O r p h a n ● Tom Riddle [Harry Potter Fanfiction]

➍ Quatre - Going Somewhere?

Tom and I were brought out into the entrance room where the guard sat at his desk, reading another newspaper. The woman stood with her hands on her hips, she was furious.

“What ya’ think you kids are playin’ at?”

It was hard to understand a word she was saying, I now guessed that she wasn’t always living in London, and that her accent came out the most when she was angry.

“You killed poor Billy’s rabbit! How did you two even get him onto the railings?”

Tom and I kept our faces innocent, and free of emotion.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mrs Pam” Tom started.

“Yeah, Mrs Pam, Tom and I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why would anyone want to kill Ramsey?” I asked sweetly.

She looked even more furious, “Look here-“

The black door opened, an old man with a bushy beard walked in.

“Hello, I’m looking for a Tom Riddle Jr.? I believe I sent you a letter”

He was wearing a brown button coat, and a newspaper boy cap. His beard was pure white, and bushy. He reminded me of Father Christmas.

“Oh, you’re… you’re looking for Tom Riddle Jr.? You must be Professor Dumbledore! I hadn’t realized what day it was! You have to understand my surprise from receiving your letter in the first place; Tom’s never had a visit from any relatives during his time here… If you’ll follow me this way… C’mon Tom”

The old man smiled. I looked towards Tom; he looked suspicious of the old man.

I kept myself on guard; watching the old man tentatively, as Mrs. Pam lead Tom and him to a reception room. I followed behind quietly, and snuck into the room at the last moment, and placed myself to the side of the door.

The old man smiled at Mrs. Pam. “Madam, if it’s quite alright with you, I’d like to speak with Tom alone.”

She hurriedly left the room; she didn’t even spare a glance at me. I doubt she realized I was even there.

“Are you a doctor? Mrs. Pam has been wanting to get me looked at for a long time,” Tom asked.

The old man chuckled, “No, I’m a professor at a school for people like you, for people like me…. A school of magic”

“Magic?”

“Yes, magic” the old man smiled, “you can do things, can’t you Tom? Things… Things other children cannot do”

Tom nodded, “I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals do what I want without having to train them… and I can make bad things happen to bad people”

The old man stayed silent, seemingly contemplating what Tom has just said.

“You said you come from a school of magic… Prove it.”

Dumbledore smiled.

In the corner of the room there was a tall wooden cabinet, and in only a moment it became engulfed in flames. Tom looked shocked, surprised, and there was a momentary flicker of excitement in his eyes. “You can learn how to do that at Hogwarts.”

“Hogwarts?” Tom was now curiously making his way toward the flames.

“Hogwarts is a school for magic, we teach you how to control your magic, we teach you how to use it… Tom, perhaps you’d like to take a look inside.”

Tom wasn’t afraid, and he opened the cabinet up. Inside was the mangled corpse of Ramsey, Billy’s pet rabbit.

“At Hogwarts, we don’t tolerate actions such as this. Do you understand that, Tom?”

Tom nodded, but just as Dumbledore was making his way out the room, Tom spoke up again, “And I can talk to snakes”, silence in the room, my eyes widened, parseltongue, “They come to me, they find me… they whisper stories… is that normal for people like me?”

  

No

 

Dumbledore stayed silent, he was looking at me now, but he didn’t look angry or surprised… just… curious.

I walked out from my spot by the door and held my hand out to Tom, “Tom, it’s time for us to go, isn’t that right, Professor Dumbledore?”

That seemed to shock the professor before he chuckled and nodded, “You know more than you should, child,” he said before making his way out the door.

Tom stood staring at the door, completely ignoring my outstretched hand, “Where are we going, Rosewood?” he asked, expressionless, and monotone.

I sighed and brought my hands back down to my side, I reached out for the door handle, before stepping out of the room I glanced back, and replied to him with a smile “We’re going to our new home, Tom”