Harry Riddle - Love is a different time

Went and saw

1st of September 1938

Harry sat down with a happy sigh. They were finally on board the Hogwarts Express about to leave for the new chapter in their life: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

They had on their newest school robes and clothes, pressed and clean, their shoes shined and their hairs combed to the side. Tom and Harry couldn't sleep the night before, keeping each other awake with questions and rechecking their letters and cleaning their room. Leaving the Orphanage to King's Cross directly after breakfast, the only goodbye was for the snakes' Harry had grown fond, hissing them good luck for their journey.

Harry's stomach was a mixture of butterflies and heavy warm honey, a little anxious about entering a new world but also extremely happy to finally be here. Tom had to remind Harry to keep still, lest they attract the attention of muggle adults who might stop them before they embark on the train.

Platform 9 3/4 was difficult to find, their first time on a train platform combined with the fact that neither of them was able to find the gates to Platform 9 ¾ nearly made Harry panic. But clever Tom had figured to spot wizarding adults or families and follow their lead. Once they found the trick to the barrier to the platform, and saw, with their relief, the black and red train to Hogwarts, Tom didn't hesitate to pull Harry's hand unto the "best" compartment they could find.

He chose compartment number seventy-seven. His favourite number.

Harry noticed Tom was holding his hand more and more now. His cheeks blushed with the show of closeness of his dear friend. He liked it a lot and saw it as a sign that Tom was ready to put the early parts of the year to rest, slowly healing from their trauma.

Their trunks were secured and each taking the seat facing the window, it was a sunny morning, a platform filled with wizards of all ages, their day was beginning with a wonderful start.

"It says that the train has one of Britain's largest Muggle Concealment Spells ever performed. Can you imagine? A nine-hour train ride and muggles won't even see or hear a thing? How much magic is that?" Tom places a palm around the compartment as if looking for an answer. "Not as much as Hogwarts, I'm sure, from what I've read on Hogwarts a History, our school is pure magic..." And he's explaining raptly to Harry about the wards, the history of its building and the founders.

Harry doesn't get a word in, smiling and nodding along, even if he has heard the same explanation about three times now. Harry caught a glimpse of two wizardry adults, a mother and father, wearing matching blue sky robes, hugging a young girl on the platform beside their window. Both of them leaned down to kiss their daughter's cheek goodbye.

A slight twinge in his heart and he quickly averted his gaze, determined not to ruin their day, reminding himself fiercely that he was happy, he wasn't alone.

He had Tom. Tom was all he ever needed.

Tom was blissfully unaware, his hand on The Archives of Magic , his current read, his eyes focused on Harry, telling Harry another summary of his readings. This time on wand history.

Harry wasn't much of a reader himself. He preferred playing outside or doing sports to sitting down and reading. Tom was the studious one. He was brilliant at it too. He read the fastest in class and was able to retain and recount so much information. Harry saw reading as Tom's escape from the dull monotony of their life. Tom wanted to find and see everything- and books gave him the glimpse of the sights he so desperately wants to see.

Since their return from their shopping trip in Diagon Alley, Tom had read all their textbooks and another three extra he chose to 'prepare' himself. Mrs Cole had basically left them alone as long as they did their chores and stayed in their rooms. Tom had used all the daytime reading, the evening, scribbling notes in his black journal and his night sharing everything with Harry before bed.