Professor Dumbledore, unable to fall asleep himself, had an inkling that a restless student was wandering the castle after hours.
His hunch led him to the library and into the overly tempting Restricted Section. The air was crisp and rustic. His toes shivered despite the fuzziness of his turquoise slippers.
Dumbledore made a cursory glance around the rows of books and immediately noticed a burgundy door wide open in the right corner. A careless mistake for someone trying to be stealthy, he observed. Certainly they had found something quite interesting.
Quietly, Dumbledore entered the room. At the end of it sat a young boy, most likely a first-year, staring into a large mirror with cryptic markings etched into its grand frame. Dumbledore dared to creep closer, unafraid that the boy would see his reflection. He recognized the mirror and knew that it was anything but ordinary.
Dumbledore couldn't see what the boy saw, but he heard him muttering. "Mum... Dad..." the boy said, painfully longingly. As Dumbledore approached him, he recognized the boy's dark hair.
The boy, sensing Dumbledore's presence, startled and turned around. His eyes were red and puffy.
"I have full confidence that you understand the power of this mirror, Tom," Dumbledore stated. "Waste away in front of it, if you so wish."
Tom Riddle rose immediately.