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Chap. 2
They walked into the Leaky Cauldron and found a table in a corner away from the rest of the patrons. "Hello Professor!" A middle aged woman said walking up to their table. "Hello Millicent. This is Millicent Greene, she and her husband Tom own and run this inn. Millicent this is one of our new Hogwarts students, Tom Riddle. By the way I've been meaning to ask you, how is your son?" He asked. "Oh he's fine; he still hasn't done anything magical though. We were hoping it skipped over him, but he's the apple of my eye just the same. Another Tom eh? It's a fine name it is. " She said just as a small boy came running towards them. "'Fesser Dumdoor!" the boy yelled throwing himself at the older man. "Hello Tom, how are you?" He smiled lifting him onto his lap. "Fesser, did Mummy tell you? I'm a squid!" He said proudly. "Really? A squid? I had no idea, you must be very proud." He chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "Thomas that's enough, The professor has company, I'm sure the young man is hungry. What would you like dear?" She asked. "Ah yes, we'll just have 2 glasses of butterbeer for now, thank you." Professor Dumbledore said.
As the woman and her son walked away Tom leaned closer to Professor Dumbledore and asked, "What did he mean he's a squid?" "The word actually is "Squib". What that means is that the boy although born into a magical family he has no magical abilities." He explained. "Oh, well what am I then?" He said confused. "You are what is called a half-blooded wizard." Seeing that he was confusing the boy more he explained further, "What that means is you have one magical parent, in your case it was your mother, and one Muggle parent, your father." "A what?" Tom asked even more confused than ever. "A Muggle, that would be a person who has no magical capabilities at all, and no witches or wizards in their family. But let us not worry about that just yet. Right now I need to clear a few things up for you." He said looking worried.
Millicent brought them their drinks and went back to the bar. "Professor, before we start I have to ask you, how will I get my school things? I haven't got any money." Tom figured he would get second hand things as he always had, and that they would be paid for by someone else. "This would probably be a good place for me to begin explaining things to you."
"You see Tom, as your mother was a witch she didn't use the kind of money you're used to." He told him as he reached into his robes. He pulled a small bag out and emptied it on the table. Tom was dumbfounded, there were gold and silver coins. He had never seen real gold or silver before. "These are Galleons." He said holding up a gold coin. "These are Sickles, and these are Knuts." He told him holding up first a silver coin and then what looked like a bronze coin. Tom could hardly believe his eyes, there on the table was more money, wizard or otherwise, than he had ever seen in his life.
"Now, we keep our money stored in vaults in a bank just as muggles do, but ours is a bit different." He smiled. "How so?" Tom asked. "Our bank is run by Goblins. Extremely smart, but rather anti-social as it is natural for them to be. I've seen an angry Goblin before Tom and it isn't a pretty sight. We'll be headed for Gringotts when we're done here." "But I haven't got any money Professor." Tom said ashamedly.
"Let's not worry about money right now shall we? There are more important things we need to discuss." "What's more important than money?" Tom asked astounded. "I can see why you would think that Tom but there truly are things more important than money. Like family, and friends." He offered. "I haven't got either of those things Sir." Tom told him. The look of sadness on his face was more than Professor Dumbledore could stand, "Let's go visit Gringotts and get your school things, our talk can wait."
They said their goodbye's to Millicent and her son. As they reached the doorway Professor Dumbledore had made earlier Tom noticed it wasn't there anymore. "What happened to the doorway Professor?" He asked. "It closes after each use. I'll have to open it again." And he did, taping the wall with his wand once again. The bricks separated to make the doorway and they went through to Diagon Alley.
"Now, we'll go to Gringotts first and then, to the shops. Do you still have your list?" "Yes Sir, right here in my pocket." He said patting his jacket. "Tom, did you ever get anything that was your mothers?" Professor Dumbledore asked. "Yes, I got a locket, although, I've never been able to open it." He said quizzically. "May I see it?" He asked holding out his hand. Tom reached inside his shirt and pulled out a tarnished looking bit of jewelry. He took it off and handed it to Professor Dumbledore, who waved his long fingers over it. As he did the locket began to glow, Tom was stunned. It opened to reveal a key and an tin plated picture of the most beautiful woman Tom had ever seen.
"This key will open your mother's vault at Gringotts, and this, Young Tom is your mother; Domina* Virus* Riddle." He said handing Tom back the locket. He took it and looked down at his mother. What he didn't expect was for her to look back at him and smile, he nearly dropped it. "How?" "In our world pictures and portraits move, and in some cases they speak." Tom looked at the picture of his mother hoping it would say something to him. But she just smiled, and blew him a kiss. Tom smiled at his mother for the first time in his life and his heart filled with love and sadness for the woman he had never known.
They walked in silence as Tom watched his mother's face. He took in every curl of her hair, every curve of her face, and he guessed at the color of her eyes; hoping they were blue like his, "Professor, what happened to the picture of my father?" he wondered. "There isn't one Tom, I'm sorry." He sounded so saddened by this statement but Tom didn't have time to think about that now. "We're here." Professor Dumbledore said. Tom looked up from the picture to see a massive white building with two of the strangest looking creatures he had ever seen.
"Professor, are those..." "Goblins." Professor Dumbledore finished. Tom's eyes grew wider the closer they got to the Goblins. "Welcome to Gringotts." They grunted in unison. Tom tripped up the steps as their ability to speak startled him. His mind racing, Tom tried to take in his surroundings. He simply didn't his eyes fast enough to see everything he started wishing he had more eyes.
"When we reach the counter tell the teller that you are Domina Riddle's son and you wish to make a withdrawal." Professor Dumbledore instructed him. He did as he was told and when the teller asked if he had a key Professor Dumbledore handed him the key. They were brought to a door that Tom had assumed led to his mother's vault. It did but not directly. They had to get into a kind of metal box, the kind that Muggles used in mines, only, these were much faster. The ride to the vault was one Tom wouldn't soon forget. By the time they got to his vault he felt his stomach churning, his last meal threatening to come back to haunt him.
"Professor is there any other way to get out of here?" He asked slightly greener than before. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled but he refused to laugh at the boy's discomfort. "No, sorry. There is only one way in and out." Tom felt his stomach lurch again at the thought of having to endure another ride. "I'll need your key please." The goblin asked holding out what Tom figured was its hand. He handed the key over and watched as the goblin opened the vault door. What stood behind it made Tom's head spin.
There were stacks of gold, silver, and bronze coins that nearly reached the top of the vault. Professor Dumbledore lead Tom inside and handed him a small bag, "We'll take only what you'll need for supplies for now." He said as he filled it. "If this is what I'll need for school supplies then they must be expensive." Tom thought. "Some of your things will be rather expensive but I've put a bit extra in it for you so you can buy things in Hogsmead." Professor Dumbledore said.
They walked out of Gringotts, Tom a little worse for wear, and headed for Flourish & Blott's Book Shop. He bought all his books; The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1), A History of Magic, Magical Theory, A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration, One-Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, Magical Drafts and Potions, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and The Dark Forces - A Guide to Self-Protection. They went from there to the Apothecary, where Professor Dumbledore told the clerk what he would need. "We'll have to get you fitted for your robes." He told him.
"Robes?" Tom asked. "Yes when you're old enough you'll be able have robes of whatever color you would like, but as a student at Hogwarts there is a dress code. Black robes and cap." He explained. He led him into a shop where there were bolts of silk, wool, linen, and satin. Each bolt came in every color of the rainbow and some colors he'd never seen before. "Ah, William how are you?" Professor Dumbledore asked the man. "Fine, fine professor. You'll be wanting robes for the young man?" He asked. "Yes William thank you."
The man put Tom on a small stool and began to measure his neck, arms, legs, and waist. "This boy looks just like that Slytherin girl Domina..." "This is her son, William, his name is Tom." He said giving the man a stern look of warning. "Did you know her?" Tom asked hopefully. "Aye, I did. Beautiful girl she was, sad what happened to her." He said. "You mean her dying after I was born?" "Aye." He answered. "Yes it was a sad thing to have happen to you both Tom, but we still need to get your wand. William is he ready?" Professor Dumbledore asked. "Yes Sir, here you go boy." He said handing Tom a rather large bundle. "Come, we'll need to see Mr. Ollivander for your wand."
Tom followed Professor Dumbledore out of the shop and down the street to a rather small looking shop. As they went through the door Tom felt a sudden chill come over him, as though this was a bad place to be. He wanted to leave straight away, and he turned as if to do so, but there was a thin pale eyed man standing between him and the door. "Ah, Mr. Riddle I presume? I've been waiting for you."