Tom never thought this would happen.
He had found Diagon Alley all right, and he had managed to get all his school equipment without help. It was a thrill to have robes made for him – it made him feel, truly, like a wizard, like a part of this world he had only just begun to discover. He had seen the grand marble building of Gringotts and wished he had a vault in there, so badly it almost hurt. He had almost lost track of time leafing through all those books at Flourish & Blotts.
But now, he started to believe he had got lost.
There was only one more item to purchase, and the sheer thought of it sent shivers down his spine: a wand, all for his own.
But he had gotten lost.
The nearest street sign he could see read "Knockturn Alley."
He never even thought of asking for the way back to Diagon Alley. He didn't need any help, he could make it on his own.
Besides, there were fascinating shops here as well, although they didn't look like they sold anything a school would require its students to buy. He stopped in front of a shop named "Borgin and Burke's."
It didn't look extremely welcoming, but he pushed the door open and entered.
Curiously, he stepped along the shelves and examined the displayed merchandise. He was just looking at a shrunken head whose eyes seemed strangely alive when a voice behind him said roughly: "What are you doing here, boy?"
Tom turned around. The man who had just turned up behind the counter stared at him, frowning, and continued: "You look like you still need school stuff. Nothing you're gonna find here. Where are your parents?"
"Dead," Tom said frankly, following his intuition.
"Ah," Borgin, for he it was, grunted, but failed to show the look of sorrow and commiseration other grown-ups liked to display when provided with this information. Tom was pleased.
"You keep a fascinating shop here, sir," he added quickly, before Borgin could tell him to get lost.
Borgin smiled, although it looked like it caused him pain. "You're a polite little fellow, at least. What's your name?"
"Tom," Tom said, in his turn grimacing slightly. "Tom Marvolo Riddle."
"Good, Tom Marvolo Riddle, now listen. You get your little butt out of this shop and come back when you're older, actually know your way around here, and maybe even understand some of these preciosities. Turn right, head straight on, then take the third left, that will take you back to Diagon Alley, where folks your age belong."
"Thank you, sir," Tom said politely and smiled with a decided intention to follow the invitation.
This time, Borgin's smile for some reason seemed more natural.
