Chapter 12: Magic
He did not have time to ponder the mysterious note nor the sender. After the Christmas song was over, the Matron had ushered all the children to bed. So Tom took his still unopened gift and the note to his room, all the while wondering who sent him the gift, for he was unfamiliar with most of the children.
Today was his eleventh birthday. An odd occurrence happened. He was sitting around the tree, waiting for the other children to open their annual gift which usually consisted of clothes and other necessities. He had already opened his, and was about to open the package from last night when an owl flew through the opened window and deposited a letter into his lap. With the owl came an old man with a long white beard, wearing the most astonishingly ugly outfit he had ever saw. The man's eyes twinkled maddeningly. The other children stared, and the man looked around.
"Is there a child by the name of Tom Riddle here?" He inquired.
All the children's head swiveled to look at him. Tom looked back with challenging eyes, but made no movement. The old man smiled when he realized that still boy was the person he was looking for.
"Ah my child. Welcome, you have been selected to join the Hogwarts School of Wizardry." He smiled, eyes twinkling.
A/N: Finally! We are at this step of the story. For those who are still confused on why Tom didn't realize the letter was from Harry, it is because to Tom, Harry is just "a girl". He never refers to her by name, and although Harry introduced herself in the first chapter, Tom's arrogance distances himself from the other children, thus he really doesn't know anyone.