Chapter Four: Magic
Tom seemed to be slightly distraught by Dumbledore's visit. Of course he was, since he didn't like the man since the moment they met. He thought that Dumbledore accused him of evil, of being even more different than he already was. Ella, on the other hand, was completely and utterly changed. Tom was right. She was different. And for all those years...her mother had never acknowledged that. Had never told her. Ella was surprised. She liked the idea that she had something to hold onto, not to lose herself and die. Commit suicide like her mother.
"Ella..." Tom muttered. He had been think of what to do with the girl. Her gift was certainly interesting. What wizard could seep into another's dreams and talk to them. Find information. Interfere. With Ella, he could do so much more. Find the thoughts of his enemies, and going farther with Legilimency. Even if they were Occlumencated, he could still get into their heads and manipulate. Ella and Tom sat on the swings, after Tom ordering the children to get out of his territory. Naturally, the children were very surprised that Tom was with another orphan, much less a girl. Ella's beautiful dark hair blew through the wind. Tom staring into her eyes. Yes, she is quite beautiful. But she is just looks. She can be easily manipulated. I need her powers after all, and without me, she is nothing.
"Yes, Tom?" She asked.
"Was that Professor," Tom cringed at the name. "Dumbledore?" He continued.
"Hmm...well I think so. He introduced himself that way to me." She smiled. Tom smiled back, but not in a friendly way. More like a annihilating, scheming way. But he would not show that to Ella. For he needed her. To rule. To survive. To destroy.
"Oh. He's the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts."
"Ah...that explains it. You were right. I did get accepted. It was just my mother trying to keep me from magic."
"Well, no one can keep a wizard or witch from magic entirely..." Tom explained. "It would be impossible."
"I'm sure." Ella replied. "Where to start? What's Diagon Alley? What are the subjects at Hogwarts? There is so much..." She continued.
"Oh, I promise I'll tell you all of that in time. Be patient." He said. Ella laughed. Laughter was not something Tom was familiar with. He never laughed. He never smiled out of love. He usually smirked.
"Okay, I will. But what do you think is the most important thing that I need to know?" She asked. Of course...every answer was different from every wizard. Dumbledore's reply would be love. Dippet's would be Charms. But Tom...Tom was interested in something much more. And getting this girl started on it would change everything. Her future. Her life.
"People may not agree with me." Tom said. "But, I think the Dark Arts are the most important."
"What are they, Tom?" Ella asked. It was too late. Tom had to explain, if not, a bit of the Dark Arts. And what would it hurt? Ella needed to know, if she was ever going to be a pawn in his plan to rule.
"Oh, the Dark Arts are the most important of all magic. They control the powerful and separate them from the weak." Tom continued. In his mind, it was true, they did separate powerful wizards from weak and the helpless.
"And what would you be?" Ella asked intently, after stopping her swing from swinging back and forth with her feet. The mary-janes she was wearing were worn and black. Plain.
"I'd consider myself more powerful than others...But still, they do not respect me." He said in a dreary tone. Ella felt sorry for Tom then, for she was always well respected in her school. It was an academy, after all. She was always surrounded with fellow friends, and enemies that pretended to be friends. The boy's school was across the lawn, for she had a certain man who she loved. He was gone now, with the rest of her life.
"Oh...I am truly sorry, Tom. They will respect you one day. When you will be the most powerful wizard in the world. I see that in you. I see it in your eyes." Ella said, gazing into his onyx black ones.
Tom was bewildered. Of course, he knew that Ella would respect him for being a wizard. But following him already? He didn't know that it was going to happen that fast. He thought that she only wanted to be friends. That she would go her separate ways when they reached Hogwarts. And how that she believed that he was going to be the most powerful wizard in the world! He liked the sound of that. And the gaze in her eyes. Of course, she was just entranced by his charm. But Tom knew that she really could see more than looks. This one was different. Why else wouldn't she be?
He hesitated for a moment. Tom Riddle never said "Thank you." He didn't feel like he had the need to. He finally answered her, with a sigh.
"They will. And I truly hope that you will be at my side when they do." Tom answered.
"I think I will. You really are a kind boy, Tom. I hope we can be friends." Ella said, touching his arm. Tom recoiled in a twitch, but then let her. Her touch was as magnetizing and interesting as ever. She was warm, her hands held a certain power. Tom in a dark blue t-shirt, let the beautiful girl in the periwinkle purple dress embrace him.
"So you wanted to learn more about the Dark Arts?" He asked her again.
"Of course. I know you'll be the best teacher." Ella replied, finally letting go all of her emotions from the past. She didn't care about her dead mother anymore. She was all too fascinated by the dark, taunting being that was Tom Riddle.
Come the Fifteenth, Thomas Riddle and Elladora St. Clair were visited by a man named Professor Slughorn. He was a stout man, with strawberry blond hair that covered the top of his head. Ella was very surprised that he would actually come to the orphanage, while Tom felt like it was nice to finally start the school year again. And to go to Diagon Alley again.
"Hello, you must be Elladora!" He greeted. "I am Professor Slughorn, I am the Potions master at Hogwarts. Oh, look here, it's one of my favourite students, Tom!"
"Greetings, Professor." Tom nodded politely.
"Hello." Ella replied.
"Well, we best be on our way now. No time to waste!" Slughorn exclaimed. "Here, let me help you." he said as he waved a stick that was supposedly his wand and said, "Pack!" as both Tom and Ella's bags began to pack themselves.
Ella was amazed. "Wow, that is amazing, Sir!" She exclaimed.
"Oh, that's normal. Once you go to Hogwarts, you'll be able to do it yourselves." He reassured. "Now grab your bags, Ella have you gotten the Galleons yet?" He asked.
"Yes, Dumbledore gave it to me."
"Ah, Dumbledore. Great man, great man." Slughorn went on as Tom scowled.
Tom, Ella, led by Slughorn, made their way through the London streets to a small pub squeezed between two other buildings. They only carried a few bags, Tom and Slughorn's filled with things to trade and mend, while Ella's only held a generous bag of galleons that Dumbledore had given her.
"Ah, the Leaky Cauldron! Here it is!" Slughorn exclaimed. Ella couldn't believe her eyes. It was hardly visible, you had to have great eyes to see it. It was dark, gloomy, and dirty. Things that Ella and Tom were both familiar to. Slughorn walked in, followed by the two teenagers. There were people, very interesting people, inside the pub. An old woman with warts was seated near a short monster that Ella assumed was a goblin. Now most girls, teenagers in fact, would be terrified by the mere sight of a monster. But Ella held it together. After seeing Slughorn, Dumbledore, and Tom, she wasn't surprised at all. And after everything that's happened, she wouldn't even be surprised if Beetle Juice came rushing through the doors.
Slughorn waved and greeted a few people, gesturing to the bartender, who was also named Tom, and even a brute-like creature that looked similar to a werewolf. He then led the two to a wall which he pointed his wand to. The grey and red bricks moved until they formed an archway that let to something Ella thought looked like a street of some sort. It was cobblestone, led with witches in pointed, black hats, and wizards in various robes. Ella was amazed that something like this even existed. It was like walking into another world. A beautiful one.
"Ah, Diagon Alley, a hub for wizards and witches of any kind." Slughorn sighed.
"Should we head over to Ollivander's for Ella?" Tom asked Slughorn.
"Of course, Tom, of course. What would a witch be without her wand?" He stated.
Well, Ella would still be magnificent. Tom thought.
"A wand?" Ella asked.
"But of course! You need a wand to conjure spells." Slughorn exclaimed.
Tom was bored of all of Slughorn's giddiness. Yes, Slughorn was his favourite teacher, but an annoying one at that. Ella, on the other hand, was amazed. She wanted to know more.
"This is mine." Tom pulled out his wand. It was beautiful. Interesting and neat of course.
They stepped into a shop that said "Ollivanders: Makers of fine wands since 382 B.C." It was littered with paper and boxes of all sorts. Scrolls were there too, piling up in the corners. A man was behind the counter.
"Ah, Slughorn! Mr. Riddle." He greeted. "And who's this?" He asked Ella.
"I'm Ella St. Clair." She introduced herself.
"And, you are looking for a wand? Ah, I remember Tom's right here, 13 1/2 inches, Yew, with a Phoenix Feather core! Well, there are so many options..." He pulled out a box and out came a wand. "Try this. Just wave it around, dear." He asked as Ella did as she was told.
"No, no...Oak doesn't suit you...Ah, this one!" He said as Ella waved around the second wand.
"No, no...Transfiguration is not your strong suit...You know, it is not the wizard that chooses the wand, it is the wand that actually chooses the wizard...Try this?" He held out another as Ella waved that one too. And on and on she waved, until she found a beautiful ebony wand that shot out a few sparks.
"Yes! Finally. A wand for Ella! This one's 10 2/3 inches, Ebony, with Dragon Heartstring...Very interesting. It's good for the Dark- I mean Defence Against the Dark Arts subject." He explained. "It'll be seven galleons!" He asked as Tom helped Ella count out seven gold coins. "Thank you!, Come again!" Ollivander said as she handed him the gold.
The wand felt nice in Ella's hands. Perfect. Like the wand and her were welded into one. That she could do anything.
"Be careful, now. You aren't allowed to do magic out of Hogwarts." Slughorn warned.
"What if I use it out of school?" Ella asked.
"Then it will be destroyed." Tom replied for Slughorn.
Ella blinked. Once, twice. That would be terrible. For her beautiful, black wand to be broken into pieces. "Destroyed?"
"Yes, for if underage wizards were allowed to use magic, well...there would be a big brouhaha there, wouldn't it be?" Slughorn chuckled. "I'll be over in the Leaky Cauldron, if Tom would like to escort you around." He nodded at Tom. "Take care now, I'll be back in a few hours."
Ella looked at Tom and smiled. "Where to now?" She asked with her innocent, pretty face. Tom couldn't help but feel a twinge of goodness, right there. But only for a second. Nothing more.
"Probably to Madame Malkins, Flourish and Blotts, Maybe the owl emporium. I'll show you around." He smirked. Ella couldn't help but feel better with Tom. Like he was the only thing that mattered now.
Yay! Five reviews! Thank you everyone who even bothered to read this. But there'll be more for the people who actually read, review, alert, and favourite this. The more the merrier. Sorry that I changed my Pen name, if you are confused. It used to be AshleyRoseSparrow, but now is the renewed Ashley Rose Everdeen Malfoy- changed to Hunger Games and Harry Potter reference. I still love Pirates though. Just I love Harry Potter and Hunger Games more. Even more than Twilight.
-xoxo, the new Ashley Rose Everdeen Malfoy [AshleyRoseSparrow]