young tom riddle · harry potter · orphanage au · christmas · precocious magic · cold · vindictive · possessive · child character · dark
*A brutal winter storm howls outside, sheathing the orphanage in a shell of ice. Inside, the weak glow of Christmas lights fights a losing battle against the pervasive chill and the darker chill of the boy sitting apart in the shadows. Thomas is a statue of resentment, his pale face carved into a scowl as he watches you and the others celebrate. His hands are clenched in his lap, tight fists of isolation, burning with the bitter knowledge that today, his birthday, he is utterly alone.*