The Barrier - Tom Marvolo Riddle

13

You're just hurt? Hurt? Tom can't believe what she said, he kept replaying it in his mind. Maybe when he was 5 or 7, he was hurt, hurt by the nuisance all around him, hurt that he's all alone. But now, he's more powerful than ever and he has no space for being hurt. He used to long for family, he used to look out of his window in the orphanage and pretended like his parents are coming back for him. After years and years of waiting for his parents to show up, he learned the hard truth. His parents are never coming back. Tom became bitter ever since. All he can feel in his heart are just anger and a hunger for power. To have revenge over all of the stupid muggle kids that bullied him. He realizes he's different, and he used it to his advantage. He promised himself that he'll never let himself be vulnerable and hurt anymore, that he'll never be weak again.

Tom stared at Silver from across the Potions room. Professor Slughorn was talking about the wit-sharpening potion. Tom knew everything about it already, so he didn't pay much attention to the professor. His attention was now on the blonde-haired girl who was standing a few tables away from him. He scanned her features. She's not even pretty.

She's quite tall for a girl, but not as tall as Tom. She had an oval face, and a medium nose. Her ears were a bit bigger than normal, and her eyes aren't the same size, one is bigger than the other. Her back was a bit slumped.

She's not perfect, and Tom hated her for it.

Tom kept looking at her. The way she talk and act is even different than other girls. Why is she so odd? Why is she so normal but inexplicable at the same time? What is she hiding?

On second thought, Tom barely knew her, except for the fact that she's a seer. Tom knew everything about everyone. Who is this Silver Prennington? She showed up out of nowhere with an American accent, revealing to him that she's a seer, and being caught up in his plans. Tom rubbed his chin.

He's going to find out who she is.

The day after, Tom started searching for information in the library, though after a while, he still found nothing about the Prennington family. He kept looking and looking through stacks of books but still, none. Finally, he went through an old looking book, and found The Prenningtons. He scrolled the page. The last Prenningtons known are Thomas and Michael Prennington. Michael died in 1932, while Thomas is still alive now. He married Alina Prennington. There was no sign of a child though, no Silver Prennington. This made Tom confused and frustrated. He closed the book roughly and put all of the books back at its places.

Tom had to leave it and went back to his day. He seemed to forget about Silver for a bit when he was patrolling the floors. He saw Silver standing on the grass. He was quickly reminded of her heritage, and so he distracted his patrol partner, and walked up to the oblivious girl.

Silver was just getting some fresh air when Tom stood beside her. She jumped. "What the fuck!" Tom smirked. "5 points of Hufflepuff for rude comments." Silver groaned. "Why are you here?", Tom looked at her. Silver combed through her hair. "Just getting some fresh air, so don't give me detention." She looked annoyed, which made Tom pleased with himself.

"Where did you come from, Prennington?" His sudden question surpised Silver. "Huh?" Tom turned his body to her. "You just appeared out of nowhere, who are you?" Silver gaped and stuttered. He's suspicious.

"So, it's a long story," Tom crossed his arms, ready to listen. "I'm from America, and my parents are muggles, but you already know that. Uhm, they homeschooled me actually, my whole life up 'til a few months ago, when they let me go here. They were about to let me go to Ilvermony, the school there, but decided on Hogwarts because of the "safest place on earth" bullshit." Tom raised his eyebrow. "Why did they homeschool you like some kind of squib?" he asked very rudely.

Silver rolled her eyes. She leaned her bodyweight on her left leg. "I'm adopted, Tom, they barely know anything about magic." Tom looked shocked. He definitely didn't expect that. Tom uncrossed his arms and gestured Silver to continue. "I lived in an orphanage until I was 9, but luckily I was adopted, and yea, that was it I guess?" Silver chuckled nervously. "It was horrible there, to the kids in the orphanage, I was nothing but a freak." Silver purposefully said that to make Tom feel like he can relate to her, that she understands him. 

"Like you, Tom."

Tom's eyes widened at that. He clenched his jaw. "You and I aren't the same, Prennington." Tom was offended that he was compared to a mudblood. He's nothing like them, he'll never be anything like those dirty and short-minded fools. "You got to be adopted at 9, while I had to suffer for 2 more years, and even now, I still had to go to that awful place every year!" Silver just stood still. "You think that you're like me, but you had no idea what I've went through, you have no idea what I did and what I'm capable of!

You are nothing but a foolish and bigoted little girl."

Silver's mouth was wide open. Motherfucker! Silver, calm down, please. Silver took a deep breath. Before Tom could walk away, she grabbed his wrist. "Why do you hate me so much!?"

Tom looked at her hand, holding his wrist. "Because you are dumb, and you're just the same like those mudbloods that you love so much." Silver's eyes prickled. She let go of his wrist. "I don't even know if I'm a muggleborn or not!" she raised her hands and let it fell. "And even if I was, I'd be happy and not try to be something that I'm not!" Silver sucked in a breath.

Tom looked at her, showing no expression. Silver pants. "But you, you're a half-blood camouflaging as a pure blood! I mean, you're literally leading a hate group for your own kind!"

"They are NOT my kind!"

Silver calmed herself down, and she left.

Tom and Silver acted like nothing happened. They walk past each other like strangers, they barely make any eye contact, even in meetings. Silver knew that Tom was livid after what she said. She admits that she shouldn't have done that because now, Tom doesn't want anything to do with her. Silver wanted to apologize to him, but she kept being reminded that he's not any normal teenage boy. He's a demon in the making. So she did nothing, hoping time can do its job.

December is here. Silver hated that she had to actually study, because she didn't come here to learn, she's here for Tom. But of course, she had no choice and still had to put in effort into her grades. It was extremely hard for Silver because she just came this year, and also because she's not from this world, obviously. She was taught about the lessons in Hogwarts back when she was at the Barrier, but she barely remembered anything she heard. The teachers noticed Silver struggling at almost all the lessons, so they offered her to have a tutor. And of course it had to be Tom. Tom was still very much annoyed and irritated with her, so Silver often ditched the tutoring lessons, until Tom had to drag her by her collar to the library to study. They didn't talk much, he said things he needed to say, and Silver did things he told her to do.

After a while of tutoring, Silver became better and better, she was barely smart, but she wasn't failing, at least most of her classes. Silver found Defense of the Dark Arts very difficult, because it took a lot of skills. Tom is obviously the smartest in all of the classes, he was Slughorn's favorite little baby, but Silver already know that.

They finally got their Christmas break, and Silver was doubting if she should stay at the castle, because Tom was there, or go back to the Barrier, and train more. She wanted to go home, back to the Barrier, but Cassandra told her to stay, to pretend like she had seen another vision, of him killing his father just a few months ago. Silver forgot that he killed the Riddles, how could a young boy do these things? But she agreed, and stayed at the castle.