A/N: All of you that have read HBP will recognize this little incident. ;)

Chosen to Rise; Destined to Fall

Part One: The Awakening

Chapter Eight-

- The Cave -

The bus jerked as it sped over ridges in the road, causing its passengers to bounce uncomfortably in their seats. Tom was sitting next to a boy named Charlie, who seemed to be always following him around. Charlie was a small boy, having lost his parents in a raid, and was one of the more recent additions to the orphanage that summer. With stringy brown hair and wide eyes, he often kept to himself, playing with a ball of string. Charlie rarely spoke to anyone, but it seemed Tom was one of the few people he would.

Tom watched the passing scenery fly by: a blur of greens, blues, and browns. The perfect June weather. The bus jerked again and he had to grip the seat in front of him in an effort not to fall over. Charlie, however, tumbled sideways towards the isle. With a quick movement, Tom reached out, his long fingers gripping Charlie's worn shirt, and hauled him back into the seat.

"Thanks, Tom," said Charlie quietly, glancing up at the taller boy.

"Welcome," said Tom indifferently, returning his gaze to the outside.

Since his eleventh birthday, he had grown to be one of the tallest boys in the orphanage. His clothes were already quickly becoming too small for him, with his long legs. Mrs. Cole, it seemed, had Lissi go out nearly every week to buy new clothes for the growing children. Tom looked down at his long fingers, pleased to see that they were still clean. One thing he did pride himself in was his immaculate appearance. He brushed some of his dark hair from his eyes, frowning slightly. It was getting long. He'd have to get that fixed soon.

His thoughts wandered to the box in his wardrobe that contained the trophies from his triumphs. So far he had Rudolph's mouth organ, Martha's yo-yo, Margaret's worn shoe laces, Joanna's thimble, the string from Salma's hanging, and a few other odds and ends. He was thankful that Robbie was gone, as he was sure that the boy wouldn't have lived very long if he had stayed around. Bad things seemed to happen to people when they tried to hurt Tom, and he liked that. It gave him a feeling of power and the knowledge that he was special. He wasn't like everyone else, that he was sure of. Too many things had happened over the past few years that proved it: making people get hurt, causing things to move by themselves, talking to snakes and making animals do what he wanted.

He heard snickering behind him and didn't need to turn around to know it was Michael and Terrace, the remnants of Robbie's gang. They usually picked on the smaller children as they learned the hard way not to mess with Tom Riddle. However, he knew they probably would make an attempt at revenge, even if they made someone else do it. They were cowards and not very bright.

Thankfully, the bus came to a halt and Tom looked around. It seemed they had finally reached their destination: Vanderlin, a small town on the edge of the sea. Every summer they would come here to get some fresh air and to take a break from the dark, gloomy orphanage. Everyone stood, beginning to make their way off the bus. Even at eleven and a half years old, he towered over the others. Several girls nearby giggled as they glanced at him and made their way off the bus. He ignored them. Girls didn't exactly interest him. What was so grand about them anyways?

As soon as he stepped off the bus, a blast of cold, salty sea air hit him and he took a deep breath, savoring it. It felt good in his lungs and he closed his eyes briefly.

"Alright, everyone, stop dossing about," said Mrs. Cole, ushering the children into a group. They turned their attention to her. "Now then, you're free to walk around but make sure you're back at noon to eat lunch. We'll meet again at six for dinner. Make sure you check in with Lissi, Gwendolyn, Robert, or myself before wandering off anywhere."

She began breaking them into groups and Tom soon found himself in a group with Amy, Dennis, Michael, and about ten other children. Mrs. Cole was in charge of their group, which was fine with Tom. She never kept a tight leash on them and Tom hated being tied down.

Tom glanced over to where Michael stood, along with two of his friends. He had brought Amy and Dennis over and was talking to them. Tom averted his gaze, not finding them very interesting, and looked around. The small town was nestled against the faces of stony cliffs. The sea sparkled in the morning sun and the day was warm, despite the cold, salty sea breeze. The town was comprised of low, flat red buildings, with dark brown, shingled roofs. Un-lit lanterns hung outside on porches, swaying in the strong breeze. There weren't too many people out this early in the morning, but a few were walking down the cobblestone pathways. Tom could see a long pier in the distance jutting out into the white-capped sea.

He began walking, shoving his hands into his pockets. He still found a small part of himself wishing Vincent could have seen these views, but quickly squashed those thoughts. It didn't help him to dwell on the past. Besides, he didn't need anyone and had made it a point not to get close to the other children. He glanced around, his gaze landing on Billy Stubbs, one of Robbie's old gang members. He was talking to some of his friends, standing in a group with Lissi, the head maid. Ever since Tom had made Billy's rabbit kill itself Billy had refrained from bothering Tom. At least some of them learn, he thought.

Tom stayed at the back of his group as they wandered around the village, going in various shops. Anything's better than the orphanage, he thought.

That afternoon, after a good lunch, Tom made his way down to the sea, standing on the coast, looking out over the vast blue. The wind whipped around him, sending his wavy hair in front of his eyes and snapping his clothes against his skin. He brushed his hair out of his face and looked up the coast, his gaze landing on a large rock that jutted out into the sea. It sat at the base of the cliffs, the waves breaking against the outcropping in white foam. The cliff behind it looked to be a sheer drop and along its base were several other large outcroppings of rock.

It seemed to beckon to be explored and what better way to spend his afternoon? He was bored and he needed something interesting to do. He walked back up towards the town and spotted Amy and Dennis standing outside a candy shop. He smirked slightly. I could have fun with this…they're always following me around, trying to see what I'm doing. Annoying, really. If I really can control these special abilities, why not try it out on them?

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Thinking about buying candy," said Amy, looking over at Tom.

"Let's go explore. It'll be fun."

Amy and Dennis glanced at each other, looking ready to say 'no', but then shrugged. "Alright," said Amy.

"Where are we going?" asked Dennis.

"You'll see. Do you know where Mrs. Cole is?"

"I think she's in the candle shop," said Dennis, pointing.

"I'll be right back," said Tom, walking over to the shop and entering. He saw Mrs. Cole talking to a large woman with black hair pulled into a tight bun and wearing an off-white apron over her dark brown dress. "Mrs. Cole?" said Tom, when he saw a break in their conversation.

"Yes, Tom?" said Mrs. Cole, turning to look at him.

"Amy, Dennis, and I are going to go explore. We'll be up the coast. Is that alright?"

"That's fine," said Mrs. Cole with a small smile. "Just be back for dinner."

"We will." Tom turned, leaving the shop and walking back over to Amy and Dennis. "Let's go." Tom turned and began walking, leading them out of the town.

He found a winding path through some dark underbrush that looked like it led towards their destination. "Follow me," he said and began walking, being careful of his footing.

Amy and Dennis followed behind him, silently. As they climbed higher, the left side of the trail dropped off sharply towards the sea below. He could tell Amy and Dennis were afraid but he felt no fear. Finally they reached a spot where it flattened out. Tom walked to the edge, looking down to see the large rock below them. They were at a lower area of the cliff and the rock was only about fifteen feet or so down.

"We're almost there," said Tom, motioning them to the edge.

They stared over the edge with wide-eyes. "We're going down there?" asked Amy, clearly frightened.

"What if we fall?" squeaked Dennis.

Tom looked at each of them in turn. "You won't fall. I'm going first. Just follow me."

He sat down on the edge of the cliff and turned around, finding footholds. He began his slow descent, checking periodically to see that Amy and Dennis were following. He knew they would. Whenever he told them to do something, they always did it, no matter how scared they were. Like the time that he had had them climb a tree to get a cat, and when he took them out onto the roof for some star-gazing. He felt something stir inside him when he saw how scared they were, but still doing what he said. He had power over them and he enjoyed that feeling.

He felt his feet touch the rock and let go of the cliff, standing back to watch as Amy and Dennis climbed down. Their faces were white and clammy, their hands shaking as they descended. He just crossed his arms over his chest, his face impassive. He knew they wouldn't fall. How he knew this, he didn't know, but it was just a feeling he had. It was like how he had known he wouldn't fall. He couldn't explain it, exactly, but his feelings had never been wrong in the past.

Once Amy and Dennis finished climbing, they made their way slowly to Tom. "What's so good about this place?" asked Dennis, rubbing his arms. The wind was colder here; biting their skin and making it turn red.

"Just to explore," said Tom casually, walking to the edge of the rock and looking down. White-capped waves crashed against the outcropping, foam gathering around the base from the constant beating. He then walked towards the base of the cliff and spotted a dark opening not too far way. A cave…interesting, he thought. Since the tide was low, there was a small ledge that wound along the base of the cliff towards the cave. Perfect. I didn't fancy a swim. He looked back to Amy and Dennis, motioning them over. "We're going there." He pointed to the cave.

"But how?" asked Amy, her voice shaking slightly.

"I can't swim," said Dennis, his face white in terror.

"See that?" said Tom, pointing towards the ledge. "We'll walk along that. Don't look so afraid. Have I ever let you get hurt?" They shook their heads. "Exactly." He made his way towards the ledge, making sure they followed. Their descent was not easy to the boulders below, but the craggy footholds served their purpose. The rocks were slippery from the water and Tom moved carefully. Salt water sprayed their faces, making Amy and Dennis shiver. "You go first."

Despite their protests, he managed to get them onto the ledge. The three of them inched their way towards the cave, finally making it inside. Slowly and carefully they made their way through a tunnel, the water dark to their left. The walls were slimy, making it difficult to hold on. The sun's rays lit their way, illuminating the walls, making them shimmer. The passageway curved slightly to the left and finally they saw a stretch of rock where the water ended. They climbed off the ledge and Tom saw that they were inside a large cave, his eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a matchbook that he had stolen from Robert, the handyman. He struck a long match, its feeble light allowing them to find solid-footing.

"It's really dark, Tom. I don't think we should be here," said Amy, shivering from the cooler, damp air. She looked around, obviously nervous.

"I don't like this," said Dennis quietly.

"It's not that bad." The match died away and Tom threw the remains away.

He let his eyes adjust to the darkness. "Visitorsss…" came a soft voice.

Tom felt a small smile creep across his face. "Hello?" he called quietly.

"A human…he comesss clossser…" hissed the voice.

"Where are you?"

"He can sssspeak to usss. Human, what issss your name?"

"Tom. Tom Riddle."

"We are right by your foot."

Tom looked down by his feet and saw two dark shapes sliding past his them. He crouched down and held out his hand, allowing one of the snakes to slither onto it. "Is there anything interesting here?"

"There is a cave bessside thisss one. It hasss a large lake."

"How do you get there?"

"We do not know. We can move through the cracksss. There isss an opening, perhapsss farther back."

"Can you show me?"

But he never heard the snake's answer, as he was suddenly knocked sideways. He hit the icy water, sinking beneath it. As he sputtered to the surface, he saw Amy and Dennis standing where he once had been but then he sunk below. Unfortunately, it was common knowledge that he couldn't swim very well, as they had gone to a local pool several times and he never went in. Michael had shoved him in once and he had nearly drowned. Michael had paid for that by somehow tripping over a rock in the ground and breaking his ankle. He felt the icy water rush into his lungs and he coughed as he tried to stay above the surface. His heart beat slightly faster but it wasn't from fear. He wished there was something to stand on and then, suddenly, he felt something shift below his feet, pushing him to the surface. He collapsed onto the ground, coughing and spitting up water. He took a moment to recover and then stood, seeing that Amy and Dennis were standing at the edge of the water.

"What do you think you're doing?" he snarled and they backed up quickly.

"We – I – " they stammered, glancing at each other.

"Thought it'd be funny to see me drown, did you?" His gaze narrowed and he could feel anger rising within him.

"No! We – I –" protested Amy.

"Michael – he – we –"

Tom knew he had special abilities and this was the time to see if he could really control them. "Push her into the water," he commanded Dennis and watched with satisfaction as Dennis did as he was told. "Now get in next to her." He waited until they both stood in the water, clearly terrified, but unable to do anything about it. He walked slowly over to them, smirking darkly. He knew there were rocks hidden in the water and so, with his mind, he imagined them moving to trap Amy and Dennis.

They were screaming and struggling, trying to get out of the water, obviously pinned down by something. Only their heads were above the water and their flailing arms.

He crossed his arms over his chest, still smirking. "I think you'll think twice before trying to hurt me again."

"They are ssscared," came the hissed voices of his friends.

"Hold her under the water," he said, his voice low, but still holding the same authority. Dennis was helpless as he suddenly pushed a shrieking Amy under the water. When he finally let Dennis release her, Amy came sputtering to the surface. "Scare them more," commanded Tom and watched as the snakes slithered towards Amy and Dennis.

They shrieked, trying to get away. Their splashes only sent water towards their faces, making them cough. "Help!" cried Amy.

Tom didn't let them go, watching in satisfaction as the snakes coiled themselves around their arms. "They're poisonous you know, so I wouldn't be moving so much."

Immediately, Amy and Dennis froze, staring at Tom in wide-eyed terror. "P- please.." whimpered Dennis.

"We're sorry!" whispered Amy, her voice catching.

Tom crouched down by the edge of the water, his gaze cold and his voice icy. "If you speak one word about this, to anyone," he whispered threateningly. "I can do far worse things to you than this. I will know if you say anything, so if you want to live, I wouldn't chance it."

"We won't say anything!" cried Amy frantically. "We promise!"

"We do! We promise!" cried Dennis.

He reached out, snatching Amy's red hair-ribbon out of her hair. "I'll be keeping this." He balled it up and shoved it into his pocket. "Leave them," commanded Tom to the snakes, which slithered back into the water. He turned his gaze back to Amy and Dennis. "One word and you'll wish you were back here. Understood?"

They nodded and he released them, allowing them to scramble back onto the rock. He watched them, shivering and shaking, still obviously terrified. They stared at him, huddled together. He turned, making his way out of the cave with a satisfied smirk on his face, as well as a giddy pleasure inside. I did it! I really made all those things happen, just because I wanted them to! I made the rocks move and the snakes do what I wanted. And if I can do those things…who knows what else I can do! He was determined, now, to find out exactly how much he could do. That had been fun and they deserved it after trying to drown him.

He didn't even pay attention to his sopping wet clothes as he climbed back up the cliff, heading back to the town. Amy and Dennis weren't far behind. He would make sure they'd get back, for if they disappeared, he wouldn't be able to get away with what happened.

When Mrs. Cole saw them, she ran over, frantic. "What happened? Why are you soaked to the bone?"

"We were just exploring, Mrs. Cole," said Tom, keeping his voice sweet and innocent. "We just slipped on some of the rocks and the waves got us wet. But we're fine."

"You shouldn't have been playing so close to the water," chided Mrs. Cole. "Inside, the three of you. Lissi, get them dry clothes and soup."

Lissi nodded, heading inside one of the buildings. Mrs. Cole ushered them inside.

Fifteen minutes later, they were dressed in dry clothes and holding steaming mugs of soup in their hands. Mrs. Cole had her hands on her hips, looking at them. "Honestly. Exploring. You're staying in town for the rest of the day, is that understood?"

"Yes, Mrs. Cole," said Tom. Amy and Dennis were quiet, nodding their understanding. Their fingers grasped their mugs, still shaking slightly.

Her face softened. "Are you alright? No scratches or bruises?"

Amy and Dennis glanced at Tom, who narrowed his gaze only slightly. They quickly looked back to Mrs. Cole and merely shook their heads, their eyes cast downwards.

Mrs. Cole glanced at Tom, who kept his face innocent as always. She gave him a careful look, as if debating about something in her head, but then shook it away, walking over to the group of adults.

"Remember what I said," hissed Tom quietly.

Amy and Dennis nodded quickly and focused on their soup, their gaze haunted.

Tom smirked, taking a sip of his soup. That was fun.