Chapter 1
Tom Riddle knew he was different from the other kids at the orphanage, but did he seriously have to be isolated? Sure he liked snakes and would accidentally scare the other kids by being able to walk silently. But that really mean he deserved the room at the top of the building with the solid door and padlock. Did he really deserve everyone's food scraps?
No one had wanted to adopt eleven year old Tom Riddle. How could they? Most people didn't even know he existed. So hearing the padlock on his door open scared him. He sat at his desk, pretending to not feel anything. He hid his drawings and watched as the mistress who owned the orphanage let an older man in. He was confused but stayed silent.
Dumbledore was surprised to be led up winding staircase to find the extremely powerful young wizard. He softly smiled at the boy that was handsome but appeared just slightly too thin. This would be perfect. He talked to Tom, explaining the wizarding world and that they were going to get his school supplies and prepare for the train.
Tom let this odd man, or wizard he supposed, watch him as he packed his little belongings. Mostly sketchbooks and normal books. He followed Dumbledore out and to the place he was told was where he would get his supplies. Once to what Dumbledore called a safe spot they apparated to diagon alley. The magical form of transportation made Tom nauseous. He didn't speak as they walked, letting Dumbledore drag him around.
They started by purchasing a wand, his looked interesting and he was told it had a Phoenix feather in it. They purchased his books, a trunk, a cauldron, and a small black kitten. Tom liked the kitten, he may have a preference for reptiles but the little black ball of fluff curled up in his hands.
Tom named his kitten Lenore having been the first thing he could think of after reading an Edgar Allan Poe book that morning. He was told they went later than most people so he could be taken to the station. The woman preparing his robes said he was small for his age.
They arrived at King's Cross and Dumbledore explained how to get to platform 9¾. Tom took a deep breath before running through the wall. He was surprised when a boy about his age with long black hair and grey stormcloud eyes had to catch him. "Sorry." His voice rough from lack of used, not like he has anyone to talk to anyway.
"Don't have to apologize. I almost fell too." The boy with stormcloud eyes explained. His voice was smooth, a little higher than Tom's own but it sounded comforting. He stood up straight, picking up the heavy trunk he dropped. "Thank you." He spoke monotone, trying to hide his fear that this boy would hurt him like the boys at the orphanage.
Tom boarded the train and found an empty compartment at the back as the warning whistle blew. He heard the boy that caught him enter a compartment across from him and begin talking with two to three other boys. He pulled out his sketchbook, deciding to draw the boy from memory, luckily his was pretty a photographic memory.
Tom knew it might be creepy but the boy was beautiful and the train ride was about six hours. It took him most of the trip to perfect the drawing. At the top of the page in his neat handwriting he wrote: The Boy with Stormcloud Eyes.
Tom walked near the back of the crowd to the lake, he got in a boat with a red haired girl who's eyes were the color of emeralds. Her hair was a perfect firey auburn and had freckles all over her face. She was pretty, especially compared to the orphanage girls. Tom sat and listened to her ramble about what house she thought she would get.
Once they got out the boats the girl with fiery hair ran off to a boy with almost completely black eyes and black hair to his jaw that he could tell hadn't been washed in a while. His probably looked about the same but his was shorter and curly.
Tom walked alone now that the girl went to her friend. He had hoped she would keep talking to him. She was kind, her voice was soft and reminded him of the older girl at the orphanage who taught him to draw. But she ran off to her friend just like the older girl he considered his older sister ran away with the family that adopted her.
Tom Riddle was alone again, he was used to it but it still hurt. He watched as people got sorted. The boy who caught him was named Sirius and was sorted into Gryffindor. Lily, the firey redhead with emerald eyes, was also sorted into Gryffindor. He walked up without thinking when his name was called.
Tom listened to the hat talking in his mind, not speaking back. He had gotten used to no one listening. He was sorted into Slytherin where Lily's friend Severus soon followed him. He couldn't tell if this would be better or worse than the orphanage.