Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter world which is owned by J. K. Rowling. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes and the events which happen in this story are not canon. I am not profiting financially from this story. I only own my own plot ideas, which make up only a part of the plot, and original characters. Thank you J. K. Rowling for thinking up such a world as wonderful as Harry Potter.
Chapter #1
Platform 9 3/4 buzzed with excitement. Over the loud squeaking of trolley wheels, parents fussing over their children, and teenagers excited about meeting up with their friends again, one had to practically scream in order to be heard by a person not a foot away. The Hogwarts Express sat there, beside the platform in all of it's scarlet glory waiting for it's passengers to get on before departing at 11 o'clock sharp.
It was my first time, going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I was standing here, on the platform with my mum. My mum was fussing over me, she tends to be overly affectionate in hopes of making me feel just as loved as any other child my age. I reminded my mum that I'd best put my things away and get onboard before 11 o'clock or I'd miss the train.
My mum then hurriedly ushered my trunk and I onto the train. We quickly found a compartment, and she used magic to put my trunk on the racks above the large window in the wall of the train. I went with my mum back to the platform to say goodbye to her one last time.
On my way back to my compartment however, I got lost and couldn't remember where it was. After several moments of panicked turning my head back and forth, looking in opposite directions of the train corridor, I gave up and decided to find a new compartment to sit in.
I soon found a suitable compartment, one that wasn't overly crowded or anything. There was already a boy sitting in it, he seemed a bit lonesome, sitting there by himself, staring out the window.
I knocked on the door to the compartment before opening it. "Excuse me, would you mind if I joined you?" I asked politely. I feared I interrupted his thinking or something of the sort. The boy turned his head and looked at me with such an emotionally detached expression, it was almost…cold.
"Do as you like," the boy turned back to staring out the window.
I must admit, I was a bit put out. I didn't know what to say or think. Since it wasn't really necessary for me to say anything right now, I decided to just take a seat and to not dwell on the matter.
I took a seat beside the window, opposite of the boy. I smoothed down my soft rose pink skirt and made myself comfortable before I decided to introduce myself. After all, I'm always looking forward to making a new friend.
"My name is Evelyn Gnarle," I blurted out, immediately subsequently blushing a brilliant scarlet hue. Whoops, that was a perfect demonstration of my social ineptitude.
The boy looked at me out of the corner of his eye, still facing the window. I imagine, were he to show emotion, he'd have given me a curious look.
I began to open my mouth again, to ask my next question. But before I could, the boy spoke, "Tom Riddle, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
I sat there, stunned. "What?" I ungracefully choked out, which was not very lady-like of me.
"- My name. You were going to ask me my name. It's Tom Riddle," the boy, Tom, explained.
It seems Tom is rather intelligent, being able to tell exactly when I was going to ask him his name. Admittedly, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that I was going to ask when I was, but it's still worth something.
After I got over my initial surprise, I smiled a big, bright, and friendly smile. "Tom Riddle," I repeated, "May I call you Tom, then?" I hoped Tom would say yes, I really wanted Tom and I to be friends.
At first, Tom glared at me, making my smile fall a bit and I feared that he'd say no. But then, Tom's expression…almost softened…and his expression went back to neutral.
"Do as you like," Tom grumbled, turning his attention fully to the window once more.
I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. I guess I was simply relieved, at the prospect of Tom and I becoming friends. I would have liked to hug Tom, but I imagine that would probably have made him feel rather uncomfortable so I restrained myself from doing so.
Instead, I opted for observing Tom. He was rather intriguing, I've never really met anyone so…introverted. I've met shy people before, but I don't think Tom is shy. Tom is different from other quiet people that I've met who stick to themselves. Tom is introverted…because he chooses to be. Now that I've observed Tom up close, he seems completely content being alone, not lonesome at all. Although, he's not really alone since I'm here with him at the moment, but I think even if I weren't here, he'd still be perfectly fine.
Tom has dark eyes, they're so mysterious. It's hard to describe Tom's eyes, they're stony and detached from the world, indifferent. I felt sad for Tom, not sorry - sad. I felt so sad when I thought of Tom in his lonely, void of emotion world. Even if Tom was satisfied with the little bubble he lived in, I can't imagine anyone being truly content when they lack so much emotion. Tom's hair was also dark, a shade of brown that resembled midnight raven black more than any brown. It was neatly combed, and was a bit wavy but more straight. It was of moderate length, the typical length of hair for boys.
Tom was already dressed in his Hogwarts robes. I suppose he likes to be prepared, I haven't changed into my robes yet. I thought it would've been awkward if I came to Platform 9 3/4 already dressed in my Hogwarts robes. My mother said I wouldn't look out of place at all, but I insisted on wearing my regular clothes and changing into my robes later. Perhaps next time, I'll just trust my mother on matters like these. After all, she's gone through this experience many times, as a student and later as a professor.
I saw movement in the corner of my eye. It was the scenery on the other side of the window, the train had started and our journey to Hogwarts began. The train ride to Hogwarts was long, the longest ride in any such vehicle I'd ever ridden in my whole entire short lifespan. For the most part, the train ride was quiet, excluding the chatter coming from the other side of our compartment door.
A short while into the train ride, the snack trolly came rolling around.
"…Tom, would you like anything from the snack trolly?" I asked, hesitantly breaking the silence.
"I don't care for sweets," Tom said harshly. He seemed irritated.
"Oh… Do you dislike sweets that much?" I asked tentatively. Tom seemed almost angry.
"…I've never eaten sweets before. They didn't have them at the orphanage. I have no need for sweets," Tom explained in short sentences.
"…You…You're an orphan, Tom?" I hesitantly asked, trying to be delicate.
"Yeah, what of it?" Tom turned away, angry I think.
I started to cry, sniffling and hiccuping and the whole lot.
Tom turned to me, a weird look on his face. "…What are you doing?" he asked.
"I…*sniff*…I'm cry - *hic* - ing of *hic* course. *sniff* It *hic* is so sa - *sniff* - ad," I attempted to explain.
"Well, stop it. I don't need your pity," Tom replied harshly.
"…*sniff*…I'm…not * hic* pitying *hic* you…," I calmed down a little, "I…*sniff*…feel sad…for you."
"It's the same thing so stop it," Tom narrowed his eyes.
"It's…*sniff*…not the same thing *hic*, Tom," I insisted. "Even though I…*hic*…feel sad for you, *sniff* I don't feel any less respect towards you. If *sniff* anything, I feel more respect for *hic* you."
My shoulders shook and I furiously rubbed at my eyes, trying to stop crying. All the while, Tom stared curiously on, watching me cry my eyes out.
"Stop crying, you look terrible," Tom said, continuing to stare at me.
"…I-I can't help it. I…," I continued to cry, although my tears did decrease a bit more.
Tom paused for a second, it looked like he was thinking. He then got up off the seat, and walked towards me. "Come on, get up. And really, stop crying, you look like a troll," Tom offered me his hand.
I stared at his hand, taking it after a moment or two. "Thank you, Tom," I said gratefully, getting up from my seat and allowing Tom to lead me out of the compartment, holding the door for me. He lead me down the corridor, past compartments, and to the snack trolly lady.
"You're paying," Tom muttered.
I burst out giggling. The other students around us gave me curious looks.
"What? Stop that, it's embarrassing," Tom muttered to me.
I giggled a bit more quietly. I then chose what I wanted from the trolly and paid the lady. As Tom and I walked back to our compartment, I nibbled on my liquorice wand, more of them in a little bag hanging on my wrist. My other unpreoccupied hand held Tom's hand, it was swinging between the two of us in joy.
After Tom and I arrived back at our compartment, we both took our seats again. I happily nibbled away on my liquorice wands, swinging my feet, the back of my shoes hitting the train seat.
"Could you stop that?" Tom asked, a bit annoyed although he tried to hide it.
"Stop what?" I asked, pausing in my swinging of my legs.
"That. Swinging your legs and hitting the seat," Tom said.
"Oh, okay. Sorry," I sheepishly mumbled.
Tom turned to the window, opting for looking out at the moving scenery.
"…Would you like to try some, Tom?" I asked, offering a liquorice wand.
"I don't need your pity. I don't want your candy," Tom said, once again harshly, and once again angry.
"Tom, I don't know what you're thinking," I started, standing up and walking over to where Tom sat, "but I already told you. My respect for you hasn't lessened, if anything, it's grown. So stop being stubborn and prideful," Tom turned to me, his eyes narrowed, and opened his mouth, probably to retort something, "and try this liquorice wand," I finished, shoving a liquorice wand into Tom's open mouth.
Tom squirmed, but I didn't let him spit the liquorice out. I made sure he chewed and swallowed before I let him open his mouth again.
"So, was it good? Liquorice isn't as sweet as some other sweets so I think it'd be okay for you. I mean, you don't really seem like the kind to have a really big sweet tooth," I said, a big, bright smile on my face.
"…It was okay…," Tom mumbled.
"Just 'okay'? That's it? Are you sure?" I asked, skeptical. "Here, have the rest of it. You bit it after all. And if you want more, help yourself."
Judging by the look on Tom's face, I would've thought he like that liquorice he ate. He probably just has too much pride to admit it.
I went to sit back down on my own seat, nibbling on more liquorice wands. I turned to the window, watching the passing scenery but keeping a close eye on Tom out of the corner of my eye. I didn't have to wait long before, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tom slowly reach for the rest of the liquorice wand he bit from, and eat it.
I turned to Tom once more, "I knew it. Caught you red handed, Tom!" I smiled a big smile, amused.
Tom glared at me. "Be quiet."
"It's okay to like candy, Tom. Here, help yourself," I placed the bag of liquorice wands on the seat beside Tom, grabbing two for myself to eat at the moment.
I then turned to the window again. It didn't take long for Tom to reach for more liquorice wands. I turned to watch Tom, giving him an amused and smug look.
"…Be quiet," Tom mumbled, nibbling on more liquorice wand.
I giggled, "I didn't say anything."
The rest of the train ride was more or less uneventful. I took a nap, Tom took a nap, we ate liquorice wands, I changed into my robes in the girls' lavatory, we stared out the window of our compartment, nothing particularly special.
When we arrived at our destination, Tom and I got off the train along with the other first year students. We took canoes across a lake to Hogwarts, the dark night was illuminated by lanterns. We followed a professor to the Great Hall where the other students of Hogwarts sat at four long tables. The ceiling of the Great Hall showed a cloudy but clear moonlit night. Candles floated in the middle of the air, giving light to the Great Hall. Everything was awesome, in fact, many of my fellow first years were in awe.
We listened to the Sorting Hat's song, and then people started to be sorted. I looked towards Tom, who stood next to me. He had a blank expression on his face, neutral as usual. I think if anything, Tom was secretly curious about everything here. He came from a muggle orphanage after all. Soon enough, my name was called to be sorted.
"Gnarle, Evelyn," I glanced at Tom out of the corner of my eye and squeezed his hand before making my way to the Sorting Hat.
I sat down on the stool. The hat was placed on my head, and shortly thereafter, I heard someone talking in my head. I looked up, at the hat. It was the hat talking to me?
After a small debate between the hat and itself, arguing about whether I should be sorted into Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, the hat chose, "Hufflepuff!"
The Hufflepuff table erupted into applause. I smiled, and walked down and over to the Hufflepuff table. I sat down next to a boy with neatly combed, straight blond hair of moderate, typical length. He had clear crystal blue eyes, and a bright, cheeky smile on his face.
"Hello, my name's Robert Frenzler. What's your name?" this boy, Robert asked me politely, offering his hand to me.
"My name's Evelyn Gnarle, a pleasure to meet you," I warmly replied, shaking his outstretched hand.
"A pleasure to meet you as well," Robert said back.
"So, Evelyn, this is my twin sister, Ruth," Robert introduced, referring to the girl sitting across from me. She, unlike her brother, had curly blond hair that went down to her shoulders. Her eyes were the same clear crystal blue colour as her brother's. She was very pretty.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ruth," I smiled brightly.
"I feel the same way, Evelyn," Ruth kindly smiled, shaking my hand.
After that, Robert, Ruth, and I turned back to the sorting. Eventually, it was Tom's turn to be sorted.
Tom sat down on the stool. The hat barely touched Tom's head, and the professor hadn't even let go of the hat yet, when the Sorting Hat called out, "Slytherin!"
I felt a bit sad. I didn't really expect Tom and I to have been sorted into the same house, but I suppose I did secretly hope for that, deep in my heart. It could have merely been my imagination, but as Tom walked over to the Slytherin table, I thought I saw Tom discreetly glance in my direction.
The rest of the sorting was uneventful, as was the rest of dinner. Although, I do believe someone had their pumpkin juice explode in their face at one point. After dinner, the first years were shown to their common rooms and dormitories. Hufflepuff's dormitories were in the kitchens, it was quite a unique entrance our house had.
Fortunately, Ruth and I shared a dorm. At least I'll have one familiar face. I was quite tired, as were Ruth and the other girls. We all either got ready for bed and went to sleep right away, or just plopped down onto our bed and fell asleep.
One girl, Sadie, was so tired, she tripped on the carpet and fell down, falling asleep and sleeping right there on the floor. I got Sadie a blanket and put it over her so that she wouldn't catch a cold. Ruth threw her a pillow incase she woke up and wanted one, or incase she wanted a pillow to cuddle with.
We all had a good laugh at that incident, Sadie's pretty funny we all unanimously decided. After that, we all said goodnight and fell asleep. My bed was so comfy, I drifted off to sleep easily. Right before falling asleep, I thought of Tom. How was Tom doing in his new home for the year? I hope Tom's doing alright. And with that, I slipped into a dreamless sleep.