Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.

James Baldwin

I blinked, slowly regaining control of myself enough to come back into the world.

Why did I even come back at all?

It felt far better to dissociate and drift off in a partially conscious slumber rather than to come back to my life where I was splayed out across the wooden floor like an abandoned toy. Beside me lay my wand in two pieces, placed deliberately on the ground beside me by Tom just to humiliate me further. I felt defeated. The pain Tom had just put me through lashed at my mind, the replays of abuse and trauma were constant reminders to me of my own failure. Tom had attacked me. He had left me lying alone imprisoned and bleeding in the magically fortified room in Ravenclaw Tower. If I had been more organised about my plan, would I even be in this situation? My emotions were a mess. I didn't want to think, because I didn't want to feel anything.

If I could shut down my mind, I would. At the first chance I got, I'd do it.

Should I just give in, and go back to the present day?

"You're not going to give up." I told myself, my own voice hoarse and hardly recognisable even to my own ears. "Get up."

It was as if I couldn't move. At first I was afraid Tom had paralyzed me with a full Body-Bind curse until I discovered I had movement in my legs. I could move my toes. My legs. Again, it seemed as if I was weighed down by only the weight within my mind as thoughts began flashing through my head like torrential rain. One after the other they came, and then suddenly one more harrowing than the rest.

Tom was NOT the type of person to miss any small detail. He knew what he was doing to me, emotionally and mentally. And he enjoyed it.

He knew what power he held over me, and he chose to exploit it every time. I wondered how he felt having so much power over me... If he even really knew the extent of the damage he had done.

It wouldn't help his God complex if he really knew how broken I was.

Nothing had been making sense for the past few months. I knew he had spread rumours about me, lies so elaborate they were designed to not be dismantled. The proof was in the School. People assumed the worst of me, always opting for the offence instead of the defence. I had noticed it was a gradual process, as if they had been conditioned to become that way. All of my friends had forsaken me out of fear they will get the same treatment as me. I was truly isolated. All I had left was Tom Riddle, who would be back any second. After all, It wasn't like him to leave me here unattended so I knew I didn't have long. Even if he wasn't here, I knew I was being watched some way, somehow. He was highly resourceful and cunning, and with his playing hand concealed there was no way to ever know what he was doing.

That was the thing about Tom Riddle, he was very underhanded and devious. These games began as emotional abuse often resulting in me receiving full blame for things that were not my fault. Small things like that left me without a doubt that he would one day attempt to get away with larger scale things. Sadly for me, it was mostly me being the one in the way of all of this. Now, with my life on the line, I was being stupid and throwing myself recklessly in harms way every chance I got.

I looked around the room warily, as if expecting my worst fear to materialize like a Boggart, assuming the form of that horrifying man who stooped to any and all measures to destroy me.

No one was there.

I blinked several times, trying to center myself. My mind was so far gone it wasn't even funny.

Pull yourself together, Hermione. I thought. Just think of it like an assignment. Focus on the task at hand.

It took hours cleaning every surface and making sure everything was spotless. I was grateful at least that my Muggle parents had taught me how to clean efficiently by hand, and having a task like this was a great distraction for my mind. These days, I was leaping at any opportunity to dissociate. I grabbed as many spare hand towels from the adjoining bathroom as I could, there was no bucket so I had to make do with constantly refilling a pitcher of water and hauling it with my good arm over to the floor. The sight of my own blood was enough to send me reeling, the sharp copper scent was unbearable - but I knew Tom would expect me to clean the mess he had made. And not one thing could be out of place.

I was running out of time.

Tom's unspoken words hung in the air as his eyes had gave one last sweep over the room, his wicked smile was the last thing I saw before I lost consciousness. When I woke, I was covered in my own dried blood, my skin cold and my joints stiff. The ground was hard, unforgiving. I rolled on my side, retching, finally gaining the strength to stand. On the bed neatly folded was a single piece of parchment. It was funny how something so simple as a piece of parchment could invoke such fear inside of me.

My hands trembled so violently I had almost torn the paper in two.

Since your wand is destroyed you will have to clean this room without Magic. You have 3 hours.

I dropped the note, it slipped through my fingers onto the ground. It wasn't signed off, I noticed. Tom must have been in a rush, or perhaps he didn't even care. Most likely the latter. I looked around at the room, shaking my head. I was already in the process of cleaning it before I got Tom's stupid note. Hell. Why did I constantly labour after him and allow myself to become emotionally enslaved to him when he was a sociopath who knew no limit? I knew with someone like Tom Riddle, I would always get mistreated and toyed with. I knew I had to build some decent walls for myself. Yet now it was too late. Everything was getting darker. And this time I really felt like things were coming to an end.

I could tell in his body language, in the way he spoke to me. He had told me in little ways how this was going to end. I was just too stupid to piece all of the pieces of the puzzle together.

The bitter truth was simple. I was going to die soon. By opposing Tom for this long, and so diligently, he had marked me off as a sheep to the slaughter. He hated me enough to make a spectacle of my life, my mission to the past ended up only as a chance for Tom to showcase his destructive abilities. Something within me knew my time was nearly up. I was so determined to win that I wasn't allowing myself to acknowledge the chance that I might not.

Judging by his new mannerisms and now complete lack of empathy toward me, he must be beginning to understand why I was so determined to resist him. He must know about his future. He somehow must know the truth about me. And now he feels the need to ensure he finishes the last thing left to do, severing the cord of the last remaining outlier screwing up his perfect equation.

Mechanically, I finished cleaning the room. I made sure to make everything spotless, scrubbing all the surfaces with a rag I found in the ensuite. It was cruel, how much anxiety one person could endure. It felt like I was living only to die in each passing second. When everything was perfectly spotless I kept going. I didn't care to follow Tom's instruction but I didn't want to get in even more trouble. I didn't want to dwell on the truth. All of this was going to be over soon. My spirit was broken. Tom was going to kill me, once the initiation was over.

I was defenceless. My wand was destroyed, I couldn't escape.

I waited for Tom to return, sitting on the bed with my hands neatly folded in my lap. I was staring blankly at the door when I heard it. The sound of something hitting the glass behind me.

Tap, tap, tap.

I blinked several times, feeling my forehead with the back of my hand. Hot. Was I running a temperature? I was feeling dizzy still, and lightheaded. Was this happening inside my head or did I just make all of this up? I stumbled over to the window, clutching the sill for support and peered out with trepidation. Tom Riddle could be outside for all I knew.

Nothing. No one was there.

I turned back, cursing myself for being so stupid and then I heard it again. That noise. So I wasn't as insane as I thought. Something was being thrown at the window. Stones.

I spun on my heel, my eyes widened and I almost fell over in shock at the sight of a tall, pale figure suspended in the air on a broomstick.

"Xavier you idiot! What are you doing?!" My jaw basically fell open.

As if it was perfectly normal Xavier Malfoy was hovering on a broom just outside the window, pale faced yet appearing relieved to see I wasn't dead.

"What are YOU doing? Open the window already!" He yelled.

"What?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Xavier bellowed. "I'm trying to rescue you! Just open the window, idiot!"

Was he trying to get the pair of us killed? Who in their right mind would risk flying up here knowing how psychotic Tom Riddle was? I didn't want to be saved, not this way at least. I couldn't see any way of escaping. We would die in the process. I wasn't even healed from my previous punishment yet.

Mentally, I might as well still be lying on the floor.

"Go away!" I almost touched the glass and thought better of it. "Tom's coming back soon!"

"I'm not leaving unless you're with me!"

"Xavier, stop playing hero! You're not going to be able to break in!" I was almost tearing my hair out in sheer frustration. "If Tom finds you trying to rescue me he is going to kill you!"

What was so hard to understand about that?

"You expect me to just leave you there?" Xavier yelled, his voice muffled by the glass. "I'm not leaving you again, Hermione."

He raised his wand again, pointing it at the glass, and I saw his face whiten, his hand lower as he appeared to register something behind me. My nervous system seemed to understand before my mind did, and my heart skipped a beat.

Oh Hell no.

"Who could be stupid enough to save you this time? Oh, I see. Xavier Malfoy. Again." Tom Riddle said directly behind me. "For goodness sake, what a plot twist."

He smiled, but the warmth never reached his eyes. "The pathetic admirer is back again with another useless attempt to save the day. He might save you from me, Hermione. Then again, perhaps not... He couldn't last time..."

His venomous words were not as chilling as the momentary hand on my waist, my body lurched to the side of its own accord. Tom slid past, tall and dark as a shadow. Raising his wand, he tapped the glass once, and like a needle into a still pond of water the bottom part of the glass frame dissolved.

"Xavier." Tom called out into the darkening sky. "You just can't get enough of me, can you?"

"Once I tell the Staff you've got a captive up here you'll be gone!" Xavier yelled. "Hermione, what are you waiting for? Jump I'll catch you!"

Tom laughed, and this time I couldn't blame him. If I jumped, not only would I run the risk of not landing correctly but I would most likely get splintered on all of the defensive Magic that Tom had used to barricade me in.

"Hermione can't jump out that window just as much as you couldn't rescue her." Tom smirked. "Did you pay attention at all during Defence Against The Dark Arts this year? Do you have any understanding of this variant of nonverbal Defensive Magic at all?"

"That's besides the point. You can't imprison Hermione here!" Xavier's voice had a steel edge. "The Staff won't stand for your shit. You'll be gone in no time."

Tom's fists clenched, knuckles whitening on the sill. "I assure you I will be at this School longer than you will be."

His voice took on a lingering edge. "You won't ever get far enough to relay that message to them. Do you really think you and Hermione will escape together? Is that what you'd imagined?" He laughed again. "Once again, I am going to prove you wrong. I've become so good at it, after all of this practice..."

I could see Xavier was afraid, and I could hardly blame him. I was afraid. Tom was highly volatile, and could smite him at any second. He had a right to feel fear.

"I don't know what type of Magic you used, but I'm not leaving without Hermione." He said. "I'll stay here all night if I have to."

I felt a surge of gratitude toward him. He was really sticking his neck out for me.

"Xavier, you don't need to do this." I said. As much as I wanted to be free, I didn't want him to die because of it.

"I have an idea." Tom said, as if suddenly struck by a source of inspiration. "How about... I let Xavier into the Tower."

"Okay. That sounds good." I admitted.

"...and we challenge each other to a duel. To the death."

"You've got to be kidding me." I said, exasperated. "Literally all of your ultimatums result in death."

"I'm not going to lie," Xavier added from outside the window. "But that's a bit on the intense side of the spectrum, mate."

"We are not friends." Tom said coldly. "Besides, it's not like I'm expecting much. I've only ever had one respectable opponent in these past six years. Someone a great deal younger who was a skilled tactician worth my time."

"Who?" I said with interest.

Tom only gave me a bemused look, as if he regretted bringing the subject up at all.

"The winner will have you." He continued, eyeing me. "The sorry loser will be rendered defenseless and thrown out of this window, plummeting to a grisly fate five floors below."

"As I said - why does this whole killing thing have to happen anyway?" I demanded. "You couldn't just talk it out?"

"Everything always results in death." Tom's eyes flashed. "One way or another. That's a fact of life. And words... They are meaningless, for the most part. It's action that holds meaning. For example, I could action the idea of killing the pair of you right this second." He continued. "Don't think I haven't considered it. Not only that- I know how to do so in such a way that the Daily Prophet will exalt me as the hero. So either you do this my way, or we revert to the original plan..."

"Hang on." Xavier said, his pale face even paler. "You said I had a choice."

"You're scared?" Tom observed, smiling broadly. "You were always a coward, Xavier. I was surprised you even made it this far."

"That's not fair." I pointed out. "You're insulting and degrading him, throwing him off before your so called challenge has even begun."

"I'm sorry that you think that it is not fair." Tom said to me. "Xavier is a grown man who happens to have a rather stupid hobby of kicking the hornets nest. He will get what he deserves."

Tom drew his wand into the air and brought it down with brutal force. Within seconds Xavier was plucked off his broom as if by a hook to the navel. He smashed through the glass window landing square on the ground before us.

"What was wrong with opening the damn window?" He yelled, rolling onto his knees. "That was absolutely unnecessary." He got to his feet, looking absolutely outraged.

"You could ask yourself whether or not you had to attempt to interfere in matters which did not concern you."

Tom said, his sharp eyes narrowing as he took in the dishevelled mess before him.

I was going to tell Tom to pull himself together but thought better of it. He was right, he really could just kill either of us at any given second. He was really an exceptional wizard, a fact I could never seem to take seriously.

I smiled grimly, remembering with painful detail Tom concealing my wounds with Magic, and promising me that no one would even know what had happened. My skin still felt tarnished to me, but I knew to Xavier I would appear unblemished. A blank canvas.

"Get out of here, Xavier." I said, finally finding my voice. "Go, while you can! No one knows I'm here, the room's been modified - it's a long story."

"Only one of us will be leaving this room." Tom said calmly. I looked up, for a few seconds we locked eyes, I suddenly reached a conclusion that it wasn't going to be me or Tom.

"Let me guess." Xavier said, laughing as if the entire thing was a joke. "It's going to be Tom. Well, truth be told, I'm tired of this shit. I'm sick of seeing my friends getting injured, and I'm sick of it always being his fault. I'm going to go and get help. Hermione, don't worry, I'll be back."

Fear coiled in my stomach. This was all part of Tom's plan. He wanted Xavier to leave us alone. I was torn. I didn't want him to leave me alone with Tom, but if he stayed he could get seriously hurt.

But if he leaves he could get injured too.

"If you want to leave," Tom said to him, "Be my guest." He stepped backward, spreading out his arms in a welcoming gesture, and as I watched Xavier stride past him to the Portal door I knew at once that something was wrong.

Reaching toward the door handle, he jerked his hand back with a sharp intake of breath.

"Is something the matter?" Tom asked. He was standing at the window with his back to us. It was all a show. He clearly knew what was going on.

I opened my mouth to speak, and that's when I realised I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. I could still see, however, and when I looked across at Tom he was already turned around and was staring directly at me with a wicked grin on his features.

"You've altered the door." Xavier said. "It's got some sort of lock on it."

"Does it? Did you try turning the handle?" The smile vanished as quickly as it came. In it's place was look of surprise with what appeared to the untrained eye as traces of genuine concern. But I wasn't fooled. Tom was lying again.

"Obviously." I could hear the impatience that edged Xavier's voice. "I know how to open a door, Riddle."

"Yet you couldn't even turn the handle. Give it another try." Tom suggested. "It can't be that hard."

I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to realise that this was a disaster in the works. Tom was being nice for a change, which was a red flag all in itself. I watched helplessly as Xavier reached out for the door. It opened, and he pulled it toward him with ease.

"It's a portal." He realised out loud. He was so surprised he forgot to be angry. "Who the hell made it?"

"I did." Said Tom smoothly. "I needed a reliable access point to various places. Something reliable I could depend on."

Xavier turned back to me, giving me a small smile. "Don't worry, Hermione." He said. "I'll come back for you."

"Oh, here we go again with the dramatics." Tom rocked back on his heels. "Is it not enough to fly up to Ravenclaw Tower in a bold attempt to rescue the fair maiden?"

"Merlin. People actually think you're a suave and charming gentleman?" Xavier countered. "You're an animal."

"I am both. The dual aspect of my conflicting nature is at times ruthless, animalistic. Facades are for the weak. The truth makes people crawl inside their skin. Look around. I make people uncomfortable enough to want to project their lies onto me. Hopefully one day in the near future you will learn that it is not my responsibility to shoulder the misconceptions of the world."