The Raven

Longbottom sat quietly in the library, only three tables away from me. I stared at him between tasks; he noticed me, I know he did, but he ignored me regardless of the nature of my stare. So, I got up and walked over to him.

“Longbottom.”

He sighed and looked up at me. “What, Tom?”

My jaw clenched at the sound of my rotten muggle father’s name--no matter. Soon more than just my Death Eaters will be proper with my title. “Where has Nyathera been? She hasn’t been to class for the last three weeks.”

“She doesn’t need to be.” Longbottom sighed and started to put his things back into his beige, suede messenger bag. He stood and looked me square in the eye, “Your paper is done, Tom, leave her alone.”

He started to walk away from me, so I grabbed his arm as it swung back. I pulled him backward a bit and growled, “Don’t worry about my motives--”

Longbottom yanked his arm away from me and took a step so close to my face that I breathed the anger escaping from his nose. He grabbed a bundle of my tie, shirt and cardigan and whisper-shouted at me, “Don’t try to pull me around like one of your cronies - or, God forbid, one of your naive little fourth year girlfriends. I’ve been tolerant of your nonsense, but enough is enough!” Longbottom yanked me again; I was frozen by his audacity. “I don’t care if you can’t handle that we’re peers, that we’re equals, okay? You should be grateful,” he spat, “that I would continue to humor such a silly little halfblood.” He shoved me away.

I watched with wide, angry eyes as he huffed out hot air and grabbed his things. Longbottom started to walk away from me, as if I would take that ridicule; I grabbed his shoulder and slammed him down onto the table. I wrapped my right hand around his throat and slammed his face agains the table. I grinned at the sound of his surprise and fear in his wails--but I was suddenly crippled by a force that felt like arms squeezing my sides and fingertips in my chest. My knees weakened and I fell to the ground; I lost control of my bodily functions; I could feel my trousers get wet as I convulsed on the ground.

“We really need to stop meeting like this.” A honey-like voiced chuckled.

I woke up in the infirmary. Dumbledore looked at me from the foot of my bed. He sighed as he stood up. “What is your obsession with Nyathera and Longbottom?
“I don’t have an obsession,” I mumbled and started to sit up.

“No, no.” Dumbledore said, “Keep seated.”

I groaned and rolled my eyes.

Dumbledore got off my bed, walked all the way up to me and leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Nyathera cannot be harnessed for your twisted goals. Leave her alone, Tom. Leave Algie alone, too.”

“I don’t take orders from pathetic old men!” I shouted and rolled out of the bed.

Dumbledore did a tsking sound with his tongue against his teeth. “Only if you want to live long enough to be an old man.”

I rolled my eyes and walked out. I had better things to worry about--like how does Nyathera just appear and disappear at will? She clearly isn’t apparting, so what is she doing? How is she so silent? How does she just know how to be there? And how can I have that for myself?

I walked down several flights of stairs until I reached the Great Hall; I was in time for dinner. I sat at the edge of the Slytherin table and stared at the Hufflepuffs--it really doesn’t take much to intimidate any of them.

But I must focus. If I must groom her to be a Death Eater then I will, but it would take too long to tame her. It’d be better just to gain her powers.

A voice flowed on top of the air and wisped into my ear, “You’d never have success. There’s too much for you.”

“What does that even mean?” I shouted into the air, staring up at the night ceiling.

Everyone looked at me for a quick moment.

I shook my head and started to put some food on my plate.

“It would over power you.”

I slammed my fork down. “You know nothing of my potential!”

Everyone looked at me again.

I shrugged it off.

“You have no idea the responsibility required--”

“You know nothing about me!” I screamed and flipped my plate of food over and off of the table. Everyone stared at me, but I didn’t care. Most people were too uncomfortable to continue to stare at me. Except Longbottom. His eyes burrowed into my skin. How could he do this? How could he put words into my mind? Is it all the time he has spent with her? Weren’t they kissing in the Room of Requirements? Is that how she gives you power? A kiss of death, just tapered not to kill?

I stomped over to him.

Longbottom continued to eat while he stared at me with disinterest.

“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?” I hollered at him and pounded my palms into the table on either side of his plate.

He grinned, raised a brow with amusement and said, “Surely you should be asking yourself that?”

I grabbed his collar, “DON’T TRY TO MUDDLE ME UP, LONGBOTTOM!”

“He doesn’t have to.” The voice wisped again.

“AGGH!” I screamed and slapped Longbottom across the face.

He shot up and shoved me backward. I tripped over my own feet - how was I so clumsy these last few days? - and feel to the floor. Gold dripped on me while a blinding silhouette enveloped Longbottom.