Chapter 15 - 15: The Boggart in the Woods

Tom found himself unable to focus on his reading materials. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the refugees and that muggle they brought with them, and Her-Norris. He could not come up with an explanation as to why he was so bothered by the idea that her boyfriend could have given her the Invisibility Cloak. No, what he couldn't fathom was the idea that he was relieved to know that it was the one who felt like a brother to her who had given Norris the cloak.

He didn't understand the feelings that he was having. He would ask Norris but she was the topic of his thoughts, the reason for his feelings. No, he would have to ask Abraxas. That thought made him uncomfortable.

He closed his book in frustration, gathering curious stares from the few Slytherins that had stayed behind during break. Gathering up his belongings he headed for his room. He deposited everything onto his desk and left. Maybe a walk would help clear his mind?

He stormed out of the common room with his mind preoccupied. His footsteps echoed in the eerily vacant halls. Soon, wind began to whip his face but he paid no mind to it.

Tom couldn't get the look Norris wore on her face when he used the cruciatus curse on her. He never used it on a girl before so he wasn't sure if that was the reason he felt the way he did.

Norris had looked unto him with steely brown eyes. He could see unshed tears welling up in her eyes, begging to be spilled. As her body writhed in pain, she neither cried out nor begged him to make the pain go away. When he had first used the curse on his followers, most had cried out from the pain. She did not.

Tom came to a sudden halt. She had the cruciatus curse used on her before! Of course, that was it! Tom's stomach knotted up with the realization.

What did this war cost Norris? He knew she had lost friends and family, those she called loved ones, but he had never realized that she might have, at one point, been captured and tortured.

Tom visibly shuddered. Why was it that he could deal out pain to others with a flick of his wrist but become uneasy at the thought of others torturing him? What was happening to him?

He shook away his unease and looked around at his surroundings. He had wandered into the Forbidden Forest.

Twigs snapped and cracked around him. The beat of hoofprints became more prominent as the ground shook. Whining and neighing filled the air. Tom's jaw rattled with a thunderous noise. What was going on?

The trees before him bent out of shape with a cracking pop. Black, leathery bodies poured out of the trees. The Thestrals swerved around him with a cry of fear.

"Oof!" Norris?

Tom shoved through the writhing bodies around him. He pushed through and nearly fell onto the ground. In front of him, lying on the ground on all fours, was Norris.

"What happened?" asked Tom as he offered a hand to the fallen girl.

Norris slapped his hand away and stood up on her own. "I don't know. The Thestrals were fine one minute then freaking out the next." Tom felt a mixture of annoyance and amusement toward Norris. He was annoyed with her for refusing his help but also amused by the fact that she had so easily and rudely refused his help. He was finding emotions to be perplexing and very annoying.

A screeching hiss broke Tom out of his thoughts. "Boggart," breathed Tom and Norris at the same time.

"Run!" Norris took off running, leaving Tom behind. Boggarts were actually quite easy to get rid of but posed a problem with the fact that they could take on the shape of your greatest fear. Tom had no interest in facing his fear.

Ahead of him, Norris tripped over a twig. Her arms swung out and started windmilling, but it did not stop her from falling. Tom reached down to help her up. This time, she took his offered hand.

Tom made the mistake of looking over his shoulder. A swirl of black stood behind him. It was soon replaced with a corpse. His corpse.

"No!" Tom tripped over his feet and landed on his butt. His hands shook and his lips trembled at the sight of his cold, lifeless, aged body.

"Tom, look away!" Norris' plea fell on deaf ears.

Brown eyes clouded his vision. "It's not real Tom. You have to look away." Norris grabbed his shoulders and shook him. With a sigh, she removed one hand and grabbed her wand. Norris turned around to shoot a spell at the Boggart.

Tom watched as his lifeless body swirled into a black mist before taking on a whole new shape. Now, instead of himself laying on the ground was a hideous, snake-like creature. Its piercing blue eyes held bloodlust.

The creature pointed a wand at the two of them. Its thin lips pulled back into a malicious grin. "Now, you will die," whispered the snake-like man in a hoarse, hiss.

What was that thing?

Norris gripped onto his shoulders, digging her nails into his flesh. Her forehead banged into his shoulder as she covered her face. Her body trembled against his.

What kind of nightmare had she faced before coming to Hogwarts?

"Riddikulus!"

The snake-like creature, which was more of a creature than a man, turned into a giant Niffler wearing long purple robes. Then, it disappeared in a swirl of black smoke.

"A-are you two al-alright?" a familiar voice asked.

Tom craned his neck around to peer at a tall, slender man with dirty blonde hair. The hair was short but wild and extremely curly. It reminded him of Hermione's hair.

Hermione lifted her face from Tom's shoulder. Cold instantly replaced the warmth. "Newt Scamander!" Her voice was more of a shriek and she sounded grateful. Tom gritted his teeth and pushed the girl off of him. She didn't even bother to glare at him as she took this Scamander's hand. Why would she take this stranger's hand but not his? His feelings and Hermione were starting to irk him.

"I-it's you two. Hello, nice to finally see you," greeted Scamander.

"What do you mean it's finally nice to see us?"

Hermione shot him a glare. "Ignore him. He's always like that." She smiled at Scamander. "Thank you, for saving us."

Scamander let go of Hermione's hand and gave them a small, awkward bow. "It was no problem. And to answer your question," Scamander nodded in Tom's direction. "I remember the two of you spying on us yesterday, though you were invisible at the time."

"How did you know we were spying on you?" Hermione looked flabbergasted.

Tom folded his arms and leveled a stare at her. "Really. Is it that difficult for you to dodge the question or lie." He raised an eyebrow for emphasis.

Hermione glared at him once again. Why was he always receiving glares while the weirdo, Scamander, received smiles from her?

Scamander doubled over in laughter. "It's nice seeing a Slytherin and a Gryffindor getting along."

"We don't get along," snapped Hermione and Tom together.

Scamander shook his head in disbelief. "Creatures are easier to understand than people," muttered Scamander. His chin twitched and his fingers splayed out before curling up. "Best to get you back to where it's safe."

Scamander gestured for them to walk ahead of him. The guy was a real weirdo.

Tom nudged Hermione. When she looked over at him, he gestured for her to pick up the pace. She obliged with a humph and a scowl. Why was she always so fierce and cold towards him?

Tom glanced behind them and when he was satisfied with the distance between them and their escort, he asked the questions that were brewing in his mind. "What is the deal with you and Scamander?"

Hermione gave him a skeptical look. "He saved us," was all the answer she gave him.

"Fine. What was that thing?"

Hermione shuddered and hugged herself. "A nightmare."

"Is he who tortured you?" The question slipped out. He was grateful when Hermione answered.

"No," she emphasized her answer with a shake of her head. "It was one of his followers." Her voice was just above a whisper. Tom found himself closing the distance between them so he could hear her. "He's a lot like you," admitted Hermione.

Tom gave a dry laugh. "I'm handsome and human. That thing was hideous and not human."

Hermione shook her head. "You both fear death. You both have followers. You both crave power. You both would rather torture than to listen. You both hate muggles and muggle-borns. "

Tom cursed that Boggart for letting Hermione see a piece of him that no one else had. "I see your point, but I'm nothing like that."

Hermione looked at him with sad eyes. "You are."

Tom stopped, forcing Hermione to stop with him. "How can I prove that I am different from that thing?" He hated that he felt something, something that he didn't want to feel when she looked at him. Was he really that evil and hopeless in her eyes? Yes, he wanted power. Yes, he disliked muggles and muggle-borns, thanks to the atrocities his mother committed. And yes, he liked to torture his followers when they deserved it. No, he did not want to be remembered as cruel and power-hungry. He just wanted to live and to have all of the wizarding world know that he, a half-blood, the heir of Slytherin, was powerful enough to overcome his handicaps and to rise up in the chain of command.

Hermione gave him a half smile. Tom felt something pull at his heart at seeing her smile, even if it was sad and small. "You could start by letting people into your heart. Make friends, real friends instead of just followers."

"Friends won't make me stronger."

Hermione hung her head. "Friends are the only reason why I'm still alive." She continued walking.

Friends won't help him. He was different from her. He didn't need friends to survive.