Expectations
After the potion materials, Tom and his family chose to buy the uniforms, where they met Minerva again. Mr. Malkin, who owned a big robe shop, was excited to meet them and told them, that his daughter would also attend Hogwarts with them, while he marked out their robes. Mommy Cecilia, absolutely delighted by the magical robe shop, also bought Tom a set of expensive, dark blue dress robes, fancy gloves and several coats and extra hats. She even picked out a matching pair of elegant black pointed hats with a silver swirling pattern on them for Tom and Minerva. (So everybody can see that you two are friends!)
Their next stop was a big shop that sold more different variants of cauldrons than Tom could count and a musty pet shop, where Minerva bought a fat, black cat, she named pepper. Grandpa Thomas purchased a big wooden basket, lined with soft black velvet, that had a heating charm woven into it, for Miss Noodles to sit in during the train ride to Hogwarts. After this they went to buy a telescope and quills and then it was time for the one shop Tom and Minerva had been most excited about: The one that sold wands.
The shop was called Olivander’s and it was the opposite of fancy. The golden letters on the storefront looked chipped and dust and spiderwebs filled the display window. “Are you sure this is the best place? It looks a bit... shabby, doesn’t it?”, grandma Mary asked Mrs. McGonagall as they approached the door. “No, lady Riddle, this is the best one. They are just so famous that they do not need any advertisement anymore.”, Minerva’s mother explained. That seemed to soothe the grandparents' mistrust.
The inside of the store didn’t really look better than the outside. At first, they did not see anyone between the dusty shelves apart from themselves. “Is there anyone working here or do we just... take one of the shelves?”, Patrick asked, setting their countless bags down on the floor. Just in that moment a thin, young man with gigantic light blue eyes appeared from the back of the store.
“Welcome to Olivander’s. I’m Mister Olivander. I guess you two are here to buy your new wands, hm? Hogwarts first years?”, the man said in a smoky voice. Tom and Minerva nodded. The man seemed a bit weird and Tom really didn’t want him to know anything about himself. Mr. Olivander flicked his wand and two tape measures flew towards Tom and his new friend. “We will have you try a few wands, or rather let the wands try you. The wand chooses the wizard or witch you know.”, the man with the pale eyes said.
“Hmmm, interesting.”, Mr. Olivander mumbled, while watching the tape measure with his gigantic eyes. “Young lady, try this one. Birch tree, unicorn hair, 11 inches, stiff. Give it a shake!”, Olivander said and handed Minerva a pale wand. Minerva shook it and the wand vibrated violently in her hand and fell to the floor. “S-sorry.”, the girl muttered and quickly picked it up. “Oh no, this is very interesting. Try this one. Cherry tree, phoenix feather, 10 inches. Go on, wave it.”, Mr. Olivander instantly said. “And young man, try this one. Hazle nut, dragon heartstring, 13 inches, springy. Try it out.”, the thin shopkeeper said, while a box next to Minerva exploded.
Tom took the wand with shaking fingers and waved it, at least he tried to. As soon as he raised the wand Olivander ripped it from his hand, as if he had committed a horrible crime. “Try this one, young girl. Fir wood, dragon heartstring, 9 ½ inches, very good for transfiguration. And you boy, how about you try this one? Alder, unicorn hair, 7 inches, stiff. A great wand for duels, powerful but loyal”, the clerk squeaked excited.
Minerva stared at her wand with wide eyes, as if she was having a religious experience while Tom’s burned his hand and he dropped it with a pained yelp. “Oh no, this one is clearly not for you, young man, but it seems as if your friend found a match. Isn’t this exciting? Why don’t you wave this one. Ebony, phoenix feather, 11 ¼ inches, slim.”, Mr. Olivander said happily, while he handed Minerva a box for her new wand.
The black wand was also ripped from Tom’s hand almost immediately. “No definitively not this one. Maybe you need a more defense heavy wand? Maple, 8 inches, dragon heartstring, resilient.” The wand blasted Tom backwards into grandpa Thomas’ chest. A slim 12 inch long wand made from apple wood and with a core of phoenix feather didn’t work and neither did a slim, 7 inch one out of chestnut wood with a unicorn hair.
Seven wands later Tom began to doubt that he would ever find a fitting one. Even Minerva looked uncomfortable by now. “Hmmm, try this one. Yew, phoenix feather, 13 ½ inches, powerful and good for duels. It might work. One of my best ones, that one.”, Mr. Olivander said and handed Tom a pale wand with a slender hook at the end. Tom shook it demotivated and suddenly a warm, prickling sensation traveled up his arm and filled his chest. The young wizard could feel his jaw drop.
Mr. Olivander clapped his hands. “This is it! Your wand! I think we can expect quite interesting deeds from you. There is a lot of potential in this wand and it wouldn’t have chosen you, if you would not match it. I will watch your career with great interest, young man”
After Tom’s grandpa had paid for the wand and they left the dusty shop, the young boy let out a long sigh. He was quite glad to be out of this shop. Mr. Olivander was quite a creepy fellow. Tom hadn’t even started Hogwarts yet, and the big eyed guy, who reminded Tom a bit of Gollum from the new book “The Hobbit” the maid Miss Robin had bought him as a present for his 11th birthday, had already put a lot of expectations on him.
He was pretty quiet while the Riddles and the McGonagalls walked back to their cars and couldn’t even be cheered up much, when Thomas revealed, that he had opened a very own Gringotts vault for Tom, where he would send Tom’s monthly allowance now.
Merope had also always expected Tom to become a great wizard. (We are the heirs of the Peverells and Slytherins, we are destined for power and greatness. We are better, more worthy more pure!) No. He would never become like her, would he? On the drive back home to Riddle manor Tom rested his head on the cold car window and fell asleep. Merope followed him into the realm of dreams, for the first time in years.
Her pale, thin fingers gripped him by the shoulders, shaking him while she hissed: “Aayaa ethaa hasseey ssss haa ayaahath ssssehhh haaaaaah hass seethaaa haa aayaa seyythaa ssssaytha” Tom understood every word, even though they did not make any sense. “I break my chains” the sounds meant. “You didn’t break any chains, dad did! You imprisoned him!”, Tom wanted to scream, but the locket’s chain wrapped around his neck and trapped his words in his throat.
He choked and tried to rip the necklace off, but it just got tighter. “We are better! Purer! We have to be better, Tom! We are superior! Forget your new mudblood friend!”, Merope screamed. Her crossed eyes glittered madly. “No, no, Minerva is nice! Better than you!”, Tom tried to hiss, but the locket got even tighter. “No abandon them, kill them! Kill them all!” He shook his head. Tom awoke just as he felt like dying.
Grandma Mary had laid him across the car seats and was shaking him, while mommy fanned air into his face, with tears in her eyes. “Are you all right junior? You sounded like you you were choking. You would not wake up”, Mary asked relieved. Tom nodded slowly. His throat felt dry. “Yeah. Just a weird dream. That wand place reminded me too much of... her.”, he yawned. “It’s okay.”, mommy Cecilia muttered and hugged him tight. Suddenly everything felt better. The dream seemed to fade into the back of his head. Everything would be all right.