Chapter 1

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(I do not own Harry Potter)
*Harry's POV*
I step out into the world of mysteries alone, no I didn't start alone, but I will continue alone. I can not risk 'Mione and Ron's life for something they didn't know they would be caught up in something life risking, I'm risking their lives by even being friends with them, I will not let another life be stolen due to the being close to me. I take a few paces the turn to look at the tent occupied by the two best friends in the world. I'm leaving to I don't know where... but they'll be safer without me around. I grip the bag that I've shrunk tied around my neck loosely. It's the bottomless bag 'Mione gave me, it only contains the maunders map, my photo album, my invisibility cloak, my clothes and a bag of treacle tarts.

I start walking through the darkness of the woods with my only light source of the stars of hope and the full moon promising something is going to change. I just keep walking with a blank face, feeling numb both emotionally and physically. I've been walking for only a couple of minutes, maybe hours? I don't really know anymore but all of the trees seem to lean towards me curiously forming a tunnel that has to lead somewhere. So, what do I do now? Just keep walking. The eerily silence smoother the ground; surrounding me. I wish it wasn't so quiet therefore I wouldn't have to listen to all of my torturous thoughts which scream how it's all my fault, my fault all of the deaths, my fault for all of the families in loss, my fault some people didn't have the life they deserved.

The sun climbed it way into the sky full of grey, dull, emotionless cotton candy peering through every now and then. I decide to stop near a small lake of clear crystals. The lake sang a soothing song of reassurance as it ripples rolled relaxed and relived it's not fighting the wild wind that declares war whenever it feels like. I slowly fall into soundless sleep, greeting the darkness with open arms, just like the first time I saw that bright green light that caused all this mess.

I awake to the sound of old cars and the smell of petrol which wasn't particularly pleasant compared to the fresh smell of life from the lake. It took a moment for me to take in my surroundings. I was sitting in front of a rusty gate painted black. The cheap looking paint was peeling off, the gate reminded me of muggle prisons or gateways to evil lairs from cartoons on the TV (not that I've seen much on the TV). To the right of the gate was an old wooden sign with loopy writing saying 'wool's orphanage'. I know that name from somewhere but I can't place my finger on it. I turn my head to see a road with a lot of old styled house either side. Well this is definitely not where I fell asleep.

I grudgingly stood up to notice that I'm quite a bit shorter than I was. I groaned once I noticed I was back in my 14-year-old weaker body, which is literary one of the last things I need. I rubbed my eyes lazily and stretched my aching back since I slept on the floor. I flinched when someone yelled 'Are you coming in or not?'. Her voice was strict and not very inviting, before I could reply she bounded up to me and grabbed my arm roughly ignoring my yelp from a mixture panic and pain from still having bruises from Dudley's favourite game 'Harry hunting'. She dragged me into the front room which was empty apart from two old, worn-out chairs and a chipped wooden table. She slammed a piece of paper and a pen on the table then looked at me expectantly.

I warily walked towards the piece of paper and read it. It was a form for me to stay at this random orphanage, honestly what have I got myself into this time. I signed my name in as Hadrian James Peverell, age: 14 and other unimportant things. Once I was done, she snatched the piece of paper and the pen and then returned it to what I would assume was her office. She came back and told me to follow her towards to a room numbered 27. She stopped outside the door. She turned towards me and then strictly told me in a harsh tone "I'm Mrs Cole, here in my orphanage we have certain rules and if you don't follow them you don't want to know what the punishments will be," she took a quick breath, " in the morning you wake up at 7:00, breakfast is at 7:45 then you can do whatever you want until lunch which is at 12:30 and then dinner is at 7:00 and by 9:30 you must be in bed and lights out. You're allowed everywhere apart from the attic, offices without permission and the kitchen unless you're helping the cook. Weekends you're allowed out to the park 5 minutes from here, make sure you remember all of that, now off with you." She then stormed off after she finished her mini-speech.

I sighed and cast wandless tempus when no one was looking. It was 5:00pm so I have at least two hours until dinner. I somehow make it outside and some kids stared at me but I just ignored them. I went towards the most isolated corner and sat down to think. Out of nowhere I heard an angry hiss. I almost sat on an obsidian snake with the most intriguing eyes I've ever seen. One of its eyes sparkled a beautiful ocean blue while the other glowed a mysterious purple with flecks of green. The snake, which was sparkling in the sun, was about the length of my forearm. "sorry" I answered automatically thinking how I could have sat on such a majestic creature. The snake seemed shocked, then I realised I must have slipped into parseltounge. "ooooo a sspeaker, I've never met a speaker before" she hissed excitedly, "what's your name, speaker?" the snake asked kindly. "my name is Hadrian ma'am". The snake giggled at the formality, she then said sweetly "hatchling, you can call me Ivy, ma'am makes me sound old". I quietly debated whether to ask her if she wanted to stay with me because I'm probably going to be alone a lot, maybe helping in the kitchen since I can cook and there's nothing else to do. I shyly asked Ivy if she wanted to stay with me and she was actually jumping up with joy and accepted.

Ivy slide gracefully up inside my sleeve of Dudley's old clothes, hidden from all of the other children. I talk with Ivy until it was dinner. The dinner all was loud and stuffy, I grabbed my rations of food and sat as far away from people as possible, I really didn't want to socialise while I was wondering what is happened. I barely touched my lukewarm bland food, I wasn't hungry. Dinner finally ended and I walked towards room number 27. All the surrounding children whispered not so quietly but I just ignored them and kept a blank face and kept walking.

Soon I made my destination, I entered not really knowing what to expect. It was a small dull room with two cheap beds each side of the room and a small cabinet each. My bed had a small note saying "Hadrian Peverell" while my roommates had a book on. I sighed and quickly casted a cushioning charm before my roommate could catch him. I sat on my now comfortable bed and started thinking how I know about wool's orphanage, then it hits me, this was the 'home' of the one and only Tom Riddle before he became Moldy Shorts.

Not even a minute later my roommate walked in. He was tall with milky skin, chocolate brown hair with deep blue eyes and was somehow the one and only Tom Riddle. I quickly hid my shock with a blank mask while he just glares at me. He just goes to his bed and reads a book. I feel Ivy move inside of my sleeve. Obviously, Tom noticed her movements since his head whirled round and narrowed his eyes as if he's trying to read a blurry word. 'great' I thought 'now I've got a flipping suspicious Tom'. Tom asked in a too calm voice "what do you have?" I replied with a too rushed, too short answer "nothing". Tom's eyes narrowed even more if that's even possible. Tom's eyes light up with flames but his voice was still sickly calm as he repeated "what do you have?". I shrug and face the wall but I can feel tom's furious eyes burning holes into the back of my head. I decided I should just sleep now and a whisper a night to ivy and gave her a look that told her to stay hidden. I fell asleep after I saw her nod her little head.

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