He blinked blearily, taking in the stark white walls of the Hogwarts hospital wing. He leaned up onto his elbows, blinking at the bright sunlight filtering through the windows.
"Oh good, you're awake!" Came a cheerful voice.
Tom looked over and saw a medi-witch come bustling towards him. He sat up properly, confused at the sight of the unfamiliar witch.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Madam Pomfrey." The blonde witch replied, once she reached his bedside, "I'm the school nurse currently." She continued whilst casting some spells Tom recognized as diagnostic spells.
"What happened to Miss Pennyfeather? Is she ill?" Tom asked.
He wasn't sure what a school nurse would do when she got sick, but he presumed they would get some time off or something.
"Not quite." She said in a gentle voice, which Tom had learned was the voice people used when they didn't want to tell you bad news.
This school nurse apparently didn't have bad news, but no news. Or at least none she was sharing as she went on casting her spells in silence. She gave him some potions he promptly swallowed and did some tests making little noises of pleasure or worry.
Tom, uneasy in the silence, decided to try once more, "How long have I been asleep, that they got a new school nurse." He asked, assuming that when she had said Miss Pennyfeather wasn't exactly ill, that she had left for some other reason.
"I'm not sure I'm the one who answer that," She said sounding distinctly uncomfortable, "I think that's a conversation you should have with the Headmaster."
Now Tom was truly confused, "The headmaster? Why would Dippet be a better person to tell me how long I've been in the hospital than the school nurse, who I might mention, hasn't yet told me why I'm in here in the first place?" He inquired uneasily.
He could tell something was wrong. He couldn't even remember what had occurred to land him in the hospital wing. Let alone why there was a new nurse, and apparently why students now took up their medical issues with the headmaster.
"Dippet? Oh, no, uh, Headmaster Dumbledore actually." She said a note of surprise, and then wariness in her tone.
"Dumbledore?" Tom asked, truly shocked now, "Why would Dumbledore be Headmaster? What happened to Dippet? I can't possibly have been asleep that long." He insisted.
"Like I said, it's really not my place to explain. Dumbledore really understands what happened much better than I do." She said, before trying to get back to her check-up.
Tom though, wasn't feeling so cooperative anymore and shrunk back from her wand tip.
What the hell was going on? Dumbledore? Headmaster? That didn't even remotely make sense.
He looked around the ward, and noticed why he'd felt so off-balance since waking up. "Where's Noelle?" He asked.
Tom studied the nurse's reaction. The uneasiness left her expression, replaced with confusion. "I'm sorry, who?" She asked, genuinely lost.
At this point Tom knew that something was seriously wrong. Fear sparked in his stomach, and his throat closed up. His heart started beating way too hard and he could practically feel the adrenaline flowing through his veins. He shot out of bed, and made to summon his robes, but realized he didn't have his wand on him. This on an ordinary day would've freaked him out, he couldn't remember a time he hadn't had his wand since he'd bought it when he was 11, however he currently had bigger problems, so he made to leave the hospital wing in only the patient smock he was wearing.
The nurse, Madam Pomfrey, stepped in his way, "Where do you think you're going? You're ill, you shouldn't be out of bed, I haven't finished with your check-up." She said in honest surprise.
He could tell that she had no idea what had suddenly set him off, but there was no way he was going to explain. He had to find Noelle. And he had to find her now. It didn't bode well that she wasn't here with him, and it was even worse the nurse had never even heard of her. Tom made to walk around the nurse, but she stepped into his path again.
"Mr Riddle, I'm afraid I can't let you leave just yet." She insisted, a fierce look appearing on her face.
Tom would've been appropriately contrite if he wasn't so terrified at the moment. "I don't have the time to explain. I need to find Noelle."
He saw comprehension dawn on her face, "You're scared." She stated in a small voice, as if only just realizing this fact.
Tom felt himself blush, he didn't like being that easy to read but when Noelle was involved, he often forgot himself.
"Tom, please sit down, I'm sure this... Noelle is fine. Things are bit more complicated than you realize just now, but you can't just go running about the castle on a wild goose chase." She said in a mollifying voice.
Tom took a step back, and stared at her in incomprehension. The mediwitch sighed, and gestured back to the bed gently with a defeated look on her face. Tom could see that he had gotten through to her somehow, and backtracked to the bed. The witch pulled up a chair and sat down in front of him.
"Tom, what is date?" She asked.
Tom blinked at her in shock. That wasn't what he'd been expecting.
"18th of June, 1943." He answered clearly.
"Well you see, that's just it. It's the 31st of May, 1993." She said carefully.
"'93?" He asked slowly.
"Yes. You haven't been asleep really. Your condition had you unconscious, hence you were left in my care. I could tell that you had been cursed with dark magic, but the circumstances around your... arrival in 1993 would be better explained by Dumbledore. As it isn't actually medical, and not my area of expertise you see." She said, looking at him as if judging whether he was following along, Tom wasn't sure what she saw in his face, but she seemed satisified and continued, "So I don't know this Noelle you talk of, but if she was in Hogwarts in 1943 she isn't now. I haven't heard of her myself, but I'm sure she's out there somewhere. But you see, searching the castle won't help you find this Noelle."
Tom put on his expressionless mask. He had already allowed this Madam Pomfrey to see his fear, there was no reason to let her see anything else.
He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down his racing heart. He was in 1993. He had no idea how. But he had gotten to 1993. And Noelle wasn't here. Tom wasn't sure how he felt about this, but he definitely couldn't let it show on his face.
"Have you finished your check-up? I would like to speak with Headmaster Dumbledore if you are." Tom asked calmly.
The medi-witch in front of him seemed concerned, but nevertheless nodded her consent, standing up and vanishing her chair. She gestured to the door with platitudes about how that would be fine, to go ahead, just make sure you come back etc. Tom didn't really listen just stood up and made for the door, before he looked at his attire and turned back to the witch raising an eyebrow. Madam Pomfrey clearly got the message and conjured a set of plain robes for him before she disappeared into what Tom presumed was her office. He changed and headed for the door. Tom's thoughts were muddled but he knew one thing, he had to speak with Dumbledore, he'd know where Noelle is.
