Chapter 6

"How soon Riddle learned that the famous founder of the House could talk to snakes, I do not know - perhaps that very evening. The knowledge can only have excited him and increased his sense of self-importance. However, if he was frightening or impressing fellow Slytherins with displays of Parseltongue in their common room, no hint of it reached the staff. He showed no sign of outward arrogance or aggression at all. As an unusually talented and very good-looking orphan, he naturally drew attention and sympathy from the staff almost from the moment of his arrival. He seemed polite, quiet, and thirsty for knowledge. Nearly all were most favorably impressed by him." HP6

~~~~~~~~~~

In the following months Evelyn focused hard on her studies. She got rewarded with higher scores, but it was never enough for her. There was always someone who got easily the top scores. The Slytherin boy who also spent his whole time on books, while his companions were used to spend their free time in other ways like watching Quidditch matches.It wasn't an open competition. Riddle and Evelyn appeared friendly to each other, but she could sense the heaviness of each triumph he was getting and she could catch his weak smirks while everyone else considered him a humble and quiet boy.Evelyn also had another goal. She wanted to stop being an open book. Her emotions had to be hers and only hers. She needed to learn how to stop her hair from showing her mood.She couldn't keep seeing her hair turn dark each time she had to witness that Riddle got a score higher than hers first of all. And then she had to stop the other people from teasing her just to see how they could affect her mood. It was humiliating. She also imagined of cutting her hair off or using some hex to fix her problem, until she realized that it depended all from her self control. It seemed that was the message Riddle's challenging eyes sent her when he proudly watched how she reacted to his triumphs.And she wanted to succeed, at any cost. Her only friends were Kat and Adele, who tried to help her by trying any kind of hair lotions on her. And also tried to dye them. But Evelyn hated the result. For a moment she panicked when she feared that her hair would turn purple instead of her natural blonde.The only time that they got departed was when Evelyn drowned herself into books, while the other girls entertained themselves with boys and their crushes.Evelyn was glad that she found someone who accepted her for how she was. Somehow her friends were also a shield against the pranks of her wicked cousin Milly, who lately had to focus on fixing her low scores.Evelyn woke up from her thoughts to catch what Kat and Adele were discussing about.They were in the Founders Room."So what do you think of team?" Adele teased her "Are you a fan of Godric too?".She bit her lip thoughtfully, admiring the statues of the founders in front of them "Everyone fancy Godric, but Slytherin wasn't that bad"."He was handsome" Kat agreed."You have a weird taste about men" Adele made a bad face to them."What's wrong with him?" Evelyn complained "He wasn't evil. Think of the period they lived. Wizards and witches were persecuted by muggles. He didn't accept muggle borns because they could be spy of the witch hunters"."I never thought it from that point of view" Kat confessed after thinking about it "Preservation against innovation. That was all" Evelyn concluded, imagining the sever Salazar Slytherin smiling at her for her words."Why they don't teach it?"."That's part of the secret history of magic"."Well, well, I found a lost Slytherin here" another voice said.The girls winced and turned to see some of the Slytherin boys, their mates for the astronomy lessons they were heading to.Lestrange winked at Evelyn "You are the proof that the silly old hat can be terribly wrong when sorting students. I would gladly replace you with all our Slytherin girls".His mates mocked him, all except Riddle, who kept his unreadable gaze on Evelyn and the statue of Salazar.Then the boys moved away."We have the feeling that Lestrange fancies you" Adele whispered to Evelyn's ear.Evelyn scowled at her. She didn't want to play that game. And she was sure she didn't fancy that Slytherin boy back.To give a new confirm to her friend's theory, some days later at their Potion lesson Lestrange suddenly sat next to her, followed by his gang, showing her the most popular book amongst Slytherins in those weeks.Evelyn already knew about the Sacred Twenty Eight, the true pureblood families according to the writer, Cantankerus Nott.Her uncle discussed about the reliability of that book, since he knew many secrets behind those surnames.At least their own surname appeared on that list. And Lestrange wanted to show her that most of the Slytherins had those "pure surnames".But she was more concerned of the offended shadow in Riddle's face. His surname was definitely not pureblood. He just walked away, alone, speechless. But for her his silence worthed more than a thousands words."The Pureblood Directory" remained the most discussed book between the students, although the professors forbid that topic our of respect towards the Muggle Borns and the Halfbloods. But most of the students blamed it on the fact that professors like the headmaster Dippet and professor Dumbledore weren't on that list. While professor Slughorn was, so in fact the Potion professor didn't mind to hear his students speak lively about it.

"My mother is a Macmillan but she dislikes that book too" both the surnames of Adele and Kat weren't on that list, but they enjoyed recalling their relatives with some of the Sacred families."My mom is cousin to Lestrange's mom" Kat sighed "But I have no relatives linked to Fawley. Look at Vincent's family, they are mostly purebloods"."And look at our current minister... He likes muggles" Adele echoed bitterly.Evelyn didn't enjoy that conversation and leaved them with the usual excuse of going to the library, instead she walked back stopping in front of the Trophy Room. As she suspected, there was a boy all alone admiring the names of the students who left a sign in that school.She stepped in silently, then said loud clearly "Tom Marvolo Riddle".The boy startled and when he recognized her, his face turned into a scowl."Are you scared by your own name?" She mocked him, stopping next to him to admire the shining awards."A bloody silly name" he scoffed."Why, Tommy?" She teased."Don't you dare" he shot her an icy glance and stepped away."Oh, come on" she followed him "What's wrong with it? You're so narcissistic I thought you would even repeat your name with delight. Do you prefer being called freak?".He sighed heavily "There's nothing original with it. I'm named after my father. A muggle name".She frowned with confusion "His name was Marvolo?"."No, that's my grandfather's name, as far as I know. But I didn't find anything about it" he admitted bitterly.She looked back to the trophies, her mind gave her an idea that gave her goosebumps. She wished she didn't recall that because it seemed absurd "Marvolo. I heard it just once I guess".She crossed his eyes when he gave her an annoyed sideways glance."Well, twice counting you" she corrected blankly walking past him to step into the corridor.Tom stared at her curiously "So you know him?"."Know" she repeated rolling her eyes "I never met him".She gasped when abruptly he pushed her against the nearest wall ordering "Tell me what you know"."Hey, manners" she complained pushing him away with the same violence, checking if someone was around to witness it.He stiffened and took his hands off of her, looking for an instant nervous for his own reaction."I didn't mean... I just want to know. Can you tell me what you know? I didn't find anything in the school records. I don't know what family I belong to".She knew him enough to know how good he was at pretending, but she felt pitiful anyway in front of his begging voice "Well, maybe that's for the best"."Please. Help me" he insisted.She scanned his handsome features, catching away the images she had in mind "I'm already helping you. Knowing is not always a good thing"."I won't tease you anymore. Tell me how I can pay you for a piece of information. You know I can do many things. Please, tell me" he begged.For a moment she wished to tell him to kneel and keep begging her. She imagined his tall frame lowering in front of her and imploring her with his beautiful eyes. Most of the girls' secret dream. But she wasn't Milly, she wasn't a bully so she just gave in."Marvolo Gaunt" she whispered "That was the only name I know. I guess your mother family is Gaunt. You know it since it's one of the Sacred Twenty Eight. He had been my uncle's client. And they didn't attend this school. That's why you couldn't find anything in the school records nor in the Trophy Room. They were too...proud to come to the place that Slytherin himself abandoned".Riddle just stared at her, absorbing those information. She could feel his mind working and she understood she couldn't help him anymore.So she left him, hearing a weak thank you from his lips but she was more worried about how damaging that information could have been to him. Since he didn't look like a Gaunt at all. So it was more believable that his middle name was simply a coincidence.

She hoped that he would reach the same conclusion, but day by day she saw how distant he was from everything. He kept studying, getting high scores, but he mostly looked lost into his own world. Also some professors noticed he was less interested during the lessons. And rumours had it that he fell into the common troubles of heart.Evelyn was probably the only one to know what was truly troubling him and she felt responsible for it, so she kept an eye on him although she feared to approach him with that topic that was now tormenting her too.

She observed him in the library with his head low on the book he was reading, but she felt he was only pretending as she noticed in the latest days, so she stepped closer."Riddle" she clenched her jaw "I'm really sorry"."For what?" He asked suspiciously frowning at her.She stared coldly into his eyes "You got expelled".The dread that altered his calm features and his skin turning paler made her impossible to hold a laugh."Kidding" she said while his worry turned to rage "If only you could have seen your face"."You... You'll pay for it. It wasn't funny" he spitted with anger."I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you. I guess... I just needed some laugh. Don't let it start a war, please" she sat in front of him, trying to understand what book he had under his hands but it was only a Transfiguration book."Why are you upset?" He asked scanning her."Life. Or maybe I'm just so tired. So... Peace?"."Alright" he lingered a bit then asked "Would you like a walk? Maybe it would be more helpful than staying alone with your thoughts".She smiled grateful "Why not?".But walking didn't mean it was easier to talk with him. She didn't want to him directly what was troubling him."So what is keeping your mind busy lately?" She asked carefully."Exams" he said annoyed "Duties and the secrets of this castle"."Hmm, I'm interested in those secrets too" she said intrigued "How much did you already discovered?"."You're the last person I would say it"."Why?" She complained pretending to be offended."Because. Maybe you should ask what secrets I'm seeking now"."And you would reply no again?".That made him smile. He moved closer to her, asking in a whisper "Have you ever heard anything about the Chamber of Secrets?".She narrowed her eyes "Sure. Slytherin's secret room"."Do you think it's only a legend?"."No" she said promptly "But only the heir of Slytherin can find it. Are you looking for it?"."Are you not? Is there something bad about it?" So he was interested in her opinion, she realized."No. But it can be dangerous. Slytherin might have used powerful magic to prevent common people to find it. You might regret it" she warned him.He didn't like it "So I just belong to common people?"."No. Of course not. But don't turn it into an obsession. Many pureblood wizards wasted their lives looking for it. My uncle says that the most valuable things come to you when you're not expecting them. It doesn't mean you have to stop seeking what you want, just be relaxed and gave it time. Because that's the way to let what you're looking for finding you".She imagined he was about to insult her, instead he betrayed a weak grateful smile "That's a wise suggestion".She rolled her eyes "I know. If you really want to find it, let it find you".

They stepped out of the castle. The sky was clear and the weather was really lovely.Most of the students were enjoying the day outdoor, so they moved to some quieter place.The conversation was light, until Evelyn noticed a wild cat jumping out from behind a bush and stopping in front of her, hissing, its furry tail raised.She gasped and stepped back, looking for her wand, but Riddle placed a hand on her arm to stop her, his eyes focusing on the animal.Riddle just hissed and the cat became quiet.She wondered what trick he used "Wow. Are you friend with him?"."No. I don't befriend with cats" he spatted, then said softly "It's just... That I kinda feel empathic towards animals. They do what I want them to do without training them".She could tell from his face that he was sincere "Fascinating. Is that one of the things you can do and that you mentioned the first time we met? You didn't care to show me so far".He looked a bit surprised that she remembered that "Because I don't want you to think that we are more than classmates".She froze, misunderstanding it, then she attacked back "Oh yeah. Your allergy towards friendship. How can I forget that?".He smirked "But I'm grateful you shared what you know with me. And I can help you with the Cure of Magical Creatures lessons. I noticed you are worried for those concerning meeting hippogriffs".She eyed him with worry. It could be humiliating accepting his help, but she also liked the idea that he offered her his help. If he wanted to replace her facing the attack of a hippogriff he was welcome "You're lucky you can tame animals so easily. I just get the opposite reaction. Animals tend to hate me".Milly is an animal, she added mentally."They don't hate you. They saw you as a menace" he said patiently."Then I guess I should learn some psychology of the animals" she laughed at herself.It was almost sunset so they moved back into the castle."Can I ask you something that might be disturbing?" He suddenly asked her quietly.She glanced at him waiting for him to ask."What happened to your parents?".Her body froze, she didn't expect something so important. But she told him something about his name, so she guessed he wanted to know more about her story."I warned you it was disturbing" he whispered "If you don't want to..."."Lethifold. The living shroud" she said interrupting him."Oh" he sighed speechless."They just left and never came back" she needed to move so she walked fast and he had to follow her to catch her words "Not even a corpse to cry on, nothing. Like they never existed. I don't even know when exactly they died. I just spend my summers waiting for them to be over"."Maybe they're still alive" he tried."Don't do that, Riddle" she looked at him with teary eyes "Nothing is worse than hope. I fought for such a long time, believing that they were alive somewhere. But why wouldn't they come back?"."Why did they left?".She gaped at his question, but it was the right question."They traveled a lot" She said simply "I hope I can travel too in the future. There's just so much out there that is waiting to be discovered".He slightly smiled."What about yours?" She asked carefully."My mother died giving me birth. And I guess my father is dead as well. I don't know anything else. And you know how much I hate not knowing".Two orphans, she realized. She wondered if amongst their schoolmates there was someone more unlucky than the two of them."I understand you. I also crave for knowing everything about them, even if it's useless. Because I can't bring them back and having too many memories is just sorrowful"."Perhaps it's a good thing we are orphans. Look at you. You're not spoilt, nor delicate. You're not weak".Her eyes widened at him "That's a bad thing to say"."I'm just frank. We learned to survive alone, we don't need anyone else. Look how much smarter we are compared to the other students".Those words echoed in her mind for the rest of the day. She forgot what they talked about after that and she had most of her homeworks to do, but she couldn't stop thinking of her conversations with him.Maybe he was so smart he found the answers she had been searching for most of her life? The tragedies of her past could really bring something good in her present? Despite everything she had to admit that she liked talking with him, with someone smart as he was.

They didn't have a proper conversation for weeks, but she looked forward to it before it could be something inappropriate. But the final exams were coming and they were determined to do their best in all their subjects.As he suggested, he helped her with the magical creatures by staying around, without visibly interfering, nothing more.But she got the sense that there was something more, something he was hiding. And she felt close to find it out.

The summer holidays were coming and she wasn't looking forward to them. Her exams were satisfying, she needed some rest, but she didn't want to go back home where she wasn't protected from her ruthless cousin.Her friends invited her to their houses and promised to write her constantly, but that wasn't enough.It could be worse, she repeated to herself. But it wasn't comforting enough."What are you reading?".Riddle's voice woke her from the tragic story she was reading to distract from her own problems."It's a novel" she said simply."Muggle?"."Yeah. What's wrong with it?".He shrugged, turning to the cover to see its title "Wuthering Heights?".She smirked "You'd love it. The main character looks like you. So cold and introvert, but just misunderstood"."Hmm" he grimaced stepping away from her like she was smelling bad."What?"."I don't like to be compared to muggles".She laughed at him "So Slytherin, aren't you? Maybe if you know your enemy better, you'll get to outsmart him"."Is that a quote from that book?"."No. There are some quotes I'd like to tell you to annoy you, but I guess I'll force you do read it".He shot her a menacing look "Don't you dare"."Expect it as a gift for your next birthday" she menaced happily "By the way when is it?"."You will never know it" he hissed coldly and walked away.Evelyn gave a loud snort, then decided to follow him to apologize, ending up out of the castle.It was cloudy and she wondered what he had in mind to do outdoor, so she cautiously followed him, being careful that he wouldn't notice it.He just sat on a fallen tree trunk and he looked lost into his thoughts.She crossed her arms frustrated, hiding behind a tree. She didn't mean to upset him so much.Her mind was trying hard to plan something to fix the mess, when she heard some weird noise.She looked towards Riddle and noticed that he was hissing. And a snake was approaching him without being menacing.She held herself against the tree, shocked. She knew he was good with animals, but what she was witnessing was so much more.He was speaking to that snake, that clearly trusted him and allowed him to take it into his hands.She couldn't understand what the boy was hissing, but he surely wasn't just making soft noises for calming his new pet. He was speaking a stranger language.Evelyn needed time to understand the big thing she discovered. She always knew that Riddle was full of surprises and secrets and he confirmed it.But it also meant he was truly related to the Gaunts, the only living Parselmouths.She looked at the boy and saw that reptile was finally gone. She checked that it didn't come close to her, feeling tempted to go back to the castle, instead she did the opposite.Hearing her steps, he winced standing up.Evelyn grinned to herself for surprising him."You're a parselmouth" she stated confidently.He stared at her bewildered, then attacked "What the hell are you talking about?"."You can speak to snakes" she smiled, knowing that he couldn't hide it from her anymore "I saw you, stop acting".He pondered his options, then asked carefully "Do you want to report me?".Evelyn laughed "No, as long as you don't menace me. I should have guessed it"."How?"."Since you're a Gaunt and you're so obsessed with Slytherin, who was the most famous parselmouth".He looked proud. She understood that if he was good at taming animals, she for the moment tamed him."You can also speak to the other animals? Is that why they're always good to you?"."No. It's different. It's like they are ready to realize my wishes without telling them anything. Just like the bad things that happen to people who irritates me" he explained checking her reactions, but she was just fascinated."I guess it's due to your magic. Your magic is so powerful. And it can be dangerous"."Then just avoid being mean to me" he said smirking."It's not that easy" she admitted."Why not?"."Because you're so cocky and self confident. It's like you want to be teased" she scolded him "Or maybe it's me who like looking for troubles"."I bet its the second option" he grinned.They walked back to the castle together and when they divided, Riddle called out"Evelyn?".She turned surprised that he used her name instead of her surname."Don't tell anyone, understood?".She nodded meaning it."It'll be our little secret" he added with a smile.She sighed "One of many".