Chapter 1

Tom stood in his room long after the man in the ridiculous plum velvet suit had left. He could hardly believe the truth behind his specialness. As he glanced down, Tom noted the rather small sack of money he had been given for supplies, next to the items he had pilfered from the other children in the orphanage. I'd better give these back, or that professor won't let me go to that school.

Soon enough, the items had been returned to their owners, Tom grudgingly handing them over, the owners shying away, wary of anything in Tom's possession. Tom then turned to his next task, persuading Mrs. Cole to allow him out of the orphanage. He needed his supplies and that man, Dumbledore, had mentioned he might be able to find a room in a pub, The Leaky Cauldron.

As Tom stood before the matron's office, he knocked.

"Enter."

Tom put on his most innocent face, and pushed open the office door.

"Ah, Tom, I thought I'd be seeing you. You've spoken with the Professor then?"

"Yes Mrs. Cole, but I need to buy my supplies."

"Tom, we don't have the money…."

"I won't need it, the Professor gave me money. He said they have a fund for students without money."

"Alright, when will you be returning? And, will you need help finding where you need to go to buy these supplies?"

"NO! I mean, I don't need help Mrs. Cole, and something was mentioned about there being the possibility I could stay on at a sort of travelers stop."

"All right then, I suppose I'll see you when school ends."

Tom raced to the door, and slammed it shut, relieved to be free at last.

Behind the closed door, Mrs. Cole muttered, "Well, that's one problem done with."

Tom the barman was preparing to lock The Leaky Cauldron for the night, it was quite late. But suddenly he heard the door onto the Muggle street open. Quickly glancing up, he saw a young boy, looking like he would soon start his first year at Hogwarts.

"Can I help you? Are you lost?"

"Err… no, Sir. I was hoping you could direct me to Diagon Alley."

"The barrier will have been sealed for the night. Don't want people prowling 'round after dark."

"Are you Tom?"

"Yup, proprietor of The Leaky Cauldron, going on twenty years."

"Professor Dumbledore mentioned you - he said I might be able to stay here."

"Ah, good old Albus. Why do you need to stay here? Where are your mum and dad?"

"I live in a Muggle orphanage. Can I stay, or not? It doesn't matter what you say, I'll just sleep in the doorway if I have to, I won't go back to that place," Tom said, clipped anger rising in his voice, until he winced with his last word.

"Sure, but you'll have to pay for the room."

"I can't."

"Then, I guess you have two options. Sleep on the stoop, or help me close up and you can have a room until dawn, then I'll let you into The Alley. If you keep helping, I'll let you stay until you've got to leave for school."

Tom was woken at dawn the next morning, just as the barman had promised. After a hasty piece of toast, which Tom had accepted only grudgingly, the barman led Tom to a small yard behind the bar, and tapped a brick, telling Tom to remember which brick it was so that he would be able to reenter the Alley without assistance once he had a wand.

The brick wall opened into an archway, and Tom strode through, feeling his first lapse in confidence. There was so much to see. The first thing to catch Tom's eye was a massive white building. Staring in awe, Tom raced towards it, stopping only when he read the displayed sign, "Gringotts Wizard Bank". Disappointed, Tom strode away.

After wandering for some time, Tom extracted his supply list, glancing over it, and deciding upon a wand first. Not knowing where to go, he tried to look innocent, and gently approached a woman and her gaggle of children.

"Excuse me,"

"Hmmm…. What? Oh, yes dear?"

"I was hoping me you could tell me where I can buy a wand."

"Why Ollivander's, of course. Only place."

"Where could I find this place?"

"Down the street and take a left," she said hurriedly.

"Thank you, ma'am."

The shop was cramped, and seemingly empty. Tom stood for a minute before sitting in the rickety chair near the door.

"Good day," a voice rang out from the shadowed depths of the store.

Tom sprang to his feet, looking in all directions, finally spotting a man.

"Here for your first wand?"

"Yes."

"I'll need to take some measurements first, then I'll find you a wand, plenty here."

Tom's eyes widened as a measure sprung into the air and magically unfurled near his forearm. A few minutes later the measure rerolled, and the man, who had yet to introduce himself, but was presumably Ollivander, began searching for wands.

"Twelve inches. Rowan and unicorn."

Tom looked expectantly.

"Give it a wave boy!"

Tom gave a slight movement of the wand, only to have it snatched away.

"No, not at all correct. Blackthorn and dragon heart string, fourteen inches."

Tom only picked this one up to have it snatched away.

"No, no. Perhaps this one. Yew and phoenix feather, thirteen and a half inches."

Tom touched the wand, and felt an almost overwhelming surge of power.

"Yes, yes. I think this wand suits you well."

"How much is it?"

"Ten Galleons," Ollivander said as he wrapped up the wand.

Tom grudgingly dug out ten of the largest coins.

"Thank you, and here is your wand. I'm sorry, I don't think you've said your name."

"Riddle. Tom Riddle."

"Well then, don't go using that wand just yet, Tom."