The Serpent
[Every great evil has a humble beginning]

31st December 1926
Friday

A woman wrapped in rags walked through the cold streets of London.
Her face was covered by a hood to protect herself from the freezing snowstorm.
The rags had some holes here and there, but she wrapped it tightly around herself trying to protect her huge belly from the freezing wind.

The woman was pregnant.

Merope Gaunt felt herself getting weaker, as she suddenly tripped and fell to the ground. She silently thanked whatever God was responsible for the deep snow, because otherwise she would have fallen onto the hard concrete floor.
The woman stood up again, and stumbled through the streets.
She looked eagerly into the windows of the houses where families sat together happily.

She envied these people!

Through a window she saw a boy and a girl, both seemed very young, three and four, guessed Merope.
They played with wooden building bricks.
As they managed to build a large tower, the boy apparently cried for his parents because they appeared shortly afterwards and looked at the tower.
The little boy looked up at his parents, pride showing in his deep blue eyes.
The girl smiled sweetly, and her face was beamed beautifully.

Merope envied this girl!
She was pretty, prettier than her and she was only three!
Merope, however, squinted, and had dirty, matted hair.
Her face was haggard and looked even uglier at the moment.
She had never been pretty.
The nose of the Gaunt girl was crooked, her father had once told her that it was her brother Morfin's fault, because he had beaten her with a frying pan once.
Merope hadn't cooked properly that day, she had burnt the food slightly.
Morfin had become angry and beaten her with the fryingpan.

Merope had been beaten often.
By her father.
But mostly by Morfin.
He and she had never gotten along.
Merope never got any attention!
Her brother was the brilliant son in the eyes of her father, she was just sort of there, like a piece of furniture that belonged to the house.
That fact had never hurt her as much as now.

The little girl on the other side of the window laughed and was lifted up by her father.
Merope went on, because she suddenly felt repulsed at so much happiness.

She quickly turned around, continued her search.
But nothing!
And moreover, she was overcome by an even more terrible dizziness.

She pressed her hands on her belly.
The child would be Slytherin's their!
It was precious!
The only thing that was left over from Tom Riddle's love.
But, was it really love?
No, Merope had realized it too late.
He had never loved her!

She thought, that the potion would help him realize his feelings for her.
Maybe they could be together if he had the courage to stand against his family.
Maybe he would at least love her after taking the potion for so long.
But nothing!
He had left her.
Her, his wife!
And their unborn child!
He had looked at her belly with disgust.
As if the child inside it was a spawn from hell!

Tom had looked at her for quite a long time before he had spat at the feet, gave her a venomous look and with the words: "Go to hell and take that- that cursed thing with you!" He slammed the door and rode away!.
He had left her and the child to fend for themselves!

How could he do that?
They had had such a good time!
If Merope had only kept giving him the potion for longer!
But no.
It was too late.
Her great love, Tom Riddle, was gone.
Just like her will to live.

The only reason why she wandered through the streets of London was the child!
The child, for which she would do anything!
But Merope was greatly weakened, and repeatedly a wave of pain her going through abdomen.

It was New Year's Eve.
This festival had never meant much to Merope. But a year ago she had spent it with Tom.
They had watched the colorful festivals, which should drive away evil spirits.
Tom had even shot fireworks or something in the air.
He apparently liked it.
But there had been no happiness in his eyes. They had been empty since she had started giving him the potion.

But he had told her.
Tom had always been fascinated by the colorful gizmos which one shot into the air.
He had previously always lit them with his father.

Merope had always spent that day at home. "You can not go out there and celebrate, girl! It is a celebration of vile Muggles!" That's what her father had always called it.
Marvolo Gaunt had never been a friendly man'

He was quickly irritated, and Muggle's where the worst for him.
Scum, underexposed creatures, not worthy of life!
All names, which her father had often used.

Only once had he been proud of her.
Once!

Merope had brought and started to read him one of the few books. Some words she didn't understand, but the books had given him joy, no matter how bad her reading skills had been.

The honorable Salazar Slytherin and his great deeds had been the headline.
When Marvolo and Morfin came from hunting and the head of the family had seen his daughter with the book, she had expected to be punished.
He went up to her, lifted her chin and gently stroked her hand over Meropes cheek.
"You are interested in these things! You read about your roots and the holy Salazar Slytherin. Go on, Merope, and do your ancestors proud!", He said and pressed and walked into the house with a sneering Morfin.

Another pain shot through Merope and let her gasp.
With she went through the streets with more rapid steps. Again she stumbled, but Merope straightened up again and again.
For the unborn child!

She eventually reached a large iron gate.
An orphanage, as far as Merope had understood it.
With her last strength she pushed open the heavy gate and entered the yard.
It was spacious and had some trees to climb standing around.
More could not be seen through the snow.

Merope dragged herself to the door of the large estate and knocked several times.
It was very late, and a miracle if anyone was awake!
She almost wanted to turn around, but then the wooden door was opened.

"Yes, what you want? " A woman stepped out, wrapped in a dressing gown.
"Please, I don't have a home and need a shelter for me and my unborn child." Merope sounded desperate and leaned against the door, as dizziness came over her.
The young woman opened the door wider and let Merope inside.
"Thank you very much!", She whispered then.

The young woman just waved.
"I will just quickly get the Matron. Please take a seat on down the sofa. " Merope was led to a tattered, dark sofa and she sat down on it.

Her legs ached and she went through a wave of pain yet again.
Panting, she clenched her hand around the armrest of the sofa.
The woman from before and the Matron looked startled at her.
"Miss, may it be that the child is already born?"
The Matron rolled her eyes at the woman beside her.
"No, Cole, the young woman is doing just that! Bring her to a bed, I will call a midwife!"
The Matron disappeared from the room.

Ms. Cole, as the woman was apparently called, took Merope by the arm and pulled her up.
She was taken to a very small hospital room.
Merope laid down on the bed.

A few minutes later the Matron and a woman clothed in white stormed into the room.

****
The birth had cost Merope a great amount of strength!
Strength that she actually didn't have...

The child was born healthy.
"Miss, look, it's a boy!" The midwife announced happily, and gave the in a towel wrapped child to his mother.

Tom did not cry.
Not a sound escaped his lips.

The midwife frantically patted the boy several times on the back, but he did not make a sound. He seemed really stubborn!
But he was breathing normally.
Everything was fine with the child when it was handed over to his mother.

"It is a handsome boy," said Ms. Cole firmly and looked at the boy.

Merope stroked his face in admiration.

"Tom, he shall be called Tom Marvolo Riddle. Tom Riddle, after his father. And Marvolo after mine "
The director, Ms. McPenny listed the name and date of birth.

12.31.1926, 11.57 pm. Tom Marvolo Riddle.

"My Darling! My precious!" Merope stroke his cheek softly.
She fell asleep shortly after that.

However, Merope Gaunt would never wake up again.