The Girl in Blue

The beginning to sixth year didn't go as well as Aurora planned. It felt like the beginning of last year only she tried to be more friendly to people, but it seemed that everyone just went back to their original cliques.

On the bright side, Aurora made Beater on the Slytherin quidditch team.

Tryouts were held during the first week of school and Aurora was nervous, especially because she was the only girl trying out for Beater. Silver Gavazzi laughed at her, thinking she was just pranking everyone.

Aurora thought that everything couldn't be bad after that, but classes got harder since they were all training to take the N.E.W.T's which were far worse than taking the O.W.L's (which she passed, by the way).

However, one day after Potions ended, Slughorn called she and Tom up to his desk. She glanced at Tom, who kept a completely blank expression on his face while Aurora thought she had done something wrong.

"Yes, sir?" Tom asked.

"How would you two like to join me and a couple of other students for some tea and other goodies tonight?" Slughorn asked, a hearty smile on his face.

Aurora and Tom glanced at each other and she nodded her head.

"Of course, professor."

"Great! Tonight at six!" Slughorn exclaimed.

Tom and Aurora walked together to Herbology and she kept stealing glances at him. He started to smirk when he noticed and she rolled her eyes.

"It's called 'The Slug Club'," Tom said. "Those little get-togethers. He does them all the time–it's prestigious because it means that he likes you."

"Really?" Aurora stopped.

Tom nodded.

"Wow..."

"Come on," Tom jerked his head towards the greenhouses. "We'll be late."

Aurora followed him and went through the rest of the day feeling extremely excited. She always like it whenever people praised her, and if being invited to The Slug Club meant just that, then she was excited. She was giddy, almost.

Aurora picked out her outfit, causing Madelyn and Annabelle to roll their eyes as she rummaged through her entire trunk trying to find something reasonable to wear to such an affair. She finally picked one and played with her hair until six almost came rolling in.

Tom was in the common room, as if he was waiting for her. She bounded down the girls' staircase and stopped when she saw him.

"Shall we?" he asked.

Aurora nodded, feeling herself grin.

She almost expected him to hold out his arm, but instead, he just walked beside her. Everyone must've realized they were going to a Slug Club meeting because they kept throwing them looks. Tom was rather unaffected by this.

They got to Slughorn's office and Tom held the door open for her. Everyone was already there and Slughorn, who sat in the midst of all the students saw them and exclaimed, "Tom! Aurora! Please, please sit!"

Aurora looked around. She saw a few Ravenclaw students sitting together, two Hufflepuff students, a few Gryffindor students (she did a double take because Remington was one of them), and she and Tom were not the only Slytherin students. A couple boys were there and some of them, when they saw Tom, sat up straighter in their seats and watched him come.

Aurora took a seat next to a Hufflepuff girl and Tom sat beside her.

"Now!" Slughorn exclaimed. "Let's feast!"

Aurora looked around at the food placed on the table. She glanced at Tom again, who looked completely at ease with the whole situation and did a double take when she saw his finger. There was a giant gold-and-black ring sitting on his finger.

"Where did you get that ring?" she whispered, leaning in.

Tom cleared his throat. "Family heirloom," he muttered.

"I've never seen it before! It's quite beautiful," Aurora complimented, honestly.

Everyone was talking amongst themselves. Since Tom spoke to no one, not even her, Aurora made talk with the girl sitting beside her. Her name was Ursula Evans and she was a fifth year.

"Sir, is it true that Professor Merrythought is retiring?" Tom asked, suddenly, to Slughorn. Aurora cut herself off and it seemed that everyone else tuned in to the conversation as well. She glanced at Remington, who was staring daggers into Tom.

"Tom, Tom, if I knew I couldn't tell you," said Slughorn. "I must say, I'd like to know where you get your information, boy, more knowledgeable than half the staff, you are."

Tom smiled and Aurora was staring at him. The tone of his voice was completely different than the one he uses on her. It was like he was trying to use his charm for some reason.

"What with your uncanny ability to know things you shouldn't, and your careful flattery of the people who matter–thank you for the pineapple, by the way, you're quite right, it is my favorite–" Pineapple? What pineapple? Aurora was utterly shocked–why did not know about any of this? "–I confidently expect you to rise to Minister of Magic within twenty years. Fifteen, if you keep sending me pineapples, I have excellent contacts at the Ministry."

Remington scoffed. Aurora could hear it from across the table and she knew that Tom head it as well because it smile flickered for only a second.

"I don't know that politics would suit me, sir," said Tom. "I don't have the right kind of background, for one thing."

Aurora was staring at Tom the entire time as if he sprouted another head. What was even happening?

"Nonsense," said Slughorn, briskly, "couldn't be plainer you come from decent Wizarding stock, abilities like yours. No, you'll go far, Tom. I've never been wrong about a student yet."

The clock chimed, causing Aurora to jump from surprise. Slughorn exclaimed about the time and even Aurora was shocked by how much time had went by. She barely even ate anything since talking to Ursula and then listening in on Slughorn and Tom's conversation.

Everyone piled out of the room. Aurora was waiting for Tom by he seemed to be interested in other matters. She gave him a confused look but he did absolutely nothing. Aurora raised an eyebrow at him but left the room after the last person, closing the door.

She pressed her ear against it and started listening.

"Look sharp, Tom, you don't want to be caught of bed out of hours, and you a prefect..."

"Sir, I wanted to ask you something."

"Ask away, then, m'boy, ask away..."

"Sir, I wondered what you know about...about Horcruxes?"

There was a silence. Aurora furrowed her eyebrows. What were Horcruxes?

"Project for Defense Against the Dark Arts, is it?"

"Not exactly, sir," said Tom. "I came across the term while reading and I didn't fully understand it."

"No...well...you'd be hard-pushed to find a book at Hogwarts that'll give you details on Horcruxes, Tom, that's very Dark stuff, Dark indeed."

Aurora's heart quickened it's pace. What was Tom doing?

"But you obviously know all about them, sir? I mean, a wizard like you–sorry, I mean, if you can't tell me, obviously–I just knew if anyone could tell me, you could–so I just thought I'd ask–"

Aurora furrowed her eyebrows. Since when was Tom ever flustered about something?

"Well," said Slughorn. "Well, it can't hurt to give you an overview, of course. Just so that you understand the term. A Horcrux is the word used for an object in which a person has concealed a part of their soul."

"I don't quite understand how that works, though, sir?" asked Tom, as innocently as possible, but Aurora could see through it. Tom was planning on doing something.

"Well, you split your soul, you see, and hide part of it in an object outside the body. Then, even if one's body is attacked or destroyed, one cannot die, for part of the soul remains earthbound and undamaged. But of course, existence in such form...few would want it, Tom, very few. Death would be preferable."

Aurora gasped. She clamped her hand over her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut, hoping that Tom nor Slughorn heard her. However, no one can to the door.

"How do you split your soul?" Tom asked.

Aurora was starting to worry. Really worry. She pressed her ear harder against the door but she was sweating from nervousness. It was like a suspense film or something–she needed to know what was going to happen next.

"Well," said Slughorn, uncomfortably. "You must understand that the soul is supposed to remain intact and whole. Splitting it is an act of violation, it is against nature."

"But how do you do it?"

"By an act of evil–the supreme act of evil. By committing murder. Killing rips the soul apart. The wizard intent upon creating a Horcrux would use the damage to his advantage: he would encase the torn portion–"

Aurora pulled herself away. She felt like she was going to be sick. She really wished she believed that Tom was asking Slughorn such questions only for mere curiosity, but there was a larger part of her that believed that Tom was up to something.

Killing someone? Again? Aurora stared at the door–Tom Riddle was up to something. And it was probably something really bad.

The door suddenly opened and Tom was saying goodbye to Slughorn. He turned his head and when he saw her, he stopped immediately.

"You waited."

Aurora let out a laugh, mostly to ease her nervousness. "Yeah. You took a long time in there."

Tom was staring. "I had things to discuss."

"Oh, yeah, okay," Aurora nodded. Tom started walking and Aurora walked beside him, in complete silence. She didn't know if she wanted Tom to ask her if she heard anything, but she was scared about what she would say to that. Yes, I did. No, I didn't.

Whatever it was, Aurora had a strange feeling that she was apart of it. She just didn't know how.