Hey everyone, I'd really like to thank you all who added this story to your favorites and following lists, I really appreciate it.

You may have noticed : I CHANGED THE RATING !

Reasons for this : 1. Things in the future will be a little more than pre-slash for Tom and Harry (though it won't be for quite a while), 2. The time setting, there will be dark themes in later chapters because it's set in a post WW1 and later a WW2 environment, 3. VIOLENCE and 4. this chapter.

WARNINGS : The usual, AND the death of an animal/ ANIMAL CRUELTY.

(Please let it be noted that I love animals and used to have a rabbit as a pet.)

Disclaimer : I don't own anything but the plot and any OCs that may show up, the rest belongs to J.K. Rowling.

My amazing beta

Chapter 10

The orphanage was quiet in the hours past seven in the evening, though children could still be heard walking to the bathroom or around their rooms as they got ready for bed. The noise died down even more around ten; the building becoming so quiet one could hear the sound of even one child out of bed, unless of course that child was Tom Riddle.

At ten PM sharp, Tom slipped out of bed, leaving his pillow in his stead for Harry to clutch in his sleep. Once that was done the boy slipped out of their room and quietly made his way through the dark corridor, two doors down from the first door, it was near the stairs. He paused, this was Billy Stubbs room, Tom's eye lids slipped to half-mast as he thought of what he was about to do. Billy was an eye sore and an annoyance like most children at Wool's orphanage so of course Tom hated him, this time though Billy had crossed a line.

He had touched Harry, harmed him.

Even if it was just a few scratches, it was unacceptable. He would have to be punished.

Without further thought Tom silently opened Billy's door and stepped inside the darkened room, closing the door behind him without a sound. The room was completely dark without the light of a window because the far wall was butted up against the hall of the girl's dorm on the other side. Tom closed his eyes. With a small nudge to his magic and a stubborn focus, Tom's eyes snapped open, to see the darkness giving way to his wordless magic.

The ability to see in the dark was a new trick that he had learned from Mr. Wool's journal. He couldn't wait to start teaching Harry though he would have to wait at least another year; Mr. Wool warned against using magic before you were at least six or else risk of damage to the child's magical core. Mr. Wool explained accidental magic is usually caused by stress, or magical growth which was why so many children started doing bits of it around eleven; one of the magical maturity markers.

Tom shook his head, now wasn't the time for such thoughts, he was on a mission.

Now one must understand that Tom Riddle was quiet as a mouse at the best of times, and silent as death in the worse. Unfortunately for Billy Stubbs, the current time was of the latter category. Glancing around Tom set his eyes on the white rabbit that stared at him with wide innocent eyes from its cage on Billy's desk.

The rabbit, Snowball, had been a gift from a family that had wanted to adopt Billy but had returned him because of they found out the wife was pregnant a week after they brought him home and couldn't afford two children. Snowball was a gift to soften the blow that they couldn't keep him. Billy had become much more of a bully after that.

Another small push of magic, the latch of Snowball's cage slid open without even the sound of a click. The rabbit cowered in the corner of her cage, shaking with freight. With deceptively gentle hands Tom lifted the small rabbit from her home and pet her soft fur, momentarily wondering if he could just steal her and give her to Harry without anyone finding her.

Harry liked soft things.

No that would be a hassle, there was too much of a risk that they would suspect him and try to find her in their room...maybe he could keep her in the attic? They did have a box they could keep her in up there but it got very hot up there in the summer, or so Edward had told him, that wouldn't be very good for a rabbit. But then there was the far chance that someone would actually go to the attic, he could ask to keep her at Isobel's, he knew she wouldn't say no if it was for Harry, which it would be.

But how would he get the blasted thing to her garden and how would he explain where it came from? He knew Isobel wouldn't approve of the truth and would make him give it back which would defeat the point of punishing Billy, it would make Tom look like a fool. He didn't really want to lie to her either, Isobel was a nice woman and he had a feeling she would know if he lied to her.

Sighing he looked down to the soft creature in his hands. Honestly he had no idea why he was even thinking of changing his plan. Well, that was a lie.

Harry liked soft things and Snowball, being a rabbit, was soft.

Tom didn't care much for animals and they didn't care much for him. Except snakes, he quiet liked the idea of snakes though he had yet to see one in person. Harry though, loved animals and anytime they came across one wished to pet it or examine it closer. Tom had many times kept him from going up to strange dogs to pet them and risk being bitten. He really didn't understand the younger boy's fascination, they were just animals. They were dirty and couldn't be trusted.

With that in mind Tom slipped back out of Billy's room, Snowball in hand and walked down stairs, carefully avoiding the squeaky floor board on the way there and the creaking step on the way down.

Snowball liked to think she was a good pet rabbit. She was clean and quiet and never kicked or scratched anyone who held her or petted her unless they hurt her. Her master was kind to her and fed her lots of carrots and vegetable scraps from his pockets when they were alone. He made sure that he and the other small two-legs were careful when they held her, so careful in fact that she had only had to kick someone twice in the whole time she lived with him.

Living with her master was much better than the pet shop she had lived in before, she had her own cage now, that was kept nice and clean by her master, and her own water bottle that was never out of water.

Her master truly loved her.

Everything was wonderful. Wonderful until the night a two leg crept into her master's room like a snake in the night. He slithered up to her cage and stared at her for a long time as she sat in the corner of her cage watching him back and trembling. This two-leg was dangerous, she could feel it in her feet - Snowball was proud to be an owner of two very lucky feet in her opinion- his very presence in front of her set her feet itching to run or thump.

This two-leg was dangerous and bad. He had darkness inside him, she could tell.

Snowball was paralyzed in fear as he reached into her cage, picking her up with careful, gentle hands.

She was in the grasp of a predator.

He stood the stroking her for a few minutes, occasionally glancing down at her or to her master who was still sound asleep - she had no idea how he could sleep in the presence of such a predator and she really wished he would wake up and save her already- before he seemed to become determined and slither back out of her master's bed room with her in his hands.

Snowball had a bad feeling about this.

The two-leg crept down the stairs, silent as a shadow and into the middle of the room her master would sometimes bring her to play around in and show her off to the other small two-legs. He looked up to the thick wooden rafters with a keen eye then back down at her then closed his eyes.

Wha-? What in the world? She was floating! She was floating towards the ceiling!

Oh if only her master could see her now, the first flying rabbit in all of England, perhaps the world!

Her wonder and amazement came to a sharp halt when she stopped just below the rafter and it felt as though something was wrapped around her neck, her body slowly losing its weightlessness so that her weight was beginning to slowly choke her.

Oh dear! She thought as she kicked wildly, now quite unable to breathe.

Help! Master, anybody help! Snowball thought terrified as she fought to try and breath or perhaps somehow get the weight off her neck.

Master! She screamed out desperately.

A soft sigh came from below her and with a sharp but quick pain Snowball's world went dark.

Tom lowered his hand. Not long ago if someone had told him it was possible for a child his age to break the neck of a rabbit with a flick of his wrist he would have said it was impossible. But here he was snapping the neck of a rabbit he wasn't even touching with a flick of his wrist as it floated at least five feet above him, dangling from an invisible rope just below the rafter.

He felt strangely pleased; though he was sure it would have been better if it was that stupid Billy Stubbs instead of just a rabbit. Oh well, Harry had said not to kill him, and he had given his word, next time perhaps.

With a pleased smirk eight year old Tom Riddle slipped back upstairs, back into the room he shared with Harry and then went back to bed.

Yes, tonight had gone well.

Some would think that Harry was a naive child, and in many ways they would be right, he was naive about many subjects, but the subject of Tom was not one of them. So when they went down for breakfast and everyone saw Billy's rabbit Snowball hanging from the rafter, his heart sank, heavy with something that might be guilt. He glanced over at Tom who had a too pleased smirk on the corners of his lips just before the poor rabbit fell to the ground with a sickening thud.

Billy let out a terrible heart wrenching cry as he watched his beloved pet smack the wooden floor harshly before running to her and picking her up with a gentleness that surprised Harry. Through his sobs he muttered soft words of comfort that wouldn't help Snowball now, his hand slowly stroking her cold fur.

Harry knew he knew that it had been Tom who had killed the poor rabbit and hung her from the rafter; there was only one person in the orphanage that could do such a thing.

Tom had said he would punish Billy, he just never said how or when.

Though when it came down to it Harry was still glad Tom had kept his promise and hadn't killed Billy. After all, it would have been Billy hanging from the rafter and not Snowball if he hadn't. So it was with a small smile that he looked over at Tom and took his hand.

"Thank you Tom, for keeping your promise." He whispered lowly so that no one could hear what he said.

Tom looked back at Harry with a pleased smile.

"I will always keep my promises to you Harry." He replied squeezing Harry's hand tightly.

Harry held Tom's hand tightly all through breakfast.

'I'll never let you go, and I'll always keep my promises to you Harry.' Tom thought later that day as they sat in the attic. He was watching Harry toy with one of the trinkets from Wool's trunk. With that thought Tom turned his mind back to his plans to punish Betsy.

So that's it, R.I.P Snowball.

Something interesting : This chapter's full name is Snowball - The Rabbit in The Rafters

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-Birdy