The standard disclaimers apply. Some places, events, characters, etc. depicted in this story are the property of J.K. Rowling.
Thank you to everyone who submitted a review to my story, you inspired me to continue writing. However, I would like to remind people that simply stating "I didn't like it" is not helpful to me as a writer. If anyone has a negative review, I would appreciate constructive criticism. There's obviously a reason you didn't like it and I want to know why, so that I can improve my writing.
Tom's Riddle
by John Fragile
Chapter Three: An Eventful Train Ride
Tom Riddle woke with a start and sat bolt upright in his bed. He had just had the most amazing dream. In it, he was being taught how to kill people with his wand. He could not remember his teacher however; it seemed to be just a voice telling him how to murder with magic. What a way to get revenge, he thought as he fumbled in his newly-purchased trunk for a light. He found a candle and a match and promptly lit the candle and blew out the match. He watched the black smoke climb from the head of the matchstick to the ceiling and disappear. He set the burning candle on the floor as he dug deeper into his trunk, extracting a book. The title on the front cover read The Standard Book of Spells: Grade One.
Ever since he had journeyed to Diagon Alley to purchase his school supplies, Tom had been shaking with anticipation for school to start. Now that it was August thirty-first, he could hardly contain himself. The next day, he would go to Kings Cross Station so that he could take the Hogwarts Express to school.
Tom flipped open The Standard Book of Spells to chapter two and began to read a particular interesting section on levitation charms. However, his mind soon began to wander. He thought about all that had happened to him in the last month. His most memorable moment was going to Diagon Alley.
It started out as a normal day: breakfast in the meal area, lessons, and then lunch. Then, after lunch, he had been pulled aside by Dolly, rather roughly, and told that she would be driving him to the Leaky Cauldron where he would be able to pick up his school supplies. She seemed to be questioning whether or not one could purchase such items at a pub.
Once she dropped him off in front of the dingy-looking pub, he had no idea where to go. After considerable confusion, he asked the bartender and was shown the entrance to Diagon Alley, a kind of wizard mall. They had all sorts of magical items that anyone would ever need: cauldrons, wands, potion ingredients, joke items, magic books, and animals: owls, rats, and cats, among others.
His first stop was a wizard bank called Gringotts, where he found out that his mother had left him some money for his magical education. Tom was very surprised indeed when he found out he had money that could be used in the wizarding world. Then he remembered that the headmaster had said not to worry about finances.
After withdrawing a few hundred galleons (a wizard denomination of currency) he made his way to the bookstore where he bought his course books, then to a clothing store to buy robes and gloves, then to a potion supply store for the potion ingredients and cauldron.
Eventually he made his way to the wand shop where he was greeted by an elderly gentleman with a strange gleam in his eyes, Mr. Ollivander. He seemed very enthusiastic about his wands. It seemed to Tom that Mr. Ollivander had made him try every wand in the store before one shot sparks out of the end. Apparently, that was the wand for him. Mr. Ollivander informed Tom that it contained a phoenix feather core, whatever that meant. When Tom turned to leave, Mr. Ollivander told him that he could not use magic outside of school until he was eighteen.
While in Diagon Alley, Tom was happy to finally be where he belonged, to be with people that were like him. He learned several new words as well. Muggle was the term used for non-magic people, muggle-born was the term for people who did not have magic parents, and mud-blood was a term of contempt for people in the latter position. Apparently, it was as bad as a racial slur because a small fight broke out between two wizards when one of them uttered this word. Tom was glad that he was a half-blood, a wizard or witch with one magic parent.
His mind slowly drifted from Diagon Alley back to the orphanage and the book he was reading. Wingardium Leviosa was the incantation to use when levitating an object. He wished he could try it. How would they know if I performed magic outside of school? He quickly realized that they probably had ways of detecting it, some kind of enchantment or spell. He would just have to wait.
By the time Tom finished reading chapter two, it was already into the early hours of the morning. The quiet and stillness of the room made Tom feel at peace. It was such a contrast from the atmosphere during the day. Tom knew that this would be his last night spent in the orphanage for a whole school year. He would not miss it at all.
Tom blew out the candle with a wisp of breath and was immediately plunged into darkness. He set his book on top of the trunk at the end of his bed, pulled the sheet and blanket around him, laid down and promptly fell asleep with a hope for good dreams about Hogwarts.
It was still dark with a hint of light seeping in through the window when Tom awoke a few hours later. He looked around the room and found the headmaster standing before his bed. Apparently, that was what had woken him up.
"You better hurry and get ready," the headmaster said in a slight whisper. "We have to be to the station by eleven o'clock and you still have to pack and it'll take a little while to get there."
"Who's taking me?" Tom asked interestedly. He sincerely hoped it wasn't Dolly. She'd probably take him to the wrong station.
"I am," he replied. "Nobody else seemed too excited for the job," he continued. While he said this, Tom jumped out of bed and put The Standard Book of Spells back into his trunk along with a few miscellaneous articles of clothing strewn around near his bed. "I'll be back in about half an hour," the headmaster said and walked out of the room.
Tom quickly changed into his muggle clothes, a pair of faded blue jeans and a plain black t-shirt. He figured he could change into his robes on the train. There was no need to attract attention to himself at the station by wearing wizard robes. He proceeded to the bathroom where he splashed cool water on his face and brushed his teeth. He was so happy, he was humming.
He made his way back to the 9-12 dorm with a skip in his step. He entered the room and sat on his bed, waiting for the headmaster to come back and collect him. He sat on the edge of his bed twiddling his thumbs excitedly.
"Ready to go?" the headmaster asked Tom as he strolled into the room what seemed like hours later.
"Yep!" was the eager reply.
Tom and Headmaster Duke made there way through the orphanage out to the front entrance, both carrying Tom's trunk with apparent difficulty.
They eventually reached the headmaster's car, a dark blue monstrosity which looked like it could seat seven. The headmaster loaded the trunk in the backseat of the car and opened Tom's door for him and then went around letting himself in. He started the engine which let out a whining protest at first, but eventually started with a whirr.
Tom gazed out the window as they drove down the highway. The sky was light enough now so that everything was glowing with early morning sunlight, the scenery flashing by at sixty-five miles per hour.
Tom was content to sit in silence while the headmaster drove him closer and closer to the train that would take him to Hogwarts. He reflected on his time at the orphanage and how miserable it had been.
"Good 'ol Hogwarts," the voice came from the driver's side. Tom realized the headmaster was speaking.
"Did you go to Hogwarts?" Tom asked, realizing there was a hint of nostalgia in the headmaster's voice.
"For a short time, before they realized that I'm a squib," the headmaster replied with a note of pain to his voice. "A squib is a person who has wizard parents, but can't do magic," he continued as he saw the puzzled look on Tom's face. "They thought I could squeak by, but I could barely do even the simplest spells."
Tom was not sure what to say to all of this. He had so many questions for someone who had actually been to Hogwarts, but did not want to ask them. He feared he would just dredge up painful memories for the headmaster.
"For the longest time, I was so bitter. I would snap at anyone who did magic in front of me. But then I realized that magic is not for everyone. Not everyone is meant to possess such a gift. It is for the chosen few. You are one of those few, Tom. You have a great gift.
I knew someone when I was at Hogwarts. A man who everyone thought was crazy. You probably will think he is too when you meet him. You'll know who it is, believe me. Tell him that Duke says hi and that 'war is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength.'"
"Okay," Tom replied, unsure how to respond. If he met any crazy people he probably would not want to talk to them in the first place, let alone give a greeting from the headmaster and recite a strange antithetical phrase.
They drove the rest of the way to the station in silence. Tom did not want to think what else the headmaster would tell him to do if he started up conversation again.
Kings Cross Station was bustling with people as Tom made his way to platform 9¾ with his trunk on a trolley. He constantly had to call "Excuse me!" as he pushed his way through the crowd. He found platform nine and right next to it was platform ten.
When the headmaster had dropped him off, he had said that platform 9¾ was between platforms nine and ten and you just had to go through the wall between the two said platforms in order to reach it.
With slight trepidation, he pushed the trolley with his trunk on it up to the wall between nine and ten and pushed. To his surprise, he ended up going right through the wall to another platform where a beautiful scarlet steam engine, the Hogwart's Express, was waiting for her passengers impatiently, letting off steam every once in a while with a hoot.
Tom rushed over to the train pushing his trolley at a high rate of speed. He reached the boarding ramp and took his trunk off of the trolley and headed into the train, dragging his trunk along the ground.
An amazing sight greeted Tom's eyes as he entered the first car of the train. A long thin hallway with compartments on either side bustling with activity acted as the proximal stimulus. Several students were performing magic, obviously showing off their skills. Others were playing a strange game that Tom thought was called exploding snap. Then he noticed two older boys in the compartment he was standing in front of playing chess. He watched as the taller of the two urged his knight to take a bishop. Instead of simply being removed from the board, the knight actually attacked the bishop with its sword, smashing it to pieces.
Tom moved up the hall looking for an empty compartment and finally found one at the end of the second car. He stored his trunk on the floor in front of his seat and used it as an ottoman to allow himself to be more comfortable. He was just starting to doze off when he realized that he could do magic on the train, as he'd seen other underage wizards doing so.
Tom reached into his trunk and pulled out his wand and the Standard Book of Spells. He turned to the page with the levitation charm. He closed the book and set it down on top of his trunk with a dull thud.
He grasped his wand in his right hand and with a swish and a flick of the wrist, he said "Wingardium Leviosa." The book began to float up into the air slowly and reached a certain point and stopped, just hovering in midair.
"That's pretty good," a voice said from the entrance to the compartment. Tom looked up to find a tall black-haired boy standing in the doorway. "You'll probably do well in charms class," he added as an afterthought. "I'm Claudius Black, by the way," he held out his hand for Tom to shake.
"Tom Riddle," Tom replied grabbing the boys hand in his own. Claudius had a surprisingly tight grip. Tom was a little relieved when his hand was released after a brief shake.
"Riddle," Claudius said appraisingly, "I've never heard of your family. Are you a mudblood?"
Tom was shocked at hearing this word, considering its derogatory nature. He better not upset the only person that had talked to him so far. "The Riddles aren't well-known around here," Tom lied, trying to sound as casual as possible.
Claudius seemed satisfied with this, however, because he sat down across from Tom and started to make small talk, "My mom says I better be in Slytherin or else she'll send me to Durmstrang. She doesn't want me to room with 'blood traitors and mudbloods.' That's her favorite phrase to describe anyone she doesn't like.
"I'm pretty sure I'll get into Slytherin. Most of the family's been in it," he continued, oblivious to Tom's apparent confusion at the word Slytherin. "You seem like you'd be a good candidate for Slytherin, as well."
Tom realized his book was still floating in the air and abruptly brought it down with a wave of his wand. It fell onto the trunk with an audible thump.
"I hope so," Tom said, not sure what he was saying about himself. "I don't want to be with mudbloods either."
"My mom is pretty anti-mudblood and anti-muggle. She doesn't want anyone but purebloods to study magic. But, I think that anyone who can and wants to study magic should be allowed to. However, that doesn't mean that they have to go to school with us. They should have separate schools, one for purebloods and one for everyone else."
Tom could understand why purebloods did not want the others to study magic. Why should they share magical knowledge with descendents of the people who persecuted their ancestors? Witches were burned at the stake even just several hundred years ago.
Tom's thoughts were interrupted by the abrupt entrance of a pretty brunette girl into the compartment. "There's nowhere else to sit," she stated matter-of-factly. "I'm Patricia. And you are?" the girl said to Claudius.
"No mudbloods allowed," Claudius told her coolly.
"I'm Patricia Parkinson," the girl replied, obviously scandalized by Claudius' remark.
"Oh. Have a seat then," Claudius said grudgingly. He did not seem to keen to let her share the compartment with them. "I'm Claudius Black and this is Tom Riddle," he said introducing himself and Tom. Tom noticed a slight look of interest on Patricia's face when Claudius mentioned his name, but she said nothing. She probably thinks I'm a mudblood, he thought darkly.
"So which of the four houses do you want to be in, Tom?" Patricia asked, making conversation.
Tom knew that Claudius had mentioned being in Slytherin, so he went out on a limb and guessed that that must be one of the houses. "Slytherin sounds good to me," he said boldly.
"Me too," piped in Claudius.
"Me three," said Patricia lightly. "My parents probably wouldn't be too happy if I wrote home to say I'd been sorted into Hufflepuff."
Tom realized that Hufflepuff must be another house, like Slytherin. He silently wondered how many houses there were and what it meant to be "in" a certain house. Slytherin was probably a house for purebloods, he reasoned.
"Tom here was just practicing some magic when I walked in," said Claudius.
"Oh, show me," Patricia begged.
Tom grabbed his wand and said the incantation and the book once again floated into the air and hovered a few feet above them.
"It looks like you've already mastered the simple levitation charm," Patricia stated knowingly. "I think it would be beneficial to stick close to you," she went on, jokingly.
The three of them conversed lightly for a while about everything ranging from what classes would be like, to sports. Tom mostly listened while Claudius and Patricia discussed Quidditch, a magical sport played on broomsticks.
A low rumble sounded and Tom felt like the room was moving. Then he remembered they were on a train. Apparently it was eleven o'clock because the train moved away from the station, gaining speed as it plunged along the tracks for Hogsmeade Station from which they would proceed to Hogwarts. As the train sailed through the trees which had replaced the city scene, Tom had a feeling that things would be going his way for once.
