Chapter One: Different

I glared out the grimy window, fingering the Head Boy badge that came with my letter from Hogwarts. "It's the thing you've always dreamed of, Tom." I spoke, externally mocking myself. With a scoff I threw it into the corner of my room, near my pile of books and other miscellaneous magical world items. I glided over to my bed and lay in the moth eaten sheets earlier then normal because perhaps I would have some escape in sleep from the place that I was sentenced to. . I buried my face into the pillow that reeked of mold, looking for something more in life then loss, but alas, I only found myself in the beginnings of a coughing fit. I wasn't aware that I had fallen asleep until I was waking up as the sun filtered through the layers of dirt and dust that clouded my closet of a bedroom. There was a knock on the door before it clicked open and the head mistress walked in, sitting gently next to me. "Tom, it's time to get up," She patted my back gently, trying to be courteous, knowing that sleep was an unusual occurrence whenever I was home for the summer holidays."

"No."

"But you must eat something, you've been here for a week and your plates have been coming back full every day."

False affection and worry filled her voice and my temper was igniting in my stomach; this woman needed to leave. "I don't need you, an insolent woman who is forced to care for me to interrupt my days anymore then necessary. No mind your back when you walk out of the door, miss." She stormed out like they all did, and I heaved a sigh of relief. "7 weeks, Tom and you can go back." I thought to myself as I fell back into the black abyss that was my own mind.

Seconds ticked by like hours, but not soon enough was the summer over. The secondary mistress sat next to me in the cab sent from the Ministry of Magic on our way to King's Cross Station. The ride was silent but the tension was as thick as tar, a feature that I chose to remain ignorant to. When the car halted, I collected my things and was stopped only by a hand over mine, "I signed your papers saying you can stay at the school during breaks this year, the head mistress disagreed but I signed them anyways, I hope some peace will come of that." I tugged my hand away with muttered thanks as I threw my things onto a trolley and marched down to platform 9¾.

Booth after booth, students had already piled into the cars, filling them to the maximum. With a growl I went to open the door to the booth closest to the luggage car, hoping to find it empty. Dismally it was locked, and the shutters were drawn. "Bloody hell." I cursed and turned away.

"I suppose all the other booths are filled for you to even come near mine?" A voice sounded from behind me.

"Well miss, I was entirely uninformed that the booths carried name tags." I spat, turning to face her while she rebutted.

"Only if you are the most infamous witch of the school, do you own public things."

The girl that now stood before me was fantastically beautiful, with deep brown waving hair and bright eyes, and I found myself staring for a moment, but a moment was long enough for her to notice.

"Hey kid!" She snapped breaking my gaze. "If you really need a seat, I've got an open one; just don't stare at me like I'm something that needs immediate devouring." She walked into the booth, leaving the door ajar. Dumbfounded by her audacity, I followed her in mechanically and shut the door behind me.

With a wave of her hand she clicked the lock shut and sat down soundlessly, her feet moved gracefully up onto the rest of the bench in front of her, while she leaned into the wall that the door was attached to. "You don't have to stand, but if you intend on doing so then feel free."

I threw my bags onto the shelf above the window and glanced down at the table beneath it and admired her first-hand selection of books, which to my surprised delight included; Magick Moste Evile, Secrets of the Darkest Art, Moste Potente Potions, and other books that were written in a language foreign to me. Before I could attempt the titles, they floated up onto the shelf and into the girl's bag. "You have courage to be looking through my books, sir."

I sat down on the unoccupied bench and sent her a glare, "What makes you so conceited? I've never even seen you walking about Hogwarts."

She laughed, a haunting sound that sent a chill throughout my body, as she stood and approached me, her face inches from mine, "Just because you don't see me, does not mean that I'm not there, Mr. Tom Riddle." This girl was unbearable. I grabbed her arms and stood up, towering over her, her electric blue eyes meeting mine, but unwavering.

"You are intolerable and if there was any other place to sit, be sure that it would be as far away from you as possible. I'll be sure to put you on my list of students to be overly cautious of as Head Boy." Another haunting laugh resounded from her chest. "What is so comical in this situation?"

The laugh stopped and she looked me in the eyes, her expression utterly emotionless, and her eyes black with fury. In an instant I was propelled back onto my seat. "Of course they gave you the position in your sixth year, but for your information, I'm the female Ravenclaw prefect." She sat down silently and turned away from me. "Now you know why no one sits with me."

An hour ticked by in silence, I, Tom Riddle, had no idea what to say next. Eventually the girl's breathing evened out and I took my wand from my pocket and whispered "Imperio". She took a sharp breath in as the curse took effect.

"Speak but do not wake." I commanded. "Tell me your name and your year."

"Ciara Helena Linday- fourth year Ravenclaw prefect" She muttered in her sleep.

"Tell me why you have such dark magic books." I inquired, also wondering how she could even get her hands on them, seeing as I didn't even have that luxury.

"They suit their owner." Her answer was an intriguing puzzle that needed to be solved so I continued on with my commands.

"Tell me what you have done that is evil." Her next statement filled me with a familiar emotion of loss and pain as though she were pressing it out in her barely audible words.

"I killed my parents and my little sister with wordless and wandless magic."

"Tell me where you stay, if you have no family." I hoped she did not face the same fate that I did, though my fears were only confirmed when she stated the name of another orphanage that lie across town from mine. "Do not remember this but you are freed from the curse and wake when you please." For a moment she stirred in her sleep and a grimace came across her face and for a split second I wondered what she was dreaming about, then again I realized that I shouldn't be concerned with that or any of the other things that I felt the need to curse out of her.

There was something about her though, I couldn't figure out. Was I actually afraid of an insignificant fourth year? The idea was blasphemous, the Dark Lord was afraid of no witch or wizard that walked the planet. After the ride was over, I swore that I would never associate with this girl on my own free will that did not end in her punishment.

Though she was beautiful, and obviously a rare personality: all of her shades of blue needed to be squashed.