Orphic || Tom Riddle

Chapter One - Albus Dumbledore

July 1st 1938

Wool's orphanage, central London

Celeste woke up to the smell of fire. She liked the smell of fire, it reminded her of the day she had burned Leclaire manor to the ground and then wandered until she found an orphanage.

That orphanage was where she had spent the past 7 years of her life. It wasn't bad here her room was far smaller than the one in the manor but she didn't really care about that.

She swung her legs over the side of her bed and took the single step it took to get to the small desk on the opposite side of the room.

She stared at her reflection for a moment. She looked more like her Mother every day, her father was probably writhing in his grave. Or pile of ashes to put it more literally.

Once she was satisfied she looked presentable she exited her room and walked down the corridor stopping outside a door marked

Tom Riddle

She knocked a few times before hearing the door slide open and see Tom standing there

This had been their ritual ever since they had become friends 6 years ago, she would knock on his door in the morning and they would walk to breakfast together.

She was about to tell him good morning when she caught a glimpse of the smirk on his face 

"What have you done now" Celeste asked turning around to walk back down the corridor towards the stairs

"Nothing yet" Tom replied and she could practically hear the smirk on his face as they trudged down the two flights of stairs to get to the dining hall 

"And what are you planning to do?" she replied getting annoyed that he wasn't telling her

"I'll tell you later, trust me you'll enjoy it" he said which only improved her foul mood

It seemed to Celeste today was really not going to be her day. First off Tom is still refusing to tell her what he has planned only insisting that she'll love it and second the got about two bites into her toast before both she and Tom were summoned to the matrons office.

Groaning she stood up and walked to the dining hall exit to the right tom following behind her

"We haven't even done anything in the past two weeks. Why would she want to see us" Celeste complained to Tom on the way to the matron's office.

"Probably to blame us for something someone else did" Tom scoffed as they reached the double doors to matron's office they knocked once then let themselves in, Tom holding the door open for Celeste.

When they stepped inside they were greeted by the strangest man Celeste had ever seen with absolutely horrific fashion sense. He was around middle aged with a few streaks of grey slicing through his dark hair like spider webs.

He was sitting on one of the three chairs across from the matron's desk. The matron was sitting on her usual high backed chair, her slicked back hair tied in her usual bun and her harsh gaze fixed on Tom and Celeste as Tom shut the door behind them.

"Are you sure these two are the ones you would like to offer a place?" Matron sneered as she rose from her desk.

"Yes, I am sure Miss Harris" the man replied as the matron exited her office, not before hissing a warning at Tom and Celeste to be on their best behaviour.

The idea was laughable, Celeste was never on her best behaviour and when Tom was it was only because he wanted something.

The man beckoned them to sit in the seats across from him and he began speaking as they were sitting comfortably, or as comfortable as you could be while sitting in the chairs in matron's office, they were probably older than her and that was saying something.

"Refreshments?" the man questioned and Celeste and tom shared an equally confused look before tom replied

"No thank you sir" Celeste used all her self control not to roll her eyes at him for sucking up to this creep.

"Very well, my name is Albus Dumbledore and i am a teacher at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry" Tom looked momentarily stunned before he smoothly replaced it with his favourite mask of the handsome innocent charismatic young man that he had used more times than Celeste could count to get them out of trouble.

"I'm sorry?" tom replied and Celeste snorted at his obvious confusion that he was trying to hide.

Tom shot a sharp look at her that would have sent anyone else running in the opposite direction, he hated it when someone knew something he didn't and Celeste growing up in a pureblood household for the first 5 years of her life was aware of the wizarding world, something she purposefully hadn't told tom even though she knew he had magic in his blood because she thought the expression on his face would be utterly hilarious when he found out and she had to say she wasn't disappointed.

Looking at the usually composed tom looking confused as hell Celeste could help the laughter that trickled up her throat and in a matter of seconds she was in utter hysterics, this Albus Dumbledore man probably thought she was mad. Which if Celeste was being honest with herself wasn't very far from the truth.

Once Celeste had calmed down she turned to face Dumbledore again and said "sorry about that please continue"

Dumbledore's glacier blue eyes twinkled in amusement "as i was saying i am a teacher at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry and both of you have been offered a place in this school."