Chapter Twenty

Adapting back into the muggle world wasn't easy. Lucy suddenly discovered how slow it was as she found she couldn't just use accio if she lost something or use lumos when she needed sudden light. Her parents noticed her frustration as she had to look under her dark bed for whatever she lost. Her muggle friends Polly and Jane found that she tired of their conversations much easier. They were sat on a brick wall on this hot July day as the cat Mr Filch slept nearby as always. Muggle children running around with footballs or riding past on bicycles. Lucy found it hard to believe that they lived without knowing about magic, now she knew it existed. She did wonder if Myrtle was having the same problem back in her muggle street.

"This school has given you an ego" Jane told her friend firmly with her arms crossed.

Lucy looked towards her and shook her head. She didn't think it did but maybe it has. As she found herself wishing herself back among witches and wizards. The muggle world was suddenly boring.

"Don't be silly. I haven't got an ego" Lucy insisted as she looked towards her muggle friends.

"Yes you have. You can't seem to wait to get away from us these days. You're always writing to your boarding school friends. I suppose we aren't posh enough for you anymore" Polly hissed.

"No! That's not how it is...It's just when you spend months at a time with people. You get use to them" Lucy replied.

"Balderdash! You just like them more and that's fine. Come on Jane, let's go. Quit wasting posh boarding schoolgirl's time...The female Tom Brown, that's you!" Polly shouted.

Removing herself as she locked arms with Jane as the girls stormed away.

"Don't be silly...come back!" Lucy yelled to no avail.

She watched them rush out in vain as she stood alone. They made her feel terrible. Lucy just giving a wistful look before reluctantly walking home. Kicking away a stone which found itself in her pathway. Lucy walked back towards her house, her mother was scrubbing away at the front doorstep as she gave her daughter a smile. Lucy standing a bit to the side as she waited for her to finish.

"Polly and Jane hate me" Lucy spoke up in a sad tone of voice.

"No. I'm sure they don't...what happened, petal?"

"Well it started because I wouldn't tell them the name of my school. Now they think I'm some big snob because I'm always writing to my friends back at Hogwarts. I just don't know...They said I got an ego"

"You don't have an ego, Luce. It's just jealousy talking because you had this big adventure and they are just here, aren't they? If they are going to be like that, no point in giving them the time of day"

"They are my some of my best friends"

"I'm sure you will make it up then" Mrs Norris paused slightly as she muttered..."Silly mud never washes"

Finally getting up as she stepped carefully over the newly washed step. Lucy stepped over it next. Her brother Eric was out playing football currently with the other local boys on the nearby field. She sat down with a sad sigh as she looked out the window, still waiting for a letter back from Argus Filch. She just felt rotten because her two best friends from the muggle world seem to really hate her nowadays. Her mother was washing her hands in the sink. Mr Norris was currently working, he worked in the local butcher's shop. Not an impressive career to tell muggles or magical folk.

"Did I get any letters?" Lucy asked her mother with her chin pressed on her hand.

"Nothing yet. Don't worry, I won't miss it. I'm just as keen as you to see your exam results. I think you will pass gardening. No issue"

"Herbology...not gardening" Lucy corrected her for the dozenth time.

"Tomato, tomato" Mrs Norris quickly replied; her usual response.

...

A few days later and the expected owl came as it dropped a letter through the Norris' family letterbox during breakfast. Lucy and her mother Florence raced towards it. Her father Edwin and brother Eric just looked at each other in amusement. Her first-year exam results had finally arrived. Florence picked the letter up first as she held it up like she was a child herself, her daughter trying to reach for it. As she went into the small dining room where her husband and son were still eating breakfast, Lucy trailing behind her. She sat at the table with the letter firmly in her lap as she told Lucy to sit down.

"The exam results are here" Florence said in a sing-song voice; wavering them in the air.

This was quite exciting for her muggle mother. A child of hers doing an exam already, she felt so proud. The muggle schools don't usually do that until their final year (and that was only if the child stayed on until the end).

"Mother...please let me see them" Lucy pleaded with exasperation.

Florence paused before finally passing them over. Lucy nervously opened the Hogwarts letters and she gave a small squeal. She had passed nearly every subject with flying colours as she scanned the letter.

"I passed!" Lucy announced to her family as she showed them the letter.

First-year exam results for Lucy Norris

Astronomy = E (Exceeds Expectations)

Charms = O (Outstanding)

Defence Against the Dark Arts = A (Acceptable)

Herbology = E (Exceeds Expectations)

History of Magic = O (Outstanding)

Potions = A (Acceptable)

Transfiguration = A (Acceptable)

Her mother looking so pleased as she took the exam results from her daughter's hand. Lucy was happy to get what she got. She was nervous about potions but she passed, she was acceptable. That was the main thing. Lucy did feel a bit bad about not getting higher in transfiguration but she found it difficult and was once again, just grateful she passed. Though getting the highest mark in charms and history of magic made up for it.

...

"Tom...your friend is here again" Mrs Cole had announced to a quiet Tom Riddle.

She stood with a rather tidier looking Eileen Prince. Her black hair was in a ponytail for once as she stood there in a green dress and black clogs. Mrs Cole telling them to simply leave the door open or there would be trouble. Eileen giving her a quick thank you as she watched her walk away and go down the hallway out of sight. Eileen wasn't exactly keen to visit him but she felt if she didn't, she would get in trouble when they returned to school. So she has tried to come at least once a week.

"Any news?" Tom asked her simply.

"Well father took me to 'Malfoy Manor' and I spoke to Abraxas. He says his father and mother aren't keen for him to return because you are there. Though he is most upset about it as he approves of your cause very much. Any news with the muggles?"

"Just some muggle war. I don't care really. I can only hope I can trick one or two brats in here to go out during an air raid" Tom answered with little emotion.

Eileen looked at him in horror at this mere idea. He would be quite happy to send two children out in hope of them getting killed, purely because they were muggles. Him being a child himself did nothing to make it any less evil. Tom smiled as he could sense her disgust as he asked...

"Something wrong?"

"Tom. Please tell me this is some sick joke...you wouldn't really wish to send muggle children outside during an air raid, would you?" Eileen nervously questioned.

"Why not? The world wouldn't miss two muggle children, especially orphans like myself"

"Tom. That's barbaric...that's not what our cause is. Our cause is to give pure-bloods and half-bloods priority over muggle-borns-"

"If you think that's what our cause is. Perhaps you shouldn't be in it, Prince. The cause is to rid the world of muggles and muggle-borns. That's always been the cause...Didn't you know?"

"No and I want no part in it" Eileen replied back firmly.

She got up and went to leave, pausing when she heard the familiar click of his fingers. Making her turn around again as he urged her to come back. Though she shook her head, not wanting to come any closer. Tom wasn't overly fussed anymore as he now had Druella and Walburga as her replacements. One or two pure-bloods running out on him didn't bother him at this moment.

"I'm sorry...Do you expect to just walk away like Abraxas? If you do...just know when me and my most loyal followers achieve our goal. We will take his children and your children...The cause is greater than this generation" Tom proclaimed.

"You really are insane" Eileen replied with a shudder.

"Goodbye Eileen...When you return to school, nobody is going to wish to talk you. Not when they find out you're a muggle-loving freak"

This final threat just made her scoff. She walked out of his room and across the hallways, taking a deep breath when she reached the stairs. A slightly older muggle boy noticed her standing there as he asked...

"Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes...Thank you" Eileen replied quickly as she turned to face him.

"Tom isn't nice to anyone here. I wouldn't take it to heart...He yelled at me only yesterday because I asked him the name of his school. Do you attend it?"

"Unfortunately"

The muggle boy offered to escort her downstairs and she reluctantly agreed. He walked her down the stairs and out of 'Wool's Orphanage'. She told him she wasn't going to come back as any friendship she had with Tom was over. The thirteen year old boy was surprised somebody was even willing to be friends with him in the first place. He was a nice blonde-haired boy.

"Goodbye then" Eileen said to him as she gave a small wave; he waved back.

Waiting until she was out of sight before going back inside. Eileen truly felt nothing towards magic or her magical peers. Not really. Hence why she only really perked up around muggle-borns and muggles.

...

TBC

End of Year 1