Catharsis [Tom Riddle]

Chapter Thirty

Avalon and Zelda walked in a tense silence. No words were spoken, but they were both thinking the same thought: today was the day that he would be coming back to class.

When Avalon told her roommate the night prior that she had seen Lestrange in passing, she was met by an uncharacteristically angry Zelda. It appeared the normally serene girl tapped into an uncontrollable fury when her friends' safety was at stake. Avalon found herself thinking of how much of a valuable asset Zelda would have been to the Order-- intelligent, brave, and loyal beyond belief. She was a powerful force, and Avalon was glad that she was on Zelda's good side.

On the other hand, Zelda was proud to have found a friend in Avalon. She admired her roommate's bravery and perseverance. It had become apparent to her quite early on that Avalon was a titan of sorts, but not until this past week did she truly understand the true extent of her friend's strength.

When Zelda returned from dinner the night prior, she had found Avalon pacing alone in their room upon her arrival. When their eyes met, she had to try and hide the smile that threatened to creep onto her lips when she saw the burning fire in her roommate's gaze. She had missed seeing that spark-- Avalon's power rested in her emotions, and it appeared one had finally returned to her devoid stare last night: rage.

When they reached the entrance to their Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, they both paused outside for a moment. "If you need to leave at any point, just nudge my shoulder and I'll go with you," Zelda assured.

"I'll be okay," Avalon replied. "But, thank you."

Without another word, she pushed on the door and they made their way inside.

The class was halfway filled already, but everybody but one seemed to fade into nothingness as Avalon scanned the room. There he was, sitting in the back of the class as usual. But he was nearly unrecognizable. When Avalon had told Zelda just how beat up Lestrange had looked, her roommate hadn't fully believed her. But, as the two of them stared at the hollow shell of the boy they once knew, it became apparent that even Avalon's description didn't convey the severity of his abuse.

He stared at the space in front of him, his green eyes completely vacant as the two of them walked across the room, towards the tables. His ever-present smirk was nowhere to be seen, replaced only by a blank face and trembling fingers that shook almost as badly as Avalon's. If there was a way to exist somewhere between life and death, she imagined that he was the embodiment of it-- heart beating, yet no longer for a purpose.

She couldn't take her eyes off of him, no matter how hard she tried. It was like watching a burning trainwreck-- horrible, but impossible to look away from. Still staring at him, she pulled her chair out from beneath the desk, its drag across the floor sending a shrill shriek throughout the room.

The sound made his eyes flicker up, and for a moment, their gazes met.

Avalon's eyes quickly darkened, hatred and anger becoming evident in her stare.

She hadn't expected to see the same things in his eyes.

The emptiness drained from him the moment he saw her. His green eyes nearly became black as he narrowed his stare, his jaw clenching with the same force that he suddenly gripped his wand with. It was a new wand, Avalon noted.

They looked at each other like that for a moment-- storm versus fire, abhorrence versus loathing. Avalon didn't want to admit it, but the intensity of his gaze unsettled her to the point of the hairs on the back of her neck standing up, sending a chill down her spine.

For the first time, she could see the real Lestrange shining through. Without the shroud of his charm, the secrecy of his smile, or the illusion of his kindness, she saw his true colors, bright and clear and undeniably there. To the core, she saw his vices as though they were painted across his flesh for all to see. He was evil.