Title: "Live"
Author: Shaitanah
Rating: G
Timeline: Tom Riddle at Hogwarts
Summary: He thought he was alive and he wanted it to last forever.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling… sigh
A/N: Kind of drabble, I guess. The shortest ficlet I've ever written:-D
LIVE
Tom wanted to fly.
Emotions overflowed him. Homework being finished a long time ago, at the start of this wonderful evening, Tom let himself get distracted from the school daily life and ascended on top of Astronomy Tower to watch the sunset. It wasn't exactly in his pragmatic nature to spend so much time on something so common, so useless, so to speak, but tonight he wanted to be a bit more romantic.
He let his dreams unfold. There he was, the future overlord, standing on the highest tower of Hogwarts, the ancient, noble school of witchcraft, alone and happy. Tom spread his hands, imagining they were wings. Wind howled and sang to him. Of ancient darkness, of wildest love – he tasted life in all its richness and he fell in love with it.
"I am Tom Riddle", he spoke to the wind and he was sure the wind understood him. "I am Tom Marvolo Riddle", he repeated over and over again. "I am alive, and so be it".
This day was just like any other day – yet somehow it was slightly different. It was the day when Tom realized he was something more than a regular bright student, more than an aspiring wizard. He had his quest now, he wanted to preserve this amazing feeling – that he was, after all, alive.
Did they know? His fellow-students, did they know how brilliant it felt to live?
'This should never stop', Tom said to himself and found his goal: immortality.
'And they shall fear to speak my name! I shall be the One who Lives!'
The wind cheered. Tom had won a battle against his dread. Looking down on earth that seemed so far away, he laughed. He could jump now – and it seemed he would have Lived!