Chapter Three: Meeting Riddle
Lily materialized in a rather large; brightly lit chamber filled with all sorts of odds and ends. The ceiling was high and the walls were covered with a barrage of portraits all of whom were regarding her with a mixture of surprise and caution. Lily looked out one of the many windows in the large room and saw a slopping lawn that ended in a forest of dark trees.
A small cough brought her bewildered mind back to the present and she turned full around only to find herself face to face with an aging wizard with a long beard and long auburn hair that was slowly fading into white. He was perched on the edge of a large, ornate wooden desk. And he was watching her with twinkling sky-blue eyes.
"Hello, Lily," the man said in a kind voice, Lily started.
"How'd you know my name?" she demanded, her voice trembled ever so slightly thus betraying her befuddled state.
He chuckled, "My dear Miss. Potter, I have been expecting you."
"You have?" Lily asked bewildered for what seemed like the fifth time in just as many seconds. Her already slightly numbed mind trying desperately to remember what her mother had said to her before she had landed here. Realization dawned on her as she continued to gaze into those continuously twinkling eyes, "Yo-you're Albus Dumbledore!" she breathed in an excited whisper.
She was standing in what could only be the headmaster's office at Hogwarts. Hogwarts, she was at Hogwarts. And she was standing in front of the most wonderful man to ever have lived, Albus Dumbledore.
He smiled at her while peering over the top of his half moon spectacles, "Indeed I am," he said as he rose from the edge of the desk and walked across the room to her. "Now, since I knew you would be joining us this year I took the liberty of informing headmaster Dippet that you were a new student who had never had any formal training. When he questioned me as to why, I simply told him you were a refugee from the Dark Lord and had been forced to be home schooled."
"Well that's not exactly a lie, now is it?" Lily said as her history lessons came flying to the forefront of her mind.
"No, indeed it is not," he said warmly. His posture told her that he was pleased that she had been able to grasp the truth of his words. Telling a lie was always easier if most of it was truth. "Now can you tell me why the headmaster would have believed my story?"
Lily nodded, "If we're in the year 1944, then that means there is a war going on in Europe , World War Two I think my mother said, that means that Grindelwald is at large in the wizarding world then."
Dumbledore gave her an appraising look, thinking that his older self had not been exaggerating when he bespoke of her intelligence. "Very good, now Dippet should be here shortly. I told him that I would be off to collect you and then would meet him in his office."
"You are not the headmaster then?" Lily asked rather shyly.
Dumbledore smiled, "Surely you do not think that I have always been the headmaster?" he asked her in a bemused voice, "That, by any standards, would make me very old indeed."
"Oh," Lily muttered, ashamed that she had thought that Dumbledore had always been the head of Hogwarts. She supposed that it was silly, but she had never heard anyone talk of a time when he had not been.
"No need to be embarrassed little one," Dumbledore laughed quietly, "I would not be so ashamed to think that my future students think very highly of me if they have filled their daughter's head with my praises."
If anyone but Dumbledore had said those words, Lily thought they'd have surely sounded overly self-centered. But as it did indeed some from Dumbledore, it sounded more like a congratulations to his future students then to and onto himself. It was like he was telling her that he thought they'd placed their loyalties well indeed. Lily decided that she rather liked the old man.
"Now," continued Dumbledore, crossing his hands in front of him, "as soon as the headmaster gets here he will brief you on what is expected of you as a student and as a seventh year," He gave her a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, all will be well. You will fit in quite nicely I think."
Lily was indeed reassured by this. She shifted her weight to her other foot and slowly looked about the room. "When will the headmaster get here?" Lily pondered out loud, focusing her attention back on Dumbledore.
The future headmaster was currently regarding the ceiling with interest, "Oh, he should be here shortly."
As if on cue, a door to the left of her slid open and an old man, slightly bent and balding, came scuffling in. He looked up at the two of them and smiled.
"Ah, I see you have collected the girl, Albus," he said in a pleasant, if somewhat scratchy, voice.
"Indeed I have, Armando," Dumbledore said, in what Lily had come to recognize as his normal cheerful tone.
"Good, good, all is in order then," Dippet said smiling as he settled himself behind his desk. "Has Albus informed you of our customs?"
"Yes," Lily said evenly, thinking that she preferred Dumbledore, "He mentioned that school was to start today," knowing full well that it was her mother that had briefed her on the start of term ceremonies by way of a bed time story when she was three.
"Ah, good, good," Dippet said again, nodding, "Well then, I suppose the only thing left to do is to ask you; have you any belongings?"
Lily's heart skipped a beat, she hadn't thought of that. Neither had her mother apparently, or any of the other leaders for that matter. Lily hung her head, "No sir, I have only what I carry with me now."
Dippet gave her a look that radiated deep pity and made Lily moderately uncomfortable, "There, there dear. Do not fret, we still have some five hours before school is to begin. There's time yet to procure you the necessary goods," he said, then, turning to Dumbledore, "Albus, I was wondering if you would be so kind as to escort miss Claire to Diagon Alley, so that she may make all purchases necessary."
Again, Lily shifted uncomfortably. Although she was loath to give this man any further reason to pity her she knew that to avoid the inevitable would only ever make it worse. "I haven't any money, sir," she replied glaring at him ever so slightly as if daring him to give her that look again.
Dippet seemed to catch her meaning because all pity disappeared from his features and was replaced with safe surprise, then modest confusion. As if, with the exception of expressing commiseration, he didn't quite know what to say, but Dumbledore simply smiled, "I will pay for everything until you can come up with the funds."
Lily turned and bestowed upon the aging man a face full of thanks.
The object of her thanks smiled warmly at her as if knowing by the brightness of her smile and the shinning of her eyes how deeply she resented the headmaster for his blunt, condescending sympathy.
Dippet, meanwhile, seemed as yet unaware of the exchange and acceptance of gratitude as it happened directly before him. Happily he clapped his hands together, "Excellent," he exclaimed loudly. Standing, he spread his arms wide in what Lily guessed was meant to be a gesture of welcome, "Well then, I will leave you two to it. I will meet you back here in…" he looked at the plethora of clocks and hourglasses around the room, "no more then three hours. Or if shopping takes any longer as it is wont to do, then I shall simply see you when I introduce you to rest of the school this evening."
Dippet left the office with a soft whish of his long robes leaving Lily standing with professor Dumbledore. She took the time to look up at him and notice that he looked slightly bemused. This made Lily grin inwardly with the knowledge that she was not the only one that found Armando Dippet quite comical in his unknowingness.
"Diagon Alley, sir?" she asked, her voice betraying some of her glee.
"Yes, Diagon Alley," Dumbledore said, "If you would be so kind as to hold an old man's arm, we will be on our way."
Lily smiled as she took the offered appendage and felt an odd sensation about her middle as the both of them apperated.
They appeared in front of a shop marked 'Twill's and Twit's Robes for Every Wizard'. By this point Lily was so enamored with mirth that she numbly allowed Dumbledore to steer her inside. There were only a few people in the small boutique, mostly students doing last minute shopping. They walked to the front counter and were greeted by a rather upbeat old man that Lily supposed must be either Twill or Twit.
"Hello, Professor Dumbledore sir," the man said happily and with way more enthusiasm then Lily thought a man of his apparent age should be allowed, "Come to do some last minute shopping?"
"Indeed I am Master Twill, but not for myself," he said, indicating a hand in Lily's direction, "Miss Claire is a Grindelwald refugee come to spend her last year at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, she has not to her name but the clothes on her back."
"Oh, but that's too bad," Twill said lightly, a slight frown marring his features momentarily. Unlike Headmaster Dippet's disparaging pity, the look of sympathy that was cast towards her from Mr. Twill bespoke of his sadness for her situation rather then of her person. The glance was fleeting and meant only as an acknowledgement to a reason.
Lily was also pleased with Dumbledore's foresight at using her middle name as her sir name. No doubt the name Potter or Weasley would have raised questions. As far as she knew, there were no wizarding families from Britain with the surname of Claire and therefore there would be no one to dispute her identity or the story that Dumbledore had created.
As Lily refocused her attention on the little old wizard he eagerly took her elbow exclaiming brightly "Come right this way Miss Claire, and we'll get you all fixed up."
With an encouraging nod from Dumbledore, Lily allowed the shopkeeper to lead her to an unoccupied vanity and place her squarely in front of the floor length mirrors. With many great flourishings of his wand bolts of fabric began flying every which way about her. "What will the lady be getting today, Albus?" Twill called over the rustlings of wool's and silks.
"The works," Dumbledore replied, "I'll just nip on over to Florish and Blotts to get her school things, I shall be back in a couple hours." He gave Lily one last smile before turning and exiting the shop.
When he had gone, Twill turned his full attention to her, "Now, the standard Hogwarts uniform for girls comes in two lengths," he said. A sweeping wave of his wand made Lily gasp in amazement as two manikins came waltzing towards her. On one, was the knee length skirt, with jumper and shirt that she had seen her mother and Aunt Hermione dawning in pictures from their school days. On the other was a floor length skirt with tailored vest over an equally fitted shirt. Not so unlike what she was now wearing.
"That one," Lily said indicating the floor length model.
Twill looked pleased, "Alright then," he said as he began to call forth yet more bolts of fine fabrics, "Not many girls choose this style now a days. I suspect that they will discontinue it altogether in the future, but for now it seems to suit you."
Lily took that as a compliment, seeing the glint of silver in the man's gray eyes told her that he genuinely seemed pleased with her choice. For the next thirty minutes she was wrapped in cloth after cloth until they found a sturdy silk that, when tailored specifically, complimented her figure wonderfully. Mr. Twill then proceeded to hand her a plain black tie, explaining to her as he did that it was charmed to change to her house colors as soon as she was sorted.
Lily shucked in her breath at his flippant mention of the upcoming sorting ceremony. While Lily had known that she would have to be sorted into a house, the forthcoming ordeal had yet to take root in her mind as a necessary certainty. The sorting ceremony was something that her generation only ever heard about; usually from her Aunt Hermione, who seemed to have committed each and every song and ceremony her first year to her last, to memory. Now she, alone of her generation, would get a chance to belong to a house.
Lily prayed that it wouldn't be Slytherin.
After the make and fit of the uniform was decided upon, Mr. Twill allowed her to remain in her current dress while he ordered three more sets to her measurements. Next came the robes. There were slightly more styles of robes then there were of uniforms. Lily chose a set that was tailored much like her uniform; the material flared slightly at the wrist and hugged her figure and hips before draping loosely to the floor in an elegant cascade. She buttoned the five obsidian buttons in the front of the robes and turned to look at herself in the mirror.
The girl who looked back at her looked grown up and sophisticated, just the person that Lily had wanted to be her entire life. She took a quick glance around the room and noted how short the other girls' hair was compared to her own. "I think I shall leave my hair as it is," Lily said, more to herself then to Mr. Twill.
"As you should, Miss Claire, it is quite lovely as it is," he answered jovially.
Lily blushed at the compliment, before she was again whisked into the frenzy of flying cloth. When at last the excitement dissipated, she found herself in a beautiful full-length gown made of emerald silk. She allowed herself a barely audible sigh.
"Dress robes, they match your eyes," Mr. Twill said, "Now a couple more things."
Lily wondered what else she could passably need. Her question was answered when she found herself in six different sets of casual dresses, each with a bodice and bustle, and each one reaching the floor. One in emerald, one in sapphire, one in ivory, one in ruby, one in ebony, and one in the deepest amethyst. Next came two cloaks, both were heavy and warm. The first was made of blackest wool while the second was, while also black, made of the softest velvet Lily had ever felt and lined with silk.
"A gift for you," Mr. Twill said, bowing as he whisked the cloaks from her shoulders and added them to the already large pile of clothes that were now to be hers. "It is a rare occasion that I find a lady so worthy."
Lily just stood there speechless. She was still staring at the shopkeeper when Dumbledore came waltzing into the shop levitating a small trunk behind him.
"My, my, you do clean up well Miss Claire," he praised her, "Why don't you get changed back into your uniform and we'll get the rest of your new," he paused as his eyes swept over the unusually large pile, "wardrobe packed."
Lily nodded as she disappeared into one of the dressing rooms to change into her new Hogwarts garb. She came out and found Dumbledore waiting for her with her new trunk floating buoyantly besides him.
"Here, I almost forgot," Mr. Twill said and handed her three pairs of shoes. All were black; one a pair of high-heeled boots, another a pair of dress shoes, and the last were low-heeled and slipper like. "They can be changed colors to match your outfit, a simple color change spell will do the trick," he explained happily as he handed them to her with a little bob of his head and a flourish of his hand.
"Th-thank you," Lily stammered and Mr. Twill smiled warmly.
"Think nothing of it," he said, bowing ever so slightly to her.
"Well, I suppose we should be off then," Dumbledore said happily, "Wouldn't want you to miss the sorting."
Lily nodded and one again grasped his arm for side-along apperation. They reappeared outside the gates to the grounds. Lily stumbled forward ever so slightly and gasped openly at the sight that greeted her hungry eyes. Hoqwarts was, to put it simply, huge. It had nine towers, as many battlements, and windows everywhere. It was the most impressive and majestic sight she had ever had the chance to behold.
"That is why we apperated outside the gates," Dumbledore said and Lily glanced sideways at him. "I believe that every student should have the privilege of seeing Hogwarts in all its glory for the first time. Had you been a first year, you'd arrive from across the lake. However I thought you might find it awkward to be surrounded by first years and to be just as impressed as they. "
Lily smiled, "I thank you for your belief then, Professor and most certainly for your foresight as well."
They continued their accent up the slopping lawn in silence; Dumbledore seemed content with the silence while Lily continued to stare hungrily at the approaching castle.
They met Dappleforth, the caretaker at the front steps, and Dumbledore instructed him to place her things in her dormitory as soon as she was sorted. When the great doors opened Lily tilted her head back to look admiringly up at the many tapestries that hung high in the rafters. Barely three steps into the magical school and Lily could feel the magic seeping through the stones at her feet. It filled her with such warmth, that for the first time in all her life it felt as if this were truly where she was meant to be.
As they approached the great hall, Lily could hear the dying echo of applause at Susan Viscount being sorted into Hufflepuff. Lily strained her ears to hear what the headmaster would say in his opening speech; Aunt Hermione had told her that Dumbledore had done one each year and, therefore, Lily thought that Dippet would most likely do one as well.
She was right.
As Dumbledore led her to within sight of the great hall already filled with students and bright with the light of hundreds of floating candles, Lily could just make out Dippet's start of term address.
"As always, welcome to another year at Hogwarts School. I trust that you all will enjoy yourselves this year. And in any other years that you happen to grace us with your presence in these halls," he waited for the applause to die down before continuing, " As always the forbidden forest is out of bounds to all who wish to keep all their limbs." The hall was filled with a light rumble of laughter and even Lily smiled wryly at Dippet's rare wit.
Dippet began to speak a new and Lily listened for she knew he was about to introduce her. "This year we are most fortunate to have a new student, whom will be joining us for her seventh and final year. Please welcome Miss Lily Claire."
With much more bravo then she felt, Lily took Dumbledore's arm and took her first step into the great hall. Five hundred pairs of eyes turned towards her as he led her into the miraculous room.
Lily allowed her eyes to glance fleetingly up towards the ceiling but would not let herself gasp at its magnificence when she felt so keenly so many stares upon her. While the dinning hall of Haven had been modeled after this very room, no amount of magic could ever make the thrice-cursed city look and feel like Hogwarts.
Having noted the clarity of the night-time sky reflected in the rafters above her, Lily leveled her eyes to that of Dippet's and did not allow them to waver asDumbledore led her towards a wooden stool upon which an old battered hat stood still. With all the grace she could muster in that single moment, Lily stepped up to the stool while Dumbledore snatched up the hat and placed it heavily on her head with a plop.
"Ah, yes I was wondering when you'd get here," the hat spoke into her ear, and Lily wondered briefly what it meant. "You told your father you wanted the world. Well, the world you shall have for you are destined for great things. After all, you have a purpose. Better be…"
'Not Slytherin,' Lily thought desperately, but her attempt was futile because in the next instant the hat shouted,
"SLYTHERIN!"
Lily's heart sank. Voldemort had been from Slytherin, as had the majority of his death eaters. Her father had once told her that no good had ever come from that house. 'Well that's not necessarily true now is it?' he mind scolded her. 'Uncle Drake's from Slytherin remember' 'and Pettigrew was in Gryffindor'.
Feeling only slightly better about things, Lily made her way down to the Slytherin table situated along the east wall, under a green and silver wall hanging of a serpent shaped like an S. The table's occupants were eyeing her with great curiosity.
She supposed she must look a sight in her turn of the century uniform and long, waist-length, braid of hair. While she did notice that a great many of the Slytherin girls were wearing the same cut of uniform as was she, like the girls in 'Twill's and Twit's' their hair cuts where all relatively short.
She finally found a place at the end of the table nearest the entrance hall doors. As soon as she had seated herself, she looked up and immediately found herself starring into the startling blue-black eyes of a very handsome, black haired boy about her own age.
Lily quickly lowered her gaze. Uncle Drake had made a point of informing her of the customs and behaviors of Slytherins and although she had always thought it a rather mute point, she supposed now she was glad of it. It was because of his teachings that she knew better then to try and engage anyone in a conversation of sorts without first having been spoken too. In light of this restriction, she waited for the food to appear and when it did she began to silently eat.
The boy, in contrary exhibit then his fellows continued to eye her long after his comrades went about their meals having dismissed her as not worthy of their time. This gave Lily the impression that he was trying to sort her out.
'Good luck with that,' she thought to herself as she helped herself to a goblet full of pumpkin juice.
"Hey, Riddle," a dark haired boy to her right yelled, "You make head boy?"
The boy in front of her smiled, his attention shifting from her to the boy that had yelled, "Of course Yaxley, who else?"
Lily dropped her fork at that. The boy sitting so benevolently across from her was Tom Riddle; Lord Voldemort aged seventeen. Lily gulped down the rest of her food wondering what the hell she had let her mother talk her into.
XXX
Tom Riddle was not your average boy. For one he was much smarter, more powerful, and better looking then any other student at this miserable school. Besides being the head boy, he was also the ringleader of the entire Slytherin house and had been since his third year. It had truly been a feat to behold that he, a thirteen year old boy, held the respect of not only those younger then he but older then he as well. In fact it was safe to say that, with the exception of the Gryffindors and one or two Ravenclaws, he was the most popular person in Hogwarts. No one dared breath without his approval.
He had also trained himself from the first day that he had entered Hogwarts' walls in the art of deception. He kept his feelings close against his chest and his face an expressionless mask. He was good at keeping up appearances, only ever allowing others to see what he wished them to see. He had schooled himself in the proper manners of British high-wizarding society so well that no one seemed to notice that there was not a Riddle house to be found among purebloods.
You see, Tom Riddle was a half-blood. His mother had been a witch; his father had been a muggle. Not that it mattered anymore; his mother had died giving birth to him leaving him to be raised in a muggle orphanage, alone and mistreated. He had killed his father.
Tom liked to think of himself as above petty human feelings and associations. For instance, he never paid that much attention to the opposite sex, he did not notice if a girl was attractive or not because he simply did not care. Females, in general, were a waste of time and energy as they were impossible to please and even more difficult to understand. Unless he wanted something from one of them, usually involving physical pleasure of some kind, he wrote the whole lot of them off as completely useless creatures.
However, this girl, Lily, was positively the most exotic creature he had ever seen. She intrigued him as no other woman, girl, or crone had done thus far in his entire life. He had been unable to pull his eyes from her form since she had first graced the hall with her illuminating presence. From the moment that he had heard her name and the responding footfalls of her delicate feet as she walked the length of the hall his attention had belonged solely to her and to her alone.
He noticed that she had chosen the out of style uniform worn in the early part of the century. Although a great many of the girls in his house opted for this more elegant style of uniform, on her it looked as if it had been designed specifically because she would one day wear it. Her hair wasn't short either, like every other girl in the school, but flowed behind her in a long thick braid; it coiled and uncoiled as she walked like a great red serpent.
When the hat had announced that she was to be in Slytherin, Tom had felt his normally still heart give a slight flutter of happiness. He had been startled but had soon dismissed it as he noted the look of disappointment and then reassurance and resolve pass one following the other across her ivory face.
She was so totally different then any other woman that he had ever seen that he had allowed his gaze to linger still longer upon her until she had sat down across from him. In the brief moment when her eyes had touched his Tom had felt almost like smiling. But when Yaxley had yelled out his name, he had seen her eyes again lift to his, only this time they were filled with an unexplained horror.
It puzzled him and bid him pause a moment. Tom Riddle didn't like to be puzzled. He liked to know everything about everything and if he did not understand it then he would simply ignore it.
But try as he might, he could not ignore her. He had looked away for just a moment and when he had once again allowed his eyes to grace her face he saw that she now wore a mask that could rival his own.
Now that had scared him.
Tom Riddle had never met a being, human or otherwise that could ever rival his expressionless face. But she had. Her face was blank, it was like looking at bleached marble, a Greek statue of Aphrodite perhaps. It took him a minute to remind himself not to allow his own face to slip. He only ever allowed people to see the emotions that he wanted them to see.
She continued the meal in silence, never once looking up at him after her face had changed to hide that strange expression of horror. When at last the meal had ended, she stood like the rest of his house and began to follow the masses down to the dungeons. She was halfway to the doors when he blocked her path, deciding that he would regret it if he didn't talk to her.
"Might I be given the honor of escorting you, milady?" he said bowing slightly, and extending his hand for her to take. He noticed that one or two of his peers were pausing in their own exits to glance, all clearly surprised, in his direction.
Take his hand she did not. Instead she gave him a scathing look before she side stepped him and continued on her way.
Tom frowned before again blocking her path, "I do not believe you heard me," he paused, "I offered to escort to the common room."
Her presently beautiful face twisted into a unforgiving, if strangely elegant scowl, "Forgive me Riddle, is that your name?" when she pressed on without acknowledgment that Riddle was indeed his name Tom knew that she'd only asked by way of insulting him. "Mumm, yes, well, I believe you are under the impression that I care," she said in an icy tone and Tom winced. "You see, I care not who or what you are but I am most capable of walking myself down to the dungeons without mishap and am therefore in no need of your assistance."
She brushed by him for the second time and continued to follow the students downwards. Halfway down the hall she stopped and turned to him, "I don't make it a habit to touch snakes either Mr. Riddle."
Tom didn't know exactly what to make of that other then it was certainly not a compliment. Although he really had to give her credit; never before would he have thought that the asking of one's name could be turned into an insult. Sourly, he let her go, striding past his fellows all the way down to the inky darkness that was the dungeons. He hoped that he would get the chance to see her once more before she disappeared into the girl's dormitories. As it turned out he made it in just enough time to see Lily's thick rope of hair disappear behind closed doors before he turned left and slammed the door to the head boys' room.
He undid his tie and angrily threw it to the floor. Normally he would attribute her lack of respect to the fact that she was new here and therefore unaware of his rules. However, in her case he got the impression that she genuinely did not care.
Exquisite creature she may be, but after her refusal to give him the respect that he was due, he was inclined to dismiss her as nothing more then a defiant if pretty face to behold. On the other hand, he thought as he lay down to sleep, perhaps she could be taught his rules. Such a creature as she would make a wonderful pet indeed.
'Tomorrow I shall teach her what it is to be a Slytherin,' he said to himself as his mind cleared and he began to drift into a dreamless sleep. 'I shall teach her that I am not to be ignored.'