TORMENT (Harry Potter Sequel)

Chapter Seventeen

Tom leaned back on his chair. Class was boring, no surprise there, but this was different. Tom was dreading this lesson: Defense Against the Dark Arts. The teacher for this lesson, the head of Slytherin house, Professor Huntail was probably the most boring person alive. Luckily the lesson hadn't started yet but still, here Tom was, sitting in his seat waiting for it to. Sat next to him was Alannah who was dreading the lesson about as much as Tom was. It'd been a few weeks now since they had become 'friends' and things were going about the same as when they had first met. The only thing that really made them 'friends' was that Alannah called Tom her 'friend'. Tom barely responded to her and acted around her like he acted around everyone else: very quiet with a blank frown on his face. Alannah looked over to her side and thought that she'd better start a conversation. They didn't have to be silent just yet and they might as well make the most of the freedom that they had.

"I'm so not looking forward to this lesson," Alannah groaned. Tom nodded.

"Same," he replied boredly. Alannah waited for him to continue or try and keep the conversation going. He didn't.

"I mean Professor Huntail is just the worst. So boring and old! How old do you think he is?" Alannah turned to Tom and gave him a look that was trying to say 'Don't kill the conversation'. Tom missed the signal.

"I don't know," he murmured.

Alannah sighed, "I'm trying to make conversation here. Y'know... like friends do!"

"Sorry, I'm just not used to talking this long," murmured Tom again.

"Seriously? What do you mean 'this long', you said..." Alannah counted on her fingers, "3 words!"

"I usually say nothing," Tom was getting bored of the 'conversation' and had begun staring lifelessly at the ceiling for entertainment.

"Yeah, like I didn't know that!" groaned Alannah, thinking back to all the other lessons she had sat next to Tom, "You basically don't talk in every class! Y'know if you actually tried you'd be pretty good."

Tom didn't take his eyes away from the ceiling, "Maybe. Don't care."

"Eugh!" Alannah leaned forward because of how bored she was, "You know real friends have each other's backs."

"Yeah like you had my back when you called me a freak when those 2 guys showed up," responded Tom.

"You still mad about that?"
"Not really," sighed Tom, still looking at the sky.

"Look, okay, won't do that from now on, message received. But you also have to start speaking more-"

The door to the classroom flung open and everyone's heads turned. Apart from Tom who kept looking at the sky. The person standing in the doorway was certainly not the person the class was expecting.

"Good morning third-years!"

Tom finally looked down. He recognised that voice but he just couldn't quite pinpoint where from.

"I am your stand-in teacher for this lesson," there were a few thankful cheers and sighs of relief, "Professor Granger."

Tom snapped his fingers, "That's it, I remember now," he murmured, mostly to himself. Alannah turned to him and gave him a withering look.

"Yeah like you forgot who Professor Granger was," she said, rolling her eyes. Tom paid her no mind.

"Now for this lesson we are going to be doing something special," announced Professor Granger, looking over the whole class, "And you are going to have to come with me to a different classroom."