Masquerade¹ → Tom Riddle [Rewritten] ✓

CHAPTER ONE

"No problem, take your seat and I'll get it sorted for you." He took the money she had offered in her extended hand, not bothering to count it before he pocketed the cash. Evelyn made her way down the aisle as he sorted out her baggage, making sure she found a seat by the window so she could admire the seaside as they drove.

With a quick beep of the horn, the bus driver was off and Evelyn began her journey to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Although Evelyn had taken this bus before, she had never stayed on long enough to reach Kings Cross in London, she had only ever used it to get into her local town to say the butterflies were fluttering around in her stomach would be an understatement. By the time Evelyn was entering the outskirts of London, Evelyn was no longer sure if she simply felt anxiety, or if she was about to be sick all over the bus, hoping it was the first option, she closed her eyes and drifted off to a peaceful slumber.

"Evelyn, this one's you," called out the bus driver from the front, awakening Evelyn with a start.

"Coming!" She replied, checking her pockets to ensure she hadn't forgotten any of her belongings on the bus before making her way back down the aisle.

"You off to that boarding school of yours your grandma always talks about?" He asked, his accent becoming more prominent the closer Evelyn got to him.

"Yep, I won't be back until Christmas." Evelyn smiled at the thought of an uninterrupted term at Hogwarts, it was something she urgently needed.

"Well, best of luck to you." He gave her one last smile as she exited the bus. Evelyn quickly lifted her trunk out of the bus and made her way into the bustling crowds heading towards London Kings Cross station. As much as Evelyn usually enjoyed the peace and quiet of being by the seaside, she had to admit that the crowds in Kings Cross were somewhat beneficial to her. Whilst most individuals at the station were commuters or businessmen, Evelyn certainly was not and her aged trunk stuck out like a sore thumb amongst them, but with the crows, Evelyn was able to blend in and only earn a few dirty looks from those around her.

With a toothy grin on her face, Evelyn made her way deeper into the station until she found herself between platforms nine and ten. As Evelyn mentally prepared herself to run at the wall, she took several steps backwards until she stumbled into someone.

"Evelyn! It's so good to see you!" She turned around to see one of her closest friends Lily stood behind her, carrying a strangely small, black kitten. "This is Midnight, Jack got him for me, so I had a pet at Hogwarts, isn't he beautiful?" She cooed down at the creature lying in her arms.

Evelyn had to admit he was gorgeous. "He does look like a perfect pet."

"Right we should go if we want to get somewhere nice to sit or all the first-years will take the good spaces thinking they deserve them!" Lily chuckled lightly, gesturing at Evelyn for her to go first onto the platform.

Evelyn closed her eyes and ran at the wall. She wouldn't have even had to open her eyes to know she had made it safely onto the platform, the smell of smoke from the Hogwarts Express was a dead giveaway.

"Take my trunk and I'll see if Sara is already on the train," Lily said, tightening her grip on Midnight as though she were afraid he would be stolen.

Evelyn took hold of Lily's worn-down trunk with her spare hand and began to make her way to the front of the train where the other students had left their trunks. She dropped the two trunks gently onto the floor in a safe-looking spot before heading towards the entrance to the train.

As soon as Evelyn stepped onto the Hogwarts Express, the butterflies in her stomach stopped. It felt as though the whole world was melting away, she felt safe inside her little bubble of Hogwarts joy. "Lily?" Sara?" She called out as she made her way throughout the train. It didn't take long before she found the pair inside one of the side compartments.