A/N: Thanks a lot to anyone who's reviewed/favorited/looked at my story so far! Here's the next chapter, which sets things up and introduces the intriguing Tom Riddle. I hope you enjoy it, and please review. It makes me happy :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

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The Two Prefects

The cacophonous sounds of morning at King's Cross Station filled Eva's ears as she struggled to make her way through the hurried crowds of people surrounding her. They came from every direction, forcing her to steer her large, unwieldy trunk erratically to avoid collision with someone. The sounds of jarring voices and hurried feet reverberated loudly against the walls, and the whirl of the fast-paced crowds made it impossible for her to orient herself.

After what felt like hours, Eva finally reached the brick wall separating platforms 9 and 10. As usual, she slipped through the apparently solid boundary with ease, and the brilliant scarlet engine of the Hogwarts Express greeting her cheerfully as she stepped through the portal. She felt an overwhelming sense of relief as she spotted wizard robes, pointed hats, owls, trunks, and familiar faces. Finally, she was where she belonged.

Meanwhile, Tom Riddle was already aboard the train, changing hastily into his school robes. He arrived early every year to dress before anyone else, fearful of being seen in the filthy Muggle garb that the orphanage provided for him. He carefully fastened his polished prefect badge to his chest and traced the silver serpent with his long fingers. He had worked very hard for this, harder than any other student in the history of Hogwarts, no doubt. Tom had played his part well, and it paid off. The power and privileges that came with being a prefect were essential for the plans he would implement this year. If only those foolish Professors knew, he thought maliciously as he slipped his arms through the sleeves of his robe.

Smirking, he roughly pulled aside the curtains and peered out the window to the crowded platform below. There was a girl standing alone who caught his attention. It was unusual to see a student by themselves at Platform 9 3/4. Tom thought he was the only one who traveled here unaccompanied. As the girl came closer, he recognized her as Eva Forsythe, and then it made sense for her to be by herself. Eva's background was just as unknown as his.

There was a little game that Tom liked to play. A game that everyone was a part of, whether they knew it or not. He liked to determine the blood statuses of his fellow students.

Over the past four years spent at Hogwarts, he had found most everyone out. Tom even went so far as to keep a list, which remained well hidden from anyone else.

This sort of information was essential for later on…

Most of the Mudbloods were obvious from the beginning, but there were some students whose lineage was still a mystery to him. Eva Forsythe was one of them.

With her cleverness, he thought it impossible for her to be a Mudblood. Even he acknowledged her intellect. She had to be a half blood at least, although the name "Forsythe" never came up in any of his research. Perhaps, like him, her mother was the magical one.

He eyed her with interest as she pulled her trunk along the platform with difficulty. Believing that now was the time to play the gentleman, Tom turned away from the window and set off through the hall.

Meanwhile, Eva had finally managed to pull her luggage as close as she could to the train. She quickly stepped aboard the compartment and leaned down to grab the handles.

"May I help you with that?" said a soft voice behind her as she struggled to lift her trunk. Eva jumped and turned swiftly around, coming face to face with none other than Tom Riddle. She heard the trunk fall back down to the platform with a dull thud.

"Er—yes. That would be…helpful," Eva stammered as she watched him lean down and easily hoist the trunk aboard. Her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Thank you, Tom," she muttered.

"My pleasure, Eva," he said quietly.

"I see they've made you a prefect," her eyes drifted to the shining badge on his chest. He smirked.

"I'm sure you've been made one as well?" he inquired.

She smiled. "Yes, I have."

There was a slight pause as he searched for the right words.

"It comes as no surprise, of course."

Eva had not expected such a comment from him. She felt a strange flutter of nervousness in her stomach as their eyes met.

It was almost frightening, how handsome he was. Eva never thought that a face like his was possible. A face that seemed so unnaturally perfect in every regard, from the symmetry and proportions of his finely carved features, to the pale skin that strikingly contrasted with his dark hair and eyes. But there was one flaw in it. The same flaw that Eva had noticed the very first time she saw him nearly five years ago.

His eyes.

In appearance, they were as handsome as the rest of him. Impossibly dark, even in the bright light of the train compartment, with long lashes and crowned by thickly curved brows. They were filled with ambition and cleverness, power and pride, but behind the beauty was something wrong. Eva was sure that no one else had noticed before, but she knew. She had seen it over her years of observation. Something would occasionally reveal itself for a split second before being quickly concealed by his charming exterior…something that terrified her.

"Thank you," she said softly. Her gaze dropped to her hands. She hadn't noticed how tightly she had been clutching the handle of her trunk.

Tom Riddle gazed intently at Eva. She had changed over the summer, or perhaps he was seeing her clearly for the first time.

She was his opposite in physical appearance. Her long, wavy hair was an unusual silvery blonde color, the strands as thin and delicate as a spider's web. Her large eyes were a dark, earthy green against her pale skin.

She was no longer the small, timid bookworm he remembered from the year before. The little girl who went around unnoticed and seemed to drown in long hair and robes that were too big for her. She had grown much taller and leaner, although he still towered over her petite form. Her face had thinned and matured, revealing striking features that he knew would earn her attention, whether she wanted it or not. Her figure had also developed significantly, as he could tell by the clothes she was wearing. Tom was amused by the fact that she was clearly trying to cover herself up, not yet used to the changes in her body… but there was no hiding the woman she had become.

Eva shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, forcing herself to keep her eyes fixated on her hands. She knew he was looking her. She wished he would do something, anything, to break this strange moment.

"We have to meet with the Head Boy and Girl soon," came his voice, suddenly. "You should probably change into your robes."

"Yes, that's right" she said, glancing back up at him, grateful that he brought it up. Now she had a chance to leave.

"I'll see you in the prefect's compartment, then? And don't forget to put on your badge," he said, giving her a charming smile.

"Yes. See you later, Tom," she murmured, smiling shyly at him. Eva turned to go, pulling her trunk along with her as she walked briskly down the hallway.

Green and silver, the colors of Slytherin, thought Tom as he eyed her with intrigue. Why had he never noticed that before? He turned on his heel in the other direction, knowing full well that from now on, he would be noticing Eva Forsythe…

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