"He's seen me." I stumbled away from the window in fear. "I saw him, he was at the bottom of the tower."

Isabella rushed over to the window, staring down to the exact place I had seen Tom Riddle standing staring up at me moments earlier.

"He's gone. I'll bet you anything he's coming for you." She turned, placing a hand over her forehead she began to pace around the Ravenclaw Common Room restlessly. "What the hell did you do for Tom Riddle to be chasing you?"

"Exist, I think." I said bitterly.

Pandora looked at me, her pale eyes were troubled. "Normally he gets like that when someone has pissed him off. I've seen it before. Once a Slytherin girl insulted him, and then she was critically ill in the Hospital Wing the next day. We all thought she was going to die."

"That doesn't really help you know." I snapped. Fear was clouding my mind, I couldn't really think straight and Pandora rattling on about a girl Tom nearly killed wasn't helping at all. I stopped walking around. Damn. I was being an asshole without even really meaning to.

"Look, I'm sorry." I told her with sincerity. "Riddle has been harassing me ever since I came to this school. I'm exhausted, and I'm afraid - and I don't know what to do."

"I'm not blaming you." Pandora said with understanding. "It's not a situation anyone would want to be in."

I smiled half heartedly.

"You could hide in one the dorms momentarily-" Isabella suggested but Pandora cut her off.

"That won't work." She objected. "The dorms know when a student is sneaking in from a different House. There's a repelling jinx of some sort on every dorm in this school."

"Yeah I know that," Isabella snapped, "But our Common Room let her-"

"I know. But that's only the Common Room. Besides, the only thing you need is intelligence to get through that door of ours. That's pretty much the only defence Ravenclaw tower has. To be honest there's nothing actually stopping him from getting to her is there. Isn't he practically a mastermind?"

There was a silence. As much as we hated to admit it, Pandora was right- Tom was just as dangerous as he was a mastermind. He could get in here easily.

I stepped back, my heart was racing. We were wasting time. "Ok look. What I really should be doing is getting out of here." I made for the door but Pandora blocked my path.

"Move," I said angrily. "I've got to go before he-"

"Stop! Someone is already outside!" She said over me. "See?"

I froze. Sure enough, there was no mistaking the musical voice of the enchanted knocker through the door.

"Until I am measured, I am not known.

Yet how you miss me, when I have flown.

What am I?"

"The answer is time." My whole body went cold. I could tell that impatient male voice from anywhere.

"You may go in."

In horror we watched as the large ornate door swung open to reveal the fearful sight of Tom Riddle, his dark eyes positively burning with anger. He stepped inside the Common Room, his tall lean figure obscuring the door which he closed firmly behind him. Seeing us all, he clenched his jaw.

"Get the hell out, Riddle." Isabella protested. "This is the Ravenclaw Common Room! You know you're not supposed to-"

She fell silent at once as Tom Riddle turned to us placing a single finger to his lips. I noticed his dark eyes had turned a shade darker. "Be quiet," His tone was quiet but commanding, Isabella seemed to hear the danger lurking in his voice and became silent at once. "I'm not here for you, I'm here for your disobedient little friend." He approached us with the easy manner of someone who knew he had all the control of the situation. He was so tall, all of us had to look up at him, and he only had eyes for me.

"Hermione," He said dangerously. His eyes were black and shining extremely brightly, his mouth curled slightly in a half smile. "You were a fool to think you could run from me. If you come with me I promise I won't hurt any of your pathetic friends. What do you say?"

"Don't listen to him Hermione." Said Isabella shrilly.

"Stay with us." Pandora added bravely. "Please Hermione don't-"

"What did I just say? Be quiet." Faster than a heartbeat Tom already had his wand in hand and had slashed it through the air somehow causing both girls to fall at the same time, gagging and choking on the ground.

But I already knew the counter jinx. With the lightning reflexes of a member of Dumbledore's Army I undid the jinx, instantly bending down at once to help both Pandora and Isabella to their feet.

"You dare-" He began with a snarl but at that sudden moment the musical voice of the enchanted knocker sounded, next thing the door opened revealing a very distressed Professor Flitwick. We were all shocked to say in the least, even Tom looked momentarily caught off guard, staring down at him in a sort of irritable confusion.

"What in Merlin's name are you all gathered in here for?" Flitwick spluttered. "Hermione- Tom- this isn't even your House."

"We know. I was just coming to collect Hermione." Tom said smoothly, in one easy step he had locked his cold hand around my wrist. "We were just leaving, weren't we?" He dug his nails into my skin and tugged me towards him. Hard.

"Well I can't just let you two leave." Flitwick protested just as Tom had nearly manhandled me out of the door.

"And why is that, Professor?" I could tell just by his voice that Tom was not pleased at all.

"Hogwarts is being momentarily searched by the Guards of Azkaban." Flitwick explained. "There was a spotting in Hogsmeade of the criminal Borage Bludsvikar not long ago. And just before, there was a spotting in Hogwarts."

"Didn't that fool only steal 2 Dragons eggs?" Tom said impatiently. "Surely the Dementors have the situation under control-"

"Steal two dragons eggs?" Flitwick burst incredulously. "Boy, haven't you read this mornings Daily Prophet? Not only did he steal from the Wizarding community he also has also has critically injured a student. How could you all have not known? The whole school has been gathered in the Great Hall as we speak until the inspection is over-"

"Who did that imbecile Borage critically injure?" Said Riddle sharply.

Flitwick sighed in defeated sort of exasperation. "It was a Hufflepuff student. Ora Plum, her name was."

"She was the curly blonde haired Hufflepuff, right?" I thought out loud. I remembered her by face. Friendly by nature, it was a shame since she was was always something of a joke with the Slytherins since she was extremely mindless and made a lot of mistakes.

"She's an absolute idiot." Tom said carelessly under his breath. "No loss there." Flitwick frowned but didn't say anything.

"I suggest you all follow me down to the Great Hall. Classes will be suspended until the search is over, which won't take long at all with luck."

"How did the students know to go the Great Hall?" I asked. "None of us knew about this until now."

Flitwick peered at me in astonishment. "But Miss Granger, I thought it would've been obvious. The weather, of course. It was a perfectly fine day before, and now the most horrendous storm-" He gestured to the window we all had gathered around before, everyone including me saw the sun still shining away amidst a nest of fluffy white clouds.

"You're right Professor." Tom said in heavy sarcasm. "Very frightful weather. Especially from up here. Very foreboding."

"Merlin's beard!" Flitwick yelped. "The weather charm is still on the tower windows!" With a simple gesture with his wand the charm broke at once on all Ravenclaw tower windows; immediately howling winds shook the tower room accompanied by a shockingly hard torrent of rain that lashed against the windows. Outside the skies were black.

"Well that explains a lot." I said blankly. All thoughts of Tom were momentarily scattered. Dementors doing an inspection in Hogwarts? Not even with everyone hunting Sirius did such nonsense take place. What type of lousy Headmaster did Dippet have to be to permit this danger in a school?

"If you would all immediately follow me," Without another word we all followed Ravenclaw's Head of House back out the door and down the staircase. All around us the winds howled as they tore through the grounds, I saw no students at all in the corridors meaning we were all truly the only idiots in the wrong place.

I shot Tom a look from the corner of my eye, realising with a pang the psychopath had actually gone outside in the storm just to see if he could see me in the Ravenclaw tower. His hair and cloak were all dry, which could only mean he'd dried himself by use of magic before coming to find me. But how did he know where I was? Did Dolohov give something away? Or did Shalini Black and Xavier Malfoy?

"Professor, we can find our way from here." Tom said suddenly, causing everyone to turn and stare. "You go on to the Great Hall. Don't let us hold you up." He bent pointedly, pretending to lace his shoe.

Isabella and Pandora stared from me to Tom in fear. "I don't think that's necessary." Isabella said delicately, Tom ignored her only focusing his charm on Professor Flitwick. Today we must have been in luck, because Flitwick waved his hand dismissively.

"That's alright, Riddle." Flitwick called over a particularly loud rumble of thunder, "The Headmaster would be even more furious if he hears I've left you four alone. We can wait."

With a growl only we heard, Tom straightened himself and continued after us. We turned down a hall to see great patches of water had practically almost flooded the place. "Mind your step." He warned. "We've yet to clear this one particular hall."

Pandora and Isabella followed me closely, one on either side leaving Tom to walk behind us, his shoes making soft splashing noises as he stepped through the puddles in our wake. It was only then I'd realised I never considered the soft splashing of water to be menacing. Did every damn thing Tom Riddle do have to be so unnerving?

It really was quite a terrifying walk up the hall besides that, even though there was a great group of us the lightning and thunder outside made violent crashing sounds that split the sky, and it wasn't helping my anxiety hearing the winds howling so ferociously.

I was walking so quickly in my haste I slipped in a puddle of water- but the next thing I knew Tom's arms were around me lifting me to my feet.

"Careful." He chided. "You wouldn't want to get hurt now would you?"

I stumbled away from him. "Don't touch me."

"One day I will." He said darkly. "Just you wait. And you'll enjoy it."

Isabella and Pandora took both of my arms more or less steering me extremely close to Flitwick and out of earshot from Tom. Not that he was concerned in the slightest.

On the contrary he looked enviously unbothered, walking up the hall behind us with all the confidence of a student who'd just received OUTSTANDING all though his O.W.L's.

"Where are the Dementors now, Professor?" Pandora's voice trembled slightly.

"They're currently in the..." Flitwick's reply was lost amongst the chatter of students as we entered the Great Hall, and looking up we all saw too clearly for ourselves what the answer to Pandora's question was. From this end of the Great Hall were hundreds of Dementors swarming the ceiling above the enchanted candles, kept at bay by a glowing Patronus charm more or less the same as the one in the Ministry of Magic that I'd witnessed with Harry and Ron.

"Everyone, go to your assorted Houses." Flitwick directed. "Now."

"Isabella, Pandora-" I began to reach out to them but clearly Tom had other ideas.

"You're coming with me." He snarled the very second Flitwick was gone. With force he dragged me away from Isabella and Pandora and to the Slytherin table not even giving me a chance to look back.

"It's ok. I'll be fine." I tried to make my voice sound braver than I felt.

"Are you sure about that?" Tom Riddle said quietly.

I didn't rise to the bait. When Tom sat down I sat beside him, it wasn't like there was any room anywhere else at the table since we were the last ones to arrive. I stared around defeatedly realising with a sharp pang of shock that Shalini and Jade were sitting right opposite - I looked away immediately. This was the first time we'd seen each other face to face since I went to stay over at Dumbledore's house. Did they really both lie to me the entire time I had been in former day Hogwarts? Or was Tom lying? I was beyond confused. From the corner of my eye I could see Jade trying to catch my attention. Shalini on the other hand seemed to have taken a sudden extreme interest in her long red fingernails, merely glancing upwards at all. It was hard to read the situation.

"It's been a while since you've joined us at the Slytherin table, Hermione," Tom said, clearly relishing in everyone's discomfort. "Welcome back."

There were a few murmurs of welcome from the surrounding Slytherins. Jade was still trying to catch my eye, I looked away clearing my throat. If the whole table hadn't been listening in so intently or if I had a weaker will to live I might've added that he was the reason I had been cursed in the first place but I thought better of it.

"Shalini, Jade, I thought you two would look a lot happier." Tom said thoughtfully. Toying with his wand in his long fingered hands, his dark eyes shone even brighter now with the candlelight above us. "Why do you look so troubled? Isn't Hermione your friend?"

"She is our friend." Jade said fiercely. I looked up and our eyes met. "It's really good to see you again, Hermione. I mean it." I could see she was genuine by her eyes.

"It feels good to be back." I lied.

"Attention, all students!"

Everyone became silent at once as Headmaster Dippet voice rang out from the front of the Great Hall.

"As the hunt for the estranged criminal Borage Bludsvikar is taking place, I have a few words I would like to give to you all this evening." He paced slowly, from all the way at the back of the Slytherin table I could see how uncomfortable he was to be addressing the school while standing directly beneath so many Dementors.

"Firstly, as I'm sure you're all aware, Hogwarts School is currently being searched by the Guards of Azkaban." Immediately there was a rumble of discord, many people yelled in protest.

"Clearly, it appears a lot of you are discontented by this. However the Ministry Of Magic itself has deemed this criminal Class A meaning that these measures have been put in place for your own safety. So don't be alarmed- although Dementors are loathsome creatures rest assured they didn't come here for you-"

"That's besides the fucking point." Tom snapped muttering a couple of insults that would've made Harry's uncle Vernon proud.

"-they are here for their escaped criminal. As for our fellow Hufflepuff student Ora Plum she is currently making a full recovery in the Hospital Wing. She was unfortunately severely injured whilst alone in her Common Room, it was believed Borage was a former romantic interest of her mother who had been seeking revenge for his failed marriage."

The school went even quieter, you could've heard a pin drop.

"Surely he doesn't need to go that much into detail." I turned to see Daniel Dolohov frown.

"I implore you all not to go asking Ora about anything. It surely cannot be easy going through this sort of situation." Dippet continued. "That is why I have chosen to reveal this to you on her behalf. Now also; as you can undoubtedly see the presence of the Dementors has caused this extremely violent weather outside. So for your own safety we are asking you all to sleep in here tonight. They won't be able to touch you, they are being kept at bay by a very powerful Patronus charm. That is all. Now let's eat!"

On his word all tables instantly filled with an assortment of steaming hot, delicious food to make anyone's mouth water. Roast Chicken, Lamb and Beef, fried tofu, pork dumplings, sautéed greens and fluffy mashed potatoes sat snug between refreshingly cold jugs of Pumpkin Juice.

"Eat up." Tom shot me a considering look as he went to fill his plate.

"Why aren't you eating?" He demanded.

"I'm not hungry." I sat back in my seat, my stomach was turning. "Something isn't right. I just have the weirdest feeling."

And suddenly the doors burst open.

"Professor Dippet!" Madam Pomfrey raced through the back of the Great Hall and ran all the way up to the staff table. Tom, who was just about to place a fork of Lamb into his mouth froze, dropping his cutlery with a clatter.

"What in Merlins fucking name is going on now?"

Murmurs rent the air as everyone started talking fearfully amongst themselves. The second Madam Pomfrey had addressed the Headmaster she was lead to a seat by Dippet while Dumbledore rose to his feet. He was the type of Wizard that when he stood to talk, no one wanted to speak over him.

"If I may have your complete and undivided attention." Dumbledore waited a few seconds for the chatter to die out. "It is extremely important that everyone is listening. No one leave the Great Hall, we have just been informed of a terrible tragedy." Dumbledore's loud voice rang out through the Hall with both power and sadness. "I am filled with remorse to have to tell you that mere moments ago a Dementor of Azkaban had gotten through to the Hospital Wing, and mistakenly performed the soul stealing Kiss on Ora Plum. She is now dead."