Muggle Madness:

Chapter 1 - The Beginning

The middle-aged Transfiguration teacher of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore quickly entered the Hog's Head to interview the new divination teacher who would begin teaching at Hogwarts that Fall - Eliza Trelawney.

"Cassandra Trelawney, who I am sure you've heard of, is my great-grandmother!" exclaimed Eliza, "She is, of course, a legend. A spectacular Seer with a very strong aura… Fortunately, her Divination powers have traveled down the family…"

Dumbledore merely nodded and stirred his sweet lemon tea as Eliza continued with tales of the brilliance of her ancestor and how she seemed to have acquired the same talent.

"I do not remember her very well, but…" Eliza faltered. Dumbledore looked up from his murky tea and noticed with slight alarm that the potential Hogwarts Divination teacher was no longer sitting up and talking lively about her talented family, but was now slumped in her chair with her eyes empty. Dumbledore was no doubt, a very talented wizard, a highly valued person in the wizarding world at age fifty-six. However, despite his unnatural depth of knowledge, he was unsure of what was happening to Eliza at the moment. Eliza Trelawney swayed unstably in her seat and her mouth dropped open. Then, she stiffened and bolted up in her chair. Dumbledore realized with amusement and shock that she was in some type of a trance. Before he could think of a spell to bring her back into consciousness, Eliza's head snapped up and she spoke in a raspy, harsh voice.

"The one not of this world shall surface… And change the dark future of our world…The only one able to affect the darkest creature who knows not of love, but only of devastating evil... A tragic catastrophe will befall on both worlds… But neither can live while the other survives…"

Eliza's horrific voice faded with her last words, her head slumped onto her shoulder and her body lay limp in the dusty armchair. Dumbledore had half-risen from his chair but had frozen as Eliza had finished, and observed her closely.

With a sudden gasp, Eliza Trelawney bolted upright in her chair and looked around the dusty old room of the Hog's Head in slight confusion. Her eyes were colorful with light once more and no longer seemed as if she was being… controlled.

"Oh, my…. I apologize. I must've blanked out…" Eliza claimed, feeling a bit embarrassed that she couldn't remember what had just happened in her interview with Dumbledore. She shook her head slightly and shrugged. "Ah, yes… As I was saying, I was not too close with my great-grandmother Cassandra, but my grandmother…"

Eliza Trelawney carefully packed her most prized possession into a durable mahogany box lined with soft red velvet . She stared at her great-grandmother's crystal ball with a mystic look in her eyes. After a while, she closed the box carefully with a slight smile on her face. She placed it into her suitcase and closed with a wave of her wand. She was finished packing all of her belongings and was ready to move into Hogwarts where she would teach as the new Divination Professor.

Thousands of miles away, an eleven-year-old girl with fair skin and strikingly contrasting black hair glared angrily at the pale, handsome boy with equally dark hair with suspicion. They stood, frowning at each other at the entrance to the dining room of Wool's Orphanage.

"I know it was you, Riddle." She sneered, and her dark eyes narrowed.

"You know that I am far superior than you, do you? Well, about time!" retorted the pale boy with coldness.

"Playing dumb again…" she muttered, shaking her head. "It's quite obvious, Riddle. No one here can stand to be near you. When you walk down the halls, they all scatter away in fear."

Tom Marvolo Riddle smirked, knowing that that was exactly what he had wanted. To be feared, to be known that he was superior. He had gained a whole new level of confidence a month ago when Professor Dumbledore had visited him and had informed him that he was a wizard. He no longer needed to prove it to the 'muggles'. He would soon start attending Hogwarts in the Fall and he would be surrounded with others who were like him - magical.

"All except for you. Too bad." Riddle said, and tried to walk past the girl who stepped to block his path again. He looked up, irritated and tempted to curse her with his newly acquired wand; 13½'' yew wood with a phoenix feather core. He had already read all of his books that he had gotten from used bookstores in Diagon Alley. However, he had promised Dumbledore that he would not bother the other children and Riddle knew that he had to act appropriately in order to be able to attend Hogwarts.

"I don't know how you're doing it. But I know it's you. What you're doing... Is… is… Sick. Billy Stubbs did nothing to you. Nor did his rabbit. And you did something to Amy and Dennis that day when we went out to the seaside!"

Riddle knew that the children had a general idea that he was the source of terror among the orphans but was sure that he had silenced the ones he had tortured from telling what he had done. But of course, he was not going to admit his evil actions to the new orphan.

"I find your accusations absolutely preposterous." Riddle said flatly and shoved the girl out of the way roughly which was easy with her skinny frame. He looked back briefly to see if she would continue to follow him and saw with relief that she had walked away quickly. He needed to do something to silence her as well. She was a meddlesome, stubborn muggle. He quickly remembered the Obliteration Charm from one of his schoolbooks. He did not dare perform any spells yet, but after his first year at Hogwarts, he would abandon the orphanage and rise above all. He would prove to be superior.

"'I find your accusations absolutely preposterous'?" the girl muttered to herself, "Who says that?" She walked down the gloomy dark hallway to her room, angry with herself that she could not present any evidence that could corner the evil Riddle and have him sent away from the orphanage. No eleven-year- old in their right mind would even say something like that, she thought. Then, she frowned, remembering the disturbing image of a white snow rabbit, hanging from the rafters by its delicate neck. Then again, no eleven- year- old in their right mind would… Kill an innocent rabbit. She ran her fingers through her layered black hair out of habit, knowing that it only made it messier and make it look as if she had just gotten out of bed. She knew that Riddle was twisted and dangerous, and obviously disturbed. But with her uncommonly strong sense of maturity, she knew that they were both still children. They were both hopeful and they still had dreams. Because they were children, they would persevere and strive towards their goals with strong determination until they are faced with reality that tells them otherwise. She knew because that is what children do.