For several days, Astoria had been watching Ginny closely. But Ginny's movements were unpredictable, and as a Slytherin, Astoria couldn't keep tailing a Gryffindor without drawing suspicion. It was too conspicuous.
So Tom's sharp mind spun again.
If I can't get to Ginny Weasley directly… then why not go after Luna?
Luna was far easier prey. Unlike Ginny, she had no circle in Ravenclaw—no friends, no allies. Aside from her shared classes with Ginny, she spent her time drifting about alone, as though she were in her own little world.
Even today, after the Quidditch match ended, Luna skipped happily back toward the castle by herself.
Tom shadowed her silently. In the courtyard, he found a blind spot in the shadows, stunned her without effort, and with a Disillusionment Charm masking them both, slipped into the Room of Requirement unnoticed.
Once inside, he revived her.
After all, Luna wasn't the target—she was just the bait. And Tom, despite his schemes, wasn't one to torment an innocent girl without cause. He even softened his expression, preparing to keep things civil.
But to his surprise, when Luna awoke, she didn't scream or panic. Instead, her wide silver eyes blinked curiously, scanning the room with calm detachment. Tom, amused, prodded her further—hence the little test with his wand beneath her chin.
Yet even now, he felt no fear radiating from her. Only quiet, eerie observation.
"Riddle," she said softly, her voice dreamy and distant, "you've noticed it too, haven't you? Ginny's been… strange."
Tom froze. She knows?
The girl's eyes—too large in her thin, pale face, like a goldfish—gleamed with odd certainty.
"You knew?" Tom asked, thrown off by her bluntness.
She nodded serenely. "Since October, she's changed a great deal. Distracted, tired, always burdened by something heavy. She hides in corners, scribbling things when she thinks no one's looking."
"And you didn't intervene?" Tom demanded.
"If Ginny wanted to tell me, she would have," Luna replied simply, pacing the room with bare, soft steps. "Even friends can't meddle in another's life." She tilted her head. "Though… every time she hears your name, her expression shifts. Doesn't that feel… connected to you?"
Tom's lips tightened.
Bloody Ravenclaws. First their little geniuses like Quirrell and Lockhart—schemers and fools alike—and now this one. Too sharp in all the wrong ways.
"Are you suspicious of me?" Tom asked, eyebrow arched.
Luna blinked at him, puzzled. "You're uncomfortable… because I can see too much. Aren't you?"
"Yes," Tom admitted, honest for once. "No one likes being read like a book."
The girl frowned faintly. "But I can't help it. Just as you… don't feel entirely human. More like a magical creature."
Tom's eyes twitched. He clapped a hand over her mouth, cutting her off before she could say more.
"Enough. If you can't control your instincts, at least control your tongue. Keep your observations to yourself, understood?"
Luna nodded silently, and he withdrew his hand.
"Now. Let's talk about Ginny." His tone hardened.
Luna was uncanny—terrifyingly so. If she'd ever seen a Thunderbird or a dragon, she might have pinned his very bloodline to the mark. Better to keep her focused elsewhere.
"Lovegood, I believe Ginny Weasley is the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets," Tom said bluntly, "and the one who attacked your housemate, Penelope Clearwater."
Luna's wide eyes widened further. She gasped, half in disbelief. "Ginny? That's impossible… isn't it?"
"That," Tom said coldly, "is exactly what we're going to ask her." He gestured around them. "The reason you're here is to draw her to me."
Luna lowered her head in thought. "…I see."
…
Meanwhile, Astoria hurried Ginny along narrow staircases and shortcuts, taking paths that led straight to the seventh floor.
Ginny's nerves prickled. Something about this was off. Why would Ravenclaws drag Luna all the way here—so close to the Headmaster's office of all places?
But Astoria was flushed, breathless, her frail body trembling with exertion as she ran. That effort, that seeming desperation, disarmed Ginny's doubts. She didn't press further.
Tom had left the door to the Room ajar. Astoria burst through, Ginny on her heels.
The younger Weasley froze at the sight.
Luna was indeed inside—but unharmed, sitting placidly as if waiting. And beside her, in the center of the room, stood Tom Riddle.
Ginny's face drained of all color.
She spun on her heel to flee.
A snap of Tom's fingers.
"Incarcerous."
Golden ropes shot from the air, twining around Ginny with serpentine precision, knotting themselves in patterns too complex to wriggle free. She was yanked upward, dangling helplessly from the wall like a puppet.
Tom eyed her with faint amusement. A pity she was just eleven—no grace, no curves—his ropework wasted on such a scrawny frame.
Ginny's wide, horrified eyes darted to Luna. "Luna—you betrayed me?!"
Luna tilted her head, unbothered. "No, Ginny. He really did catch me first."
Tom conjured a chair with a flick, guiding the exhausted Astoria to sit and handing her a glass of water. Only then did he stroll to stand before Ginny, meeting her panicked gaze.
"So tell me, Weasley," Tom asked quietly, "why did you try to run the moment you saw me?"
Ginny swallowed hard, looking away. "Because only an idiot wouldn't! This is obviously a trap!"
Tom chuckled. "Smart girl. Then be smarter still. Why do you think I set a trap for you?"
"I—I don't know!" Ginny stammered, writhing against the ropes. "Just let me down—it hurts hanging like this!"