modification | t riddle [complete]

Chapter 3: Tom Riddle

Chapter 3: Tom Riddle

The next morning Estela woke up earlier than the rest of the girls in the Ravenclaw dormitory. Looking out the window, she could see that the sky was painted a brilliant pink as the sun was slowly beginning to peep over the lush green hills that surrounded the castle grounds.

Then the memory hit her like a bludger. The realization that from today, nothing would be the same anymore. From this day onwards, her main priority was to 'change' Tom Riddle. She couldn't believe she had to do this. And not for one moment did she understand why Dumbledore chose her for the task.

Estela sighed and tried to rid herself of the thought. It was enough that she was now in her sixth year at Hogwarts, with an undoubtedly heavier workload than last year, but now she had to help someone she didn't know even needed help.

She took another deep breath and revelled in the thought that she was back in her favourite place: the place she considered home and thought of that instead.

Her gaze flickered over to her bedside table and noticed her new Prefect badge sat there in a box lined with velvet. She smiled a little, feeling a fleeting sense of pride surge through her body as she admired the badge before placing it on her robe where it sat handsomely.

Estela would be receiving her new school timetable today, and so was eager to go down to breakfast early. She entered the Great Hall to see only a few teachers and students eating their breakfast, and sat down at the Ravenclaw table where first years were chatting amongst themselves, sounding very excited about their magical day ahead.

Looking up towards the Head Table, she noticed Albus Dumbledore watching her. His brilliant blue eyes luminous in the morning sunshine. She noticed that he was grinning at her, before he inclined his head towards to the entrance of the Great Hall and winked.

Estela gave him a brief look of confusion before she turned her attention to where Dumbledore had gestured, and she immediately noticed what he had been directing her towards.

Her eyes narrowed as she watched the boy walk through the large doors. He entered as though the other people around him were nothing but ghosts - unworthy of his attention - and the way he strolled so casually towards the table at the end of the Hall as though he owned the place made Estela scoff under her breath.

She watched as the other students subconsciously moved out of their way from him. He saw the admiration in their eyes as they looked up at him. Estela thought about how even the teachers would practically fall to their knees if Riddle simply shot them one of his famed smiles. What was it about him that made everyone so awestruck?

She observed him. He was tall and slim, but the way he held himself made him incredibly intimidating. His jet-black hair was neatly messy like a sweeping tide of obsidian, but was kept out of his face, revealing his handsomely carved facial features that gave him a look of natural authority and aristocracy.

Estela glowered. This was Tom Riddle. This was the boy who would apparently turn out to be a monster according to Dumbledore. This was the boy who was the cause of burdening her with the task of saving him from his own miserable fate.

Slyly, she eyed him as she buttered a piece of toast. He wasn't doing much, he wasn't even eating, and didn't seem to acknowledge the heaps of food around him. Instead, his attention was focused on the book in which his head was buried. Estela squinted to see better, but couldn't make out the title, only the fragile spine of the book that seemed to be falling apart at the seams.

Riddle lifted his head for a brief moment to inspect the Slytherin boys who swaggered in and sat down next to him, before his head was back down, submerged in his book, apparently disinterested in his fellow Slytherins.