DEVIL WITHIN

Peculiar child

In the UK, the scenery during the winter of 1926 was a study in contrasts. The countryside lay blanketed in a pristine layer of snow, transforming the landscape into a picturesque winter wonderland. Trees stood tall, their branches adorned with delicate icicles, glistening in the pale winter sunlight. Yet, beneath this serene facade, the bitter cold seeped into every crevice, freezing ponds and streams, and creating a quiet stillness that hung in the air. Despite the harsh conditions, there was a certain beauty to be found in the starkness of the British winter landscape.

But in that fateful night on December 31, amidst the harsh winter of 1926, a boy was born.

His mother, struggling between life and death, unfortunately, gave up her own life for the sake of her son.

She named him Tom Riddle

Taking up her last ounce of energy, she apparated to an orphanage deep in the heart of London.

As the morning light filtered through the frosted windows, casting long shadows across the orphanage, the workers stirred from their slumber, preparing the solemn building for another day. Amidst the quietude, they encountered a haunting scene: a beautiful woman lay unconscious, cradling a small babe in her arms. His piercing grey eyes, filled with an unfathomable sorrow, met theirs. Not a whimper escaped his lips, nor did a tear fall from his eyes. Instead, he held onto his mother's dark ringlets, his tiny hands clutching desperately to the fading warmth of her presence, silently pleading for a bond unbroken.

"A small note," one of the women whispered, her voice trembling as she delicately unfolded it from the sack in which the child was wrapped. "Tom Riddle," she read aloud, her words hanging heavy in the air, laden with a sense of foreboding. Meanwhile, the other woman cradled the infant in her arms, her heart heavy with the weight of the unknown destiny that awaited the child.

Later on, they took the child in and contacted the necessary organizations to take in the unconscious woman. Her tragic demise reverberated across the news, marking the end of her story. And so, Tom Riddle began his solitary journey in Wool's orphanage, surrounded by the echoes of his mysterious past and the uncertain path that lay ahead.

***

Years passed, and the peculiar nature of Tom became increasingly apparent to everyone at the orphanage. Strange occurrences seemed to follow him wherever he went. Items went missing inexplicably, snakes appeared in unexpected places, and furniture seemed to rearrange itself, instilling fear in the residents.

One day, Tom was discovered in a corner, seemingly engrossed in conversation with himself. As the warden approached, her heart pounding with unease, she noticed something chilling in his hand—a snake, coiled around his fingers, as though in intimate conversation.

Her horrified scream pierced the silence, summoning everyone to the scene in a frenzy of confusion and fear.

After that fateful day, many children kept their distance from Tom, while others, especially the older boys, began to target him, fueled by intimidation and disdain for his enigmatic nature. Their torment became relentless—banging on his door, tearing his clothing, yanking his hair, and pilfering his meals.

Years passed, and the cycle of abuse persisted, casting a shadow over Tom's existence.

However, amidst the darkness, a glimmer of light emerged when one of the oldest and largest boys discovered a small rabbit. Taking it under his wing, the boy adopted the rabbit as his own, and soon, the entire orphanage was captivated by the adorable creature. With its brown fur and dark eyes, the rabbit brought a sense of warmth and companionship to the children's lives. Even the warden allowed the rabbit to stay, recognizing the joy it brought to the otherwise bleak environment.

***

In the dead of night, as the orphanage lay shrouded in silence, Tom seized an opportunity for revenge against the malevolent boy, Billy. With stealth that belied his young age, Tom slipped out of his cramped bedroom and crept across the hallway to Billy's room.

Harnessing the power of his mind alone, Tom effortlessly unlocked the cage enclosing the beloved rabbit, its innocence unknowingly marking it as a pawn in Tom's dark game. With a chilling determination, Tom grasped the rabbit by its delicate neck, squeezing with a relentless force that silenced any potential cries for help.

As he descended into the sitting room, a fleeting moment of doubt flickered across Tom's conscience, the rabbit's eyes reflecting fear mirrored in his own soul. Why was he doing this? But anger, fueled by years of torment, quickly overcame any trace of empathy. With a final, merciless squeeze, he extinguished the life from the small creature, its limp body falling lifelessly to the unforgiving floor.

Satisfied with his act of retribution, Tom retreated to the confines of his bedroom, the echoes of his deed reverberating in the stillness of the night. Billy would learn, in the cruelest of ways, that tormenting Tom came with dire consequences.

The morning dawned with a piercing scream, shattering the fragile peace of the orphanage. Billy's anguish over his missing pet erupted into hysteria, accusations hurled in desperation at his friends, igniting chaos throughout the halls. With frantic urgency, he raced to the warden's chambers, pounding on the door until it yielded to his frantic pleas.

Despite the warden's attempts to soothe his distress, she too recoiled in shock upon entering the sitting room. Tears streaming down his face, Billy approached the lifeless form of his beloved pet, his cries of anguish echoing through the desolate corridors, a lament for the innocence lost.

Meanwhile, Tom sat in silence, a silent witness to the aftermath of his dark deed, the weight of his actions bearing down upon him in the stillness of his room. Unbeknownst to all, he had played his part in the tragedy, concealing his guilt behind a facade of innocence.

As the days passed, the truth remained veiled in shadow, buried beneath the weight of unanswered questions. Tom, unscathed by consequences, carried his secrets into the future, where his path would intersect with destiny at Hogwarts, shaping the course of wizarding history in ways unforeseen.