Author's Note: So, another update. I think that the length is quite good, and now they're at Hogwarts! There should hopefully be some interesting things happening soon, but until then, enjoy the story!
The Experiments of Tom Marvolo Riddle – Chapter 5
Written By YT12J
"Pass the bacon, Harry." Ron forced out through a mouthful of eggs. Mrs Weasley glared at him, disgusted. "Say please, Ron! It wouldn't hurt to have some manners, and don't talk with your mouth full!"
Harry sniggered slightly under his breath. They were all currently eating breakfast, and Ron, as usual, was stuffing his mouth full of whatever he could see. Hermione was repeatedly glaring at him, and Harry was sure that that was the only reason that he didn't eat as much as he possibly could.
The date that day was the 31st August. Tomorrow, they would be heading off to Kings Cross station to get on the Hogwarts Express. The summer had passed rather quickly, though the amount of cleaning that all of them had done did not help it go any quicker.
Harry thought back to the day in which Riddle had completely lost it. That was day after he had explained his whole life to Riddle. Riddle's reaction was rather painful, as torture usually is. Though this time, he had been much angrier. Harry could have sworn that Tom had a permanent smile on his face that day, after all the torture, something that did not usually happen with people who would grow up to become Dark Lords.
Riddle had not gone especially far with the torture, though Harry was still licking his wounds. 'At least I know which curses to use on him as soon as I can!' He thought angrily.
The hearing had also not gone too badly. Luckily, Tom had decided not to accompany him, and Dumbledore had shown up, so he was, by some miracle, let off completely, though Fudge didn't look too happy about that fact. In fact, he and his undersecretary had looked outright furious that Dumbledore had managed to get Harry released without any charges at all.
He had no idea where the other went for the most of the day, and where he ate his meals. He usually disappeared around 8:00 AM, and returned in the evening, though his return time usually varied. He just hoped that he wasn't going out to torture muggles or something, which was highly likely considering who it was.
"That's enough Ronald; I'm tired of watching you show us your extreme greed!"
Hermione had finally lost her temper. Across from her, Ron looked up, shocked that she shouted at him for, in his mind, having a normal meal.
Harry just carried on sniggering, finding the whole situation extremely funny, especially the way the Ron seemed to blush so badly when Hermione reprimanded him. He could also see Professor Lupin, Sirius, Fred, and George doing their best to not laugh, though Sirius was failing miserably, his barking laughter enough to make Ron look, if possible, even more embarrassed.
The Next Day
Harry practically slammed the compartment door shut, angry that Riddle was there with him. As soon as he sat down, Riddle took Harry's invisibility cloak off, and then walked towards the door. Taking his wand out, he waved it several times, and cast non-verbal spells. When he sat back down, Harry asked "What did you do to the door?"
Riddle glanced at him, and then said "I put several charms to ensure that nobody comes into this compartment. If anybody tries, then they will suddenly think of something else to do, and walk off. Also, it stops anybody from hearing us from outside the compartment."
Before Harry could protest to this, he threw over the invisibility cloak, and muttered "Take it back, I have no need of it anymore. My charms are more than enough for when we are in Hogwarts."
Harry stared at him for a few moments, surprised that he had actually returned it. When the other had first taken it, Harry had made the assumption that he would never see the beloved cloak again, but to his surprise, he had actually got it back. For some reason, he felt slightly grateful towards Tom for returning his cloak, not that it actually made him like the other.
Harry was about to speak, but then noticed that Tom was reading, and so didn't say anything. Harry had learnt the hard way that Riddle hated to be disturbed while he was either reading, or daydreaming, something that he did on a surprisingly regular basis.
The trip was long and uneventful, though Harry was disappointed that Tom didn't even allow the trolley lady to pass through the charms, mainly because breakfast was slightly rushed that morning, and he hadn't eaten much, which was surprising, considering the fact that Mrs Weasley took every opportunity to practically force feed him as much food as possible. Harry suspected that she wasn't too happy that he got starved at Privet Drive, and wanted to fatten him up.
When the train finally stopped at Hogsmeade station, Tom finally looked up from his book. Harry picked up his trunk, and followed the invisible Tom outside, where he saw Ron and Hermione.
Hermione noticed him first. "Harry! We got so worried. Before, we were about to go into your compartment, but then Ron remembered that he had to go and buy some food, and then we completely forgot! How was the trip? Who did you sit with?"
Harry answered her questions immediately. "It was fine, Hermione, I read a book for most of the journey, though I didn't sit with anybody."
Hermione looked surprised, but before she could answer, Ginny came over with Neville, and girl that Harry didn't recognize.
"Hey guys, shall we go get a coach? By the way, I don't know if you know Luna Lovegood, Harry and Hermione, she's in my year, Ravenclaw."
"Nice to meet you." Harry said. She merely observed him in reply, and then spoke.
"You're Harry Potter." Harry just stared at her, and then nodded. She looked extremely fascinated, and Harry was suddenly curious. A few metres away, Tom rolled his eyes, seemingly hoping that they would get a coach quickly.
As they walked towards the coaches, Harry suddenly heard a rather stern voice shouting "First Years line up over here, please! All first years come to me!"
Harry recognized Professor Grubbly-Plank, the teacher who had taken over for a while last year while Hagrid was off. He didn't comment, but was slightly worried. 'Where could he possibly be? He should be here, he always is. Perhaps he's doing something for Dumbledore, or maybe he's even just ill, with a cold or something.'
Then they came across the horseless carriages, which were no longer horseless, as far as Harry could tell. Instead, harnessed to them were black, fleshless horses that had enormous leathery wings, similar to that of a bat. They were extremely unnerving, and Harry wondered why the horses were even there, the carriages could obviously pull themselves.
However, before he could point them out to anybody, Ron had already dragged him inside, along with Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna. He filed away the horses for later, though he did notice Luna giving him some curious looks, implying that she had noticed that he saw the horses and was confused by them.
When the carriage finally stopped, they all got out, Tom quickly getting out first to make sure that nobody bumped into him. When they had all walked through the Oak doors, and towards the Great Hall, Tom quietly spoke to him.
"I shall not be joining you for dinner. Instead, I shall head straight up to Gryffindor tower, as much as I hate the idea of going anywhere near it, and work on creating a new bed in your dormitory, and casting charms to make it invisible. Don't try anything near Dumbledore, it won't work, and I've already adjusted the curse the make the consequences even more painful."
Harry grimaced at this, and then muttered "How are you planning to get into the common room? You don't exactly have the password, and you can't get in otherwise."
Tom smirked, and then replied saying "I already overheard the Head Boy talking about the passwords for Gryffindor and Slytherin, and I shall be making sure that the obese lady who guards your common room doesn't remember me. Now go and eat, and like I said, you try, you die."
Harry nodded, and then headed off to the Great Hall along with the others. When they finally got in, and sat down, the sorting had just about begun.
As McGonagall placed down the hat, it opened up its mouth, and began to sing:
In times of old when I was new
And Hogwarts barely started
The Founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:
united by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.
"Together we will build and teach!"
The Four good friends decided
And never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided,
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there and so can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those
Whose ancestry is purest."
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest."
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name,"
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,
And treat them just the same."
These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light,
For each of the four founders had
A House in which they might
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning, just like him,
And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor,
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,
And taught them all she knew,
Thus the Houses and their founders
Retained friendships firm and true.
So Hogwarts worked in harmony
For several happy years,
But the discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.
The Houses that, like pillars four,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule.
And for a while it seemed the school
Must meet an early end,
What with duelling and with fighting
And the clash of friend on friend
And at last there came a morning
When old Slytherin departed
And though the fighting then died out
He left us quite downhearted.
And never since the founders four
Were whittled down to three
Have the Houses been united
And they once were meant to be.
And now the Sorting Hat is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into Houses
Because that is what I'm for,
But this year I'll go further,
Listen closely to my song:
Though condemned I am to split you
Still I worry that it's wrong,
Though I must fulfill my duty
And must quarter every year
Still I wonder whether sorting
May not bring the end I fear.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you..
Let the sorting now begin
Harry clapped along with his friends, though he was slightly curious as to why the hat was suddenly warning them of danger. He then noticed somebody at the table. It was the same woman from his hearing. He suddenly had a bad feeling about what would happen with her here, obviously the ministry wanted their employees to work at Hogwarts. This could not be good. His hearing was bad enough, but now he felt like the ministry was almost stalking him, trying to track his every move. He also had the feeling that this was something to do with Dumbledore.
Then the sorting began.
Author's Note: I should update within another week hopefully, if I keep to my schedule. I have also finished planning out what is going to happen in most of the story, and have decided that there are going to be multiple parts to it. I don't know, however, exactly how many words there will be, though I can say that there will be more time travel, but this time with Harry, though it won't happen for quite a while. Please review if you can, I would really appreciate it. Tell all your friends about YT12J's amazing Fanfiction, and get them to read it!