Tom Riddle, My Love

Chapter 2- 1938

Leo, Tom and I stuck together until we got inside of the school. Tom watched, amazed as we entered the Great Hall. He was not used to magical things happening. While he was clearly desperate to hide it, you could still tell. As we walked through the hall with the rest of the first years Leo pointed at the 4, long wooden tables. The house tables. Each house has their own. And very soon, we would get ours. We continued walking forward until a woman motioned for us to stop. She looked fairly young, in her late 20's or early 30's. She was quite a beautiful woman with her long blond hair which brushed over her shoulder and mesmerizing nordic eyes. Her long crimson robe covered her slim body. Her smile was warm and welcoming.

"Hello, and welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Her voice silenced every bit of chatter in the Great Hall. "The start-of-term meal will begin shortly but before it does, our first year students will be sorted into their houses. There are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Hufflepuff. While you are at Hogwarts, your house will be like your family. Your victories will earn your house points while any rule breaking will cause you to lose them. At the end of the year your house's points will be counted up and the house with the most points will win the house cup. Now, when your name is called, please come up," she said, lightly stomping her foot beside a small stool, "and sit down. I will place the sorting hat on your head and you will be sorted into your house. When you are sorted take a seat at your respective house table. I will tell you which it is." She smiled again before turning her attention to the piece of parchment in her hand.

"Elane Vitale." The woman called out.

Elane was a beautiful girl. She had big hazel eyes and plump pink lips. She looked fragile, one wrong move and she would break. Her smile was contagious as she walked through the crowd of first years, eagerly pushing passed. She sat down on the small stool and took a deep breath. The woman pleased the sorting hat onto her head. Only now was I realizing how rusty the hat was. I mean, couldn't they just clean the dusty old thing?

"Hmmm... Difficult..." The sorting hat spoke. "Kind and loyal I see... And a hard worker too... Better be... Hufflepuff!" Elanes smile grew wider as she carefully sat up from the stool. The woman pointed over at the table to the far left as the students seated around it began to cheer and clap for their new house member. Elane looked like she couldn't possibly be happier.

And so student after student went up to the small stool and rusty hat. I was finally starting to relax. The teacher called for Leo. Both mother and father are in Slytherin so Leo and I never doubted that we would be placed into Slytherin as well but now I was begging to worry. What if Leo and I were placed into different houses? All of my thoughts were broken into a thousand pieces when the sorting hat called "Slytherin!" almost immediately after hitting Leo's head. Proudly, he walked over to the Slytherin table which was to the far right of the Great Hall. Everyone at the table congratulated him and shook his hand as he sat down next to a group of Slytherin boys who looked a year or two older than us.

"Wren Auclair." The woman's voice boomed.

Now is not the time to worry I thought as I stepped forward. "Dont trip, dont trip, don't trip'' I muttered to myself, putting one foot in front of the other. Don't mess up, don't embarrass yourself. Get a grip Wren! Almost immediately after the hat hit my head it called out "Slytherin!" Phew. As I walked over to sit next to my brother I looked back at Tom. I had only known the boy for an hour or so but I found him easy to read. He didn't have to say it, I knew he was praying to the gods that he was put in Slytherin too.

Just as I sat myself down at the Slytherin table with my brother I heard the woman call Tom's name. I watched as he sat himself down on the stool, clearly trying to hide his anxiousness. Just like me, it did not take more than a split second for the hat to make its decision. "Slytherin!" A smirk formed on Tom's face as he made his way toward Leo and I. This was going to be a fun few years.