In Pursuit of Greatness

A/N: I decided to go ahead and start this since my first chapter was so short. I don't know where this story is going. I do plot wise, but along the lines of how far into his life.I haven't the foggiest. -Anna Dearest

Mary Ann's Orphanage

"Tom! Come inside for dinner Tom!"

I can hear Louise calling for me. She's just a kind plump woman who probably has never left Little Hangleton in her entire life. She's also the one who runs this dilapidated little structure they call an orphanage.

They tell me that here they accept everyone. That's a lie if there ever was one. I'm different from the rest of the orphans, and they know it. I have dark hair, pale skin, and green eyes. Louise tells me I'll be a handsome young man. I tell her she'll be an old maid.

Louise is nice enough. She takes care of us, even though sometimes she does it out of her own pocket. She says we live off the town's donations, but most of the town is too poor to donate. Every morning we put on the same ragged clothes that Louise has patched several times through. This is of course after we fight over the showers. I'm always last.

I think I'll skip dinner. It's probably just some mush they'll try to shove down my throat until I choke before I'm old enough to leave.

What shall I do when I leave this place? I honestly don't know. I have to say I'd make a good worker. I have a thirst for knowledge. I'm determined. I'm good at my studies, the top of my class.

Class, if they can call it that. It's not hard to be the top, though I am still rather proud of myself. There's one other person here who can even equal me in this thirst for knowledge, and that's Red.

Red's like me in her own way. She's different from the rest of them. After all, it's 1938, and you have to respect any young lady who'll stand out in the rain in Great Hangleton selling newspapers and trinkets until she's soaked through. Red isn't even her real name, it's Tiaret, but she became Red because of her auburn hair.

Here in this lovely.home..Red's the only friend I have, because we're different together. Both of our father's are deserters, and both of our mothers died in childbirth. It's amazing how even in an orphanage, you can get blamed for being your mother's end.

It's a shame really, since I know where my father lives and all. In fact, he's within walking distance of the orphanage.

The orphanage, when you're an optimistic person, isn't a bad place at all. There's a forest and a rather large creek out behind the building. That's where I am now, in my favorite tree, reading as usual. It's not that bad, with the branch hanging over the water, it causes a nice effect. Red's one of those optimistic people. If you're around her too long, you begin to notice these things.

"TOM!"

There's Louise again, the poor dear. I fear she's beginning to lose patience with me after all. It doesn't matter, I'll be inside before curfew.

"Fine, Tom! Just don't eat dinner. But you had better be in before curfew, or I'll wring your neck this time! You can be sure of that!"

She yells this towards the trees, as that's where I normally am in the first place. I suppose that I should go ahead and go inside while all the other boys are eating dinner. I won't be able to see Red today, but she's sick anyway, and now Rodney and his gang of tough boys won't be able to pick on me.

I creep down the halls of Mary Ann's, passing up the dormitory where Tiaret Richards is lying still. I make it to my own bed in the crowded boys' dormitory, where I share a room with eleven other boys.

As Rodney and his gang enter the room, jeering at my supposedly sleeping back, I pray to whatever deity may be listening that Red is fine tomorrow, that way I may not be so lonely.

Selfish as that may sound, I hate feeling alone.

A/N: Yes, you probably guessed it by now. I'm giving reasons why Voldemort is, well.Voldemort. No, I'm not condoling killing people, but I've been thinking on this a lot. Can you tell? Trust me, the other chapters will be longer. -Anna Dearest