Unravelled² → Tom Riddle [Rewritten]

CHAPTER SEVEN

Evelyn knew she had to remember. If not for her, then for the Wizarding World. She had to know what truly happened during her time at Hogwarts and she knew just the people to speak to.

"So you'll head up on the Hogwarts Express to see Dumbledore," Daniel said to her, "then you can go to Inverness, that's where we last knew Lily was."

"And we haven't heard from Sara in a while now..." aded Olive.

Evelyn felt a pit in her heart but she knew Sara was strong, she would be fine. "We should get going if I want to make it on time, thank you for having me." She smiled at Olive and Daniel, grateful for their hospitality.

"I hope you remember Evelyn."

"Me too," but she wasn't sure she wanted to. Everything that they had told her seemed unreal, it wasn't her, but somehow, it had been. 

Daniel had offered to drive her the night before so she bundled herself into the front seat of his car with an uncomfortable smile. The pair sat in silence for the duration of the journey, neither quite knowing what to say. Nothing either could say would nullify the tension they were feeling.

Daniel walked her to the station without a word, "thank you." Evelyn smiled meekly.

"Best of luck," he looked her in the eyes, "we really need this." His gaze intensified, "you have to remember."

"I'll try," it was all she could do, and Daniel reminding her was only of so much help.

Once Daniel had left, Evelyn felt the panic rise inside of her.  Anxiously, she clutched at the ticket, pressing it close to her chest as she breathed in the familiar air of Birmingham Station, a place she remembered vaguely from her days at Hogwarts. She made her way towards the barrier almost instinctively, as though her body was recalling this exact moment only a few years ago. Evelyn closed her eyes and with a brisk run, she ran straight through the barrier and onto Platform 9 3/4.

Everywhere she looked there were students, rushing around the platform without an ounce of regard for personal space. It was the sort of situation that would usually have made her uncomfortable, but the prospect of going back to Hogwarts made her feel unusually calm, answers were waiting for her. Steam from the scarlet engine of the Hogwarts Express flooded the platform, casting a haze over the platform and causing the students to all fade away from Evelyn and lose themselves in the smoke. Like ghosts, they manoeuvred through the mist and onto the Hogwarts Express, Evelyn following closely behind a gaggle of students and making her way into an empty carriage.

Once Evelyn was inside the carriage, the tiredness overcame her. Every inch of her body craved sleep and she was happy to oblige. Evelyn slept as though she hadn't in weeks, she slept as though Tom Riddle didn't exist, as though he was simply a creature of her nightmares.

As the train rolled up, Evelyn saw the familiar sight that was Hogwarts: standing tall in all of its beauty. Hogwarts had remained the same after all these years, ready to welcome her back with open arms.

As soon as Evelyn stepped off the train, she felt at ease. Hogwarts was her home and had been ever since she first stepped inside all those years ago. Her body ran on autopilot as she began to make her way towards the thestral drawn carriages waiting outside the station. She hadn't been back in years, but she felt mysteriously calm, her body remembered Hogwarts, as much as perhaps her mind did not. 

"Are yeh the last one 'ere?" Evelyn squinted as she heard the voice, attempting to sharpen her eyesight enough to see more than simply a large figure stood at the end of the train platform.

"I think so," she shouted down the platform to him, her response causing him to jog briskly until he was level with her.

"Rubeus Hagrid." He extended his arm, his hand clasping over almost the entirety of Evelyn's forearm as he shook it.

"Evelyn Rivers."

A few moments of silence passed over the pair as they both clambered into a carriage, that until her sixth year at Hogwarts, Evelyn had believed to be charmed rather than pulled by thestrals. Evelyn sat opposite him, her eyes wandering across his face in an attempt to decipher where she knew him from.

"Are yeh here for the teachin' job?" He brushed a collection of wiry hairs behind his ears as he spoke.

"No, I'm just here to see Professor Dumbledore, I'm an old student of his." Evelyn smiled at Hagrid, she hadn't wanted to be alone, especially not before seeing Dumbledore, an event she knew would be important. She looked at him up and down, Evelyn remembered the boy, whether it be from her own memories, or what others had told her, she remembered him. "I remember you, you're the boy that got expelled."

"It weren't my fault. I never did what they said. I weren't doing anything wrong and then suddenly I was out. Said my Aragog was dangerous but he weren't, he's the sweetest beast I ever kept." 

"What have you done since being expelled?" Evelyn wasn't sure if she really wanted to know, she just needed something to fill the silence.

"Well, I been 'ere, haven't I? Dumbledore's been training me to be a gamekeeper, a mighty good one at that. Ain't nowhere else I'd rather be you know? Hogwarts is where the magic is." He wasn't wrong. Although there was magic everywhere, the magic surrounding Hogwarts was different, it was special. Hogwarts held a special place in many magical folks hearts. "What have you been doin' since you left? Still runnin' around with that Riddle b-" abruptly his cheeks began to flush a violent red, "I shouldn't have said that. I should not have said that."

So maybe it was true, maybe what Olive and Daniel had told her was reality. Somehow, this boy remembered what she couldn't. 

"I expect Dumbledore will be waitin' for yeh. Anyways I got places to be..." He spoke with such speed, barely enunciating each word let alone the syllables that made it up. He gave Evelyn one last smile before jumping out of the carriage and making his way into the castle.

Evelyn wasn't sure how to respond. She wasn't sure what she had just heard, or what she was about to hear and it didn't bode well with her. The unknown had always made Evelyn anxious but as she made her way towards Hogwarts, it gave her more anxiety than ever before.

Usually, stepping into the place she called home would have been enoughto calm her nerves, but today it made them worse. Evelyn didn't know what she would find out, she didn't know if she could even trust what Dumbledorewould say to her. 

Evelyn's body ran on autopilot as soon as she entered through the castle doors, her legs taking her towards Dumbledore's office without a second thought. As she strolled through the familiar corridors, she felt her heart begin to sink in her chest, further and further with each step. Hogwarts may have been her home all those years ago, but it certainly didn't feel like it today.

Despite knowing she was safe, Evelyn found her hands running up her legs, edging closer to the wand protruding from her pocket. Her fingers coiled around it, clutching it as though she were a snake strangling her prey: she needed her wand. She may have felt safe now, but who knew what could happen. Evelyn couldn't predict the future, as much as she wished she could, so she had to be ready for any changes that could happen around her.

 When Evelyn arrived at Dumbledore's old office, it was empty: the door was open but there was nobody inside. She knew it would be strange to go inside without permission, but Evelyn needed to be inside, she needed the safety of the familiar location to help ease her nerves.

As soon as she stepped inside his office she felt her heart rate begin slow, her grip on her wand beginning to loosen with each step she took: everything was as she remembered it. Gryffindor red accents were splattered across the room, an almost empty bowl of liquorice laces sat on his desk; Evelyn was glad to be here. Everything felt right, it felt familiar, safe.

Evelyn took a seat on the chair opposite Dumbledore's desk, closing her eyes. "I hope I'm not disturbing you, Evelyn." Once she opened her eyes, she saw Professor Dumbledore sat opposite her, his hands fumbling inside the bowl of liquorice laces. "Would you like one? I often find that something sweet helps me to think."

"No thank you Professor."

"To what do I owe the pleasure if not for my confectionary? He popped a liquorice lace into his mouth.

"I-" she took a deep breath, "I need to know about Tom Riddle."