“Get up, get up!� Mrs. Cole’s shrieks were the first sounds in the otherwise silent orphanage. Tom Marvolo Riddle rolled over and sighed. Would anyone remember this time?

“Tom?� came an attendant’s gentle voice. He looked up eagerly. Maybe this year, maybe just one person had not forgotten… “Mrs. Cole says that you’re to get out of bed immediately! Today’s New Year’s Eve and there’s lots to do!�

“Yes, ma’am.� Tom sighed again in disappointment. How foolish he had been to think that anyone would remember his eleventh birthday. No one ever remembered Tom. Not yet, anyway.

He slowly walked down the stone steps, but did not feel like eating, so he merely sat at the table and read.

“Hey, Tom,� whispered a rough voice. He looked up: It was Billy Stubbs, the resident bully — for some reason he had a particular disliking for Tom. “I know what today is.�

“Really?� asked Tom, trying to keep his voice casual. Even though Billy hated him, just knowing that he had been somewhat recognised would cheer him up.

“Yeah,� Billy said, happiness etched over his plump face. “Today’s the day I beat your head in.�

Tom’s heart sank. Billy could barely read, of course he hadn’t known Tom’s birthday. The clod probably didn’t know his own birthday, for that matter. Mustering up all his courage, Tom said in a dangerous whisper, “Today’s the day you’ll try.� He even threw in a glare, which made everyone else recoil in fear. And though Billy turned a shade whiter, he showed no signs of emotion.

Tom slammed his book shut and ran back upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. His breathing shallow and ragged, he only stopped to think once he had reached his room. Billy was much larger than him, and could beat him to a pulp if he so chose. But Tom knew that he was clever, and that he was different… he could do things that he couldn’t quite understand or control.

Tom’s thoughts on the matter were interrupted by heavy footsteps. Billy entered the room without knocking. Both boys stayed silent, staring each other down, until Billy took a step forward. When Tom didn’t move, Billy kept inching closer and closer… finally, he was close enough to throw a punch.

Tom was fast and dodged it, but Billy simply threw another. Tom wasn’t so lucky this time: it hit him straight in the jaw. Tom fell down and braced himself for the next punch. Sure enough, it came. But this time, as soon as Billy touched Tom, Billy was thrown across the room in a flash of light. He hit his head on the wall and slid to the floor, his face with an expression of utmost shock. Billy moved his mouth as though he wanted to speak but couldn’t find the words, so Tom stood and watched him gape like a fish.

“What the — how did you — what’s going —� Billy stuttered when he had found his voice.

Tom could not mask his smirk as he walked slowly across the room and knelt down so he was eye-to-eye with Billy, who was now chalk white. All he had to do to make his point was look Billy in the eye before the bigger boy stood and ran from the room.

Tom then sat on his bed and thought about what had just happened. He had done strange things before, but he was slowly realizing that he could control what happened. In fact… maybe the time had come to more thoroughly test his abilities.

***
That night, once everyone was asleep, Tom crept out of bed. He silently made his way to Billy’s room, and got his precious rabbit from the cage at the foot of Billy’s bed. Tom began to concentrate hard on the animal, and after a very tense moment, the animal levitated in the air. After another minute or two, the rabbit was hanging by a makeshift wire noose from the rafters, its nose twitching fervently. In a short bit it would be dead. And once it was dead, Billy would never bother him again. Smiling an evil, twisted smile, Tom crept out of the room. Revenge was sweet.

***
Tom awoke the next day to the sound of a boy (Billy, he was sure) screaming. It was a welcome change from Mrs. Cole’s cries, and Tom couldn’t help but revel in it. After all, Tom welcomed anything different; he was the boy who couldn’t stand the ordinary, the boy who vowed to one day be different, notorious.

“IT WAS TOM! TOM DID THIS!� came Billy’s voice, interrupting his thoughts. Tom got out of bed and went to Billy’s room, where he saw Billy holding his rabbit as one would hold a child, his face screwed up, crying.

“Well, boy?� asked Mrs. Cole.

“I didn’t do it,� said Tom automatically, keeping his expression blank. He was a proficient liar, and she believed him.

“Then that clears that up,� said Mrs. Cole. “Come now, Billy, give me the rabbit, and we’ll bury it out in the back, okay? It’ll have a nice little funeral.� She was trying to be caring and kind, but was failing marginally.

“Fine. B-but Tom d-did it, I know he d–did,� Billy had calmed down a bit, but was still crying harder than a boy of twelve should cry.

“Come on now, Tom said he didn’t do it.� Mrs. Cole seemed frustrated now; she clearly wanted this all to be over. “And besides, he couldn’t have reached the rafters anyway. Come along, I’ll meet you in the backyard.� And with that, she was gone.

“I know you did it,� whispered Billy. “I don’t know how, but I know it was you.�

“Not as dumb as you look, are you?� sneered Tom. “Either way, you can’t prove it. And if you try, it’ll be YOU hanging from the rafters the next time.�

The expression on Tom’s face meant business, and after Billy realized that he wasn’t joking around, he turned white as a ghost. Billy stood frozen in shock for a moment; then ran as fast as he could out of the room. Tom began to laugh a cold, merciless laugh; it made his handsome features seem to transform and become inhuman, almost bestial.

Yes, today would be a good day.

It was now spring, and the orphans were allowed outside again.

Billy spent most of his time visiting his rabbit’s grave; Tom spent most of his time testing his powers indoors, away from everyone else. He was now able to move things faster and farther without touching them, and could control animals. He could make people tell the truth, and could detect when they were lying to him simply by looking them in the eye. He felt… powerful when he did so; like nothing and nobody could ever stop him. It was a feeling Tom enjoyed immensely, and did not plan on relinquishing anytime soon.

Today, Tom had lifted his heavy wardrobe with his mind and moved it across the room. True, he had to take a minute’s break before he could move it back again, but it was definitely progress.

Now he was reading a book borrowed from the orphanage’s small library, and was quite engrossed in it when his door opened.

Mrs. Cole walked in without knocking and simply looked at Tom for a second, tipping her head to the side as if confused. Not that she wasn’t — actually, Tom Marvolo Riddle was one of the most confusing people she had ever met, even if he was only eleven.

Sure, he looked normal. In fact, Tom was quite handsome. Pale, tall for his age, and dark-haired, he looked nothing like his mother. It was his personality that was disturbing. Nasty things had happened, all signs leading to Tom Riddle, but no one had been able to prove that he had done anything. And he refused to interact with the other children, isolating himself in his room all day and only leaving to eat.

By this time, Tom was getting annoyed. Mrs. Cole had been staring at him for several minutes now, lost in her own thoughts, and he couldn’t concentrate on his book. He had read the same sentence six times without one word of it sinking in.

“Did you need something, Mrs. Cole?� he asked, not caring if he was being respectful.

“Why are you in your room? Why aren’t you playing outside like all the normal children?� she demanded, snapping out of her reverie.

“I would rather read,� came Tom’s silky reply. He was not at all upset that she had called him abnormal: in fact, he took it as a compliment.

“Come on,� said Mrs. Cole.

“Excuse me?� said Tom, not without a hint of venom. He looked up for the first time since she had entered the room and met her gaze.

“Come on outside. You’re not staying in today. It’s beautiful out, and it’s bad for you to never get exercise.� Mrs. Cole was getting thoroughly annoyed now. Why wouldn’t he just listen to her? she wondered.

Tom knew there was no point in arguing any further. Sighing, he marked his place and trooped outside, leaving behind a very bemused Mrs. Cole.

He made his way down the aged and cracked stone steps that led to the backyard. It wasn’t really a backyard, just a small clearing with some grass. There was a tiny forest next to it, but of course, the children were forbidden from going in.

Veering away from the other children, Tom found a large rock to sit on that bordered the forest. He began to think about how much he hated life at the orphanage, and he wished very much now that he had brought out his book. Suddenly, a large green snake slithered out from beneath the rock. Tom, however, was unfazed and simply stared at the creature, grateful for the distraction from his boredom.

“Hello,� he whispered to it, “My name is Tom. What’s yours?� Even though the snake couldn’t talk back, it was nice for Tom to be able to talk to something.

The snake cocked its head for a moment, looking at Tom appraisingly. “My name is Nagini,� it hissed back.

Tom was shocked. “Y-you can understand me?� he asked.

“Oh yes,� said Nagini, “Usually I don’t understand humans, but you are different.�

But before Tom could reply, he heard the all-too-familiar shriek. “Tom! Interact with the others and get away from the forest! And do it NOW!�

“I have to go,� he said. “But I promise I’ll come back and talk to you.�

Nagini nodded and slithered back under the rock. Tom simply sat there for another moment, then got up and made his way to the orphanage again. This must be a new power of his: he could talk to snakes.

As he packed for the orphanage’s upcoming annual trip to the seashore, Tom kept reliving his and Nagini’s conversation over and over; just to convince himself that it had really happened. Usually he accepted immediately whatever new power he had discovered, but this one… this one took a while to sink in. One thing the snake had said kept playing over and over in his head like a broken record.

You are different. Tom wasn’t normal, just the opposite. He would never be remembered as normal, but special. Normality was for other, weaker people; Tom was destined for greatness, no matter the price.

You are different. And soon enough, everyone would know just how much…

“We’re here!� called Mrs. Cole in an obnoxious singsong voice. “We’re here!� she said again, this time a slur just barely noticeable over the chattering of the orphans. She had been drinking for the entire trip from a hip flask. Tom had a sneaking suspicion that to avoid stress Mrs. Cole had turned to gin.

The younger children around Tom were clambering out of the train, practically knocking each other to the ground just to see the ocean. The older ones weren’t quite as excited, as they had been to the seaside before, but was safe to bet that Tom was the least eager to get off the train and into the sunshine. Because of this, he was the last to exit the train.

Stepping out into the open, Tom was immediately overwhelmed by the smell of salty sea air. He could hear, just a bit away, the pounding of waves and the laughter of the other orphans. Tom sighed, took a book out of his pocket, and sat down on an old tree stump — well away from the ocean, the village and everyone else.

Once or twice Mrs. Cole gave him the most fleeting of glances, but she was too disoriented to tell him to interact with the others. Smiling, he began to read, happy that at least he could be alone. His brief happiness was interrupted, however, by two older children.

“Hey, you!� said the boy. Tom ignored him. “Tom!� Tom grit his teeth but did not look up.

“Tom Riddle!� shouted the girl. Again, he did not look up from his reading, but his anger was growing.

“TOM RIDDLE!� they shouted in unison. At that point Tom knew he could ignore their presence no longer.

“What?� he said sharply, finally looking up at them. The boy he recognised as Dennis Bishop, and the girl he knew to be Amy Benson.

“We just wanted to tell you that —� Amy began in a quiet voice. She stopped, however, clearly afraid of Tom’s venomous look.

“That you’re normal,� said Dennis, smirking.

“That I’m WHAT?� said Tom, fighting to keep his voice level. He was furious.

“That you’re normal,� repeated Dennis in a way that was equivalent to explaining that one plus one equalled two. “You’re just as normal as I am.�

“Really, now?� Tom asked, getting to his feet. His book lay on the grass, forgotten. “And what makes you think that?�

“Nothing,� said Amy. For a moment Tom thought that she was defending him, but then she said, “We’re just going to call you normal because you hate it. Even though it’s true.�

“Even though what’s true, Amy?� said Tom, his voice dangerously soft. Amy paused for a moment, unsure whether Tom was trying to frighten her (if so, it was working) or if he knew he was beaten. In any case, she decided to continue.

“You think you’re not normal, that you’re� — she paused for a moment, as if searching for the correct word — “special. But the truth is, Tom, that you’re not special at all. You’re just as ordinary and normal as me and Dennis. And we thought you oughta know that.� She finished this small speech with the tiniest of nods and an approving look from Dennis.

Tom waited a moment. He knew he was special, but how could he show them that? How could he both share his powers and frighten them enough that they would never tell anyone about them?

“Well?� Dennis said. “What do you have to say to that, Riddle?�

“I say that you let me show you just how — to use your word, Amy — special I am. I found a cave earlier, and it should prove it.� He had a plan now, and he had seen a cave earlier on his observation of the cliff not too far away.

Dennis suddenly started laughing. Amy, however, stayed quiet. “A cave will show us? A cave, Riddle?�

“Well,� said Tom, “if you’re too scared to come, then —�

“We’ll come,� said Amy so quietly Tom just barely heard her.

Dennis stopped laughing and rounded on her. “What?�

“I said we’ll come,� she whispered.

“Then it’s settled,� said Tom. “Follow me.�

After they had taken a few steps, Dennis suddenly cried out, “Mrs. Cole!�

“What about her?� asked Amy.

“She’ll notice we’re gone! She won’t let us go!� said Dennis.
Looking into his eyes, Tom knew that in truth Dennis was terrified of being anywhere alone with Tom, he was only going along because he would not leave Amy alone with him; and was grateful for the excuse to abandon ship.

“She’s too drunk to notice,� hissed Tom. “Just look at her.�

Sure enough, as they all turned to look at Mrs. Cole they saw that she could no longer walk a straight line, but was instead zigzagging down the gravel street in pursuit of her hat, which the wind had taken for its own.

“A–alright then,� said Dennis. “Let’s just get this over with.�

After that statement, no one spoke for quite a while. The three children walked along the road, finally reaching the cliff; more like a sheer drop than anything else. Tom began to climb down it. Amy had turned bone white, but she began to climb. Dennis, however, paused.

“Are you coming or not, Dennis?� asked Tom.

“I–I’m c–coming,� he stuttered. Dennis was notoriously frightened of heights, and though he could see an opening in the rock not too far down, it took all of his willpower to slowly climb down the cliff.

Tom, on the other hand, was now concentrating on all three of them with all his might, willing them to not fall or stumble. To his delight, it seemed to be working.

They had been climbing for what seemed hours (but according to Tom’s watch was only thirty minutes) when the three orphans arrived at a fissure in the cliff.

“This is IT?� said Dennis angrily. “You made me climb down all the way down for THIS?� His face had begun to turn red, a sure danger sign.

“Of course this isn’t it,� sneered Tom. “Go inside.�

Dennis, however, refused to budge. Amy hung back at first, but under one glare from Tom, she quailed under his influence and stepped into the fissure.

“Tom?� asked Amy, her voice shaking. “Are we going to have to swim there?�

Tom looked from her down to the dark water swirling at her feet. “Yes, I think so. But it shouldn’t be far in.�

“O–okay,� Amy said, her voice nothing more than a whisper. Slowly she climbed into the crevice and began to swim into the unknown.

After a minute, Dennis joined her; then Tom jumped in, bringing up the rear. Soon they all climbed out into a dark tunnel, whose walls were slimy.

Tom looked around. Amy was coughing and sputtering; she had apparently swallowed some of the salty water. Dennis was hitting her on the back with a bloody hand (he had obviously cut himself on the rocks on the climb down), trying to help her.

“Thanks,� Amy finally coughed out.

“No problem,� Dennis said with a shrug.

By this time, however, Tom was examining the cave. Its walls were barely three feet apart, and he saw that it wasn’t really a cave he stood in, but an entranceway.

“Come on,� Tom said briskly. “It’s right through here.� He walked past the two others and into a large cave. After a moment, Amy and Dennis followed him.

“Tom… I’m impressed,� said Dennis. Tom raised an eyebrow, not believing for one second that Dennis was telling the truth. “I’m impressed that you’re so stupid that you thought this cave was going to prove how special you are.�

Tom looked unfazed. “It’s not the cave that’s special, you stupid boy,� he hissed, his voice a cold leer, “It’s me.�

Amy backed up against the cave wall, frightened by the blood-red gleam she had just seen in Tom’s normally dark brown eyes. But before she could cry out a warning, Dennis had fallen to the cave floor.

Tom simply stared at him, obviously concentrating hard. For a moment, Amy stared at Tom, willing him to let them go; but she was distracted by Dennis, who had begun to twitch.
Then Dennis began to scream as if in mortal agony, his yells bouncing off the cave walls. Tom was laughing maniacally as the boy was tortured at his feet.

“Stop it!� Amy cried out, in a voice much louder than her usual whisper, “Just stop it, Tom! You’ve proved it, you’re special, now let us go!� Her voice rang out clear and bell-like in the cave.

Dennis stopped thrashing around and yelling as Tom turned to face Amy, who was still staring, wide-eyed, at Dennis. He now lay twitching and sobbing on the rock floor of the cave.

Amy could not help but gasp as she looked away from Dennis and into Tom’s eyes. They had turned a vivid, crimson red, and she found that she could not look away as Tom stepped towards her.

“Sorry, Amy,� he said in a dangerous whisper, “I can’t do that.�

She then began to scream and flail just as Dennis had. After several minutes, Tom decided that she had had enough. He couldn’t kill her, after all. It would be much too hard to explain showing up with a shaken up Dennis and a dead Amy.

“Now listen up,� said Tom sharply. “Neither of you will ever tell what happened in this cave. You will say that we went exploring and nothing more. If you ever tell anyone about this, I’ll have to do this to you again. I’ll kill you if I have to,� he said, a twisted smile playing on his lips. His eyes still gleamed cat-like and red in the darkness. “Understand?�

“Y-yes,� said Dennis shakily as he tried to stand up.

“I–I underst-stand,� whispered Amy, who was sobbing hard.

“Good,� said Tom. “Now get up, we’ve been gone a while. Mrs. Cole might be looking for us.�

The children didn’t want to move, but they found themselves slowly getting up and following Tom as if hypnotised.

***
Later that night, Tom sat on the hard bed in the inn Mrs. Cole had found for the orphans to stay at, thinking. After they had returned, a more sober but still slightly punch-drunk Mrs. Cole had immediately told off Dennis for cutting his hands and Amy for not stringing together a coherent sentence. Tom had managed to slip by, undetected, and therefore avoided her lectures.

Now his thoughts were of how far he had come. He had made two more people fear him. Granted, they were only two children, but it was a start.

Smiling to himself, Tom thought of the sense of power their screams seemed to give him as he drifted into sleep; his eyes gleaming red in the darkness.

In the days that followed the trip to the seaside, many would say that something was changed with Amy Benson and Dennis Bishop. The two children had become quieter, more subdued, and their eyes seemed to have a permanently hollowed look about them. They didn’t smile, or laugh, and rarely ever spoke. They would be questioned many times by Mrs. Cole about what happened to them, but every time, they would just murmur, “We just went exploring. We only went exploring.�

They weren’t the only ones who had changed, however. Tom Riddle had become more confident than ever in his abilities. He, too, had been questioned, but he echoed the other’s claims of “exploring,� though he tended to do so with a smirk on his face. Mrs. Cole would swear on her life that when he had said so, his eyes had flashed red.

Lately, more and more children who annoyed Tom were getting sick. And every child that was ill mysteriously lost one of their possessions. One child, who was bitten by a semi-poisonous snake, lost a mouth organ. Another, who had woke up to find a peanut (something he was highly allergic to) on his pillow suddenly lost his favourite yo-yo. There were many more cases of this, but the attendants at the orphanage could never seem to catch Tom; and none of the other children would tell on him. They had seen Amy and Dennis after the seaside trip, and were all now terrified of Tom.

Tom, of course, didn’t mind the looks he received from the adults, the constant interrogation, or even the accusations against him. He had carefully covered his tracks. He was, in his mind, invincible: No one could figure him out. No one could catch him. No one, that is, except for Albus Dumbledore.

The man had shown up one day, out of the blue. Tom would later recall his instinctual dislike for Dumbledore. However, Tom had finally learned the truth — he was a wizard.

Somehow, he felt like he had known it all along. The things he could do, the powers he had… yes, Tom had always thought of himself as special. But Dumbledore had proved this.

Days after Dumbledore had visited Tom, he had gone to Diagon Alley. There, Tom was entranced by the sights around him. He bought all of his schoolbooks, poring over them until he had everything committed to memory, and had learned all about Hogwarts. He had already decided that he wanted to be a Slytherin.

But he knew there was something missing. Something was out of place in his new lifestyle. And, while reading Hogwarts, A History for the tenth time, Tom came to realise that it was his name that needed changed.

Merlin, Godric, Salazar, Dumbledore… all of the great wizards he read about had unique, distinctive names. ‘Tom Riddle’ wouldn’t do. So he sat awake that night, poring over a piece of paper, endlessly arranging and rearranging the letters in his name. Finally, just as the sun began to rise, Tom came up with the perfect anagram.

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE: I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

Yes, that would do. Lord Voldemort… one day, every wizard would know and fear the name. Fear it so much, they would not dare to speak it, calling him You-Know-Who and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named instead.

After all, in the end, it was just like Nagini had told Tom: You are different. He was different, special; Tom was a wizard, a Parselmouth, Lord Voldemort.

You are different…