Serpentine [T.M. Riddle]

Hinder

CW: Children buying into the ugly prejudices of their parents; real world racism, homophobic, and sexism parallels-That is, more so than in the previous chapters.

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The first thing Tom did when he returned to Wool's after his first visit to Diagon Alley was sit underneath his favorite tree in the yard and read Hogwarts: A History cover to cover. Well, almost completely in one sitting; he would have succeeded if it weren't for the call of dinner and his rumbling stomach. The rest of it was read underneath his covers with the help of a torch he nabbed from the groundskeeper. It enthralled him: this spectacular new world that was meant for him. His birthright.

When he finishes reading the records that Lucretia leant him, he is sitting in his favorite chair in the Slytherin common room, and...contemplative. Riddle is, expectantly, unfortunately, disappointedly, not written anywhere inside the book. Not definitive proof, but certainly not a reason to be distraught. What is in the book is his hated first name: Tom. This, of course, means nothing. Other than not all wizards bother with obnoxious names for their children.

Yet this strange disappointment means nothing when compared to his next pivotal read.

Over Yuletide, something happens. Outside the hallowed walls of Hogwarts and in the bustling world of magic. He skims it in passing one morning when reading The Daily Prophet, but the headline doesn't catch his attention for long; he had previously fielded letters from Katux, Abbas, and the rest, and he was quite tired of the subject of pureblood problems. What did it matter to him if he missed out on another issue that only affects them? His focus is solely on the news from Hedwig that Ximena had been allegedly invited to several highblood households for Modranicht-Including Slughorn, his ex-mentor's, and Fawley. How interesting that Nemesis neglected to mention that. That all of her sisters he's been talking to at the Hufflepuff table failed to mention that. That the personal written invitation from her father didn't mention that. It's like they're purposely hiding something from him. Which they have no reason to, but it's certainly a possibility.

Did she accept? On Platform 9¾, did she accompany Nemesis and the rest of the Fawley sisters to their private manor up in Merlin knows where? Is she relaxing in their grand, extravagant guest room with hand embroidered towels and engraved bed warmers? Did she only accept because she knew he would not be there?

It's possible that she's not there. It's not like the two are friends or anything...But she probably is. Maybe. Just might. She'd have accepted Nemesis' invite over all else, he's sure of it. Ximena likes the familiar. That which she has memory of.

So he focuses on this. For entirely too long.

He only acknowledges this mistake when he spots another student, staying at Hogwarts like him, hiding in a small crevice behind a tapestry. Much like last year, Tom has taken to exploring the castle when it's mostly to himself, and on his daily patrols (he'd pretend he was a king wandering the halls again) he sensed a disturbance: someone crying. Eugh. He'd usually avoid such situations easily by simply going another way, but the only way to the owlery was through the corridor in which the crying was coming from. Perhaps he could have sneaked by, but once he sees who's sobbing, he pauses. Approaches. Kneels down and thinks about what he's going to say...

The student is a Ravenclaw. Prefect, if he recalls correctly, and he does because being in prefect's good graces is always a good idea. The weeping falcon has often been seen trotting along with Yami on afternoon paroles, trading witticisms and taking her standoffish nature much too personally.

"What's wrong?" This is met with more sniffling.

"My blood is not hallowed." The student weeps, "My family's legacy: a lie! My betrothed will cast me off like a common squib!"