Leaning over his desk, scribbling away, Tom looked over his schedule with satisfaction. Next year, he would be eligible to join the matron's 'Slughorn's Slug Club.' By then, he would come into contact with more people who could benefit him. For now, all he needed to do was visit Professor Merrythought every weekend and learn spells that would not be taught in class.
His finger slid to the section marked wand. Tom narrowed his eyes and frowned in thought. Where exactly had that snakewood wand with a Basilisk horn core been buried? Did he really have to go abroad after graduation...? Shaking his head, Tom reined in his wandering thoughts. The Chamber of Secrets was more important than a wand.
Rising and taking his wand, Tom quietly slipped out of the common room. As long as he was not caught, it did not count as breaking the rules, did it? Sneaking around at night was simply a young wizard's nature.
Tom carefully made his way through the empty corridors, not even daring to use Lumos. The caretaker—Mr. Rankle—was not known for his good temper. If he caught someone wandering the halls at night, he would tie the young wizard up tight with a spell. Proceeding even more cautiously, Tom made it all the way to the fifth floor, where his sharp ears caught the faint sound of footsteps.
Damn, what rotten luck...
Muttering under his breath, Tom looked around. His peripheral vision caught sight of a mirror, and for some reason, he sprinted straight toward it. Like passing through the pillar at the platform, he went straight through the mirror and entered a cramped room filled with books.
Tom did not dare make a sound. Standing to one side, he pricked up his ears and listened to the movement outside.