I was sitting nervously in my chair that I had been left in. My friends were out looking for jobs. I did not like this new Muggle food. It was nothing like I had ever eaten or seen before but it would have to make do, wouldn't it? At least Ron and Hermione were with me. They had refused to let me do this on my own. I was grateful.

The only problem for me was that I was only eighteen. I didn't know how to care for a child! Especially not the child I was asking to adopt! I knew he would hate me later in his life but right now I had a chance to change the world. Hopefully for the better. I had felt like this was the better option. To save more lives than to save some lives. Screw 'for the greater good' thing.

Mrs. Cole came in and I, shyly admittedly, looked the boy in the face. He was glaring at me. I looked away immediately, expecting my scar to burn. Then I remembered that that soul piece is no longer there. It was going to take a while to not see Voldemort in the boy... man... boy man… man boy?

Tom Marvolo Riddle. He stood as far from me as possible. Mrs. Cole motioned him to sit next to me. I tried to quail my nerves from the fear of him sitting close. I mentally shook my head and sat up straighter in my chair.

"Tommy, this is Harry…" I noticed how he flinched at the name 'Tommy'. Poor Tom.

"Harry Evans." I smiled at Tom, holding out my hand. He just looked at my hand. After a minute I lowered my hand. The boy was only six years old and he was already aggressive and closed off it seems.

"My name is Tom."

"Hello Tom."

"Mr. Evans, did you finish the paper work?" Tom crossed his arms. It was like being sold I suppose. Doing paper work for the rights to adopt a child.

"Of course. I did the paper work."

"Well then I can let you have custody of Tommy. If I might speak privately with you Mr. Evans." I nodded and stood up, following her into her room. "I just thought you should be aware that that boy causes strange things to happen, he seems to bully the other children, and he is hard to open. If you feel at all the necessity to bring him back to the orphanage, know that you can. If you want I can keep the paperwork for a whole week for you to decide if you actually want to keep the boy." I knew she was just cautioning me against Tom being a wizard but I still felt bad for Tom. How many parents or couples had tried to adopt him beforehand and then rejected him, if any had chosen to try?

"I would like it if you turned in the paperwork now. I really want to keep him. It doesn't bother me what 'problems' he has." She nodded and I left the room to see Tom sitting in the chair, staring at the door. I smiled at him.

"Is there anything you would like to take with you?" He didn't answer. "Doesn't matter I suppose. I will buy you new things." As I led him to the car, that I and Hermione and Ron had spent all day yesterday in trying to figure out how cars worked, and opened the door for him. He got in and sat down, buckling himself in.

I walked around the front and got in the drivers seat. I was sad to admit I did not have a license for this. But at this time I don't think you need a license. I drove him to the house that we were living in. I had tons of money in my vault that I had brought with me. It was the only thing besides for my wand that I had brought.

"Welcome to your new home Tom."

We've been in this house for a week. He won't look at us, he won't talk to us, he won't even acknowledge us. He just staid to himself if he could help it. I tried so hard to get him to open up but nothing worked. I even tried hugging him and at first he burned me, like I had just hugged a hot iron and my first instinct was to let go but I held him tighter. He stopped but he didn't hug back, he just waited for me to let go. When I did he walked out of the room. I thought he was a six year old boy!

Then I remembered. Besides for just being Voldemort he was raised in an orphanage and those places hardly have time for affection to the kids, especially when they had hundreds of kids. Like Tom's did. So I would keep trying and I would understand if he refused my company. At least he had a smile on his face, even if it was a small one, after the hug.

It was a Wednesday when I actually got him to open up… If just a bit…

I walked into the kitchen, ready to make lunch when I saw Tom was in the kitchen already. He had his hand raised and he was gracefully dancing it about. Well… it was doing a dance. He had his back turned to me as he was near the oven. I crept forward enough to hopefully see what he was doing. What I saw amazed me.

He was literally playing with fire. He had it going in a dance and sometimes the fire would grow, have a hole in the middle like a doughnut, and to top it off… small fire sparks would jump through the hole. It was amazing to see. The fire split up and turned into two flames and intertwined with each other. It was like watching dancers doing a dance on ice or something.

"What are you doing Tom?" He stopped at the sound of my voice, eyes widening with surprise and a tint of fear, and turned to face me. His face went blank when he turned to face me.

"I was doing nothing that was important." He spoke to me! Yes! He went around me and toward the door. I'm losing him!

"What were you doing with the fire? It was amazing." He turned back to me. Expressionless.

"I was just playing. I suppose she warned you? Ms. Cole warned you about how 'strange' I am? Am I going back now?" I shook my head.

"Well she did, but I don't believe you're strange. I have absolutely no intention of sending you back to that place."

"Really? You don't even know me." He turned around again.

"I would love to get to know you. What else can you do?"

"You… don't hate it? You're not afraid?" He was confused.

"No, you're a wizard, just like me."

"What?" I could tell he didn't believe me.

"It's magic."

"Prove it." That same tone he would have used on Dumbledore.

"If you ask nicer I will." He was getting only more confused.

"Nicer? Can you please show me?"

"Yes, thank you Tom. That was very polite of you." Of course I don't want him to use manners to manipulate someone. I looked at the stove and set the other three places. The fire came sprouting up and then were ready to use for cooking. He was amazed. "See? It's magic."

"Then why didn't you show it earlier?"

"Because I didn't want you to be afraid of me."

"Why did you choose me?" To save the world?

"Because you are special but don't let that get to your head." He wasn't convinced but he said nothing more about it.

"Can you speak to animals too?"… I should be careful. This isn't just some kid. This is Voldemort. He is asking me if I can speak to snakes. Well… no. I can't. I used to be able to.

"No I can't really do that. I have done it once or twice but that's it. You were born with a special talent only few people can do." Not even Dumbledore can speak Parseltongue. "Don't let that go to your head either. You may have that talent but there are many other talents that others have." He was still smiling. He wasn't listening.

"Can you learn how?"

"To speak Parseltongue?" He waited. "Um… no. Not really. Not that I know of." I stopped short of asking him if he knew. He is only a child right now. The bright side I saw was that at least the only thing he has killed is a bunny. He frowned at that before turning to leave. "I'm going to make lunch. I don't mind you playing but don't play with fire unsupervised because I don't want you to get burned." He didn't answer, he just left. At least he spoke to me.