Operation Pied Piper had begun! There were tearful goodbyes from heartbroken parents, concerned for their children's fates yet relieved that they will be out of the warzone. The evacuees consisted of teachers, children under five years old, primary students, and Tom, thirteen years old Tom.
The handsome young boy was sulking, clutching his Nietzsche book like it was a lifeline. Evidently, he did not think they were going on a school trip, as Mr. Hornby, the primary school teacher suggested. Nor did he think they were going out of London, no, he had assumptions of a mental asylum, still fresh in his mind from the threats of Elizabeth Cole. That did no explain why the rest of the orphanage was here though, or what the other people were doing on this train ride from hell. If he closed his eyes for but a second he could almost imagine Hogwarts. It was always a pleasant sight.
"Kid, are you alright? Time to be a good boy and enter the train," one of the future soldiers told him, smiling empathetically.
"I don't want to go," Tom told him, stubbornly.
The soldier put his hands on Tom's shoulders and said "Sonny, nothing bad is going to happen to you."
"You can't promise that! I could be allergic to bees and one might somehow enter the train, or we could be intercepted by robbers and get our belongings stolen."
The man looked slightly taken aback. What a paranoid little boy. Or was it pragmatism?
"Whatever might wait for you, kid, it's better than being here," he told the boy grimly then faked a smile and asked, "Your parents must be worried about you?"
"I'm an orphan." The boy responded bluntly "I'm here with the matron, Mrs. Cole"
"Let's not keep the lady waiting then, lad" the man answered throwing him an apologetic look.
"She doesn't like me"
"Her loss," the man told him warmly and Tom couldn't help but smile.
He entered the train and was given a number, 521. Everything was plain, everything was boring. Five years old were crying. He did not ask to be brought to a funeral!
There was an empty seat, away from Cole and the other orphans, but unfortunately also away from his magical belongings which were brutally taken from him, with the pretext that it would do him good to not read continually and act more like a little boy than a university student.
'Those lying curs!'
Tom sighed and started to open the book at the place he last opened it when a hyperactive five-year-old child started making his way to him.
'Merlin give him strength'
"Hello. I'm Tony, do you think mommy will come back for me?"
"No," Tom answered flatly.
"Why?" the kid asked.
"Because we're likely not going on a school trip and are going somewhere else for an ulterior purpose"
"Why?"
"Because people are often lying to children and are manipulative"
"Why?"
"Because they believe us incapable of swallowing the truth, and we are seen as unimportant pawns in their game"
"Why?"
Tom had had enough.
"Why not?"
The child stood still for a moment trying to digest everything he's been told before saying even more emotionally "Mr. do you think mommy will come back for me?"
"No!"
"Why?"
"Because you're annoying!"
The child looked on the verge of tears. Tom did not want trouble with the adults, or for the other brats to try to defend the crying little boy, and so he began saying "I'm sure your mommy would come for you if you shut up and wait for a bit"
The child stopped immediately, acting almost mute. How eerie.
Tom started to feel a little bad so he began opening the book and read aloud to Tony the opinions of one Friedrich Nietzsche.