mystery lover

Riddle dreamed of the boy again.

In the dream, the boy seemed to have recovered his health. Unlike the last time when he was bedridden, the boy was sitting quietly under the vines with a little sunlight. In front of him was a cup of freshly brewed hot tea. A white smoke slowly rises above.

Perhaps it was because the sunshine in the dream was too soft, different from the cold and damp in the orphanage, nor the gloom and repulsion reflected in the Slytherin cellar, Riddle stood there hesitantly, the gloom in his black eyes seemed to be It was out of tune with everything here, but in a moment, Riddle found that the boy sitting on the wicker chair had raised his head.

At that moment, Riddle seemed to see a gentle blue.

When I woke up from the bed in the orphanage, the sky outside was still gray. It seemed that there was another night of continuous drizzle in the East End of London. Riddle’s work and rest habits were very good. For a child, that was even Some harsh self-limitation.

After the boy got dressed, he sat by the wooden desk in this small room. The faded desk was so old that it couldn't be seen how old it was. Riddle looked out the window in a daze.

The gray one formed a bright contrast with the unreal colors in the dream, and Riddle felt a strange sense of loss in his chest. This strange emotion made the boy almost irritated to open the book that was placed on the table. However, it is difficult to focus on the book in his hand.

In the end, Riddle closed the reference book borrowed from the Hogwarts library a little discouraged, not understanding why he was affected by a dream.I opened the drawer on the left hand side, and as far as I could see, there were some white papers, some pens in the corner, and an unremarkable old drawing board pressed under the white paper.

Riddle hesitated for a moment, then took out the contents of the drawer.

France, Al.

Oster, who had been with the LeMay couple for nearly two weeks, was sitting on a wicker chair in the yard at this time. When Nicholas walked towards him, the boy politely raised his gaze from the book.

Nicholas sat down opposite the boy, seeing Oster's pale face no longer, the old wizard nodded in relief, "The damage caused by time travel seems to have been completely eradicated."

After Osted closed the book in his hand, he hesitated to say a question that had been bothering him recently.

"Sir, except for you and Mrs. LeMay, I don't seem to be able to tell anyone my true origin." Oster and Nicholas have conducted many experiments on this point. In fact, for the LeMay couple, apart from knowing The boy is a little wizard from the future, and it seems that they have no way of knowing more details about the future.

That invisible force is very strong, and its restrictions seem to be even more numerous.

As for the reason why Nicholas and Heidi were able to know that Oster came from the future, the most reasonable reason guessed by the two may be because the Philosopher's Stone that the boy said will be given to the boy in the future by them.

There is a circle in the middle, which seems so bizarre and unbelievable, but it is strangely established.

According to Oster, Nicholas will give him the Philosopher's Stone in the future, and Oster uses the Philosopher's Stone to return to the past from the future, so that Nicholas may come into contact with the stone.If there is a problem in any link in the middle, the result will inevitably change.

As for Oster's question, Nicholas was well aware of the worries in the boy's heart.

The old wizard picked up the teacup in front of him, put it to his mouth and took a sip gently.

"Son, have you ever thought about why the Sorcerer's Stone sent you back to this era, but gave you so many restrictions?"

"In order not to let me change history?" Oster thought of those undisclosed histories.

Nicholas looked at the boy, and the old man nodded slightly, "Then have you ever tried to think that maybe the reason why history did this is to let you blend into history, not to look at this era as a future person, And, everything that will happen in this era."

"Integrate into this era...?" Oster said in a daze, seeming to resist such an assumption, because it means, "I can't go back to my era?"

"Son, I'm sorry, I can't answer this question, but now it seems that this is indeed the case. After all, I have never heard of time travel that can span 30 years. In theory, the existing time in the wizarding world The converter can also send the person using it within twelve hours before and after at most, and we don't know how to trigger the magic stone again. And you just completed this incredible time travel, I Think, the Sorcerer's Stone can't provide the original power to let you go back to the future."

Nicholas said a lot, and Oster listened carefully, even though every word the old man said made people feel hopeless.

"Why... don't you treat it as a gift?" Finally, Nicholas tentatively said a word.

"Gift?" The boy was obviously stunned by this rhetorical question.

"I have heard you say that in your time, someone destroyed your family." It was later confirmed that Oster could not name that person, and Nicholas continued, "I don't know the wizard 30 years later. What the world looks like, but if such a bad thing happened, even attacking a prestigious family, then at your time, it was not peaceful, right kid?"

Oster nodded.

"So it's a gift, kid."

Nicholas looked at the boy very kindly, and for a while, Osde had the illusion that he was still on vacation last year.

"Enjoy the atmosphere of this era, here is a completely different world from the time you used to, I think maybe you would like to continue your Hogwarts courses, what do you think? But whatever the future holds, will you go back to Your time, I think this experience will be a wonderful memory for you in the years to come, you lived in this era."

The afternoon ended quickly, and the conversation with Nicholas always made the teenager who was easily in trouble at this time suddenly enlightened, but before the conversation ended, Oster thought of another thing.

"Sir, there is one thing that is not very important, but I want to... talk to you." When Oster finished speaking, he disturbed the hair next to his ear with some embarrassment.Both Mr. Flamel and his wife are very easy to get along with, because their own affairs have taken up a lot of each other's time.

"Oster, I thought you could regard this place as your own home now. After all, Heidi and I are already your only guardians in this era." After Nicholas finished speaking, he blinked at the boy opposite him. , and this action made Oster instinctively think of the headmaster of Hogwarts.

In this regard, Oster smiled embarrassedly, and then said, "It's like this, during the time I was unconscious... In fact, and these days, I can always dream of a boy."

When he said this, doubtful emotions appeared in Oster's eyes.

"But I didn't know him before that, I'd never seen the boy in Slytherin...he was a Slytherin student, and he didn't seem happy in the house because he was from the Muggle world."

Oster thought of the scenes in the dream, the rejection and teasing everywhere, the boy's indifferent and stubborn black eyes.

"By the way, I dreamed that he returned to the Muggle world——" At this point, Osted's mood seemed to fluctuate, "A little wizard actually lives in an orphanage! And he was abused by Muggles." !"

This is totally unacceptable for fellow wizards.

After Oster finished speaking, he turned his eyes to the old man on the opposite side, as if waiting for the other party's opinion, while Nicholas fell into deep thought because of the young man's words.

"I think one of the things we have to establish first is whether what you're dreaming is actually happening — or is it just a dream."

Even so, Nicholas is already inclined to believe in the reality of this dream. After all, the boy in front of him has already done it by going back to the past over a long distance against the time theory. It is also easier to accept.

Nicholas intuitively thought that the boy in Oster's dream might be the reason why the boy came here.

At least, it will also be a vital existence in the ring that determines Oster's return to the past in the future.

☆, stay away from him

Riddle never thought that he would soon see the boy in his dream.

During the summer vacation, the older children in the orphanage will go to different places to do volunteer work under the arrangement of the director.When Riddle was ten years old, he was already doing simple work in some communities with several children of the same age.Such as helping those people look after their small pets.

Riddle sneered at the "companions" in the orphanage who always showed too much love for small animals.

But this year's holiday, Riddle was sorted into the group of orphans who had already attended middle school in the Muggle world.Looking at those malicious eyes, Riddle pursed his thin lips without any trace.

A bunch of weak Muggles.

It's a pity that you can't use your wand outside of school, which Riddle regrets very much.

This time their destination was a place three blocks away from the orphanage, not too far away. A group of them, led by the leading 17-year-old boy, walked to their work place today.

"Riddle, you mow this piece of lawn." After arriving at the destination community, the tall boy rudely instructed the thin boy in front of him.

Riddle looked in the direction the boy pointed, and walked over indifferently.

And this tall boy named Ralph La, after seeing the boy's indifferent attitude, exchanged glances with several partners around him with calculations in his gloomy eyes.

After Riddle returned to the orphanage this time, the children in the orphanage were more repulsed by this weird boy, and at the same time subconsciously became more jealous.I heard that this little monster was accepted into a strange school. God, what kind of school would accept such a monster.And after Riddle returned to the orphanage, the boy's indifference and disinterest in everything made Raff, who had been looking for trouble several times, feel a little depressed.The boy's personality seemed to have changed after he came back, but also more gloomy and dark.It didn't take Riddle to do anything at all, Raff could read it from the boy's bottomless black pupils.Although they had successfully locked Riddle in confinement several times recently, Riddle's ignorance also greatly reduced their sense of accomplishment.

Oh, don't think they didn't see the sneer and contempt in Tom Riddle's eyes!

What right does this monster-like boy have to despise them?

In this way, after Raff's suggestion, Riddle was assigned to their group of volunteers.And the plan to teach the defiant boy a lesson is well under way.

And there was hardly any emotional change on Riddle's expressionless face at the silly little gestures of the Muggles around him.Even without his wand, he had countless ways to make the ants pay for what they had done.

You know, there is never a shortage of snake creatures in the summer forest.

Thinking of this, the corner of Riddle's mouth raised a smile with no warmth at all.

In fact, what Raff and the others had to do was very simple. They just cut off the vegetation branches and leaves on the edge of the lawn that Riddle had trimmed.After doing this, the tall boy and his accomplices gloated and stood in front of the boy, watching the black-haired boy finally stop his hand in front of their masterpiece, a man next to Raff who looked the same as Riddle The boy who was about the same size laughed maliciously, "Tom, it seems that you will be locked up this summer vacation."

Riddle didn't answer, his black eyes stared straight at the boy who spoke.And the boy whose back was inexplicably chilled by Riddle took a step back uncontrollably, but when he realized that there were many people on his side, the boy gritted his teeth again and regained his footing.It's just that the way Riddle looked at him just now reminded him of Wes, who had looked at him like this before—that rabbit that he picked up and brought back to the orphanage and hadn't been raised for two weeks was when Riddle used that look. After reading it, and the next day, his Weiss died.

Thinking of this, the boy's body trembled. Everyone knows that Tom Riddle is a monster!

"Let me think about it, there is no breakfast and lunch in confinement. After all, the dean will not provide food for a kid who doesn't work hard, and——he's a monster."

After Raff finished speaking, the boys who grew up in the orphanage all laughed.Just when the tall boy was about to reach out to grab the collar of the boy standing in front of him, suddenly, a white light flashed.

"Stay away from him!"

Accompanied by the sound, the boy who was hit by the white light stopped after being thrown a few meters away, while the others looked at this seemingly unbelievable scene in amazement.

Obviously, what just hit Raff was a magic spell. When he felt the fluctuation of magic power, Riddle frowned almost at the same time.

Are there people using wands in the Muggle world who are not afraid of being caught by the Ministry of Magic?In fact, no one knew that the spell had successfully saved Raff's life.Just a second ago, Riddle's little snake was about to bite the tall boy opposite him.However, when Riddle turned his head to look at the source of the sound, for a split second, Riddle thought he was in a dream.

Until the boy with blue eyes walked in front of him, Riddle heard him say to him, "Hey, come here."

Then the boy held out his hand to him.

Riddle looked at those pale palms, and inexplicably, he had already walked to the boy's side.At the same time, he also noticed that the boy did not hold a wand in his hand.

"You are with him! You are all monsters!" The boy in the orphanage had already shown a frightened expression.They helped Raff up and looked at the two boys facing him tremblingly.

When he heard the words used by the other party, Oster subconsciously glanced at the black-haired boy beside him. The boy just stood beside him silently, with no fluctuating emotions, he seemed to be used to this kind of treatment.

This made Osted's eyes sink when he looked at the Muggle boys opposite him.Muggles have rejected the existence of wizards from a long time ago, and there have even been several wars between wizards and Muggles in history.And this is why the highest authority in the wizarding world more than 1000 years ago chose to isolate the world they lived in from the Muggle world.

A large number of expulsion spells have been born since then.

"For us, you are also monsters." After the boy calmly finished speaking, he added, "You are still weak and evil monsters." It seemed to be reminding the person on the other side of the warning just now.

"Tom! You are waiting to be locked up! You are looking for accomplices—" the boy supporting Raff shouted at the black-haired boy who did not say a word, but before he finished speaking, he said several more words A white light flashed, and the world was completely silent.

Riddle finally saw clearly this time, the boy beside him really didn't use a wand.And the reason why Riddle opened his eyes wide at this time is actually more because——

He never thought that this seemingly gentle boy would be so... cruel.However, the emotion in the boy's eyes seemed to soften a bit without even realizing it.

Oster stared innocently at the boy in front of him.

"Well, these aren't good boys anyway, so let's just teach them a lesson." With his head tilted, Oster blurted out an embarrassing explanation, "Because they can't remember what happened today, so I can only revise their memories in this way... Hehe. In fact, my attack is really light..."

cough.

"Very good." There was an imperceptible dryness in Riddle's voice.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Nicole Perenelle." He stretched out his hand to the boy in front of him again.With regard to this identity, after contacting her family, Mrs. LeMay put herself as a child of the Perenelle family in Germany who had been fostered by the LeMay couple since childhood.In fact, such things are not uncommon in pure-blood families, after all, every ancient noble has intricate family relationships.

"Tom Riddle."

While reading this name without ups and downs, what Riddle thought was, was the other party saying just now, is it a pleasure to meet myself?

What a strange boy, but Riddle was unusually not disgusted by the appearance of this person.

Even the boy was a little faintly excited, it was an exploration of some unknown.

☆, bread and milk

Riddle let go of his hand after shaking with the boy for a moment.

The boy's eyes swept over the unconscious people, and then turned back to Osted again.

"When will they wake up?" Riddle asked casually, without any concern in his words.The boy is now even more curious about how the boy in front of him managed not to be discovered by the Ministry of Magic.

No one from the Ministry of Magic has appeared in such a long time since the appearance of Nicol Perenelle.Apparently, none of the spells the boy had just performed were detected by the Ministry of Magic.

This made Riddle very surprised, and a thought flashed in the boy's mind. If he could use magic in the Muggle world without being monitored by the Ministry of Magic like this boy, it would undoubtedly make him feel better in many places. Things are much more convenient.

"After we leave." Oster replied, seeming to see the concern in the boy's eyes, and a sly smile appeared on the boy's face, "It won't be discovered by the Ministry of Magic."

Seeing the boy's expression of interest because of his words, Osted felt that he must look like a big-tailed wolf who abducted a child at the moment, "Tom, it seems that it's time for lunch at this point, what do you like to eat? I thought . . . maybe we could talk."

Osted watched the boy's expression seriously, and he was actually very shocked and uneasy in his heart, but the boy didn't show that uneasiness. When he found the boy, Nicholas flashed again in Osted's mind words to him.

/Frankly, in this case, I can only guess, if the boy of your dreams is from this era, then maybe this boy will be the reason you come back here, or at least this person should be with you in your future Create a deep bond.I think this is the only way that you will only have dreams about him in the time travel. /

Nicholas believes that what he dreams of is actually a stored memory of himself from the future.

The young man was lost in thought.

in the sun.

For Osted's invitation, Riddle didn't reply immediately, he just looked at the boy in front of him, for this mysterious boy who frequently appeared in his dreams and now stood in front of him for real, Riddle didn't really care. Think it's just a coincidence.

"Okay." Riddle replied.

No matter what purpose the other party had, he didn't think there was anything in himself that was worthy of the other party's intentions, and Riddle sneered at this in his heart.

Tom Riddle was just a first-year student in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who was slightly outstanding in his studies. Such a little wizard from the Muggle world was not even recognized by his own academy.

Paranoia has left a mark on the immature heart, and the pursuit of power conceals the ambition to control everything.

But at this moment, standing in front of Riddle was a powerful and slightly mysterious boy who in his opinion had superb magic skills, could easily use silent spells, and escaped the monitoring of the Ministry of Magic.

Oster's appearance broke Riddle's unchanging life, and that kind of unchangeable life is disgusting.

Riddle had an intuition that this boy was the door.

A door that could open him to more powerful and unknown forces.

Before leaving the block, Riddle's gaze inadvertently passed over the vegetation on the edge of the lawn, and after following the boy's gaze, Oster, who was beside him, naturally used a simple spell to wipe everything away. recovered.

As Oster walked and chatted with the boy beside him, there seemed to be an unknown excitement in his tone.

"Tom, you're such a good boy."

Oh, fortunately Oster came in time, otherwise he would have seen several boys killed by poisonous snakes.

"...No." Of course, if he wanted, Riddle could indeed disguise himself as a smart, polite and humble student.

"Oh?" The boy's brows seemed to be raised, and Riddle turned his head hastily when he accidentally caught the opponent's line of sight.

This was a really strange feeling, so on the road ahead, Riddle almost kept his eyes on the road in front of him.And after discovering that the person beside him was not familiar with this place at all, Riddle seemed to feel an emotion called helplessness in his chest.

When the boy stopped, Oster quickly got into the bakery beside him.

When Riddle saw the boy who hurried away and came back again, the appearance of Oster holding the pile of bread in his hands made Riddle think of the elves in Hogwarts.

What a strange association.

After the two sat down on the lawn of a nearby park, Oster stuffed the milk in the boy's hand.

"Tom, you are too thin. You need to drink more milk." When Oster said this, he felt the boy's long eyelashes tremble, so the boy continued, "You can grow taller this way, really .”

Instead of looking at the pair of vivid eyes on the opposite side, Riddle silently drank the /stimulant/ in his hand, and did not refuse the snacks that the boy handed over from time to time.Until Tom Riddle finally felt a little bit of support and the boy opposite didn't seem to intend to stop this endless cycle, Riddle raised those black eyes, which made Oster see clearly again The boy has beautiful and delicate facial features.

"You don't look much older than me." But the magic is high, Riddle mused.Trying to divert the boy's excessive focus on his hands with dialogue.

"I'm 14, Tom," Oster said, inserting another straw /< into a new carton of milk bottles, and handing it to the boy across from him, "Drink more, don't sip. thirsty."

"..." Riddle's hand holding the milk was a little stiff, "You are not a Hogwarts student."

"Well, my guardian and I have been living in France." Oster tried his best to answer the boy's question, "What about you, Tom?"

"Second year." Looking at the boy opposite with black eyes, Riddle added, "Slytherin House."

"That's a good academy." The boy said naturally, but his expression was a little dazed.

As for this answer, Riddle didn't express any opinion. In fact, he just wanted to see the boy's reaction to this academy, that's all.And Nicole Perenelle is indeed not an enthusiastic Gryffindor. In Riddle's view, those who can have great power must belong to Slytherin.

Seeing that the boy stopped talking, Oster seemed to have nowhere to put a lot of explanations about himself that he had prepared, and finally he could only swallow them back into his mouth.

Oster was a little strange, didn't Tom doubt his deliberate approach at all?

It didn't sound like a Slytherin reaction, when in fact it was the opposite, Riddle was just too Slytherin.

Perhaps the sight from the opposite side was too strong, and Riddle had no choice but to meet it again, "So, Nico? Are all wizards in France as strong as you?" Riddle didn't think Hogwarts high Year students are able to cast the Silent No Staff Charm with ease.

"My situation is quite special..." Oster looked at the boy opposite. Tom looked really too thin, not at all like a 12-year-old boy.It seemed that after a moment of silence, Riddle heard the boy's answer, "Only if you are strong enough, can you protect everything you want to protect."

At that moment, Riddle wondered what the young man in front of him wanted to protect.

Riddle felt that he was probably full of curiosity about this mysterious boy.It's just that he seems to be more accustomed to the other party's little exposure and confession, rather than revealing it by himself.

Before evening, Oster walked the boy back down the street to the orphanage.

Looking at the mostly silent boy beside him, just before Oster spoke, the boy asked, "Will you come again?"

This was one of the few active conversations that Riddle had during the time we spent together today.

"Yes." As if he was a little happy because of the boy's question, Oster raised his fist, "If they bully you again, I will throw them into the troll pile."

Seeing the boy's expression, Riddle subconsciously pursed his lips.

But how could a group of Muggles bully a wizard who has never been anything but kind?

However, this novel feeling of being maintained does not seem to dislike Riddle.

Seeing the back of the boy walking into the orphanage, Oster thought belatedly, did Tom laugh just now...

The author has something to say: the author of the name "Incompetent QAQ" just wants to emphasize the importance of a nutritious breakfast and a reasonable combination...

Legend has it that every child looks forward to having a patron saint who is exclusive to him... Whether he is the son of the devil or not QAQ

☆、A trip to Diagon Alley

London in August has come to the end of summer, and there is still a rain every two or three days, and sometimes the sun may not be seen for a week.Although it wasn't very cold, most of the pedestrians on the street had already put on thin sweaters or a windbreaker over the close-fitting single clothes.

The Wall Orphanage has always been deserted. In this old and rigid building, Tom Riddle lives in the corner room on the third floor.

On the wooden desk, there was a thick stack of books compared to when the holiday started.There are many books that Nico brought.

Since the first meeting, the teenager kept his promise and came to the orphanage almost once a week.After knowing that Riddle is keen on magic, the books Nicole brought also increased.His eyes swept over the stack of newspapers in the upper right corner of the desk, and Riddle didn't think that the boy would be so careful that even the Daily Prophet was sent.After all, Nicole is not an English wizard.

In fact, Riddle did not order this newspaper when he was in school. As an orphan who bought textbooks and cauldrons in second-hand stores in Diagon Alley, Riddle did not think he had extra money to order. This newspaper is essential even for wizards.

But this doesn't mean that Riddle doesn't like to read articles on the Daily Prophet. Most of the time, Riddle would spend the evening reading the newspapers that are shelved in the newspaper section of the library and updated every day.

The original plan was to take the time to read what happened in the wizarding world in the past few months after returning to Hogwarts in September, but it changed because of the newspaper that was mailed to the window of the orphanage one morning.

However, the black-haired boy's attention is not on the books at the moment.

Hogwarts had sent a list of textbooks needed for the second grade to every student, and Riddle's letter seemed to include a few Galleons.Of course, this is the annual subsidy that Hogwarts gives to some students with special circumstances.Most of the items on Riddle's first-year admission list were based on these subsidies.

Looking at the letter paper that has been opened for a long time in the hand, it means that the holiday is coming to an end.

I don't know if Nicole will go to Diagon Alley with him if he brings it up.For a moment, Riddle resisted his sudden thought.This kind of extremely immature and unfamiliar dependence has never appeared in his previous cognition.It's just that if they go to Hogwarts, the next meeting will be next year's summer vacation, if at that time, Nico still remembers his words.

Just as the boy was lost in thought, a shadow appeared out of nowhere by the window of this narrow room, followed by the sound of glass being knocked lightly.

Riddle looked at Nico who appeared outside the window, and Riddle found that he seemed to be able to accept the milk that was handed to him after the other party came in this way.

Although at the moment when he saw the milk, Riddle still felt a tumbling in his stomach... This is to say that this kind of /elevator/ that will arrive at his window on time every morning besides the Daily Prophet up.

"School is about to start." Oster saw the letter in the boy's hand, "Do you want to go shopping in Diagon Alley?"

"Well, the textbook for next semester."

"When do you want to go?" Thinking that I have never been to Diagon Alley in this era, but I spend most of my time in London with Tom.But compared to Diagon Alley, what Oster misses even more is Knockturn Alley, which hides a lot of good things...

It was a place completely different from Diagon Alley. The equipment of dark wizards, such as skulls, movable statues with broken legs and hands, bottles of eyeball wine, etc., can be said to be sold in the alley. It makes ordinary wizards feel creepy.And I once found a small alchemical converter in an obscure /grocery store after drinking a bottle of aging potion.Therefore, for many nobles who like black magic, it is also a mysterious treasure gathering place and exchange.

"Anytime." Riddle noticed that there seemed to be a gleam in Nicole's eyes just now, and the boy asked naturally, "Shall we go together?"

"Okay, shall we start now?" Some couldn't wait.

Riddle nodded, and under Oster's prodding eyes, the black-haired boy opened the bottle cap in his hand, and it seemed that he had changed the bottle again...

Tom and Oster reached Diagon Alley at noon.

Standing on this cobblestone-paved long street, you can see all kinds of weird and exciting shops and restaurants on both sides of the road. This is the busiest commercial street in the British wizarding world.And this is Tom Riddle's second visit to Diagon Alley.

"Let's eat first, Tom." Oster, always remembering that the boy beside him was growing tall, strictly planned their lunch time.

After finishing speaking, the boy reached out and took the boy's left hand.

Diagon Alley was full of people, and Oster was not worried that Tom would get lost, but the clasped hands were obviously more convenient for the two to walk together.

Riddle just felt the heat in his palm, and when the hand that was cold even in summer was being held by the boy beside him, the boy's footsteps seemed to pause.But soon, under the tug of warmth, Tom caught up with the boy who was walking slightly ahead, and walked side by side with him.

Osted randomly picked a restaurant and walked in. Riddle didn't have any opinion about it. After all, he didn't have much interest in food. A boy who grew up in an orphanage only defined food between being full and hungry. kind of concept.Although one year at Hogwarts, the boy had almost forgotten the hunger and cold he had experienced in the past.

The two boys sat down by the window, and soon a waiter came to the boys' table.

During the get-together during the holiday, Oster, who had already known some of Tom's tastes, helped him order lunch when the boy was obviously indifferent, avoiding those overly sweet teas, even Tom didn't