Sarah took a deep breath, inhaling the scents while taking in the sights and sounds around her. The air smelled cooler, and Sarah reveled in the light sting of the fall air hitting her nose. Fall, she sighed. School. Hogwarts. She glanced down at her train ticket, still not believing her eyes. Platform 9 3/4. A magically hidden platform. That was the least of the wonders revealed to me, Sarah reflected. The least from a long list of them, which included the fact that her strange skills and the resulting odd occurrences, unknown to her entire family, were magic, the fact that there existed an entire community, an entire world, of people like her, the existence of a magic school called Hogwarts, and her acceptance to the school. Sarah's mind still spun from it all. And now she had to speed into the seemingly solid brick wall and believe that she would end up unharmed on "the other side", on the hidden platform. Having said her goodbyes to her family - two parents and a baby brother still too young to fully grasp the situation - she ran towards the barrier. Please don't let this be a joke, she pleaded before her cart touched the wall...and emerged on the other side. I made it! She thought cheerfully, not quite believing that something that seemed so solid was a doorway to something so well concealed. She saw all the other witches and wizards rushing around her, children excitedly boarding the train and parents helping children with their suitcases and saying goodbyes. She was now finally going to be a part of them, be a part of this magical world. Sarah caught sight of the Hogwarts' Express, and she gasped. It was the most beautiful train she had ever seen. The train was a shade darker than scarlet, her favorite shade of red, and with its black wheels and black funnel it looked extremely majestic. Well, it's fitting, Sarah thought. Hogwarts itself looked very majestic in Hogwarts, A History. If it looks that great in picture, I can only imagine how amazing it looks in reality. The whistle blew, snapping her out of her reverie. Oh no, I have to hurry up or else the train will leave without me! Unsure of what to do with her luggage, Sarah looked around and saw all the kids leaving their luggage on the trolley near a small man with a pinched face, pointy nose, and squinty eyes. That's probably what I'm supposed to do. The luggage must come separately. Leaving her luggage with the man, Sarah ran to the train and quickly boarded. She stopped to catch her breath, not used to the exertion, and then proceeded to search for a compartment. The first few compartments were filled with older kids who looked somewhat scary. I'm just going to sit in the first compartment that has any space, Sarah thought, out of breath from dragging and lifting the heavy suitcase. So when she saw a compartment with only a young boy sitting in it, she went and sank into the seat. She had planned on sitting in a crowded compartment so that she could try to befriend as many people as possible before getting to the school, but she was currently too tired to care. Seated across from him, Sarah was able to study the boy more closely now. Even sitting, she could tell that he was tall, with a lean silhouette. He had a pale face, which contrasted sharply with his jet-black hair and dark eyes. His hair was slightly long, grown to just above his ears and parted to the side. All in all, Sarah thought he looked attractive. The contrast between his pale face and dark hair, the way his hair was styled, his intense, dark, almond eyes, his prominent cheekbones, with his face devoid of all baby fat, and his lean frame all came together to give the boy a pleasant appearance. The boy was engrossed in a book, barely noticing Sarah sitting across from him. She read the title. Hogwarts: A History, it read. He seems smart too, Sarah noted, pleased. He seems to like reading as much as I do. She hesitated, torn between wanting to start a conversation with the boy and worrying about disrupting him from the reading he was so drawn into and thus antagonizing him. But her lack of restraint won over, and she opened her mouth.
"Hello," her voice rang out cheerfully. The boy looked up at her, and she saw that his eyes were indeed intense, seeming to cut through her surface and gaze deep into her being.
"Hello," he replied calmly, though his eyes showed the briefest flicker of annoyance at the interruption. He seemed to be perfectly fine with silence. Sarah, however, seemed to see it as a challenge, and was more determined to talk to him. She wanted to get to know as many people as she could, and this boy would be no exception, especially since he seemed to be one of the few rare people who enjoyed reading.
"My name is Sarah. Sarah Aylette," she introduced herself, holding out a hand. Tom looked at it for a second, seeming slightly unsure, before reaching out and shaking her hand lightly.
"Tom. Tom Riddle," he answered. Sarah smiled. So far, so good.
"What year are you going into at Hogwarts?" she asked him.
"First year," he replied.
"Ooh, me too! That's cool - we'll be in the same year, and might even share classes!"
"Yeah, that'll be fun," Tom said, attempting to smile, but Sarah could tell it was fake. She sighed. She hadn't said nearly enough to annoy him. Why did he seem to hate her attempts at conversation?
"So since you're reading Hogwarts: A History, you probably know about the Houses at Hogwarts?" Sarah asked. Tom nodded.
"Yes, I do. There are four Houses, named after the four Founders," Tom recited. "A person gets Sorted into Houses based on his characteristics and personality traits. He ends up in a House based on which Founder his character resembles most." Ah, he seems to want to show off his intelligence and knowledge. So that's how to get him talking - mention a book and something from it. That won't be too hard, she figured.
"Well, in that case, I'm a little worried," Sarah said with a small laugh. "I read the characteristics for the four Houses. Gryffindor is the House of the brave, daring, and chivalrous. Hufflepuff is the House for the just, loyal, patient, and hardworking. Ravenclaws are supposed to be smart and witty, and Slytherins are cunning and ambitious. I'm not sure if I'm any of those." She paused, and then corrected herself. "Well, I suppose I am somewhat smart, if I can say so without sounding like I'm bragging, and I think I am ambitious, since I want to at least be good at the things I like doing, but I'm not sure if I have enough of the traits of a House to fit anywhere. I hope the Hat can figure it out. I don't want to be an oddball. Or worse, get kicked out for not fitting in anywhere." Her laugh from earlier had gone and was replaced with evident worry as she actually considered the possibilities. Tom gazed at her, face mostly blank, but eyes betraying a flicker of surprise, as if amazed at how the girl could rattle on. When he was sure she had stopped, he opened his mouth to reply.
"Well, you read the book. If you are magical, the Hat can fit you in a House." After a thought, he added, "I suppose the Hat could technically even Sort a Muggle into a house if Sorting was based on character traits. Assuming, of course, that the person had a character developed enough to be Sorted. But you won't have to worry about that. You got your letter, right?" Sarah nodded, not seeming to register that the question was, of course, rhetorical. "Then you'll be fine."
"Thanks," Sarah said, smiling again. "So, what about you? Have any ideas which House you think you'll end up in? Or any preferences?"
"I think Slytherin seems interesting," Tom replied quietly. "I think I could end up there. I'd like that."
"Yeah. I've heard that Slytherin is supposedly the House of evil people, but if all you have to be is ambitious and cunning, that's not necessarily evil. I don't really care which House I end up in," Sarah said with a shrug. Then, a witch pulled up outside of their compartment with a trolley loaded with a variety of fancy, wrapped packages.
"Would you like to buy anything to eat, dears?" she asked kindly.
"No thanks," Tom turned the lady down politely.
"What do you have?" Sarah asked eagerly. This was food from the Wizarding World! There was sure to be something different, something magical, about this food. And even if there wasn't, Sarah liked eating when she traveled, and seeing the beautifully wrapped packages made her hungry. Besides, her parents had given her some pocket money, and she didn't think she'd need much at Hogwarts, from what she could tell when Professor Dumbledore had come to explain Hogwarts to her.
"There are Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Cauldron Cakes, Chocolate Frogs, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Jelly Slugs, Liquorice Wands, and Pumpkin Pasties, dear," the lady replied.
"I'll have a little of everything," Sarah said eagerly, all but bouncing up and down in her seat. The sweets sound delicious! Sarah was excited to try them all. She looked over at Tom, wondering if he was denying himself the wonderful luxuries of sweets. Oh well, she supposed she wouldn't mind sharing. The lady handed her the sweets.
"Four sickles," the lady stated. Sarah handed her the money, and then eagerly grabbed a box of Chocolate Frogs. She ran a hand over the beautiful blue pentagon box with intricate gold designs, almost reluctant to open the package and then discard the box. She eventually opened the box, and a chocolate frog jumped out. She dropped the box in shock at the fact that her chocolate had just tried to jump away from her, but managed to grab the frog, stuffing it hastily in her mouth. Mmmm! Delicious! Sarah was absolutely reveling in the taste of the amazing, delicious, sweet, creamy chocolate. As she chewed on it, she met Tom's gaze. His expression seemed to be a mixture of amusement at her situation and disgust at the way she was eating her chocolate. Sarah looked down shamefully, quickly finishing eating her Chocolate Frog before looking back up at him and speaking.
"Hey, in my defense, that frog just jumped away from me! I had to quickly catch and eat it before it landed on something and became unclean to eat from the germs on the window or wherever it would've landed." At this, Tom raised an eyebrow, appearing to hold back a chuckle. Sarah blushed, feeling slightly embarrassed, and looked away, her eyes falling on the rest of her sweets. Oh no! I forgot to offer Tom some sweets in all this commotion! Sarah now felt guilty for her behavior.
"Oh, I almost forgot! Do you want some candy?" Sarah asked, pushing her pile towards him. Tom's brows furrowed for a second, and Sarah could swear that in that second, he looked confused. But in the next second, his face smoothed over again, and that momentary look could've been put off as a trick of the light.
"No thanks," he replied.
"Aww, c'mon! You can't say no to sweets! Here, at least try a few. I'm sure that you haven't had these before. You certainly don't have to have more if you don't like them, but no harm in giving them a try!" Tom gave her another quizzical look before reaching tentatively for one of the two remaining boxes of Chocolate Frogs. Knowing what to expect, he cupped one hand over the opening of the box once he took off the lid. Catching the frog skillfully in his hand, he gripped it firmly between his fingers and expertly took a small bite out of it. He chewed on it neatly, sending a smirk at Sarah's direction. Sarah scowled in reply.
"So that's what I get for sharing. You, showing off how neatly and properly you can eat your Chocolate Frogs. That's only thanks to me, I hope you realize. If you hadn't seen me struggle first with the Frog, that would've been you twisting to catch the frog and stuffing it in your mouth." Tom's smirk stayed on his face.
"No, you're wrong, because I would never have been the first to eat the chocolate. I wouldn't have even considered eating it otherwise. Either way, I would still stay dignified." Tom sounded satisfied.
"Aww, I feel so special! I got you to try the chocolate. You tried it all because of me," Sarah replied sarcastically. "But why you wouldn't have tried it first, huh? You tried it now, so you can't hate chocolate."
"Well, no. I wouldn't have thought of trying chocolate since I've never had it before," Tom remarked off-handedly. Sarah gasped loudly though.
"You've never had chocolate? Ever? What, are your parents health freaks or something?" Tom's expression darkened for a second.
"Something like that," he muttered, sounding almost angry. He turned his head and looked away from her. Of course, he must be mad that his parents made him miss out on something that most other kids grew up on. At least, she did. She especially did.
"Oh, I'm really sorry. Truly. You have no idea what you're missing out on. But never fear! You've met me now, and I promise to introduce you to the world of sweets. You don't have to worry about your parents now, and they'll never know. Here, start off your journey in the sweet world with these." Sarah pushed all of the Liquorice Wands, Pumpkin Pasties, and Jelly Slugs at Tom without hesitation. She didn't like pumpkin flavored things, liquorice, or most jellies in the Muggle world, so she didn't feel a loss by not trying them even in the Wizarding World. It would work out perfectly if he liked them, and if not, she could always split the rest of the goodies. He'd never had any in his life, it seemed, so she didn't feel too upset at parting with her treasures. Sarah watched Tom trying the sweets. He seemed to like all three of them, chewing slowly as if to savor the taste, make it last forever. Silently, Sarah also divided the rest of her goodies, and gave her last Chocolate Frog to Tom. After all, he's never had chocolate. A quiet settled over them as both kids enjoyed their sweets, but for once Sarah found the silence not unsettling and awkward but rather calming and normal. Sarah noticed a change in Tom's face. He was smiling. It was a very faint smile, the smile that was on Tom's face, almost invisible, but it was there all the same, and Sarah could tell because even that slight smile lit up his face just a bit brighter. He looks cuter when he actually seems a bit happy, instead of dull like when I first saw him. Sarah looked down and smiled herself, happy that she was able to make him happy.
A.N. Hey guys, thanks for reading it this far if you've made it down here! I know this chapter was long, but hopefully not too dreary and boring? Please review and let me know what you think, I'd really appreciate it! And keep reading, because the next chapter will be from Tom's point of view, which should be...shall we say, interesting?
Please review! Many thanks in advance :)