Already Gone

Chapter 4

Dumbledore smiled faintly and shook his head. "I was merely curious." He rose from his chair. "In any event, I'm sure you're wondering why I've summoned you here tonight. The answer lies here." Dumbledore swung open a cabinet where dozens of dozens of glittering vials stood like tiny soldiers.

"What you see before you are memories. In this case pertaining to one individual: Voldemort. Or as he was known then... Tom Riddle." Dumbledore reached down with his damaged hand and removed a stoppered vial. It was dusty and veined with age. "This vial contains a most particular memory of the day I first met him. I'd like you to see it. If you would."

Dumbledore extended his ashen hand. Olivia and Harry rose gingerly and took the vial and removes the cork. 

He tipped the contents into the Pensieve. Dumbledore nodded at Harry and Olivia. They leaned into the iridescent liquid their faces broke the surface of the water.

A horse-drawn milk cart rattled across a rain-swept London street. A young Dumbledore appeared in a plum velvet suit. He walked down the street as him eye a lovely lass appreciatively. He reached a grim building surrounded by iron gates. 

It looked like a prison to Olivia.

As Dumbledore passed through, a skinny, sharp-featured woman, lead Dumbledore down a drab corridor. Children's voiced carried from an unseen courtyard they were splashing and shrieking, in the midst of some game.

"I must confess to a bit of confusion upon receiving your letter, Mr. Dumbledore. In all the years Tom's been here, he's never once had a family visitor. Frankly, I was stunned to find that someone knew of his existence." Mrs. Cole told Dumbledore and Olivia looked over to Harry. 

"I am not family. But his name has been known to me since birth." Mrs. Cole did not understand what he meant by that.

"I see." But she didn't really. She stopped and frowned. "I think I should tell you. He's a funny boy, Tom. Odd. There have been incidents with the other children. Nasty things."

"Perhaps you could give me an example." Mrs. Cole started to speak but shook her head. She moved off and to a door.

As Dumbledore made to follow, his eyes happened upon a framed photograph on the wall. It was old and yellowing. It depicting a seaside scene of a sharp rock outcropping and a cave. 

He left the picture and Olivia looked at it more.

Mrs. Cole's hand appeared and knocked in a door. She turned the knob and walked in.

It was a small room, grim and shadowy. Tom Riddles a 11 years old, sat atop a bed his hands in his lap. The walls crawled with reflected rain and it oozed like oil down a grimy window. Just looking at it made Olivia's stomach turn.

"You've got a visitor, Tom." Dumbledore stepped forward and extended his hand.

"How do you do, Tom." Riddle eyed Dumbledore briefly before looking away.

"Well, I'll leave you two to yourselves." Mrs. Cole exited and closed the door behind her. Dumbledore studied Riddle and  began to tour the room. 

Carefully placed upon a low shelf were some odd souvenirs. A grouping of seven stones, a book containing seven matches, and seven brass keys. Something clicked in Olivia's mind, but she kept silent.

Dumbledore passed a tall cabinet and traced his finger over it's surface. Almost as if the wood's grain were Braille and as if somehow "seeing" what lied within.

Dumbledore paused. Strewn on a small table were a grouping of seven dark drawing. A boy and girl their faces were anguished. A sea-swept cave, the same cave from the photograph. Dumbledore began to reach out for them.