe himself, actually."