May 1937.
Southern Coast of England.
Tom
The engine of the old bus rumble as it made its way very slowly to the coastal road, London left behind far off in the distance. The orphans talked with excitement about everything they were going to do on their first outing to the beach, enjoying the spring air blowing through the windows of the vehicle as the smell of the sea became more and more prominent. The only child who seemed thoroughly unamused by the prospect of the beach was Tom Riddle, who sat at the back of the bus sulking. The last time the boy had been to the beach was many years ago, before the depression, when he was so little Gisela had to carry him into the shallows as she feared otherwise he would be washed away into the sea. This visit, however, he did not have the company of his dear friend and was reminded once again of the haunting loneliness of life without her.
At least the trip would be somewhat useful in other ways.
As the bus finally came to a halt, the children clambered out of the bus, escorted by their overworked nursemaids who were trying not to lose sight any of them. If any of the little ones accidentally got swept out and drowned they would lose their jobs. Tom exited last, keeping his eyes firmly set on his targets. The group set off down the narrow path through the sand dunes that led to the sandy beach, their loud voices echoing into the hills behind them. Tom followed behind, watching the older children disperse in a run with their caretaker's permission, making him lose sight of his two targets, who raced off down the path.
As the beach came into view, Tom couldn't help but marvel at nature's creation. It was a magical place. The cliffs on each end of the beach towered high, and the shoreline stretched for what seemed like miles in the low tide, the giant waves dumping with a thunder-like crash onto the beach. He watched his targets play in the whitewash, where a long time ago he jumped through the waves with Gisela, although the sea that day was much calmer than in the present. Tom smirked at how ironic it would be if the two children were swept out and drowned without any intervention on his part, but that wouldn't be as the fun as what he was about to do.
He slowly made his way down to the shoreline, being careful not to wade in any further than his bare ankles, intentionally close to both his chosen location and his targets. The wind blew his hair out of his face, and he felt light sea spray sprinkle his cheeks, his eyes looking out on the horizon intentionally. Now all he had to do was wait.
It didn't take much to provoke them, as within a minute he heard the snarky voice of Amy Benson behind him, Dennis Bishop stood silently by her side.
"Hey, freak! I hope you drown and leave us all in peace here," shouted Amy over the loud crashing of the waves.
"Even if I got swept out I wouldn't drown, Benson, because unlike you I have a purpose for living," he replied, his voice laced with torment.
"Prove it, Riddle. Show us all how you won't drown," she shouted back.
"I would, but then you would go running to the matron about it, and I would be blamed. Perhaps a different challenge, Benson?" he turned around, his hair blowing into his eyes as he faced away from the wind.
"You're scared, Riddle," she huffed.
"Oh really... I have a different challenge. You see that cave in the cliff over there? I'll climb all the way into the cave... but only if you come in with me," he smirked.
"Why? Are you too scared to go in alone?" questioned Dennis, who for the first time in months decided to speak up.
"I didn't know you had a voice, Bishop? Be careful; it might be gone as quickly as it came. Well, if we all go in, then none of us are cowards," he responded, "so, are you coming?"
Tom waded out of the sea and briskly made his way to the end of the sand where the rocks began. Carefully navigating his way across the boulders, avoiding the sharp points, he clambered his way to the gaping entrance. Behind him, he heard the puffs of the two children following him finally catching up, after many failed attempts at climbing into the cave's opening.
While the entrance stood tall, wide and intimidating, the cave very quickly turned into nothing but a narrow passage, that looked almost man-made, with no light to illuminate the darkness that seemed to swallow them in. Tom began to walk towards the entrance but noticed he wasn't being followed.
"What's wrong, Benson? Scared?" he taunted. The nervous expression morphed into one of feigned confidence.
"Not at all," she sneered back.
"Then, by all means, go ahead," he smiled, motioning her to go in front. Dennis looked terrified, but reluctantly followed his friend into the pitch black, arms held out in front of them to guide their path.
Tom watched as the darkness swallowed them, only following them after a minute or so. Unlike Amy and Dennis, he had an abnormal talent for sensing his surroundings and could make them out with his sharp eyes despite the entrance to the cave nothing but a small dot of light. Eventually, the cave turned a sharp corner and came to a large cavern where it seemed to end. Tom knew better. He could sense beyond the seemingly solid rock wall there was something else lurking. This place emitted an aura of darkness that filled him with a thrilling excitement.
"Dennis? Can we leave? I'm scared," whimpered Amy, echoing through the passage.
"I can't find the way back," cried Dennis.
"Where's Riddle? He tricked us into this!" she exclaimed.
Tom moved stealthily to the opposite end of the cavern, hiding in an alcove out of sight from his victims as they walked around with their hands out helplessly.
"I warned you, Benson," he muttered darkly, his voice echoing around the cavern, making his location unidentifiable.
"Riddle!" she screamed in fright. "Where are you? Get us out of here. This isn't funny! You never warned us at all!"
"Oh, I certainly did. You seem to have a bad memory, Benson," he tutted, careful not to reveal his location.
"What do you mean?" whimpered Dennis, in unison with Amy.
"Remember, 'one day when you think you are safe and happy, suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you will know the debt has been paid.' You're paying your debt, Benson."
A loud shrill filled the cavern as she collapsed with sudden pain, Dennis watching in horror. She grabbed her head in agony as terrifying images filled her head, dark feelings filling her soul as Tom poured his darkness into her mind. Her body twisted in unnatural ways as her brain suffered the mental torture Tom Riddle had been waiting so patiently to inflict. He was finally getting what he was owed. Dennis Bishop curled up in fear, but unbeknownst to him; he would not feel his friend's pain. Tom believed watching the consequences of those who crossed him was enough to warn the boy of how close he was to shattering the thin ice he was walking on.
"Stop! Stop! Stop! Please! Stop! No! No! NO! NO!" her terrified shrieks were silenced, her figure now sprawled unconsciously on the rock floor, the thin layer of sand now blown to the edges of the cavern in piles with an unnatural gust of wind. Dennis gulped, frozen in silence as he found himself unable to move a single muscle.
"Take this as a warning, Bishop. Best not go running to the matron, like Benson does - or used to do. Of course, you couldn't say anything anyway. I didn't so much as lay a hand on either of you. Oh, how the world works in mysterious ways," he chuckled darkly. "I trust you can find your own way out after the little bitch awakes."
He made his way out of the cave, smiling as the crashing waves came into view as midday approached. Clambering down onto the rocks, he admired the little shellfish that rested in small pools, complimenting the picturesque landscape. He smiled to himself as he remembers how much Gisela enjoyed playing with the tiny fish all those years ago.
Amy Benson never spoke of what happened. She avoided him like the plague, suffering from chronic nightmares, clinging on helplessly to the matron's skirts until she was adopted later that year. Dennis Bishop developed a stutter so severe he could barely finish a sentence, and would never again sleep without a candle in his room. Neither would ever utter his name again.
This is unedited but leave your thoughts in the comments.
I hope you agree with my assumption that in canon Tom's attack on Dennis and Amy was via legimency, as the cruciatius curse in unrealistic for a young untrained boy regardless of his talents.
This book is about to start its dark path. Please note the first twelve chapters are drafts and I will go back and improvement later on once I get the direction of this fanfic going.