What if... [Tom Riddle]

First day of school

It was the first day of school.
And as was customary in these momentous days the two were running late.
Harry ran, had held Tom's hand hand and in the other hand his schoolbag.
"Come on, Tom!"

"Too fast!" Tom exclaimed as he tried to keep up.
Then he fell.

Harry stopped; Tom looked up at him from the ground, as if he expected a biting remark.
Harry sighed, shook his head and picked Tom up.
Then he ran on.

Five minutes later they had made it.
They entered the school building and Harry put Tom down.

"Thank you." Tom muttered.

Harry nodded.
"Let's go."

They went to the first floor.
There were several women talking amongst each other.
Harry greeted them briefly then he and Tom walked on.
At the door to his future classroom, they stopped.

Tom pulled on Harry's sleve.
Harry kneed down beside him.
Somehow Tom liked that part of Harry.
Unlike other adults he had no problem with going on eye level with Tom.
Unlike other adults to Tom Harry's opinion was important.

And every time Harry behaved differently than those who previously insulted and had pushed Tom around ... it was like the first time.
A wonderful feeling.
Now, however, Tom felt not so wonderful for other reasons.
"They're all in there already," he said softly.
"I'm the last one."

"But it's not as if you don't know anyone. You see back there? Jeff and Louise. And they're waving at you!"

Tom followed Harry's gaze.
And indeed.
While his two friends were surrounded by other children they looked over at him.
Part of the fear of being the outcast here too, fell away from him.

Harry stood up and handed him his backpack.
Together they went to the teacher.
Professor Devaughn took her last student in reception and then asked Harry to leave.
"Will you be alright Tom?"

Tom nodded.

"I'll pick you up afterwards. Have fun!"
Harry looked around the classroom and the children one last time and then went outside.

The mother of Tom's friends came up to him.
"Harry, good morning!"

"Anna! How are you?"

"Oh, great, my boy. Just wonderful! Now both of my kids are finally in school! Come, I have to introduce you to the other mothers!"

Harry let himself get dragged and spent the next few hours in the company of the mothers of Tom's classmates.
They went to a nearby cafe and had breakfast.
The ladies were immediately impressed by the friendly young man who had taken on an orphan at his age.
Not that Harry would have blabbed about it so freely.
He just hoped that Tom wouldn't mind.
Because later they would surely tell their children what they knew about Tom.
They also, of course, talked about their children and what their fathers did.

Harry learned at this point that three other children from Toms class were half-orphans.
One of the men had succumbed to an illness, the other two were victims of the war.

In the early afternoon the ladies round plus Harry returned to Thompson Primary School.

They went straight to the back and fetched their children from the playground.

Professor Devaughn said her goodbyes to all her students one by one.
Harry was glad to see that Tom walked over to him as soon as hee noticed that he was there- at least until he saw the little boys face.
Tom smiled and waved at some other children, but as soon as he grabbed Harry's hand he looked up with tears in his eyes at him.
"Can we leave quickly?"