AN: Hey guys. Here's the first chapter of Born Again. I'm sort of following what I remember of Athey's story while also adding elements of my own in. I hope you're enjoying it.

Gallavich is Life

Chapter One

Hogwarts may have been better than the orphanage but it wasn't exactly easy for Tom and Hadrian. Over at the orphanage, they were unique, different. They scared their bullies into silence. Here, however, they were first years. First years were the weakest in the school. Still, they were the strongest out of the first years which did gain them some advantage over the people that bullied them here. They were at the top of their classes, usually tying for first place.

They stayed at the school for the winter holidays because they didn't have to go back to the orphanage for the three week break. They gave each other simple gifts, books, and received some gifts in return from other students. Boxes of chocolates from a girl they'd helped in Potions, a few books from a housemate they'd helped in Defense. And it was from this that they learned how helpful it was to 'help' their housemates. The Slytherins came from rich families, they had easy access to family money. More, they had access to books and knowledge. Tom spent his second term worming his way into the esteem of the more powerful, influential and wealthy of his housemates. Hadrian, of course, followed right behind. There were still many people who openly disliked Tom and Hadrian but there were many more who saw that they were powerful and respected their power over their assumed blood status.

The pair could often be found helping Lucretia and Walburga Black, a set of cousins were a year ahead of them. The Black family was a powerful old family and were staunch blood purists. The fact that they could move beyond their blood status to ask for their assistance was enough to gain the respect of the rest of their house.

The end of first year was hard for the two. They had both done remarkably well on their exams and their house had won the House Cup…but any joy in the pair was lost as they returned to the orphanage for the summer.

Back at the orphanage, Tom and Hadrian were not greeted with kindness. The older children taunted them and shoved them around. Tom and Hadrian now had no way to fight back due to being unable to use magic outside of school. With this rule and the threat of expulsion that came with it, the boys were left with no way to protect themselves from their bullies.

Tom and Hadrian using their ability to speak to them, managed to intimidate the other children using snakes. Hadrian was still smaller than Tom and the older boys liked to single him out. Tom couldn't be there all the time…which angered him. By the end of the summer, Tom had committed himself to finding some way to stay away from the orphanage all together.

In September, the return to Hogwarts was a relief. The pair slipped quite quickly back into the routine that they'd come up with over the previous year. Their teachers were happy to see them, with the exception of Dumbledore who seemed to be eternally suspicious of the pair. Their head of house, Horace Slughorn, was smitten with the two of them as well. Tom, being the more outgoing and dominant of the pair, drew the most attention.

While their classmates had respected their academic prowess the previous year, they began to gain respect in other areas this year. Tom and Hadrian were also among the most magically powerful in school and, because of this, they gained a following. Their roommates, Walter Gibbon, Aldous Baddock, and Casper Crouch took to sitting with the pair at mealtimes and study hours. Even Drusilla Rosier, formerly one of their biggest rivals, began sitting with them.

It was during one of their few study sessions alone that Tom stumbled across a book that would bring about an obsession to last decades.

"Hadrian look at this!"

Tom came flying around the corner, carrying a book. Hadrian looked up from his own book, blinked twice, and sighed. He was wondering, albeit silently, what had gotten Tom so excited. It was exceedingly rare for Tom to show that much emotion in a public setting. Normally, Tom kept his emotions tightly locked away. Outwardly, Tom was polite, respectful young man. Yet, deep down, he was aggressive, cruel, and ambitious. Still, Hadrian found that he preferred Tom's dark side, the protective, possessive, and cruel side that he chose to keep hidden. It was this side that Hadrian found he had no problem with even though it was commonly referred to as a bad thing.

Tom had the slight tendency to collect things. Anything he considered 'his' he protected beyond anything else. Hadrian had grown accustomed to being Tom's most precious and treasured possessions and actually liked it. He liked being protected and possessed by Tom. It would have sounded weird to anyone else, he knew, but Tom was his every bit as much as Hadrian was Tom's.

"What is it, Tom?" Hadrian asked quietly.

"This is really incredible, Hadrian!"

"Tell me what it is and I'll let you know what I think." Hadrian replied with an air of resignation.

"Look at this."

Hadrian looked down at the book that Tom had placed in front of him. After a few moments, he raised his head and gave Tom a wide-eyed look.

"Parseltongue?" he asked.

"Yes. That's what we can do. It's also a blood-trait. The only family line ever been known to carry it is the Slytherin line!"

"We're descended from the Slytherin line!" Hadrian gasped dramatically, looking down at the book again.

"Yes!"

"That's brilliant Tom!"

"There's still more, though. Read the next page."

Hadrian flipped his eyes back to the book and read the passage. When he looked up, Tom's eyes were sparkling with joy.

"The Chamber of Secrets? You think it really exists?"

Tom gave a nod. "I do. And, because we're his descendants, we'll be able to open it. We can continue Salazar's noble work!"

"We can rid the school of mudbloods!"

"Exactly!" Tom said, beaming at Hadrian happily.

Hadrian gave Tom a smirk as they both settled down into reading about Parseltongue.

Where before Tom and Hadrian had hidden their ability, they now had no hesitation in showing the other students. Any hesitation that had remained in regards to showing them respect vanished with the first demonstration of their ability. It was kept, of course, within Slytherin house. Still, word spread about the two Slytherin Heirs. It was a title that both Tom and Hadrian accepted with ease.

Tom and Hadrian stayed at the top of their classes and continued to milk their newfound fame. Building alliances with classmates and searching every single inch of the school for the Chamber of Secrets.

The year passed too quickly and soon the boys were headed back to the orphanage. When they returned to the orphanage, they were greeted by Father Mark, the worst of all the priests. He'd been out of Britain for several years and was returning for good now. Father Mark had been known to abuse the younger boys. Hadrian and Tom were now at the right age for Father Mark's affections.

In order to stay away from him, Tom tried to keep Hadrian out of the orphanage as much as possible. They'd escape to Diagon Alley and London. But, exactly one month into their summer holidays, it happened.

Tom, who had somehow gotten separated from Hadrian, was walking down the hallways of the orphanage looking for his surrogate brother. He was passing Father Mark's rooms when he heard a familiar yelp. Hadrian. Tom stumbled inside and was greeted with a crying Hadrian. On top of Hadrian was a very naked Father Mark.

"GET OFF OF HIM YOU MUGGLE ARSEHOLE!" Tom shouted.

There was a gust of wind and Father Mark toppled off of Hadrian who rushed over to stand behind Tom, straightening his clothes as he went.

Tom, of course, got a warning from the Ministry of Magic for using magic near muggles.

Tom had saved Hadrian that day and yet Hadrian couldn't save Tom. That night, Tom was forcibly removed from his bedroom by a group of nuns. Some of the other nuns stayed behind to restrain Hadrian.

Tom refused to talk about what had happened but Hadrian knew what had happened, of course. Tom had been raped. By Father Mark. After the incident, Tom and Hadrian refused to be apart for even a moment. And, on the morning of September 1st, both boys were relieved as they headed for the train station.