See translation at bottom for numbered phrases.

When twelveyear old Monica Doe heard the single knock on the front door on her way to do the dishes, she quickly rushed to open it so she could sneak a peek at the guest. Swinging the door open, she took in the strange appearance of the man in front of her. He was very tall and thin with a long auburn beard and hairand was wearing a dark purple suit. His face was very kind with light blue eyes that twinkled behind his half moon spectacles.

"Good afternoon. I have an appointment with a Mrs. Cole, who, I believe, is the matron here?" The man asked calmly. Although he was the strangest man she'd ever seen in her life, he seemed familiar somehow. Monica then realized she needed to respond,

"Oh, um... just a mo'... MRS. COLE!" she bellowed over her shoulder causing the man to chuckle softly. She heard Mrs. Cole shouting something unrecognizable in the distance in response and turned back to the man saying, "Come in, she's on 'er way." He then followed her into the black and white tiled hallway, she was glad this man was here after they had had one of their cleaning days, she didn't know why, but she really didn't want him to think poorly of the orphanage or anyone who lived in it.

Before the front door even closed behind them, Mrs. Cole entered talking the ear off her helper, Dorothy Welliver, who was one of old orphan girls at Wool's until she hit age 18 and stayed on as a staff member,

"...and take iodine upstairs to Martha, Billy Stubbs has been picking his scabs and Eric Whalley's oozing all over his sheets - chicken pox on top of everything else..." At this point, Monica noticed that Mrs. Cole was talking to herself more than anything.However, she instantly stopped her rambling when she spotted the odd man standing in her threshold.

"Good afternoon." Said the man, holding out his hand to Mrs. Cole in greeting. She simply gaped at him in return. This didn't faze the man at all as he continued,

"My name is Albus Dumbledore. I sent you a letter requesting an appointment and you very kindly invited me here today."

Monica wasn't sure why, but the name Albus Dumbledore wouldn't stop ringing in her head, and she began to get a splitting headache.

Mrs. Cole blinked at this Dumbledore character and said feebly, "Oh yes. Well - well then - you'd better come into my room.Yes." The two walked away and Dorothy, or Dot,must've noticed Monica was not looking one hundred percent at the moment and went up to the younger girl and asked,

"What's wrong, Mon? Do you need to lie down?" Monica shook her head and said weakly,

"No, I don' need to. I still got some dishes ta do." Dot look at her, clearly not believing that the girl was telling the truth about feeling fine, but she decided not to push the girl any further,

"Very well, but if you do end up feeling to bad to continue with your chores, go rest and you can finish later." Dot instructed.

"Thanks, Dot. Will do." Monica stated before heading to the kitchens to help out Dennis Bishop, who had been jumpy and a little slow ever since he and Amy Benson got into some sort of bad situation during last year's summer trip. Everyone said Tom Riddle was the one who had messed the two up in the head, and although he did give her the chills sometimes, she couldn't see how a little kid her age could do something like that.

After taking probably an hour longer than necessary, she and Dennis finally finished washing, drying, and putting away all the dishes and she walked the boy back to his room, because he sometimes forgot where it was, before she returned to her own room. Although she didn't have any decorations in her room, she always worked to keep it as clean as possible.

Sadly, she wasn't sure how it happened, but her only and most precious possession, an old worn out mouth organ, recently went missing and despite looking high and low for it, she had no idea where it could be. She couldn't remember her parents, but her gut told her that that little harmonica was a gift to her from them. It gave her some comfort to think they wanted her to have some music in her life. Now that it was gone, she felt as if there was a hole in her soul that couldn't be filled without it.

Disheartened with the slight pounding of a fading headache, Monica hung up her stained apron and collapsed on her bed and fell into a restless sleep.

She woke up to someone shaking her awake in the least gentle way possible. She woke up in a rather haughty mood, but immediately recoiled slightly when she saw that the one who had disturbed her rest was Tom Riddle in the flesh. Because he was tall for his age, she almost mistook him as an adult standing over her bed, but she quickly recognized his cool, calculating green eyes, dark, nicely combed hair, and pale, sharp features. He was handsome in an uncomfortable way. She then noticed that he was trying to hand her something...

It was her harmonica!

She snatched it from his hand and demanded, "Where did you find it?"

"I took it. But I was told that I had to return it if I wanted to go to school." He answered coolly.

She grew red in the face as she exclaimed shrilly, "Why would ya do that? Yadon'even know how tause it! Yahave no idea how hard I've been lookin'for this! This is the last thing I have from my parents! It's special to me, and yajust stole it?Salaud!" (1.)

"That's why I took it. It's interesting how a simple mouth organmeans so much to you. Something really doesn't have any value unless it's loved. It's fascinating." He stated softly.

"You're one weird kid, but why steal my 'monica, don't yahave a possession that you'd hate talose?" She wondered aloud, slowly losing her steam due to curiosity.

"No." He said simply.They both remained silent for a moment before Tom asked rather rudely,

"How's is it that you can barely speak proper English, but you speak French fluently?" Monica huffed unhappily at his question and answered with,

"Parce que je ne veux pas parler comme un con arrogant comme toi." (2.)

"Fine. Be that way. How did a nobody like you even learn French?" Tom wondered with a slight scowl.

Monica sat up straight and swung her legs off her bed so she could face the rude thief.

"When I came 'ere three years ago, people asked me who I was but I had no idea. I didn'even know my own name. All I had was a 'monica in my pocket and I keptslippin' in and out of French, but when I was speakin' English I had an English accent, so they figured I wasn' an immigrant or anythin'. They gave me the name Monica 'cause I kept sayin' 'monica over and over 'cause I was kinda out of it. So, Mrs. Cole just figured I was tellin' her my name, not wonderin' where my 'monica was. It's okay though, I like the name just fine.C'estbeau." (3.)

"I didn't ask for your whole life story, you know." Tom remarked coldly.

"Eh bien, je suis désolé que tu sois jaloux que je sois plus intéressant que toi." (4.) Monica answered with a smirk. She could see that he didn't enjoy not understanding something. Monica sighed,

"I'm sorry, Tom. I'll speak English only to ya from here on out. Someone I just can't help myself."

Tom looked at her like he was struggling to say something to show up her fluent French, but instead he just bit his lip and nodded.

"So, what school are yagoin'to that makes yareturn stolen goods?" Monica asked smugly.

"It's called Hogwarts. It's for kids who arespecial like me." Tom bragged with a chilling smile.

"Wow, you're special, huh? Congrats." Monica said with a wink, before wincing.

"What is wrong with you?" Tom asked with no real concern in his voice.

Monica grinned through her pain and said,

"Oh, it's nothin'. I think I just get headaches when I hear weird words like Hogwarts or Albus Dumbledore."

"That's not a real thing." Tom scowled, "And where did you hear the name Albus Dumbledore?"

She continued to grimace and try to bear it as she answered his questions,

"I'm the one who answered the door and let him into the orphanage.Et s'il vous plaît, arrêtez de dire son nom!" (5.)

""Whatever. I returned your mouth organ or 'monicaor whatever. I'm leaving." Tom stated before turning in one smooth motion and exitedsilently.

"Au revoir, garçonimpoli!" (6.) Monica called to him as he slammed her bedroomdoor closed behind himself.

French Translations

1. B*stard!

2. Because I don't wanna talk like an arrogant prick like you.

3. It is beautiful.

4. Well, I'm sorry you are jealous that I am more interesting than you.

5. And please stop saying his name!

6. Goodbye, rude boy!