TORMENT (Harry Potter Sequel)

Chapter Sixteen

The wind brushed through Tom's unruly brush of obsidian black hair. Up here the wind was especially potent. And cold.

Tom stood in a large crowd of Slytherin students in the stands of the Quidditch Stadium. He didn't stand out much; just another face among the hundreds of others with its only quality that set it apart is the blank frown that so usually took up his face. Everyone else surrounding Tom was wearing an expression opposite to that: their faces were bright with excitement.

The new Quidditch season was starting and the anticipation only grew stronger. It had been the talk of the school ever since they came back and it was finally happening! Hufflepuff vs Gryffindor was the first match and, of course, the Slytherin's (although begrudgingly) were supporting Hufflepuff. This was more a case of them being 'anti-Gryffindor' rather than 'Pro-Hufflepuff'.

The students waited with baited breath as each team prepared for the match out of sight.

Tom did enjoy Quidditch. Or watching it, rather. He wasn't allowed anywhere near a broomstick and even if he was, he had negative talent so he would be useless. But watching was a lot of fun. Tom would be lying if he said he knew EVERY rule but he was proud of how much he had gathered considering nobody had ever taken the time out of their day to explain it to him. Why would they? The main draw to the sport for Tom though was watching the brooms flying through the air. They were like ballerinas moving at the speed of bullets. It was majestic. But the main reason Tom had been anticipating this game was not because of his enjoyment for the spectating of the sport.

Tom had a theory regarding Aubyn Young and to prove it he needed to observe him as much as possible. Unfortunately, observing Aubyn Young proved to be difficult. Tom didn't know whether he was doing it intentionally or not but he was always surrounded by a large group of cronies that made it impossible to see or hear him from a distance. However there was one time Aubyn Young was guaranteed to not be surrounded and that time was now. As he was the Seeker for the Quidditch team, Aubyn had to be separated from everyone else. So,the main reason why Tom had been anticipating this game was not for the game itself but the period of time afterward where he could observe Aubyn and begin to see if he could confirm his theory. The exhilarating game he was going to watch was just a bonus.

Suddenly, from opposite the stadium, there was a huge roar. The Gryffindor Team had come out! Immediately a loud boo erupted from the Slytherin crowds. Tom, of course, kept silent. Then the boo disappeared and as fast as it went, it was replaced by a gargantuan cheer. The Hufflepuff Team were now out as well! Tom still remained silent. But he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it. Watching and listening to the crowds were almost just as fun as the game itself.

'Come on Hufflepuff,' Tom thought. He kind of found it ridiculous once he realised what he had just thought but then he doubled down on it. He really didn't want Gryffindor to win. They deserved to not get something. Just this once.

The game began.

It didn't last long. Within only 10 minutes the game was over and Gryffindor had emerged victorious. Aubyn Young successfully caught the Golden Snitch like he did every game and won another game for his house. But was anyone really surprised? It had been said many, many times throughout this year and the last that the current Gryffindor lineup was one of the best in history. Last year they didn't even lose a game.

All disappointed and grumbling to themselves, the Slytherins marched out of the stadium. The other houses did the same with the only difference being their attitude was a lot less serious and a lot more jovial. Even Hufflepuff didn't seem to be as bitter as Slytherin about the game.

Tom, though, did not leave the stadium. In fact he stayed exactly where he was in the stands. Tom knew he wasn't one to stand out and naturally drew less attention to himself than other students. Because of this nobody noticed when he was the last student left in the stands. Everyone else, student or teacher, was now gone, moving on with the rest of their day. Apart from, of course, the victorious Gryffindor team who were allowed to stay on the pitch. It was tradition that the team who won the day got to relax afterward in the stadium and maybe mess around flying.