He was in his room, his sanctuary. The auburn rays of sunlight penetrated his sight and irritatingly kept his interest, like a bewitching fairyland where the morning dew resembled a river of living water and the sun, forgive the unexpected quidditch -obsessed remark, seemed to resemble a wing-less snitch.

He would have much preferred to be greeted by Slytherin colors, shades of glowing emerald and sparkling silver, however, life was very dull at Woll's and such wishes were best left for when he was at his true home, Hogwarts.
Seeing as he had just woken up, he decided to improve his french a little. He would have done his homework instead if it weren't already completed.

He started by using simple phrases like "Je m'appelle Tom Jedusor. J'ai quatorze ans" (My name is Tom Riddle. I am fourteen years old). Soon he grew bored and switched to more advanced questions "Comment peus-je devenir le meilleur sorcier du monde si je suis emprisonné dans un ennuyant orphelinat?" (How can I become the greatest sorcerer in the world if I am imprisoned in a boring orphanage?). At the last moment, he decided to fuck advanced sentences and just settled on insulting his enemies "Dumbledore est un cretin" (Dumbledore is an idiot).

After the "ritual' was over he said to himself "I'd give almost everything to escape this pit of shattered dreams and oppressive normalcy"
At that moment, the door opened ajar. It was the dreaded Mrs. Cole. What she lacked in intelligence she made up in intuition. Although Tom could also say what she lacked in competency she did not make up in alcohol addiction.

"Tom, come. Now" the matron ordered sharply.

"And do I get an inkling to what my fate might be should I accompany you?"

"A gentleman wished to adopt you" she answered curtly and Tom threw her a nonplussed look.

Nobody wanted to adopt him. Ever.

It seemed too good to be true. Tom followed the matron to her office. A place Tom had often frequented thanks to Cole's paranoia and belief that he was trouble personified.

'Maybe his father had finally come for him!' Tom thought a little excited in spite of himself.

The office was quite dark inside, so dark that Tom could not see anything.

"Mrs. Cole!" Tom started to say before she abandoned him in the dark.

This did not bode well.

A sudden Lumos could be heard and the boy's eyes widened in fear. He did not have his wand with him...

Tom saw the wrinkled face of a tired, old wizard. Even though he looked exhausted, he smiled pleasantly at Tom, his eyes twinkling, and said "Tom, my boy, it's been such a long time since I've seen you whole"

The teenager's deductive skills were on par as usual "D-Dumbledore?"

'What was his professor doing here? Why was he so old? Was he somehow spying on him? For surely Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore would not adopt the bane of his teaching life' the boy thought.

The old professor started smiling and nodded his head.

"What do you mean it's been a long time since you've seen me whole? I don't remember being crippled" Tom asked in a holier than thou voice then added "sir", reluctantly.

"That is a long story, my boy" Albus answered.

'Dumbledore and his interminable stories' Tom thought while groaning internally.

Suddenly another Lumos could be heard behind him.
He whirled around to be met with a slightly older boy with jade-colored eyes and a man dressed all in black who was standing protectively in front of the boy while throwing To an unimpressed look.

"The boy stared at him for what seemed like eons before saying "He doesn't seem like a psychopath"
Tom looked slightly affronted. Did the boy think he was a psychopath to begin with? And if not, then did that mean the stranger found him completely harmless? Like a puffskein? Intolerable!

"Appearances are deceiving, Potter" the bat-like man answered through clenched teeth.

"Now, now, Severus" The old wizard chided his loyal friend.

Tom took a look at his greasy hair and big schnozz before answering "As if you know anything about appearances"

The man, Severus stepped forward in a menacing way and Tom tried to stay collected yet somewhat failed. The older man really was fearsome.

"Don't. provoke. me." Severus said in an intimidating voice before adding "little lordling" disdainfully.

Tom felt as if he was using reverse psychology on him for he felt compelled to say " Bow down to your superiors" yet he refrained from voicing it.

The boy, Potter come forward and hugged the stern man from behind. This seemed to soothe him enough to back down, slowly.

Tom had had enough.

"Why are you here, Dumbledore?" he almost screamed.

Severus and Harry looked reproachful at him for the way he had addressed his professor.

"Why, Tom, I wish to adopt you, of course"