Year two.
The end of year feast was just coming to an end. Anya sat next to Zarian and Naria listening to Professor Dippet give his annual far well speech.
"Man does he go on" Naria complained silently from beside her. Anya merely nodded with a small smile on her face.
Anya's eyes lingered to the table, but not to her headmaster but to her transfigurations teacher Professor Dumbledore, he had taken over the position after the departure of Professor Turned. He was a good teacher but Anya could never shake the feeling of uneasiness when he was around. The feeling intensified when she was with her brother…Tom…most people had figured out the connection between them and surprisingly not many questions were asked about it.
Anya allowed her mind to slip back to the meeting after the feast when she and Tom had been called to the headmaster's office…
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Anya walked slowly down the corridors to the headmaster's office for the second time since her arrival at Hogwarts. What could be the reason for this meeting, she hadn't broken any school rules that she had known off? Was it something from last year?
The reason soon became clearer as she reached the gargoyle and noticed a familiar figure standing there looking puzzled and slightly annoyed.
"Tom?" she asked as she reached him. "What are you doing here?"
"The headmaster wanted to see me, you?"
"Same" she turned to the gargoyle. "Um excuse me? We are summoned to Professor Dippet's office but we have no password. Can you let us in?"
The gargoyle regarded them for a moment and requested their names. After hearing them he confirmed indeed that they should proceed and they stepped onto the staircase.
Anya knocked on the door and heard the kind voice of Professor Dippet call "enter". Tom followed her in wearily and looked around the office before him. He recognized the headmaster from the feast and Professor Dumbledore from that day in the orphanage.
Anya looked upon Professor Dippet and Professor Dumbledore. Whilst Dippet's face was kind, Professor Dumbledore appeared weary and she saw in his eyes a hint of confusion as he regarded both her and her brother.
"Miss Riddle if you would like to take a seat. You too Master Riddle." Dippet gestured to two chairs in front of his desk before sitting down on his own chair.
Anya took a seat and waited patiently for her headmaster to speak. She knew she could not have been in any trouble or she would not have received such a welcome.
Tom glanced at his sister surprised by her lack of concern at being called to the headmaster's office. He was suspicious that this may have something to do with Professor Dumbledore about what had happened at the orphanage and instantly became defensive. Professor Dippet regarded the two students sitting before him; it was obvious there was a resemblance between them, for they both had the same green eyes. He knew those eyes but from where he did not know. He also noticed the look between them, she they had obviously meet before; this made his job a little easier.
"I see you two know each other then?" he asked pleasantly.
Anya nodded and said "we meet each other on the train sir." She wasn't going to mention that she had found him in Diagon Alley in fear of her trip to Knockturn Alley being discovered.
"And I know he's my brother sir." She added guessing his next question. So that's why there were here. It wasn't that hard to work out after all how many students with the name Riddle were there?
"Ah, I was hoping that was the case Miss Riddle. I am assuming there will not be any trouble about this matter?"
Tom was shocked about the way that his sister had come out and said it as though it was nothing but a piece of information that could be past around. He was also shocked at his teacher's mention of trouble…why would there be any trouble?
"Trouble sir?" he asked "why would there be trouble?"
"I was merely inquiring. I know it can be a hard thing to come to terms with, after coming from such different backgrounds. I am sure you are both mature enough to deal with this information."
The both nodded in unison and Professor couldn't help but smile as they did so. They truly were siblings. Still there backgrounds were totally different and he hoped that when truths were discovered that it would not pull them apart.
"Very well, it is late and I expect your housemates will be on their way to bed. If you would accompany your brother to the common room Miss Riddle the password is Salazar?"
"Yes sir" Anya rose and beckoned to her brother to follow unaware of her teachers eyes on her back. It was not what professor Dumbledore had expected to happen but he was somewhat pleased by the outcome, maybe things would be alright after all.
Once they were clear from the office Tom turned to Anya and looked at her expectantly.
"What?" she asked.
"You don't seemed alarmed at the fact that you have a brother whom you know nothing about?" he replied looking rather skeptic.
"Well I am curious but it not as if it's impossible is it?" she started to walk down the corridor towards the common room, not bothering to wait for him. "You're my brother and I accept that? Not much I could do about it either way is there?"
Tom was astounded at her bluntness, so there were alike in some ways. Yet he was still unsure about the situation if she was his sister how come she or his father had never come for him at the orphanage? Unless she didn't know?
"Are you coming or not?" she asked slightly annoyed at his lack of motivation. Some of them had classes to study for and she was eager to get to her nice warm bed.
"Yes I am." And he followed her to the common room. This would be an interesting experience for them both and he was determined to find out what she knew of the situation. He was unaware that she was thinking the same thing.
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Anya regarded her brother from her seat. He was deep in conversation with Murdock. He caught her eye and acknowledged her in his way. They hadn't spoken for a while not after what she had discovered from him. Her mother was dead and all hopes of answers had faded with her. It was the first time she had cried in a long time…
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"Tom?" Anya called at him in the library. He looked up from the book he had been reading to come face to face with his sister. How did she do that? Sneak up on him all the time without appearing to make a sound.
"Yes" he asked annoyed at being broken out of his reading. It was the first time they had spoken since the meeting with the headmaster and Dumbledore.
"Don't act so grumpy. I only want to ask you some questions." She sat down across the table from him. Finally she would get some answers about her mother and maybe find out why she left her in the first place.
"What about?" he asked innocently.
"What do you think about?" she demanded annoyed that he was acting so naive.
"...i want to know about my mother. About why she left… I want to know what happened." She stopped and took a breath. "I want to know the truth."
"You are not the only one Anya." He admitted quietly.
Anya was confused "well haven't you asked her…" she paused and noticed the look of shock on his face and even saw in his eyes a hint of pain long lost. She gasped and knew what it must mean.
"She's…she's…she's dead isn't she?" knowing that she didn't want an answer really but knowing in her heart that it was true.
Tom merely nodded and looked down.
Anya just took a deep breath and stood up. She would never get the answers she need now and it was obvious her brother knew nothing. All her years of hoping to find her mother had been a waste of time and she felt slightly hollow.
"Well…thanks for um letting me…um….know" and she quickly fled not wanting to cry in front of him or anyone else.
Once she reached her dormitory she was relieved that it was empty and she was able to go to grieve alone.
Tom watched his sister leave and felt her pain, he knew the reason she had never come but his anger at his mother still remained. What else had she left behind?
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Anya swallowed the emotion that bubbled in her throat at that memory and Zarian noticing her change in expression patted her hand. She smiled at him and returned to listening to Professor Dippet's speech. Trying not to think about seeing her father again and whether or not she should mention her discovery...