Time for Hogwarts
The next month wasn’t like any month before. He read some of the books that were on his list of school supplies. He wanted to know as much as he could about what he would be learning. He tried to ask his mom about Hogwarts when his dad wasn’t around, but she wouldn’t tell him about anything. Everytime he asked about it his mother dismissed him with a wave of her hand and said, “Tom, I have nothing to tell you. You’ll find out all about it when you get there anyways.” So he stopped asking and when the days got closer, he started packing his trunk full of all the things he would need while he’s away. He even did it all by himself since he wanted to know where everything was.
The day finally came. It was September 1st and he had taken his trunk out to the car by the time it was eight in the morning. He was feeling excited to be leaving. He had gotten some breakfast in him before him and his family made their way to Kings Cross Station. When they got there, the station was packed with people. He was the one pulling the trolley with his siblings on it. When they got to where they needed to be to enter platform nine and three-quarters — his father who could care less to enter the platform — put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Don’t fail and I don’t want to hear about any trouble that you’ve caused, understand me?” Tom nodded and he went onto the platform first. His mother and the siblings, those that weren’t on the trolley, followed right after him.
Before Tom got on the Hogwarts Express, his mother had pulled him asidefrom his siblings. She had looked worried and even spoke softly, she could barely be heared over the train. “Look Tom, I need to be clear with you about one thing. You cannot let anybody hear or tell anyone that you can communicate with snakes. Those older kids and maybe those your age will think the worst and you don’t need that. Just promise me that you’ll be careful.” With the last part, she was almost pleading. “I promise, mom.” He said with a soft smile. “Good, now get on the train. They’re gonna be leaving soon.” She hugged him one last time and he told her to let her go, saying it was embarrassing. His mother stopped hugging him and he ran onto the train. Once he got into a seat, the train started moving.
The train right felt long. He did have people in his compartment but he didn’t pay much attention to them. They were also quite loud so he did his best to tune them out. When it was getting closer to the time of them arriving at the station, Tom went to change into his robes. He suddenly felt nervous. He was scared he’d fail or end up embarrassing himself. His mom never talked about Hogwarts and what it would be like. He had no idea what going to this school was going to be like. He went back to his compartment for the rest of the way.
The train pulled up to Hogsmeade Station and everything became so real when he stepped off the train. He wasn’t sure who yelled but the loud voice he heard over all the other students, which seemed near impossible. “FIRST YEARS THIS WAY! FIRST YEARS FOLLOW ME!” He had followed the crowd and the tall guy who was yelling. They’d gone from the station to the loading docks, all the first years getting on the boats. He got on one of the first few boats going out and looked at the castle they were slowly approaching.
It seemed to take a while to get to the castle on boats and it made Tom impatient. He may have been over dramatic about it since it felt nothing like the train ride. While on the boat ride there was a little breeze that made him cold, but it was the kind of cold that always feels nice. Eventually they got to the castle and everyone was unloaded from the boats, still following the guy who was yelling for them to follow. They walked into the castle and all the nerves came back, he took a breath and he suddenly came to a stop after walking up the steps. He wasn’t looking straight ahead — looking more at his feet — but he looked up at the sound of someone clearing their throat.
She stood right in front of a huge door, her face stern and looking over the students. She waited for the students to quiet down before she raised her voice, “Welcome to Hogwarts.” She looked like she’d given this same speech at least ten to twenty times before. “Before you get to go and sit down at the tables, you will be sorted into your houses. This is an important ceremony as for the next seven years, or while you’re here, will be almost like your family. You’ll be having classes with your house, sleeping in the same dormitories, and spending your free time in your house common room.” She paused. It wasn’t a long enough one for anyone to speak up, not that one would as they were all paying attention to the lady in front of them. “The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are here, your triumphs will earn you house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will win the house cup. Now I will call each of you up and the sorting hat will sort you into your houses one by one. Once you are sorted, you will take your seat with your house table.” She looked over at us once again and she pushed the doors to the Great Hall. “Follow after me.”
They all had followed. He was curious about the house names she had said, He didn't even know what the houses meant, he was clueless. He only heard of two of the houses before today, he didn’t know there was another two he could be sorted into. Tom looked around at the 4 tables of students, he was wondering which table he was joining. As he looked, he even noticed that each table had students wearing the same colour robes. He saw red to the far left, yellow after, blue following, and green to the far right. He’d watch the person who welcomed them, tapping the hat awake with the parchment she had just picked up. When she said that the sorting hat will be sorting them, he didn’t actually think she meant it.
Before the sorting began and names were being called up, the hat began to sing. Eventually those around the first years began to sing with it, most of them were staring at the hat and listening to the song it sang. The sorting took a long time or at least it felt like it, the names were being called in alphabetical order by the last name. While he was waiting he noticed that Ravenclaws have blue robes, Hufflepuffs have yellow, Slytherins have green, and Gryffindors have red just by watching the people in front of him get sorted into those houses. Soon his name was called. “Riddle, Tom!” He took a breath and stepped forward, taking the seat. All eyes were on him. She set the hat on his head, the hat that had gone on everyone's head before him. It spoke — scaring Tom half to death. “Ah ha! I see some good potential here. It’s all right here in your brain you see. You have the potential to be a good leader, yes, and a great one at that. You are quite cunning and there's some trouble that has definitely brewed inside your head. The determination you have is outstanding and I know the right house to place you in.” It paused for a second before its voice boomed across the Great Hall. “Slytherin!” The hat was taken off his head and he went over to the Slytherin table, taking a seat at the front. Feeling relieved that the house didn’t have a hard time trying to sort him, but worried it was too quick. Though it made him feel like Slytherin was meant for him.
He watched the last of the sorting ceremony and only a handful of people after him were placed into Slytherin. All the clapping went silent as someone, who he assumed was the headmaster, stood. “Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! This year there are no new announcements to make. Though first years it should be noted that the forest is forbidden to all students. You will listen to your prefects who will be leading you to where your house resides and pointing you in the direction of where your dorms will be. Each door will have a sign with your name on it and whoever you’ll be sharing it with, you’ll expect all your luggage there when you arrive. Everyone have a good year and let the feast begin!” Suddenly, food appeared on the table and onto the gold plates that were empty just moments ago. Without even thinking about it, his hands were grabbing food just like all the others around him and talking to those around him.
It wasn’t until his voice boomed across the Great Hall that he realised how late it had gotten. “And now before everyone goes off to bed, we shall sing our school song.” The lyrics of the song came in front of him and all of those around him. Everyone, including him, all sang along. Almost everyone, out of tune and shouting through it all. They all had ended at a different time and the Great Hall fell silent. “Now off to bed!” He heard shouts from one of the Slytherin prefects to stay where they are, let the crowd disperse. They had stayed back and it seemed like the other house prefect had the same idea, or just copied the Slytherin prefect who he’d get to know as Marcus Flint. When there was no crowd the houses all left one at a time. The Slytherins went first, Marcus was looking like they would start a war with the other house prefects if they dared to go before our house. Tom and the rest of the first years followed, they ended up walking down several flights of stairs. Marcus called out as one of the staircases near them had shifted, “Careful about the staircases! They like to change.” They’d gotten to the entrance of Slytherin and he spoke the password to the serpent portrait, “Pureblood.” It swung open and all the first years shuffled in after him. “Dormitories are that way!” He pointed to the left. Nothing else was said and when he left the common room everyone took it as a sign to find their dorm.
Tom went to the left just like everyone else and he had found his dorm within 10 minutes. Before he stepped in, he took a look at the paper with names on it. He had four other people in his dorm: Angel Black, Hestia Claire, Regulus Black, and Delilah Potter. He opened the door to find that he was the first one there and his luggage was placed right beside the bed he would’ve chosen, the closest to the door. As he looked around, the dorm was lit from the silver lanterns and the five four-poster beds had dark green bedspreads with green curtains. The floor also had a dark green carpet with a crest in the centre and there were small alcoves located between each bed. He didn’t bother trying to unpack some of his things and instead he got ready for bed, he only dug through his trunk to get out of his robes. When he finished changing his dorm mates came in and he gave them a small wave before he climbed into his bed. He kinda knew one of them, but it was only because he talked his ear off when he got his robes made. When everyone was in their bed and the lights were out, they all sat in their beds or were laying down but still awake. There was an awkward silence and one of them spoke up, “I’m Hestia Claire, by the way.” It came from the other side of the room, probably the bed opposite of his. “Delilah Potter.” It came from right beside him. “Tom Riddle.” He said, looking into the darkness of their room and waiting for the last two to chime in. The voice came from the centre bed, “Angle Black, but call me AJ.” Finally the last one spoke, “Regulus Black.” It came out almost cold, but he figured he was just tired. It fell silent again and they had eventually fallen asleep, Tom was the second to last in their dorm to fall asleep, Regulus took a while.