110A/N: I'm very sorry for the late update. For those who don't know, I've been very stressed lately and haven't been in the mood to write anything. But I'm getting back into it!
It's a short chapter, I know I'm sorry x( I just couldn't find a way to make it longer, hopefully the next one will be better? I'm a little warped on the timeline for the Chamber of Secrets, I'm sorry if there's any confusion! I'll try to fix it up, but as of now Rina will point out later that she was wrong when she said Myrtle went to Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party.
Special thanks to Extended Experience and Shamillie101 for your reviews! :)
Rina
Tom
Riddle Rina This
Chapter 8
"High-ho, high-ho, it's off to work we go!" Rina sang to herself as she stealthily (at least, in her mind) made her way down to the old hut. She felt bad for the havoc she was going to rain on poor Hagrid, for the half-giant was very fond of his animal companions.
Oh well, she thought idly to herself. The iron cage jerked in her hand, and she could hear a distinct 'popping' sound, possibly the old fox trying to escape.
Ducking behind a large boulder, Rina craned her neck around its smooth edge to check if the coast was clear. Just when she was about to take a step forward, a voice nearly made her jump out of her skin.
"What is taking you so long?" Tom Riddle demanded, appearing next to her.
Rina whipped around clutching her chest with one hand and tightening her grip around the cage's handle.
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack!?" she asked n a harsh whisper. Tom rose an eyebrow.
"Why are you whispering?" he asked normally.
Rina shrugged. "It makes my mission more dramatic." She then turned, humming softly to herself the Pink Panther theme song before scurrying forward to another possible hiding spot.
Tom took a deep, calming breath, reluctantly following the girl and deciding to put her foolish antics far in the back of his mind. "I'm impressed," he admitted, spotting the cage in her hand. "The Care of Magical Creatures room has an enchantment to prevent students from breaking in."
"Using unlocking spells," Rina corrected. "They don't have anything preventing break-ins the old-fashioned way."
"You found a key?" Tom asked, surprised..
"No, it's just not that hard to do this -" Rina rolled her eyes, setting down the cage to demonstrate 'pick-locking' with her hands. "to a very old-fashioned lock. The security around this school is painfully outdated."
Tom hummed to himself, nodding in understanding. "I wouldn't have thought of that," he admitted quietly.
"What?"
"Nothing." He cleared his throat and quickly ushered her forward. "Now go on. We have no time to waste - we can't afford for Hagrid to spot us."
"Oh, we don't have to worry about him."
"Why not?"
"Because while I was in there, I released some of the less harmful creatures. So Hagrid, being Hagrid would most-likely be the one to help gather them before the could do any harm to the school. On the plus side it troubles Filch too. And that's always a bonus." Rina giggled at the thought of the old grouch chasing after the cornish pixies and being hung by his ears.
Tom shook his head, deciding not to delve into the girl's thoughts due to the suspiciously scary smile on her face. As the two made their way to the Pumpkin patch outside Hagrid's hut ("Would you stop humming!") Rina took a seat on one of the large pumpkins and held the fox cage in her lap.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" she asked. Tom nodded, eyeing the rooster hut from his spot beside her.
"Would you ever doubt me?"
"Yes."
He twitched. "Of course it's going to work! This breed of fox can't resist the meat of flight-less birds. Just release the creature and be done with it."
"No need to shout." Rina held out the cage and opened the lock. The yellow-brown fox jumped at it's first chance of freedom, disappearing with a loud 'POP!' and reappearing on twelve feet in front of her. The creature, curious with its new surroundings, sniffed the ground and air, before catching the rooster's scent and darting in the hut's direction.
"And now, we wait." Tom said, running a hand through his hair and smiling softly to himself.
"Aww," Rina cooed, jabbing a finger in his direction. "The grumpy man can smile!"
"Stop it." He scowled, crossing. Rina stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry before hopping down to the ground, intending to leave.
"You must wait!" Tom said quickly. "When you hear the last cries of the roosters, I need you to collect them!"
"Ha!" Rina laughed, whipping around with her hands on her hips. "I'm not strangling roosters for you, what the bloody hell makes you think I'm going to touch their dead bodies for you?"
"I need their blood for the next step of our plan! Do as I say!"
"You're not the boss of me!"
"Rina," he warned, stalking up to the girl. "You will do as I command. If you haven't forgotten, you owe me that favor. This is part of it."
"I'm very aware that this is a part of it. I'm very aware that you are a psychotic little boy with daddy issues. But don't forget, Little Riddle, that I can actually stop when I please. Of course, I'd lose my half of the deal, but that's beside the point."
Gritting his teeth, the teenage boy could only wish with all the power in the world that he could strangle the girl in front of him. But her defiant, emerald-green eyes gleamed with amusement at his frustration, and he refused to let her win. Kicking himself for the flash of emotion he allowed to sweep through his features, Tom collected himself and let out a long huff.
But before he could speak, however, Rina laughed and turned, pointing to the sky with a dramatic wave of her hand. "But worry not, my little riddle-man! I have come prepared with a plan!"
"You have?"
"Of course!" Rina gasped, as if she were offended at his surprise. She adjusted her glasses in thought. "You'd be surprised at this school's black market scheme going around. A friend of mine has exactly what we need. Let's go; I have detention tonight."
Laughing maniacally, Rina sauntered her way back to the castle, leaving a dumbfounded Riddle in his spot.
"Black . . . market?"
-whisperandyoushallbeheard-
Have you met with this friend of yours yet?
Can't really talk now, Little Riddle. Detention sucks!
You're problems do not concern me. If you were to commit a crime on school grounds, at least have the ability to not get caught.
Hey! It's not my fault Filch's cat decided to walk under my feet! I love cats but that mangy thing is like an incarnation of the DEVIL! Incarnation . . . did I use that right? Or is it the flower I'm thinking about? Or is that just 'carnation'?
Have you gotten your materials or not?
Chillax. We'll have it in a couple weeks - it's an emergency order, so my contacts promised I'd have it before Halloween. Plenty of time, I assure you.
Are you positive these 'contacts' of yours are reliable?
Of course! Did students not have their own underground black market thingy when you attended Hogwarts?
There have always been such trades, though I'd imagine it has become more advanced judging by your time period. I admit I may have participated to get certain materials that were denied me from the school. It was never called a Black Market, however.
Bad boy through and through. Ugh TwT I was so disappointed when I found out how the Black Market works. I didn't know it was just an expression.
What, did you expect a Black Market to be a real market underground with stalls selling body parts and stolen antiquities?
Yes. Yes I did. It looked a lot cooler in my head.
Mental, you are.
I'll take that as a compliment.
We wouldn't have to be going through all this trouble if you had just drained the roosters in the first place.
Hell-to-the-no! Now who's the one that's mental!?
. . .
I have to go. Ron is starting to give me the stink-eye because I'm not helping him clean the trophies. It doesn't help that he keeps spewing slugs all over the same one he's been cleaning for the past hour.
Stop! Is it already passed sundown?
Just barely. It's only 9.
Finish up quickly or find a way a to sneak away early. Our first plan of action will be set tonight.
What - now? Whyyyy?
Do not whine. I wish to release the basilisk and check the pipes. No doubt they need to be check thoroughly after years of abandonment. We may have to clean them out for it to slide through them easily.
'We'? What's all this 'we' business? I'm the one who'll have to do all the work!
Consider it an honorable duty, you're partaking in the purification of Hogwarts, and thus, the future of the Wizarding World.
You can consider my foot up you're a** for the purification of your twisted mind. Psh, I'm getting pudding before leaving. Ron is too concentrated on scrubbing his slug-slimed trophy to notice I'll be gone for a while.
Think me twisted as you please. You are not as innocent as you make yourself out to be.
Oh, I am anything but, Little Riddle.