Back To Better A Tom Riddle Fanfiction Sequel

Chapter 6

By September 1st the world had moved on.

As it was, nobody really knew what had happened when Lord Voldemort had seemingly disappeared from the world's surface from one day to the next, leaving no trace at all.

But when it had become obvious that he wasn't going to return to public attention any time soon, those who had already been plotting secretly against his reign had instantly taken the opportunity and had ended the tyranny Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters had forced upon the world for too long.

Most of the remaining Death Eaters had been surprisingly ready to distance themselves from any pure blood supremacy ideologies, finding the most hilarious excuses and reasons for what they had done.

Nobody openly talked about this horrible man who had plunged not only the wizarding world into darkness. A darkness that had lasted for more than two decades.

It was like some unwritten law. You simply didn't talk about him, pretending he had never existed, desperately hoping he was never going to return.

So when the Hogwarts Express finally departed from platform 9 3/4, for the first time in many, many years it took not only children from wizarding families to Hogwarts to start their schooling but also children who were Muggleborn.

Grace found herself among a chattering crowd of students who were all just as excited as she was and who were celebrating the end of a dark period of time that Grace was only just growing aware of.

When Grace lay in bed that first evening in Hogwarts she thought about all that had happened that day.

Her father had said goodbye to her in his study. It had been an awkward situation with neither of them really knowing how to react and Grace had been more than relieved when he had apparated them to the alley in London where she had met Ben. Ben had then taken her to the station and both of them had been at a loss for words when they had stepped onto platform 9 3/4 for the first time. Saying goodbye to Ben had been a whole lot more emotional than the previous goodbye with her father but the moment she had boarded the train she had felt as if she were going home. To be fair, she didn't know anyone and she wasn't sure what to expect from Hogwarts but her mother had always talked so fondly of Hogwarts and she had always made it sound so inviting that Grace couldn't help feeling she would be somehow close to her mother again once she arrived in Hogwarts.

During the train ride she had been sitting in a compartment with two Muggleborn girls. The girls obviously didn't know anything about Hogwarts and had chattered excitedly throughout the whole journey.

When they had arrived at Hogwarts the Sorting Hat had put her into Slytherin without thinking twice, but Grace hadn't been surprised. Her father had told her everything about Slytherin, and she had felt at home the very moment she had joined the table of silver and green.

*****
The next morning Grace hurried to the Great Hall for breakfast. She sat down at the long table, a little away from a boy she had noticed the evening before. He had been the first student to be sorted and he had also been placed into Slytherin.

He threw her a curious glance and said, "Morning."

Grace smiled back at him. "Good morning. Titus Avery, isn't it?"

The boy nodded. "Sorry, I don't remember your name."

"Oh, I'm Grace." She extended a hand. The boy eyed her a little sceptically. With some surprise she realized he was obviously expecting her to say her full name, so she quickly added, "Grace Houlton."

The boy took her hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you." He furrowed his brow. "Hm...Houlton...I somehow know that name. Just can't seem to remember right now where I heard it...."