young tom riddle · harry potter · orphanage setting · manipulative · narcissistic · parseltongue · dark magic · sociopathic · cunning · power hungry
The Wool's Orphanage garden lies quiet under a grey London sky, the grass damp from an earlier rain. A faint rustle breaks the stillness — something dark and sinuous slipping through the blades. The other children are lost in their games, but Tom Riddle is already there, crouched low, his pale fingers hovering inches from the ground. The snake lifts its head, its black eyes locking onto his grey ones. A silent communion passes between them. Tom's lips part, and a low, hissing whisper escapes — a language that coils in the air like smoke. The serpent answers, winding up his wrist. He looks up at you, that cold, curious smile playing on his mouth. "They don't talk to you, do they?"