I woke up in the infirmary, feeling like I was missing a limb. I felt confused as to what I was doing here since the last thing I remember is reading in the library with my friend Newt. I felt fear suddenly grip me as my eyes landed on a handsome boy laying in the cot next to mine, I knew him, I know I did. His features looked too familiar, and his hair and complexion felt and looked so familiar to me.
"What are you doing?" He suddenly asked me, surprising me and making me jump out of my skin.
"Me? Oh, nothing, I was just flicking a piece of rubbish from your hair." I lied, feeling as my skin began to heat up.
"Alright, if you say so." He said, as he propped himself onto his elbows, his familiar deep forest green eyes staying on me.
"What's your name?" He questioned sitting up on the cot.
"Mine? Oh, its Annamarie Riel. Yours?" I asked, watching as he smirked at me, staring at me for a few more minutes before his lips pulled into a charming smile.
"It's Tom. Tom Riddle." He stated, smiling widely.
"Tom. Anna." Professor Slughorn called, as he stepped into the infirmary.
"Yes, professor." We answered at the same time, all the while keeping our gazes locked.
"I've just been informed by the Headmaster that you two are exemplary students. I am sorry to hear about the accident, no matter, you two seem alright now." He said.
We looked at each other confused, before turning to gaze upon the tubby man, his rosy cheeks told me that he had been running before he got here. It set my nerves on edge watching him prattle on about the tragic accident we had been in. Which my me wonder, what accident had we been in?
I looked around the room to realize that the room was practically deserted, a few beds were mussed as if someone had been laying in them and suddenly gotten up and left in a hurry.
"What accident Professor, sir?" Tom asked, confused, as he took my hand into his warm one, and giving it a gentle squeeze.
The moment his hand clasped around mine I felt as if an electric current entered my body, my mind began to get different flashes of random things, but mostly the one person I saw was Tom. We'd met first year. The ring I bore on my middle finger told me that our friendship was more than so.
"A group of students had an incident with the Whomping Willow last night. I'm afraid to also say that one of the students' present was struck by one of the limbs of the willow tree and is now deceased." The professor said, shaking his head forlornly at the ground, as I snapped out of whatever state I was suddenly in.
Tom and I shared a nervous glance before turning back to Professor Slughorn, however, before we could ask who the student was Professor Dumbledore walked into the infirmary with the Headmaster.
"Ah. Miss. Riel, Mister. Riddle. How are you feeling today?" He asked, giving us each a gentle smile.
"Alright." We both replied.
"Wonderful. Now that you're all better, you can both go to your respective houses." Dumbledore stated smiling.
We both nodded simultaneously, watching as they left before I scrambled off the side of Tom's cot, and slipped on my leather boots.
"What house are you in?" He asked me, curiosity written on his face as he stood by the cot, slipping on his robes before waiting for me to do the same.
"Oh, uh. I-I don't kno-" I began before we were interrupted by a Gryffindor prefect.
"Riel, what are you doing roaming the halls with this Slytherin?" The boy asked, a sneer etched on his face.
"Oh, I-I'm lost." I explained confused, a dull pain began to pulsate on the back of my head.
"Lost? So, you decide to roam the halls with a Slytherin? What kind of Gryffindor are you?" The boy prattled.
"I-I was just-" I began as my eyes filled with tears.
"Now, I know you aren't bothering these students are you, Nott?" asked a tall, lanky familiar boy.
"Dolohov, what are you doing here?" The boy asked, his lips forming a thin line.
"My prefect duties, just like you should be doing, instead of bothering two third years. You aren't even on the patrol tonight." The familiar boy alleged.
"Whatever." The boy said before he scampered off.
"Tom, Anna. What are you two doing out here at this time of night?" He asked, concerned.
"She doesn't remember how to get to the Gryffindor tower." Tom explained as he put an arm around my shoulders and squeezed in comfort as I sobbed quietly.
"Nobb made her cry." The boy stated, rolling his eyes.
"Alright, look I'll let this slide this one time. Tom, since you two are best friends, you can come with me to take her to the Gryffindor tower. Don't cry, anymore we'd all forget if we got bonked on the head by the willow. I reckon you're lucky to be alive, both of you. Now let's not try for a second time, are we clear?" He asked as he lead us in the correct direction.
"I feel so lost." I muttered, shaking my head.
"Don't worry, it'll all come back soon enough." Tom whispered, letting his arm slide off my shoulders before he slid his hand back into mine.
We were just about to climb onto the ever-changing stairs when we ran into three Slytherin girls. They all seemed familiar to me, especially the one with big curly hair, but I couldn't place my finger on it.
"Bellatrix, what are you three doing out?" The boy I now knew was named Antonin asked shaking his head at them in amusement.
"Oh—we—we were just heading back to the common room." The taller one said.
He shook his head, "Keep moving." He commanded quietly as he continued to lead us towards this unfamiliar tower. When we got to a staircase another prefect appeared this time a girl.
"Tony Dolohov, what are you doing here?" She asked, confused.
"I was just leading Anna here to the Gryffindor tower, but now that you're here, why don't you show her where it is? Also remind her where her dormitory is." He replied calmly.
She nodded, before setting her blue eyes on me. "Well, come on then." She said, tilting her pigtailed head at me.
I nodded, turning to Tom and giving him a hug, and thanking Dolohov before following the skipping girl up the stairs and to a portrait with a fat lady. She stood with a bored expression on her face, a wine glass in one of her hands as she looked at us.
"Password?" She asked.
"Quid Agis." The girl said, smiling up at her.
She nodded once before letting the portrait swing back to expose the entrance to the common room. It was covered in different shades of red and gold, this included the furniture, and drapery. Even the floors and rugs were made of a different shade of red and gold.
For an odd reason this room felt so strange to me, feeling that a different color belonged on my breast pocket instead of the lion and the red and gold colors of this house. I, however didn't utter a single word, even when the girl lead me up a different set of stairs and into a room that occupied three girls.
There were two red heads and a small pixie like girl sitting in their beds. They all snapped their heads in our direction as we entered.
"Millie? What's going on?" One of the red heads asked.
"Anna, here got lost, she doesn't remember anything since the accident so we all need to help her remember. Reintroducing yourselves will help." She said.
"I'm Millie by the way." She said, before skipping out of the room.
"I'm Alice, that's Lillian but call her Lily and this is Molly." The pixie said.
I nodded and smiled as I walked towards the empty bed. "That's your trunk over there." Alice pointed towards the trunk at the foot of the bed.
I walked towards it and bent down to open it, slowly pulling out a black night dress before turning and heading to the bathroom connected to the room.
When I got back to the room, I climbed into the bed and fell asleep in the bed assigned to me, feeling like I was missing limbs.