The story of Lord Voldemort's rise and fall from power has been well documented and is known around the globe, and Harry Potter's heroic deeds have been committed to the pages of wizarding history forever. But before there was a Chosen One or a Lord Voldemort, there was a boy whose tale was left untold and forgotten. This is a story of a boy called Jay O'Connell and of his friend Tom Marvolo Riddle.

The two boys sat in silence as the train rocked gently from side to side, the sleepers passing rhythmically underneath them as they both gazed out of the window. Jay sat silently investigating the pale faced boy sitting opposite, glancing now and again from the corner of his eye, careful not to make eye contact.

In the hope to find a compartment to himself Jay had ventured to the very back of the train and into the very last cubicle which he had hoped to empty. Students tended to avoid it wherever possible as it dulled in comparison to the others. The cubicle, Jay thought, seemed to be almost centuries older than the the carriage itself, and was definitely not in keeping with the majestic feel that was bestowed to the rest of the Hogwarts Express. The painted inner walls were dirty and stained, and any form of colour had almost completely faded. The cubicle door was practically off its hinges and all the wood almost hollowed out completely by wood worm. Jay had watched as many of the older students had attempted to use some elaborate magic to repair the damage, but nothing they did seem to have any effect whatsoever, and those that tried to look past its dilapidated exterior were beaten back by the smell. The space reeked on par with of that of swamp Jay thought, though not having actually encountered one himself, and could be smelt throughout the entire rear carriage. It was a potent mixture of festering damp, mould and had most likely been home to several types of wildlife in its lifetime Jay thought.

Far from magical, but at least I'll be alone.

It was only when Jay had actually opened the fragile door that he realised a small boy was already residing inside. Jay could immediately tell that the dark haired boy was entering his first year as like him, he wore a glazed look that was fixed to his face.
"um... sorry... err.. is it OK if I sat in here?" Jay said sheepishly "its seems to be the only quiet place on the train".
The pale boy slowly turned his head from the window, Jay watched has the boy's eyes met directly with his own, it was the most intense look Jay had ever seen and although the boy's face remained emotionless, his eyes seemed to be screaming in pain. However as soon as it had come, it had gone, the boy had returned his gaze to beyond the window and Jay quietly (and quickly) took the seat opposite and followed suit.

Thud Thud

The night began to close in as the two boys rode silently towards their destination, the only sound that filled the space was the melodic thudding of sleepers passing under their feet.
The journey seemed to last forever, and Jay soon found himself beginning to speculate about what was to be his home for the next seven years. His head became consumed with the events of the last few weeks of his life, where in one fell swoop he learned that he was a Wizard, and that he was responsible for the death of his mother. Jay was suddenly broken from his thoughts as just as the final flecks of light were leaving the sky, a small shadeless light bulb automatically flickered to life over head. Jay made a move towards his rucksack that was still resting at his feet, he saw the pale boy's eye dart towards the bag and then back again, it was the tiniest of movements but was enough for Jay to realise, the seemingly emotionless boy was to be nervous. Jay retracted back to his seat taking with him an A4 sketch pad and pencil from his over packed bag, he slowly began flicking through the pages, passing numerous drawings of animals and people on park benches and page after page of the same beautiful young woman some wearing a warm smile, others screaming. He finally came to a blank page and slowly began sketching the surrounding compartment and before he realised it, he had began drawing his dark-haired classmate.

Thud Thud

He found himself not being able to stop, there was something so cold and isolated about the image he was witnessing, he could feel a real sense of immense vulnerability and fear all masked behind his stony, expressionless face.
Since Jay was a child he felt that there was something more to his drawings then just putting pencil to paper, for him, to truly know a person they had to be drawn. He felt it was when people were at their most defenceless, there was no bravado or distortion, just the soul.

Thud Thud