The young were always the most susceptible. They wanted to believe more, their faculty of wonderment and hope still intact. Tom Marvolo Riddle had been stood out of the way in Hogsmead watching Hogwarts students running about in the snow; darting from shop to shop in the dusting of the mild blizzard going on around them. He would have hated to admit in but he envied them, not to long away he had been one of them, care free the world stretched out in front of him. He felt his fingers nails scratch painfully into the wooden mantel of the door frame he was leaning on.

'My lord, the hogs head?' Yaxley leant close to Tom not wanting to be overheard by anyone who might have been passing within earshot. With a flick of his hooded robes Tom turned down the road that led to the out of the way quiet establishment. He kept his head down, this close to the school who knew who might recognise him.

Yaxley pulled the door open for Tom to enter with a small bow of respect. The place was next to empty like it always was. Tom doubted he had ever seen more than half a dozen people in there at any one time, unless he was travelling with his full menagerie of cronies; which today he was not. Tom sat while Yaxley ordered from the rough looking bartender. Tom wrinkled his nose, the place always smelt of goat.

There was a boy, in the corner sat alone.

He can't have been much more than a third year if that.

Tom rolled his head back to look at him closer. He was indeed a third year, his nose buried in that year's spell book; he stared fiercely at the page muttering the spells that he was reading. Practising, it was a good sign, Tom thought, if he was engrossed in his studies even on a day away from school. Yaxley sat down out of Tom's line of sight, placing a tankard down in front of each of them. Tom raised it to his lips, with a small indication of appreciation. Yaxley stayed silent.

Tom drank the boy in as easily as if he were the substance filling his tankard. He was small, but not a runt. He had dark hair that framed his face in shadow, giving him the appearance of a spectre. Ferocious blue eyes shone out from the gloominess of his being. There was no question he was Slytherin, even in casual weekend robes the fact was obvious.

Tom liked it; he even gave a twitch of a smile. This boy was going to be one to watch, Tom could feel it.

The hogs head door was once more pushed open, the rusted bell failing to chime but instead giving a rasp of ancient metal. Of the three figures that entered not one looked like they belonged in such a place. The oldest boy was a seventh year if not already a graduate. He was tall, smartly dressed with a shock of platinum hair. He had on his arm a girl Tom guessed as being a fifth or six year, but with the way some girls dressed it was hard to tell how old they were her hair too was platinum and pilled high on her head in curls.

The third new comer another girl was a strong contrast to the other two.

She was opaque, nothing about her countenance given away, her eyes seemed lifless.

'Lucius do we have to come in here, it's dirty and it smells?' The blonde girl held her nose, stepping gingerly over various stains on the floor.

'I prefer it in here, I like the space, and you don't mind where we drink do you Trixy?' The mysterious girl all in black looked as though she had just been grievously insulted.

'It's Bellatrix Lucius please do not forget that.' She walked away from the couple and sat down at the table in-between Tom and the boy; Much to Tom's annoyance.

The two blondes made as much noise about what to drink as was possible. Yaxley couldn't help watch them. But Tom watched the boy. He had pulled his book up high over his face, along with ducking low in his sit; clearly he did not want to be seen by those who had just entered.

He failed.

Waiting for her drink Bellatrix had let her eyes wander around the establishment.

'Crouch!' her voice was so shrill and piercing that even the middle aged man behind the bar stopped pouring the drinks. 'What do you think you are doing in here? This is no place for you.' She stood from her chair and walked over to the boy pulling him out of his chair by his collar. Yaxley smiled as he drank almost laughing but looking away from the drama he saw that Tom was standing.

'I don't believe that the boy was doing any harm, he was just reading, he certainly wasn't disturbing anyone; unlike some people I could mention.' Tom looked to the bimbo couple being served. Lucius scoffed and turned to answer.

'Excuse me but who do you think you are?' Lucius struck the floor with his cane. Tom Smiled, he now recognised the young arrogant youth, he had indeed left Hogwarts some two years before.

'Lucius Malfoy, you used to respect prefects, or did becoming one in your last year's cure you of that.' Tom dropped his hood so Lucius could see him. When Lucius was a snivelling first year Tom had the privilege of being head boy of Slytherin. If it was possible at the sight of him Lucius complexion turned even paler.

'Of course Mister Riddle please forgive me.' Lucius moved across the floor taking one of Tom's hands in both of his and shaking it vigorously. 'I had no idea it was you; so good to see you after all these years.' When Tom had been at school Lucius had feared him, he seemed to always have a look about him that he would hex you without even giving the thought a second breath.

'Please let me introduce my fiancé Narcissa Black and her sister, Bellatrix.'

Bellatrix couldn't move. She held the young Barty Crouch almost in the air. Her hands trembling, she has heard so many stories about Tom riddle but never thought she would get to meet him. The man she so idolised, the man who for lack of a better word she worshipped. Tom shook both the ladies hands in turn, and then waved his own hand inviting them to join him.

Barty couldn't go back to focusing on his book. He too had heard stories about Tom Riddle. He pretended to read unable to pull his eyes away. It was then he noticed Tom, though being talked at by the new arrivals at his table, was staring right back at him.