"He killed a rabbit?" Ron muttered, disbelieving.
"He killed a rabbit!" Hermione failed to comprehend.
"He killed a rabbit." Harry stated.
"He was mad even then. He was evil as an eleven year old." Harry told them.
The grounds were still crimson with blood, but the bodies had been taken away. It was still a mess, but it was an empty mess. The skies were foreboding and dark, but anyone who bothered to look up could see the sun behind a dark, black cloud; as if to symbolize that greater things would come after the gloomy times that everyone had had to endure. Many people were mourning, but owls and birds could be heard singing a gay chorus of joy.
"It was a day like today…" Harry trailed off.
"Excuse me, Harry, what were you saying?" Hermione asked in an overprotective tone.
"It was a day like today…" Harry started to tell the story again.
Several months have passed since Tom's first murder and his magical outburst of anger and hatred. Yes, Tom has bullied kids since then, but much more secretively. He has been keeping his powers in check, which is very strange since he feels such strong, powerful emotions.
Tom is an abnormality in the orphanage, he is the bully, but he is still the odd man out. He is the black sheep, but he seemed to like the attention he got from his peers and superiors. Children would often speak about him when he passed them in a hallway, or at mealtimes. Many of the adults would baby him, because they didn't want him to grow to be sour.
The heavens were dark and gloomy, the clouds threatened the earth over head. The day was chilly and cool, and although the afternoon was to be spent at a beach, the orphans didn't look to happy.
"I'm sorry children, but we can't go to the beach in this awful weather. If the sun comes out, then we will go to the beach. I promise." Mrs. Cole said who had constantly been badgered with questions by children who wanted to go to the beach.
"But you promised!" Exclaimed a cute little girl, with blonde hair, she was barely three years old.
"Yeah! You said that we could go to the beach!" Piped little Bradley, his eyes filled with excitement.
"Come on, Mrs. Cole. Please let us go." Another orphan spoke out.
At least a dozen orphans were badgering Mrs. Cole, when Tom walked up to her. Everybody was silent, afraid that Tom would unleash his wrath. Mrs. Cole seemed motherly as she looked down on him.
"May we please go? You did promise Mrs. Cole." Tom slyly was convincing her.
Just then the stormy thunder clouds turned to vapor, miraculously. The sun in all its white brilliance came out, smiling downwards at them all.
"Now, can we go, Mrs. Cole? The sun is out now." Tom again asked.
"Alright." Mrs. Cole sighed in defeat.
The orphans cheered joyously in celebrative voices.
An hour later…
The children were enjoying themselves tremendously. The sun was warm and inviting with the soft rays and the spray of the sea couldn't be anymore refreshing. The little ones dug in the sand, and the others looked at the tide pools to see the sea life that resided there, such as sea stars, anemones, and hermit crabs. But a couple of the older children had seen all this before and wanted to do something new. They wanted to have an adventure.
Two children such as these were Dennis Bishop and Amy Benson. They were both around eleven or ten years old and the same twinkle of excitement and adventure in their eyes.
"So what should we do, Amy?" Dennis asked politely.
"I dunno, we've already been to the tide pools." Amy answered.
"And we did climb up that little rock cliff." Dennis added.
"Why don't we go into the cave?" A third voice asked.
Amy and Dennis were quite surprised to hear a third voice and looked frightened to see… it was Tom Riddle.
"Um… Tom, just Amy and me wanted to go; for an adventure, no hard feelings." Dennis stuck out his hand.
Tom, of course, did not take it. "Fine, leave me out. It's not like I wanted to hang out with you two anyway."
Tom bowed his head in sadness, of course he was just acting sad, but he was very good at it, and thoroughly convinced Amy that he was a tad heartbroken to be excluded.
He started walking away from the pair of them when Amy ran up to him, "Tom, you can come with us if you want." You fool, you are so predictable. Do all people act this way? Are they all stupid and easily misled? Tom had thought of something he hadn't ever understood before. They are all so gullible, and naïve. I wonder, are all people like this, or just the weak ones?
"Thanks, Amy." Tom smiled weakly; he was quite the smooth talker.
They walked a-ways, the cove was further down the beach, both Amy and Dennis were anxious, but Tom seemed cool and calm.
"Are you sure, you want to go in there? It's supposed to be haunted." Amy whimpered.
"Yeah, maybe it would be best if we played rugby or something with the others-" Dennis was interrupted by a wave of Tom's hand.
"It will be fine, Dennis." Tom said convincingly.
Tom, Amy, and Dennis stopped at the mouth of the dark cave. Amy and Dennis were shaking almost uncontrollably, eyes screwed up in fear.
"I don't think we should-" Amy started to say.
"Get in, both of you, now." Tom commanded, and they listened.
The cave was moist, and the drip drop of precipitation fell from the ceiling. The sound of fast breathing could be heard ahead, where Amy and Dennis were. They were whispering about something.
"Amy, I have a bad feeling about this." Dennis whispered.
"Me too, it seems more sinister than any regular old cave." Amy answered back.
"Do you think it has to do with-" Dennis started.
"Tom." Amy finished, looking at the dark haired individual strangely.
"Let's get out of here." Dennis said loudly enough for Tom to hear.
"No! I mean, we haven't finished looked around yet." Tom said from across the room.
"Come over here! I want to show you something." He pointed at the murky water that filled the bottom of the cave next to the opening.
Amy and Dennis looked at the lagoon to see that Tom was staring at their reflections intently, his eyes were crimson they were full of anger.
Stalactites and stalagmites suddenly decorated the ceiling and walls of the cave, it seemed as though if you moved so much as an inch you'd be impaled by them. They were crowding the three of them, but Tom didn't seem to notice.
"Help, oh my, help! We're trapped!" Amy started to scream, noticing that she was indeed surrounded by the threatening spears.
"They're growing! We're going to be crushed!" Dennis started to yell also, noticing that they were steadily coming downward…
"What do you think I am, stupid? I know you didn't want me to come, I know how you and the others whisper about me. Well, you should be afraid! I have power that none of you can challenge." Tom's voice boomed across the cave, sounding menacing and gargantuan.
"I'm… sorry, Tom." Amy apologized.
"Yeah, I'm sorry too." Dennis agreed.
These fools! How can they think that a mere apology will stop my wrath! They are so stupid to not realize that I hate all of them, I hate everyone. I want them all dead. The water level was rising, it was rising so fast. The water would surely drown them all. Tom started to walk out, saying, "Well, see you."
"Amy! Dennis! Tom! Where are you?" The loud voice was owned by Mrs. Cole, she was at the mouth of the cave.
Amy's and Dennis's eyes were filled with relief when they heard Mrs. Cole. Tom started to walk back towards them, his eyes were black and unreadable again. Suddenly, they were free, the water had resided, the stalactites and stalagmites had shrunk, but Amy and Dennis were scarred. They were shaking with fear, there were tears on their faces, and dread in their eyes.
Mrs. Cole ran up to them. "I was so worried about you three. What's the matter, Amy? Dennis?" Mrs. Cole asked in a motherly tone.
"What happened, Tom?" She asked assertively, knowing full well it had been him who caused this. This wasn't the first time something queer had happened to one of the orphans.
"Nothing. I swear we were just exploring, then I went into the next cave over, and I came back. They were just like this." Tom answered convincingly.
"Amy, Dennis? Is that true? What really happened?" Amy and Dennis didn't answer Mrs. Cole.
This will not be the last. No, I will not be downtrodden any more. I hate them. I hate them all! They will fear and follow me. They will do what I tell them. This is the beginning, the beginning of my reign of power…