The Tale of Tom

Chapter Six: Disaster

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Tom just stared at the seemingly endless streets as the brick doorway opened up. Frank ushered him inside while he continued to stare at the crowded, bustling streets and the stores which sold things Tom had never heard of before.

"I'm guessing you're going to want to look around before we start shopping," Frank said to a speechless Tom. Tom simply nodded.

"So which stores are the most interesting?" Tom asked, remembering his voice. He wanted to look around but he didn't want to waste Frank's time.

"Well," Frank said, thinking, "If you're into Quidditch, then the broom store would be interesting, but--"

"What's Quidditch?" Tom asked, interrupting him.

"Umm," Frank said running a hand through his hair. "It's kind of like football, played in the air, on brooms."

Tom nodded, having trouble imagining Quidditch.

"Er, where was I?" Frank said to himself. "Oh yeah, the Apothecary's kind of interesting and Flourish and Blott's has some interesting books. You need to go to those stores for school anyway."

"Is it always this crowded?" Tom asked as a young child stepped on his foot.

"Well, it's always busier on the weekends and today's Saturday," Frank said trailing off. "Do you want to the bank--Gringott's-- first?" he asked Tom.

"Okay," Tom replied, not really sure what good the bank would do him as he didn't have any money deposited.

"Then we can kill two birds with one stone by buying your supplies while looking around." Tom got the feeling Frank didn't want to wander Diagon Alley aimlessly. Of course, Tom supposed, Frank had probably been here countless times and did not find it interesting any more.

Gringott's was easy to tell apart from all of the other shops as it was considerably bigger and grander. At the bronze doors there was what Tom suspected was a goblin who ushered them inside the main hall.

"We'd like to make a withdrawal," Frank said, walking up to a long counter which many goblins resided behind.

"Name?" a goblin asked.

"Of what?" Frank replied.

The goblin glared at him. "The name of the person withdrawing the money which should be the same name as the name of the account."

"Oh, right," Frank said. "Tom Riddle here," he put his hand on Tom's shoulder "is withdrawing from his deceased mother's account." Tom flinched slightly. He didn't like people talking about his mother.

"What is the full name of his mother?" the goblin asked.

"Er," Frank looked at Tom.

"Elizabeth Riddle," Tom said quietly, looking at the floor.

The goblin gave Tom an appraising look. "Do you have the key?"

Tom looked at Frank who shrugged. Tom shook his head and then quietly asked, "Will that be a problem?"

The goblin didn't appear to have heard Tom because he simply said, "Wait here," and left.

"Do I need the key?" Tom asked Frank, swallowing nervously.

Frank shook his head. "Of course they like it if you have the key but normally they just have you prove who you are." Frank still had a confused look on his face.

"But..." Tom prompted.

"But I don't know if this is normal," Frank finished.

They stood in silence for what seemed to be a very long time before the goblin passed by them. "One more minute," it said as Tom opened his mouth.

It appeared that this goblin was talking to another goblin, one who seemed as though it was more important than the others, based on its uniform. Tom strained his ears to try to catch their conversation. "Here?...nothing?....I asked...still exists...tell him...the Ministry...won't be happy...curse-breaker...do not know...very well."

The goblin walked back over to Tom and Frank and gestured to a small lounge in the corner. "Perhaps you'd better sit." Tom frowned and wondered what they were going to tell him that would be so bad. "Mr. Riddle," the goblin started, once they were seated, "You were born by a muggle midwife, correct?"

"I don't really know," Tom said slowly. "Wasn't my mum a witch?"

"She was," the goblin continued, "But you were born by a muggle midwife, which is why you live in a muggle orphanage." Tom flinched slightly. Somehow he didn't like this creature he had never met spewing things he would rather not have anybody know. He also vaguely wondered why the goblin had asked him the question if he had already known the answer.

"I guess," said Tom.

"Because you were given directly to a muggle orphanage, by a muggle, the wizarding world did not know that you existed for some time." Tom thought he knew where this was going. "It wasn't until the Ministry of Magic sensed your underage magic that they found out Elizabeth Riddle had an heir. Since she had left no will and the Ministry of Magic did not know that you existed they did what they normally did in cases like that."

"Which is?" Tom said quietly, his heart beating very fast.

"The money in her vault was returned to the Ministry."

"What do you mean?" Tom said, although, he knew perfectly well what the goblin had meant.

"There is no money left to Elizabeth Riddle's name. The Ministry has already had its say on this matter."

"So there's--there's nothing I can do?" Tom said in almost a whisper.

"I'm sorry," the goblin said, walking away and leaving a stunned Tom.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Tom Riddle or anything of the like.

A/N: Well, I managed to get this chapter up before my trip. I'm leaving Sunday and returning August 10th so don't expect any new chapters during that time period. Also, I feel I should say that July 31st, 1937 really was a Saturday. And the conversation between the two goblins was a whole conversation before I edited it. And one last thing, for people who don't know, in England soccer is called football.