Author's Note: Hey guys. So this is my first fanfic and, unfortunately, it is not a Gallavich. It's an HP fic inspired by Athey's 'Rebirth'. So If this seems similar, that's probably why. I haven't read her version in a long time so I don't expect there to be too many similarities but all the same. :D I hope you enjoy the story. I won't bite reviewers…unless you're a flame.
GallavichIsLife
Prologue
St. Claire Orphanage
London, England
In the midst of an April rainstorm a woman, pregnant and sick, stumbled through the orphanage door. She was in labor and the nuns and other attendants quickly helped her into a room, calling for a midwife. They didn't know her name or where she'd come from and she didn't tell them where the child's father was. She wasn't the screaming sort, they found when she began to push the baby out. On the contrary, she'd been quiet as a mouse. Only speaking after the child had been born.
She hadn't been there an hour before the child was born. It was a boy. He had a light patch of black hair, hazel-blue eyes, and angelic features. He looked nothing like the woman that had birthed him, a woman that none could claim to be beautiful. His mother's best feature was her eyes, a feature she'd passed along to the boy. A boy she'd lived just barely long enough to name. Tom, after his father, Marvolo, after her own father, and Riddle. She hadn't said where she'd gotten Riddle from but they'd kept the name. It was all they could do. After all, the woman had died shortly after naming her son.
Four months later, another young boy was brought to St. Claire's. The head nun, Daphne, estimated that he was about the same age as Tom. The boy was brought in by a young woman who told them she'd found the baby on her doorstep. The only identification that the child possessed was his name, embroidered on the corner of his baby blanket. Hadrian James. An unusual name but he answered to it. They had no last name to connect with the first and middle names and so they'd given him the same last name as young Tom. Riddle. Hadrian James Riddle. The two shared a cot for nearly a year and even afterwards, the two naturally fell asleep together. They seemed perfectly content to share a bed…even now that Hadrian had his own.
Tom was a strange baby. Quiet. Hardly ever cried and when he did it was usually because he was tired. Hadrian, though, was the opposite. He was smaller than Tom but he had more energy. Still, Hadrian was the only one Tom connected with at all. The other children would get a cool glance or would be ignored by Tom. Hadrian, however, was never ignored or given the cool looks. When Hadrian was around, Tom was attentive and open. It was almost as if they really were brothers.
Early in July of 1938, Albus Dumbledore walked briskly down the London street. He was headed for an old orphanage called St. Claire's Orphanage. It was housed in an old brick building that looked to almost be falling apart. Albus wore a blue suit which wasn't very outlandish but his long auburn hair and beard certainly were and it was them that gained shocked looks and whispers. He walked up to the large front door and knocked twice. The young nun that answered the door allowed herself one shocked glance before schooling her features.
"Can I help you, sir?" she asked.
"I have an appointment with Daphne Jones?"
"Oh. Come inside. Mrs. Jones is in her office. She'll be expecting you."
Albus stepped into the well-kept hallway and followed the young nun into a small room where an older woman sat. The woman, Daphne Blake, was drinking rum from a glass and only barely noticed their arrival.
"Good afternoon Mrs. Jones. My name is Albus Dumbledore."
"Good afternoon Mr. Dumbledore."
"As I said in my letter, I'm here to discuss Tom and Hadrian Riddle."
"Both of them? Are you family?" the woman asked, taking another rather large drink of rum.
"A teacher, actually. I've come to offer them a place at my school."
"What is your school's name?"
"Hogwarts. It's a private boarding school for special students. We believe Tom and Hadrian have what we look for."
"We can't afford to send them there, of course. We're low on funds as it is."
"You do not have to pay anything for them to go to my school. Their schooling is already paid for."
"You mean like a scholarship?"
"No. I myself paid for their schooling. All seven years are paid for already. I have plenty of money. Besides, Tom and Hadrian would do well at our school."
"All right then. I suppose everything's in order."
"Can you tell me about them? We'd like to know a little bit about them before they come to the school. Just so we know who to room them with and things of that nature."
"They're very close. Have been since they were babies. They don't talk much to the other kids and when they do it's usually a snide comment or two. I'd room them together, actually. That's how they're roomed here. They don't like being separated. They're odd children…"
"I knew they would be, of course. Odd in what way, though?"
"The other children are scared of them. They're bullies almost…but we never actually catch them at it. They can be downright cruel when they want to be."
"I'm sure they'll be fine at our school. We don't tolerate such things at Hogwarts."
The woman nodded around her rum. "We're not sad to see them go."
"They will return here for the summers, of course. Otherwise they'll be with us for the rest of the year."
"That's better than nothin' I suppose. Would you like to see them?"
"I would."
Mrs. Jones led Albus down a long hallway. Stopping outside a door, she knocked three times before entering. "This is their room." She paused and then said, "Tom? Hadrian? You've got a visitor. This is Mr. Dumbledore. He's come to tell you about a school."
Albus entered the room so that he was within view of the two young boys. The smaller boy, who was sitting cross legged on the other's bed, looked over and gave Albus an appraising look that was not altogether friendly. The taller boy, who was lying on the same bed, narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the old man. Albus smiled at them and closed the door behind him while taking in the boys' appearance. They looked alike. Both had black hair, though the one lying down had combed his back neatly while the other's hair was messy and looked like it hadn't ever seen a hairbrush. Tom had hazel-blue eyes while Hadrian had brilliant green eyes. Tom was also taller than Hadrian. Hadrian, who had been sitting at the foot of the bed, moved to sit closer to Tom who was now sitting up.
"How are you?" Albus asked, holding out his hand.
The smaller boy, who Albus believed was Hadrian, glanced briefly at the other boy before shaking Albus' hand.
"Are you Hadrian or Tom?" Albus asked just to be sure.
The smaller boy narrowed his eyes before answering. "I'm Hadrian."
Tom didn't shake Albus' hand. Instead he nodded at him once and turned to sit back on the bed again. A few seconds later, Hadrian followed suit.
"My name is Professor Dumbledore."
"Professor? Is that like a doctor? Why have you come? Did she get you in to check on us?" Tom asked, eyes narrowing. He pointed towards Mrs. Jones' office.
"No. Definitely not."
"I don't think I believe you. She's always hated us. Wanted us locked up somewhere." Hadrian said, looking over at Tom with wide eyes.
Tom's eyes had hardened as he was glaring at Albus. Albus made no response except to smile at the boys.
"Who are you? Tell the truth!" Tom's voice was filled with silent command.
"I have told you. My name is Professor Dumbledore. I work at a school called Hogwarts. It could be your school as well if you would like."
Tom's reaction to this was probably the most surprising thing Albus had seen in quite some time. He leapt from the bed and stood directly in front in front of Hadrian, his posture protective.
"You can't lie to me. You're obviously from the crazy-house. We're not going." Tom said as Hadrian put a gentle hand on his back.
"I am not from the crazy house. I am a teacher and I would like to tell you about the school if you'd sit down so we can discuss this calmly."
"I don't…"
Hadrian, sensing danger, grabbed a hold of Tom's shoulder and pushed him to the side. Tom looked at him and they held a silent conversation before Tom sat down beside Hadrian once more.
"Hogwarts is a school for people with special abilities."
"We're not mad old man!" Tom snapped.
"I know you are not. Hogwarts is a school of magic not madness."
There was a silence. Tom's expression was frozen but his eyes flickered to Hadrian, silently trying to ask what he thought of the whole thing.
"Magic?" Hadrian
"What we can do is magic?"
"That depends on what you can do."
"All sorts of things." Hadrian said, excitement on his face. "We can move things without even touching them. Hadrian appeared on the roof from the ground, we can make animals do what I want without training, bad things happen to people who hurt us.
"I knew I was different." Tom whispered, hands shaking.
"Well you were quite right. You are both wizards." Albus was no longer smiling but watching the two boys closely.
"Are you a wizard too?" Hadrian asked, voice almost cold.
Tom's head lifted and he met Hadrian's wild eyes with a grin.
Albus nodded. "I am a wizard."
"Prove it."
Albus raised an eyebrow. "Are you accepting your places at Hogwarts?"
"Of course!" Tom said, voice hard.
"Then you will address me as 'professor' or 'sir'."
Tom's expression hardened for a brief second before he said in a voice that was not quite polite, "I'm sorry sir. Could you please show us some magic?"
Hadrian smirked lightly at Tom before flashing a polite smile at Albus.
Albus pulled his wand out and pointed it at the shabby dresser in the corner. The dresser burst into flames. Tom and Hadrian jumped to their feet, both howling in instant rage. A moment later, the flames vanished and the dresser was completely fine. Tom looked from the dresser to Albus, his expression suddenly greedy. Hadrian's eyes were also drawn to the small wooden stick, though his expression was more curious than greedy.
Pointing at the wand he asked, "Where do I get one of those?"
"You'll get one soon." Albus said, "I think something is trying to escape your dresser."
Sure enough, a rattling sound could be heard from inside the dresser. Tom, for the first time, looked quite frightened. Albus watched Hadrian's face as his eyes widened in horror and he shared a fearful look with Tom.
"Open it." Albus said, smiling calmly.
Hadrian hesitated before walking calmly to the dresser and opening one of the drawers. A small cardboard box was shaking and rattling as though something were trapped inside.
"Take it out."
Hadrian took the box out of the dresser and handed it to Tom, looking only slightly unnerved.
"Is there anything in there that does not belong to you."
Both boys looked at Albus with cold, almost calculating looks.
"I suppose so." Hadrian said, his voice icy.
"Open the box."
Tom dumped the box onto his bed, not looking at them. Once out of the box, they stopped jumping around.
"You will return them to their owners with your apologies. I will know when it has been done. We do not tolerate thieves and bullies at Hogwarts."
Neither boy looked remotely sorry. They stared coldly at Albus. After a few moments, they boys nodded. The motion was in sync and yet did not look practiced. It was simply something they'd done since they'd first met and, after a while, it became habit. Something they did out of routine.
"We teach you to control magic at Hogwarts. You have been using your powers in a way that is not tolerated in our world. You are certainly not the first to do this nor will you be the last. But you should know that Hogwarts can expel students. The Ministry of Magic will punish any lawbreakers most severely. As new wizards, you must accept this."
"Of course sir." Hadrian said, sharing a look with Tom.
It was utterly impossible to tell what the boys were thinking as they put the small group of stolen objects back into the cardboard box. Their faces were blank but they seemed to be holding a silent conversation. When they stood up, Tom turned to Albus and said in a quiet voice, "We do not have any money."
"There is an easy fix for that." Albus said as he pulled two leather money pouches from his jacket pocket. "There is a trust fund at Hogwarts for situations like this one. You may have to buy your spell books and things second hand but they'll work."
"Where do you buy spell books?" Hadrian asked.
"In Diagon Alley. I have your school lists with me. I can help you find anything you need, of course."
"You'll be coming with us?" Hadrian asked, looking up at Albus.
"Only if you need me to."
"That won't be necessary. We prefer to do things for ourselves." Tom said.
"How do you get into this Diagon Alley Professor?" Hadrian asked, catching Tom's eye.
Albus explained to the boys exactly how to get into Diagon Alley and the handed them their school letters and equipment lists. Hadrian read through the letters enclosed quickly and looked to Tom. Tom, who had already done the same, nodded at him. Again, the two shared a silent conversation before Tom spoke in a slightly hesitant tone.
"I can speak to snakes. Is that normal?"
Albus paused for a moment, eyes lingering on Tom's face. "It's unusual but it has happened in the past." Was all he said.
Albus stared at Tom for a few moments before speaking again, this time from the doorway.
"I will the two of you at Hogwarts. Have a nice summer boys."
Throughout the next week, the two boys spent a lot of time in Diagon Alley. At first, they simply explored and checked prices on what they'd need. It wasn't long, however, until they were ready to buy what they needed. Tom took care of most of the actual buying, of course, while Hadrian simply picked things out. Most of their purchases that weren't school-related came from an alley called 'Knockturn Alley'. It was a dark alley and much more adult than Diagon but it had quite a few interesting storefronts. The first thing they purchased was, of course, their wands. It took about an hour for both of them to find the right wand but, once they had, they thanked Ollivander and left the shop. It turned out, of course, that the wands they'd chosen were brother-wands. They were both yew, thirteen and a half inches, with phoenix feathers from the same phoenix. The boys thanked Ollivander before heading off to find other stores.
When it came time for the two boys to board the train, they walked through the barrier between platforms 9 and 10 with ease. For a moment afterwards, they stood staring up at the train with wide, wonder-filled eyes. When they finally boarded the train, they searched for an empty compartment and, upon finding one; they locked it so that no one else could come into their compartment. Tom pulled out a book and began reading as Hadrian watched the scenery fly by, a book lying discarded on his lap.
"Tom?" Hadrian asked after a while, his voice quiet.
Tom looked up at him. "Yes?"
"What if we're sorted into different houses?"
The question had been what Hadrian had been most worried about. He didn't know anyone else in the wizarding world and being in two different houses would be terrifying for Hadrian.
"We won't be. Our personalities are too similar. We'll be sorted into the same house. Probably Slytherin because, from what I've read, that's the house our personalities fit into best. Don't worry too much Hadrian."
Hadrian nodded and picked up his book. It was his History of Magic book. He'd finished all the other school books but this one had been longer than the rest.
Soon, they were arriving at the boats that would take them to the school. Tom and Hadrian climbed into a boat with two other students but did not join in the excited conversation that was being held by the other students. Instead, they sat silently on the way to the castle.
The man that had brought them in the boats knocked on the door and it was answered by Albus who smiled serenely and led them in to stand in the entry hall. Soon, they were called to line up near a beat up looking hat on a stool.
"Riddle, Hadrian." Albus called and Hadrian gave one last smirk at Tom before sitting on the stool.
Tom watched, almost anxiously, as the hat sat on his head for less than 10 seconds before it shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"
A few students were clapping as Hadrian made his way to the Slytherin table. He watched, a little worried, as Tom's name was called and he too sat upon the stool. The hat sat on his head for less than a second before shouting out, "SLYTHERIN!"
Hadrian's smirk reappeared as Tom headed towards him. Taking a seat beside Hadrian, Tom have him a smirk as two other older students were sorted. As they began to eat, Hadrian noticed that several of the students were sneering and scowling at them.
"What's their problem, Tom?" Hadrian asked when he'd finally gotten tired of it.
"Our last name, of course." Tom answered, taking a bite of mashed potatoes.
"What's wrong with our last name?"
"It's muggle. They think we're muggleborns."
"Why does it matter? We're wizards."
"This is Slytherin, Hadrian. Do you remember what I told you about Salazar Slytherin?"
"Erm…no?"
"Salazar Slytherin hated muggles. It's why he left the school." Tom explained, giving Hadrian an exasperated smile.
"Oh. Well we'll have to prove ourselves worthy then."
"I was just about to say the same thing, Hadrian."
Hadrian shared a smirk with Tom as he began to eat. They would prove themselves, of course. And they would change the wizarding world itself.
