Voldemort- the Untold Truth
Chapter 7 – huff, huff, puffing and many riddles
On the dawn of 1st of September, tension seemed to rise in the little two-storey orphanage. For one, Tom was nervous, as he made up his bed, the 'invisible' butterflies fluttered in his stomach making him quite frustrated. Other boys, or was it his imagination, seemed to behave rather oddly, for usually there were the old jokes of Mrs Greple in the mornings, but today , the air seemed to be filled with heavy silence.
Mrs Greple who was pacing up and down the boys dormitories, held her hands nervously at times, as if to stop them shacking. Tom wandered if she was dreading to meet upon the face of Armando Botallo, for he noticed, the left eye of her plumy face twitched often.
Tom smiled to himself at the thought of Mrs Greple scrambling as far as possible from Armando Botallo's open arms; he'd rather stay away from the scene if he could help it.
"Get back to Work ye Riddle boy, just 'cause ye're leaving, don't mean that ye can relax, now can it?" Mrs Greple said as she shoved him a broom. There was a cold look about her.
"Yes Missus," Tom grumbled. And how you'd like this broom shoved up your nose?
"Well on with it now," she waved with her hand, giving him one of her 'narrow-eyed' looks.
Tom nodded and said nothing.
When it reached 10 in the morning, a knock sounded on the door of the orphanage. Knowing who it will be, instead of opening it, Mrs Greple ignored it. But the knocking continued relentlessly.
After few more knocks were heard, Mrs Greple finally sent a boy named Greg Sullivan to open it. Tom who was tiding his bed upstairs heard a man's steps entering the house and smiled after recognizing them. Quickly as not to be noticed by the other boys, he snicked out of the dormitory and crept down a few steps of the wooden stair way to listen closely. Thank God Mrs Greple was downstairs also.
"Good day, Mrs Greple. Busy as usual, I see?" Botallo said warmly.
"Y...yes we are at this time, busy as bees me guess," came the quick, nervous reply.
A titter was heard.
"Well as you know, today is the day Tom Riddle must journey on to his first day to Hogwarts School. So I believe Tom is ready to go," Armando said and cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Right," came the meek response from Mrs Greple. It seemed she rather shouldn't have been reminded, Tom thought. "Riddle boy, grab ye gears and rags and come down here at once!"
"I am coming, Missus," Tom giggled as he jumped down 2 steps at a time, making large 'thumps' after doing so.
**
"Now lad, I've gotten your ticket," Said Armando Botallo hurriedly as both he and Tom rushed through the alley, "and the express will be in King's Cross Station, platform 9 and ¾," he read.
"But 9 and ¾ does not sound like a real station to me," Tom questioned in confusion.
"Oh trust me, lad, it is, just let us get to King's Cross first before we worry how to find it."
If Tom thought getting to King's Cross was easy, he was quite mistaken. Before long, they've gotten lost in London's enriched streets. Busy traffic and hurried Muggles made Botallo quite dizzy time to time, that he'd to stop.
"But I am sure it was here somewhere," The frustrated Botallo cried as he looked at his faded out drawn map in his short-fingered hands.
"Perhaps we ought to look that way again," Tom often suggested get frustrated himself.
"No, no, it shan't do, might have to ask a Muggle's help," said the older wizard quite nervously. "Have not been talking much with Muggles these many years; my communication might prove rusty."
After a moment, the wizard approached a lady sitting on a bench near by with a classic book in her hand.
"Cross?" He asked. But instead of answering him the way he hoped, she shot him an angry glance, took her newspaper and left.
"What did I say wrong?"
"Perhaps, you should mention the whole name of the place, Sir, such as 'King's Cross Station,' and maybe just excuse yourself before hand," Tom was holding back a muffled giggle.
"Right, that did sound rude no doubt," the older wizard pondered. "No hurt to try again," he winked at Tom.
Another victim was found. An older man, perhaps a few more years older then Armando who Tom guessed to be around his 60's, was walking his white poodle along at his leisure.
"Excuse the King's Cross Station, Sir," Botallo panted after rushing along to follow the older man who started jogging suddenly.
"And why should I?"
"Trying to find station, to travel; very important day, Sir," Botallo said rather taken aback at the sharpness of this older man.
"It is just a usual day to me, and I don't think the Station should be excused just because I do not wish to travel today!" The older man said crossly, and the poodle started to bark.
"I beg your pardon, Sir, but it is we who wish to get there, with not much time on our hands."
"Oh right, well pass the Docklands building in the corner, turn then left across the road, then turn right across that post office, and go down those stairs – shall lead you to the underground train station and that's where you'll find this King's Cross."
"Oh many thanks," smiled Botallo in relief. "But I must ask, for I've not been around here much, is King's Cross station named this way, because once Kings Crossed here?"
**
"3 minutes left, oh no," panicked Armando Botallo who looked so weary he might have collapsed to the floor soon. After having reached King's Cross Station, and Platform nine, Botallo eyed the ticket in his hand.
"How am I to reach 9 and ¾ if there is only platform 9 or 10?" asked Tom confused.
"Dippett, the Headmaster that is, mentioned something about having to walk through a barrier between platforms 9 and 10, I believe," The older wizard scratched his head frustratingly. "Damn I wish I practised coming here before actually arriving, for this Station is quite new and the so-called 'barrier' was made not long ago."
With out waiting for further unreliable information, Tom made his way to the middle of the station, where a brick wall stood separating platforms 9 and 10. After standing on the corner of the wall to the left and then to the right, Tom leaned back, the cage with the tawny owl in his right hand, his books, wand, potions, and uniform in a large bag with his left hand. And before he knew it, he was falling...
**
"That was smart move alright, my lad," Botallo repeated often after the incident where Tom felt his body give backwards when the brick wall sucked him through the barrier.
Tom was on the train, sitting by the window on his right, where Armando Botallo stood outside it chatting to him. The Scarlet train was packed with students of all ages taking up sits in the few carriages, leaving hardly any room for later-comers. Luckily, Tom found a spare one.
"It is a long trip to Hogwarts; I believe it shall be evening when you arrive."
"And how will you get back to Hogwarts, Sir," Tom asked.
"I have my transportation," The wizard cleared his throat. Then he leaned slightly forward and whispered in the boy's ear, "It is more of a carpet that I travel on."
Tom pierced his ears; has he heard wrong? "A magic carpet, Sir?"
"That's right; I've gotten it as a present from Persia; a very expensive Persian carpet, but it is not what it seems sometimes. I've had a good old chat with it for more than one occasion, for it is bloody stubborn, it is, and sometimes has its own mind, and its own wishes, you know what I mean?" Botallo said most seriously.
Tom has never heard such a funny joke. But then again, all of this seemed like a joke.
"And there are proper meals up there in Hogwarts, lad, it'll get some meat back into you alright," the wizard smiled.
Some proper food and magic, does sound like heaven, Tom thought to himself.
Smoke bellowed from the engine. A puffing sound was heard and then a horn and a whistle sounded as well.
"Its time!" Armando said excitedly. "Good luck, dear lad, and I will see you later!"
Tom certainly hoped so...