TORMENT (Harry Potter Sequel)

Part II: Chapter Two

Tom stood there, staring back at the little girl in chains in front of him. She looked terrified.

Eventually the silence was broken when the girl found the courage to speak, "Are you... one of them?"

"Whose 'them'?" Tom's replies were as simple as ever.

"You know..." the girl tugged a little at her chains so that she could back away slightly from Tom. However her fearful eyes remained glued on him, "Them."

"Do I look like 'them'?" Tom asked. Still not truly sure on how he was meant to act.

The girl nodded her head uncertainly, "No," she admitted quietly.

"Who are you?"

The girl was caught off guard but Tom's sudden question. She tugged at her chains again. Again, they didn't budge

"I'm Mia..." she spoke softly and scaredly, "Mia Malumis," Tom's eyes widened in shock, "Who are you?"

"I'm... Tom... Malumis."

Mia's eyes shot up at Tom's introduction. She looked just as shocked as he did.

"So what..." her voice sounded just as unsure as Tom was feeling, "What happens now?"

Kings Cross was noticeably busier today. Hordes of people swarmed around the gargantuan train station, going back and forth, crowding the area to a point where practically nothing could be made out. As always, the hundreds of wizarding families went unnoticed by muggles as they transported themselves to Platform 9 ¾. However the atmosphere of the station was unlike anyone else could remember it being for a long time. The excitement of the Hogwarts Express was gone. Instead, a looming feeling of uneasiness had swept across all those who boarded the train. Paul Layne stood on the platform by himself surveying everyone else's families as they said the usual- their goodbyes and such. He'd changed a lot from his small, innocent self of younger years. He was now taller and smart. His haircut was sharp but his eyes were sharper. On the whole, his appearance had a very defined aspect to it making him appear striking. Of course he still wore his Slytherin badge. After a few minutes of him regarding all of the other families, he decided it best to finally get on board. He walked down the carriages until he found one with a small handful of his friends. He sat himself beside one in the corner and waited in silence as his friends chatted, waiting for all of the others that regularly sat with him on the journey to arrive. Eventually the compartment got more and more filled as energetic Slytherin students piled in, until it was full to bursting and they heard the whistle of the train, signifying its exit from the station. As Paul looked around himself, he realised how truly popular he had become in the last year or so; he was one of the heads of this friend group and he couldn't have done it without the influence of Tom Malumis. He frowned as he thought of him, looking to face out of the window as the Hogwarts Express started to pass everything by, making the outside world a blur.

"Paul. Paul!"
Paul was dragged back to reality as he turned away from the window.

"What?" he responded gruffly.

"You've been quiet, we were worried," said Abdul, the dark-skinned Slytherin boy that sat to his right.

"I'm fine. Just thinking," he turned back to look out the window.

"We were just saying about all the people who didn't come back this year. Because of what happened... y'know?"

"Mm-hm," Paul replied wordlessly before huffing through his nose and turning back again to face his friends, "I don't know- I saw quite a lot of people out there on the platform. A lot of families."
"You're always looking at those families out there aren't you?" asked Trevor, another of Paul's friends. Paul gave him a withering look.