Parasite

Dinner in the Great Hall was painful for Tom. He was struggling relentlessly to
maintain his composure but each time he looked up he found his eyes boring into the face of
his competition. ::Look at her:: he thought, she sat alone again at the end of the table,
leaning sadly over her plate and brushing a stray golden curl from her face when it got in
the way. ::Who could think she could outdo me? A woman, a Ravenclaw, and worse an outcast.:: He sat down his utensils and slowly rose from his seat. He straightened his robes and put on his fake mask of bravado.
\"If you\'ll all excuse me I have some things to do back in my room, Head Boy duties.\"
Tom sat staring into the flames of the Head Boy and Girl\'s common room fire. He sat in his favorite chair, hands clutching the arms so tightly that his knuckles were turning
white. Tom was very thankful that the Head Girl was still out for an after dinner break,
preventing her from witnessing him in this...state. Moving slightly, Riddle felt a presence
behind him, but once he recognized it as Damien he moved back to his original brooding position. Damien was one of the few close friends whom he allowed the password to his private chambers.
\"My Lord?\" Damien hissed softly.
\"Please tell me you\'ve found something,\" Tom stated between clenched teeth.
\"As a matter of fact I have. Incidentally, I have discovered the true reason as to
why Miss Vanscarlet was transferred to Hogwarts.\"
\"Go on\" Tom spat out in impatience.
\"My distant cousin attends her old school and witnessed the whole horrific ordeal
firsthand. It seems as if Zara is a little bit of a nymphomaniac.\" A grin slowly spread over
Tom\'s face.
\"Oh, do continue my friend.\"
\"She was caught on several occasions having...relations with some of the students...and staff...of the school. My cousin witnessed the straw that broke the camel\'s back, the Headmaster caught her canoodling with one of the captain\'s of the Quidditch team. Although it is not a crime worthy of expulsion, the Headmaster saw fit to notify the girl\'s parents. Her mother was alright with it, being a witch she understood that her daughter knew the appropriate charms to use as a precautionary method. However, her father, a muggle, would not stand for keeping her there. He firmly held that \'hocus pocus shite\' would not protect his daughter and refused to let her continue attending a school of witchcraft and wizardry. Luckily, her mother has ties to our favorite teacher...Dumbledore. Dumbledore knew from Zara and her mother that the girl is a very talented and intelligent witch, and so insisted that if she were transferred to Hogwarts he would keep an eye on her. Too tempted by the opportunity, Zara promised her parents that if they let her continue to learn magic she would change her ways.\" Tom scoffed.
\"Leave it to a muggle. Well, her ways will not change that fast or that easily. I\'m
thinking that maybe it\'s time she had a little reawakening?\" Tom smiled at Damien.
\"Excellent.\"
\"Thank you for your promptness, I assume that you desire another go-around with Genevieve Black?\"
\"Of course.\"
\"I\'ll deliver her to you later, just call for me when you require to obliviate her
memory. As for me, I think I will prefer to gain Zara\'s trust before breaking her down again,
it always seems to be more effective that way, don\'t you agree?\"
\"Yes, the deeper you go, the harder they fall\"
\"And the harder they scream\" Tom added with a smirk. With a new vibrancy of hope in his mind, and a new challenge awaiting him, Tom grabbed his cloak and his wand and started for the door. He preened for a second before turning back to Damien
\"How do I look Damien?\"
\"Your looks could kill, as usual\" Damien replied brusquely with a hint of resentment.
\"Perfect\"
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Up Next: The challenge begins