Prologue

Tom Riddle was standing at the station.
He´d never seen a train before. After wincing of surprise by the first loud whistling, he became more cautious. Tom nervously played with the handle of his suitcase. It contained all of his property in this world.

Platform nine and ten, and in between a masive wall. Tom looked arround surreptitiously. Maybe he should have accepted Dumbledores help…

Again theres was a loud whistle. The train fromplatform nine left the station and moved out of Toms life; trended behind the white smoke like a veil.

There was a gnawing uneasiness inside Tom. It sensed like the feeling spreaded out in every part of his body. What if he failed? "Stop it!" he told to himself.
The boy stick out his chest slightly noticeable. Tom banished the anxiety out of his facial expressions. Nobody should see his fear!

Tom used the sudden determination and ran toward the wall. He tried to keep his eyes open, but it was impossible. Just as he thought that he would rebound, he felt a strange tingle at his skin. The noises were fading away, only during view seconds, then everything went back to normal.

Tom opened his eyes and was amazed. In front of him there was a sign: "Platform 9 3/4". Behind it there was a crimson coloured steam locomotive. More questions came up and all of a sudden he felt a happy dizziness coming up his mind.

"You, boy! Go away from the wall!", ordered a conductor.
Tom obeyed and did a step beside. Just few seconds later a man came through the wall.
No doubt; he was a wizard! Tom has had a lot of time to observe magical people when he was at Diagon Ally. The man looked really self-controlled and bored. After him his family arrived: a blonde woman and a little boy who probably was in in Tom´s age.

"So you did it" murmured the man frigidly and looked down to his son, who quickly let go his mum's hand.
His mum put her hand to Daniels shoulder. "Look! That's the Hogwart´s Express!", she explained enthusiastically to him. Daniel showed a nervous smile.
The conductor yelled again: "What´s the matter with you today! Please, keep the entrance clear!"
The family moved until they stood in front of Tom. They didn't noticed him.
"Behave. I don´t want to hear any complaints."
"Yes, father"
"And write us, Daniel", his Mum fumbled on Daniels color of his white T-shirt. "I would like to know all what you experience!" She sniffed and Tom realised all of a sudden that he was not interested in a sentimentral farewell scene.

He took up his suitcase and walked towards Hogwart´s Express with determined steps.
Tom was surrounded by families, mothers hugging their children, little siblings crying.
With an emotionless face he was passing them as if he was in a parallel dimension to them and only able to observe them through a window of glass.

When entering the train, Tom´s way was cut by a tall bloned boy.
"Alton!", a tall man with a boofy appearance shouted. Perhaps it was 'Altons' father. He had a furtive smile on his face.

Finally Tom entered the train. It wasn't hard to find an empty seat.
Tom tried to store his suitcase at the ledge, but he was too short for reaching up to it.
"Waite! I'll help you, mate!" Tom couldn't turn around, but in the very next moment the blonde boy from little time ago put the suitcase easily up to the ledge. Then he smiled down to Tom, his eyes were ice-blue, they seemed unnaturally bright.
Tom looked at him suspiciously.
"In private", Alton put his head a littlebit downwards, „a little 'thank you' doesn't hurt anybody." He blinked at Tom and ran out of the cabin.

Tom closed the door behind him. He didn´t feel like meeting another of his kind.

Ten minutes later Tom was still looked out of the cabin window, observing the different emotions of the other kids. He was talented in uncovering hidden feelings behind the mask, a hard swallow, an spurious smile, exaggerated gestures. Tom noticed all those fine details.

Suddenly the cabin door was opened by a platin-blonde boy with accurate side parting hair.
"Hello, I am Abrax Malofy. The other seats aren´t taken, are they?"
Tom nodded and the boy sat down. There was a uncovered arrogance in all of his appearance and the way he spoke.
'Perfect' thought Tom 'one of these people who enjoy hearing themselves talking!'
Tom was right. View minutes later Abrax broke the silence.
„Are you a first grader?"
"I am new here.."
"Great, than we are the same grade!"
Tom nodded uninterested and the door was opened again. A cool blond girl dressed in an elegant gown.
"Hello, might I sit down here?", she asked gracefully. She got to her seat before Tom nodded. "I'm June Anderson! You look like first graders! That's why I came to you."

Inwardly, Tom ticked the last point of his list, with June his chances of a calm train ride to zero.

"Hey, I'm also a fist grader", said a deep voice and Tom looked up, "I'm Goyle.. Gordianus Goyle" he added nervously.
"Come in Gordianus!" June said and the boy put his big case to the ledge.
Very well, Tom got aware of who would lift his suitcase down once they were in Hogwarts. Goyle literally called for a leader. He was strong and big, but he looked insecure from to his feet. Whilst Tom thinking about this, June and Abrax were still talking.
Goyle grinned unsurely to Tom who answered with a gentle smile. How could he know what Tom really thought about him?

Forests went past the window and except of a young witch who sold candies nothing of interest did happen.

Tom simulated sleeping because he didn´t feel like being involved in the other´s chatting. But he heard the others and found out that every one of them were of pure blood. Second to that Tom found out what that meant.

It meant that their families have a clear blood line of witches and wizards. Tom felt upcoming sentiments of jealousy, thinking about his own background.

Finally the train stopped, Tom felt it in his stomach. Immediately he opened his eyes and looked through the window. Nothing special to see! Just a few small houses around the station.
Tom couldn't keep back the question "Where is Hogwarts?"
Abrax laughed for a second, "Do you think, the biggest and most famous school of Great Brittan was built next to a train station? There is a certain path to go." After that Abrax went out with his case.
June sighed after he left. "His talking was a pain in the neck wasn't it?", she rolled his eyes and took the case which Gordianus gave her. "Hurry up guys! "
Tom lifted his eyebrows, being a little amused. June had talked pin point as much Abrax. Goyle was laughing behind him and handed him over his suitcase.

They were welcomed by loud shouting, "First graders to me!"
Tom only identified a long black coat, which belonged to a man with hair in the same colour. "That's Pringle, the caretaker of Hogwarts", June explained objectively. Goyle and Tom followed her, asking where she got her knowledge.
Behind them, two heavily breathing girls arrived at the crowd.
"Magnificent that you made it to us!", the man commented cynically and closed a parchment scroll.
"Because we are eventual complete", the man began, with an harsh view towards the girls who arrived last, "I would summon you to follow me to the boats! I'm Apollyon Pringle, the caretaker of Hogwarts and I will make sure that you little brats will follow the school´s rules!" His voice was changed from bored to dedicated.

"Heads up! Pringle is in power!", whispered a boy in a darkly distorted voice when passing by. He weared a red and golden tie and some other boys in his group laughed out flashy.
"Bowman!", Pringle yelled angry, "come to my office after the dinner!"
"What have you said, Sir? I can't understand you, it's too noisy here!", Bowman pretended, just as if there was a lot background noise.
"Bowman, that's enough.."
"Hm", the boy gave a shrug, "apparently it wasn't important", he said specially loud to his friends, who laughed out again and tapped him on his shoulders.
Some of the first graduates looked adoring to the group, but Tom wasn't impressed. That was stupid. Braveness in an inappropriate point was always stupid and lost.

"Now, hurry up an follow me!", yelled Pringle who remembered his mission. Everyone followed him. In the twilight, Tom only saw some silhouettes, but his new class mates were so noisy that it was impossible to loose them on the way.
There was only one voice which was to heard out in the commotion. "Get in the boats, all of you! Not all at the same time!", Pringle stood next to Tom and tried to get the kids into the small boats organized and controlled. "Every year, those kids become more and more foolish", Pringle murmured to himself.

Tom waited – he hated crowds- and sat down in the last boat. He´d lost Goyle an June but therefore he spotted Daniel, the boy from the station, in front of him. At this moment Daniel turned around, "Hey, didn´t we saw each other you at station?", he tried to start a talk kindly.
"Fool", mumbled a boy well audible, "every one of us was at the station!" He sat there just as if the boat only moved due to his sake.
"Luckily I haven't noticed you there!", Daniel countered.
The other boys hand shrugged expecting him to hit Daniel, but because of Pringles presence he stood calm. "I'm Avery, Macario-", then he fell silent all of a sudden, like all children went silent. Even Tom was spellbound.
It was beautiful! The mighty Hogwarts, covered in hundreds of single lights. With the towers reaching up to the sky, the castle sat there, just like an aristocrat who was about granting access to his subjects.
"it's stunning", Avery breathed and Daniel grunted approvingly
While the talks started again, Toms view were fixed to his new school, his new home.
There was an unfamiliar yet exciting mix of anticipation and nervousness inside him.

Which secrets might be hidden in this mysterious castle?