Since the hall was empty, but for her (She had fallen behind.), Luna was the only one to see that the statue suddenly halved the distance betwixt them.

Curious, Luna drew closer to it. "Exceptional," she said, moving her upcoming Sorting to a side-tab in her mind. "I wonder...Are you alive?" she asked the statue. "Could you show me whether you're alive? Could you tell me?" She waited a while in silence, but no sound, no movement, greeted her.

Momentarily uncertain (for, she could still be late for Sorting), Luna took a few steps back and glanced behind her at the desertedness. When she glanced back, the statue was millimeters away from touching her. She gasped and retreated a few more steps, keeping the statue firmly planted in sight. She had gained about two meters when she heard a fluttering sound just behind her and felt a whisper at the back of her neck.

She had just whipped around to see a second statue on the other side of her when she felt stone press against her, and her surroundings vanished.

She was in a gray room with a cupboard and a bed and a boy.

"How'd you get in here?" the boy demanded, sounding a peculiar mix of angry that she was trespassing, stunned that she'd appeared so suddenly, and hungry for answers. "How did you do that? That wasn't..." He broke off, then seemed to decide not to finish his sentence.

Luna gazed about her. "You have a lovely bedroom," she said.

The boy scowled. "It's not mine. It belongs to the orphanage."

Seeing the problem, Luna looked for something to compliment on the boy. "You've a lovely nose, then. That's yours."

The boy raised his eyebrows, but looked a bit pleased. "You're mad."

"I'm Luna. What's your name?"

The boy scowled again. "Tom Riddle."

"Riddle? That's pretty. I do love riddles."

"It's a common name," Tom said spitefully, not accepting the compliment.

"Is there something else I ought to call you?" Luna asked.

Tom paused, then shook his head.

"Well then. Could you tell me where I am, Tom?"

"I told you: the orphanage."

"Yes, only I think I've been transported," Luna said patiently. "And I'm not certain how far. I fear I may miss my Sorting."

"Sorting?"

Before Luna could say any more, and before Tom could ask any more, a swishing sound filled the room, and once again Mr. The Doctor tumbled out of the TARDIS. "Got your message! Came as soon as I could, which was pret-ty soon," he said brightly.

"What message?" Luna asked.

"You mean you didn't leave one?" the Doctor screwed his face up a bit. "Bother. Remember to do that later. Oi! Who's this?" He donned a great big smile as he noticed the room's other occupant.

"How'd you get in here?" Tom demanded again, more angrily, now. "Tell me how you do that!"

"This is Tom," Luna said. "Tom Riddle."

The Doctor's face fell. "Tom Riddle?" His expression grew cloudly. "Ohhhhh...We have got to go."

"No!" Tom shouted, taking a threatening step toward the Doctor. "You can leave, but don't take her! She's my friend!"

Luna was admittedly surprised to hear this, but she smiled all the same. "I'll come back," she told him.

"No!" the Doctor protested.

"Why not?" Tom demanded.

The Doctor smacked himself in the forehead. "Oi! You're to be Sorted soon, Lovegood. Let's bugger off. Wouldn't want to bother young...er...Tom." As the Doctor led her into the TARDIS, Luna called out, "See you, Riddle!" before the door closed.

Luna hadn't been inside the TARDIS in a while, but it was still familiar and warm. Mr. The Doctor was hunched over the controls, seeming to deliberately shut her out. Luna simply drew nearer to him and waited for him words to come pouring out.

Eventually, they did: "He's dangerous, understand? I know he seems like he's just a boy right now, but he's dangerous."

"He doesn't seem like just a boy," Luna disagreed. "I think he wanted to hurt you just now. And he doesn't like being common. He needs to be different. Is he Voldemort?"

"What?" The Doctor was shocked at her deduction.

"Is he? Is he Voldemort young? Did that statue send me to the past?"

"Statue?" the Doctor repeated, alarmed.

"I want to see him again."

"The statue?"

"The boy."

"Why, when you know that he's Voldemort?"

"Maybe there's a chance," she answered vaguely. "Shouldn't someone give him a chance?"

"He got a chance. He got sent to Hogwarts. He made Horcruxes and killed a bunch of people. Chances over."

"Horcruxes?"

"Spoilers. But no. The idea that Lord Voldemort is anything but evil is a lie from the depths of Tumblr."

"He hasn't got magic yet," Luna pointed out. "And I have. I'd be safe to at least try to make him-"

"You are naïve," the Doctor said harshly.

"No," Luna disagreed with dignified resign. "I'm mad."

The Doctor was quiet for a long time. Then, at last, he broke into a grin. "Alright. Fine. We're fixing Voldemort. But first, we're going to hurry up and Sort you into Ravenclaw.'

"Spoilers!" Luna protested indignantly.

The Doctor zipped his lips and shoved her out of the TARDIS.