The Towers that Eclipes Darkshire

[Tom Marvolo Riddle]

I turned my neck back towards where Gryffindor Tower was, and I spotted the miniscule duo who had ended my reign before it began. It was a set of unique circumstances that brought them about, but one I wasn’t entirely opposed to. They shared attributes with me that would make me a fool if I ignored. So perhaps unfortunately I had to reject Nealaphh’s offer even though it was quite enticing.

“No, I had intended to summon those two, just not at this juncture.” I said calmly, before adding as an afterthought, “Let them wander around a bit, I’ll see to them shortly.”

Curiosity nipped at me, wondering from when I had summoned them. When specifically was why I had been intending to find the collection of books that referenced the one boy which so surreptitiously bore his namesake. To make an informed decision how to summon them. But for now indulging in such things as Nealaphh’s offer or hunting down the books would be more of an interference than a solution.

With a wave of my hand I sent a fraction of the full force of Hogwart’s dimming supply of Omnilium to make minor adjustments to the entire layout. One was directing the staircases to allow for an uninterrupted route to the Great Hall and a small feast to await them at Gryffindor’s table. Once that had been accomplished, I set the rest of it to finish the work I had planned, which for one was expanding the area opposite of the Institute’s embassy into a full museum and the Room of Hidden Things.

The latter of which I was hesitant to include but I could not bring myself to actively detract from the Founder’s original vision. But it did present a quandary in what might be stashed there after a few millenniums of Omniverse Students. Potentially items summoned by primes at that.

“So aesthetics aside, functionally is there anything in particular you require?” I said after a moment.

~*O*~

Harry gave the thing a glare as it continued to block their path. It had dead eyes and yet it somehow managed to convey that it was assessing them. The moment they had tried to back away that thing seemed to block their path faster than Harry could really respond to. A bit maddening really.

What unnerved him, and probably Ginny too given that she was squeezing his free hand pretty hard, was the fact it wasn’t doing anything else other than keeping them in place-

It blinked once slow and then started to retreat to somewhere else.

Well they weren’t petrified, Harry thought. At least not that he could tell, everyone who had been hit with that curse had been stiff as stone, but would they have even noticed had they been petrified? One moment frozen and the next… not?

“I don’t think that was Slytherin’s monster.” Harry said quietly, not wanting to attract its attention again.

Ginny flinched, “No, I don’t think was.”

Harry gave her a careful look as Ginny stared in the thing direction, disappearing. Sure the Monster had been bad but no one had been permanently hurt. Why was she worried? Putting that to the back of his mind he focused on what was happening now, they were alone and a weird monster had just kept them from moving forward.

“Come let’s find the Professor.” Harry said quickly before the creature could change its mind.

Ginny nodded slowly but moved quick enough with Harry, careful to keep close to him. Something about her seemed paranoid and he had a hard time putting his thumb to why. Had she been like this all year? From the way Ron had described her, this girl was nothing like what he was being treated to right now.

For now they could only go down, out of their House and hope to make it to Professor McGonagall’s office on the first floor and possibly find her.