Rise to Power: A Tom Riddle Story

Year: 1938

I gasped as I woke up. The first thing I saw were stars in a slightly cloudy evening sky. I sat up, backing up against a brick wall in a panic. Looking a round, I was alone in a dark alley I didn’t recognize. Where was I? Home! I have to get home! I hugged my knees, burying my face and began rocking back and forth when nothing came to me. Wherever home was, I couldn’t remember it. My heart began pounding, my throat constricted and I found I couldn’t breathe. Then I stopped as another horrifying thought occurred to me. I couldn’t control the tears running down my face as I realized I couldn’t remember my own name.

I forced myself to calm down and stood up, checking myself over for any injuries that might be the cause of my amnesia. I found none.

Think, I told myself, just stop, think and remain calm. What’s the last thing I did ? As hard as I tried, I couldn’t remember anything before I woke up. I looked myself over for clues and found I was wearing a torn black robe with gold trim and a white shirt with a black and gold necktie. I checked inside my pockets and pulled out a wand. I knew it was used for magic, but couldn’t remember any spells or where I could have gotten it from. On my wrist I wore a woven bracelet made with green, yellow, blue and red colors. I ran my fingers over it, feeling it must be special in some way. I also wore a watch on the same wrist. It had a white metal band and face. The face had a grey center but was cracked. I peered closer, squinting in the bad light. The numbers on the face read the year 2068. Judging by my surroundings, that couldn’t be the year. It must be broken along with the watch.

I got up, deciding to head somewhere better lit. I hoped someone could help me, but the streets were deserted. I looked around for shelter and found some covered stairs in an empty building. I huddled in a ball on the ground feeling tired, and began shivering. The cold hard cement hurt as I somehow managed to drift off to sleep.

I didn’t remember falling asleep, but the sound of a passing car honking at someone running across the street woke me up with a start. I groaned, sore from sleeping on the ground and got up. I frowned as my stomach growled. The car hit the brakes and honked again at the man who had run in front of him.

Stupid muggles, I thought.

Muggles, well at least I remembered the basics. I need to find some shops and start asking around. I turned back down the alley, running my fingers over the rough brick as I walked.

Then with a jolt, it felt like my next foot step went right through the ground as I found my vision had gone dark. I reached out tentatively for the wall but my fingers reached nothing but air. I stood still even though in my mind images began to form. Daylight streamed down in a large backyard as children were playing.

What was this? It felt like I was somewhere else, far away. Was this a vision?

A small brown haired girl ran out of a large grey stone building and stopped in front of a dark haired boy with pale skin, sitting by himself. He was watching a small garden snake as it writhed and twisted in the grass. When it stopped, the boy picked it up, playing with it. They looked around 6 or 7 years old. The girl looked uncertainly at the boy.

“Tom, how come you’re always alone?” She asked.

Tom ignored the girl, holding the snake up and began hissing at it.

“This is why no one likes you, you’re weird.” She said.

“Leave me alone Amy.” Tom warned.

Amy frowned at the snake, “Eww. That thing’s as ugly as you are. You’re going to get in trouble for playing with it, I’m telling Mrs. Cole.”

Tom stood up and held the snake up to Amy’s face. It hissed at the girl threateningly. Amy’s eyes widened and she screamed and ran away.

The image ended and once again I was alone in the alley.

I kept thinking of the vision the rest of the day. Who was Tom? He didn’t seem familiar, neither did that annoying girl Amy. Why had I seen that vision? What had it meant? Did it have to do with my lost memories?

I walked into a bakery, hoping someone could help me. The scent of freshly baked bread hit my nose making me drool and I nearly fainted with hunger right their on the spot. I looked up at a man who peered over the counter with a frown. I realized I was slouched over and my tongue was hanging out sideways, as I had been thinking about food and quickly adjusted myself.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m lost.” I began.

Another customer walked in, and the man turned away from me and began helping an older woman. He smiled kindly at the woman who nodded after buying some croissants and left. His disposition toward me turned as quickly as a rabid dog protecting it’s only food source.

“Get out of my shop! Go on, Get! Before I call the police!” He barked

“But... but I’m homeless and...” I began, taken aback by the man’s tone of voice.

“I don’t give handouts you little brat. You’re scaring my customers away, get!” He shouted at me, waving his hand furiously.

I backed up, felt for the doorknob and ran until I was out of breath. Looks like I was on my own.

That evening, I spotted a small family leaving their house. They locked the door, got into their car and left. No one was around which gave me an idea. I waited for them to leave and peeked inside their window. The house was dark and empty. I took out my wand, looking at it and hoping it could help me. I tried swinging it, focusing on the door opening but nothing happened. If only I could remember some spells. I even tried “Open Sesame”. If wands could talk, I’m sure mine was laughing at me. I frowned and stuck it back in my robes.

I placed the palm of my hand flat on the door and concentrated, picturing the lock in my mind. With a click, the door unlocked and I grinned with happiness. I couldn’t believe it worked! I looked around again making sure I was alone and let myself inside. I went straight for the kitchen and raided the fridge, grabbing anything edible. I eagerly jammed an apple into my mouth followed by some cheese and the rest of a loaf of bread. Finally filled up, it occurred to me that I didn’t know what I looked like.

I found the bathroom and clicked on the light and peered into the bathroom mirror above the sink. I had messy long blonde hair that ran down the middle of my back, and green eyes. I guessed my age was around 11 years old.

I decided to not press my luck and should probably leave. Before going, I headed back into the kitchen and grabbed the unopened box of crackers and headed out the door.

I ran down an alley and spotted a man hovering over a trash can with a fire inside as he was warming his hands. I had trouble seeing what he looked like in the dark and thought about turning around and leaving. The fire looked inviting as the cold began to seep into my bones. I approached hesitantly, unsure how the man would react to me.

He was an older black man with a grey and black beard and wore multi layers of dirty old clothing with a cap pulled over his head. He saw me and stopped rubbing his hands together.

“Hi there.” He smiled. “You cold? Come on over here it’s okay.”

My desire to keep warm overcame my fear of the stranger and I approached and began to warm my hands.

“Don’t you have a coat kid?” He asked, “You must be freezing.” He pulled off a beige trench coat he was wearing and handed it to me. “Go ahead, you look like you need it more than me.”

I smiled gratefully and put it on. It was at least three sizes too big and was as long as my robes but it was warm.

“What’s your name?” He asked as I rolled up my sleeves.

I frowned, avoiding eye contact and hoped he would drop the subject.

“It’s okay. You can tell me later. I’m Earl, like the sandwich.” He said with a laugh.

“Here.” I said, offering him the unopened box of crackers. “Since you gave me your coat.”

Earl eyed it hungrily and took it. “You sure?” He asked.

I smiled and nodded and he dove in hungrily, shoving a cracker in his mouth and moaning with happiness.

Year: 1935

3 years ago...

Tom Riddle sat alone in the backyard of Wool’s Orphanage. He didn’t mind being alone, it was a peaceful sunny day. He felt someone watching him and looked out the corner of his eye seeing a slightly older girl with blonde hair. For a moment he didn’t dare move, there was something odd about her. It looked like she was standing in an alley, but that wasn’t possible. He turned his head sharply, but nothing was there. It must have been his imagination, yet he had a strange feeling someone still watching him. He looked around, but all the kids were playing and ignoring him. Unfortunately he did see Amy coming towards him. He sighed inwardly watching a snake struggling in the grass.

Tom frowned, watching it’s odd behavior. “Come here.” He urged it.

The snake stopped moving and began slithering towards him. Tom smiled and picked it up.

“Hello.” He told it.

“Greetings.” The snake told him.

Tom didn’t speak for a second, stunned that he could understand the snake.

Amy broke his concentration as she asked him something. He didn’t answer her, knowing she would start teasing him. Maybe if he ignored her, she would go away.

“Can people normally understand snakes?” He asked the little garden snake.

“You are the first I’ve known that has spoken to me in my own language.” The snake said.

Sure enough Amy began to tease him and make threats. He felt his annoyance towards her growing. He hoped she would just leave, unlike last week where she had brought her friends who shoved him down and began kicking him. There was nowhere else he could go to be alone either.

“Leave me alone Amy.” Tom warned, feeling his anger and frustration rising.

“Don’t worry. Let me help. Hold me up to the girl and I’ll scare her away.” The snake suggested.

Tom hesitated, not wanting the snake to bite her.

“Don’t worry, it will be fun trust me.”

Tom relented, holding up the snake to Amy’s face. He saw her eyes widen at the creature and screamed shrilly, taking off in the other direction.

Tom smiled at the snake, “Thanks.” He told it.

“I told you it would be fun.” The snake said.

Tom felt relieved and the feeling from earlier was gone.

Year: 1938

Three Months Later...

I waited for the car to leave and peered inside. I knew the house was empty. I had their routine down by now. I put a hand on the lock, focused as I heard the familiar click from inside as it opened. I ran straight to the kitchen, filling my torn backpack I had borrowed from a different house two months ago and began filling it with food. Smiling I picked up a plate with cookies on the counter someone recently baked and stuffed one into my mouth.

Suddenly I stopped, another cookie halfway in my mouth when the kitchen vanished, replaced by another more ran down looking kitchen. I turned and realized that I wasn’t alone. The dark haired boy from three years earlier, Tom if i remembered right, stood there as if watching me. Could he see me? I didn’t say anything and neither did he. His gaze was intense and scrutinizing.

“Who are you?” He asked.

My jaw dropped open as I realized he could see me, but how? How was this possible?

“Who the hell are you?” A man’s voice demanded.

A hand roughly grabbed my arm and spun me around. My eyes widened in surprise and I dropped the cookies, the plate smashing to the floor. I was back in the kitchen I had broken into and any vision of Tom was gone.

I cursed under my breath as the man who wasn’t supposed to be home looked furiously at me, his grip tightening.

“Let go of me!” I demanded, wrestling away from his grip.

“How did you get in my house?” He snapped.

“I broke in dumb ass.” I snarled.

This only angered the man further and he grabbed me by both shoulders and began shaking me hard, shouting at me. I held up the palm of my hand as if to push him away and the man was sent flying backwards through the air. He landed with a thud on the opposite end of the kitchen. He moaned, not getting up right away.

My eyes widened and for a moment I could only watch, wondering how I had done that. The only magic I had been able to use so far was to break into houses for food. I grabbed my backpack and ran out the kitchen door and down several alleyways. I kept going, changing streets in case he decided to pursue me. Finally out of breath, I sat down gasping for air. Once my breathing slowed to normal, my stomach growled. I dug into the backpack and pulled out the stolen sausages and began eating.

I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes, happy to be feeling full when a voice me jump. An older man in a robe, much fancier than my dirty, old, smelly one I had been wearing, appeared out of thin air in front of me.

“Hello there.” He said. “I’m Albus Dumbledore.”

He looked at me with a smile, waiting as if expecting me to exchange in some polite chit chat. I didn’t exactly have experience in that department, since most people chased me off. I only stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Do you want something?” I asked, “Look, if you are here for food I just ate the last sausage, sorry.”

“Oh I’m not hungry but thank you. I’m here to invite you to attend a school for magic called Hogwarts.”

“Magic huh? Never heard of Hogwarts.”

“Then how is it you have Hufflepuff robes on?” He asked with a smile

I frowned, looking over my robes again. I still didn’t remember how I got them. I didn’t trust many people. He seemed okay though but I wasn’t about to open up to some stranger.

“How do you know I can do magic?” I asked, changing the subject.

“We can detect magic.” He said.

“I been using magic for three months, and you just figured it out now?”

“Now you are of age to begin Hogwarts. You are eleven.” He said.

“I don’t have any money for school.”

“We can help with that, don’t worry.”

“What’s the catch?” I asked suspiciously.

“Just that you do your best in school, try to stay out of trouble and no stealing." He said, stressing that last part and looking me up and down.

What? Did he think I stole these robes too? Though I couldn’t deny that exactly, since I stole for a living. Although mostly food, I made a habit not to take anything I could live without.

“I do what I can to survive.” I said, glaring at him.

Dumbledore only looked at me and nodded.

“Ok.” I agreed.

“Great, why don’t you come with me then.” He said.

“What about food and shelter? Where do I stay when I’m not in school?”

“We provide all those things for students.” He said happily.

“For free!?” I asked, my jaw dropping.

“Yes.” He said, holding out a hand to help me up.

I looked at his clean hand and felt self conscious at my dirty one and simply got up with a smile that appeared more like a grimace.

“You’re going to have to take my arm.” He instructed.

I did so, not sure what to expect. I felt like I was being squeezed into a tiny place, then I was at a train station.

“Just step through this wall. It will take you to the train you need to board which will take you to Hogwarts. When you arrive, I’ll have books, clothes and everything you will need sent to your dormitory after you are sorted.” He explained.

I looked at the brick wall and wondered if he was serious. I eyed the thing, then looked at him skeptically. A train whistle blew.

“You should hurry, the train will be leaving soon.” Dumbledore said.

So help me, if I was being tricked into stepping into a wall and looking stupid, I swear I was going to kick this old guy’s ass. I closed my eyes and stepped forward and to my surprise I didn’t hit any wall. I arrived into a very crowded train station with kids and parents everywhere I turned.

I rushed back, thinking he had walked off and shouted, “Hey wait!”

He still stood in the same place looking at me patiently.

“Um... thanks.” I said, and ducked back to the train.

“You’re quite welcome.” He said after I left.