Little Hagton
Tom studied the strange man next to him. He wore crescent moon spectacles that shimmered when the light hit them and deep-sea blue robes that came down to his ankles. His hair even was different from the norm. He had a silver-gray beard that was middle length. He looked younger than his age though, maybe in his seventies. He was smiling down at Tom.
"Hello, Mr. Riddle," he said. Tom looked up at him, not knowing what to think of him. Where did he get those robes if he was homeless, like Tom now was?
"Er…hi," Tom stuttered. He turned his head towards the street. Nothing interesting to look at except dying streets of London.
"So," the old man started, "Did you receive any strange letters lately, Mr. Riddle?"
The man turned his head and also began to stare at the street.
Tom was shocked at the man's remark. How could that old man know about the strange letter he had received that day, and, why would he care.
Tom turned his attention back to the old man.
"How did you know about the letter?" Tom asked him. The old man looked at him and smiled.
"I am Professor Dumbledore," he said with a twinkle in his eye, "I am a teacher at Hogwarts." Tom's mouth dropped. A teacher from Hogwarts, nothing could have been better to him. Dumbledore smiled at his shock. "What, did you think muggles dressed like this?"
"Muggles?" Tom asked the professor.
"They are non-magic folk. Like your friends at the orphanage."
"Friends?" Tom asked. He hadn't a friend except Stacy.
"A young boy your age should have a friend or two. If an old man like myself has them, you must then too."
"Er… I have one friend," Tom said, shakily, thinking of Stacy and began to sink into sorrow. He had left her, and she wouldn't have a clue where he'd be, she may think that he was dead. The professor noted his sorrow and quickly changed the subject.
"I am here to help you purchase your school things and make it to school," Dumbledore said kindly to Tom. "But, first, I do not think that you would want to sleep out here. Let's go someplace warmer and friendlier." The old man stood up. He was much taller than Tom ever imagined an older man to be.
Dumbledore held out his hand and Tom took it gratefully. Together, they walked into an alley and the professor held out a stick. After saying a word in Latin, a purple bus, labeled the "Knight Bus" appeared. They quickly got on to the mysterious vehicle.
Stacy stared out the window at the crescent moon. Where could Tom be, she wondered as she gazed at the night sky.
"Er…Stacy," a small voice came from behind her. She turned to see a small boy staring at her. "Ms. Prince would like to talk with you."
Stacy got up from the broken down chair she was sitting on and quietly strode down the hall.
"Come in, Stacy," Ms. Prince said after she knocked on the office door. Stacy opened the door with a creak and then came in, seating herself across from Ms. Prince.
"Have you seen Tom Riddle?" she asked right away. Stacy shook her head. She hadn't seen him since he wanted to be alone at the gully. So that's when he left. He had run away from the orphanage. Stacy just thought he was still at the gully.
"Oh, well, he hasn't come in yet," Ms. Prince started in a worried tone, "And I am terribly worried about the poor boy." Tom won't come back, Stacy thought sadly. Partly, Ms. Prince's fault, partly Michael's, and partly mine, she added to herself. "I feel so terrible…it's my fault that he's gone."
"What happened?" Stacy asked, trying to sound ignorant.
"Oh, well, it's quite a long story," Ms. Prince began, but Stacy cut in.
"I have time…" she said quickly, wanting to hear her side of the story. And Ms. Prince told her everything about her and Tom's talk about the letter.
The Knight Bus didn't have seats like a regular school bus, but was lined with beds, nice ones with pillows and nice blankets.
Professor Dumbledore sat on the bed next to Tom, who was still studying the bus. He was amazed that there were beds, but mystified on how it got to them. If that was magic, than Tom was all for "Hogwarts."
"Mr. Riddle," Dumbledore said. Tom quickly spun around to see Dumbledore sitting there smiling at him still. "You can sit down you know."
Tom just then realized that he was looking around on his tiptoes, looking like a stupid little boy. He quickly sat down on the opposite bed, next to Dumbledore.
"Are you nervous?" Dumbledore asked. Yes, Tom thought, I am. But, he was not about to tell him the professor that.
Tom shook his head subtly. Dumbledore cocked an eyebrow. So he could tell. Oh-well, Tom thought, so what if he knew that he was nervous.
"You will be fine," Dumbledore said reassuringly, but Tom wasn't reassured at all.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. The orphanage.
"Erm… Professor," Tom began, "Do I have to go back to the orphanage, I mean, when school is done?" Please say no, he thought.
"I'm afraid so, Mr. Riddle," Dumbledore said. Tom never wanted to go back, he'd find a way to stay at "Hogwarts" until he was old enough so he could leave the place in his past. Tom nodded and stared out the window. Where were they, he thought, he had never seen this place, and he was sure it wasn't London.
"Little Hagton," the bus driver shouted to some other passengers on board. They started to leave when Tom realized something.
"Professor," Tom asked, "May I look around this town?" Dumbledore smiled and nodded. Tom thought that he understood, but Tom wasn't sure.
The two of them got of the Knight Bus and looked around the town of Little Hagton. Tom thought it was quite dreary, but he didn't care. His father lived in one of these houses, the ladies at the orphanage told him so. They also said that his parents were rich, so the house had to be big.
"Erm…sir," he said shyly to Dumbledore. "May I look around alone?"
"Are you sure you want to Tom?" the professor asked him kindly.
"Yes…" Tom replied, "I'll find you, well, later."
"I'll be waiting here for you then," Dumbledore said as he sat on a bench.
Fifteen minutes later, Tom stumbled onto a huge mansion. There was an old man in the garden, tending to the flowers.
"Sir," Tom said to him as he approached, "Is…is this the Riddle house?"
The gardener looked up at little Tom with a scowl. Tom almost left, but, he wanted to find his father.
"What is your business with the Riddles, boy?" he asked with a rough voice.
"Er…" Tom said as he thought. What was his business with the Riddles? Tom hadn't planned anything, and, if he did meet his father, what would he do? "I wanted to, erm…speak with…Tom Riddle."
"And who are you?" the gardener pressed with even a harder voice.
"Tom…Tom Riddle," he said quietly.
"Speak up, boy," the man said rudely to him.
"Tom Riddle," he said loudly. The gardener's mouth dropped, but then he shook his head. Probably convincing himself that I am lying, Tom thought to himself.
"Well, go on," the gardener said after a long pause, "Mr. Riddle is in the house."
"Thank you sir," Tom said as he happily turned and ran toward the house.
"WATCH THE FLOWERS, BOY!" the gardener shouted after him.
Tom stopped at the steps that lead to the door. Tom was so happy. Finally, after all of these years he would meet his father. Tom quickly ran up the steps and knocked three times on the door.
A young woman, probably a servant, answered.
"Can I help you?" she asked sweetly.
"Er…I want to speak to Mr. Tom Riddle." Tom said with full confidence and happiness.
Tom studied the strange man next to him. He wore crescent moon spectacles that shimmered when the light hit them and deep-sea blue robes that came down to his ankles. His hair even was different from the norm. He had a silver-gray beard that was middle length. He looked younger than his age though, maybe in his seventies. He was smiling down at Tom.
"Hello, Mr. Riddle," he said. Tom looked up at him, not knowing what to think of him. Where did he get those robes if he was homeless, like Tom now was?
"Er…hi," Tom stuttered. He turned his head towards the street. Nothing interesting to look at except dying streets of London.
"So," the old man started, "Did you receive any strange letters lately, Mr. Riddle?"
The man turned his head and also began to stare at the street.
Tom was shocked at the man's remark. How could that old man know about the strange letter he had received that day, and, why would he care.
Tom turned his attention back to the old man.
"How did you know about the letter?" Tom asked him. The old man looked at him and smiled.
"I am Professor Dumbledore," he said with a twinkle in his eye, "I am a teacher at Hogwarts." Tom's mouth dropped. A teacher from Hogwarts, nothing could have been better to him. Dumbledore smiled at his shock. "What, did you think muggles dressed like this?"
"Muggles?" Tom asked the professor.
"They are non-magic folk. Like your friends at the orphanage."
"Friends?" Tom asked. He hadn't a friend except Stacy.
"A young boy your age should have a friend or two. If an old man like myself has them, you must then too."
"Er… I have one friend," Tom said, shakily, thinking of Stacy and began to sink into sorrow. He had left her, and she wouldn't have a clue where he'd be, she may think that he was dead. The professor noted his sorrow and quickly changed the subject.
"I am here to help you purchase your school things and make it to school," Dumbledore said kindly to Tom. "But, first, I do not think that you would want to sleep out here. Let's go someplace warmer and friendlier." The old man stood up. He was much taller than Tom ever imagined an older man to be.
Dumbledore held out his hand and Tom took it gratefully. Together, they walked into an alley and the professor held out a stick. After saying a word in Latin, a purple bus, labeled the "Knight Bus" appeared. They quickly got on to the mysterious vehicle.
Stacy stared out the window at the crescent moon. Where could Tom be, she wondered as she gazed at the night sky.
"Er…Stacy," a small voice came from behind her. She turned to see a small boy staring at her. "Ms. Prince would like to talk with you."
Stacy got up from the broken down chair she was sitting on and quietly strode down the hall.
"Come in, Stacy," Ms. Prince said after she knocked on the office door. Stacy opened the door with a creak and then came in, seating herself across from Ms. Prince.
"Have you seen Tom Riddle?" she asked right away. Stacy shook her head. She hadn't seen him since he wanted to be alone at the gully. So that's when he left. He had run away from the orphanage. Stacy just thought he was still at the gully.
"Oh, well, he hasn't come in yet," Ms. Prince started in a worried tone, "And I am terribly worried about the poor boy." Tom won't come back, Stacy thought sadly. Partly, Ms. Prince's fault, partly Michael's, and partly mine, she added to herself. "I feel so terrible…it's my fault that he's gone."
"What happened?" Stacy asked, trying to sound ignorant.
"Oh, well, it's quite a long story," Ms. Prince began, but Stacy cut in.
"I have time…" she said quickly, wanting to hear her side of the story. And Ms. Prince told her everything about her and Tom's talk about the letter.
The Knight Bus didn't have seats like a regular school bus, but was lined with beds, nice ones with pillows and nice blankets.
Professor Dumbledore sat on the bed next to Tom, who was still studying the bus. He was amazed that there were beds, but mystified on how it got to them. If that was magic, than Tom was all for "Hogwarts."
"Mr. Riddle," Dumbledore said. Tom quickly spun around to see Dumbledore sitting there smiling at him still. "You can sit down you know."
Tom just then realized that he was looking around on his tiptoes, looking like a stupid little boy. He quickly sat down on the opposite bed, next to Dumbledore.
"Are you nervous?" Dumbledore asked. Yes, Tom thought, I am. But, he was not about to tell him the professor that.
Tom shook his head subtly. Dumbledore cocked an eyebrow. So he could tell. Oh-well, Tom thought, so what if he knew that he was nervous.
"You will be fine," Dumbledore said reassuringly, but Tom wasn't reassured at all.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. The orphanage.
"Erm… Professor," Tom began, "Do I have to go back to the orphanage, I mean, when school is done?" Please say no, he thought.
"I'm afraid so, Mr. Riddle," Dumbledore said. Tom never wanted to go back, he'd find a way to stay at "Hogwarts" until he was old enough so he could leave the place in his past. Tom nodded and stared out the window. Where were they, he thought, he had never seen this place, and he was sure it wasn't London.
"Little Hagton," the bus driver shouted to some other passengers on board. They started to leave when Tom realized something.
"Professor," Tom asked, "May I look around this town?" Dumbledore smiled and nodded. Tom thought that he understood, but Tom wasn't sure.
The two of them got of the Knight Bus and looked around the town of Little Hagton. Tom thought it was quite dreary, but he didn't care. His father lived in one of these houses, the ladies at the orphanage told him so. They also said that his parents were rich, so the house had to be big.
"Erm…sir," he said shyly to Dumbledore. "May I look around alone?"
"Are you sure you want to Tom?" the professor asked him kindly.
"Yes…" Tom replied, "I'll find you, well, later."
"I'll be waiting here for you then," Dumbledore said as he sat on a bench.
Fifteen minutes later, Tom stumbled onto a huge mansion. There was an old man in the garden, tending to the flowers.
"Sir," Tom said to him as he approached, "Is…is this the Riddle house?"
The gardener looked up at little Tom with a scowl. Tom almost left, but, he wanted to find his father.
"What is your business with the Riddles, boy?" he asked with a rough voice.
"Er…" Tom said as he thought. What was his business with the Riddles? Tom hadn't planned anything, and, if he did meet his father, what would he do? "I wanted to, erm…speak with…Tom Riddle."
"And who are you?" the gardener pressed with even a harder voice.
"Tom…Tom Riddle," he said quietly.
"Speak up, boy," the man said rudely to him.
"Tom Riddle," he said loudly. The gardener's mouth dropped, but then he shook his head. Probably convincing himself that I am lying, Tom thought to himself.
"Well, go on," the gardener said after a long pause, "Mr. Riddle is in the house."
"Thank you sir," Tom said as he happily turned and ran toward the house.
"WATCH THE FLOWERS, BOY!" the gardener shouted after him.
Tom stopped at the steps that lead to the door. Tom was so happy. Finally, after all of these years he would meet his father. Tom quickly ran up the steps and knocked three times on the door.
A young woman, probably a servant, answered.
"Can I help you?" she asked sweetly.
"Er…I want to speak to Mr. Tom Riddle." Tom said with full confidence and happiness.