Albus Dumbledore's visit
Tom was not expecting any visitors. They came for the other children, not for him. It was out of the blue that he had one, a man by the name of Dunderbore, according to Mrs Cole.
Mrs Cole opened the door to Room 27 and let the visitor in. Tom sized him up. This man had flowing and beard that were auburn and he was dressed in a plum-coloured velvet suit. Tom narrowed his eyes slightly as he took in the stranger's eccentric appearance.
A moment's silence passed before the stranger spoke. "How do you do, Tom?" he said, walking towards Tom and offering his hand.
Tom hesitated, then took it, and they shook hands. The stranger drew up the hard wooden chair next to Tom.
"I am Professor Dumbledore."
"'Professor'?" Tom repeated warily. "Is that like 'Doctor'? What are you here for? Did she get you in to have a look at me?" He pointed towards the door in which Mrs Cole had left.
"No, no," said Dumbledore, smiling.
"I don't believe you," said Tom in a cynical way. "She wants me looked at, doesn't she? Tell the truth!"
Tom widened his eyes and glared straight at Dumbledore, who continued smiling pleasantly. A few moments later, Tom dropped his glare, but still kept his wariness.
"Who are you?" he repeated.
"I have told you. My name is Professor Dumbledore and I work at a school called Hogwarts. I have come to offer you a place at my school - your new school, if you would like to come."
Tom found this too hard to believe. He leapt from the bed furiously and backed away from Dumbledore.
"You can't kid me! The asylum, that's where you are from, isn't it? 'Professor', yes of course - well, I'm not going, see? That old cat's the one who should be in the asylum. I never did anything to little Amy Benson or Dennis Bishop, and you can ask them, they'll tell you."
"I am not from the asylum," said Dumbledore patiently. "I am a teacher and, if you will sit down calmly, I shall tell you about Hogwarts. Of course, if you would rather not come to the school, nobody will force you..."
"I'd like to see them try," sneered Tom.
"Hogwarts," Dumbledore continued, "is a school for people with special abilities..."
"I'm not mad!"
"I know that you are not mad. Hogwarts is not a school for mad people. It is a school of magic."
That was enough to silence Tom. He froze, but his eyes flickered between each of Dumbledore's, trying to catch the visitor lying.
"Magic?" he repeated in a whisper.
"That's right," said Dumbledore.
"It's...it's magic, what I can do?"
"What is it that you can do?"
Tom felt the rush of excitement. He told Dumbledore about what he did to those who pissed him off, his telekinetic prowess and mind control over animals.
"I knew I was different," he whispered to himself. "I knew I was special. Always, I knew there was something."
"Well, you were quite right," said Dumbledore, who had stopped smiling, but watching Tom intently. "You are a wizard."
Tom felt a surge of emotion through him. "Are you a wizard too?" he asked Dumbledore.
"Yes, I am."
"Prove it," said Tom at once.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.
"If, as I take it, you are accepting your place at Hogwarts..."
Mrs Cole opened the door to Room 27 and let the visitor in. Tom sized him up. This man had flowing and beard that were auburn and he was dressed in a plum-coloured velvet suit. Tom narrowed his eyes slightly as he took in the stranger's eccentric appearance.
A moment's silence passed before the stranger spoke. "How do you do, Tom?" he said, walking towards Tom and offering his hand.
Tom hesitated, then took it, and they shook hands. The stranger drew up the hard wooden chair next to Tom.
"I am Professor Dumbledore."
"'Professor'?" Tom repeated warily. "Is that like 'Doctor'? What are you here for? Did she get you in to have a look at me?" He pointed towards the door in which Mrs Cole had left.
"No, no," said Dumbledore, smiling.
"I don't believe you," said Tom in a cynical way. "She wants me looked at, doesn't she? Tell the truth!"
Tom widened his eyes and glared straight at Dumbledore, who continued smiling pleasantly. A few moments later, Tom dropped his glare, but still kept his wariness.
"Who are you?" he repeated.
"I have told you. My name is Professor Dumbledore and I work at a school called Hogwarts. I have come to offer you a place at my school - your new school, if you would like to come."
Tom found this too hard to believe. He leapt from the bed furiously and backed away from Dumbledore.
"You can't kid me! The asylum, that's where you are from, isn't it? 'Professor', yes of course - well, I'm not going, see? That old cat's the one who should be in the asylum. I never did anything to little Amy Benson or Dennis Bishop, and you can ask them, they'll tell you."
"I am not from the asylum," said Dumbledore patiently. "I am a teacher and, if you will sit down calmly, I shall tell you about Hogwarts. Of course, if you would rather not come to the school, nobody will force you..."
"I'd like to see them try," sneered Tom.
"Hogwarts," Dumbledore continued, "is a school for people with special abilities..."
"I'm not mad!"
"I know that you are not mad. Hogwarts is not a school for mad people. It is a school of magic."
That was enough to silence Tom. He froze, but his eyes flickered between each of Dumbledore's, trying to catch the visitor lying.
"Magic?" he repeated in a whisper.
"That's right," said Dumbledore.
"It's...it's magic, what I can do?"
"What is it that you can do?"
Tom felt the rush of excitement. He told Dumbledore about what he did to those who pissed him off, his telekinetic prowess and mind control over animals.
"I knew I was different," he whispered to himself. "I knew I was special. Always, I knew there was something."
"Well, you were quite right," said Dumbledore, who had stopped smiling, but watching Tom intently. "You are a wizard."
Tom felt a surge of emotion through him. "Are you a wizard too?" he asked Dumbledore.
"Yes, I am."
"Prove it," said Tom at once.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.
"If, as I take it, you are accepting your place at Hogwarts..."
