The Sortinghat's Mission

Chapter 4

Tom couldn't quite place this girl. There was something that was incredibly off with her. And she lied terribly, giving away almost all of the physical indications of a lie. And then there was the detail that she was actually hurt, with blood on her body and clothes in rags.

Tom's thoughts kept spiraling as he seated himself next to his companions, Derick Lestrange and Peter Avery. Two pale boys with rather handsome faces. They greeted him eagerly and Tom gave them a quick smile to please them. Ignotius Malfoy was seated a few slots away and he gave Tom a curt nod which he returned out of politeness. In front of him were Garrick Goyle and Reginald Crabbe, two big thickheads but the brutal force they provided was sometimes needed. All together they formed Tom's group. He was their leader, and they were quite good at following he must say.

It started in second year with just Derick Lestrange. The boy had drifted towards Tom when seeing that he made good marks and could charm the professors easily. After Derick, Peter Avery quickly followed seeing as they were close friends since childhood. Ignotius Malfoy had joined the group in third year, with Garrick Goyle and Reginald Crabbe following his every move. They had quickly submitted to him, as they should. Somewhat of an hierarchy was formed as well, with Malfoy being his right hand and Lestrange his left. He guessed some would say they were his friends, but Tom didn't see it that way. Not really anyways. He knew them, their darkest secrets and everything they didn't want anybody else to know. It was needed to have the upper hand if they ever dared to leave his side. But what did they really know of him? More than that he was powerful and wanted more power? More than what he let them know, which was a far cry from his deepest thoughts. Nothing. So how could one call any of them friends. They served a purpose, and therefore he kept them around. And they were all very eager for his approval.

At the front of the great hall the first years were being sorted. It was quite agonizing to watch. Every year it was the same. Although, Tom remembered the feeling he had when he was a first year getting sorted, he couldn't bring himself to feel excited for another person. It had always been like that. So therefore, he was content to converse with his "friends".

"Had a good holiday Riddle?" Avery asked and smiled warmly towards him.

"Decent enough. Missed the castle though." he answered, not smiling back.

It had in fact not been a good holiday. It was never a good holiday, going back there. Although it had been a good summer considering what he had been able to pull off. He played a little with his newly found ring that was sitting proudly at his middle finger. It was an exquisite golden ring with an black stone. Engraved in the stone was a symbol of a triangle, a circle inside the triangle and a straight line right through them.

"Me and Crabbe have been playing with some muggles all holiday, it was quite entertaining" Goyle stated proudly, hoping to gain some attention from Tom.

Tom simply gave him a bleak smile, not needing any details of how Crabbe and Goyle had fucked their way through summerbreak, and turned his attention to the great hall's doors as one particular girl of intrest entered behind professor Dumbledore. She gained not only his eyes on her, as the school realized they had a transfer student this year. Whisper erupted throughout the whole hall and he saw how she blushed even fiercer than she had with him. He caught himself thinking it was a delicate color on her, it made him feel... some type of way. Dumbledore and the girl made their way towards the top of the hall and her bushy curls bobbed around her head as she walked, her eyes glued to the floor. She clearly did not like the attention.

"Dear students, we have a last minute transfer from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in France. Please welcome Miss Bernard." Headmaster Dippet announced and applause filled the hall alongside with more whispers.