The dark streets of Little Hangleton were deserted. No lights were on in the houses in one small street, but a dull light was issuing from a single flickering street-lamp at one end of the street, and a gentle breeze blew through the rosebushes outside number 67. A boy of about 17 appeared at the end of the street, just underneath the flickering lamp post. A very handsome boy he was too, and he appeared so suddenly, you would have thought he had popped out of the ground. This boy's physical appearance was most curious. He wore a long black cloak with robes and a badge on his chest. His hair was jet black, his skin white. He was extremely good-looking, though slightly ghostly. This suited him, however. He seemed to be in a hurry of some sort, though the expression on his hollow face was perfectly calm. This boy's name was Tom Riddle, and he was a wizard.

Tom glanced around quickly, as if making sure he wasn't being followed. He seemed satisfied that he was alone, and began to set off at a brusque walk. Suddenly, a girl appeared, just as suddenly as Tom had done. This girl too wore robes just like Toms. The girl's jet black hair billowed in the wind. The girl's name was Andromeda Black, known as Annie, and she was a few years younger than Tom, at 15. She was wearing an expression of fear and anger. She followed Tom quickly and Tom did not realise she was there until she spoke.

"Tom," her voice shook with fear, "why will you not listen to me? I saw you with that man, talking in a language I did not understand, he had a knife and wand, he could have killed you, Tom. Why will you not confide in me? You did not see me, for I was hiding, but I saw you talking to the man, though I could not understand you, I worry for you, Tom, please listen to me."

Riddle wheeled around, and rolled his eyes at the sight of the girl.

"Black, go back to the school. Why must you always interfere?" Riddle growled, "GO!" it was a very clear command. The fearful look in Annie's face intensified, but she seemed intent of getting what she wanted.

"Tom, I will not let you continue. You will be in deep trouble if they find out back up at the school—"

"You think I care what they think, what Dumbledore thinks?" Riddle spat Albus Dumbledore's name, "you think I care about getting detention, getting expelled or being sent to Askaban, the Dark Lord does not get discovered, Annie. I have come here to kill my filthy Muggle father, and some stupid, interfering fifth year is not going to top me!" He drew from his cloak a wand, which he pointed threateningly at Annie, who froze.

"Tom.. I thought… I thought you cared about me.." Annie swallowed, trembling.

Riddle gave a long bitter laugh that chilled Annie's blood, "Care? About you?"

He turned and continued his way down the street towards the house on the hill, smirking.

Annie followed quietly, a slow tear rolling down her pale cheek. The lamplight above drained her face of what little colour it had. She was hurt, more than anything that the boy she loved was turning his back on her, didn't love her back, and seemed to not hold feelings towards anyone. Not even his closest friends. Andromeda Black struggled with these unanswered feelings for this boy who acted alone, needed no-one, but was still so popular, struggled to suppress her feelings for the past 4 years, towards the boy she knew would never love her back.

"Tom—"

"Andromeda Black, go back to Hogwarts, or I will be forced to do something I really don't want—"

Riddle was interrupted, however, by Annie seizing him and placing her quivering lips on his cold, straight ones. For one, heart-stopping moment Tom Riddle and Andromeda Black just stood there, kissing one another, before…

"Tom…" Annie made to Tom's arm, for he had broken away from her, and was now looking at her with fear and anger in his eyes. It seemed he was enraged with himself, disgusted that he had shown intimate feelings towards another person, terrified at the idea that he was doing something as normal and regular as falling in love. Love was for the common folk, not the decendants of Salazar Slytherin.

Annie seemed to have noticed this, for she immediately looked apologetically into Riddle's almond shaped eyes.

"Tom, I'm sorry," She stammered.

"Just go," Tom's voice shook with rage, "speak nothing of this…this…"

"But Tom—"

"GO!"

"Tom, I cannot let you do this…."

"Crucio"

Annie writhed and shrieked in pain, Riddle was pointing his wand at her. Suddenly a light turned on in one of the nearby houses, and a man's voice came shouting.

"WHAT IN THE BLAZES—"

At once, Tom Riddle extinguished the street-lamp, and released Annie from her torture. She stopped wriggling and howling, and Riddle turned on his heel and set off down the street.

At the foot of the hill, he turned and took a final look at Annie, the curled up, sobbing, shaking bundle of robes lying in the middle of the pathway. She stood up, and disappeared with a crack like a whip.

It was only then that Tom Riddle experienced something very strange and unfamiliar to him. Tom Marvolo Riddle, direct decendant of Salazar Slytherin stood at the foot of the hill where his Muggle father lived, his eyes on the exact place Annie had disappeared, and for once in his life, Tom Riddle knew he was in love.