"The Serpent's Teeth"
(A Tom Riddle love story)

5th September 1944
Thursday

"Miss Hayes, would you please read your translation?"

"Of course," I sit in my seat between Bell and Doro in Ancient Runes.

Professor Westbrook, was just checking the translations of today's lesson, and has been looking forward to me reading the text to compare to the others.

Probably to put my knowledge to the test, I am the new student after all.

I clear my throat and begin reading my text out loud.

It is abut some muggle king named Cesar, who has apparently taken half the continent with his army.

"All right, that was quite good. Everybody copy the homework that is written on the blackboard and you can all go. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, " Professor Westbrook ends the hour and leaves the room.

Together with the other students I start packing up my stuff.

The hour has flown past me like a dragon on the hunt.

I always feel like this with Ancient Runes.

Once I get a text and begin with the translation, I lose all sense of time and sink completely into the story.

A lot of people can't do anything with it, find it boring, pointless, even useless.

Hardly anyone knows the beauty of the runes, the joy when you translate a text and get to know a piece of world history.

It is an unrecognized art, an area in itself, its rarely understood.

A philosophy of life.

Completely lost in thought I walk a few steps in front of the Slytherins to Transfiguration class, where I bump into my friends who just had Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Boyd.

"Hey, how was Care of Magical Creatures?" I ask in a good mood and sit down on my seat.

"Exciting, as always," Bailee returns with a sarcastic undertone.

"Lee, don't be so dismissive. Each subject has some sort of meaning for our future, and if you would try harder, it would surely be fun, "

I try to persuade him, but he snorts disparagingly and turns to the blackboard, of which we're currently writing down the use and function of a spell.

Uninterested, I turn to the task at hand.

If I had known how boring it would be to "relearn" a spell that I can pretty much do with my eyes closed, I would have never accepted to do this mission...

Actually...I would have...

I would have given up everything to push the Dark Lord and his Death eater Followers off their high Hippogriff.

I HAVE given everything up.

I mean, I have traveled through time to befriend Voldemort.

If that isn't suicidal, then I don't know what is.

I give the rest of my attention to Riddle's back.

Why the hell is he so cold?

He makes it almost impossible to befriend him.

It would be easier to tame a fire spiting dragon and keep him as a pet...

I really don't see how I'm ever going to get on friendly terms with him.

After lunch I walk to my Arithmancy class, which I have been looking forward to anxiously, if I'm honest.

During my free period I have been going trough the material from fifth year, and then read trough my seventh year textbook, that arrived this morning with the Home Economics books.

I don't understand a single thing from my Home Economics books.

I even found the material from fifth grade hard.

Swallowing hard, I turn around the corner.

I have never liked to lose.

And I hate making a fool of myself.

As I get closer to the class room, I notice Riddle, Mulciber, Nott, Malfoy and Bell!

Thank Merlin she's there!

I thought I would have to survive this horror hour with the Slytherins all by myself.

If I'm honest, I'd rather free a room full of Doxys.

Its already enough that I'm supposed to put up with Riddle...

"Hello, Bell. I didn't know that you have Arithmancy," I welcome the petite girl smiling cheerful as I arrive by her side.

"I dind't know that you have Arithmancy either. I'm glad though. Finally I'm not the only girl in the troop, "she admits smiling back at me.

"No, now you won't have the guys all to yourself anymore," I admit laughing quietly back.

Anna turns red.

"Hazel, you're not supposed to say such things" she whispers, looking around in all directions.

Now it's my turn to blush, not because I'm embarrassed, but because I forgot that you can't openly talk about sexual matters in this time.

Still red in the face I enter the classroom and realize with horror that the only free seat is next to Riddle.

Well that's actually not bad, I'll finally have an opportunity to speak with him, without having to wait for him in the hallways like some sort of stalker.

How in the world am I going to convince him that it's more fun to exchange a few words with me, than to calculate some tables that I don't even understand?

Why is Snape doing this to me?

What did I do that has annoyed him that much that he's punishing me this way?

Couldn't he have chosen someone else?

One of my close friends, for example?

Neville, Seamus, Eric or Sophie?

They are all much braver than I am!

Well, all except Sophie, but what she doesn't have in the bravery department she makes up by being nicer than anybody else.

But no!

I'm stuck here with future Death Eaters, Voldemort, and have to endure all these outdated customs, and rules.

I furiously unpack my tables and place them in front of me.

This is a disaster!

And I can't ask anyone to help me, because I'm supposed to be so good in school!

Isn't it enough that I'm going to fail Home Economics?

At least I'm doing my OWLs again in my time.

Without Home Economics and without Arithmancy!

"So you are, Miss Hayes.

I am a professor Kelly Allen. I am very pleased to welcome you in my course," the young teacher grins at me over her desk.

"And I see that you are sitting in the right place! If you don't know something or haven't taken it at your school, you can ask the Head Girl and Head Boy for help! "

Head Boy and Head Girl?

Irritated I look at Annabelle and for the first time I register the badge on her robes.

Why hasn't it occurred to me before?

Still confused I look forward again.

Bell is therefore the Head Girl.

Very good.

In other words, by being her friend I have the opportunity to get into the rooms where only she is with Riddle, and up until now she has given me no reason to think that she would be bothered by it if I'm going to talk to him.

I would be a disadvantage if it turns out that she fancies him and is just really good at hiding it, then she might get jealous when I try to befriend him.

Bus she's so pretty, she probably wouldn't have to run after him.

What kind of boy says no,when a pretty girl want's to share the bathroom with him?

And who says that Riddle is an ordinary boy?

I ask myself.

It's a big mistake to underestimate him!

Remember what he is going to do!

This is a mission!

You're not here for your pleasure!

I scream at myself inside my head...

I should stop, I'm probably making some rally weird faces and I really don't need people seeing me as the new weird transfer student.

My Arithmancy class makes it more than clear to me that I'm really not here for my pleasure.

Every single one of my calculations is wrong.

If Bell hadn't made me aware that I had not only done every single thing wrong, but was also using the wrong table,then I would have been the class clown today.

If this continues for the next few hours, it borders on a miracle if Professor Allen doesn't realize that I didn't have Arithmancy during year six and before that I was anything but good.

Why don't any of my friends have Arithmancy?

It would be easier to ask them to help me catch up with the material that they have done until now... Although it would still take me a couple of days to admit that I don't have a clue of what I'm supposed to be doing in this class.

But no, they all have Care of Magical Creatures together.

I miss Herbology with Sophie!

With an effort I try to understand what Professor Allen wants from me.

This is already the third quill that I have broken this hour.

If I keep this up, I'll only have my quills with special functions, and they are in my suitcase.

Frustrated I rub my eyes.

Everything's going wrong!

Why don't I understand this stupid subject?

I'm so frustrated that I'm seriously considering to break out in tears and smash something.

But no, I'm sitting in class and can't live out my feelings.

"Reparo" I hiss annoyed and fix all my quills, at least I can still use this simple spell.

It's a start, now I can start over with my act of destruction.

As I feel the teachers gaze on me I let my hair fall like a veil to the front, so that she can't see what I have been scribbling on my parchment.

Its already enough that she'll give me a "T" when she sees my homework.

Great, this is going to make my cover really hard to believe.

I already feel like everyone noticed that I'm a time traveler, and this knowledge doesn't necessarily reduce my paranoia.

"Is everything all right ?" Bell asks while looking over at me.

"Sure," I growl back and give her a quick glance just to see her worried look.

"I can help you if you want," she offers me.

"No , thanks," I reject determined.

Great!

Now Miss Head Girl has to start acting like Granger, which I do not particularly like.

Harry's okay, I've spent some time with him when we both had free period or during lunch.

Ron is a little silly, but quite nice.

Hermione, however with her know-it-all attitude drives me crazy!

But Annabelle doesn't know about my pre-damage and I could still use her friendship.

"I have to manage it alone, Bell. Otherwise I'll never get it. Don't take it personally ok? "

I give her a pleading look.

Hopefully she takes the bait.

"That's okay," she smiles friendly.

"If you still need help, you can come to me at any time."

"Thank you," I answer with a little hint of bad conscience.

Without further attention to the others, I turn back to the tables.

But this time in silent resignation.

"Hey Hayes, I know that you have Astronomy next, walk with us," Mulciber suggests with a slimy smile.

However, I notice the threat in his words and in his eyes.

"No, thank you for the offer. I'll find the way alone,"I try to dismiss him politely.

"I don't accept no for an answer sweetie," he whispers.

"You'll accompany us happily, right?"

He smiles deceitful turning a strand strand of my hair around his finger.

Seeking help, I look around but the professor is no longer present.

Even Bell seems to have left the room already.

Have I taken that long to pack my things?

"Come on, honey," his disgusting face comes closer to me, panicking I try to suppress my disgust and back away from him as far as I can.

"Leave me alone," I hiss at him and hit his hand for him to let go of my hair.

"You're feisty! I like that," he says with a perverted grin and takes another step towards me.

The moment where he reaches out for me, someone presses the tip of a wand to his throat.

"Let her go. We have better things to do than to waste our time with her, " Riddle says monotonically with an expressionless face.

"If you say so," Mulciber withdraws and leaves the class room along with Malfoy and Nott after Tom sends them away.

"Thanks," I mutter, reaching for my bag, which has fallen down.

Riddle doesn't reply, he looks at me for a moment and disappears without a comment.

Is that good or bad?

Still a little shocked I follow him to Astronomy.

"Riddle, wait," I call after him, as I still see a shred of his cloak fluttering in the corner and start to run.

I frantically rush around the corner and crash into him.

I just didn't expect that he would stop.

Two steps backward, stumbling I fall down.

"Can't you watch where you're going?," Riddle hisses at me and holds out a hand to help me up.

At least he knows how to behave towards a girl.

"Thank you, Riddle," I groan and look nervously at him.

My mouth is dry as dust, my knees tremble and my brain is like swept clean, as my gaze plunges into his eyes.

I have a feeling that he's looking down to the depths of my soul with all my fears, dark and light sides.

His intense gaze captivates me, makes me nonreactive.

Is he doing this on purpose?

"Come on, we need to go to Astronomy," he abruptly turns away from me and goes swiftly on his way.

After a few scary moments I follow him and scurry into Professor Silverstones' classroom just in time.

Riddle's help against Mulciber and that he actually waited for me, makes me cheer up slightly.

I'm only here since a few days, but he has actually acknowledged, and helped me.

I'll give him few more days before I make my next move.

Maybe I'll meet him by chance in the morning inside the library ...

Swallowing hard I try to get rid of the lump in my throat.