I don't care what happens to me. I just want to disappear. No one will ever love me. I've heard that for as long as I can remember. That's what my family says. And I... believe them.
I have no friends. If someone shows interest in me, Dudley and his gang start to bully them. Everyone at school knows: it's better not to talk to me. And why?
I'm a freak.
It's much easier to laugh at me.
__________
"Why aren't you up yet?!" Uncle Vernon shouted.
"Sorry, Uncle Vernon. I'm on my way," Harry replied, suppressing his irritation.
He went to the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he took out four eggs and cut the sausage into cubes. He put the frying pan on the stove, poured in some oil, waited and broke the eggs. Having added a little salt, he carefully laid out the fresh
Ten minutes later breakfast was ready. Harry laid the food out on three plates and muttered quietly:
"Enjoy your meal."
Everything was boiling inside.
I hate them.
__________
Harry went into the shop and bought a razor blade. He found the money in Dudley's pockets while cleaning his room.
“Well... I’ll try,” he whispered quietly.
He headed to the old abandoned building and went up to the third floor. There, sitting on the floor, Harry took the blade out of his pocket. He opened the package and pulled his sleeve up.
The first movement was easy.
After a few seconds, scarlet drops of blood appeared on the skin.
How beautiful, – flashed through my mind.
The pain came a little later, but with it - a pleasant shiver through the body. A smile appeared on his lips. Harry made another cut. This feeling took over him. He wanted more.
Another movement, blood, flowing without stopping. He watched it run down his arm. The pain was beautiful.
Harry carefully ran his finger over the wound and licked the blood away. Taking a deep breath, he felt a strange sense of relief.
__________
The next day Uncle Vernon screamed again, throwing him into the room. This time for the dirt on the car.
The guy looked at his hand. The traces of recent cuts were barely beginning to heal. The desire returned.
Harry took the blade from its hiding place. First he rubbed the skin with the eraser, then drew the blade across it. First a thin line, then scarlet drops. A few more cuts, and it became easier.
__________
It was getting dark in the abandoned building. Harry stood by the window, looking at the setting sun.
“How I wish I could be loved...” he whispered into the void.
He pulled up his sleeve, examining the fresh cuts.
At that moment, footsteps were heard behind us.
"Hello," came a quiet voice.
Harry flinched and turned around sharply.
“Who are you?” he whispered, cowering a little.
"Tom Riddle. And you?" the boy replied, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
"Harry. Harry Potter," he replied, looking down.
Tom sat down next to Harry and looked at his hand.
"Are you cutting yourself?"
Harry nodded, not looking up.
"Does that... scare you?" he muttered.
"No. Not at all. What if I did it?" Tom smiled, his voice soft, almost gentle.
Harry recoiled.
"No... I don't want this!"
"What if I loved you? Gave you attention, hugged you, kissed you. If you became mine. And only mine," Tom whispered, leaning towards Harry's ear.
The words echoed in his head.
“Y-yours?” Harry asked again, not believing his ears.
"Yes. Mine. I love mine. I would love you."
Tom hugged him, and for the first time in his life, Harry felt warmth.
"I... can be yours, Tom," he whispered.
"Very well, my dear," Riddle smiled and kissed him softly on the forehead.
__________
Harry couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so...safe. The warmth of Tom's embrace, his voice, his promises—it was all new, scary, but also reassuring.
"You're not like them, Harry," Tom said quietly, still holding him in his arms. "They don't see your strength, your beauty. But I do."
These words seemed to cut through the darkness that had enveloped Harry's soul. For the first time, he felt important, needed.
"But I... I'm a freak. No one needs me," he muttered, turning his face away.
Tom gently took his chin, forcing him to look into his eyes.
"Who put this into your head? Your relatives? The ones who made your life hell?" His voice hardened, and his eyes flared with anger. "They know nothing. They are worthless."
Harry was silent, trying to comprehend his words.
«"But you can change that, Harry," Tom continued. "You can become strong. So strong that no one will laugh at you anymore, that no one will dare touch you."
“How?” Harry’s voice was shaking, but there was hope in it.
Tom smiled, but there was something sinister in that smile.
"I will teach you. It will start small, but eventually you will get everything you deserve. And no one will hurt you again."
__________
That night, Harry returned home with a new feeling inside. It wasn't the fear or pain he was used to. It was something else: determination.
The next day he met Tom again. Tom was waiting for him in the abandoned building, as if he knew Harry would come.
"Are you ready, Harry?" Tom asked, his voice encouraging.
“Yes,” he replied, clutching the hilt of the old blade tighter in his pocket.
"Then let's start with the most important thing: learn to let go of fear. People who hurt you feed on your weakness. Take this opportunity away from them. Show that you are stronger."
Harry nodded..
"You'll make the first move tonight," Tom said. "Dudley and his friends. They deserve to be punished, don't they?"
Harry froze. Thoughts of Dudley, his stupid laughter, his endless bullying, flashed through his mind again. He felt anger flooding through him, burning everything in its path.
"They deserved it," Harry repeated, and there was a firmness in his voice he didn't know he had.
__________
Late that evening, Harry ambushed Dudley in an alley not far from his house. As usual, Dudley was in the company of his gang. But this time, Harry was not going to wait.
When Dudley saw him, he just grinned:
"Well, well, look who's here! Poor little Harry."
"Shut up," Harry said, his voice quiet, but there was something in it that made Dudley stop.
"What did you say?" he frowned.
"I said shut up," Harry shouted and stepped forward.
A knife flashed in his hand.
Dudley was at a loss.
"You... what are you doing?!"
But Harry didn't hear his words anymore. Everything inside him - pain, fear, anger - burst out. The knife in his hand moved quickly, precisely.
When it was all over, Harry was standing in the middle of the alley. Dudley was moaning.
__________
Tom was waiting for him at the abandoned building.
"And what does it feel like?" he asked as Harry came closer.
"Scary... and good," Harry replied, his voice shaking but his eyes shining.
"Get used to it, Harry. This is the beginning of your journey. No one will dare to hurt you again."
Tom extended his hand, and Harry took it without hesitation.
"You will become strong, Harry. So strong that the whole world will bow before you."
Potter nodded. He believed him. After all, Tom was the first one to give him hope.
__________
Several weeks passed. Harry spent more and more time with Tom. They met at the abandoned building, where Tom taught him things that no one else could explain.
"The world is a cruel place, Harry," he said, looking at the ruins around him. "It is not the right who win, but the strong who win."
Harry listened carefully. Tom's words were like poison and balm at the same time: they burned, but they healed old wounds.
"Strength is not just physical strength," Tom continued. "It's in your soul, in your w
Harry nodded. At that moment, he felt something change inside him.
__________
Things were starting to change at school, too. Harry no longer let Dudley and his friends bully him. One day, when Dudley tried to push him down the stairs, Harry grabbed his arm and looked straight at him.
"Touch me again," he whispered, "and you'll regret it."
Dudley backed away, as if he saw in front of him not his cousin, but something else - alien and frightening.
Word of the change in Harry spread quickly. Teachers, students, even Uncle Vernon all felt that he was different.
__________
"You're beginning to understand, Harry," Tom said when they met again. "People are sheep. They need a shepherd. Or a wolf."
"I don't want to be a wolf," Harry replied.
"No, you do. You just don't realize it yet. Being a wolf means being free. And freedom is what you've always wanted, isn't it?"
Harry thought about it. Tom's words rang true.
__________
Tom brought a diary wrapped in tattered black cloth.
"This is something special, Harry," he said, handing it over. "It contains something that will help you become who you were meant to be."
Harry opened it carefully. The text was strange, the words seemed foreign, but inviting.
"What is this?" he asked.
"It is power. But you will need time to understand it."
Tom began to teach him spells. Harry felt the magic awakening within him, his ability to control it growing.
__________
Something inside Harry grew darker with each passing day. He remembered less and less who he was, and became more and more immersed in the world that Tom opened up to him.
__________
Harry returned to his room after yet another row with Uncle Vernon. He felt like he was about to explode. In his room, he took out the diary Tom had given him and began to read.
“Why not?” he thought, and an icy smile touched his lips.
The next morning, Uncle Vernon seemed unusually silent. He avoided looking Harry in the eye, and for the first time in years, Aunt Petunia did not accuse him of being "lazy."
Harry felt no remorse. Everything was right. He was in control of his life now.
__________
At the next meeting, Harry shared with Tom what had happened.
"Good, Harry. Very good," Tom said approvingly, smiling faintly. "You're learning."
"But... I don't want to become like them," Harry suddenly blurted out.
Tom narrowed his eyes.
"Harry, they are not your equal. You are above them. Sometimes, to be free, you have to do things that don't seem right. But believe me, it is better to be the one giving the orders than the one taking them."
__________
Time passed. Harry became more and more confident. His spells became stronger, his will became stronger. But at the same time, a feeling of emptiness grew inside him.
One night he went to the abandoned place again. Tom was already waiting for him.
"What are you afraid of, Harry?" he suddenly asked as they sat next to each other.
"Afraid?" Harry was surprised. "I'm not afraid of anything."
"A lie," Tom chuckled. "You're afraid of being alone. Afraid that this is all an illusion. That no one really loves you."
Harry froze.
"But I love you, Harry," Tom continued, his voice softening. "You're my creation. My everything."
The words warmed Harry's heart.
"I... I'm afraid of losing you, Tom," he admitted quietly.
Tom took his hand gently.
"You will never lose me, Harry. We are connected. Forever."
__________
Potter noticed that Tom was becoming more and more imperious. If before he spoke to him as a friend, as someone who understood, now his words sometimes sounded like orders.
"Why should I do this?" Harry once asked when Tom suggested that he learn a difficult and dangerous spell.
"Because I know what's best for you, Harry," Tom replied calmly. "Or do you think you understand this world better than I do?"
Harry fell silent, but something inside him felt unpleasant.
__________
The conflict was brewing. Harry increasingly found himself thinking that Tom was not as perfect as he had seemed at first.. He remembered how he talked about love, about how he was the only one who truly appreciated him. But why then does he feel like an instrument, like a toy?
"You contradict me more and more often, Harry," Tom remarked at one of their meetings.
"Because you..." Harry hesitated, unsure how to express his feelings. "You don't always treat me like an equal."
Tom chuckled.
"Equal? Harry, I brought you here. I showed you power you never had. Do you really think we're equal?"
The words hit Harry like ice rain.
“I thought you... loved me,” he said quietly, turning away.
Tom looked at him for a long moment, then sighed.
"I love you, Harry. But sometimes love requires sacrifice."
"Victims?" Harry turned, his voice shaking. "You make it sound like my life is just a game to you."
“No,” Tom answered softly. “This is more than a game. This is destiny.”
__________
Harry avoided meeting Tom for several days. He felt torn. His soul screamed, asking for answers. He thought about who he had become during this time. On the one hand, he was stronger, more confident. But on the other, he felt like he was losing himself.
At the next meeting, Harry came with determination.
"Tom, I can't do this anymore."
He raised his eyebrows.
"You can't?"
"You control me like they do. You said I would be free, but I'm back in the cage, only now you hold the keys."
Tom frowned.
"Harry, you don't understand. I'm trying to protect you. Without me, you'll be weak again. They'll trample you."
"You can't protect me by killing who I was," Harry said firmly.
There was a moment of silence in the air. Tom looked at Harry for a long moment, and then his face softened.
"You've become stronger than I expected," he said quietly. "I'm proud of you."
Harry felt the anger inside him begin to fade.
"Tom, I want you to respect me. For you to... love me like you promised."
Tom came closer and gently touched his hand.
"I'm sorry, Harry. Sometimes I forget that you're not just my friend. You're... so much more."
He leaned closer and their eyes met. Harry felt his heart beat faster.
"I really love you, Harry," Tom whispered.
And before Harry could respond, Tom kissed him softly. It was a soft, careful kiss, none of the coldness Harry sometimes felt in Tom.
That night, Harry couldn't sleep for a long time. He felt that their relationship had changed. Tom became closer, warmer. But somewhere deep inside Harry knew that this shadow, this sense of control and power, was still there.
“We can handle this,” he whispered to himself, looking at the stars outside the window.
But what part of his soul would remain untouched on this journey, he did not know.
Harry felt different after that kiss that night. Tom seemed to soften: his voice became warmer, his gaze deeper. But Harry knew that their relationship remained a secret. He had to hide everything that happened between them, especially at school, where life continued to be chaotic.
__________
Morning at school.
The next day, Harry was walking down the corridor when he suddenly ran into Dudley's group.
"Hey, Potter!" he shouted, grinning. "Have you found yourself a friend in your head?"
Harry stopped. In the past, he would have simply hung his head and moved on, but now a spark of determination lit inside him.
"Dudley," Harry said calmly, looking him straight in the eye. "Would you like to find something to do instead of showing how worthless you are every day?"
The crowd around them gasped, and Dudley turned red with anger.
"What did you say?!"
"You heard."
Harry walked away, leaving his dumbfounded cousin behind. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, but inside there was pride.
__________
When Harry told Tom about this, he smiled.
"I'm proud of you, Harry. You're starting to understand that power isn't just about magic."
"It's just... it was weird. I'm usually scared of him, but now..." Harry trailed off.
Tom leaned closer.
"You're different now. You're stronger because we're together."
Their eyes met and Tom gently ran his hand down Harry's cheek.
"You deserve more than you know," he whispered.
Before Harry could answer, Tom kissed him again, but this time the kiss was deeper, stronger, as if Tom was trying to show Harry that he really mattered to him.
__________
A few days later, Harry was sitting in the library trying to do his homework. But his thoughts kept returning to Tom.
"Potter," came a whisper from behind.
Harry turned around and saw one of his classmates.
"What?"
"What happened to you? You became somehow...different."
Harry didn't know what to say.
"I just... decided I didn't want to be a toy anymore."
The classmate nodded in surprise, and then suddenly added:
"Well, if anything, I... I've always wanted to talk to you. You're not like everyone thinks."
Harry smiled.
"Thank you."
It was a small but important moment: for the first time, someone saw him as something more than just a “problem boy.”
__________
At another meeting with Tom, Harry decided to ask a question that had been tormenting him for a long time.
"Tom, why did you choose me?"
He looked at him carefully.
"Because you're special, Harry. You're stronger than you think. You're..." Tom paused for a moment, as if choosing his words. "You're the one who can be there for me."
Harry felt his cheeks flush.
"I'm sometimes afraid that you're just playing with me..."
Tom came closer, his voice became soft.
"Never. You're not a toy, Harry. You're my other half."
He leaned down and kissed him again, softly this time, slowly. Harry closed his eyes, feeling the world around him fade away.
"I trust you, Tom," he whispered as their lips parted.
"And I will never let you down," Tom replied.
__________
Harry became more confident every day. He was no longer afraid of meeting his classmates, responded to their comments and even found a couple of people he could talk to.
"Harry, you've changed," one of the teachers once said. "That's good."
But no one knew that Tom was behind this confidence. Harry often remembered their kisses, their conversations. It was his secret, which warmed him on the coldest days.
__________
When Harry came to the abandoned building, he brought with him a small gift for Tom: an old but beautiful notebook that he found in the store.
"This is for you," Harry said, holding it out.
Tom looked at him in surprise.
"For me?"
"Yeah. I just... wanted you to have something that reminds you of me when we're not around."
Tom smiled and then hugged Harry again.
"You really are amazing, Harry."
At that moment, Harry realized that their connection was not just darkness and magic. It was something more.
__________
One evening, as the sun was setting and the abandoned building was lit by the soft, warm glow of the sunset, Harry and Tom were sitting on the floor.
"Tom," Harry said softly, snuggling closer to him. "You're the only one who makes me feel alive."
Tom looked at him, his eyes shining in the sunset light.
"Harry, you have to understand. We are connected more than anyone else. You are a part of me."
Harry felt tears welling up in his eyes.
"Nobody ever spoke to me like that... Nobody ever loved me."
Tom smiled softly and leaned closer.
"I love you, Harry. And I always will."
Their kiss at that moment was not just tender, but like an oath, a promise of eternity.
__________
But after a few days, Tom began to change. He became more and more distant, sometimes disappearing for days at a time. Harry tried to understand what was going on, but Tom brushed it off.
"I have things to do, Harry. Just trust me."
But trust was becoming increasingly difficult. At school, Harry continued to hold on, but anxiety was growing inside him.
__________
That night, Harry went to the place where he usually met Tom. But Tom was not there. Harry waited for hours, feeling his heart squeeze with panic.
When Tom finally appeared, his face was cold, his gaze distant.
"Tom, what's going on?" Harry walked up to him, trying to look him in the eyes.
"Harry," Tom began, avoiding his gaze. "I can't be with you anymore."
The world around Harry collapsed.
"What? Why? You said you loved me... You promised we would always be together!"
"I love you," Tom took a step back. "But I have to go. It's harder than you think."
"You... You're just leaving me?"
Tom didn't answer. He came over, hugged Harry one last time and kissed him tenderly on the forehead.
"Sorry."
And disappeared.
__________
Harry returned home in a daze. He felt nothing but emptiness. Tom had been his everything, his anchor, his meaning. And now he was gone.
Uncle Vernon was yelling at him for not washing his car, Dudley was laughing somewhere in the next room. But Harry didn't hear anything.
His hand reached for the blade hidden under the bed.
Harry went to the abandoned place, where he and Tom spent so much time. The night was quiet, the stars were bright, as if they were watching him.
He sat down on the edge of the room, holding that very blade in his hands.
"You said you loved me," Harry whispered into the void. "But you left me... Like everyone else."
He lifted his sleeve, looking at the cuts, old and new. The blade glinted in the moonlight.
"If you don't come back, Tom... I have no reason to live."
He pulled the blade deeper than ever. Blood trickled down his arm, dripping onto the floor. Harry felt pain, but also relief.
Tears ran down his cheeks, mixing with blood.
"I can't be without you, Tom," he whispered, falling onto the cold floor.
Последнее, что он увидел, был свет звёзд над ним.