A/N: Hello, people!
I don't own Harry Potter.
I have no beta.
ENJOY!
Harry Potter was a seven year old boy who was filled with hope. Everyday, he hoped that someone would come and take him away from this place. That he would make his first friend. That he'd be able to stand up for himself and others. That he could stop the bullies that tortured the other children. That there would come someone who would love him unconditionally.
So many things to hope for, but even Harry wasn't placing everything into his hope. He knew what the real world was like and knew not to remain in his fantasies, because they wouldn't help him in any way.
It was November fifth, the sixth year anniversary of his time in the orphanage. He'd been brought there years ago by his aunt, who claimed that she didn't want him because his parents had died and their friends had left him to her when she didn't want anything to do with him. By his sixth birthday, which she had told the matron was July thirty-first, nearly everyone in the orphanage knew that he wasn't wanted even though he had living relatives and they made his life hell with the torture of rubbing it in his face that he was unwanted.
Harry didn't really let it get to him, at least, he tried not to. It hurt sometimes, when he was feeling low. But other times he was fine.
Harry had no friends in the orphanage. The older kids made sure to scare everyone away from him. Harry didn't like them and casually commented that the reason no one wanted to adopt them, was because no one liked brats. That had gotten him beaten black and blue, he limped for days.
Harry was a hard worker. The orphanage had very loose rules and Harry could actually leave whenever he wanted, so long as he was back before the doors were locked in the evening. He didn't go and play at the nearby park like the other children did. No, Harry had interests and pursued them the best he could.
Because he was mistreated by the other children and the teachers who came and taught the students, he had to take his learning into his own hands. So, in the neighborhoods around the orphanage, he made a name for himself as a hard worker. He mowed lawns, trimmed hedges, washed cars, planted gardens, shoveled sidewalks in the winter and did pretty much anything to earn money.
One lady didn't have anything she could give him, but returned his kindness with piano lessons twice a week. She was old and Harry couldn't bring himself to charge her since she was all alone with her cats.
Another person who couldn't pay him, was a young widowed mother whose husband had died in the line of fire. She was a teacher of Latin at the nearest college and took to teaching Harry all she knew in return for his assistance with her and her daughter.
With the money at his disposal, successfully bringing in twenty-five pounds(A/N: $42.32 U.S. dollars) a week, Harry purchased the much needed books that he wanted in order to further his personal education. He had books for everything and was confident in his studies.
Occasionally he would get a tip and would splurge on sweets for himself. He was diligent to hide his things in his room which he had booby-trapped to prevent others from entering. Also, he had made friends with a special snake that had slithered into the orphanage's garden and allowed her to stay with him. She lay on his bed, facing the door so that anyone who tried to break in, would see her and flee quickly.
Her name was Nagini and she talked! Though she only talked to Harry because he was scared that if people found out she could speak, they'd take her and put her in a zoo and he'd never see her again.
Nagini was three feet long and had odd spots over her somewhat dark scales. She told him that she was a special breed of snake that was difficult to find and she wanted to stay with him because he was worthy and needed her protection. She was his only friend. Even though she wasn't human, it didn't matter to Harry. Nagini was nicer than most humans he had met.
With her guarding his things, he never had to worry about thievery, even from his enemies. She also had a good sense of humor.
Harry was a very respectful young man and always got the people who weren't in the orphanage to be on his side. Some even offered to adopt him, but he had denied, saying that while life in the orphanage wasn't great, he didn't want to impose. That usually earned him a larger tip than he normally received.
Harry was very good a playing some people against each other. Like for the widowed woman who taught him Latin, he had tied the lawyer of one of her adversaries up in knots when he visited her house while he was there. The man left thinking that his client was in the complete wrong and promised to see him in prison. Harry was given a chocolate cake as thanks. Very delicious.
He found it easy to twist people when he wanted and loved to ruin people with his charisma.
Harry was also very intelligent, excelling past his peers in everything. Well, almost all of his peers. There was one boy who seemed to tie him in everything. He had never spoken to the boy, but knew that they were the same age and both had living family that didn't want them. The sad part, was that it was his father who didn't want him, whereas Harry didn't feel all that bad about his aunt not wanting him.
He was dark, Harry could tell. He hated everyone in the orphanage and never reached out to anyone. He and Harry could be twins with all of their similarities. Black hair and green eyes, though of different shades, still very similar. Harry had bright green while Tom, his unrelated twin, had a deep hunter green that looked black when his eyes were half lidded. Both were the same age and height with pale skin and very red cherry lips. They were also born on the thirty-first, of different months yes, but it was still a coincidence.
They were both smart, tying in their scores and kept to themselves. They both seemed to get on Mrs. Cole's nerves easily.
Tom Riddle peaked Harry's interest and he wanted to befriend that boy who was so much like him. Even though they were only seven, both had vocabularies that rivaled the oldest people around them and understood things easily. They were geniuses and it only made sense that they be friends.
So, on this day of November fifth, Harry saved his green apple from his breakfast. Tom had been bullied and Billy had taken his food and dumped it on the floor. Harry was going to give the other boy it as a conversation starter.
So, when he went outside on that Sunday of the fifth of November, he immediately spotted Tom sitting in the shade of a tree in the orphanage's garden. Harry walked over and stopped in front of the boy, who looked up at him with a questioning gaze.
Harry held out the apple and Tom stared at him for a moment, searching for any form of deception. But Harry didn't feel like it at the moment, for he was truly trying to get the other boy on his side.
A hand intercepted Harry's arm and ripped the apple from his hand.
He turned to see Billy Marshall, annoying bully of the orphanage who terrorized both Harry and Tom often. The pre-teen smirked and took a big bite out of the apple and then threw it at Harry, hitting him squarely in the nose and knocking him over.
Harry hissed as he rolled over onto his stomach and noticed the liquid dripping from his nose. His anger rose and he sat up in order to get a good look at Billy, who was laughing with his friends.
Harry's anger escalated and he felt like strangling the older boy. To see how he liked it when he was in pain as he was denied air and his head exploded in pain from the trapped blood and lack of flow.
Billy suddenly reached out and clutched at his neck, coughing and wheezing. His face turned blue quickly as he sank to his knees, trying to get the air in.
Harry's interest was caught and he looked on in confusion as Billy suddenly keeled backward and stopped moving.
His two friends screamed and one checked his pulse and screamed even louder when he couldn't find it.
Harry quirked a brow. So he had just died, holding his throat because he couldn't breathe. Just as Harry had wanted to punish him.
Harry's eyes went wide. Had he some how done it? He didn't lay a hand on the teen but strange things happened around Harry often. Disappearing food that he didn't want, wanting a certain shirt and finding it on his bed the next morning, meeting a talking snake, exploding windows whenever he was angry. The list went on. But the fact was, that Harry had some how strangled a boy to death without touching him.
Mrs. Cole was alerted to the screaming and came to see what was wrong. When she saw Billy's body she turned on Tom and Harry and accused them of doing it and then went to call the authorities.
Harry and Tom easily played the part of the distressed children who were scared that the big boy wouldn't move. Mrs. Cole was put under a warning when it wasn't proven(seriously there no way someone knew it was Harry since he never touched the boy), because she falsely accused children of killing someone even though they never touched him.
If there was another incident, then she'd be taken to prison and the orphanage would have a new Matron soon.
Harry and Tom were sent off after everything calmed down.
Harry was unprepared for Tom to grab him and haul him into the his room. Harry had no time to take in the interior because Tom had him pinned to the wall immediately, hand on his chest.
"You did it. You can doing strange things as well," Tom said quietly.
Harry stared for a moment, before nodding slowly. "I don't know how, but I am sure that I did it. Somehow," he admitted.
Tom inclined his head, "What were your intentions this morning with the apple?"
"I figured that since we're so similar a friendship would be beneficial to the both of us. We have too much in common and I find that I can tolerate you as opposed to the fools we live with," Harry answered truthfully.
"How would this benefit me?"
"Well, I work every day of the week and make money in order to buy myself books. If you work with me, we could split the earnings and you'd soon acquire a collection much like mine. I also receive Latin lessons and piano lessons from two people who can't afford to pay me. It wouldn't hurt. As for me, I'd prefer to have a comrade who is human."
Tom's brows rose, "What do you mean by, 'who is human'?"
"Exactly that," Harry stated. "My only friend is a snake that I met two years ago and she sleeps in my room."
Tom was quiet as his eyes searched Harry's.
"Can you speak to snakes, Potter?" he finally asked.
Harry's eyes went wide, "I guess you can say that. I just assumed that she could speak English. Can you speak to snakes?"
Tom nodded, "Show me."
Harry was released and he shrugged, turning to open the door and leave the room.
When they reached his room, Tom took in the sight of his book collection with an impressed gaze.
"Nagini, come and meet ssssomeone," he said, waiting for the reptile to show herself.
The snake slithered out from under his bed and fixed Tom with a look. "Another sssspeaker?" she asked.
Harry looked at Tom who was eying the snake, "What do you mean 'sssspeaker'?"
The snake and Harry shared a glance. Nagini looked at Tom, "Not many magical children can sssspeak Parsssseltongue anymore. It issss a relief to have met a ssssecond sssspeaker in my lifetime," she explained.
Both Harry and Tom's mouths dropped. "Magic?" they chorused.
Nagini nodded, "You are wizardssss. The raw power coming off you two issss almosssst sssstifling. That issss why sssstrange thingssss happen when you losssse your temperssss. Your magic issssn't controlled and it'ssss lasssshing out."
Tom ands Harry's gazes locked. Magic. It would explain so much. Definitely how Harry managed to choke a boy to death without touching him.
Tom stepped closer to Nagini, "Tell ussss more."
A/N: So, this is the first chapter.
How was it? Let me know if it's good enough to continue.
Check out my other Tom/Harry stories.
See ya! :D