"What was the first Ancient Runes class about?"
At the breakfast table in the Great Hall the next morning, Cedric paused, thinking back. "I remember it was really tough... Actually, the hardest class of the whole year was probably that first one."
Cho gave him a curious look. "Professor Babbling didn't dive into the application of magic runes in alchemy, did she? Or the different ways of writing that convey different meanings?"
To her surprise, Cedric shook his head right away. "No... That's fifth-year material. There's no way they'd cover that in third year."
"Then what did you...?"
"Professor Babbling taught us about the evolution of runic scripts... and what they looked like in their earliest forms."
Cedric grimaced. "You wouldn't believe how complicated those runes were before they got simplified... Honestly, that was the first time I ever felt like I couldn't remember anything in a class."
Fred and George nodded in agreement. "It was a nightmare."
"I felt like a stunted Troll..." Fred muttered.
Cho looked at the three of them sympathetically, understanding all too well after her own recent experience.
Kyle, listening nearby, suddenly asked, "How many of you were in that class?"
"About a dozen, I think," Cedric replied after a moment. "But it didn't really matter, because Professor Babbling said if you didn't want to take Ancient Runes, you could switch out. By the second week, only nine of us were left."
"Poor seven," Fred said with a chuckle. "We were actually on our way to Professor McGonagall's office to change, then suddenly..."
"We hesitated," George added, grinning. "And decided to stick it out for another lesson, for the sake of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."
"Good thing we did..."
"Because that second class was a bit more normal. Still hard, but at least we could follow it."
"You're not doing the same thing now, are you?" Cedric asked.
Cho sighed. "Apart from the content, it's pretty much the same, including the option to switch classes. But I don't understand—why would Professor Babbling do that?"
Fred thought for a moment. "Some say Professor Babbling wants third through seventh years to take the same classes together, so she deliberately thins out each grade. But that seems impossible."
"Yeah, everyone's learning different things," George pointed out. "Percy's working on Advanced Runes Translation, and we're still reading Ancient Runes Made Easy."
"Maybe that first class was Professor Babbling's way of testing us," Cedric suggested. "Learning magic is a tedious process, and you need patience to keep at it. I think she wants to weed out those who aren't up for the challenge, so they don't waste her time."
"That's just my guess, of course." Cedric took a sip of pumpkin juice and continued, "We don't really know much about Professor Babbling. She only appears for classes and holiday banquets. She hasn't even been to a Quidditch match."
For a while, they chatted about how hard it was to learn ancient runes, but how fascinating it became once you got the hang of it. Kyle listened intently, trying his best to blend in, without looking too pleased with himself.
This was where having a personal tutor made all the difference. Riddle was patient, knowledgeable, and had a deep grasp of ancient runes. With his guidance, Kyle avoided a lot of the usual pitfalls, making his learning far more efficient.
Before, I never really noticed, Kyle thought, but now that I compare, it's different… The problems Cedric and the others struggle with seem so simple to me. Of course, Riddle's diary was essentially Voldemort's study notes from his school days. Lately, though, these notes had been unreliable. Not only did they need careful handling, but the diary had gone silent a few days ago with no sign of when it would return.
Thinking about this, Kyle finished his breakfast and, as usual, made his way to the Room of Requirement. He opened Riddle's diary and greeted him, as he had every day recently.
Today, as expected, he wasn't holding out much hope. He wrote his usual message, about to close the diary when, to his surprise, Riddle responded right away.
[Apologies… My diary's magic seemed to run out suddenly the other day when you showed me that newspaper.]
Kyle picked up his quill, startled.
"Are you all right, Tom? I was worried about you."
[Sort of. Luckily, you've been using dragon blood to write to me lately.]
"So, what are we learning today? I've been waiting too long to continue."
Neither Kyle's fabricated story nor the news of Voldemort's death for a baby seemed to faze Riddle. He didn't even ask about anything else. It was as though Voldemort had been an insignificant figure, his death irrelevant.
Since Riddle seemed ready to proceed, Kyle didn't want to disappoint him.
"All right, then, let's continue with Ancient Runes."
[I thought that's what you'd choose. You really do enjoy Ancient Runes.]
...
But this time, they didn't study for long. Since Kyle had a class later, he had to leave by 8:50.
[Time always passes so quickly.]
Just before Kyle closed the diary, Riddle made an unexpected request.
[If possible, could you bring some creatures next time?]
"Creatures?" Kyle frowned slightly as he wrote back. "Do you need to eat? I could just bring some cooked ones from the kitchen."
[No, I don't need food. I've just always liked Magical Creatures—back in school, too—and I'd like to see them again.]
"They don't have to be rare. A Fairy or a Bowtruckle would be fine; they're easy to find near the Forbidden Forest."
Kyle hesitated. "But Tom, can you actually see them?"
[Of course. You just need to place them in the diary, and I'll be able to see them.]
"Well… all right. I'll go to the Forbidden Forest over the weekend."
Kyle agreed casually and quickly left the Room of Requirement. Riddle's sudden interest in animals didn't seem to have anything to do with Knuts, but Kyle didn't have time to wonder about his intentions.
There were only five minutes left until his first Transfiguration class, and if he was late… Ugh, an angry Professor McGonagall was far scarier than Voldemort.