Chapter 3
Tom finally knows
"Aw, Lilly, lovely to see you!"
James cleared his throat and Dumbledore smiled at him "and James of course."
James smiled "well, as you obviously know you two are the head boy and girl, amazing isn't it? Two Gryfindor's! I'm certainly proud."
Lilly smiled. "Dumbledore, I don't mean to be rude and interrupt but I feel that it is my duty to inform you that there is a new 7th year boy named Tom. I thought you would like to know because he seems to think that he is not new and that I am"
Dumbledore smiled "of course Ms. Evans, and what, may I ask, is the boy's last name?" he asked kindly.
"Riddle, his name is Tom Riddle."
The sparkle in Dumbledore's eyes seemed to dim and he frowned slightly. "I see" he said calmly
"Yes, well, don't you worry Ms. Evans; Mr. Riddle will be taken care of." Lilly smiled and James sighed as he gazed at the side of her face.
When they finally reached the great hall Lilly stuck her nose in the air and walked to her table, James following shortly behind.
The other three Marauders snorted as they watched their friend try for the thousandth time to get Lilly to like him and of course he came back empty handed.
Lilly sat down and shoved her nose in a book.
"You like to read?" asked a voice from above her. Lilly looked up to see the boy Tom.
"What are you doing here?" she asked incredulously "you are supposed to be with the first years!" Tom rolled his eyes.
"Number one I would never be caught dead with any of the first years and secondly I told you I'm not new here!"
"Look around!" said Lilly annoyed "tell me if you recognize anyone here!"
Tom looked around "of course I do! I recognize Dumbledore!" he said sniffily.
Lilly groaned "yes, well, that's not what I meant! I meant do you recognize any students!"
Tom looked around a slightly panicked look pulled over his face "well, no" he admitted "but I never knew anyone, I wasn't big on making friends! I don't make it a thing to remember faces!"
Lilly sighed and stood up. "Follow me!" she said huffily and walked to the head table.
Dumbledore looked over his half mooned glasses at the two students approaching him and tried his best to smile kindly.
"How may I help you?" he asked as they stopped in front of him already knowing what was going to be said.
"Professor Dumbledore, this is Tom Riddle the new student I told you about" said Lilly proudly.
"I told you" said Tom through gritted teeth "I'm not new" Lilly said nothing, merely continued to stare at Dumbledore.
"Be that as it may Mr. Riddle you still must be sorted again, I promise you that if you were to ask anyone in this school if they recognized you they would undoubtedly say no."
Tom growled under his breath angrily. Lilly starred at him with a look that said 'I told you so!' in a sing song voice. Then Lilly spun on her heel and walked back to the Gryfindor table, just as she sat down the first years entered with McGonagall leading them.
As usual McGonagall Had her black hair tied up into a tight bun and her lips were tightly pursed.
McGonagall frowned at Tom as she reached the front.
"And I suppose you are to be sorted before all of the first years?" she asked airily, in her light Scottish accent. Dumbledore nodded then stood and everything was quiet.
"Welcome, to another year at Hogwarts! Before we start the ceremony of the sorting for these lovely new first years, we shall sort a new seventh year boy who has decided to grace us with his presence. Professor?" Dumbledore sat down and McGonagall turned to Tom.
"Well, sit down!" Tom walked over to the stool and sat down.
When he caught Lilly's eye, she was glaring at him, eyes narrowed. Then the hat was placed on his head.
"Awwww!" it said loudly and then proceeded to talk in a whisper "you, I have sorted you before! I remember you very well; we were to expect great things from you! You are still strong I see and still very stubborn!"
"I knew it" said Tom whispering back to the hat "you have sorted me before! And not long ago either, it was only but 6 years ago!"
"No, no my boy! Not 6, 'twas around 20!"
"WHAT?" shouted Tom astonished "but, but that's impossible!"
"Nothings impossible my boy!" the hat said "now I know that I have placed you before and since then, nothing much has changed so just as last time you belong in SLYTHERIN!"
Tom hoped off of the stool and headed towards his table in a complete daze.
When the feast was over, instead of heading towards the Slytherin common room he went straight to Dumbledore's office.
"Crud!" he said as he starred up at the gargoyle, he didn't know the password.
"Umm, Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans" he said hopefully, but nothing happened.
"Fizzing wiz bees" still nothing happened "bogie blurts" nothing "cockroach crunch" still nothing happened "ahh!" grunted Tom almost ready to give up.
"Young man!" Tom swiveled around and saw McGonagall.
"What are you doing?" she asked harshly.
"I, well, I'm trying to go up to speak with Dumbledore but I don't know the password" he said lamely.
"Did he ask to see you?" she asked folding her hands in front of herself.
"Well, no, but it's really important!" Tom looked at her pleadingly.
McGonagall Glared at him and then turned to the gargoyle.
"Lemon drops!" she said. The gargoyle quickly came to life and sprang to the side. Tom hiked up the stairs into Dumbledore's office.
"Dumbledore?" he asked.
"Yes, yes come in Tom, I suppose you want to know what's going on?" Tom nodded and sat down.
"Yes, well I myself am not sure but I have my suspicions" Dumbledore paused and Tom waited expectantly.
"Well?" said Tom impatiently.
"Mr. Riddle, you have been sent to the future! I do not know why and I do not know how but I suspect it is because you have to accomplish something here."
"What?" yelled Tom "that's absurd, with all do respect Dumbledore I think you're mad!"
Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "Yes, I would have thought you would say that. Mr. Riddle, tell me, can you think of any other reason as to why you recognize no one but me?"
Tom frowned "no, but this little idea of yours, it's very far fetched!"
"Be that as it may Mr. Riddle, you must trust me" Tom sighed and nodded. Dumbledore had to be right! There was no other way!
"Aw, Lilly, lovely to see you!"
James cleared his throat and Dumbledore smiled at him "and James of course."
James smiled "well, as you obviously know you two are the head boy and girl, amazing isn't it? Two Gryfindor's! I'm certainly proud."
Lilly smiled. "Dumbledore, I don't mean to be rude and interrupt but I feel that it is my duty to inform you that there is a new 7th year boy named Tom. I thought you would like to know because he seems to think that he is not new and that I am"
Dumbledore smiled "of course Ms. Evans, and what, may I ask, is the boy's last name?" he asked kindly.
"Riddle, his name is Tom Riddle."
The sparkle in Dumbledore's eyes seemed to dim and he frowned slightly. "I see" he said calmly
"Yes, well, don't you worry Ms. Evans; Mr. Riddle will be taken care of." Lilly smiled and James sighed as he gazed at the side of her face.
When they finally reached the great hall Lilly stuck her nose in the air and walked to her table, James following shortly behind.
The other three Marauders snorted as they watched their friend try for the thousandth time to get Lilly to like him and of course he came back empty handed.
Lilly sat down and shoved her nose in a book.
"You like to read?" asked a voice from above her. Lilly looked up to see the boy Tom.
"What are you doing here?" she asked incredulously "you are supposed to be with the first years!" Tom rolled his eyes.
"Number one I would never be caught dead with any of the first years and secondly I told you I'm not new here!"
"Look around!" said Lilly annoyed "tell me if you recognize anyone here!"
Tom looked around "of course I do! I recognize Dumbledore!" he said sniffily.
Lilly groaned "yes, well, that's not what I meant! I meant do you recognize any students!"
Tom looked around a slightly panicked look pulled over his face "well, no" he admitted "but I never knew anyone, I wasn't big on making friends! I don't make it a thing to remember faces!"
Lilly sighed and stood up. "Follow me!" she said huffily and walked to the head table.
Dumbledore looked over his half mooned glasses at the two students approaching him and tried his best to smile kindly.
"How may I help you?" he asked as they stopped in front of him already knowing what was going to be said.
"Professor Dumbledore, this is Tom Riddle the new student I told you about" said Lilly proudly.
"I told you" said Tom through gritted teeth "I'm not new" Lilly said nothing, merely continued to stare at Dumbledore.
"Be that as it may Mr. Riddle you still must be sorted again, I promise you that if you were to ask anyone in this school if they recognized you they would undoubtedly say no."
Tom growled under his breath angrily. Lilly starred at him with a look that said 'I told you so!' in a sing song voice. Then Lilly spun on her heel and walked back to the Gryfindor table, just as she sat down the first years entered with McGonagall leading them.
As usual McGonagall Had her black hair tied up into a tight bun and her lips were tightly pursed.
McGonagall frowned at Tom as she reached the front.
"And I suppose you are to be sorted before all of the first years?" she asked airily, in her light Scottish accent. Dumbledore nodded then stood and everything was quiet.
"Welcome, to another year at Hogwarts! Before we start the ceremony of the sorting for these lovely new first years, we shall sort a new seventh year boy who has decided to grace us with his presence. Professor?" Dumbledore sat down and McGonagall turned to Tom.
"Well, sit down!" Tom walked over to the stool and sat down.
When he caught Lilly's eye, she was glaring at him, eyes narrowed. Then the hat was placed on his head.
"Awwww!" it said loudly and then proceeded to talk in a whisper "you, I have sorted you before! I remember you very well; we were to expect great things from you! You are still strong I see and still very stubborn!"
"I knew it" said Tom whispering back to the hat "you have sorted me before! And not long ago either, it was only but 6 years ago!"
"No, no my boy! Not 6, 'twas around 20!"
"WHAT?" shouted Tom astonished "but, but that's impossible!"
"Nothings impossible my boy!" the hat said "now I know that I have placed you before and since then, nothing much has changed so just as last time you belong in SLYTHERIN!"
Tom hoped off of the stool and headed towards his table in a complete daze.
When the feast was over, instead of heading towards the Slytherin common room he went straight to Dumbledore's office.
"Crud!" he said as he starred up at the gargoyle, he didn't know the password.
"Umm, Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans" he said hopefully, but nothing happened.
"Fizzing wiz bees" still nothing happened "bogie blurts" nothing "cockroach crunch" still nothing happened "ahh!" grunted Tom almost ready to give up.
"Young man!" Tom swiveled around and saw McGonagall.
"What are you doing?" she asked harshly.
"I, well, I'm trying to go up to speak with Dumbledore but I don't know the password" he said lamely.
"Did he ask to see you?" she asked folding her hands in front of herself.
"Well, no, but it's really important!" Tom looked at her pleadingly.
McGonagall Glared at him and then turned to the gargoyle.
"Lemon drops!" she said. The gargoyle quickly came to life and sprang to the side. Tom hiked up the stairs into Dumbledore's office.
"Dumbledore?" he asked.
"Yes, yes come in Tom, I suppose you want to know what's going on?" Tom nodded and sat down.
"Yes, well I myself am not sure but I have my suspicions" Dumbledore paused and Tom waited expectantly.
"Well?" said Tom impatiently.
"Mr. Riddle, you have been sent to the future! I do not know why and I do not know how but I suspect it is because you have to accomplish something here."
"What?" yelled Tom "that's absurd, with all do respect Dumbledore I think you're mad!"
Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "Yes, I would have thought you would say that. Mr. Riddle, tell me, can you think of any other reason as to why you recognize no one but me?"
Tom frowned "no, but this little idea of yours, it's very far fetched!"
"Be that as it may Mr. Riddle, you must trust me" Tom sighed and nodded. Dumbledore had to be right! There was no other way!