TORMENT (Harry Potter Sequel)

Chapter Thirty Eight

"I can't believe we're really doing this," grumbled Ron under his breath. Hermione frowned and gave him a light push. They both stood outside the exit to Kings Cross station, awaiting the arrival of two people. The streets of London were bustling at this point so the two wizards did not stick out much.

"Look I know you don't like the boy but... I don't know, give him a chance," Hermione said soothingly, trying to ease Ron's worries. His scowl did not falter. He crossed his arms.

"You're always trying to paint me out to be the villain," he said, "You and Harry. Just because I'm a little harsh on a student-"
"We don't think you're a villain," Hermione interjected, her voice still calm, "I think you just don't see that he's a child."
"Can you blame me?!"

Hermione shrugged. In all truthfulness, she couldn't. "We're just giving him somewhere to stay over the holidays. And Harry's coming over too! It won't be long and, who knows, maybe it'll be fun!" Hermione said optimistically.

"Hey there!" a familiar voice called out to the two among the crowd. Harry Potter, now wearing regular clothes (but still with his iconic spectacles) ran up to his two best friends, "Sorry for keeping you waiting? Christmas already huh? That term felt so quick! You seen Tom yet?"

Hermione shook her head but Ron straightened up. He pointed, "Isn't that him over there?"

The large Tom stood out like a sore thumb in the crowd, looking around seemingly lost and confused.

"Hey!" Harry yelled out, his voice almost being drowned in the crowd. Tom's head shifted towards them. Harry gave a wide wave of his arm to indicate where he was. Slowly and monotonously with his regular look of sullen indifference, Tom walked up to them.

"Thank you... for waiting for me," he said the words with apparent difficulty.

Harry clasped his hands together, "Well we better get a move on!"

"Where are we going?" Tom asked, still unsure of what the actual plan was.

"To the Floo Network of course," answered Hermione and started walking away. Everyone else just followed her so Tom, not really knowing what to do, did so as well.

It had been a long term for Tom. A long and tough term. He felt alone. And cold. And sad. And he hadn't stopped smoking. After the agreement that he would be staying over at the Christmas term he hadn't spoken to Harry at all. The words from the letter still stayed in his mind.

'Don't trust anyone.'

Was he making a mistake coming here? That was the question that had been bugging him for over a month now. But he figured it was too late to back out now and besides, he had nowhere else to go. He'd be damned before he went back to that orphanage.

"Where are we?" Tom asked. It was uncharacteristic of him to start a conversation but he figured he needed to know. Hermione had lead the group into the back room of a seemingly random shop until they were in front of an ancient-looking fireplace.

"Oh nowhere special, just somewhere we can access the Floo Network," Hermione explained jollily. She reached out to grab a pot of powder that had been sitting on the mantelpiece.

"Floo Network?" Tom repeated the phrase with uncertainty. Ron looked over at him.

"You don't know about the Floo Network?" he asked incredulously. Tom only responded with a tired look.

"Neither did I to be fair," Harry said, "Basically it allows us to teleport from one place to the other. How do you think Ron and Hermione got to Kings Cross before the Hogwarts Express?"