The Heir of Slytherin

[Q.Araignee]

It was soon after Tom had arrived in the Common Room that he had remembered Arsenio- he had never come back with the Headmaster. An almost silent hiss escaped his lips- there was only one person in Hogwarts who could have found out about the attack before he had arrived, one person who could have alerted the Headmaster before heading off the student sent to get him.

I'll have to be even more careful than usual, if Dumbledore's getting himself involved.

Although he was careful in everything he did, Tom knew that Professor Dumbledore had an uncanny ability to find something hidden beneath no matter how many layers of lies. And if he was getting a Slytherin's help...now what would he need a student for? This conundrum puzzled him for few moments, until everything clicked. A Slytherin's help- a Slytherin boy in fact, who could reach the Dormitory's...a Slytherin spy.

There was a flash of a tight-lipped smile, immediately forgotten, as he thought about the idea. It seemed just like the thing that Dumbledore would do- not appear involved, yet be at the centre of the an intrinsic web of information.

After a while, he caught Lucia on her way to finish her share of the Prefect duties that she had dropped after the attack. With a voice filled with trust in his fellow Prefect, a face seemingly open and charming, he asked her to send Arsenio his way if they met as he wanted to thank him for finding the Headmaster. When she promised, he thanked her so sincerely that she swept out of the room- a little, just a little, bit flustered.

Tom went up to his Dormitory, changed, and went to bed. If he was right, as he nearly always was, and Dumbledore had asked Arsenio to spy on him, he was sure that the boy wouldn't dare approach him until morning at least. His reputation would make sure of that. As he closed the curtains around his bed, he finally allowed himself a satisfying grin of pride.

[choki]

Upon finishing his round, Artus headed back towards the Gryffindor tower. However, on the way back, he spotted a dark figure loitering along the corridor of 2nd floor.

"Who's there!" Artus called out. The figure froze for a moment before running off to the opposite direction. Quickly, he gave it a chase.

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

He had a nightmare that night. When he woke up with a jolt, Arsenio still remembered it quite clearly:

He was standing in the corner of a dimly lit room - it was reminiscent of one of the unused classrooms in the dungeons of Hogwarts. A young pale boy sat in a chair in the middle of it, with some sort of book or diary open in front of him.

"Almost there..." the boy muttered expectantly and turned around for a second to glance around the room. It was then that Arsenio saw that the boy had his wand - it was hard to describe - inside the book. Except... when he looked again it seemed like it wasn't even touching it.

Arsenio yelped with surprised. The boy was - was... he couldn't say. It was as though he was cutting himself open and yet no wound was on him.

But the boy heard Arsenio's exclamation and turned around swiftly, breaking the connection with the book when he tore his wand away from it.

Arsenio screamed when he saw the boys face - it seemed a little less full, as though he had not slept for a year. Some of his hair had appeared to fall out, and his eyes had tightened.

The face seethed with fury, and pointed its wand straight at Arsenio's neck.

"Avada ked-,"

That was when Arsenio had woken up. When he had just been about to perform what he recognised as the killing curse. On him.

It was a face of death staring him in the eyes...

But what disturbed him most was that it was the face of Tom Riddle.

[Scarlet Lioness]

As Mervanai crept through the silent corridors a voice called out asking who was there. After a slight pause in his step he quickened his pace but still kept almost silent footsteps.

Whoever it is, is following me...they're not too good at it, are they? Must be a Gryffindor...

He continued in his search for Joke and Kay.

[Q.Araignee]

Depsite the cool night, Tom awoke drenched in cold sweat. That dream had been too vivid, too real...He forced himself to calm down, lay still and run through it very slowly.

His first attempt, on the Eve of the New Year, which had been successful beyond his imagining. After all this time he had managed to create one, though it had seemed to change him amidst the sigle moment of wrenching pain- and someone had seen him this time. Originally, it had only been himself staying for the Christmas holidays...but there was a witness, one that he suspected had actually shared his dream last night. How, he did not know- but Arsenio had seen what he had done, and would no doubt tell Dumbledore at the first opportunity.

Tom opened his curtains a little, to see that everyone around was still sleeping. Without a sound, he picked up his wand- placing it in a pocket of his dressing gown- and crept down to the empty Common Room. If his suspicions were correct, the boy wouldn't be able to get back to sleep now...as long as he was alone...

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

Arsenio was too disturbed by the dream to get back to sleep. He climbed down the staircase into the Common Room, to get a glass of water.

[Scarlet Lioness]

Mervanai succeded in finding Joke and Kay- after searching for a good 45mins.

The were down in the kitchens, getting 'supper.' You'd think they hadn't eaten for days on end by the way they were gulping down the cakes...

He shook his head. They hadn't noticed his arrival.

"You two would make really good detectives, you know? Slacking off after 20mins of dissapointment...You two really are pathetic." Merv leant on the door frame, an evil-ish snear on his face made them almost quiver in their shoes. "Yes, you should look afraid, because I expected more of you two, you're my best people...but, I have to say...you've really dissapointed me...Thougfh you may be able to redeem yourself by digging up some dirt on RIDDLE...not house elves.."

With that, he turned and left them with their mouths open, cakes left half eaten in their hands.

He chuckled to himself.

I really do scare those two...

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

Arsenio stopped dead in his tracks. At the bottom of the stairs waiting for him was a slim, pale-faced boy.

[Q.Araignee]

He stared right into the boy's trembling features, disguising a delighted grin. Of course he had been correct, who could face that scene and be able to forget it so easily? With an imperceptible movement, he took hold of his wand and pointed it at Arsenio's neck.

"I'm sorry it's had to come to this, but I can't have you telling anyone what you saw..."

All it took was a flick, and the memory was altered: no making had he seen, no meeting with Tom- just a nightmare that had been immediately forgotten when he awoke and the desire to find comfort by the fireplace. Before he had recovered enough to recognise him, Tom fled silently back to his bed- praising himself on the quality of the Memory Charm.
Not even Dumbledore can break that, the old fool!

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

Arsenio stopped dead in his tracks. For a brief moment he seemed to forget why he was going down to the Common Room.

Then he remembered: he had had a nightmare of some horrid sort. He was still sweating a little too, he noticed. But it was alright - he would just settle down and relax in front of the fire until morning came, and he would probably forget all about it.

[Scarlet Lioness]

Once Merv arrived at the Hufflepuff staircase and entered the Common Room it was well after midnight.

It was empty.

I'm just going to wait untill those two come back. Scare them a bit more maybe... he chuckled to himself and turned off the lamp next to the armchair he had settled in.

The only light was the slowly dying fire.

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

So Arsenio woke up to a chilly morning and the fire almost dead. He yawned and stepped heavily up a staircase and into his dormitory.

[choki]

Artus woke up early in the morning with a rather heavy heart. With an emtionless look, he walked down the spiral stairs and slumped into a sofa nearby.

His buddies had thought it was due to the missed opportunity for Artus's confession to Lucia. Afterall, he had planned it for quite a period of time.

However, this was not the only thing that came across his mind. Although he was disappointed with the unexpected turn of events which costed him his chance of confession, Artus was more concerned of the aftermath issues that will be appearing soon.

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

There was ten minutes before he could go down for breakfast, so Arsenio slumped on his bed for a few of them, before changing out of his pyjamas and into his normal clothes, and finally heading downstairs and then up to the Great Hall.

He thought that perhaps later he might go down further into the dungeons to practise his potions - he needed it.

[choki]

Along the way to the Great Hall for breakfast, everyone whom Artus met, approached him to find out about Susie. Everytime, he brushed the question aside and ignored them. Frustrated with the endless queries, he threatened to take away house points from the next person to ask him that.