Chapter II.

When did you become like this? I really knew all along, so many premonitions, everything about your childhood just lead up to your death. I was your only friend.

-*o~o*-

They stumbled into the doors of the orphanage. I could only see the tears welling up in my eyes, not the looks on their faces. Mrs. Cole, as soon as she heard they were back, rushed to be by their sides.

I wiped the tears from my face, and saw Tom's shining face as he walked closer to me. "There's no more need for crying, my dear Justine, everything has been taken care of." It was a whisper, but it didn't sound like the Tom that I knew. It sounded like he was hissing at me. There was a lump in my throat that wanted me to cry more, to shout at Tom that he was wrong, that he was a monster.

I finally took my eyes off of Tom's face and looked at the two who were standing, shocked and silent, in the door way. Mrs. Cole was shaking them, begging them to speak, but their faces never changed. And they never took their eyes off of Tom. Whatever had been done was terrible, too terrible for words.

I swallowed as I tried to imagine what he had done. I had seen what he was capable of doing before, when the kids teased me, but it was nothing like this. But I suppose the kids had never physically hurt me like this before. They were only playing, but Tom was furious. "How are your knees?" Tom asked me, and I subconsciously looked down at them, they were bruised and scratched from where I hit the bricks outside.

I just shook my head and ran around the halls of the orphanage to my room. I couldn't believe that Tom was a bad person. I didn't want to believe he was capable of such punishment.

I jumped on my bed, opened Marvolo's cage, which Tom had also gotten me only a week ago, and hugged him to my chest. Finally the tears came. I coughed out several sobs, and Marvolo just sat and cooed his consolations to me. I closed my eyes and just let the picture that had been engraved in my mind sit in my sight.

Dennis and Amy standing at that door way. Staring at him. Their faces pale, their eyes wide and sunken, their whole bodies shaking. From fear. It was at that moment that I realized that the other kids didn't respect Tom, they feared him. They feared his power, and because of that fear he was able to manipulate and control them.

But he was my friend. He never tried to hurt me. He protected me. So could he be all bad? Or was it just because he viewed us as superior? Because of our abilities. The ability to hurt other people beyond imagination.

"Justine, why are you still crying?" I heard his voice, soft and sincere. His footsteps grew closer and closer, and soon he was standing in front of my bed.

I wiped the tears from my eyes, and tried my hardest not to look afraid of him. I hiccuped a couple more sobs, and soon I allowed myself to look at his face. "You didn't have... to." was all I could manage to say.

"They hurt you." He said sternly, and he put his hand on my shoulder, "I couldn't have allowed that."

Just then, Mrs. Cole came into my room and said there was a man who wished to see Tom. Her voice was quiet, as if she was trying to conceal her fear for him too.

Tom took one more look at me, and then turned and followed Mrs. Cole out the door of my room.

I looked down at Marvolo, who was still happily cooing and jumping in my lap. He had managed to grow a few more feathers from my birthday, and he was loosing more and more down. He was starting to look more and more like the owl he was.

It felt like I sat waiting for eternity. It was true that, while I was sitting there waiting for Tom, I had started thinking that they were sending him to prison. That's where everyone bad goes. But as soon as I had decided that I should go look for myself, Mrs. Cole appeared at my door step, and said that the same man that had talked to Tom now wished to speak with me.

Confused, and at that time very much wanting to see Tom, I followed her tall figure out of my room and into a smaller one, one that I didn't even know existed. It looked like an old interviewing room, like one from the television shows they would let us watch on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

There was a dark haired man with a beard sitting at the chair closest to the back of the room. "Come in, sit down, Miss Justine." I did as I was told, but left the door open in case I were to see Tom walking by.

"Are you... Are you here to take Tom away?" I asked, and looked down at my hands.

"Yes." He said simply, and I felt my entire body slump over, my expression was shocked, I was right? "But I'm here to take you away too, you see."

I looked up, one eyebrow raised, and my mouth now gaping. "What'dyou mean?"

"You and Tom, you're both very different aren't you?" He began to explain, pausing to see my face change once again into one of more understanding.

"We're not mad-" But he cut me off before I could continue.

"I'm the same as you. Now tell me. What can you do that's different from other children? What is special about you?" He was now talking very slowly, like he was being careful with the words that he was choosing.

"I can... Set things on fire, without matches. Move feathers off the ground by just raising my hand. Tom can do more though. He's taught me things. He can do anything." I began speaking with admiration, and I wanted to go more into what Tom could do, but once again he stopped me.

"Can you speak to snakes? Like Tom can? Has he taught you that too?"

I paused. I felt like this question was more of a trick. Like he was eager to know something that we shouldn't do. See through a lie. "Who are you?"

"I am a professor." He said, and he seemed to drop his question before entirely, like he got his answer. "A professor of witches, like yourself. You see, I teach at a school where they can teach you how to use magic, and also control it."

"Tom teaches me." I said softly.

"Tom will also be attending, he has already agreed." The professor said plainly. I was sold to go. I wanted to follow Tom anywhere. "Well then, pack your things, my dear young lady. I have already told Tom where to go and what to do." He seemed to know by my expression that my mind was made.

I nodded my head and finally looked up at the large man sitting in front of me through my golden copper hair. "As long as Tom goes." I reassured myself.

As long as he goes I'll be safe.