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Harry always knew it would one day end like this. One final dance with his nemesis, one final night. The boy who lived went on his own towards his death and he was strangely contempt with it. Night was night and darkness cradled him in a way his mother's love had done all these years ago. But when he finally faced his end, Death seemed to have other plans for him.
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Lord Voldemort spoke his usual phrase. For a wizard who was supposedly so powerful and smart, he seemed to have a very dense choice of spells at his arsenal. It was always either the killing curse or the cruciatus curse. Harry would have laughed about it maybe, if he wasn't dead by that point. He expected to feel something, pain, anger, sadness, anything, but it was so peaceful instead. He felt for the first time like he was actually just falling asleep, nice and soft, without any worry about tomorrow. There wouldn't be a tomorrow. There never would be. Then he opened eyes to blinding light and King's Cross station, and Dumbledore. "Professor?", Harry asked him confused, standing up to look around. Everything was much cleaner and lighter, then the dark and grimy station would normally appear like in real life. "Where are we?""What do you think, Harry?", the Headmaster asked with a soft smile on his lips, before he pulled an arm over Harry's shoulders, pulling him along as they started walking towards nothing but blending light, that formed into more of the train station, leaving blinding light instead behind them."I died", Harry said, making the kind of observation he always did. "And yet we are here to talk", the Headmaster said, not disagreeing with the statement. "But why do you think we are here in specific? What is a train station after all?"Harry felt like he was given one of these obvious question, that were far too easy that it made one doubt everything. "...because that is like... a transportation way... a crossroad of options?" He wanted to sound much more confident, but he was stumbling over his words and he wasn't even sure what he was saying. The headmaster smiled nonetheless. "This place is indeed one of option. At least to the Master of Death it is." Dumbledore looked away as though looking at something not even present yet. "I remember the brothers well. I was very fond of their youngest, you know? He understood me best, but none of them fully understood what it means to be a Master of Death.""Are you...?", Harry didn't even dare finishing the sentence, and instead just gawked at his Headmaster, whose smile brightened, before he winked at him. "It shall stay a secret between the two of us", he spoke and Harry felt a sudden shiver run over him after all. "You have done well, so I shall grant you one finale option, Harry, but the choice is yours. You may return to your time, try and hopefully win, but those who have died, will never come back, or you may be given a second path, go back further and try save more than you could of think of.""You mean time travel?" Harry looked at him surprised. "But isn't that dangerous? What about the consequences? What about...?"Death laughed, it was a bit different to the way he remembered the Headmaster to laugh. "That you will not have to worry about. It will be outside of those kind of troubles. But it will be a gamble. You can worsen it if you are uncareful or you can better it, save everyone you love, even those you might have never gotten the chance to meet."Harry stopped. It sounded too good to be true, but also too dangerous. There weren't many more Horcruxes left, they had a decent chance for sure, but what if not? What would be left of them? And what if he could succeed? What if he couldn't just save his friends, but his parents too? What if he could make so that none of his friends would ever have to even get in such a horrible situation, that all of them could just have lived a normal, boring school life, like they were supposed to? Harry wanted that so badly, but it felt like a dangerous desire. It could be a trick after all. "How... what will happen to this timeline?", Harry asked then.Death had turned his back to him, watching the bright light in front of him, hands crossed in his back. "It will cease to exit. Cut out of time, but it will not be much of a loss." The head turned to him, smile still laying soft and sweetly on the old man's lip, hidden underneath the long white beard. "I can feel the decision in your heart. You should not worry. I trust you can do the right thing."Somehow those words calmed Harry a bit. If he were given another chance at life, at his life, he was sure he would be able to change fate. He was about to nod, head already moving, when the smile widened and the light rushed towards him. "I knew you would make the right decision", Death spoke over the brightness and Harry realised too late that he should have asked for more information. Hermione would have done it, but he obviously had forgotten. He wasn't even sure where he would be spit out again. ...Harry opened his eyes again and he wanted to close them again. He recognised the place, even if it was just from hearing and some sort of historic pictures of it. Voldemort had been here a while ago, so maybe that was the time Harry was sent to, but if that was the case, did it not feel like enough time. "What are you doing here?", a male voice asked him, a boy, older than him, familiar looking. Where had Harry seen him before? And why was he trapped in the castle as well? He was sure he had heard that Grindelwald was locked up in this place on his own. "Uh", was all that came from Harry's mouth, before he suddenly heard a door opening and in walked the dark Lord. A dark lord though. Not his dark lord. And this one seemed far too young as well. "Credence, it seems we have a visitor, who are you?", Grindelwald asked him, eyeing him estranged, eyebrow risen up, but no wand in his hand yet. Apparently was Harry not much looking like a threat in the moment. Grindelwald however was strange to look at. Harry only knew portrays of him as an old, greying man, not like the young man that stood in front of him. "Uhm, Harry", Harry answered confused, realising that he had no wand, no portkey, no way of escape in the moment, all he had was his wits, which meant he was probably screwed from the beginning. "And Harry", Grindelwald rose his brow even higher saying his name strangely, "what are you doing here?"Harry was trying to think of a good excuse. What would Hermione say in his situation? Well, actually Hermione would have surely have trouble with this too. She was more the preplanned person and wouldn't hopefully end in such a predicament, but at the very least would she knew more than him and be able to figure out some sort of strategy. "I don't know", Harry admitted then. "I am here by mere accident." Harry's eyes fell to the elder wand that had now fallen into Grindelwalds hand. Or maybe that wasn't so accidental that he was here. Maybe he was drawn to the deathly hollows. "Wait", Harry shouted quickly, stretching out his hand. He couldn't fail so quickly. He has just been killed by a Dark Wizard, he didn't wanna make it into a streak. Grindelwald paused. Credence stared at him from the side. "I might not be here out of total accident. I did a ritual." Harry felt the lie spill out of him, before he knew better and that was dangerous, but at least did it make the wand from the dark wizard fall lower. Interest in his eyes. Quick, Harry thought, what would convince Grindelwald to let him go. "I wanted to learn something about my future. I wanted to see where it would lead me, which path to choose. I am a Seer, you see? And I can't see my own future, so I tried to cheat a bit. Nothing bad about a wizard wanting to find his path, right?"Grindelwald looked him up and down in suspicion. "You are a Seer?", he asked, unbelieving, but his wand disappeared again fully. Perhaps Harry having said it bad enough to make him sound pathetic enough for the dark lord not to see him as a threat no more. He just hoped he would let him leave. Harry nodded. "Yes, but the ritual most have gone wrong, because suddenly I am... somewhere? Where exactly?""Not important." Grindelwald waved off and Harry had to keep a smug smile from his lips. If Grindelwald believed he did not know about the placement of the castle, then for sure Harry might have a shot at escaping this alive. "Tell me then, why do you think you are here?"Harry shrugged. "I am not sure." Lies, Harry thought. Convincing lies, that was all he needed. "I am not sure at all. I haven't been a wizard for long. I grew up with muggles." Harry tried his best to sound hateful at the end, which wasn't so hard if he specifically thought about his uncle and aunt and all the years he was forced to live with them. "Me neither", Credence said, sounding sympathetic. "I am just learning now."Harry nodded. "But I had these dreams far longer", Harry tried to continue explaining his fake story. It was starting to strangely flow, making it easier by the word he said. Lying wasn't so hard if he feared death instead and if he just twisted the truth a bit. Dreams of Voldemort? Might as well just be prophetic dreams now! "I saw you in them", Harry then said, trying to make his voice sound more awestruck. "Where is your wand?", Grindelwald suddenly asked coldly. Harry patted himself up, but he already knew he had nothing with him. He had let go of Malfoy's wand before he was hit. It might now once more be in Draco's hand. "I don't know. I haven't had it for long", Harry admitted. It was kinda the truth. "And you say, you dreamed of me?" Harry nodded. Grindelwald came closer a bit then. "About what?""Just you in this place, and uhm, another man.""Dumbledore", Grindelwald spoke the name with emotions that were beyond Harry's understanding. "I don't know?", Harry asked unsurely. Grindelwald rolled his eyes, which was very un-dark lord-like, Harry assumed. "Are you not going to Hogwarts?""Not yet", Harry said. "I want to though, I think. Anything is better than living with those muggles. They are... well, they do not understand me and they make it know how much they hate me, simply because I am unlike them."Something lid up in Grindelwalds eyes and Harry knew he would be save for now. Maybe though not fully. "Well, then you might be at the right place after all. You might not know about me yet, but I am planing on freeing us from the shackles of those beneath us."Harry turned along when Grindelwald moved closer to the giant window. Credence stared at Harry with wide eyes and sympathy and Harry felt a strange feeling seeing that. "Tell me, Harry", his name was said weird again, but more like he was trying to make it sound that way, then him doing it by accident, "could you look closer into my future? Tell me something of it?""I think so", Harry said, "but I want to go back home then.""To the muggles?", Credence asked with disgust. "No", Harry said, "To my family, whom those muggles have taken me from." That was absolutely wrong. He wasn't sure where he could go. His grandfather should be alive during this time and probably old enough to be his dad... he might actually go visit him. Grindelwald watched him for a while, then nodded. "You have my word", the dark wizard assured him and Harry tried to remember everything from divination that might now make him look believable. "Great", Harry said, trying to smile as unsuspecting as he could, before daring to step closer. "I think I should be able to read from your palm. I done that a few time for others. Sometimes I see specifics then." Grindelwald seemed less excited about it, but stretched out his open palm for Harry to hold, which was when Harry noticed his hands were smaller then he remembered seeing them last, and, though he wasn't much taller, did he feel smaller too.He couldn't keep the shock then from his face, and the eyes of Grindelwald widened. "What?", the wizard demanded. "What do you see little boy?"How old was Harry? Because he surely wasn't seventeen anymore. "Sadness", Harry said, trying to clear his head a bit. "But also a very long life line, though you will have to live, missing the person you love." As far as Harry knew had Grindelwald and Dumbledore been friends and nonetheless had the dark lord wanted to kill his future headmaster, so perhaps this was reassuring to him. There was a triumph of a smile on the dark lords lips. "And can you see how?""How you will be sad?", Harry asked, acting a bit dumber than he was, just in case Grindelwald would start suspecting him or try pulling him into their circles. It was great if he was younger locking, maybe then would he get away more easily. "No, how he will die?" Grindelwald seemed to notice that Harry wanted to ask who, so he added by saying, "The person I love. How is he going to die?""He will be betrayed by a young wizard he dared putting his trust into", Harry spoke nothing but the truth again, though that thought settled heavily with him. How was Malfoy dealing with that? How would he have dealt with that? It had seemed to haven't set right with him either, so Harry doubted the blonde Slytherin would have been fine, no matter how the war would have ended. Grindelwald let out a satisfied breath, before his eyes fell over to Credence. "That is all I need to know for now", Grindelwald assured him. "You shall write to me, once you know more and if you are interested in joining our noble cause, we could very well use someone in Hogwarts."And that was the moment, Harry realised there was one more thing he could do. He grabbed Grindelwalds arm with a sudden force and twisted his face as strangely as Professor Trelawney would do sometimes if she got visions, he even made his voice sound hollow and strange, "In that school lurks someone who will be your death." And then he took a deep breath and blinked confused, watching Grindelwald's face twist in concentration. Once more Harry had said nothing but the truth. Grindelwald eyed him with a strange interest then, but Harry hoped it would stay at interest and not make him plan on keeping him here. He wasn't confident in continuing this charade. Then Grindelwald said, "Well then, where do you live?""Godrics Hallow", Harry said, since it was the only place he knew from his family, though he was sure his Grandparents did not yet live there. Harry waved towards Credence once, before he was apparated away. They stood in Godrics Hallow then and Grindelwald turned to him shortly. "I will come to contact you soon again", the dark wizard promised, which was not something Harry was keen on, but he just hoped they were closet to the end of that guys reign. Harry nodded at him confused, wanting to say something that would let him out of this, but at that point was the dark wizard already gone. Fine, Harry thought, he would just need to go to Hogwarts then and hide behind Professor Dumbledore for a bit. ... It took Harry nearly a whole day to find his grandparents place. It was deep night by then and he had to ask multiple wizards for help, telling them that he got lost, that his wand was gone and his parents did not know where he was. Apparently was he young looking enough to have it seem convincing and also looked enough like a Potter, for obvious reasons, that no-one questioned his desire to go to them. Eventually he met an old witch, who knew his family well enough to get him right in front of their door. "Thanks", Harry said, smiling and waving at her, while she was already riding off with her broom into the night. Harry hadn't seen many elder people still ride a broom, which made him kinda respect her in a weird sense. If he ever got that old, he would also still wanna ride on one. It was a much nicer feeling, then apparating. The house he stood now in front, was more resembling the Malfoy estate or even Grimmauld place 12, maybe something in between, for sure though far too big for just two people. Harry walked up to the door and knocked, because what else was he supposed to do? He had just finished a long period of sleeping in hiding outside and hd no interest in continue doing it, besides had he done it with Ron and Hermione and magic, and now he didn't even a wand, or anything besides the clothes on his body. The door opened after a while and Harry nearly jumped away. The man that had opened the door, looked so much like the pictures of his father, though he was older than him. Maybe ten years older or so. It was strange though, it was difficult. His grandfather stood in front of him and was perhaps the oldest Potter there was from this point onward. Neither Harry nor his father had reached this man's age."Yes? Can I help you?", Fleamont Potter asked and Harry struggled for words. This was maybe a stupid idea after all. How was he supposed to explain that? Sure, he was allowed to do so, but would that even mean he would believed? "Uh", Harry wasn't really good at beginnings as it seemed. He took a deep breath then. "This might sound weird", Harry said then very carefully, "but my name is Harry Potter and you are my... my um..."Fleamont's eyes widened in distaste. "I am surely not your father. That is no funny business. I would never cheat on my wife, so I would like for you-""No, no no", Harry said quickly, stretching out his arms in defence. "Not my father, of course not. No, you are, well, you and your wife are, my, well, grandparents."Fleamont looked at him, stared him up and down, before he sighed. "Now, I know this is impossible, but I have time, so I will let you inside. But I must ask you to hand me your wand first.""Don't have one", Harry mumbled annoyed, "That got lost when all... well this happened." Harry was gesturing through the air in front of his with his hands and Fleamont sighed and let him inside. Harry was stunned the whole time. The place was gigantic, but not in the empty way Malfoy manor was, no, this place was nice and warm and cosy. It was filled with things that were used and the colours were bright and warm, making Harry stare at everything with awe. "Wow, my dad grew up here?"Fleamont flinched then a bit, before he yelled, "Euphemia, Darling, would you come down? We have a guest who claims they are our grandchild.""What?", a high voice yelled down, before steps were rushing down and a woman came rushing down the stairs, stoping in front of them. His grandmother looked also a lot like his father, but in a different way. Her skin was lighter than his, hair was straighter and a soft brown, eyes an even lighter brown, but the way she smiled reminded him a lot of the few bits that he had seen of his father. Euphemia Potter looked from him to her husband back to him. "Well he better be our grandson, or you, Mister, will have a lot of explaining to do. I will make chocolate, the kid looks like he just escaped war."Harry laughed then, it was a pathetic excuse of a laugh and it soon transformed into an even more pathetic excuse of crying. Harry did not like crying in front of others. He normally didn't. The Dursley's would have not tolerated him crying and anyone else would not have understood it, they had deepened on him so much, that crying sometimes felt like a too big of a weakness. "Sorry", Harry said between some sobs, trying to push the tears back inside, by wiping hard at them. "The last, well years, have been a lot.""It's okay", Fleamont Potter said, softly touching Harry's shoulder, which was all Harry had ever wanted from his family. It did not matter who that family was. The closest he had come to this kind of feeling was with Sirius, but now Sirius... wasn't born. Either way he wasn't there. "Why don't we go in the living room first", his grandfather spoke softly, moving them both into another place in the giant house and soon did Harry find himself in a large space that reminded him of the Gryffindor common room, it made him instantly relax. Fleamont guided him to a golden and red armchair and put him down on it, before sitting on a couch next to it, before soon his grandmother came after, a little tray with cups and golden pitcher flowing behind her. She sat next to her husband with a lot of energy. The place was empty besides the three of them. "My father isn't born yet", Harry settled on saying, it sounded still a bit like a question, "Well of course he isn't. It is... what year is it? Grindelwald is still-""Wait, wait, hold up, I do not know much about time magic, but I am pretty sure you shouldn't be so easy spilling the future like that. That seems too dangerous. It could change the future." Fleamont seemed horrified of the idea. "I hope so", Harry said instead. "That is why I am here. I... well, this isn't time travel like with a time travel. Death send me here and allowed me to change the past, though I wouldn't have expected to be send this far!"Both of his grandparents blinked then and looked at one another like they weren't sure if they shouldn't perhaps call an Auror after all. "I can prove that I am not crazy. If you give me Veritaserum, I could assure you I am not lying", Harry spoke up, desperation in his voice. He just wanted a break if he was honest. A nice warm bed and maybe actually a cup of hot chocolate. He would give all for that now. He had faced two dark Lords in one day, he felt like that was a record no one would want."No need for such matters. Promise it instead", his grandmother suggested and he nodded quickly."Of course. A magic promise", he said, before he already spoke the words. They looked at him horrified then. "That was not necessary", Fleamont assured him, but swung his wand to fill the cups with hot chocolate, "but then go ahead. We have the year 1942.""1942!", Harry nearly squeaked. That was a lot of years prior. Early enough that he might even be able to still prevent Voldemort from creating his first horcrux. Harry fell lower in his armchair, before being handed a cup of warm sweetness. He couldn't drink it yet. He felt like he was aging years again. "I am in 1942", he said astound. He might never get to see Hermione or Ron again, he hadn't thought about that. He might not even see the result of what he done, not until he was an old man, if he became an old man. It seemed rather unlikely. "You spoke of Death", Euphemia Potter reminded him, lifting a finger up before lifting the cup to her lips. Fleamont Potter gave her a little nudge and shook his head. "Yes, uhm, Death. I am not sure I understood that myself yet so rightly. He let me... maybe that part should stay a secret", Harry admitted, feeling a bit ashamed of not trusting them in that sense, but if time travel like this, a second chance, was known how it was required, then surely things would escalate even further. "Understandable", his grandfather agreed, his own cup between his hands. "And you talked about a son of ours?""My father, yes", Harry agreed, trying to sit further up. "I had hoped... well I wasn't sure when I would come out, but I only did it, because I wanted to save him."Both their cups lowered then, eyes shocked on him. "You mean... he is...?" Fleamont did not finish the sentence. Harry's mood darkened once more. The ninth of Halloween was something that would never escape him, even if it had not happened yet. "Yes", he said grimly. "How was he though? You must love him a lot if you traveled through time hoping to save him", his grandmother asked him softly."I will save him", Harry assured her, because he needed to assure him. Then he shrugged. "I heard he was a great man. Everyone said so. He seemed great from what I know. Him and my mother were both great.""You didn't get to know them", Euphemia Potter spoke saddened, putting her cup back on the table, her hands seemingly wanting to reach for Harry, but staying on her legs for now. Harry shrugged again. "I don't need to know them like that, to love them. They are my parents and they died for me, so it is right I do the same for them.""Do you need to die for this to work? Absolutely not!", Flemaont Potter said, standing up, but his wife was already pulling him down. "I am letting our grandchild sacrifice himself like that. I am sure our son would agree with that.""I am planning on dying", Harry said, before adding more mumbled, "again, at least." He tried to sit straighter then. "I was more thinking about trying to prevent their deaths and others, by ensuring the dark lord that will kill them will not rise.""Grindelwald has already risen", his grandmother said sternly. "I am afraid you might be too late for that kind of plan."Harry let out a deep breath. "I wish I was talking about Grindelwald. No, the dark lord I am speaking of, is currently still in school, I am afraid, planning his future rule.""O, great, another dark lord, seriously? When will this stop. What his agenda then?"Another shrug from Harry. "Kinda the same, but leaning more towards wanting to have power and he is even more cruel then Grindelwald, but it is fine. I will make sure of it." Harry then moved on his seat awkwardly. "I think." He cleared his throat then, looking down to his feet. "Um, but the actual reason why I am here is another."They looked both at him then with warmth and questioning eyes. "What is it? We are not that big of fighters, but-""O, no, no, I just, I just, didn't know where else to go. I mean I probably could have gone to Professor Dumbledore, but..." Harry couldn't put it into words, but going to Dumbledore felt strangely uncomfortable. He was still not sure how to feel about the Headmaster after having just found out that the man had known all along, had raised him, just so he could die at the precise timing. Sure, he understood why, but it did still feel like betrayal that hung heavy inside of him. "Well, I guess, I just wanted to at least meet part of my family if possible.""You wanna live here?", Eupemia Potter asked, sounding surprised and Harry flinched from the directness. He wasn't sure what to say, so he just nodded, glancing into the foaming hot chocolate still sitting untouched in his hands. "I mean, I wouldn't know where else you would go, but stay with your family", Fleamont assured him humoured. "Though I must say, I wish next time you would not fall with the door into the house." He laughed a bit then, his wife didn't, neither did Harry, so he stoped, which made his wife smile brightly. "We will figure something out, Harry", his grandmother assured him, changing seats with her husband, so she could lay an encouraging hand on his leg. "Hm?", she asked, stroking his cheek softly. "If we are you grandparents, then isn't it our job after all to take care of you, pamper you, when your parents can't.""Or are nor born yet", Fleamont added, smiling at Harry widely. "Thanks", Harry's voice was hoarse and he sniffled, trying to erase the upcoming tears by wiping over his face. He had always wanted this. His family, wizard family, loving family, with him. He wanted a place he felt like he belonged to, where he wouldn't have to pretend to be someone else, where he wouldn't have to smaller himself more than he was, just so he could fit into the tight room he was given. Hogwarts had been such a place for him, but it was not save either. The Weasleys were close, but they were still not fully his, not the way that his own family was his. Harry smiled then, which felt so strange after everything that happened the past years. Foreign even. Then Harry felt the weight of adrenaline and fear rush out of him for a second and before he knew it was exhaustion so overwhelming, that his head just fell back and he fell asleep in an instant.
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Harry woke up, not to death and mayhem, not to loud yelling, not the cold of the forest. No, he just woke up, snuggled into warm blankets to the bit of sunlight that started to softly touch his face. There were no other sounds plaguing him but his own thoughts, that were anyway too loud to hear anything clear.He was laying in a big bed instead of the armchair he was sure he had fallen asleep on and his glasses seemed somewhere else. It took him a bit of begrudgingly forcing himself to wake up and moving his hand around, before he finally touched the silver rim of his glasses on a nightstand next to him. He put them on, so he could see better, but even without them could he have seen the huge size of the room. Would this have been his father's room? It would certainly fit it. Everything was filled with nice carpets, wall decorations, everything in golden, red and brown colours, an armchair, shelves half filled and a desk. Harry had no time to think more about this sentimental stuff, he should focus, he thought. Just because of a few sweet words and promises did it not meant he was save. The last time someone had promised him a home, he had lost the chance of it not long after either and things weren't looking better now. He had, after all, the misfortune of having to interact with Grindelwald and surely would that dark lord keep his promise and eventually make an appearance. It seemed always like that. Those dark lords had it after him.He found a pile of fresh new clothes and eventually even found a bathroom. That is when he finally got a look at himself. He certainly didn't look all too well. He looked younger for sure. Maybe fourteen? It was hard to tell with him, since he had always looked a bit younger than his actual age. He was smaller than most his age too, but he was reminded of the bit longer hair he was wearing, that for sure fitted more to the appearance he had when he was around the age. His wounds however, were gone and only some of the dirt still stuck to him and the clothes he was wearing. The shirt he had on was much more loose now, though it ha never really fitted him right. Harry looked like the exact way he had expected. A child on the run. Though he had already imagined as such, was it hard to see it in reality. It felt all too much, to true. His life had taken a direction, before he was even born and now he was on this path that he would have never chosen himself, just because he had been chosen for it. It all came cursing down on him, the feeling of a burden that was getting harder and harder to carry with every step he was forced to take. That was when he averted the mirror and instead went for the showers, taking some hot water to scrub away every bit of dirt still lingering on him and if he might have let a few tears fall astray as well, then nobody would know. The clothes he had been left with, were certainly not his style. Gone were the jeans and given was a pair of looser suit pants. Instead of a t-shirt was he now given some long shirt with stripes. Harry wasn't the biggest fan of wearing that either, but then again, he had never been the person to complain much about the clothing he was given. Afterwards was he making his way back outside, searching for his grandparents, before he eventually found them in a dinning room, sitting at a table, that was filled with all sort of breakfast food on some nice posh trays. Both his grandparents had their noses deep in some papers, so Harry just stood there, moving from one leg to the other, unsure if he should say something. "I think- O Harry, come sit, sit. We didn't wanna wake you. You are right on time for tea", his grandfather said excited with a bright smile, already wanting to stand up to get him if necessary, but Harry was already taken a seat. He was starving... no starving wasn't even doing it anymore. He was used to starving, now he was just unable to contain any moment longer without food. His grandfather had stood a bit after all, using both magic and his hands to put nice little pastries and small sandwiches on the plate in front of him, as well as giving him some tea. "Harry, you look hungry, please feel free to eat as much as you like", his grandmother assured him, moving her papers from her face away to the side. It was something official looking, but Harry was too hungry to care. He was stuffing a piece of puff pastry in his mouth the second it had contacted his plate and was given therefore freely to him. War had drained him. Euphemia looked pleased by that, chuckling a bit. "Don't worry there is enough, so eat as much you want. Fleamont and I have spend the morning taking care of some stuff."Harry looked up at that, having just stuffed another sandwich piece in his mouth, hardly swallowing at this point. He swallowed now. "What kind of stuff?" He felt a bit anxious then. What if they were trying to send him back to the future or had talked to the ministry? That could certainly ruin things.They looked at one another, making a silent decision, before they looked at him with those soft warm gazes, both of them reaching out a hand over the table towards him, as though they wanted to hold him. "We thought, and we knew that is not our decision, but we would wanna give it to you, that we could offer you to be your parents. I mean we are already your grandparents anyway and we have thought about a way to justify your disappearance and given you are a Potter, it would not be like there wouldn't be any proof to it either. You could live with us as long as you want and if your father is born then you could be like his big brother and-""Fleamont honey, calm down, give Harry some time to think about it", Euphemia warned him sweetly, before looking at Harry with a warm smile. "You haven't yet said, exactly what you are planning to do, but we wanna help you anyway we can. We are family after all."Harry swallowed. Not because he had food stuck his throat, but because he had feelings stuck there that felt as ancient as himself. "Um, I... should tell you something first", Harry decided then and they nodded, so he started telling them all about Grindelwald and his meeting and what he had said to ensure Grindelwald would let him leave again, before he finished with, "So I am not sure if he won't show up in the distant future again."Fleamont nodded. "Hm, okay, well that should be fine, but why the mention of muggles?", he asked confused. "Oh, um, my mother is muggleborn", he told them honestly, their eyes both widened a bit surprised, but not the mean way some pureblood would surely have on their face. "After my parents death, her sister was all the family there was left, so I was left with them, but they just liked their normality and I did not fit that, so... yeah, I am used to it.""Used to what?", his grandmother asked with a confused brow risen. "You make it sound like they weren't nice."Harry let out a dry laugh. "Well, that is probably because they weren't. I am pretty sure they hated me. I spend most of my life under the cupboard under the stairs. Only when I was growing too tall for it, was I allowed to live in the small guest room. Besides that was I not much allowed anywhere, sometimes I felt more like a servant than a family member with the way they were treating me." Harry had spoken his frustration out, but seeing his grandparents faces, made him wanna pull it back inside. He made himself smaller again, but that only made his grandparents look even more miserable. "Harry", his grandmother said in a soft tone, reaching far enough to grasp his hand into hers, "that sounds horrible. I can't believe anyone would let you stay with such awful folks, don't worry you won't be treated here like this, if you want to stay. We will treat you like we would wanna treat our son, maybe even worse, you know grandparents are supposed to spoil their grandchildren." She winked at him and it eased something in Harry. He did wanna stay, but he wasn't sure if he told them his plan they would still wanna let him. "I am not planning on murdering him, my dark lord, the future murderer of my parents", Harry explained then bravely, racing right ahead. "I am not sure I could. I don't want to kill someone. Not even him.""Of course not!", Fleamont said surprised. "Why would we expect you to become a murderer! That is horrible and not good for your soul. Who said you should?""Uh, pretty much, everybody", Harry answered honestly. "I am supposed to kill him.""But you said he is a student now", Euphemia threw in. "A child then.""Yes." Harry nodded. "Surely not evil yet", Fleamont added. Harry stopped nodding, stretching his face in a grimace. "Well, actually, he is close to it, but I think I could prevent it. I could get him away from that path he is heading for, I just need to get him to see that his way is wrong. That is why I would need to go to Hogwarts, keep an eye on him too during the holidays, so he doesn't go murdering his family."That made his grandparents seemingly rethink their earlier assessment, but they pushed that surprised look quickly out of their faces. "If that is what you want, then we shall do that. We will help you however well we can. We can house him too, if that is what you mean with keeping an eye on him during holidays."Harry beamed at that. He wasn't expecting this to go this easy. "Really?", he asked surprised. "Do you think we could somehow even manage to get him for this summer break? I am sure it would help. Or I could I already attend Hogwarts now?""I think that would be a problem. Attending Hogwarts so close to the end of the year seems unlikely", Fleamont said. "But for the first, sure. Have you an idea how?"Harry thought for a second. Tried to remember everything he knew about Riddle, everything he had seen, heard of him, how they had wrote through the diary and then a wicked smile shone on his face. "I think I know just the thing."... His grandparents were both busy making sure all papers were in order. They traveled to the ministry often, get everything sorted out. Once they took him even along. They settled for a fake story then. He was their son, born in a muggle hospital by accident, believed to be dead as he had been swapped by a muggle family with a dead-born child. They were too sad to write it anywhere down, but then Harry, who they indeed ended up putting in as a Seer for a believable excuse of how Harry's magic had found an outlet, had shown up one day and told them what happened, that the muggles had died in war and he had found out he was replaced. None of the Potters felt very happy about having to lie like this, but they managed to do it for appearance sake still. Most of the time Harry though was able to spend at home... yes, his new home, and enjoying some peace and calm. It wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. Every little sound made hm skittish and he was most of the time on his feet, waiting for war, which wasn't far off, war was happening around him, but it wasn't his war. Not like the war he left behind was his. Nonetheless was Harry very happy when they finally decided to go outside and even more happy, when he they told him they would get him his wand. He had felt naked the past day without any weapon between his fingers, not that he was allowed to use it, now that he was registered and too young for outside magic. Still, the thought of having his wand in his hand, calmed him down immensely. They went to diagon alley and their first stop was Ollivander's. Harry felt like he was twelve again, jumping at the excitement of going to get his wand back. His original one was broken, but here, in this time, it was just waiting for him. Fleamont and Euphemia both smiled at him then. "You already know what your wand will be?", Fleamont guessed. "Yes, holly wood, pheonix core", Harry said with a fond smile on his face. "A brother wand." That kinda made his smile dip a bit, but rise once more when he assured himself it would only benefit him in the end. Tom would be massively interested in their wands connection. They entered Ollivander, the same old looking store, just for Harry to freeze when his eyes settled on a young man standing there at the counter, greeting them friendly with a smile, while he was just putting a wand into a box."Garrick, it is nice to see you finally have taken over the shop", Fleamont Potter greeted the young man, whose smile widened even further. He looked the same age as his grandfather and grandmother, something Harry really needed to grasp. He would also have to see a younger Dumbledore, though at least would his former Headmaster still be a bit older. "Ah, Fleamont, Euphemia, how nice to see you again", Mister Ollivander, much younger and much more energised said, moving his gaze then down towards Harry, "My my, is that lad yours?""Yes, though through some unfortunate circumstances, were we only now able to acquire a wand for him and well who better for that, then the worlds best wandmaker", Fleamont said, to which Mister Ollivander grew a tad bit red in the face, waving him off, before waving Harry closer. "Well then, young boy, come over, so we can find the right wand for you", Mister Ollivander spoke to him, but was already turning around, pulling out a few boxes. Wand after wand landed in his hand, but none was fitting. None was right and if they continued like that the store might very well end up in nothing but shards. "Hm, how strange", Mister Ollivander said. "I guess, we will just have to continue trying some out. I have yet to met someone, who I wouldn't have a fitting wand for."His grandmother seemed to see this was getting a bit disastrous, so she cleared her throat. "Actually, Garrick, our boy had a vision of a wand. He has those dreams, he might be a Seer. Maybe he could describe the wand he saw in his dream to you." Euphemia didn't look much pleased about the lie she spoke, but Harry was nonetheless thankful for it, he had no plan how else he was meant to get his wand otherwise. He might have ended up trying every single one out before. But at the same was the thought, that he was making his grandparents into liars, weighing him down. "Well then, go on, what did you see?", Mister Olivander asked him interested and Harry described him his wand to the best of his ability, making the young man's eyes widen in surprise. "How peculiar", he said, before picking out a box from the side shelf and putting it in front of Harry, opening it to reveal his wand, still in one piece and probably working too. "Is it this one?" "Yes", Harry said excited, grabbing it with the kind of familiarity only his wand gave him. Light shone through him and the warmth that spread from it, made him instantly smile a bit. "Hm, that is certainly interesting", Mister Ollivander had his hand on his chin, staring at Harry, "You know, I never forget a wand I sell. I remember every single one and the wand that chose you is a special one. The Phoenix who gave its core its feather, has only given one more and that wand I made from it, I sold to a boy, not long ago, not much older than you. Hm, well, if you go to Hogwarts, you might just met him. His name is Tom Riddle, perhaps the two of you are connected in some way, just like wands." He gave Harry a soft smile, who wasn't much up for smiling warmly. He was very well aware of what was connecting the both of them and it wasn't something nice like Mister Ollivander was trying to hint at. They paid soon after. Fleamont and Mister Ollivander finding themselves shortly in a bit longer conversation about what they did after Hogwarts, before they parted with a final promise of meting again. "We should get you an owl or another pet, if you want too", Euphemia suggested, while they were walking through Diagon Alley. Harry wasn't so sure about it. Replacing Hedwig like that felt like a stab in the chest, but in the end they still did look at pets. There weren't many options, but Harry found himself drawn to the snake that set there, being ignored by other shoppers. Normally it wouldn't be fitting for Harry, but right now it seemed like such a smart choice. Riddle might like it, might grow interested and if not, then at the very least might a snake be able to talk to him, tell him stuff and... well, Harry mostly just didn't like how lonely the snake looked. When he went to pick it, did both his grandparents look a bit surprised, but took it with a shrug. "I wouldn't consider snakes much of entertaining pets, are you sure Harry?", his grandfather asked him, when they went to pay. Harry nodded. "Yeah, it is fine. Most people don't think so, but most people can't talk to them like I can", he spoke a bit quieter then, but cause surprised looks from both his grandparents. "You are a Parselmouth", Euphemia said surprised, looking around a bit anxious. "How is that possible? I thought that was a trait only given through blood and neither me nor Fleamont can speak it. Is it your mother?""No", Harry said. "Later", he assured them, since he wasn't keen on telling them in the middle of the store, that he was pretty much nothing but a Horcrux, the kind of topic seemed more appropriate in the comfort of their home, or maybe not at all. He might just save them from that knowledge, he might blame it on the connection him and Lord Voldemort have through the prophecy and destiny and not through part of his soul residing in Harry's body. He could still feel it inside of him, differently, but still somehow there, like a hand clasping a hold on his soul, tugging on him. So far Harry had only told them about Lord Voldemort in the way most people had known him as, a dark wizard, trying to destroy the old wizarding world to rule the way they wished, crazy and cruel. He hadn't told them just how Voldemort had managed to stay alive through all of this and he wouldn't do so either. Getting the snake wasn't taking much time and soon they were back outside, walking around, getting other things, clothes, books, toys, candy. They pretty much stopped at every store, even if Harry tried to assure them they wouldn't have to, that he didn't need more. They wouldn't listen. They bought him whatever he even looked at. Was this how Draco lived? Dudley maybe even? He felt strange, it was both too much and also just right. He felt embarrassed and yet also so welcomed, loved even. He smiled the whole time and they spend the entire day in diagon alley and Harry imagined that it would have been just like what his parents would have done with him, if they had lived and been able to raise him. That they would have done some Hogwarts shopping and spend the whole day together, laughing and joking and just having fun. Harry felt at ease for a while after a very long time of feeling on edge and he wasn't sure how to take this new feeling.... Why was he called to the office? They better not have snitched on him, Tom thought angrily. No, probably not, this might just be Dippet wanting to tell him he was chosen as Perfect for the next year... of course that had to be the reason. Nothing else, nonetheless was Tom going through the things he had done at last, that might cause problems, he would need excuses for them just in case. If one of those idiots after all let something slip about the Knights of Walpurgis, he might just have to abandon it, though he would prefer not to. He could try excusing it, saying it was just a study group, but if one them found the dark magic tomes or had said something about them, Tom needed to convince them without a doubt, that he had nothing to do with it. He could act surprised, shocked, ostracise the person that would be blamed for it.Everything would be fine, but it still gnawed at him, that he wasn't sure why he was called to the Headmaster's office for sure. He had such uncertainty. He preferred knowing everything ahead of time. When he entered the office though, he didn't even need to act, to show his confusion. In front of the desk of the headmaster sat a couple and in the middle was probably their son. Professor Dumbledore was there too, which never meant something good. He would have preferred if old Slughie was there, than Tom would have known everything was fine, but with Dumbeldore no-one could know what would happen. The worst, possible, the best, unlikely. "Professor Dumbledore. Headmaster Dippet", Tom greeted friendly and then turned his attention to the strangers, who turned to him. They looked very similar. The woman was just average looking and the man had an untamed mob of black curls on his head, just like the boy. Both of them wore glasses too. The only thing strange about them, was the boy in their middle, who unlike his parents, had eyes as green as jewels. They were pretty, especially with the kind of fear they shortly reflected in them when they looked at him. How interesting. Then there was the scar on the boys forehead, shaped like the motion of the killing curse. Tom knew that, because he had just started looking into it, but seeing it mapped out on human skin was far more interesting than on flat boring paper. The man stood up, stretching his hand out for Tom to take, so he did and shake it, waiting for the man to speak first. "Fleamont Potter, this is my wife Euphemia and my son Harry, you must be Tom Riddle, I must say your reputation is impressive. So far we heard a lot of great things about you."They had? Tom hadn't thought his reputation was already reaching so far. He gave them a bright smile, which wasn't hard after having just been praised, acting like he was embarrassed by such small compliment however was always a bit annoying. "Oh, thank you very much, Mister Potter, though I am sure it is not as much as you make it sound like. I am just trying to be a good student, that is all. Though I have to excuse myself, I am not certain why I have gained such praise."Dumbledore was then the one to answer then. "Mister and Misses Potter are looking for someone to tutor their son over the summer break. He has just entered the wizarding world and though they are trying they best to teach him at home, they are worried he might fall behind if he joins your grade next year, Tom. So they asked for a tutor and your name fell.""We would pay you of course", Misses Potter said, having also chosen to stand up from her seat, so she could look at him better. She seemed a bit anxious, her hand laying down on her son's shoulder, keeping him from standing up as well. "We know that it is a lot to ask. We are sure, you probably would prefer going home yourself, instead of spending the whole summer in our house, but we promise we will make it worth it if you agree."Maybe Tom was wrong initially. This could be the best, even with Dumbledore in the room. He had no interest in going back to the orphanage, not now, nor ever, but he also never really had the possibility to go somewhere else. He would need permission, he wouldn't get so easily, he would need someone willing, which was difficult with all those stuck up pureblood, but most importantly, he needed to be able to go without having to own someone a favour for that. He didn't wanna be in someone's debt. People were supposed to be in his debt, and right now that was exactly what was offered to him. "We heard you are a brilliant student, excelling at everything, so we really hoped you could help our son", Mister Potter added more praise, which Tom had nothing against, it made his smile much more honest when he held it on his face. "That is very nice of you to say, though I doubt I could take money for that. Helping my classmates, even my future ones, seems hardly like something I could charge for." Though he wanted too. He certainly wanted too, but an unpaid debt, a favour of sorts, was certainly much more worth for the future, especially with a rich pureblood family. Tom couldn't believe how perfect this opportunity was. He would only win. He would gain their favour, a summer without annoying muggles, a possible a new follower, one he could shape to his liking Better even, since the boy looked nothing like a Slytherin, he might not just gain a follower, but also a spy in another house, an insider. Tom wasn't sure why luck was suddenly so strongly on his side, but he surely would let this situation slip from his finger."I would love to help." He gave the boy a smile, which made the young boy tense. Tom noticed that, feeling like he had a prey for once in front of him, that at the very least knew a predator stood in front of him. He would however need to figure out what that was about it. A weakness, a trauma, Tom could exploit? Or maybe he was just to taken by Tom's greatness? "If I get permission, I would happily stay over for the summer to help Harry." Another shiver from the boy, though it seemed to try to not show it. Maybe a crush then? Tom knew he had that kind of effect with some loose brained hormonal directed teenagers, those always made things especially easy. This would surely be fun. "O, well, if you agree, we can take care of the rest", Fleamont Potter said excited. "Professor Dumbledore has already agreed to ensure your Matron would give you permission, if you agreed." Mister Potter then took his hand again. "We can't thank you enough then. This is such a big help, to us." Exactly, Tom thought, they seemed to understand very well what kind of special treatment they were given. Tom, normally, would just help his classmates as little as he had to ensure their thanks and his reputation, but for Harry he would now play actual teacher and that would something, the boy could look back years later and be amazed by, how he had been taught by the greatest wizard the world would see, one they would cower in front by his mere power. Being taught by Tom would surely be Harry's greatest achievement, one he would be able to tell his grandchildren still about. Tom felt so smug and excited about it. He had already dreaded thinking about the orphanage he would have to return in a few weeks, but now things were suddenly looking much better. "That settles it then", Professor Dippet spoke then, "Tom you may go again. The Potters will pick you up on Kings Cross then."And just like was Tom dismissed with a wide grin stuck to his face. This might just become the best summer ever. He would have access to magic and other resources and would not be stuck for nearly three months with nothing but his memory and perhaps a stolen book or two from the library to keep him occupied. It was such a waste of time. He could learn so much more, spend so much more time doing magic, instead of forcing himself to act like one of those dirty muggles. Tom then couldn't wait for Summer to come sooner and it was the first time such a thought crossed his mind.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Tom couldn't believe he would ever be this happy about leaving Hogwarts. So far had Hogwarts been the only place he had truly felt at home and the only place he wanted to be at, but now he might just find another spot he could take for himself. The Potters seemed desperate enough, maybe he could use that for the next summer break too. He would have to see. It wouldn't be bad, the Potters after all were rich and well received, famous in a way that could benefit him and open him doors, without causing troubles or tarnishing his reputation. They also seemed far easier to manipulate, especially since they seemed so dotting towards their son. Tom, careful as he was, has tried to get as much information about the Potters as he could, before the train departed. He had to be careful to not rise suspicion, but when he had been asked by his Knights why he was suddenly interested in the Potters, he had suddenly become the center of the conversation. Apparently not even those other rich purebloods heirs were aware about the Potters having a child and with him saying he would tutor them, did Tom suddenly find himself at the center of gossip. He was wary of that at first, but it quickly grew into a very positive reaction. Everyone was not just talking about a sudden appearing Potter heir, who would join them next year, but also about the gracious, smart Tom Riddle, who offered to teach him over the holidays, instead of spending the time on relaxing and having fun, like all of them thought he would have done otherwise, because that was what they did. Suddenly he looked even more like a saint, which caused him praise from not just his peers but also his teachers. Some were handing him some extra papers and books, so he could teach the Potter heir, apparently were more rumours coming up about that boy, soon getting out of hand, but it only made Tom look even better. Avery claimed his father had heard someone from the ministry saying that Harry Potter apparently had been kidnapped by muggles as a child, taking away from his poor parents. A kind of narrative that seemed quickly to make its ways, until it eventually become truth, though Tom had yet to fully confirm it.It did however spark a ton of more theories about what or why this had happened. It became at parts even absurd to his own ears. Sometimes he was stopped by a student or two and asked once more how the boy had looked to him, he had stayed to the truth as vaguely as he could and assured them they would see him at the very least after summer. Tom was sure there were more important topics then the sudden appearance of a boy, but to the wizarding world seemed a lost and found pureblood heir much more interesting as a topic for conversation then anything else. How annoying. Another reason those people were not worth much of his time and why they would in the end fail against him.But they ended up seeing Harry Potter far earlier than he expected. The boy was waiting with his parents at the platform, that the Hogwarts express was stoping at and more than one set of eyes started gawking at him. He looked already much different than the boy he had seen in the office all those weeks ago. This boy had his hair cut shorter and seemingly tried to sleek it back, but the curls seemed strongly against that idea. His clothing fitted him much better though, he was no longer as thin as before, but he was still very short. "Is that him?", Malfoy asked surprised, the blonde turned to stare out of the window of the compartment at the boy, while Tom was busy grabbing his trunk from the racket above their heads. "As far as I can tell", Tom said. "Hm", was all the response Malfoy gave, but when Tom turned to glance at the scene, was his blonde Knight still staring at the green eyed boy outside. Malfoy was always a bit like that, but he also usually quickly lost his interest. Tom would just need to ensure he wouldn't do something stupid that would take his vacation spot from him. "Do you wanna introduce yourself to him?", Tom asked him, reminding himself that he needed Malfoy far more for future plans, than some kind of brief escape from the orphanage. Sure one thing was nicer than the other, but Malfoy was far too easy to use and practical for him to give it up. Tom after all never lost interest in things that he declared his own and his knights were his after all. He would entertain them if he had too. Malfoy looked up at him like a puppy being called by his owner. It was truly pathetic. He seemed to notice himself, because he quickly let his face show indifference, before standing up slowly himself. "I suppose I could do that", he agreed and that seemed to give itself an invitation to the other people sharing the compartment to come along as well. Black and Avery trotted right behind Tom and Malfoy. When they exited the train, were a lot of eyes already on them and the Potters. Gossip was still the currency most witches liked to trade in and now Tom was in the center, a positive beacon of sincerity. It just made him appear more and more like a Saint. Who knows? Maybe they one day name something after him. It would be hilarious if something would get called Saint Tom, but also immensely thrilling. The idea of people being so blinded by what they wanted to see, that they would believe him so easily, was such a nice excitement that the smile on his face felt so bright and real, when he approached the Potters. "Mister and Misses Potter", Tom greeted the two easily and threw both of them a charming smile, "Harry", he then continued, looking down to the boy, that was supposed to be his age, but lacked on height to prove it. Harry swallowed and those green eyes landed on him with a mixture of emotions Tom could not sort immediately, but it was fine, he would have the whole summer to form Harry into a little marionette. "Tom", Fleamont Potter said, a smile on his face, while Euphemia Potter was once more grabbing hold of her son, pulling him a bit closer to her, "how wonderful that you could make it and are willing to help. Harry was very excited for this."Well, of course he would be. He would have the wonderful chance of being directly tutored by him. He should be honoured. Tom just smiled warmly at them. "I was a bit excited myself. This is the first time I get the chance to have my own student." Not that Tom hadn't thought about it before. He was still very much on board with eventually becoming a Hogwarts Professor for Defense against the Dark arts, he was good at teaching, he already knew that, and being so close to students would be a wonderful chance to corrupt more than just the few people he could reach otherwise. He had seen how old Slughorn was using the same principle or how Dumbledore, too, was doing his best, using his position as a teacher to convey his own idealistic ideals. Tom would do it better however, he would not just reach some students, he would bit for bit, have every student under his finger, slowly but surely getting the mass of wizards to support his goal blindly."Right", Harry said, sounding suddenly very weird, like he had forgotten something and then just remembered it. Then the green jewels landed both at him, taking him in, as though they were trying to look beyond the beautiful facade Tom had carefully crafted. He couldn't do so of course, but he seemed to try nonetheless. "Can we leave then?"That was the moment Malfoy cleared his throat to get his attention. Harry's eyes moved over a bit more coldly then, taking in the other boy and seemingly having recognition flare up in his eyes. Malfoy stretched his hand for Harry, who took it hesitantly.Malfoy was just about to introduce himself, when Harry stopped him with his hand. "Wait, don't say it. Blonde hair, fine clothing, a smug smile as though you own the whole world." Harry was moving his hand in circle motion next to him. "Ah yes, you must be a Malfoy."Avery and Black snickered at that and Tom might have to rethink his initial idea about Harry, that was far to Slytherin like, not fully, but at least at parts, which he wouldn't have assumed Harry possible. Malfoy seemed a bit flushed but not too angry. "Abraxas", Malfoy just spoke then. Harry nodded in understanding. Then Black swung round to grab his hand as well. "I am Orion Black and that behind me is Avery."Harry nodded once more in understanding, shaking the hand he now held politely. "Harry Potter", he introduced himself, though it seemed unnecessary. The school had been filled about rumours about him, since there hadn't been any other kind of gossip for the last weeks, or at least none as interesting as a sudden appearing pureblood heir."And already any idea, which house you will be sorted in next year?", Avery started to converse with Harry as though they were already familiar. "The Potters have been famously sorted into Gryffindor." Avery gave a little wink towards Misses and Mister Potter, who smiled politely in agreement. "That is indeed, where we have met", Euphemia Potter agreed, looking lovingly at her husband, "But that does not mean Harry will go there necessary too. The hat will decide and whatever decision it will do, we will be proud of our son."Tom nearly cringed hearing it, but it showed just how weak they were towards their son. It was a bad thing. Tom would never allow himself to have such a weakness. Giving someone else so much power over oneself, not having any kind of boundary? Unacceptable. If his own blood would be sorted in a house as useless as Gryffindor, he would simply disown it. Though Tom really wanted to leave by now, did his Knights not seem to get the message it was only thanks to their parents getting their attention, that Tom was eventually left with the Potters. "Shall we then?", Fleamont Potter asked him, a smile on his face, holding out his arm for apparition. It was the first time Tom had been in contact with that spell a though it was instant and shortly very horrible, did he immediately wanna learn it. It was absolutely useful, a spell that they should be taught much sooner, perhaps even instead of having to learn how to ride a stupid broom. He could do very much without it, preferring the instant teleportation by far. The things he could do with such a spell! They arrived in a giant house and though it wasn't the nicest colours on the eyes, all red and bright, did Tom really like the richness of it. It was expensive things cluttering around like they were worthless things, it felt like being in the room he had just found last week on the seventh floor with all those things inside, just much more nicer, less cluttered that it had to put into piles, but still filled. "Harry, do you wanna show Tom his room?", Fleamont Potter asked, putting his cloak away, while Misses Potter was still keeping a hand on her son's shoulder, as though she wasn't yet ready to separate from him. Harry turned to glance at her and she seemed reluctant to let go of him, but soon did Harry stand in front of him, green eyes staring at him, no awe, no wonder, no gratefulness, just casual looking at him. Very well, maybe Harry wasn't that simple to fall for him just from his looks, but he could still get him with his talents, his wits and his charms, just like he had gotten everyone else so far. "Thank you very much", Tom said sweetly, though he hated every bit of it. Saying thanks to anyone felt like venom of his tongue. "Of course, Tom", Fleamont said, "since you just returned today, why don't you rest for today. You can start trying to teach Harry tomorrow."Trying to teach? Was Harry that stupid? He did not look like a genius, but he hoped they hadn't given him a total idiot... No, that would be fine too. It would just be a challenge, one Tom would manage to master too, just like he had mastered everything else so far. Harry led him up the stairs. The whole place so far was quiet. There were no sounds of bombs dropping nearby or annoying brats screaming and crying for their stupid dead parents, as though that would change something about the fact that they were dead. The only who would be able to change the fate of death, would be him. He would never succumb to something as mortal as dying. Once he figured out an exact plan, would Tom no longer have to fear death and its disgusting clutches. They walked through a hallway in the first floor, portraits of ancestors hung on the walls and light was showing warmly everywhere. It was very different to the Black house he had gone visiting for the New Year's Eve party, which was cold, dark and broody. He had liked it, but this house wasn't bad either. Maybe not his taste, but also not as horrible as the orphanage. The smaller boy didn't say anything, just guided him, until they stopped in a corridor with two doors opposite one another and one more in the middle of it, at the end of the hall. He pointed at one. "This is my room and the other is yours", he said, his voice sounded strained and those jewels turned shortly to him, looking up with a mixture of feelings. He seemed very uncertain then and Tom decided to wait and see what else he would wanna say. He could easily thank him again and leave, but he wanted to know what the boy was thinking."My dad can cast a spell to change it if it does not suit you", Harry added then, eyebrows then pulling together and letting his gaze fall down as though unsure about what he said himself. He cleared his throat then, shyly looking up, but those emeralds not looking at him directly. "If you need something, you can just knock on my door." Then Harry disappeared with quick strides, turning away from him again and not even giving Tom the time to say thanks, something he was actually very glad for. ... The room was perfect. Not from the design, that was too red, but Tom wouldn't actually complain or ask, even if he wanted to, he wouldn't wanna annoy his hosts, not now at least. Though the room wasn't his type of colour, was it certainly else very much to his taste. It was filled all sorts of expensive stuff. There was a giant carpet on the ground, a huge bed out of real wood instead of the metal frames they would have in the orphanages and every other piece of furniture, seemed not just expensive but designer. There was a shelf, which was already filled with some books, about all sorts of magical topics, with an elegant armrest, looking like a throne, right next to it, including lamp and feet rest. A desk with a chair and a dresser also found some space and he was sure this room wouldn't be cold in winter, this place just screamed warmth into ones face. Tom had spend most of the time inspecting everything with a wide grin, before he started unpacking, putting his things accordingly away. Once he had done that, wasting as much time as he could, did he remind himself of his goal and went back out. He walked the way they had went, noting everything noteworthy and made his way back to the Potters to socialise. "Can I help you?", Tom asked, as he looked inside the kitchen and found Euphemia Potter and a house-elf working, cooking something. Misses Potter flinched, letting something nearly fall and turned to him, before looking around, seemingly searching for something else. Maybe her son? Something had after had happened, that caused the Potter heir to only appear at school now, it seemed enough to make his mother be constantly on edge and desperate to check on him. Surely had something bad therefore happened to Harry, maybe the rumour was right after all. "No", Misses Potter said slowly. "But if you are bored, you can go to the potion lab if you want, if you like potion, if not you are really free to just relax a bit." Potions? Right, Mister Potter had invented Sleekeazy's Hair Potion and also had founded a potion shop. So then Harry and him would be there, right? Tom wouldn't mind getting a bit more experience. He liked brewing potions."Where would that be? I love potions, and your husbands work is especially wonderful", Tom said, though he wasn't sure precisely. He had however seen some pureblood heirs use the potion on their hairs and it had showed great affect, a pity it seemed not to work so well on their own heads. Euphemia Potter seemed a bit surprised, but quickly described the way for him and so was Tom soon standing in the basement of the Potter house and found himself in a potion room, that would have maybe even made old Slughie envious. The biggest part of the room was taking by a round enclave, whose walls were filled from top to bottom with shelves in which all sorts of bottles and glasses stood, all sorted and labelled. They were all around a giant round wooden table, which had some wooden chair on one side, with books stacked there, while on the other side cauldrons hung or stood, with Harry and Mister Potter both stood in front, wearing special goggles over their glasses, while focusing deeply on the task in front of them.The room was the darkest in the house, which made sense for potions and there was also an armchair next to the enclave with a shelf next to it, filled to the brim with potion books. Tom had the sudden need to sit down there and to start browsing through the books, but he was better than a simpleton that would succumb to his own needs. "Okay, Harry, now very carefully put in the unicorn hair. Some things you don't wanna rush, or you will regret it later, when it comes biting you back", Mister Potter explained with a sot tone and Harry was following the order so perfectly. Tom couldn't wait for the boy to do the same, when he gave him orders. It made sense that Mister Potter, a Potion Master, would teach his own son, though would Tom had liked doing so himself. Potions were his second favourite subject as off the moment. Once the hair was in the cauldron, did Tom want to make his appearance apparent, but by then Harry was already saying, "Already grown bored, Riddle? Or was the room not to your liking?"Tom's eyes widened a bit in surprise, while Mister Potter gave his son a little nudge with the elbow, before looking at him with an apologetic smile. "If you want your room changed that is no problem, Tom. As your friends have already pointed out are my wife and I both Gryffindors, the colour just continued to resonate with us, reminding us of the place we fell in love, but you are a Slytherin, if green resonates more with you, I could easily charm the room to fit to your taste." Tom was surprised by the eagerness Mister Potter showed in trying to please him, but then again he seemed desperate enough to want his son being taught the stuff he has missed. Maybe a way of retribution? A try of getting over a bad conscious? Surely a sweet little thing for him to use. Tom offered another charming smile. "That is fine, Mister Potter. I think I can handle a bit without the green", he spoke sweetly, stepping a bit closer. "I was indeed more bored, than anything. I had hoped to be perhaps of some help."Mister Potter gave him a surprised glance, moving the goggles from his eyes and replacing them with his glasses. "Well, if that is the case", he said, coming around the table and then walking through the rows of things, while he moved a cauldron onto the table with his wand, "I am a bit low on calming draught and I heard from the Headmaster you were an excellent potion student, so if you wanna help, I would be delighted if you were to give it a shot.""I would love to give it a try." Calming draught? Of course he could do that. He wouldn't need to try. That wouldn't be much of a challenge for him, but he was happy to do something to show his use, for now. He moved next to Harry to the new cauldron, still a few steps away from the boy and he was given all sort of materials and even a book, before he was given an encouraging smile.Just as he showed them that he was ready to work, was Mister Potter back to instructing his son and so did Tom start doing his own potion right next to them. ... Once they were finished and the potions would just need some rest, were they going upstairs for dinner. Tom found himself very quickly pulled into their family conversation, though he would have been easily content on just listening too. "So, Tom, do you already have plans for the future?", Euphemia Potter asked him, eyeing him, while Fleamont Potter gave his wife a glance. Harry just switched from looking to his plate, to looking at him, brooding. Tom couldn't fully read the whole situation. It seemed a normal question. Surely could he not answer it honestly, but the reaction of the two others felt strange. Was Harry jealous of him? Was Fleamont mad he got pulled into the family conversation? Surely not, after all was Fleamont normally more the man to include him into stuff. "Well, not precisely", he answered, "I would like to become a Professor at Hogwarts though, if possible.""Defence against the dark Arts", Harry guessed, pointing the fork at him, sitting opposite him with that horrible posture of his. Tom was a bit surprised he had guessed so easily, but then again Tom was also good at reading people. "Yes", Tom admitted. "And if not?", Harry asked, rudely.Tom shrugged. "Until then are still a few years, I suppose I will take that time to think about it more in depth. Is there something you are interested in?"Harry seemed to think, until his green eyes suddenly became clear and wide smile spread on his lips. "I think I also wanna become a Professor for Defence against dark Arts."Tom snorted. It was on pure accident really, but the idea some boy, who barely yet had any education, aspired to reach an honoured position like this, even saying so after Tom had just claimed it, seemed absurd. "Very well, then you better start catching up. We will go for the same position then." Tom wasn't scared about it though. Harry seemed hardly like a choice next to him, he wouldn't even be a worthy choice whether or not Tom still desired the position. "I accept that challenge, three years then", Harry said coldly but with a burning fire in the green eyes, that seemed to burn of motivation that was further reaching that simply ambition. He didn't seem to just wanna get that position, he also seemed to wanna get in spite of Tom trying to get it. He wanted to beat him. A lowlife like him dared wanting to beat him. O no, Tom thought, he would not let that bypass him so simply. He would prove Harry how much better he was and then he would destroy his life for daring to even compare the two of them. Soon after did conversation settle towards other matters. They asked Tom about his family a bit and he knew well how to avoid the topic and lead it to something else, soon he managed to get Fleamont Potter to talk about his potion business and he was no longer in the hot seat, though were the jewels always directed to him, even if he was encountering them. ...At night, Tom tried to sleep, but he felt a mixture of weird feelings rise in him. He was envious of the Potters, their home, their potion lab, their family in total. They had all that Tom lacked, but unlike his Knights family, who suffered bad reputations and were therefore always in the spotlight if something happened, were the Potter well received, model citizens, no one batted an eye at them. They had the perfect kind of reputation to keep people away from snooping around. If Tom had been born in this family, he could have used all these wasted possibilities far better, he would have hidden behind the Potter name, used the resources they had and secretly gain the rule of the wizarding world from the inside. But then again, he supposed, children like him, wouldn't be born to people like the Potters.It bothered him. Those green eyes bothered him and that challenging smile, those stupid words too. How dare Harry Potter try to take something from him? How dare he try to get into his way already. All of it made him turn and toss in the soft bed and he was thinking about all the ways he would ruin Harry Potters life for it. Eventually he settled on a plan and it satisfied him enough, that he could replay it over and over in his head, until he felt into sweet slumber, thinking about green jewels covered in fear and blood.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Harry found himself in a strange position. It was his plan, yes, sure, he could admit that, but he would also have to admit, that he absolutely disliked his own plan. Seeing Tom Riddle again made him feel absolutely weird. Back when Harry had found the diary and originally started writing to Riddle, he had fallen easily for those charming words and that handsome soft face, that was so very unlike Voldemort, that he believed Riddle to be his friend. That that badly, he didn't feel the need to point out. But now Riddle was there again and Harry knew what he might become one day, he knew how dangerous he was, but he nonetheless couldn't help himself. He felt a bit of him fall for this act, whether it was one or not. Maybe a part of Tom Riddle was really like that, maybe not everything was played, maybe part of truly just got taken from him with the creation of the horcruxes. It was so difficult picturing the handsome face of Riddle forming into the snake like creature that would be Voldemort and it was even harder not feeling for Riddle. A part of Harry understood him very well, even if that part might be the piece of soul of him that still clung to him. Either way Harry found himself thinking about Riddle even more now that he was so close and he was unsure what about him was an act and what was perhaps real enough for Harry to work with. He needed to keep Riddle from creating Horcruxes, while also trying to guide him into another future that wouldn't cause war, preferable. Him becoming a teacher didn't seem like a bad idea, but he was sure that there was no possibility for that. Maybe though if he kept him motivated towards such a goal, Tom wouldn't have the time to work on other more evil plans? Harry was missing some smarts and certainties to know for sure what to do. For the most part was he torn between decisions regarding Riddle, that came both from him, but seemed strangely different. One part of him, wanted to just wave the whole future out of his mind and just actively try to become a friend of Riddle and hoping that friendship would somehow change him, while the other part of him would slap that idea away and remind himself of all the evil Voldemort would do and demanded him to just do short process and kill him already. Needless to say, did Harry not listen to either option and rather let himself be guided by both these needs and somehow it wasn't doing him as good as he wished. It made him feel sleepless and tired and on edge. He was convinced Riddle was planning something, while on the other hand he blamed himself for being so distrusting to a currently still innocent person. He felt like either way he was losing. Turn between knowledge of the future and the uncertainty of the present. And worst of all, Tom was very distracting when he was close to him. They had started their lessons, which were much better than Harry would have expected. Tom was a marvellous teacher, though Harry hated to admit it. Maybe it wasn't as much his teaching, but more the way he spoke and moved that captivated Harry's attention. His voice was much smoother than other teachers Harry had had and he was also less book focused and more active explaining, which was helping Harry a lot. He could easier remember things if they were practical, told, seen, visible to him, not just something he was forced to read on his own in silence. And Riddle was good at that, engaging and open for questions and changes. Though Harry was further down in school, was he still learning a lot, even if it was just what was taught currently or filling the missing gaps he had from teachers changing every year in DADA. Riddle knew theory as well as practical very well and even thought they could not cast the spells Riddle tried teaching him, could Harry imagine them very well. But what indeed became trouble to Harry was the further they proceeded their sessions, because not only did Harry started to grow more and wary, he also started to stare longer and longer at Riddle, hanging at every word of his lips and sometimes forgetting everything else in between. It was only the short widening of Tom's smile, so smug and full of schemes, that made Harry snap out of it, sit straighter and start talking about something himself, just so Riddle would stop talking for a bit. He would try push a specific narrative towards Riddle then, saying things like, "You know I grew up with Muggles too. They did not understand me much, they preferred their normality, disliked magic, even though magic is the most beautiful thing in the world." or even, "I am not even sure this whole blood thing makes sense to me. I mean couldn't a half-blood be just as powerful if not powerful than a pureblood." and other things, all things he hoped, Riddle would collect and form into informations he would believe to be able to use to get a read on Harry or maybe even understand that Harry could potentially be a person to rely on, to put trust in. It was harder to form that kind of bond now that Harry was living with his grandparents and his whole school experience wasn't useable, though he had before understood Riddle, not just because the part of soul stuck to him, but because they lives were crossing some places so strongly. Both orphans, taking in by people that made them feel ostracised, before finding a home at Hogwarts that they fell in love with. He knew Hogwarts meant a lot to Riddle, just like he knew how much Riddle was trying to prove himself, all things his diary had made very clear. It had also of course shown, that although he wasn't yet dealing in murder and torture, that Riddle was still very much manipulative, trying to get whatever he desired. Manipulative enough to always plan five steps ahead, just like with the Chamber of secrets. So Harry needed to be even further ahead, to ensure Riddle wouldn't be able to use the basilisk. ... "I don't get it", Harry groaned frustrated. His head laying halfway on the table. It was hot and they were at their fifth week without much of a break. Riddle had made him go through every subject, forcing them to sit at the same old table for hours, with only short breaks for potions and food and evening activities. "Well, then even more reason for you to listen", Riddle spoke, trying to sound encouraging, but Harry could see he was getting at his limits. They were doing Arithmancy. Harry could for the live of Death not care for it, no matter how much Riddle was trying. "Can't I just not take it?", he asked bored instead. "Not everyone needs to be taken everything like you, Riddle."The taller boy, future dark lord by choice, blinked at him, before closing the book they were looking into. "Right, I just figured you should give it a try. But you are right, not everyone does take all classes." Hermione did though, Harry thought. She would have been thrilled about the possibility to take all classes without the need of a time turner. Harry groaned annoyed, pushing the book back up and glancing inside, trying to sit more straighter. "What are you doing?"Riddle seemed genuine surprised, so Harry had to respond snappy, "Well, can't just let you already win, before we I am even having the chance to beat you at Hogwarts. Though I don't think Arithmancy would be needed for becoming a Professor for Defence Against Dark Arts, but who knows? Maybe I am starting small, first trying to beat you in every class you got."The future dark lord snorted then, genuine sounding and shook his head lightly. "I doubt you could, not like this."Harry knew that, but he still just shrugged. "Scared of a challenge, Riddle?", he asked him, daring his head closer, eyes meeting one another in a challenging stare. Harry couldn't fight him wand to wand, but he certainly could try to get some sort of rebellious feeling from this, there was no harm to it. At this point Riddle must have already come to realise that Harry wasn't the kind of genius that could challenge him academically and that Harry just said it for fun, so it all should be fine, maybe even make Riddle less suspicious of him. But the way Riddle's eyes glowed staring back into Harry's made him question just how serious Harry was being taken. "Not the least, Potter", there was a humoured grin on his lips and Riddle was about to go back to teaching him, when Harry's grandfather poked his head into the room. "You boys up for a beach break?", he asked with a smile. "Bloody yes!" Harry jumped from his seat, book and studies abounded. He hadn't thought Riddle would take his education so seriously and draw him into the study all the time, instead of just helping him for a bit, before doing some evil planning on his own. He had wanted a summer after all, though he knew he would have to keep an eye on Riddle at all time to prevent the dark lord from forming. Sure, technically, did Riddle make his plan work so much smoother that way, but Harry still needed a goddamn break, especially with all those charts and numbers now plaguing his brain. The Heir of Slytherin let out a soft scoff, barely hearable, before mumbling, "how will this get you to your goal." He stood up then. "I suppose maybe a break is needed. I will go to my room then.""What? No, come on, you gotta come along. He said boys... you know the plural of boy. So me alone wouldn't cut it", Harry said, making his voice sound a bit whinny, the way Draco's or Durdley's would, not that he felt much convincing with it, but he needed Riddle to think he was now just another rich pureblood heir, because that so far that been the best excuse to get from Riddle what he wanted. Riddle raised a brow at him, before sighing in defeat. "Very well then, I shall come along." ... They apparated towards a beach cliff not too far way. The sand was darker and the whole place was empty of people. Harry stood there and took a deep breath of the salty seawater filled air. Even with his nemesis behind him and a war going on, had he never felt so relaxed, though he knew it wouldn't hold for long, the feeling came and went all the time. Sometimes he helped it with calming draught made from his father, not the stuff Riddle made, he didn't trust it. Either way was Harry just feeling this strange feeling of calm inside of him that only sometimes got eaten off by anxiety, but there wasn't that all down-pressing weight of fear and the burden of the world on his shoulder, so he could handle this much easier. His grandfather and grandmother were currently creating a little spot for them to relax at, putting down some blanket and putting up umbrellas, while Harry was just staring at the wide ocean in front of him, letting the wind tousle his hair however it liked. Riddle stood behind him, dressed from head to toe, as though they were somewhere completely else as the beach, while Harry wore nothing but bathing short and an open shortsleeved dressing shirt. Harry turned to his enemy then. "You don't wanna go swimming?", he asked him with a smile. He must have turned just in time, for he caught the last remaining glimpse of the annoyance that must have been on Riddle's face before he was switching it into a neural expressions. "I don't see the point?""Because you are scared?", Harry asked him with a wide smile, turning fully around. "You can just say so if that is the case, I wouldn't wanna force you, after all, have you been nothing but a help so far, Riddle." Harry honestly just loved this kind of banter. Was it stupid? Yes. Was it helpful? No. Was it somehow still satisfying? Absolutely. Riddle let out another scoff. "I am not scared. I just think it is childish.""Having fun?", Harry asked confused, with a bit of an amused smile spread wide on his lips, then he exchanged it for a softer one. "It is fine to have some fun sometimes, you know. It is the balance of things that make life worth living after all."Riddle seemed not convinced from that, which Harry hadn't expected, so he left his few things on the ground, before he went for the water on his own. He really needed a short break from the blazing heat, something cold to cool his skin and make him relax a bit more and, most important, something he had wanted to do all the time. Summer at the beach sounded like the kind of thing he had wanted as a child, but could not have without having duties pushed in his direction. Harry was just diving into the waves, when something splashed next to him and a bit further did Riddle's head appear, head turned to him and eyebrow raised at him in challenge. Harry smiled back, nearly laughing loudly, before he started diving after Tom, who was lazily letting himself float on his back. Soon they were far enough that instead of swimming further out, they swum along the coast side, quickly passing the little enclave where his grandparents had settled down and that was when Harry saw it. A giant black stone reaching out of the water. He paused and Tom seemed to misunderstand that. "Scared, Potter?", he asked amused. "Where is that Gryffindor side of yours?"But Harry remembered this place. He knew what it would one day become, what it would be used as and seeing it now, away from all this, made him indeed fearful. How did Tom initially find it? Did Harry now help him? Tom shrugged, swimming further towards it and Harry quickly went after. "Wait", Harry said, which was stupid, because that surely made Riddle just more interested, "maybe we shouldn't swim too far away.""If that is what you want, you can turn back if you like. You shouldn't push yourself if you are scared. I think I will check it out though", Riddle said in kind of tone, that nearly convinced Harry he was honest about his concern for Harry, though Harry knew that wasn't the case. Either way, Riddle won that round. They made it to the rock and climbed on top of it, though the sea was already becoming more dangerous by the second. Harry could see the entrance and watched the way the waves crushed with huge force against the stone side. They wouldn't be able to simply swim over there. The sun was suddenly disappearing behind some clouds, as Riddle stood in front of him, further up the rock, watching the cave entrance, back to Harry. "I was here once before, you know", he told Harry with the kind of voice, that brought a chill to Harry's bones, "Not so long ago." Harry could hear the smile and it made him swallow hard, then Riddle turned around and Harry's first instinct was to simply go back, but behind him was just the ocean and it wasn't really a good flight exit. "What is wrong, Harry? You look a bit pale", Riddle said with a smile. Harry let out a dry short laugh. "You one to talk. Maybe we should do more breaks for outside activities or else you might get mistaken for a ghost." A lie. Voldemort? Sure. But Riddle? No, that man's skin would if anything be mistaken for marble. Harry hated him in that moment, it had nothing to do with the people he might or might not murder in the future and everything to do with the kind of thoughts he made Harry have. Riddle was just about to say something, when an hawk flew over their heads and suddenly started circling them. Harry was just looking up, when he found himself transported away in the next second, staring at black rock walls instead. He was in the cave, though it looked a bit different now. There was still a little lake inside, but there were no inferni yet. Harry could see Tom still standing on the rock a hundred meters away from him, so Tom probably could see him too, probably much better too. "So we met again, Harry Potter", the voice of Grindelwald suddenly filled the room and echoed at the walls and Harry immediately let his head snap to the current dark lord, looking away form the possible future one. Grindelwald was standing in middle of the small little lake inside of the cave, on the piles of rocks that was above the water, where later the horcrux would be. He was looking around in interest, before he disappeared and reappeared closer to Harry then. "I have to apologise. It seems you were in the middle of spending some quality time with your family... the Potters. I would have not thought them to be your parents, when you told me about your dilemma", Grindelwald said, walking around him and Harry was starting to think, maybe Riddle was right, maybe swimming wasn't a smart move after all. "I didn't think it was important", Harry tried his best at sounding more innocent than he was. "Of course not, you are new to the wizarding world... it must be all so overwhelming for you, all these new informations floating towards you. How are you meant to form an opinion on your own, when everyone is pressing theirs onto you", Grindelwald said with the same kind of tone Riddle would sometimes use. Harry was starting to understood it more and more. He let out a breath, then he let that side inside of him win, that would want him to kill Riddle for as long as he could still do it so easily. "I think I have already a very established opinion", Harry assured him. "O?", the dark lord asked, raising a brow and stoping. He felt bare being looked at right now. Normally he gets to at least wear some decent clothes while facing the dark lord, even if he was still much younger, but now he was wearing nothing but colourful swimming shorts, dripping wet. "And what would that be?""I hate muggles", Harry felt the words flow over his lips, though they weren't his at all, they felt like they were spoken by a foreign voice, that did not belong to him. "I hate what they did to me, but I wouldn't know what to do.""Well", Grindelwald said, with a smile that was sure of victory, as he put a hand on Harry's shoulder, "there would be some things you could do to help. You are too young, as of right now, to fight the war yourself, but there are always ways to secure a better future. I heard you would Hogwarts after summer?"Harry nodded. "Yes, but I don't understand how that would be helping?"The hand of the dark lord pressed a bit further down onto Harry's shoulder. "You remember our last conversation?" Harry nodded. "You remember the man I will defeat?" Harry nodded, a bit more unsure. "His name is Dumbledore. He will be a teacher of yours and he is trying to protect those muggles, who shouldn't prevent us from being freely who we are. All you would need to do is keep an eye on him and report to me anything suspicious of him. Also any kind of dream you might have, that you think is important, could help the cause too, could ensure less wizard's blood shed for those who do not understand us. Would you wanna do that?"Wow, Harry thought. Grindelwald was surely more conniving at this than Riddle was, maybe his dark lord should have gone in apprentice towards the current dark lord, to prevent ending up as nothing but a nightmare monster. Harry nodded. "Of course, I can do. I can do even more", Harry said eagerly, hoping he sounded convincing enough towards Grindelwald. Grindelwald licked his lips victorious, as he let go of Harry, a smile spreading on his lips. "No, that would be more than enough. Don't underestimate the task you are given. You need to be careful about it. It is upmost important to be as discreet as possible." Said the man, who had just transported Harry away in the middle of the day. "Had you one of your dreams again?"Harry shook his head. "I am afraid they haven't been so present as of lately."Grindelwald nodded his head. "That is fine. That might be even good. As long as the future is staying put the way it is intended." Grindelwald's gaze landed back on him and a friendly, encouraging smile went back on those lips, directed straight for Harry. "I will keep in contact with you then."And gone he was, leaving Harry alone. ... He was already wondering if he should just risk climbing or maybe explore the cave a bit for a secret exit, when his grandparents appeared along with Tom. Harry wouldn't have thought that Riddle would have actually gone to get some help, but here they were. His grandmother pulled him into her arms, pushing kisses all over his face, which was a kind of affection he was still having to get used to, while his grandfather was checking everything around them for potential dangers lurking. "What happened?", Euphemia asked him, putting him at an arms length to look at him, but still holding onto him. Harry looked at them and Riddle with a guilty smile. He couldn't right now say the truth, not with his nemesis along, so Harry went for a lie. "My magic soundly malfunctioned. Tom and I wanted to go the cave, but there wouldn't have been a way and then the next second, I was here and wasn't sure how to get back." His grandparents believed him, which wasn't the point of the lie. Riddle however looked less convinced, but also not fully doubtful. He seemed torn between believing Harry or catching his lie. That was good, that meant Harry was getting better at lying, but it also meant he was changing further into the kind of person he did not wanna become, which settled itself wrongly into his stomach. Either way, Harry was making progress somehow and he would make more once school would soon start and Riddle would be less tied to the forced social norm he was around the Potters as a total. Once they would be away from the watchful eyes of adults and more to themselves, Harry was sure Riddle would show more of himself and hopefully then would be the time for Harry to get this whole plan really into action.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Tom was surprised that the summer was over so soon. Normally was summer stretching on and on, never seeming to end, but not this time. This time it felt far too early for September to come and part of Tom didn't wanna step on the train. He quickly crushed that part down, erased the kind of illusion he had been under and found his apartment, Harry following him as though he was invited. The Potters were... well, they were nice and it was both annoying as it was relaxing. Tom had given his best to win their charms, but lots of things just didn't work. He had eventually concluded that they might be too nice and too dense to actually understand what he was trying to do, and although that was very much annoying, was it not waste of time either. Quite the opposite even. Whenever, mostly by accident and mostly thanks to Harry, Tom lost his face and something slipped, did it not seem to bother the Potter, it simply seemed to fly over their heads, except of course that they did notice it, but just seemingly didn't care for it. His reputation, in their eyes, stayed intact, even if he didn't was the perfect version of him, that he had crafted over the years. It was thrilling. Having to keep face in front of all those pureblood heirs had become quite exhausting sometimes, but he knew it was necessary for his future goals, he had just not thought it would possible to lay that mask down a bit.Either way though, it did not matter. It was a one time thing, a fond memory he might one day look back to. To a house that offered him a room to himself, that let him study however much he wanted, teach to his desire and even work on potions on his own, instead of being paired with some idiot who would only ruin things. It was truly a one of a kind vacation to him. One summer less he would have else spend stuck with barely any food, whether for his mind or his body. But that was all it was, just a one time thing and just because he had enjoyed it, didn't mean he wouldn't still wanna use the favour he had gained through. One day, he would use that tie he had now to the Potters.Harry, who Tom had grown used to by this point, was still by his side, putting his trunk over their heads, before sitting down next to Tom, waving out of the window to his parents. Tom gave a short acknowledgment to them with the lifting of the hand, but tried to keep out of their sight then. Now he would be on his way to Hogwarts again and he couldn't waste time on useless things, not if he wanted to fulfil his goals. This year, he was set on finding the Chamber of secrets. He felt like he had gotten close last year and this year, he might be able to convince Harry's snake even to help him in secret.Hedwig, Harry's snake, was quite chatty and had no trouble telling Tom everything he wanted to, if he just asked. It sometimes was much more than he asked. When asked about Harry, she would talk his ear of for hours and he had yet to find something useable to get the boy under his control. His good-smelling hair and his beautiful voice, weren't helpful facts he could use, no matter how often the snake reminded him of them."Aw man, it is a pity, we couldn't do more stuff together, Riddle", Harry said casually, stretching his limps out. Somewhere over the time they had spend in summer, had he seemingly started to consider Tom as a sort of a friend, a weird thing, especially since Harry wasn't fully behaving like it and also since Tom made no such hint for it. He had been very clear abut his role as tutor. Friendship was the last thing Tom was looking for. He needed Followers.But maybe he could make an exception. Maybe he could use Harry to get to the Potters. Harry was clearly not using his family name right, but Tom would. So if something would happen to Harry after all and good, loyal Tom would be there to support the Potters, who he had already contact too? Nothing bad about that, right and Tom would still need a victim for the time when he found the Chamber of Secrets. "But there is always next summer", Harry said and those jewels landed him along with a warm and bright smile, that felt so much more real than the one Tom could produce, though he was sure that people would believe his smile more than the one of the small boy. Tom tried to return the smile, though he was very sure there would never be another summer, either because Harry was just trying to play with him or because Tom would kill him this year, both possibilities, but both ending in the same result. "Sure", he agreed, while the snake over Harry's shoulder cuddled itself closer to him. Harry was petting it and somehow it looked so much more innocent than anything else. He wasn't sure how Harry was doing it. If he was the one petting a snake, nothing about it would look innocent. The door slid open and Abarax Malfoy, Orion Black and Avery were all standing there, getting themselves inside the compartment. Malfoy leading forward with a predatory smile directed towards Harry, so his interest had yet to decline. They were just putting their own stuff away, when Lestrange showed up, slipped inside and sat next to Harry, before one of the others got to it. "I seem to have caught the last seat, how perfect. I wouldn't wanna sit with that insufferable Mulciber any more times than necessary. Nott and Rosier shall suffer him on their own", Lestrange let out an annoyed huff, before he had an eerie grin directed towards Harry, moving even closer if Tom saw correctly. "So you are the infamous Harry Potter?"The sigh coming from Harry was so deep, as though it was coming from years of recognition. Tom was pretty sure Harry was overreacting. So far he had only once been recognised and even if it would have been more, what would be so bad about it? Being famous could open one doors that else would closed. Another thing Harry seemed to own and just didn't seem to value as much as Tom would, it was truly unfair. "Are people talking about me?", Harry asked, nearly sounding shy and depressed. Truly not a Slytherin. "Of course", Avery piped up, settling on the seat opposite Harry. "A young heir that got swapped at birth with some muggle child and then being taken away, just like that? Obviously people will talk. It is truly a shame something so horrible had happened to you. You must be happy to now be where you belong."Harry just shrugged and kept silent, so Tom kept an eye on him, interest piqued. There was something about this boy, that just made no sense to him and he just couldn't point to what it was. He was weird, sure, but normally Tom would just explain that with his muggle upbringing and the whole circumstances in which he eventually came back to the Potters, but for some reason did that explanation not feel right. There were holes in the whole story and Tom could not yet see a clear picture, he just knew something wasn't the way it was supposed to be. "I wouldn't know how to live on, if I had to have lived with muggles." There was no one who was able to say the word muggle as snobby and insulting as Malfoy and it made the green jewels land on him. "Well you can always kill yourself if you prefer that", Harry snapped and Tom was happy that he had rested his head on his hand, because else someone might have seen the smile that had formed on his lips. Malfoy wasn't good with comebacks, so his eyes just stood wide open like his mouth. "I... uhm". Pathetic, but sill a nice and usable pawn. Plus Malfoy always had the best access to the darkest of books. "Harry", Tom said, using his teacher voice, which made Harry flinch, before settling back in his seat, avoiding to look towards him. Tom felt a sudden twisted thrill rushing through him that made even more sure of wanting to become a Professor. This kind of power was addicting. Soon, where conversation leading into a different direction, since the others noticed quickly that Harry wasn't willing to talk about himself in the way that they seemed to have hoped. He just stare at them, shrug or answer very shortly. He seemed very much on the defence side, which made some of them more interested in him and others uninterested. Either way was the train departing and bringing them closer to the only Tom could call his own. ... The first year sorting was always very boring, which meant most people simply dozed off during it, except all the excited and young first years. The only reason it wasn't like this, this year was because of one person. Harry Potter. The rumours about him weren't stoping and people were still speculating which house he would get in, even though the answer was so obvious. He was bold and dumb, a perfect Gryffindor. Tom would only have to see him in classes then. Excitement continued to rise while the first years were bit by bit sorted and finally Professor Dippet said, "Harry Potter."Harry seemed clouded in his mind or at least so full of it, that Tom couldn't read anything when he was trying, not that he got much from Harry normally. Harry kept eye contact to a minimum with him and sometimes seemed to have walls up in his mind, keeping Tom from entering, therefore was he rarely getting something useable from Harry like this either. It was only the occasional slip of Harry's mind that showed Tom how hot he seemed to the younger boy. It was the only useful thing so far, though he had not yet an interest to really use it. There was no reason to it. Harry sat on the little chair, the sorting hat being sat onto his head. "Hm", the hat said, once it was settled and everyone seemed so on edge for some gossip they could talk about in the next hours, that it was infuriating. It will pass, Tom tried to tell himself, but it wasn't helping him as much as he thought. "What an interesting mind, you have", the hat said. "I see, in that case, SLYTHERIN!"Harry seemed not surprised by it and simply jumped of the chair, when the hat was taken from him. His robes had turned the same green as Tom's and the green jewels came closer with every second, while the hand of the boy continued scratching the snake over his shoulder. It was once Harry had sat in between Avery and Rosier, opposite Tom, that dinner showed up and people went into loud conversation, surely starting their gossip talks. "I didn't think you were much the Slytherin", Malfoy scoffed, though Tom noticed him still daring a glance. "O?" Harry looked up and the smile then on his lips, made Tom pause. It was wicked, superior, smug, full of confidence and in such perfect unity with the emeralds shine that it made Tom wanna own it. He wanted to have it to himself if not at all. Lips pursed even further. It was blinding Tom, making his head empty and entirely focused on the boy opposite him. "What do you think Riddle?"And this was the exact moment, Tom would never forgive Harry for. It was all Harry's fault. Harry had distracted him, Harry had tricked him and even thinking about it made his blood boil. Tom was normally so good at hearing the exact tone of things, of being careful not to slip up, but when Harry spoke, could Tom not register any of the hissing sounds at all. It sounded like perfect English to him, just like snakes usually sounded to him. He had to learn distinguishing it, to actively listen for the hissing or else he would do the same he did now, unawarely responding in the same tone. "I wasn't sure", he had tried to lie and it took him a bit before he himself noticed that he wasn't as much speaking as he was hissing and whispering.But once he realised, was it already too late. Everyone had heard, everyone had seen and everyone else would know by the end of the day. The Slytherin table became dead quiet. Tom was trying to figure out a way to control the upcoming damage. Normally he would have loved boosting himself with the fact that he was the heir of Slytherin himself, but it was too much of a risk, if he planed on opening the Chambers later on. He would have been immediately suspected, so he had kept it a secret, but now Harry had taken that choice from him. Harry, who also was a Parselmouth. Harry who could be blamed instead. Harry who could die for it and then Tom, the other Parselmouth, could close the Chamber again, resulting in surely recognition for his contribution. Maybe this wasn't too bad. It was still salvageable. "You are a Parselmouth. Both of you!", Mulciber announced the obvious, looking at them with wide eyes.Harry's green eyes were now looking at the other, innocence once more shown in them. "A what?"Tom suddenly felt a bunch of emotions and he wasn't sure which to work through first. Information were rushing through him like a bunch of fireworks, cracking around and destroying preexisting ideas. Had that always been Harry's plan? Had Tom been tricked the whole time? "You can speak to snakes", Lestrange offered, hand moving in bored motion, while his eyes were stuck with a glowing interest. Harry shrugged. "Yes, but I thought everyone could do that. Tom always talked with my snake, so I thought it was normal. Is it not?", Harry asked, eyes wide and sweet and Tom wasn't sure what to feel anymore. Harry had tricked him. Harry had used the damn snake against him, just like Tom had wanted to use it. Had he actually watched Tom or had the snake told on him? Either way, Harry had planned this. There was a reason he was just now revealing it and not before, but why? Why not talk to him before. Why choose the presence of others? To frame him as a Heir, but why? What was the use? Did Harry knew about the Chamber too? Had Harry been aware of him before? Where the Potters another branch of Salazar Slytheirn? Considering that most of them were Gryffindors seemed it very unlikely. What did it mean then? Where they related? Closely maybe even? Was Harry maybe not even a Potter? No, that seemed absurd, but then the other option would be, that Tom was maybe in some way related to them? If Harry was an Heir of Slytherin and he had inherited that over his father maybe, who might have just have been an oddball, a bad pot of the genes, that wasn't it possible that maybe Flemaont Potter was also Tom's father and that was why they had taken Tom in for the summer, because they knew. Was that it? Was this how Harry had planed on revealing their connection? It didn't sound unlogical. Revealing it as a welcomed surprise, after everything that happened with the Potters, was surely a smart move, to avoid unnecessary questions. Now Tom wanted that to be truth. He would make good use of the Potter name, he would become a better son than Harry and in a few years, he might slip Harry some poison and then the whole inheritance would be his. That did sound good and Tom Potter would be a name he could carry for now, until he would need a better, more fearful name. "No", Malfoy said, looking both jealous and awestruck at the same time, "Parseltongue is something that is only being inherited. All Parselmouths are direct ancestors of Salazar Slytherin."Harry nodded, pointing his fork filled with food at Malfoy. "One of the founders of Hogwarts. Yes? Tom had taught me." Harry then gave Tom a grin without any of the green, before stuffing the fork into his mouth. Everyone now looked at him, expectantly. "Why didn't you tell us you were a Parselmouth?", Nott asked and sounded as whinny as ever. Tom just barely managed to prevent himself from sighing loudly. "I didn't know", he lied so easily it felt not even like one, "I had only realised it when Harry's snake had started talking to me." Then he became a bit quieter, making an attempt at a whisper, though only for show. "I had planned on telling you guys later, for obvious reasons." Then he let his eyes fall over a table, specifically to a known Mudblood and all of them seemed to understood, though far slower than Tom would wish from his Knights. Harry however followed the glance and turned around very obvious to see who they had been looking at. He made seemingly eye contact with someone from the Ravenclaw table then and waved them nicely, before turning around to them. "Something wrong with the Nerds or why are you looking at them like that? Aren't you studious yourself?", Harry asked, eyes turned directly at Tom, who had enough and used legilimency at him.
"Don't think he is hot. Don't think about it. He is looking, fuck, fuck, don't think about anything. Think about something... uhm, cows, trees, trains... o wow, fuck, why does he have to be handsome. Think about girls. Think about girls. Ginny. No, not helping. Cho Cheng? She was with Cedric. God, Cedric was so hot. Wait a minute, am I gay? No, fuck I am not. Okay look away, just look away."
Useless once more, but at the very least about entertaining. The first part at the very least, the second less. Tom moved away from Harry's thoughts and tried to go back to convincing his Kights that he had the absolute full intention of telling them everything in secret, before they were moving towards conversations about summer, when Tom convinced them the dinning hall wasn't the best place for this topic. It wasn't long until they were separating. Tom staying behind to take the first years to their house, while his knights and roommates walked along with Harry ahead of him. Tom would have preferred Harry to come with him, considering that Tom had no idea what else Harry would ruin for him, but he needed to save his reputation and there was no reason for a fifth year, even just one recently entered school, to go along with first years, so Tom had to accept he might walk into chaos later. He just hoped it would still be salvageable.
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Tom was trying to hurry. He knew he shouldn't. He should be doing it properly, show his sincerity in what he was doing, but all he could think about was Harry. They had spent all summer and Tom had noticed nothing of that cunning bastards side. How dare he trick Tom like this! And what exactly was he planning? What was his goal? It still made no sense to Tom, except of course Tom was indeed a Potter and this was their plan of trying to get him adopted without much drama. Now that option, truly would be magnificent, but it just didn't feel right. He was missing something and it made him overthink everything that had been happening this summer. But it was still not making sense. Sure, Tom had been very certain that something was up with Harry, when he had disappeared into the cave Tom remembered from a childhood visit with the orphanage, but that was all there was. It was strange, but not strange enough to identify something to Tom. And Harry's supposed past? Weird, but not illogical. Harry was behaving like a victim of trauma with all his screaming at night sometimes and his weird behaviour, the way he used to flinch when not yet used to Tom's presence? It all made sense and yet had Tom been sure something was off from the beginning and now he knew.There was no way Harry had just pulled this off, without not having a longer plan and as much as he would love this to be an attempt of the Potters at confirming a supposed blood relationship, allowing for easier adoption and all, were the Potters just not the kind of people to manage such a deception. They weren't the kind of people that would do something like this, they were far too honest and well hearted. If Tom had been related to them, they would have surely gone about it another way, not so much caring about their imagine. Which meant, Harry had to have come around with the idea on his own. But how? And why? What were their connections? Was Harry no Potter after all? Was he tricking the Potters by pretending to be their child? Tom nearly stoped at that thought. It brought a tickle through his body. Harry being so wicked and deceiving to use the Potters for his own gain, was the exact kind of thing Tom would have done, if possible. It made him feel a sudden kind of warmth rush through him. Maybe Harry was much more like him than Tom had guessed in the beginning. Maybe Tom had fully wrongly judged him. But how could anyone seem this innocent at times? Tom had seen Harry work in the garden, saving snails from drying out, helping bugs from getting out of a path that would surely else end them dead... how could someone like that be as devious as Tom. Sure Tom was pretending to be good and sweet too, but he could never pretend to that extant. He couldn't smile this unguarded or keep the act up even when knowing no one was watching, but he was sure that was what Harry was doing. He was just doing it too naturally and not caring enough. Either he was much better at this charade than Tom, which Tom doubted, or Harry was seriously like this, which meant he was a Potter and had another plan. But what? What was it? Tom had no answer in the moment. He was missing pieces of the puzzle and he wasn't getting them from showing the first years around. What an annoyance. But thankfully soon done. Tom and Walburga Black were just done with most of the things, taking the first years finally to their common room, where Harry and his knights surely were already waiting for him. He just hoped Harry wasn't causing more damage. But of course he was. They were just walking inside, the first years, not yet fully able to control their features, showing all sort of awe at the beautiful green, black and silver coming room with its intricate designs and expensive decor. The room was spacious enough for multiple private conversation to be held across the room, but right in the moment was there just one person talking and everyone listening. Someone had changed the placement of the furniture, pushing them all together, so everyone could find a spot and listen closely to Harry who was standing in front of them, preaching like some sort of God. That was supposed to be Tom standing there! How dare his knights and his housemates to simply brush him aside to give such a room to freaking Potter. But of course would they choose some of their own, over him.He might have to get rid of Harry than planned. He couldn't risk his future followers, no matter interest he might have for the green jewels. The first years seemed interested in the spectacle and moved over, along with Walburga Black, so Tom had no other choice but to join as well. Harry was standing there, as though used to people hanging on every word of his lips, as though it was self-evident for people to admire him. Tom was seething with jealousy from inside, but he was keeping his expression neutral, as he stared at the green jewels that lid up when he approached. Harry sill had his pet snake laying casually over his shoulder, stroking it sometimes, which still somehow looked soft and domestic, rather than terrifying and empowering. "Tom", Lestrange said excited when he approached, offering his spot to him, which Tom took. At least someone knew still knew how to approach him. "Harry was just telling us about how he had first talked with a snake.""O, yeah, though it really isn't as impressive. Talking to a normal snake seemed just normal to me, that is why I thought it wasn't something special, but a basilisk...""You spoke to a basilisk?", Tom asked him unbelieving. It just escaped his mouth. He wanted to pull the words back, but envy was digging itself deeply into Tom. Tom wanted a basilisk. He deserved one! He would use it wisely and surely not like Harry had wasted it. Maybe he had to kill Harry tonight, he might not manage another day with the guy. Harry nodded, a shy smile on his lips then. "Though I hadn't been aware it was one, until I just confirmed so with the others. They sound a bit different, you know?" No, Tom, did not know, fucking stupid Harry. Was he trying to rub it under Tom's nose."When did that happen? I thought you grew up with muggles", Walburga Black asked, crossing hers legs elegantly over one another, eyeing Harry with the kind of coldness and superiority that was common among the House of Black. "I did", Harry answered, pushing his glasses back on his nose. "But when I found out about the truth... in the muggle world a war is currently going on. My muggle captors told me, shortly before a bomb exploded in our house. I had lashed out and my magic had saved me, but from then on I was on my own, trying to find my way towards my family." To anyone else this must sound so earnest, but to Tom it sounded simply practiced, as though Harry had told himself the same lie multiple times to the mirror. Now before he knew how manipulative Harry could have been, would he have passed the monotone voice of as something happened from trauma, like surely everyone else was doing, but now Tom was sure it was thanks to something else. Harry was lying, but Tom wasn't yet wise enough to know about what parts. "And then you just happened to walk past a Basilisk?", Walburga Black continued with the question, saving Tom from risking running into a plan from Harry. How much he was honestly thankful to his fellow prefect in that moment."No", Harry said with a chuckle, then he looked around unsurely, stepping from one feet to the other, "I am actually not supposed to say what happened then. My parents are scared it might reflect negatively upon myself.""What? O come on Harry, you can tell us, we won't tell anyone else", Avery said, giving him a little wink. Doubtful, very doubtful, but seemingly was it what Harry was trying to get too. "Well, okay, but you really can't tell anyone", Harry said a bit shyly and the glitter in his eyes told Tom all he needed to know, "I actually encountered a dark lord, while I was traveling and I ended up pulled in some more or less dangerous situations. That is actually though how I first found out about Tom."Everyone immediately knew who Harry was referring to. There was only one dark lord after all, but what that had to do with Tom, he had no idea. Everyone though was looking at him as though he would know and if Harry would talk soon, then Tom would have to figure out a way to continue spinning whatever lie Harry was saying. "What was it about Tom?", Nott then dared to ask, when neither of them both was yet talking. His knights were evaluating if Tom might now work with Grindelwald, as if he would need such an idiot for his plans. Harry blinked then, looking all the innocent, lost, forgetful idiot. "O, I think forgot to tell Riddle. I haven't, right?" He looked to Tom for conformation and Tom wanted to strangle him, hold him under him and watch the green eyes slowly grow dimmer. How dare he use Tom like this. "No, you haven't", he agreed, trying to look as confused and interested as he surely should be, while inside he was burning with anger. "Right, sorry, I probably should have. I mean it revolves around your future", Harry said, and everyone's eyes were moving over to him in a way that felt no good. Normally he would love it when everyone's attention was on him, but in the moment it felt nothing but a dangerous game of wizard chess, with a blindfold on. Harry wasn't waiting for Tom to ask for the information, thankfully. "Actually", he said, looking nervous and even daring a blush. Tom wished he had less attention on them, so he could slip inside of Harry's mind to take a Quick Look, though he was sure it was currently well guarded, "it will sound a bit embarrassing when I say it. The dark lord seemed to have someone that knew about the future and that person had apparently seen that Tom would one day become the strongest wizard the wizarding world had ever seen. That's why I had wanted him to tutor me over summer. I mean getting the chance to be taught by the most powerful wizard in all of history, seems like a one in a lifetime chance."Tom had trouble to let his mouth stand wide open. Harry was... helping him? Was that it? Was Harry actually... wait, that all made much more sense. But if that was the case, should he have talked to Tom before doing all that. He had ruined other plans of him, plans for which he would surely still have to die, but Tom would at least appreciate this. Probably, as long Harry wasn't planning something else. Except of course, was it weird that Harry seemed not to lie. It sounded like the truth. For sure would Tom be the most powerful wizard, now that seemed not like a lie whether or not Harry would intend it or not, it was a fact after all, but the rest? Everything else sounded truthful too and that made no sense. Everyone started getting nervous and excited then, they would have sooner or later started opening their mouths, maybe celebrated him or something, if they believed Harry, if it was not for Harry to continue. "But the dark lord seemed to think about it differently. He wants to destroy Tom, which is another reason why I wanted to met him. And now that I know him, will I for sure not let the dark lord erase him from the world, that I promise you." Harry then gave him a wink, and it seemed to mean something entirely else, though was that enough to spark heavy conversations following. His knights suddenly swore oaths of similar kind too. People started saying stuff like, "As if we would let our Heir of Slytherin get killed by some lesser Dark Lord", and soon was he wrapped in compliments and promises of loyalty and all it took was one day. One day and Harry had managed to get him some kind of martyr situation. It was nice sounding at first, with him getting what he wants, loyal followers and at all, but now there was also the kind of expectation swinging around in the room, that he would be the one to defeat Grindelwald. And that for sure would soon end up as Gossip all around the wizarding world, reaching far enough for the dark Lord himself to hear. Tom might be honestly in the most danger he ever had been. He needed that Horcrux now! How dare Harry push a dark Lord on him now, while he was still unprepared! He needed some time still. He had planed on getting some Horcruxes first, finishing school and build a bigger following, before he would take off Grindelwald himself if no-one had at this point. But doing so now? With neither? That was suicide and Tom was anything but that. Soon the room started to disperse, with first, second and third years soon being hushed into their rooms and Tom was waiting to get Harry by himself to at the very least have one conversation with him, before he would ensure that Harry's life would be shorter than Tom's, though seemed Harry already guess as such for some reason, as he stood up and conniving Avery to go with him to their dorm. What a bastard. But at the very least did this now finally feel like a puzzle that was solvable. Harry might really have worked with Grindelwald, he might seriously have even heard about Tom, it was not impossible, and if Tom was Grindelwald, he too would wanna get rid of a danger like that, so maybe Grindelwald had put Harry onto this, to ensure Tom would die. But then why tell this whole story and give him Martyr death, instead of killing him off during their summer or even doing it a more quiet way during their Hogwarts time. Why go to this trouble at all to establish Tom as an Heir of Slytherin. No, it did not make sense. There was a picture done with the puzzle pieces, but then there would just be a ton of pieces left untouched and it caused him an headache. He could no longer think about it now. He would need to find a way to confront Harry about it. He would need to figure out a way to pay it back to him. But when Harry entered his own dorm, Harry's new bed having now fitted in too, curtains drawn, did Tom just find himself falling asleep to wicked green jewels and soft smile, that made him wanna thew every curse he knew towards him.That confusing and insufferable Potter.
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Having Mondays first class being history of magic taught by Professor Binns, should be qualified as a form of torture and Tom only managed to get through it, by watching everyone else's suffering faces. Especially Harry was funny to look at. He was siting right beside Tom and his mental shield seemed to loose its effect the more bored he got, so eventually did Tom manage to sneak a little peek. Nothing entirely deep, just thoughts that were stuck on the surface, the kind of things he was looking at normally when looking at others, without wanting them to grow the wiser.
"I can't survive another year with this guy. How is that not considered child abuse. No wonder I am going to fail. Tom at least taught it interesting. I wish Tom would be the one teaching instead."
Tom had felt smug about it, though it was also still very confusing. Harry's mind had shown him so far nothing but admiration for him, so why was Harry tricking him? Was he honest about it? Did he mean to help? Had he actually been defying Grindelwald just for him? No, that was absolute ballocks and Tom would need to instead figure out what really was behind Harry's mind, but for that would he need to catch Harry on his own and insure they would have a little time to themselves, undisturbed and out of hear sight, so no screaming would accidentally alarm a Professor. But for that to work perfectly, would Tom need just a few more days of observation. After history of Magic came Potions, which Tom was excited by. He could really show off now, not that he hadn't done so before. Fleamont Potters little Potion workstation had offered him a summer full of practice and new readings, filling his mind with knowledge, that he was sure Slughorn would be even more impressed by, not that Tom needed to that. Slughie was already like melted wax underneath his fingers. "Good morning, Professor", Tom greeted him friendly, as Slughorn passed him by, smiling brightly, stoping shortly. The man put a hand on Tom's shoulder, a king of touch that Tom was just going to let happen, even if he disliked it so much. "Ah, Tom, good to see you. You look well, even got some colour, did you have a nice summer? I heard you were tutoring the long lost believed Potter Heir.""O, yes he did", Harry said then, moving in between them, releasing Tom from Slughorn's grip. Then an elbow hit Tom's side. "Or did you not, Riddle?" The green eyes landed on him in some kind of challenge, that Tom was never sure where that came from. He didn't think them anything alike. Tom was so much better than him and Harry should know this, Harry seemed to know this and yet still was he always adamant about challenging Tom in everything, even things where Harry would have no chance against him whatsoever. "Yes, I did. The Potters were quite generous to me", Tom said, charming and modest, just the way Slughorn would want to see. Sure, he had taken Tom under his wing, recognised his potential, but he was still a Slytherin, collecting blood much more frequently than talent and he did make that normally very apparent, so Tom had to be careful with what he said sometimes. "O no at all", Harry said with a light chuckle. "Riddle was just an amazing help and he is so talented. My father praised his potions highly, but I am sure you would already know that, Professor Slughorn. I mean, you taught him all that after all, right?"Professor Slughorn's face turned a little red at that and Tom couldn't even register how flustered the Potion Professor was, since his eyes instead went to look down towards the small Slytherin, that was doing things that just made no sense. What was Harry supposed to gain from this? Making Tom look good? Was he converting his favour.... wait was Harry having an actual crush on him? He seemed so conflicted in his emotions at most times, only rarely letting his attraction towards Tom slip, but that would be all. Well, if he did though. Tom could use that, manipulate him, make him a shield for the damage Harry had already caused, but then again it did not feel right. Something was just not really fitting into the picture. "O, well, I am honoured, Mister Potter, but Tom is a genius in itself", Professor Slughorn spoke in earnest modest and Tom would need now to reply too, washing down the reality of it. He was genius, he should be praised."O no, Professor, I wouldn't have been able to come so far without your help." And then from his peripheral vision, did Tom see it. Pure delight in form of green jewels lighting ablaze. Harry was enjoying his misery, his social degrading in an attempt to save his face. He could see it on the small smile on him, that he was very well aware of how much Tom hated this, pretending he wasn't much better than everyone else... he was though. And now things started to click at least at one part. Harry had put him into a position, where he would have to act modest or else he might come off as too prudent and loose potential future followers (his knights weren't that stupid, to not bend their knees to him), but that would just leave the question of why and how? He hated not knowing things. Soon he would need to get it out of him. "Professor Slughorn?", some other student with an actual meaningful name then called their Professor's attention and saved Tom from further humiliation. Harry kept staying beside him though, eyes questioning looking towards him. Enough for Tom to dare another sneak. "Should I ask him to partner up or is that too much? Maybe-" And then as though Harry realised what Tom had been doing, was he kicked out, walls closed and Harry just rolled his eyes, mumbling, "So predictable." Before walking off. "Hey, Lupin, wanna partner up!" And gone he was, walking towards some Ravenclaw student, that Tom had not paid much mind towards, but would do so now. How did Harry knew him already? Had he missed something or why was Harry acting this closely towards someone he couldn't know longer than a day?Soon class was starting and Tom was trying to snap out of his thoughts and instead focus on brewing the potion they were asked to make, but he found his glance often wandering towards Harry and some average looking browned haired guy, that seemed as surprised as Tom that Harry had chosen him as a partner. It bothered him. All of it. All those damn questions Harry was posing and not even answering and the fact that Tom had nearly had three months to take care of it, make Harry more obedient or even recognising things sooner, seeing the signs, but instead had he focused too much on doing the things he enjoyed. He had grown lazy apparently. He had let himself be lulled inside the stupid Potters supposed sweet home and now was he going to pay for it, with Harry's springing wicked and charming act. And the worst part? A part of Tom, felt his heart rising at the thought of the challenge in a way it had not done so before and he kinda liked that. Though even with the granted distraction, was Tom not unable to make the potion. He had been practicing it during the summer weeks and seemingly had it burned itself now enough into his mind, that he could have done it even while being attacked. ... Harry was kept behind, when Potions was over. Surely did Slughorn wanna collect him as well for his Slug Club and so wanted to talk to him, Tom would have not expected something else. He would have wanted Harry too in his position. A potter, a lost child, a story and a supposed Heir of Slytherin, one without the blood status Tom carried, a pureblood. Of course he would take him!Tom wanted push Harry down a flat of stairs and hope his supposed better blood would smear itself all over the school grounds, while at the same time he desired Harry as well, how could he not after all? Someone who he could speak a language with no other could share along? Someone who was so wicked, devious and ambitious, that he not only managed to trick Tom, but also must have planned this all long ago, enough for Tom to not even be able to suspect it. He hated Harry Potter, but at the same time was he nonetheless intrigued. He would have to kill him of course, only after Harry had told him all his secrets, but he would be willing to let him live too, if Harry would be sensible enough to promise Tom loyalty. It was a very strange and confusing indecisiveness to Tom. Normally he was much more clear about people, wether he would wanna murder them or not, but with Harry it seemed like a sole second, one thought impulse, would simply be enough to change his whole mind about the entire ideal. Time, Tom told himself, he would need to give himself and Harry just some more time. Observe, act and then decide. Time though seemed not Harry's strongest suit. Class had just started and Harry was still not there. They were all sitting at their little round desk, paired up again with the others, and Tom, who didn't really believe in divination, only sat here, because A) he wanted to do all classes and show his brilliance, since that was possible this year and B), they had a new divination Professor, who was supposed to be seriously a name house in the wizarding world. A real Seer, whose prophecy, wouldn't just become true, but he could also see them much clearer without a foggy mind, if what people whispered was true. So far though, did the man in front of them seem certainly much less the common divination wizard or witch. He was wearing a grey suit, his jacket hung over the armchair that was sitting there in the middle, under them, but he had also added a desk, a blackboard and a normal chair, as was common for other classes, but uncommon for divination for sure. This man seemed much more practical already and understandable than the crazy Professor they had had before. Tom would need to get a good read on him quickly enough to ensure the Professor would be useable for him, preferably even helping him, if he truly was as brilliant as everyone claimed. The man wasn't starting class though, even with the time for it having arrived and instead kept on checking a medium silver pocket watch, before putting it away again and repeating the practice. "Um, Professor, are we going to start?", Rosier seemed eventually fed up enough to ask, but not enough to risk already getting on his bad inside. "In a minute, Mister Rosier", Professor Mallet responded, not even eyeing him. Rosier next to Tom startled, turning to Tom with shocked eyes. "How did he know my name?", he whispered, as though it was a big thing. It wasn't. Tom could have done the same, so he just shrugged, hoping Rosier realised himself that this was no impressive skill to simply be able to deduct. Then Harry barged in, steps quick and loud, not a very good skill for sneaking around. Everyone stared at him and Harry seemed to wanna hide into himself, but Professor Mallet wouldn't let him, as he instead stepped forward, away from the desk, towards Harry with a smile. "You are earlier than I expected, Harry Potter", Professor Mallet spoke amused, wide grin showing an earnest excitement in seeing the green eyed student. Tom disliked their new teacher then. Harry blinked, face flushed. "I am sorry, Professor, that you seem to think so little of me. I was held up, I won't be late again.""O no, class? I was not referring to that", he said waving off, causing the green eyes to twist into confusion, along with Tom's. Maybe Tom had spoken too early. This man might be one of these lunatics as well, that get their mind fried from some future insights. He would still be able to drop the class then though. Professor Mallet was grabbing Harry's shoulder, pulling him along, before setting him down on the armchair in the middle of them, that was there for him to show them what to do. Was that his form of punishing late comers? Using them as showcase examples for the class to learn from? If yes, it was surely for many here a truly devious act. Especially for Harry as it seemed. His face was filled with panic and uncomfortableness, as he was now the centre of attention, in a way he had no control over. Tom was enjoying that so much then, that he had to rest his head on his hand to hide his smile from the others. "Here, have a biscuit, Harry", the Professor then said, holding a round tin towards Harry that was filled with biscuits. Harry, who was late and not aware that nothing had yet happened, took a cookie unsurely, looking at the others, while the Professor seemed to have only eyes for Harry. Now that was somehow bothering Tom again. Enough to kick Rosier softly under the table, to get his attention and notify him to ask again. But it was Malfoy, who had spoken up first. "Professor?"The smile of the Professor dropped the instant that his head moved towards Malfoy and Tom had never seen any Professor in the school, show such a strong favouritism. It was stupid really. Professor Mallet wasn't doing Harry favour like this, by marking him just as a target this way. "What, Mister Malfoy?", the cold voice was strange after such a warm tone directed towards their peer. Malfoy kinda moved lower in his seat, until he seemed to remember again that he was a Malfoy with a lot of money and a father, who he would could upon if necessary. He cleared his throat then, surely just to cover up his fear a bit more. "I was just wondering when we are going to start class?"Harry, behind his round glasses, looked up to the rest of the class then in surprise, nibbling on his biscuit, which Tom wouldn't have done in his place. At this point Tom was even worried the Professor might have done something with it. Uh, poisoning? Tom could perhaps do that. Maybe something that would make Harry's tongue a bit more loose for now and then something worse down the line, maybe the imperius curse. He had wanted to try that spell out and why not use on Harry then? Another smile grew on his lips, just thinking about all the things Tom could command Harry to do then, besides revealing his secrets to him. "You would be surprised to find out, you have started already, far ahead, but you just wouldn't how exciting this knowledge is. Right, Harry?", the Professor said with an awe struck, crazy look, before looking towards Harry for support, who had just pushed the rest of the biscuit into his mouth, now chewing on it instead of answering. Professor Mallet offered him another biscuit then and Harry took it once more confused, but seemingly at least trying to understand this man.Then something even more confusing to Tom happened, Harry's eyebrows shut up and he seemed to understand, which made no sense, whatsoever. No one should be able to understand such a crazy man. Least of all, Harry. "You mean...?", Harry then asked the man shocked, but stoping himself from saying more, before his eyes looked towards the ground wide and shocked and that was the exact reason, why Tom had been surprised about Harry's deception at first. He seemed so expressive and open and often so easy too read, but if all of that was just a show, then well... Tom just couldn't understand why do it all then? Sure, it was a good cover, but it was so over the top and it seemed so often to reveal things, that Harry shouldn't let others know. Professor Mallet nodded. "Indeed, Harry, I know." He threw him a charming smile, before he clapped his hands into one another, walking towards the blackboard. "Today we will be discussing two prophecies, that have come to me, but are not from me." He had just grabbed a chalk, when he turned around to the rest of the class. "Does any of you understand what that means?""What, what means, Professor?", Lupin dared to ask, confused and hand only partly risen, sitting next to that mudblood Ravenclaw, that was more than a bid annoying. She had sometimes followed Tom, while he was on his search for the Chamber of Secrets, and it always caused him trouble. She was very high on his killing list, especially if he managed to open the chamber and find a way to blame Harry for it."When a prophecies reaches a seer, than is not seen by the seer himself. Anyone?", the Professor asked, his eyes searching the room, full of confused students, before settling on Harry, who seemed to wanna hide again. "It means the seer died, right. I read once about it, that prophecies have a tendency to select a wizard, just like a wand. They wanna be heard though, so if the Seer dies prior, the prophecy goes to someone else?", Septimus Weasley answered, though sounded in the end unsure. Professor Mallet eyed him shortly, before nodding. "1o Points to Gryffindor, that indeed is one correct possibility for why this might have happened. Yes, Miss Black?"Walburga lowered her hand in graceful manner, like it was expected for the house of Black. "And what would be another possibility?"Professor Mallet gave her a wide and wicked grin then, which Tom hated, because could see it was hiding a kind of knowledge, he was now craving to acquire. "Well, that would be left for you to find out. I will write one of the prophecies down now and you all can try to decipher it, try to do so piece for piece. It will not be an easy task. Many have grown mad trying to find meaning in words that were not meant for them." He moved his shoulders up uncaring, before he turned around to the board again, writing both of them down. Tom scribbled them down, just like the others were doing too. Only Harry stared at them without a movement in his body.
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... "
Tom was just beginning to decipher the easiest parts, when Harry suddenly and abruptly stood up, his breath was quick and frequent and he was not looking at anyone, when he suddenly spun around and run out of the classroom. No one even had a second to react, since Professor Mallet was sprinting right after him as though he had been expecting for the green eyed student to disappear. It brought a sudden new curiosity to Tom and when he looked back to the prophecy he felt like it had to be another puzzle to explain the missing picture, but it had yet to fit. Sure Harry had been born at the end of July, they had celebrated his birthday and all, and he had been lost as a child, which surely could have been the work of Grindelwald, but the Potters just never had gone against the dark lord, especially not thrice, so how was Tom to interpret that piece? Was it one of these parts of a prophecy that just made no sense, until it soundly would click? And either must die at the hand of the other? Did that meant Harry could only die if killed by Grindelwald? Either way, was it clear from Harry's and the Professors reaction alone, that this was a prophecy for the boy and that meant, that little asshole, was doing all this to indeed make Tom a Martyr, pushing Tom before him, to hide behind him, just like Tom had planned on doing. He wasn't going to kill Grindelwald for Harry. If Harry was prophesied to go kill that Dark Lord, then he should do that, without involving Tom into this mess. But then again, what kind of stupid cosmic fate, would choose Harry Potter for the destruction of the dark lord? Harry, who couldn't even memorise the easiest the defence spells? Harry, who looked far too innocent to be a killer? Harry, who, yes, seemed capable of deception and used dirty tricks and... well, perhaps Harry might be able to do it. He might not in the end win against Tom, but Grindelwald? Sure, why not. Did Grindelwald though know about him? Ugh, Harry just made no sense what so ever. He wished he could just grab him and shake him, until the green eyed boy would start spill out whatever kind of plan he had and what stupid things he had done so far. Tom, might after all, even be able to help him!... for a price of course, not just for nothing. Grindelwald gone, after all, was something Tom was looking forward too, there couldn't be two dark lords in the future, and if Harry was the only one capable of defeating Grindelwald, then sure Tom would support him from afar, help him figure out a plan. Perhaps Tom should really just approach Harry and force him to lay all of the truth open to him and be practical about it, instead of doing all this emotional stuff he was seemingly doing now. They were yet not back. People started talking again. Maybe Tom should take a look? He was a Prefect after all.It did not take much for Tom to decide and so he stood up, stepping out of the class and searching for Harry and their teacher. They were just one row of the spiral staircase further down, standing on the little platform right next to the window. Close enough for Tom to hear them and yet far enough for them to not have heard his quiet approach yet. "I really only mean to help you, Harry", the Professor said concerned. "Help me?" A dry unrumoured laugh. "What about that is helping me? You are suggesting murder! Murder, do you hear yourself? I can not kill him, not like this, not ever", Harry sounded frantic and panicked, voice though filled with the kind of stupid determination, Tom did not understand, but that fitted the picture he had originally have of Harry much better. So no killing Grindelwald then? How disappointing, but to be expected. "I am very sure he deserves it. Hasn't he taken enough from you?", Professor Mallet seemed adamant about convening Harry to become a murder, so Tom was not surprised when he heard the sudden sound of bodies moving, clashing, which nearly made him jump into action, to see what exactly had happened. "You don't know shit, Professor! You have no idea, what he has taking from me! So don't even think about talking about this again with me!", there was a threat in his voice, that made Tom feel all fuzzy inside. He wanted to see the green eyes, wanted to see the kind of anger that must surely currently run through them. "If I say he lives, then so he does. I will find another way.""You can't avert a prophecy, Harry", the Professor's voice sounded a bit tired, while Tom tried to catch a little glimpse, maybe even get another little peak at Harry's mind. Surely was he currently emotional enough to keep his walls down. "I think you are misunderstanding, Professor, I can do what I want, because I-", and then Harry's head snapped upwards towards Tom, catching his stare, fire of hate still burning bright in the green, nearly making Tom tumble with a giddiness running through him, it only disappeared when he saw the situation they were in. Professor Mallet had both his arms rested against the wall, caging Harry in between them, not allowing him to escape. It made Tom's mood a bit sour for some reason, and he jumped into action, moving down the stairs, before Professor Mallet could turn around. "Professor? Harry? The other student got a bit restless, so I thought I should take a look, besides was I very much worried about Harry", Tom said, while approaching, eyes trying not to stay too glued onto the boy with the glasses. Professor Mallet seemed to realise the weirdness of the situation as well now, moving a step away from Harry, who took the freedom, to actually hide a bit behind Tom, which caused another strange feeling to rise in him. Harry was using him again, as a shield as well, how annoying, and yet somehow..."I am fine, Riddle. I just think I am going to drop divination", Harry answered him, eyes warily towards the Professor, before he shortly gave Tom a very soft and unpredicted smile, the kind he had given others before, but not him. It made him blink once in surprise, but he was quickly pushing that away again. "Harry", Professor Mallet said in a warning tone, "think about this carefully." Then he looked finally at Tom, eyes as uninterested looking at him, as they had done so before towards any other student. "You may accompany Harry, if you wish, Riddle." Then he passed them and Harry waited til the door was closed behind them again, before turning towards him. "Don't you know spying on others makes you look like a stalker, Riddle", Harry said, eyes avoiding Tom and the wall was already pushing in waves towards him. Tom scoffed. "I was merely waiting for the right moment to step in. I did not want to interrupt your seemingly important conversation, though what I heard seemed very interesting. Perhaps you and I should have a chat." Tom couldn't keep himself from letting one of those more wicked grins befall his lips and Harry's eyes seemed to widen from that. The green lit up in a sudden sharp fear, that Tom had not expected. Harry had seemed so in knowledge of him, so why now act like this came as a surprise to him? Could Harry finally stop being a mystery? "Perhaps we should, but not today, Riddle", Harry released him with that, turning around and simply walking away, as though Tom was just someone you could walk away from. He should have pushed him down the stairs then, kicked him or even cursed him, but Tom just let him go from some reason. Maybe it was the tiredness in the green jewels, maybe it was the fact that he seemed to understand Tom and yet didn't tell on him on anyone else, yet, or maybe it was just because Tom felt like he still wanted to puzzle a bit more on his own, before the fun would be over. Either way was he watching Harry slowly move further and further away from him and somehow found himself waiting for green eyes to turn around, to see if he was following. Tom then turned around and went back into class.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Tom realise expected Harry not to show up to their last class, but there he was. Standing there in the green uniform of his house, waiting for the others to show up. He seemed to have waited there, hiding away from the Professor, instead of going to his dorm, like Tom initially believed he would. Harry seemed the kind of guy for it, to get emotionally overwhelmed and cry somewhere alone.He had done that a lot in the summer break. Usually went into his room, away from his parents and would cry, believing no one could hear him. Tom, just a room away, reading a book, could pick up on it, once he realised what he was hearing was sobs. Not that he ever went to check. Maybe he should have. He regretted not having used those weak moments of the green eyes boy to get him better under control, perhaps coax some truth out on him, because clearly had Harry not been as earnest as he was pretending.Walburga Black had moved before them then, moving over to Harry, caging him and attacking him with questions and her usual strict manner. Tom nearly let out a snicker seeing the eyes grew dimmer and dimmer, until they were filled with darkness, while he seemed to perhaps now regret not having gone to the dorm. Tom wanted to catch the green in hopes of getting inside its owners head again, but his view was quickly blocked by Mulciber, who hadn't taken Divination with them. "And how was the new divination Professor?", he asked, as he approached them. Lestrange just looked bored at the question, tilting his head from one side to the other, his eyes crazy orbs of darkness, while Avery nearly jumped at the possibility of talking, but waiting for Tom to give his opinion first. Tom wasn't sure what to think. The Professor had clearly come with a mission and said mission involved Harry possibly dying a martyr death, which he seemed heading forward too, if he kept stubbornly clinging to his no killing policy, besides of course not being nearly powerful enough to even face Grindelwald in the first place.It would not be an issue to Tom, except of course Harry had made it his issue, by involving him and trying to hide behind him. Perhaps Tom could offer Harry to Grindelwald and get himself neatly out of the disaster? Get in good graces with he current dark Lord and eventually manage to be trusted enough to give him a quick end? But then again the prophecy said, one has to die at the hand of the other, so would the other stay immortal? Incapable of dying without its counterpart? Tom was so envious if so.Tom then just shrugged. "He is less crazy as other supposed Seers, but still crazy enough to not have a decent conversation with the man, without speaking at least in parts in riddles.""And he also seems to like Potter", Nott added, nodding his head in agreement along. "Favouritism on the first day?", Mulciber asked back surprised.Rosier let out a short dry laugh. "That hardly counts even still as Favouritism. The man is more like a fan. Gave him biscuits, praised him all that, I am sure if he had been given the chance, he would have even tug him with a blanket and handed him some hot chocolate.""You are just jealous because he didn't give you biscuits", Avery remarked with a smug smile."Buh!" Mulciber startled hard and Lestrange finally moved his head to focus on the situation, that he now seemed to deem worthy. Harry had sneaked towards them, silent and hidden. If Tom had not always kept an eye on him, he might have been a bit surprised himself. It wasn't very Slytherin though to act so stupid."You know it is not nice to talk about others behind their back, especially if my back is only a few feet away from yours." Harry pointed out, his thumb signing to his back, where Walburga Black was currently talking to some of the other Slytherin girls, two of them other Blacks. They were whispering and taking glances at Harry one after the other. Whatever Walburga Black had gotten from Harry, seemed interesting enough to keep them chatting. "We were just talking about Divination, can't help that Professor Mallet seemed so fixated on you", Nott explained, smile wide and charming, but not as convincing as Tom's would have been, though Tom would not need to waste a smile like that on Harry, not anymore. He gave him one nonetheless, just to prove his point. Harry stared at him then and quickly moved his eyes a bit and Tom did not need to read his thoughts to know why. "Harry that must have been awful for you, you seemed rather uncomfortable about the Professors attention you, especially after you left. It looked to be like he was perhaps steeping a bit too close for someone who is supposed to teach you. "It worried even me, seeing him push you against the wall." Other's attention pulled towards them much more obvious and Harry stared at him with a warning. Tom nearly smile smug, but he held onto his facade, softly touching the boys shoulder and then nearly ripping his hand away as though burnt, but barely kept himself from that impulse. "As your Prefect, you know you can talk to me, if a Teacher behaves inappropriate towards you."Harry slept his hand away, not with much worse, more with embarrassment. Not helping his case here. "I am fine, thank you for you concern, Riddle", Harry said angrily, before storming back off, to move a bit away from their group and instead walked to some of the Ravenclaws, especially towards Lupin, whatever was supposed to be so great about him. "Wait, did the Professor really do something?", Avery asked surprised and it was time for Tom to finally push Harry into a disliked position. Tom hated being humble and Harry, well, Harry seemed to hate being pitied, being put into some spectacle of something broken people could gauge their fill off. That was why he never let his past story sound sad, he made it sound okay, passable, rather quickly pushed into other directions. His stories sounded heroic, rather than tragedies and he seemed to not want people seeing him as something hurt. A true martyr, if Tom could think of one, except of course Harry was pushing himself into a light, that would let people believe, he was willing to die for Tom, that Tom was the light he was going for... truly ridiculous and infuriating. Especially since it was not the truth at all. But since Harry had been playing this strange game for the past two days, it felt to join now into it as well, after having gathered at least some stuff and having wasted already enough time about thinking about this green eyed devil. Now action seemed more logical than even more thinking, before it might be too late for action to take. Tom offered another concerned look, moving closer to his knights, while he was going to act like he meant to say between them, while very well knowing other ears where wide open to their conversation as well. "Well, I can't say for sure, it was just then when I went looking for him, Professor Mallet had kept Harry trapped and kept on pushing something towards him, which Harry seemed very much against.I hadn't been able to hear anything, so I just tried to step closer and the Professor immediately stepped back, but Harry was already looking very... dishevelled. I wanted to talk to him, but he wanted to be alone and I did not wanna push him, further, especially not after whatever had happened before."They all then dared a glance towards Harry, who was carefree talking to Lupin, but suddenly got a very depressing facet to him, which was absolutely perfect for Tom. Lupin noticed the sudden shift in emotion of the green eyes as well, but unlike the others, was he close enough to talk to him and Tom guessed that is what he did. They seemed to get into a more private conversation just in the moment when Professor Merrythought came around the corner, swinging her wand and opening the door to their classroom.People were already staring to leave the hallway in favour for the class, when Tom dared a look down to his hand, the one with which he had touched Harry's shoulder, even if only shortly. It felt strange. it had felt strange, like his insides were being suddenly expanded, covering more ground. As though his magic was not just in him, but reaching further outside. It wasn't painful or something alike. The opposite quite really. It had felt good, a bit too good maybe even. Tom had wanted to hold onto the boy with the strange scar and the jewels eyes for longer, to explore the sensation a bit further, perhaps grasping what it was. And exactly that was kinda terrifying to him. ... Tom saw it on Harry's face, that the boy exactly knew what kind of class they would have, which once again made no sense. The only formal magical education Harry had gotten was from him and even Tom was only halfway sure what they would be doing. The desk had been pushed to the side and a wide space had opened, surrounding an old antique, large, wooden cabinet, in front which stood the Professor, waiting for all of them to get quiet. Tom actually liked Professor Merrythought, she wasn't shying away from teaching them DADA for what it was really useful. She didn't quiet about the dark aspects about magic, unlike other teachers, but unlike how Tom would have like to used the dark arts, had the teacher only the use for the information for teaching purposes. She explained some of the spells, but only to demonstrate right after how to defend them. It was logical of course, but he knew others wouldn't have done it as precisely as she had done and they would also not have spoken so brutally to them or even go as far as to actually push them sometimes into perhaps a bit dangerous situation, for the purpose of ensuring them to be safe in the case of disaster. All reason Tom admired her a bit than perhaps others, she did really attempt to save them from the current dangers of the wizarding world, even though Tom doubted some of his classmates deserved such pity. Today seemed not different, and Harry, who seemed in knowledge of what was in the cabinet, slowly shuffled back, trying to stay out the eyes of the Professor, before hiding fully behind Tom - once more using him as a shield. Had Tom somehow given the boy the wrong impression, that he was willing to protect him in case of danger or did Harry just believe in his talents? Or was it neither and Harry was actually just cruel and heartlessly offering Tom in his stead, just to protect his own skin? It wouldn't befit Harry though. The more Tom thought it about and he had certainly thought about it a lot the past thirty hours or so, was Harry just not the kind of guy that would befit such scheming and cruel nature. Tom would even like to see he himself was the kind of person more befitting it, but earnestly was hiding cowardly behind someone like a slimy crawling creature, not his style either. He would have people die for him, without him needing to bend his back. Just like Tom thought of Harry initially... and he was doing it again, not being able to stop trying to understand what the heck was going on. Time. Just a bit more time. Until then-"Today, you will be facing your biggest fears!", Professor Merrythought announced and the room silenced in the same second. She punched against the cabin, that immediately started to rumbled and shake and the sounds were confirmed his suspicion. "Today you will be facing a boggart and learn how to defeat them. Any volunteers?"Tom sidestepped then, hoping to reveal Harry, while also hoping he could keep the grin from his face, but Harry seemed to have anticipated his step and moved along. The hands suddenly pushed behind his back though and the same time and Tom stumbled merely a step in front, one he would have to pay Harry back in the future as well though. The list of payback for just one person surely started to grow quickly. Tom cleared his throat elegantly, as the eyes landed on him, his usual compliant smile on his lips, as he lifted his hand smoothly. "If it is alright, I would like to try my luck, Professor."Professor Merrythought smiled at him appreciatingly then. "Of course, Mister Riddle. A Prefect would have been a wise choice in my eyes anyway for demonstrations. Let us recap the spell first you all learned last year. It is Riddikulus I am speaking off. It is not a complicated spell, but what will be, is the shape you have to think about. A clear humorous image you need to manifest in your mind, before letting yourself overcome by fear. The biggest enemy of a dark creature of terror, is truly nothing other than genuine laughter. So think of it ahead, what would make you laugh."Tom could think about a few things that would make him laugh, but none of them could yet be shown so easily in front of others, without fearing consequences. So he would have to rely on the laughter of others by projecting something he believed them to find funny. Perhaps Professor Dumbledore in feminine muggle clothing? Would Harry think that was funny too? The boy of course only barely knew Dumbledore yet and... why was Tom thinking about that? More importantly though. What was Tom scared of? Perhaps he should have thought about that sooner. There weren't many things he was scared of and those he was seemed unlikely to manifest in a boggart. Tom moved further forward, yew wand out and standing ready to face his fear. Whatever happened, he would have to stand there with his head high and his face showing no contradiction, nothing. He would be a glorious leading example, unafraid. "Ready, Mister Riddle?", Professor Merrythought asked him, standing next to the cabinet door, hand reaching to open the door.The small woman would never risk some kind of danger she wouldn't be able to prevent in case of something going wrong, so Tom had no worry in the world, when he returned a smile and her and said, "Of course, Professor."And then was the door opened and out flopped a body, dead, heavy falling to the ground. Nothing more. Tom could recognise himself in sleep, but he truly had never seen himself outside of a mirroring surface. The boggart just laid there, unmoving and surely cold. There was nothing mischievous and scheming behind those eyes, no sparkle of any kind of intelligence at all. No thought. No nothing. The chest did not move, since no breath escaped the body. Death. He laid there dead, dressed in Tom's face and Tom's clothes, barely having seen age, barely having managed to fulfil anything. Just gone, nameless and infamous. Dead! Tom gripped stronger at his wand. It had not been much time since the boggart had fallen out, not even a second maybe, but Tom could feel it's affect so quickly on him. Seeing his own corps there made him feel something - panic, fear, anger, the certain worry about the present and future, now pushed into problematic, dangerous places thank to Harry Potter, who seemed not the care about Tom's plans at all. Tom needed to ignore that now. He needed to grasp that mental image again. He would need others to laugh, since he clearly couldn't find anything to laugh about the situation, but he didn't need to. He neither needed to laugh nor to cast a spell, for someone else was laughing, loud and carefree, and Tom was not the only one disturbed by that. Everyone turned to Harry, who was just laughing, holding his stomach, clearly loosing it. "Gosh, you are pathetic, Tom", Harry said and seemed aware enough to not say it in English, but rather kept the language only the two of them spoke. The boggart startled and lifted itself slowly up, before walking in the form of Tom's corpse back into the cabinet, closing the door behind him, as though he suddenly got scared of the scarred boy. Perhaps not many boggart had faced being laughed at while in the supposed terrifying form. "Mister Potter!", Professor Merrythought warned him, finger raised, before moving back to her hips, pushing back her purple cloak. "This is no laughing matter. The fears of someone else are nothing to laugh about, no matter how you seem to think of it differently. I am aware you haven't yet been long in the wizarding world, but that is still no excuse for such kind of behaviour. I expect you to apologise to Mister Riddle later on and write an essay on why such a behaviour is unacceptable."Harry's happiness was quickly gone, while Tom smile in pure innocence, with hidden satisfaction. This was another reason Tom liked Professor Merrythought. She was so strict about emotional damage, which made it often so easy for Tom to get other, annoying students, disciplinary punishments, if he desired so, simply by pushing a few of their buttons. He was glad for that feature of hers, though he himself would never be like that once he would take over her job.Emotional damage? O please, anyone who could not spin such stuff into something useful, was not worth his time or effort. Harry shrugged, moving his feet a bit uneasy, while his cheeks reddened a bit. He clearly felt ashamed however. Perhaps even regretful. So easy, Tom thought. So morally good and yet so unexplainable other times."Sorry", Harry mumbled and Professor Merrythought nodded, before calling for the next student. It went on a bit. Corpses were not uncommon, though the few others who had them, seemed to fear other peoples lives more than their own - how idiotic noble of them and illogical, how was one supposed to enjoy the company of another, if one was dead? It made no sense. Had no one else some self preservation?Tom nonetheless noted everyone's fear mentally down, remembering them so he could he use them if necessary later on. He was though especially excited for Harry's fear. He wanted to see it, know it and hopefully gain some insight from it. It was Lupin then though, when things went astray. Lupin had stood and the boggart had come rushing out as a dementor. Harry next to Tom flinched from that a bit and Tom was sure this was either something terrifyingly new to the boy or might also be a huge fear of the boy himself, either way, not un-normal. Dementors were dangerous after all, even for him, but this was hardly a real one, so it should be fine. Except it wasn't. Lupin lost his wand, while shaking so heavily and the Boggart got its grip on him, starting to kiss him to death. Now that - that was exciting. Humouring even! Tom needed to keep himself from not loudly laughing, as the boy gave out a cry. Professor Merrythought even looked terrified then, trying to use the spell on her own, but coming up short, as the boggart would not focus on her. It seemed as thought Tom might finally be able to witness his real first death right in front of him and it would be a person, he didn't like, how amazing! But then, of course, had Potter to step in, always ruining Tom's life now that they were at Hogwarts. It was like he had something against him, which made no sense. Tom had never done anything to the boy, he had planned initially, but had in the end just decided to enjoy his summer and not bother with the Potters in such a way, so why was Harry doing all this? Horrible boy. Harry stepped forward, wand already moving, but he wasn't even voicing the spell, before a silver glowing deer emerged and with it a huge amount of light power, that was rushing through the whole place. It was nauseating how powerful the magic was, even without even thinking about the kind of spell Harry had just casually thrown. How had Harry done that? That was supposed to be impossible! Harry was far more powerful than Tom had believed, no wonder then he was supposed to fight the current dark Lord. Especially if he already mastered a patronus, a corporal nonetheless. Just how? It didn't matter though. The boggart in dementor form let go of Lupin and quickly retreated back to the cabinet, while the Ravenclaw student fell to the ground. Harry was just about to crouch down to him, deer still standing guard by his side, when the door of the cabinet suddenly got pushed close by hand, revealing an old man. Nobody moved for some strange reason, not even Professor Merrythought. For just a moment had the man all the attention in the room on him, as though he had frozen time itself. For some strange reason seemed the old man familiar, though Tom wouldn't remember ever having met a man this old, with such colourful robes and hat, long white beard and hair, as though he was some deranged sage. He was sure he would remember such a colourful fella, but then again, his mind made him think he did seem familiar. It was perhaps someone else the man looked similar too, like a brother or son or grandson Tom knew of the old man. "Who are you?", Professor Merrythought asked harshly, pushing herself closer towards the student body, wand raised, ready to defend them to death. If Tom was sure of one thing, then that this woman was ready to die for any one of her students, without even batting an eye. Admirable, but absolutely stupid and useless. What a waste. He would understand if she would die for him, but just anyone? Tom felt like there were many students who were very much less worth than their Professor. Myrtle Warren for example. Tom could live without that mudblood much nicer than without their Professor. But thankfully it didn't come that far. The old man smiled, seeming as cunning as Tom while also as friendly as Harry sometimes looked. Even more familiar looking to Tom. "I am an old friend." Then his eyes landed on Harry, who was still holding his wand, facing the man. If Harry was eager to fight then why not wanting to go against Grindelwald? Harry Potter once more became an even bigger mystery. "Who are you?", Harry asked the man sharply then. The old man blinked at him confused, smile growing in a weird way. "My dear old friend, if you can not recognise me then...""I know who you are, I am just... who are you?", Harry asked once more in this confusing way befitting a Seer and the man let his smile pull into a corner of his face. Harry's shoulders pulled further up then, anger pushing from him, as he stepped closer towards the old man, out of reach from Professor Merrythought, that still standing in front of the others. "You. Have you always been you? I have thought about it.""And what if I had?", the man asked back as though this was a light-ful joking matter. Harry seemed to seem to think different and there was a kind of anger to him now, that Tom hadn't seen in him and would have not expected. "Then you raised me like a pig, just to have me slaughtered? For what? How much of it was your plan? Is this some kind of play to you?" Harry's voice wavered, rising and falling and he was surely currently perfectly easily readable, but sadly was his back turned to Tom, who could only see the smaller boys tense back. "Mister Potter", Professor Merrythought warned him, but neither he or the man seemed to care for her warning. "I am not", the man said, "in the way you think I am. But this choice-""You did not give me a choice!", Harry yelled angrily then, interrupting the man, who looked at him perplexed. Something was wrong, Tom realised, and it wasn't because of the man, it was something that had gotten underneath Harry's skin before the arrival of the man, that was wrong, that made him latch out and Tom was sure, not even Harry was fully sure what it was. "Just because your choice was not made by the mind, does it not mean it wasn't by you. Your heart is what had brought you so far, my dear old friend and if you keep on listening to it, all will be like promised, but for such advice have I not come", the man said, before his eyes suddenly settled on Tom, which made him suddenly wanna step back. The coldness of the glare was much more terrifying than the boggart had been. "Tom, I see you are still the same", the man said, letting out a little chuckle. "You and him and all these others who have come before you, trying to demand a mountain to bow down to it, by screaming and shouting, but all it does is bury you beneath it. I never much cared for such kind of people, but darkness always needs light to accompany it, and one can not live without the other."Harry was then actually trying to move into their path, as though he meant to try protecting Tom from those confusing and senile sayings. "This is not about him."The old man had a smile once more when looking at Harry, it was truly a friendly smile, as though they were really old friend. "O indeed it has. I once gifted three brothers three things, you do remember, don't you Harry?" Harry flinched then, so easy to read sometimes. "I thought so, but I only would have allowed one to have all three and only one has had them all. You are the last of those brothers blood, but you do not have them with you."The old man's gaze shifted from Harry shortly to Tom then back to Harry, lifting his hand, were something shinned in it. "I could not let him have it. I would not allow such disrespect. The other has gone from hand to hand, but this stone, has only left blood's hands once so far. It was the Gaunts who first smeared blood on it, killed for it, and so far have the Gaunts kept it well." The man looked at the stone that was attached to a ring, lifting it and letting light reflect on it. "I have no use for another to try to claim what is not theirs. So I have decided to hand it back to who it belongs."Then he threw it. Tom was sure it would go towards Harry then, but instead was the ring sailing towards him and without even thinking much had he caught the shining object, observing it in his palm with great interest. A family heirloom, one dipped in another family's blood. "Congratulations Tom, or should I say Tom Marvolo Riddle, the last of the Gaunt family, currently the only living heir to Salazar Slytherin", the old man spoke with great coldness, his eyes moving back in boredom away from him to Harry, looking more excited then. Tom was on the other hand busy taking in all that was said and unsaid in that one sentence. "He is dead? How?", Harry asked, sounding surprised, like he had expected something entirely different to happen. The old man shrugged his shoulders. "One who holds power can shape a lot of things merely by saying the right... or well wrong words, and sometimes the smallest things have the biggest impact on us. Remember that Harry, for the next time we met. And remember that fate is fade beyond even my grasp."Harry's shoulders lowered then and the boggart suddenly barged out, opening the doors, hiding the man. Harry moved, just as Professor Merrythought. Harry casted the Patronus to get rid of the boggart, while their Professor went head first for the cabinet's back to look for their interrupter. Harry was successful, Merrythought not. Merrythought stayed, Harry did not. The smaller boy spun around his heels and left with quick steps, while everyone was already beginning holding loud and confused conversation. Whoever that man had just been, he had to have gotten through the wards and he had to know things not even Tom had known, things that though seemed not new to Harry. Tom looked back down at the golden ring with the black stone on it. There was a strange symbol engraved it in and Tom knew without even much of a thought, that this ring was much more than just a dark family heirloom that had been taken by spilling blood, this was magic, this was evidence of his heritage and this was going to give him answers from Harry for sure. Just a bit more waiting til then, though Tom was smiling when thinking about having to be patient. It certainly was a first.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Tom was eyeing the ring between his fingers. The black stone looked like a flattened pyramid and in it was some kind of symbol, he hadn't seen before. It was interesting, but most importantly was it his. He owned it now, it was his and only his to claim. His family Heirloom, without a family to take claim from him. The currently only living Heir of Slytherin. A Gaunt. But what did that mean for Harry? Currently? Living? Two words that had a big heavy weight on what the man said, possibilities of sorts, interesting ones at that. Perhaps Harry was no longer classified as living? Had he died once? Had he perhaps died as a baby and somehow come back? Was that part of his strangeness? Or maybe he had found another way. So many possibilities, so little informations. The others seemed to have understood the words of the old man differently. They figured if Harry was not an Heir to Salazar Slytherin, then perhaps another Parselmouth had to have existed, that was unrelated to one of the founding Members of Hogwarts. Tom discarded this idea with disgust, for some reason. It would be far too easy for coincidence to be the reason for this. No, this was far more greater and the fact that Harry knew just underlined it. Tom was still waiting for the smaller boy to show up, so he could confront him and ask who had died for Tom to suddenly inherit and what else the boy was hiding. He hadn't shown up yet, not after class, not during dinner, not even after dinner. He was gone, as though the castle had swallowed him. Suspicious indeed. Tom had snooped around, before settling down in his dorm, hoping he might catch Harry, revealing something important, but sadly had there been no sight of the green. It was just shortly before the curfew, that the boy showed his face, sneaking into their room, perhaps hoping the others would sleep this early, though all eyes quickly landed on him. Tom stoped eyeing the ring and instead let it fall back into his palm, hiding it, before he rose to his feet quickly, moving over to the small boy, before he could retreat. Nott had already flicked his wand to close the door shut, to stop Harry from fleeing. For the first time was Tom thankful for his dorm mates and knights, since it made things quite a lot easier Harry sighed and turned to Tom, eyes looking tired, when he realised he wouldn't be able to escape this conversation so soon. "So?", Tom stretched out long, smile on his lips feeling pulsing with euphoria. He had been anticipating this conversation now for a bit and he couldn't for Harry to make another weird, unpredictable move. There was nothing of the nice, friendly face on his face then. Green eyes looking at him spiteful, for no reason at all. Tom hadn't done anything wrong, he had never done something to Harry Potter. Harry was the one keeping secrets that belonged to Tom and yet seemed the green eyed boy mad at him? How ridiculous. "So?", Harry asked sassy, hand at his hip, eyes sparking with distaste, something he hadn't yet shown. "Well, go ahead and speak!", Mulciber yelled bored, as Harry and Tom had just stayed in place, watching one another, waiting for the other to move. Mulciber looked like he wasn't able to keep his curiosity at bay, moving his hands up from his side, while sitting at the edge of the bed. Rosier shook his head slightly in disappointment, while Lestrange stared at Harry and Tom with a delighted interested. "Who was that man? Who has died? What do you know, Potter?"Harry let out another more tired sounding breath, while glaring at Mulciber, before turning to face Tom again, with something Tom couldn't put into words. Was it pity? Was it fear? He felt like he should have known, it was something that was supposed to be easy to distinguish and yet somehow impossible when it came to Harry. "Fine, what do you wanna know?", Harry asked Tom, looking a mixture of anxiousness and hate, so interesting. Tom wanted to know the reason for that kind of reaction, including to literally everything else, but it was the subject of this interrogation and would only gain the attention of the others, which Tom didn't want to. He would ask Harry about everything else another day, in private.
"Was it my father?", Tom asked shortly after a pause for thinking. He wasn't yet sure if he actually even wanted his knights knowing, so perhaps the less questions asked, the better. He could understand those answers, without much worry, while some of these idiots wouldn't.
"No", Harry responded, eyebrows moving together, before he was looking down. Green jewels away from his sight once more. Another short pause settled over them. "Your father is still alive... I think."
"So you know my father too then?" Tom was eying him confusion. What had Harry planned? He was so confusing.
"Yes", Harry said along with letting out another heavy breath, then he suddenly pushed his hands wildly through his hair, as though in attempt to shake something away, before laughing like he was crazy. Thankfully this though was enough to convince the others at least of something Tom had grown certain, Harry was absolutely mental. And when those green eyes returned to him, there was a spark of insanity in them. "God, I hate, that you are right. It annoys me greatly."
Tom had a smirk on his lips, he couldn't control it. The whole situation was just to humouring to him. "O, and how so?" Of course he would be right, but with what?
Harry waved it off with his head, looking more composed then again. "What do you even care now?", Harry asked him angrily, insulted, as though Tom wanting to know about his family was something strange. What a weird boy. "You have what you wanted, the only useful thing there was for you to get from those... people." Harry looked down then, eyes filled with something he knew from other people, but hadn't yet seen on Harry. Shame. It wasn't a common look on purebloods and not very fitting for a Slytherin.
"Do you know the Gaunts?", Harry asked him then, after a moment silence, before looking around the rooms, towards the other boys. "Does any of you know them?"
"They are the last decedents of Salazar Slytherin, though they have fallen into poverty, if I remember correctly", Avery answered a bit unsure sounding, while sitting himself more straighter when he seemed to notice the attention he was getting from Tom.
Poverty? The dependents of Salazar Slytherin? And yet, they ended in poverty? What a disgrace. Tom wouldn't let that stand.
"Pft, if it was just that. All this obsession with bloodlines and purity of greatness or whatever, made that family so full of incest, once far too close related even, that most of them are nothing but lunatics, unable to do anything." Harry looked disgusted, while the other pureblood heir's seemed a bit uncomfortable with his words, then the green jewels found him and something soft came to his features. "They wouldn't have been able to give you anything at all, Tom. Neither your Uncle nor your father."
"So you decided not to tell me on your own?" Tom found something hateful inside of him, for reason's he wasn't sure of. "A very selfish of you."
Harry looked bored then, and shrugged. "So what? You got in the end the only thing of worth to you and if you hadn't gotten it from... him, well I would have gotten it for you, without you having to meet them, if it was necessary."
"You have yet to explain more, Potter! And stop acting like you were doing me a favour by keeping my lineage a secret! How long had you planned this, whatever it is you were planning!" Tom felt rage inside of him building up, for unclear reasons, and so he moved closer to Harry with hateful eyes, the smaller boy only returning the favour.
"I did do you a favour! I did do this for you! Would you have wanted to go there? To that tiny little shag, filled only with your uncle Morfin Gaunt, who is nothing but a demented, crazy asshole, who would have looked down on you? How absurd would that have been! And your father? That man... I, can't believe I am saying that, but that man fucking sucks. You are not missing out, Tom. You are better there were you were, then if you had been with either of them. And the horrible thing is, that both of those assholes are alive, or were, while your mother died for you and yet, I need not to even read you mind, I would know you would despise her for that! To weak in your eyes. A woman that was honest and loving and wished for a better life."
Harry had spoken himself in rage, ending up in parseltongue, where he sounded even more angrier, while it somehow calmed Tom down a bit. So his uncle died for him to get the ring, his mother died for him, and his father?
"Who is my father, Harry?", Tom asked calmly, which caused Harry to startle and move back. His eyes lost their rage and instead harboured disbelief.
The green eyed boy shook his head. "You are not listening, Riddle. This will not do you good."
"And you are the one to decide this? How so?"
"Because I had a plan!", Harry yelled in anger, moving once more through his dark curls in an attempt to calm himself down, taking a heavy breath. "I had a plan", he repeated. "For you, believe it or not. I am not an idiot, no matter what you might think. I thought, if I got everyone eased into the idea we might be related, it would be easier for my parents to adopt you. Then you would have never had to face your actual family, you could have been a Potter and nobody would have ever needed to question anything. Of course, I had hoped for another outcome up first, but I met your family and I wouldn't let them even look at you, if I can prevent it. They don't deserve that."
Harry sounded oddly possessive in the end, the kind of way that was normal for Slytherins, but it was a strange way. It was not as much as Harry wanting to own Tom or something, it was more like Harry was seriously trying to keep Tom from damage. Which was so weird and yet so fitting to such a noble little boy. His dorm mates however seemed to not be able to distinguish the little difference of claim Harry had laid out and so they looked at the green eyed boy with wide eyes.
"You... uhm... like Tom?", Rosier asked surprised, eyeing firstly Harry, before his questioning glaze went over to Tom, who rolled his eyes annoyance. It wasn't like that. Harry was just very protective of everything he deemed worthy enough to life. Tom had seen that over the summer, whenever the boy worked in the garden and he was careful not to step on snails or even when he found a bird with a broken wing and spend a whole few hours on learning how to heal him with a potion. Wasted time and energy, but to Harry necessities, and if Tom was worthy enough for Harry, then potentially useful to him.
"No!", he said a bit too quickly and too disgusted, then he seemed to remember his manners, clearing his throat and said, "Well, I mean not like that I do."
Tom was fairly sure he also like him like that, considering how often he had caught Harry's thoughts moving in such kind of direction. Though was it not the liking part this was it about. Harry seemed to rather cut up his own limps, then move closer to Tom.
"Then why would you wanna do this?", Nott asked, halfway sounding bored, while playing with cards on his bed.
Harry cleared his throat, looking already redder in the face, unsure eyes scanning the room. He was about to lie, Tom was sure of it. "Well, I told you that I heard Tom was supposed to become the greatest wizard in the world, it seemed only logical then to try getting close to him and it would bring great honour to my family if the greatest wizard would bare our name."
At that all of them looked at him. His knights seemed to think he was saying the truth, because surely it sounded like it, it made sense to them, heck, it made sense to Tom, the only one that surely wouldn't make sense to though was the one that spoke that incredible stupid lie. Either way Tom would let that slide for now.
But Harry seemed to not think the same, as the green landed on him and he started speaking in parseltongue to him. "I know what it is like, Tom. Living with people that do not understand one, fear one, not give them love. I wanted to save you from this, I really do, please believe me. I... maybe, there is still a way for making that possible."
Tom watched those begging and worried eyes and those lips that had just spoken such sweet words with such a wonderful tongue and he just wasn't sure what it made his body feeling. He wanted to somehow punch Harry in the face for some reason, but not in anger or so, it was just so... well, something and it made him wanna look at it longer, while also unable to withstand it. What kind of weird magic was that?
Tom turned his head away, clearing his throat in hopes it would clear his mind too. He was aware that Harry's reasoning was somehow something like that, so he wasn't even questioning it, but there was still a lot unsaid and he needed more information, wanted more information. He needed something useful or he would sulk for a while about the fact he might have missed a golden opportunity to become a Potter. "And my father? Harry you haven't said who he is yet?"
Harry let out a disappointed sigh, once more acting as though Tom was being unreasonable... he wasn't of course. Then he said, "Do you really wanna know? You will hate the truth."
"Just say it already. How have you met him?"
...
It was still a while before summer, a few weeks until Tom Marvolo Riddle would live with them. How Harry suggested such a plan and was still willing to go through with it? Tom had looked so younger, just a bit younger than what Harry remembered "Tom" to look like, before he would have become Lord Voldemort and thinking about this boys past, was just enough to let Harry think he was deserving of a chance. If of course that sad past was as true as he claimed.
Tom would eventually, rather soon, kill his whole family, creating his second horcrux and Harry couldn't have that. But that wasn't why he was here. He couldn't do something necessary about this. He couldn't take the ring from Morfin Gaunt or kill Tom Riddle Sr. himself or anything like that, not then he had wanted. He had however gotten into the possession of Salazar Locket, hiding it along with his cloak, for just in case. Other objects that would turn into hrocruxes were out his reach or simply not able to get into his possession in a save way.
No the future horcrux wasn't the reason for Harry's visit in little Hangeton, no, he instead wanted to met the man that would be the second victim of Voldemort, in hopes of understanding the future dark lord and maybe even to change things. What if Riddle Sr. after all was willing to raise Tom? What if they could be a family and Tom could get everything he wished for and see that Muggles weren't as bad as he thought?
His grandparents had taken him here, they would probably have gone with him, but Harry felt like it was something he had to do alone to better understand his opponent, though also simply didn't wish them present, in case he couldn't go through it. He had gone to the Gaunt house first, had an unpleasant chat with a man that looked like he had been obliterated a bit too often and then he was off to the Riddle manor.
Harry passed the cemetery first and he couldn't else but walk on it, looking around, reminding himself that this was the past and there was yet to be an angel statue with a grave for a man he would now be visiting. It was bizarre still and the idea of having his nemesis so close so soon was even worse. He hoped this would be an option. The orphanage after all hadn't been on. Harry had visited that place with his grandparents in London and it nearly had broken his heart to see such a dark grimy place and think about children having to live there. He understood why Tom would not wanna be there either and he couldn't let him go back there neither, if he wished to change something about the guy.
But perhaps better than simply taking the future dark Lord into his family, was perhaps to give him his own and so Harry at least had to try, had to understand how Voldemort could so simply kill his own father.
The manor was huge and prosperous and there was big land to its side with horses. It was a nice place, a rich place, untouched by war and filled with security in all forms and shapes. Harry could barely imagine Tom Riddle Jr. growing up here, but he knew it would have been so much better. Sure then Riddle would have become as snobbish as Malfoy, though it wasn't like that wasn't something he wouldn't become anyway. Harry tried to imagine Riddle riding a horse, dressed up as an actual Lord, rather than a dark one, and sitting in some kind of conversation about taxes rather than in meeting with Death Eaters. He actually wasn't sure what an actual Lord was supposed to do. Politics? Sitting around drinking tea and talking about which lady they fancied?
O god, Harry had to stop, he was just imaging Riddle having to court some sort of woman at this age, like they seemed to do in such noble houses, right? The idea was hilarious. Harry would have preferred seeing that a hundred times then the creation of Voldemort.
Harry eventually made it towards the entrance door, knocking at the door, unsure how this was supposed to go anyway. A servant opened and stared at him, before mistaking him for perhaps another Heir of some noble family. He was led inside, further than he had expected, and soon was taken to a parlour, where the Riddle family sat. Harry nearly stumbled then. Tom Riddle Sr. looked so much like Tom Riddle Jr., just older and less corrupted by dark magic, that Harry nearly wanted to step back out. The other two then had to be Thomas and Mary Riddle, who looked a lot like Tom too. They all looked at him confused.
"You are not the guest we were expecting", Thomas Riddle declared, not yet sounding angry, but already speaking with a clear authority.
"No, I am not, I am afraid. I wasn't really sure how to make an appointment. I have something urgent I wanted to discuss", Harry admitted, balancing his weight nervously from one foot to the other. "Could I perhaps lend a bit of your time?"
Instead of answering was he guided towards an armchair in front of the family, who sat on a sofa and another armchair. They looked at him expectantly and Harry wasn't sure how to actually broach that conversation.
"It is... I wanted to talk about your son, Tom Riddle", Harry said then directly, stupidly looking at Thomas Riddle instead, who just redirected his attention to his son.
"And what about him?"
"No, sorry, I meant his son. Tom Riddle Jr. Were you not aware of him?" Harry hoped so badly that the answer was a direct yes, that indeed they had not known about a child and now that they did, they would wanna do whatever they can to make him happy, which Harry hoped would lessen Tom's hate on them a bit, perhaps do some good to his relationships with muggles even.
Their neutral gazes shifted to pure anger then.
"I don't have a son", Tom Riddle Sr. spitted out then, as though he had just drunken venom. "That witch has created that monster without me. It is not mine, I do not claim that."
"That?", Harry asked bewildered, being reminded of the times Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon had spoken about him as though he was just a thing. Harry sat a bit straighter then, gaze growing colder. "I can assure that it is not like that. He is your son, whether you like that or not, and just because his mother has done something horrible to you, does not mean he has done something to you. He is just a child and..."
"And he is a monster. He, he, you say, as though it was flesh and blood and all that! That witch... do you even know what she did? What he, really is? It isn't my son, that much I can assure you. It can't be. And now I wish you to leave", Tom Riddle Sr. said, standing up and pointing with his finger to the door.
Harry rose, but he did not walk away. He was confused. "I don't understand."
"Shouldn't you though? I suspect someone coming to ask for that monster, has to be just like the witch that created it. Aren't you? The last time someone came to ask for this, they had understood far quicker, then you claim not too", Tom Riddle Sr. spoke coldly and angrily, his eyes hot and filled with human emotions directed toward Harry, which was very unlike the cold, emotionless stare of the child this man has produced.
"Well, I perhaps I am a bit denser than whoever came before me", Harry snapped back, "but I need to understand if not for your sake, then very much for my own. Your son will be in my care, if he can not be in yours."
The man shook his head disapprovingly. "Then you are a fool, that monster will take everything from you, it is just like its mother. Dirty, disgusting and a creature right out of hell. I am unable to have children of my own and so instead of making one through love, as she created one out of witchcraft. I do not care for what kind of part I was forced to partook this hellish ritual of hers, I do not consider that, thing, my own."
Harry registered what was said, but he was perhaps too hung up on the wrong part of it. "That thing?!", he asked agitated. "That thing carries your name and face and is a brilliant boy, that, no matter what, did not deserve to be raised in a place so void of love and warmth! You were responsible for him and you should have taken that more serious!"
Harry knew, deep down, part of him was reacting like this because of parallels he had been thinking long and hard about for the past weeks since he was here, but that had nothing to do with what was going on now. He expected the man to yell at him in return, but instead was Tom Riddle Sr. rather quiet, until he suddenly coldly said, "You are right. It is my responsibility. I should have taken care of it. I will undo my mistake. If I met that thing, I shall kill it myself. Now leave."
Harry pulled back, a bit shocked and unsure. He was looking towards Voldemorts grandparents, somehow hoping for them to say something to that, but they looked at him hateful as though they were contemplating killing him along.
"You can't be serious?", Harry asked with a dry laugh added to it. "That is crazy. Why would you wanna kill your own son?"
"I have already told you..."
"Yes, and still. Even if he was created with some kind of magic, he still lives and breaths, thinks and feels and he is part of you no matter how much you may deny it. It is not his fault for being born or made or whatever you wanna call it, I just think you should reconsider this. This is madness!"
And then Harry suddenly heard a shot, it was barely passing by him and when he turned was Thomas Riddle holding a gun in his direction. "Next time, I do not indeed to miss. Your kind is not wished here. We were nice enough to tolerate you and answer your question, but you seemingly lack the decency that the wizard before you has held. You are more like that damn witch and I do not wish for my family to once more suffer under one of your spells. So go, now!"
Harry didn't need to hear that warning then twice, because the next second was he already spinning around and sprinting away. He wasn't going to die trying to defend the humanity of the future dark lord that would kill everyone he loved, he wasn't that suicidal. He wasn't even sure why he had stayed for so long trying to do that after all, but the feeling of wrongness just hadn't left him.
When Harry was outside, was walking once more over the cemetery. He stopped once more at the spot in which Tom Riddle Sr. would one day be buried and this time he didn't feel much pity. He could understand him sure, but at the same time, had Harry no place in his heart for someone that hateful, that showed no sign of change. Tom Riddle Jr. at the very least still seemed young and normal enough to change to the better, except of course Harry managed to screw that up to. What was clear though, was that there was no chance for Tom to change here. There was no home for him here, a home, Harry was sure, he desperately needed, so Harry would have to somehow try to give him one.
But how? The moment Tom would find out about the Gaunts, he was bound to find out about the Riddles as well, but what if Harry directed his search into another direction? A smirk then showed on his face. Right, what better way for Harry to get a little revenge by tricking the man who felt himself to cunning to be outwitted.
This might be at least some fun.
The only worrying thing now left was trying to find out what exactly Tom was, if he was not fully human, without him finding out about that, or else he might just end up figuring out another weird plan that end in human sacrifices and what not.
What had Merope Gaunt done to have him? He would need the resurrection stone to figure that out, which he couldn't get now, so he might have to wait a bit before he could get his hands on it.
...
Harry was avoiding looking at him, breathing in and out, as though remembering something. It was then that he spoke in parseltongue to him, "Do you want the truth? The real truth? He is a muggle, you know that, don't you?"
"I have guessed that, when you spoke of my mother as a Gaunt. I am not unaware about that, so I am more confused. How come a pureblood like you would speak to a muggle?", Tom responded in normal English, which got the attention of his knights. They knew he was a Half-blood, he had to be. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have ended up in an orphanage, not with one parent alive. Harry looked uncomfortable, before he sighed once more. "He... His name is Tom Riddle. Tom Riddle Senior then of course. He is a muggle, that is true. He is the reason why you are born, that is true too. But he is not your father. That man should not mean anything to you, whether positive nor negative. He is just a man." Tom disliked the way Harry made it sound like a riddle, rather than saying something straight out and though Tom was sure nothing of what he said was a lie, was he very well aware that there was something hidden. The green pierced his eyes, strictly and honestly looking at him, open like they hadn't been so freely before. Tom dared a look. "That man doesn't even deserve to call himself your father, you shouldn't look for him. He tried killing me. God, that man really tried killing me, should I have told my family. No, probably only something they would have-" And then it was abruptly cut off, as though Harry had for a second forgotten to put his shields back up. Either way it seems clear he was aware of Tom's ability, which was strange and also somehow delightful, to see him give something so openly, others would fear if they were aware Tom could take it. But it was something else that stuck with him far more. His father had tried to kill Harry? Why? Harry wasn't like him, he was sweet and kind, far too kind, and sure annoying and somehow scheming when it came to Tom, but in no way a threat worth enough to kill, at least to someone else. Had Harry done something? But even then, how dare a muggle try to kill a wizard? That seemed absolute insane. Tom sighed. "Very well, fine. I understand. Though I still do not appreciate it. Next time something involves me, you should talk to me first."Harry seemed to look up at that. "Fine, perhaps I should tell you then about the heirloom you hold onto.""What about it?", Tom asked interested. "Is it cursed?", Rosier asked, laying on his back and having his head hanging from the bed to eye them. "Please tell me it is cursed.""Something like that", Harry admitted, sounding less willingly. "I need to borrow it.""Why should he do that?", Nott asked confused in Tom's stead, seemingly had they considered the previous topic for done and were now trying to get involved again in the conversation."Because", Harry said, looking like he was trying to figure out a reason, but coming up short, so he left it at that. Mulciber snorted. "Even I know that is a bad reason."Avery let out a loud laugh. "Well, if even you know that." His smugish smile then went for to anyone willing to share the joke, but the normally willing Lestrange was still focused on Harry. "You are weird Harry", Lestrange then said, observing the boy a bit more, "and you have still not yet told as from where you know the old man? You said he raised you? Did he? He did not seem like a muggle though.""Not then, no, after, when I was eleven, but it doesn't matter." Harry looked frustrated and angry, so much less threatening then. It seemed like Harry's whole plan had faltered in not even two days. Maybe he wasn't as good in that as he had believed, it brought a smile onto Tom's lips. "It sounded like it mattered though. You said he raised you like a pig for slaughter? Did he try slaughtering you?" The grin Nott wore looked strange and stupid, since his head was upside down, but it did not stop Harry from turning to him with a fierce look, angry enough seemingly to make Nott sit back up and look at Harry red faced. "Like I said, it does not matter. None of it, there are just a lot of crazy people in the wizarding world, who all say and do crazy things. I do not pay attention much anymore to them, neither should you. What is most important is that Grindelwald will come for Riddle trying to kill him", Harry said then coldly. "And you are planning on saving him?", Mulciber snorted, disbelieving. "Yeah", Harry said as casually as someone else would agree to getting something for free.Tom shook his head in disbelief and somehow something else that was strangely sitting in his chest. "I still don't understand you, Potter.""Neither do I understand you, Riddle, but I am not lying, when I am saying I am doing all of this for you, to save you. That is all I care for currently.""What noble goals", Avery jokingly said, "leaving your life for someone else. But why would Grindelwald come anyway? He doesn't seem the type of man to believe in prophecies. And if he did, why trying to go against Tom? When Tom becomes the most powerful wizard, shouldn't Grindelwald try to support him instead? It would be amazing for the wizarding world after all, someone perhaps strong enough to rid us off the muggle chains thrown upon us."Harry cringed visible by the words, but still responded, even if Tom could have done so himself. "Powerful man always fear someone else that might be stronger. Grindelwald is nothing but a man in fear of day no longer holding the power to bring fear upon those he has put into submission. It isn't a way to lead, but since he is doing it anyway, will he try getting rid of any danger he sees to his claim of being considered the most powerful dark Lord. Not that Tom is going to be a dark lord, right?"Harry's eyes were looking at him so innocent and hopefully, and yet held some knowledge no one else seemed to have. "Of course not", Tom said, with the most reassuring smile he could muster. "Here", he said then, putting the ring into Harry's hand. "I want it back tomorrow morning, or else I might reconsider my answer." Then Tom turned around his heels, leaving a confused Harry behind, as he walked out of the room to start his shift of checking the corridors for students past curfew. He was still a Prefect after all and couldn't ignore his duties. Just like he couldn't ignore his sudden burst of emotions he couldn't focus on one after another. What he, though, could focus on was the fact that he was slowly starting to understand the weirdness that was Harry Potter. He could read him at least when it came to his saviour complex and his honest wishes about wanting to somehow help Tom, so in some way was Harry not threat. He was just absolutely stupid about the way he was doing things. Either way though would he have now to start training the boy better, so giving a treat or a "trust" here and there, seemed like a good strategy for now. Punishment seemed like something that wouldn't work with him, not in this setting at least. Tom was getting excited to think what the boy would be doing with the ring, another he reason he gave it to him. Harry seemed to know what magic laid on it and if he would use it and gain something from it, could Tom surely figure out what it was afterwards without much issue. It wasn't going as bad as he expected. It was just that when Tom returned from his shift, that he regretted thinking so positively so soon. His roommates were for the most part asleep, it was only Harry was awake, sitting on his bed and standing up quickly when he saw Tom was coming inside. "Here", he said, returning the ring, looking sullen, not even daring to make eye contact. His fingertips were black, the kind of black trace someone would gain from touching dark magic directly. Had Harry cursed it? Tom wasn't touching the ring, so the green eyes looked up confused and let go of the ring in horror as he seemed to notice the black finger tips. He caught the ring though with his other hand, before letting it fall to the ground. "I didn't... it just doesn't work for me.""What doesn't work?", Tom asked him, while his hand was touching Harry's fingers, underneath which the golden ring looked out. He wouldn't touch it directly, not until he hadn't checked its magic yet. He felt nothing new from the ring though and neither from Harry. It was strange, there should be trace of something, if he had done anything, instead could Tom just feel that strange stretching of his own soul. "Tom?", Harry asked him, looking at him with wide, confused green eyes. "Do you sometimes think about your mother? Do you miss her? Would you have wished for her to be there to hold you?"What weird questions to ask him. Tom shrugged then, feeling like there was no harm in honesty here, not with only Harry to hear. "I can not miss what I don't know and you already said it, she was weak. She died, barely lived. Pathetic really, the whole Gaunt family that is. I will not be like that.""Sure", Harry said slowly, eyebrows pulled together, which made it harder to see the green, which was perhaps why Tom leaned a bit closer, his fingers still over Harry's. "I just... I missed my mother, even if I didn't know her. I saw others with their mothers. I knew what motherly love was like and that I didn't have it, and so I missed that. I wanted that.""And now you have it, don't you?", Tom asked him confused, head tilted. He wasn't sure what Harry was trying to get at. But he was sure the green eyed boy knew as much, because those eyes landed back on him widened. "I do, yes, it is strange, but I am immensely happy for it, but you don't and-""And you want to offer me to adopt me, you already said as much", Tom said bored, while in the inside he would love nothing but for that to happen. Being a Potter had far too many perks, even if he would just be an adopted charity case. "I will try then seeing your mother as mine, though I don't think I see-""That is not what this is about!", Harry protested, hushing himself down, when he realised his voice had gone higher. "I just... your own mother...""Is dead", Tom finished confused, coming even closer, green eyes very close to his, but still locked up. "Haven't you been the one to inform me again of it, not that Mrs. Cole hadn't told me that already. That woman gave birth to me and died shortly after."Harry sighed then, tired and defeated, the way Tom sometimes did, when someone stupid seemed to be unable to understand him. Tom hated that sigh, when it wasn't coming from him, and even more so when it was directed towards him. He was very close to letting that hate form into anger, when he remembered that it wouldn't be wise for the future. Harry instead opened his hand, underneath Tom's, turning their touching hands around, before letting the ring fall into Tom's palm. Then the smaller hands of Harry tried to let go of him, tried to leave him and Tom had that sudden instinct to reach for them and pull them back. He barely kept himself from doing just that. "Goodnight, Riddle", Harry said then, coldly and disappointed and left for his bed, where he was quickly hidden behind curtains. Tom hated him in that moment, not because Harry made no sense, but because Harry made Tom feel like he himself made no sense.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Harry wasn't there in the morning. His bed was made, but void of a body and Tom tried to brush it off, act as though it wasn't bothering him, when it really was. Was Harry already dead? The dark magic seemed to have not been something of simple nature and Tom felt a sudden need to check up to see if Harry was still there, annoying the ever living shit out of him, but he easily pushed that need away. Instead was he staring back down to the ring. He had put on his finger, eyeing it interested. Somehow had been killed for it, not just one. His family had killed ancestors of Harry for this exact ring and now had someone killed his last family member to gain it without luck. This ring wasn't just worth enough killing for, but also seemed worth enough for Harry to ask him nicely to borrow it. So it had to somehow be magical, but Tom just didn't know how. Once more would things be easier if Harry were just to talk to him and explain stuff, instead of keeping secrets from him, trying to do something surely idiotic. Tom would by far be better to plan things to prevent the risk of both of them dying, for whatever reasons ended up being true. It didn't matter though now. He instead had gotten ready with the others and went ahead to the dinning hall for breakfast before their first class would start. It was then, in the middle of breakfast, that Harry showed up, along with Avery and Malfoy. Harry's hair was hanging wet in his face and he looked disheveled, while also somehow much more relaxed and happy than he had the previous night. Avery had an arm over his shoulder, saying something to him, which made Tom stare at him angrily. Avery eventually caught his gaze and then quickly moved a step away from Harry. They weren't wise on being friends with him, not if Tom was still keen on killing him one way or the other. Besides had they just yesterday night seemed rather annoyed by Harry's behaviour, perhaps a bit jealous even, to think Harry was someone with such a devious and most Slytherin plan, which of course they did not know wasn't the truth. The three of them sat like on the first day and Tom was soon greeted with the sight of green eyes behind round glasses. But he didn't keep his eyes there for long, instead letting them fall down to look at the smaller boys hand, that now laid on the table, soft, small and clear of any sign of dark magic. "Where were you?", Tom asked him, he didn't wanna make it sound like he cared, but he worried Harry might have gone doing something stupid. The others still looked at him marvelled when they heard him speak so casually in the language of the Snakes."Trying out for Quidditch", Harry answered bored in English, while smearing a piece of toast with butter, before taking a big bite, then he was back to staring at Tom. Of course would Harry try out for Quidditch. "You prefer speaking in Parseltongue? We can talk like that if that is something you want."Tom eyed him surprised. Harry seemed to try a new approach now that his old plans had born no fruit. Tom shrugged. "I don't care." He was lying of course, he very much cared. Speaking with snakes was all fun and games, but it was something entirely else speaking it to another human. A shame that Harry might have to die, if he kept on insisting not kill the dark lord ergo surely ending dead himself. Tom was sure no sensible dark lord would keep his nemesis alive, if the other was else destined for killing them. Tom wouldn't. "You know", Nott butted in then, while Harry kept eye contact with Tom and just shrugged as a response, uncaring, "for a Potter you caused quite the tumult in not even a day, that should be a record."Harry turned then to Nott, eyes cold and uncaring in a way so unfitting to Harry. Tom however loved it. "So? It is not my fault that strange, crazy wizards seem to grow so attached to me and want me to be involved into their schemes.""You also had your own scheme running though", Lestrange reminded him, sounding less accusing and more like he was simply stating a fact. Harry shrugged again, then looked back to Tom, arms rested on the table. "Be honest, Riddle, would you have really been angry at me, if I had gone convincing everyone we were related, got you adopted and all that came along with it.""You seem to forget the part with you using me as shield against Grindelwald", Tom added, to which Harry's eyebrows moved together in confusion. "What are you talking about? I simply stated facts, but if you fear Grindelwald, then perhaps you should ensure no-one tells him about your tie with the Gaunt or the precious heirloom you got from them", Harry responded, before his eyes widened and shook rushed through them. "You knew!", Tom accused him then. "You are an idiot. Why not tell me ahead? You clearly pitted him against me!"Harry looked a bit guilty then, just as a newspaper came falling down at the table in front of Avery, who opened it. The first page showed Grindelwald, while the headline read Gellert Grindelwald murders the last ancestor of Salazar Slytherin, Morphin Gaunt. "You are right, my mistake, I might have guessed, but it does not change the facts", Harry sing sang a bit with a sassy undertone, before he added, "Don't worry, as long as you are in Hogwarts, as long as Dumbledore is protecting you, you are save." And then he snorted and chuckled for some reason like he made a joke only he seemed to understand. Mulciber looked between them, a little scowl on his face, that he was wise to direct towards Harry and not Tom. "It is great you too can talk Parseltongue, but we others can't.""That is the point of it", Harry snapped, before Tom could have and something fuzzy was moving in his chest again, when he watched the scarred boy looking darkly at the other. Avery ignored all of it, but mostly the sullen Mulciber, as he instead turned the paper again, for all of them to see again, pointing at it. "That means the dark Lord is currently looking for you, doesn't it?""No, he does not yet know Tom has it", Lestrange said bored, yawning, "But once he does, he will for sure be even more after him, considering what Potter suggested. A opposition is one thing, one that has something he deems worth enough to kill for, now that becomes a danger. Makes one wonder what this ring is for." The boy then sat up straighter with more interest, before trying to catch a glimpse of the ring. "Shouldn't you know that too, Potter?", Nott asked him, pushing light against the smaller boys shoulder. "You asked Tom to borrow it, so you have to know.""I do, yes", Harry answered, taking another piece of bread. "And?", Mulviber bothered with asking, while Tom was aware it had no use. Malfoy and Black were following the conversation, but surely still not knowing enough to follow much along. It was just good that all of them seemed smart enough to not talk loud enough for others to hear. Harry then turned to face the other and stared at him for a too long time if it was up to Tom, as though he was thinking about something, before he said. "Have you lost someone dear to you?""No", Mulciber answered confused. "Anyone?", Harry asked then directed to the rest of them, most of them were shaking their head or used another form to declare a no. "Useless then", Harry said, standing up, leaving them confused, as he was walking down the table towards another group of Slytherins lead by Walburga Black. They looked at Tom then for answers, who was once more stuck with the riddle that was Harry Potter. "I think he might be just crazy.""And what is the plan?", Malfoy asked. "Surely he seems still somehow of use though."Nott had an evil grin on his face then. "Well, he did voice his interest in dying for Tom, I say we throw him in front of the Dark lord if he happens to show up." The others looked at him then, even Tom stared at him a bit surprised, not that he didn't have a similar plan. Nott then looked annoyed, shoulders falling lower. "You guys are sometimes not enough fun when it comes to the good stuff."They were just about to talk further, when their divination Professor suddenly came rushing into the hall and Harry who was just talking with the girls group, fell down to the ground in an attempt of trying to hide from their Professor. It was funny looking enough for Tom to show a slight smile, while the eyes of the Professor scanned their table, starting from Tom's group, until he was looking towards the end. He sighed then, before simply saying, "Is Harry Potter there? I wish to talk to him.""No", Walburga Black said, before anyone else could, while she motioned for Harry to hide underneath the table. Her voice had been assertive enough for no-one else to dare say something else. Tom could have perhaps, but he had no interest in gaining an enemy in a Black, that was not worth anything. Professor Mallet sighed then, content on leaving, when Walburga spoke up further, "Perhaps there is a reason why he wouldn't wanna be here, after the stunt you pulled yesterday, Professor."The eyes of the Seer widened. "Excuse me? Miss Black, I assure you, that does not concern you.""It does, I am his Prefect, and his wellbeing is of my outmost interest.""And so it is to me, I am his teacher after all. You might have misunderstand yesterday's lesson and... why I am actually even trying to explain myself? If you see Harry... Potter, then tell him I await him in my office after his fifth lesson, we have something to discuss in private."Walburga Black then looked like she was about to burn the man alive, but kept herself in order, which was impressive, because Tom felt himself troubled for some reason himself. He disliked the idea of letting Harry and that Professor alone in a room, two people with knowledge he didn't posses, that were sure to talk about interesting things freely.... and somehow was that explanation not the reason behind his unease. "Very well", Walburga Black said, staring at him with hateful eyes, "But I will inform Headmaster Dippet if I notice something... strange going on."The Seer lifted his eyebrows, hands held at his hips in an open question of an explanation. "I am not sure I understand, Miss Black, but Headmaster Dippet is very well aware of why I wish to speak with Harry... Potter."There was a bang then on the table and then hand of Walburga Black moved down, while her chin lifted up in defiance. "Well, if that is the case, Professor, I shall tell Mister Potter and then there shouldn't be any problems, right?""Right?", the Professor said confused, before turning back around and leaving. It was only a few seconds after he was behind the doors that Harry dared coming out of hiding, rubbing his head, while Avery and some other were laughing at him, to which they earned some hateful green. "Thanks", Harry said simply. Walburga Black eyed him, pulled him lower, whispered something to him and Tom had trouble seeing or hearing anything. He just noticed the blush creep on Harry's face, which was enough for Tom's mood to sour. So much was going lately so weird. When Walburga let go of him, did Harry look at her embarrassed, responding something, but it was to much to guess and not loud enough to hear. Something like "No, not like that, but he wants me do something I don't... I can't do.", which would sound wrong enough, to keep Tom's initial misunderstanding running, which left him to smile smugly. Poor idiot Harry. Walburga Black looked disgusted, but nodded and let Harry go, who left, just when Rosier entered, yawning and barely with open eyes."Did I miss something?", Rosier asked, bitting into a slice of toast, while he sat down on Harry's spot.... not that it was Harry's spot, he had only sat there four times so far and that would hardly count as a reason to deem it his and yet Tom felt a strange wrongness in seeing someone else sit opposite him, when it had been Harry for so long, if you included the summer break of course, which Tom wasn't supposed to think about it, now that he was back in Hogwarts. Stupid Potter. ... After charms was over, they all went towards the class Tom was dreading, not because it was difficult of course, but because of its Professor. Dumbledore was already in the classroom, leaning against the desk, while waiting for everyone to show up and Tom took his seat in the back wordlessly. The eyes of the Professor followed him nonetheless. For some reason was Dumbledore somehow suspicious of him. There was no reason, Tom hasn't yet done anything and the Professor seemed to know that too and yet seemed to wait for this fact to change somehow... kinda like Harry. Speaking of that Devil, the boy came inside, made eye contact with Dumbledore and turned around to leave again. Walburga however was just entering as well and pulled him along back inside, dooming him to whatever fate he suspected. Walburga Black walked towards, Harry in tow and seemed to wanna force him to sit with her, when Dumbledore got their attention and the black had to leave without the emerald eyed boy. Tom immediately stood up to walk over and listen in. He was sneaking closer, but he noticed that Dumbledore had already registered him. "I hope you had a good start in your first year in a wizarding school, though I already heard that there were quite a few things that happened, if you wanna talk about them...?""I am good, Professor", Harry decided coldly, which made Tom beam inside. So Harry at the very least understood the little nuances with which Dumbeldore said certain things as well, huh? How charming. The Professor blinked surprised, but his smile didn't waver. "I understand, though I was fairly interest in hearing rumours you managed a corporeal Patronus, would you enlighten me about that a bit? Such a powerful spell is hard to master." The man had spoke a bit louder, not enough to be of much notice, but enough for others to hear and Harry seemed to wanna hide again. "Uh", Harry said, slow and surely about to come with something stupid. Then the green landed on him and he was even more sure that Harry was about to say something stupid. He was just about step in when Harry said, "Well, I was just interested in it, and so I asked Ri- Tom while he was tutoring me. He explained the spell to me in detail, though I never expected it to work. I just panicked when I thought Lyall was in danger and I just reacted, remembering what Tom told me. It was just luck, I guess, Professor, though I wouldn't believe to be able to do it again if it was another situation."What a crafty lie that was. At least that one was logical and working both in Harry's as well as Tom's favour, though was it doubtful that Dumbledore would believe that. It didn't matter though. Tom was going with the favour route again, stepping forward. "It is true, Professor. Harry seemed a bit threatened by the idea of encountering an dementor, even though I told him it was unlikely, so I explained the Patronus to him, in hopes of it calming him down. We could of course not practice it fully, but we went through the theory, seems like that was a good thing, since else Mister Lupin would have surely ended up hurt more than he already had. It is truly heroic of Harry to try a never practiced spell in the face of danger just to save a classmate, don't you think so Professor?"Dumbledore looked surprised, eyes widened shortly, before a sparkle shown in them and a grin graced his lips as he turned to Harry. "There is a fine line between bravery and stupidity, Mister Potter, I hope you will be wise enough to remember that for next time danger appears. And it seems you tutoring with Tom has been very profitable, I did not expect him, however, to already teach you such complicated spells already.""I will keep that in mind, Professor", Harry said in this monotone way again that made Tom feel skittish, "and for the later, I did not mind. Tom is an excellent teacher and his guidance in this case seemed to have been enough for me to master something as difficult as the patronus. Sometimes the place we learn from is not the one we expect, right?"Tom had at this point turned towards Harry in some weird awestruck, though he was trying to keep his face neutral and the situation normal looking, but somehow was every single word of Harry going under Tom's skin. How could that boy be both stupid and devious? It seemed to contradict itself, but it somehow wasn't and the way he was looking at Dumbledore now, in open challenge, somehow both weirdly trying to defend Tom, for no reason, and also carrying something personal with a person he didn't know much. It was really weird, because Harry wasn't the type of person to hold grudges, so what was going on the head of that boy. Tom wanted to slice it open and take a Quick Look, just so he could decipher this annoying riddle that was Harry Potter.Dumbledore didn't yet look taken back, but instead still continued to smile. "Right you are Harry. Sometimes even in darkness we can find light, if we dare looking deeper into it." Tom watched as Harry flinched from the words and instead of taking the win, turned around and walked far to the back, where Tom was seating. Tom and Dumbledore then shared a glance. "Sir", Tom acknowledged him and wanted to leave then, but Dumbledore held him from it. "Tom, it would be great if you find the time to continue tutoring Harry. I am sure he find himself soon travelled with all the work and practical aspects and seems to think of you very highly, so it would be welcomed if you could help him out a bit", Dumbledore suggested warmly, to which Tom looked at him a bit perplexed. Why should Dumbledore want that? That made no sense."Sure, Professor", Tom said simply and immediately had no interest in doing so. Why would he let himself be spun into one of Dumbledore's weird plans? That was going against all his instincts. Dumbledore had it out for him, that much was sure. Tom went back to his spot, that was now joined by Harry, who said right next to Rosier, a table beside the one he was sharing with Nott. Harry leaned over then to be closer to Tom, before he spoke up, "Pst, Riddle." Maybe it was the Parseltongue, maybe he got sick, either way could he feel a shudder run through him when Harry suddenly spoke to him so casually. "What?", he asked, trying to sound annoyed, but having difficulty with it. Speaking parseltongue with someone else was just such a thrill, that it made it feel all light. A shame really if he would have to blame Harry for the opening of the Chamber of secrets, where of he would surely end up thrown out of school and then soon after get himself killed by Grindelwald. "Do you... I mean, I am not saying I would like wanna use it or something, but strictly for research purposes and so... I mean, do you know where I could learn more about dark magic or maybe...?" Harry stopped speaking, when Tom turned to him with a raised brow. "Stop acting like that. No", Tom said then coldly, sitting back on his chair, not turning back to Harry, who would only lull him in with those vivid green eyes. So Harry knew about his little club too, huh? That meant one of his Knights had to have spoken to him about it and he would need to find that leak, but why did Harry think Tom would fall for such an obvious trick? Harry had used one of the most lightest spells that existed, how would anyone believe such a person capable of dark magic? And even if he was serious about the research part, why should Tom care about it or even trust him with such a secret? "Don't be such a twat. I know you have to know something, you act like I offended you. Hello?" Tom continued to ignore Harry, which made him seemingly mad, til he even loud an angry sigh. "Fine then I will look for it myself. Asshole." Sure he would. Tom doubted that very much. He would later on find out he was wrong. ... When Tom was finally meeting with his Knights for the first time in the new year, was he burning with questions again and most were once more revolving around stupid Harry Potter. Harry had left after transfiguration for his forced meeting with Professor Mallet and hadn't shown up again until dinner, where the green eyed boy had looked sick and tired. It wasn't helping him with the rumour Tom had spread, which was hilarious to unfold into a bigger mess, consuming the negative branch of gossip for now. Leaving positive gossip for him, the heir of Slytherin. Tom and his Knights had went right after dinner to their meeting room, while Harry had trotted away looking all grim and annoyed. He hadn't spoken to them at all and just let out his frustration through his breathing, which was even more annoying. But that was not something Tom could bring up as a topic, it wasn't supposed to be important anyway. It was something stupid and not evolving him, so he had to keep it to himself. There was however another question, he very much needed to discuss with his knights. So he was about to just speak up, when most of them had sat, when Rosier voice sounded first, "Just a short question, the new divination Professor is not really, like, doing something like, well you know, to Potter, right?" He was looking at Tom for an answer, who looked at all their asking face and wondered, what he should say. His knights, away from the other unsure Slytheirns, were kinda trustable to a certain degree, certainly even more that Tom's status had been elevated thanks to him being the last Heir to Slytherin. It was just that he was planning only now on going towards a more political cause with them and he wasn't sure how willing they would be, maybe this could be a little test for them. "Hm, like what?", Tom then decided to ask confused, he obviously knew what they were referring to and how he had made it sound, but it was funny seeing their faces all grow a bit red. Mulciber then cleared his throat. "You think the Professor is into Potter, not? You said-""I am aware of what I said", Tom assured him, leaning further back in his armchair, feet over the other, while he kept mindlessly spinning the ring on his finger. "I didn't say all though. I did hear a snippet from their conversation, though I deemed that not worth the attention of those who would not be trustworthy."His knights were quick to understand, sitting up straighter, more proud, heir's who believed they were worth something, it was easy to keep them entertained that way. So Tom continued with a smile, "Those who been in divination, do you remember the prophecy?"Rosier nodded, reciting the lines for those that had not been present, "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not, and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.""Right", Tom praised him, putting his hands over one another. "But we are not believe this is really about him, right?", Mulciber asked confused. "Well, I did think it had something to do with Potter at first, but then...", Avery stopped speaking, looking at Tom with big eyes. "Is it really? But that makes no sense.""A lot of things about Potter make no sense", Tom agreed, with a slight nod, "But I do think the prophecy is about him. He is born at the end of Jule, though I don't see how his parents defied Gridnelwald, it might be something that makes no sense now, but becomes clear later. The mark? That might be his scar on the forehead, it could explain why he showed up now all of sudden. He had connection with Grindelwald after all, like he said, encountered him, maybe barely survived him. Either way, both him and the Professor seemed to think the same.""But I don't get it", Malfoy said, which was no surprise, "if he is destined to kill the dark lord, then what about you?""What about me?", Tom asked, eyebrow lifted. "Are you referring to the others things he said?" Malfoy nodded, further hiding in his armchair. "I suspect that those things are true as well. Potter might have truly come here to 'save' me like he claims and Grindelwald might very well be after me, but only for as long as he is not aware, that the threat truly seems to lie in Harry instead, if the Prophecy happens to be correct. But that is where the trouble lies, Potter doesn't wanna kill and Professor Mallet is trying to force him to do so nonetheless."Lestrange tilted his head bored, supporting it on his hand. "How boring? So such a noble little hero, he doesn't even wanna shed the blood of someone he should be against? What use does it have then? It will be trouble if he dies and Grindelwald keeps living.""Yes, and why would you not say that directly? This way people will think the Professor is a pedophile", Mulciber asked confused. "Precisely", Nott agreed with a wide grin, "And people will talk about him regarding that matter, rather than the prophecy. They will keep the gossip up and keep the realisation of the truth down. Look at Walburga Black, she is brilliant normally, and even she thinks Potter is some victim, rather than someone with a destiny." He looked then over to Tom with admiring eyes. "You are buying some time, for until Grindelwald finds out."Tom had an equal grin on his face. "Exactly. There has been an over flood of news lately, it would be wise to ensure that it leads into a specific direction. Potter is but a pawn, that can fall if necessary.""But if he dies and Grindelwald lives, and Grindelwald thinks you are a threat, won't he come for you? And what about the part of one has to die at the hand of the other? What if that means Grindelwald somehow becomes immortal through that?", Avery asked sounding a bit worried, which was good to know. Tom shook his head with a light chuckle. "Immortality? If it was so easy, many wizards would have reaches it. No, that is not what it means, but yes it would be trouble if Potter dies before he did his duty, though I am not worried about that. I have a plan, and for that is that you keep ears and eyes open, but not your mouths. The focus should be staying on Potter problem, rather than the prophecy or the visit of his strange friend."They all nodded or agreed in some form. They had already early tried to ensure to the best that no information about Tom gaining the ring came out, but it was difficult, on the one hand did you not wanna remind others of something they might else have passed off and on the other hand was it trouble if people start asking questions. Besides was it something that would be eventually self evident. The fact he was an Heir of Slytherin and therefore a Gaunt would not be able to stay under the carpet for long, it might just be not enough for Grindelwald to risk coming here, just like Harry suggested, so he couldn't deliver more reasons for Grindelwald's attention towards them. What a pain. He had really hoped he could just avoid the attention of the dark lord all together until he was strong enough to challenge him. Just a bit more, if he managed maybe one or two more years, he would surely be strong enough to defend himself properly in a duel against the old man. But for now he might just have to speed things a bit up, get some more followers through his new status and also ensure the loyalty of those who were already under him. They, after all, wanted things too, that Tom already tried to sneak in, that he was willing to see them true. It was then that Orion Black showed up, late, but not alone. He was accompanied by a black dog that followed him along, whose green eyes were practically glowing. Black was smiling, while he sat himself on a chair, signing the dog to sit, before giving him a little treat. "Good boy", the Heir of House Black said, before scratching the animal. Everyone stared at him then, before Nott asked annoyed, "Since when do you have a pet?""Since now", Black answered. "I found him outside. Interesting fella, he seems to be a stray.""And you decided to just take him in?", Malfoy asked disgusted, pushing himself further away in his chair, as though he might suddenly get attacked by the dog. "What if it is sick?""I am sure it isn't", Black tried to assure him. "He is a good boy. I mean look at him." Black was holding the dogs face in their direction, while moving his fingers through his fur. The green eyes then found him and Tom had a strange feeling inside him. The eyes looked similar to Harry's, those green jewels he wanted. Maybe he should have the dog? Kill it perhaps to get his confusing and angry feelings over the stupid Potter out of his mind? Would Black be very mad if he were to do it?"Even so", Malfoy continued, "You can't just bring it with to a meting. You don't see me bringing my owl either.""Uh", Nott said then, turning with a smile and his wand in his hand around, "were you planning bringing it so we could try out the new spells. I always wanted to try one of them. Imperio!" The spell went flying and the dog shortly paused, while Nott was smiling satisfied. "Go bite- Au!" The dog then had just moved into action and bit right into Nott's leg, who started screaming, much to Tom's delight. "You stupid beast. Cru-!""Stop that shit!", Black yelled, pushing Nott back away, while the dog moved behind Black's legs and then moved his mouth like it was trying to smile. It looked terrifying, more reason why Tom suddenly wanted the dog. "I said it is my new pet now. Do that on your own pets, or better yet, just find some rats to practice on, like everyone else has did so far."The tension between Black and Nott was thick in the room, which Tom had no interest in. He let out a low whistle then, stretching his hand out for the dog to come over. "You like dogs?", Mulciber asked surprised, while the dog didn't move and instead eyed him suspicious, staying even closer to Orion Black. How annoying. "Not particular, but if Black is so adamant about adopting a stray for the knights, then he shall be something like our little mascot. Hm", Tom tilted his head, "he does remind me a bit of a smaller version of a black hell hound. An omen of death, perhaps we should name him Cerberus.""I like it", Rosier said, while Black stared at him still in surprise. "I was going to name him Pluto", Orion Black said with a little pout, while sitting back and giving the dog his attention, while Rosier was trying to get to pet him too. "That is a stupid name for a dog", Malfoy said annoyed, "and we can't name our dog that if we want him to be taken serious.""I never agreed that my dog suddenly become's ours." Black had his hand crossed in front of him, like an annoying brat. Sometimes his knights tended to act a bit too much like they were children rather than on the bridge of adulthood. "Well, if it isn't ours, then I can still try the killing curse", Nott suggested, wand lifted, giving Tom a little wink, which he chose to ignore. "Tsk", Orion Black looked annoyed to the side, waving his hand dismissively, "Whatever, Cerberus it is then.""Then we can finally move on?", Tom asked, with only the hint of annoyance, to which all of them immediately snapped back into business and they could begin their meeting. Going through the new books the other had taken from their home libraries. This time Tom could even add something to the pile, as he had found a hidden book about dark magic on the Potter's attic. They had said he could borrow whatever book he wanted, before he left, so he had taken it and a few others along. He would give them back to Harry, if Harry stayed alive til then. They were soon hovering over the table with the books, looking through the topics, discussing who was going to read what for now to decipher what was interesting and dog was trying to seemingly join them too, as he was moving on his backpaws, holding the edge of the table and forcing Black to move his hand away just to make room for him. It seemed weird and stupid to Tom, but it seemed somehow endearing and cute to the others, especially Black, who had went to patting him. Soon they were settled for this nights meeting and went outside, which was when Lestrange finally asked Black bored, "So what exactly are you going to do with the dog now? He isn't technically allowed. So where do you expect him to sleep?""Hm, I haven't thought about that", Black admitted and immediately turned to Tom for help, while the dog walked between them as though he truly was a part of their group. "If he is a stray, he can find a place to sleep. He will come begging for food when he gets hungry." Tom thought that was the most logical answer. He wasn't going to take the dog into his care, not if that would just mean hiding it and having to share it, it would have been something else if he could own it and then suddenly, a wet thing touched his hand and he nearly pulled his hand away, before he looked down and noticed the dog was close to him. It felt strange looking at those green eyes and before he could decipher why, were they walking past the yard and the dog suddenly started running, jumping out of the windowless opening and started hunting something none of them could see. "There, problem solved", Nott said amused, turning then towards the school yard watching the weird dog, "I hope he kills something and offers it to me as an apology. Uh, this dog thing could be fun.""I think you are thinking of a cat and one very much not normal", Rosier suggested, to which Nott just shrugged, glancing shortly to Tom. So yeah, indeed Nott was acting weird because of him somehow, not that Nott wasn't like himself, he was just showing his crazy side far freer ever since they had returned from summer. Nott was always one of the people that might understood Tom better, but he was normally wearing a face and rarely lifted it when he was with others, to do so now so freely had to have a reason. One Tom could currently not bother with.He had enough trouble as of now.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Harry was annoyed. He had really hoped Tom would invite him into his stupid club and that he could perhaps from there gain some useable intel about what Tom was after all, if he was not fully human, but no, Tom had to be dismissive of him. So there was only plan B, he would need the invisibility cloak after all, which of course posed a danger. The stone was here after all too and if Grindelwald should show up, then the deathly hollows would be up for grab. Harry disliked the idea of that, but still decided to send the request to his grandparents, before he went to the office of Professor Mallet. The seer was obviously already expecting him. He was standing there, next to a tray and moved over once Harry entered. "You know my answer", Harry said defensively, while the Professor closed the door with a spell and used another spell. He winked at Harry then. "Won't want another incident like last time, where I am sure Mister Riddle might have heard a bit too much. Dangerous, but exciting this is. Sit, Harry. Have some tea and some more biscuits."Harry was directed towards a big armchair, that was practically eating him up, when he sat on it, before he pushed a cup of tea into his hand. The Professor sat on the armchair opposite him. He was very different to the divination Professor had prior. He was younger and more practical, his clothing was nothing fancy and looked much more like expensive muggle clothes than anything else, but like Hootch was his hair grey. His office also looked nothing like a divination expert office and more like the one of some actual college Professor. There were books of all sorts, flying around, an actual desk and another chalkboard on which numbers were written in what could be a very complicated math equation, if Harry only knew. The man waited patiently for him to look around, before he spoke up again. "You know Harry, I must say, I am really honoured to have been the one to receive those insights of your future and what kind of future it is."Harry cringed and tried to really let the armchair eat him. "You are not going to tell anyone, right?""I already told you the last time, this will stay between the two of us. The ministry has never before been a big fan of mine and their idea of prophecies is ridiculous. You know they store them there in secret?""I am aware of that", Harry said, feeling cold sweat run over him, remembering just again the feeling of the giant room with all the orbs and hearing the prophecy, his prophecy, for the first time. "I would like to forget that.""Hm", Professor Mallet responded, a bit disappointed sounding, but also understanding. "How far from the future are you anyway?""I do not wanna talk about it." He was about to stand up and leave then, but Professor Mallet flicked him back into the chair. "I don't understand what you are trying to achieve here, Professor.""The same question I ask myself about you too, Harry", he shot back, shaking his head in disappointment, before taking a biscuit. "I am not your enemy. Heck, why would you even think that?""You wrote my prophecy down for everyone to read and then tried to convince me to kill someone!" Harry snapped back, before he tried to calm down a bit, adding, "I don't wanna be a murderer."The Professor blinked at him confused, head tilted, then understanding dawned on him. "O, do you think... right currently they consider Grindelwald as a dark lord, don't they? I mean they don't know better yet, so you are worried they might think the prophecy is about him instead?""I am not worried. I know." Harry was rolling his eyes, taking a biscuit himself. He was getting hungry. "And by all do respect, Sir, why not talk to me in private?""I have seen my mistake, though I still doubt you would have been fine trusting me in private-""I hardly trust you now.""-nonetheless, I am your best chance at an reliable ally. I am, after all, not your average Seer, I have not just interest in seeing the future, I wanna form it- Sit down, I am not planing on becoming someone evil, I have no such intention, I wish to form time itself, not the world or whatever nonsense those dark lords wish off."Harry et himself fall back, leaning further down, letting out an exhausted sigh. "I say most of them fear their end more than I fear anything. Always trying to cheat them out of the clutches of nature itself. It is weird. Disgusting even."Professor Mallet listened excited, body leaning forward and Harry stoped talking, readjusting his sitting position, to get out of this uncomfortable mood. The Seer then spoke, when he noticed Harry wouldn't, "Either way, Harry, I wish to help you, not just because it would be right, but because it is also extremely fascinating. A form of time travel yet unknown to us-""And it will stay like that. I will not tell you anything.""I am sure of it." The Professor nodded in agreement, not sounding angry. "You won't have to. I don't have to know. I just wanna be part of what would be the process of changing time itself, that would already fulfil my life long goal."Harry eyed the man with a raised brow and much experience of weird Professors. "I can't say if you are being honest. Life long? You look like you are just beginning life really yourself-""Thank you, but I am already in my thirties.""Right", Harry said surprised, "Though you are a wizard, are you not? I am confused, either way, I have things under control."Now it was the Professor to lift his brow with a smug smile on his lips. "Do you?""Yes", Harry answered defensively, "And besides I had not a very good history with strange new Professors, so I won't risk it."They were then keeping eye contact for a while, long enough for Harry to feel uncomfortable from it. It was Professor Mallet, who then broke the silence. "Very well then, take you time to think about it, but until then, you will be my Assistant.""What?" Harry was sitting up even further, eyes wide and the idea of more plots he could get entangled into making his stomach feel sick. "Well, I heard a bit around and the little rumour caught my ear, that you were a Seer too." He gave Harry a wink, clearly knowing that Harry wasn't, but it was the lie he had went to, the cover under which he hid all kind of mistake so far, though he hadn't yet said something about it in school and seemingly no one seemed to think it was the case either. "And so I asked the Headmaster if it would be alright to take you under my wings and keep you as a teacher assistant, since you are already able to see more than the average student and he was agreeing to the idea, thought it might be even do you some good, to get a task and more guidance, so yeah. Congrats!"He let some magical confetti appear then, that covered Harry's head, while continued to glare at the Professor in disbelief. "You did not really, did you?""Yes, I did, I was worried you might make truth out of yesterday's threat, so I convinced Dippet in the evening, though I will confess I have asked him already prior. Thought it would serve as good cover, for any kind of business you might need help with. Which still stands as an option by the way, no matter the time. I am sure time traveling must be truly confusing and the task you have ahead of you sounds very difficult, so if you need help with anything-""I don't want your help! I am capable of doing this myself!""O really? and how has is so far been going?" The discarding eyes found Harry's green ones, making him once more sit much more uncomfortable on his armchair. "Have you disarmed the future dark lord yet? Kept him from evil plans? Or made plans on how to rid the world of him?"Harry looked down, remembering how bad his last few plans had gone. It might have gone better if Death hadn't just decided to show up and hand freaking Riddle a deathly hollow and perhaps future horcrux like it was but a mere penny. "Well, I am working on it. I have some clues and plans. I will just need some time.""Ah, yes time, the endless trouble of every person in the world. How wonderful a thing it is, but don't worry you will have it now. Take us much you need to come to the realisation that my help would much benefit you." The Professor gave him a knowing smile, before moving his wand, letting a book flow over, that landed on Harry's lap. A history of time. "Until then you should start reading this. You can start now, I will dismiss your when it is time for dinner." ... Harry might prefer Barty Crouch Jr. to that man. At least that Death Eater had taught him a few very useful things and not forced him to sit and read the worst and most boring book of his life and threaten him with extra work and supposed help and butting in every few seconds. If Harry had been thankful for one thing, then was it that currently he wasn't supposed to be the Chosen One, no one was supposed to know or treat him like that, but Professor Mallet seemed to not get that note. He was treating Harry like something precious in a very weird way and Harry wasn't sure he liked that. Eventually he was dismissed for Dinner, though his mood did not change much. He was tired, his head filled with every page of the book that he had not understood, which was pretty much every single one. He was therefore very quiet during dinner, not that he had someone he actually wanted to talk to. He was just going to keep an eye on Riddle, hoping the future dark lord wasn't trying something stupid. It looked fine so far, but appearance was the one thing Tom was very well equipped to make look better than the inside he was hiding. Or maybe Harry was just bitter, he couldn't say. He was tired. He would love to just go take a nap after dinner, considering that he had woken up extra early in the morning to try for Quidditch, but since Riddle and his roommates were going to meet for the super duper secret club, had Harry no time for such luxury. He needed to find out what kind of magic Merope used for creating Tom and hopefully would that tell him what to do to prevent Riddle from becoming Voldemort and Harry was pretty sure the magic he was dealing with, was dark one. So, since he wasn't an invited member, would he need another invitation. And luckily had Harry planned ahead of time.Harry took his things first to his room, spreading them out, letting it appear like he had been there the whole night, moving the coverts of his bed, putting on his sleeping clothes. "What are you doing?", Hedwig the snake asked, head moving up from the bed. Harry hadn't wanted to name like that at first, but the snake held just so much resemblance to his owl, that he thought it might not be a bad choice. That way he could honour his future owl at least in a different way. "I am planning on sneaking in Riddle's little secret club. Cover me if he shows up and asks.""Uh, little secret club. I like secrets. Besides of course, he always asks about you and I always tell him, though he seems not liking my answers very much. So rude, so uninterested. I tell him so many important things!" The snake seemed genuine upset, so Harry stopped a bit, looking at her surprised. "Like what?", Harry asked. "Like how good your hair smells, after the third time he seemed uninterested in it though", the snake responded, making Harry chuckle. He gave her a pet, before he sneaked back outside, waiting til he was alone, before he transformed into his animagus form. It had taken a lot of time and preparation and the help of his grandparents to master this kind of thing, but he figured it would be useful for sneaking around and following Tom without the invisibility cloak, especially considering how aware Riddle usually was of his surroundings. Besides if his father and his friend had done, he could give it a try too. He was worried though at first, that he might like his father turn into a deer, since... well, a deer might be suspicious, when suddenly standing in the middle of a corridor of Hogwarts, so Harry had been spending a lot of time thinking about what other animal would be practical. He remembered McGonagall transforming into a cat a lot, but a cat seemed unfitting to him. Then he thought often about his Godfather, moving around wherever, showing up unannounced and being like a shadow lurking in the night. He thought a lot about Sirius then. He remember his Godfather's last moment, the smile, he remembered the hug and the promise. And sure Harry was sure he would have loved his father more if he had been alive, and it meant a lot to him that his patronus was the same as his dads, but when he pictured a home, then he pictured the little glimpse of a promised home, he could have had. He would think about Grimmauld Palace 12 and he would think of his Godfather pulling him again in his arms and when it came time for Harry to transform for the first time, did he find himself on all fours. Sure, now Harry had a home, the way he had always yearned for one, but he was more than happy that the memory of the promised home had gotten him another connection to his Godfather, allowing Harry to feel not so far away this way. One day he might be able to tell Sirius about it. One day he might even be able to tell his dad about all of it, showing him his patronus and then... well then, would be then. Harry tried to focus instead. He moved through the halls, keeping his eyes open, searching, while also staying in the shadows in hopes of no one seeing him. It was only when Harry found Orion Black, one of Tom's supposed knights, that Harry stepped out of the shadows and slowly approached him, following him. There was of course always the chance of the Knights of Walpurgis being as psychotic as the future dark lord and that they wouldn't be happy about seeing a dog, or maybe happy about seeing one, but not in the normal way, more in the killing and experimenting on it way. Harry was just about to move back into the dark, when Orion turned around, reminding Harry too much of Sirius, which made him stop in his tracks for a second. Orion Black looked a lot like his son, though also a bit different. His hair was brown too, with equal dark eyes, that Harry so far had only seen in serious mood, until now. The light in them suddenly shown and a smile spread on his face, before it disappeared quickly again, as he moved his head around, left and right, before the smile went back on. So childish and much more delighted, the way it looked on Sirius too. It made Harry tilt his head to the side in surprise. Orion Black squatted down, stretching out his hand for Harry to... well probably sniff. He didn't wanna do it at first, but then again had he not yet full control on his animagus form and the dog instinct took over, making him take a whiff, before he pushed his head against the head. Orion Black immediately started scratching him. "Who is a good boy? You are a good boy!", Orion Black said, and if Harry ever managed to get to met Sirius in the future, he would have to tell him how his father used to act like a total fool when faced with a dog. Harry couldn't believe it. It made Orion Black suddenly so human, so much more a person, then just one of Riddle's followers, like he tried to think like before. "Yes, aren't you the besties boy!" But currently had Harry other trouble. Orion didn't stop petting him and so Harry had soon ended up on his back, letting the Heir of House of Black pet his stomach, which he seemed to be delighted to do. Harry was embarrassed, but it also felt far too good. He could understand why dogs never seemed to wanna stop being petted. Orion Black spend another few minutes on just petting him, before he stood up and looked down at him apologetic, seemingly at least having sympathy with the wellbeing of a dog considering the same didn't go for muggles. Harry's ears moved up, looking at the Heir. "Sorry, but I am already late. Maybe you should go back to your owner now."Harry tilted his head, stood up and was ready to follow the Black, who had yet to move. "Do you have an owner?", Orion asked, perhaps honesty awaiting an answer. Harry just decided to try act as dog like as possible and tilted his head in the other direction. Orion looked torn then, looking around, searching for something, perhaps for an owner that wouldn't exist, because Harry was after all his own person. Then did the other let out a sigh. "I guess, I really have to go. Sorry, champ, but perhaps we met again."O, for sure, they would met at breakfast in the morning, Harry was sure of it, but he wouldn't let the guy know. No, Harry was doing this now, being a dog for spying reasons, and he would never ever let anyone know, else he might just have to die from embarrassment. Orion patted his head shortly, before turning around and leaving. Harry waited a bit and started following him, but the Black was soon turning around, face looking pained."Sorry, but I really have to go", he said, while Harry just waited again for him to leave again, so he could follow. He walked another few steps, then paused and turned around again, staring at Harry with big sad eyes, before seeming to reside to his fate, sighing and then happily clapping his thighs. "Come here, boy, come here." Harry run, before the human side of his brain could even register the embarrassing part of such an order. Orion was quick to pet and scratch him again. "Good boy, smart boy, I will take you with me. I don't care what the others say. Such a perfect dog", he said, moving Harry's face in his hands, "can't be left for someone unworthy. I will keep you. I will give you a name. How does that sound?"Harry let out a bark then, not because he was agreeing though like Orion seemed to think, rather because it was the exact opposite. Though was there no use in arguing while in the body of a dog, instead was he just accepting the way it was going for now and was happy for access, as they walked towards the meeting point for the knights. Orion Black kept on patting him and inside even protecting him then. Besides Nott seemed everyone accepting of Harry's dog form and Harry got the insight he wanted, which was good, though not for the reason he wanted. Firstly did he learn that Tom had taken a dark magic tome from his family home, which yes technically he was allowed, but Harry just hadn't thought they had something like that at home, and second did he learn that they seemed to not directly have something about making humans, so the plan with sneaking into the hidden part of the library still stood. Harry managed his escape from the group just fine too, sneaking back to bed, before them, but not without them naming him first. What a weird day. He was just happy that it was finally over then and he could fall asleep without even needing a second to spare on trying.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Tom had been thinking about his mother. He wasn't sure why, well actually he was. It was Harry's fault of course. He kept remembering Harry that night, with those wide open green eyes and those hands on his and how he asked about Tom's mother, as though he was expecting Tom to be upset. Tom wasn't upset, at least that was what he was initially confused off, but the more he thought about what Harry said, the more he felt... strange. He had considered his mother just a stupid muggle, that got knocked up and ended up dying in misery, but now, suddenly, his mother was a pureblood witch, having given up her life for Tom, in some strange way. At least was that the way Harry had made it sound, that his mother was somehow a saint. Hard to think that anyone related to Tom could be something as close to that, but it did make him think. If his mother was a witch, then why did she die? Why give birth and die soon after? It seemed suspicious somehow. Surely she should have been able to magic her way out of it, even if she wasn't as educated perhaps as he currently was, she had to know the basics after all, right?Tom felt weird, an odd sense of something heavy inside of him, when he thought of that woman that might have died for him, without even being able to hold him. It made him nervously twist the ring out his finger again, trying to ignore those thoughts, trying to forget them. They were useless anyway. They wouldn't do him any good, he wouldn't be able to talk to her anyway, so all he could do was simply forget about them. Tom was then instead trying focus back on his surroundings, just in time for the post to arrive. Harry looked up then, having seemingly also been deep in thought before. A few packages then landed in front of him and Tom felt that little hint of annoyance again then. He could have been a Potter by this point if it hadn't been for the old man ruining it. Sure he got an heirloom instead, but that heirloom was attached to a danger and needless to say, Tom hated that guy. Harry had three packages. One was obviously a broom that the smaller boy put next to him, before eyeing two other packages that both had a card on them. One was more wobbly shaped, so perhaps some clothing and the other was a real package.Harry looked at both of them, before suddenly holding one out for Tom. "This one is for you."Tom tried not to look surprised, though he was. He shouldn't. The Potters would obviously have given him something sooner or later, but he expected something around his birthday or Christmas and not just for the occasion. Tom only got presents then, few and spare, but presents nonetheless. Normally he would be annoyed by them, however great they were. Presents having to give something in return and he would usually have to repay the other with some kind of favour, but it was different with the Potters. They weren't giving him something in exchange for a favour or something, they were repaying him still for the favour they were granted from him. This was indeed different, and so did Tom find himself a bit excited as he unpacked the package, leaving the card to the side, to read after. He found some books then, one was an advanced potion books, another was a fairytale book for some reason and the third was a book about alchemy, something Tom had wanted to take a close look into, there was also a box of chocolates. Tom looked up in confusion, only to find Harry leaning over the table to read what Tom had been given, his own present still laying untouched next to his plate. Harry had not the decency to leave Tom's space, even though he should have noticed by now that he was bothersome. "You got books? A bit boring, soon you will be buried under a mountain of knowledge, Riddle, and then what? Weep over the missed fun?", Harry asked sassily, sitting back down, while eyeing Tom. Tom let out a surprised, degrading chuckle. Harry was quickly getting bolder, as it seemed. "Weren't you the one claiming, I would become the most powerful wizard? From nothing comes nothing.""Exactly", Harry agreed, nodding his head. "At your age, I have already fought so many battles, that one might think I should be done with it then."Nott lifted a brow, letting his spoon stay still in the air, while glancing at Harry. "Aren't you younger, Potter?"The green eyes widened shortly, before he moved his glasses back onto his nose, shrugging, waving it off. "You get the point.""Not really", Tom said, putting the paper away, before taking the letter into his hand, "Do you want me to do something stupid and reckless, that would also break the law, just to prove something that is absolutely unnecessary to prove?"The others were glancing then at Harry too, whose whole mimic seemed dead inside then. "Whatever", he mumbled and then he mumbled something more, that was incoherent, but somehow sounded like he was complaining about something, not sure what it had to do with him though. Tom then opened the card and focused on it instead for a short second. Dear Tom, We hope you a wonderful start in the new school year.We can't thank you enough for helping our Harry out, and we have enjoyed your stay over the summer very much, so we hope you also felt comfortable. If you need anything or want to come over for another holiday, feel free to reach out. Until then I hope the books are to your enjoyment.- With love and best regards,Fleamont and Euphemia PotterTom blinked a few times after finishing the letter. It felt somehow odd getting one. He wasn't used after all to get any post at all, so something like this felt... weird. Expected, but somehow weird. He tried his best then to ignore it. Putting the card away, hiding in one of the books, suddenly worried about it, before he focused back on Harry, who had a wide grin growing on his face. "It is nice, isn't? Having someone care for you", Harry spoke amused in parseltongue to him, something in his gaze looking familiar as though he knew exactly what Tom was feeling, which Tom was very sure of was impossible. Tom stared at him a bit, before he decided it wasn't worth answering Harry and instead focused on some others of his classmates, until he first lesson of the day would begin. ... Tom found himself in the evening walking through the halls, on the surface checking for students that were out during curfew and in reality much more focused on trying to find the Chamber of Secrets. He would of course have to think how to handle the whole thing now, but he wanted to find it nonetheless. He was walking through the halls, light shinning from his wand and not really looking for students as much as he was for a secret hidden thing. It was amazing how much easier life was now that he was Prefect. Before he had to sneak around or hope to look for it in the daytime, without anyone realising what he was doing. Tom was just about to let his thoughts travel, letting the day reappear to analyse anything potential important from it, when he found two green beacons of light in the dark. At first he thought it was Harry, which he was immediately annoyed by. He was thinking far too much and far too often about that damn scarred boy, when he really shouldn't. It wasn't Tom's type to think so much about someone, especially not Harry Potter, who seemed not just some strange crazy guy, but also somehow so filled with light, that corruption seemed difficult. Besides what was there to do? He would of course keep Harry close, if it happens to be that that boy was the only able to stop Grindelwald, but besides that? No, besides that, Tom could not afford to have Harry come even closer, or else Tom might... might what? His mind was so chaotic. He just didn't think it would clear up if Harry and him happened to get closer, he worried it might get worse instead. And even so, Tom always found himself thinking about the boy. But no, those green eyes weren't Harry's, they were rounder and without glasses covering them and instead belonged to that weird dog Black had found. Tom was eyeing the dog then, the dog staring back. Had it finally realised who the real leader was or was it just hoping to get some snacks from Tom? Either way, Tom held his hand out for the thing and it approached him with slow steps, as though it was sensing the potential danger that Tom was. It made him smile. A smart dog indeed, if it realised who he was behind that mask. Maybe Tom should really claim it for himself, perhaps he could teach it some things that would become useful or really use him under the Imperius Command. Nott might not have been that wrong about the approach. An animal could move far freer from human society. The dog then came close enough for Tom to pet his head a bit, which was when he felt that strange feeling again. The dog was warm, warmer than him maybe or maybe it just felt like it, either way Tom suddenly felt bitterly cold, reminded of the winter's in the orphanage and suddenly he had that immense urge to touch the dog further, to hug it and pet it and it made Tom feel sick in his stomach, so he let go of the animal. "I don't see the appeal in it", Tom muttered as he looked down at the creature, whose tail was wigging and was eyeing him with bright interest. It had really intelligent eyes. "But I guess, you are smart enough to recognise who the leader is, so you are already much more useful than most others."The dog tilted his head, ears up in confusion, so maybe not as smart as Tom thought. He let out a sigh then and moved on, which made the dog immediately follow. He was eyeing the thing shortly confused, but wouldn't know how to get rid of it, without killing or hurting it, both things that Black seemed very much against, so Tom let it. "Just so I have said it before, not that you will understand, but if we run into a teacher, I will act like I caught you, even if it means being hurtful", Tom said after a while to the dog, since the sudden silence felt so weird. He hadn't minded silence before when he was alone, but now that that thing was there he felt it suddenly weigh heavy down on him. It would have been nice if he had instead encountered Harry's snake, she at least could have understand and respond to him. The dog let out a loud breath, that was like a very soft bark, quiet enough for no one to hear. Tom just shrugged his shoulders then. "That is the world, Cerberus, better grow used to it. It is wise of you to look for stronger allies, when you are as weak as you are." The dog then looked over at him, just as Tom was looking down and he could swear that it shortly looked like it was laughing at him. He wanted to kick it then, but it suddenly moved quicker, running around a corner and then barking. Tom was deeply annoyed by that, but run after, while cursing under his breath. When his light shown the new space then, did he find a Ravenclaw that was entangled with a Hufflepuff, both of the them out of breath and pressed against the wall, looking down at the dog with worried expressions, while trying to fix their clothes. Tom found a strange proud smile on his lips then, to think that such a normal dog would be able to bring fear to humans faces, how delightful! It was still standing guard in front of the two students, before looking up to Tom as though looking for acknowledgement. Tom found it far more easier to give the dog praise than one of his Knights, so he shortly petted its head and said, "Good, Cerberus.", before he directed his attention to the two students. "Well, that would be ten points from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff and now bed to your houses, or I will have to think about talking to a Professor about potential detention."The Ravenclaw scoffed annoyed, rolling his eyes. He was in his seventh year as far as Tom remembered. "Listen, I am not going to listen to some Half-", he started saying, wanting to surely throw out some slurs, and considering that he smelled like alcohol even from that distance, would it have then surely ended it up in a fight. But it didn't come that far, instead was the dog suddenly back in front of Tom and started barking and fletching his teeth at the Ravenclaw, which made the Upperclassman flinch back, tripping and nearly falling to the ground. "Get that beast under control!""It is just a dog", Tom laughed delighted, wanting to pat the dog even more then. "Besides is it not my job to tell. My job is deducting points from you for breaking school rules and so that is what I do. Though I think at this point, considering the alcohol, the break of curfew and the harassment of a Prefect, we are talking about far more than just point deduction, but let's see what the Headmaster will say. I suggest, you go back to your room now, same goes for you." Tom looked between the two students, who then eyed him, the dog and him, before surrendering to their fate and leaving instead of causing more drama. "And I better not see you again tonight", Tom spoke after them, while his hand moved down to rest on the head of dog."Mister Riddle." Tom nearly startled, as he turned around and found himself suddenly faced with Professor Dumbledore, because of course he would. "Professor Dumbledore", Tom greeted then, moving his hand quickly away from the dog, while eyeing the Professor with wary. "I wasn't aware you were doing rounds tonight too, Sir."Professor Dumbledore looked down at the dog with a confused glance, before looking up to Tom, that same old face on his lips, that was somehow unreadable and yet definitely hiding something. "I wasn't. I just found myself in need for a walk, when I heard loud barking. Is that yours, Tom? You are aware dogs are not allowed as pets.""It isn't mine, no. I came for similar reason. It had been barking at two students that seemed to think breaking the curfew was worth it for some alone time. I was just about to see what to do with it", the lie came so easily from Tom's lips like it should, but he suddenly felt a worry inside of him, that he hadn't felt before. Dumbledore wouldn't do something to the dog, right? It was Dumbledore after all. "I See, well then how good I was close by", Dumbledore said, soft smile on his lips as he stretched out his hand for the dog to come closer. Tom watched it looking at him as though it was expecting Tom to protect it somehow, which Tom had already said he wouldn't, so he stepped a step further away from the dog, ready to leave the situation. "Come here", Dumbledore then said softly, when the dog wasn't yet approaching, which made the dog talk a few steps forward, until Dumbledore was petting it. "It doesn't seem to have a collar. Maybe it is a stray, some students have been feeding", Tom then suggested, while watching Dumbledore pet it, getting closer to its neck, which all made Tom feel a strange unease. "O, surely", Dumbledore agreed, "Something like that happens, but just in case it does have an owner, will I ask around." Then with a flick of the wand, was there suddenly a yelp from the dog as it tried to run off, at the same time a binding appeared around its neck. Tom felt his body wanting to move, while he stayed rigid there in place. "It would not be save if some stray dog started to terrorise our student-body. Specially the first years might go petting it and might then end up getting bitten. We should ensure it isn't dangerous first, right?"There was some kind of challenge in Dumbledore's eyes as he was looking up at Tom then, while Tom was too focused on watching the dog try to fight the binding that had moved around its neck and its snout. Tom blinked that image away, directed his attention back to Dumbledore and ignored everything else once more. "Of course, Professor. Then I will continue making my round." Tom smiled then friendly, while feeling absolutely furious inside, before nodding and moving on, without the dog by his side. When he eventually went to bed, was he still feeling restless. He pushed that all away then, focusing on the future, focusing on his plans and soon he found himself falling a asleep. ... It was then the next morning he saw the dog again. They had gone to breakfast, Harry and Avery once more far too late. Harry seemed still asleep, curtains drawn and no one was really interested in waking him, while Avery was just stretched wide open over the bed making it obvious that he was still asleep. It wasn't of course everyone present, when Headmaster Dippet soundly clicked his glass and tried to get the attention of everyone else, while Dumbledore stood behind him with the dog on the leash, still trying to free himself. "Is that our dog?", Rosier asked, which Malfoy shut quickly down by stepping on the guys food, while the attention moved to Dippet. "Professor Dumbledore has found yesterday a stray dog that seemed to have gotten on school grounds. I might have to remind you that pets like dogs are not permitted in school, only pets you can keep in your rooms are. If this is indeed the pet of someone, please reach us to the end of the day, or else we will consider him a stray and will have to dispose of him", Headmaster Dippet said bored and bit coldly, which surprised even Dumbledore as he moved his head up. "I think killing the dog goes a bit to far, Headmaster", Dumbledore said, loud enough for Tom to still catch it. The headmaster just shrugged. Black looked pale and then seemed a second away from something stupid. Nott kept him from doing said stupid.Professor Mallet however cleared his throat then, getting the attention of everyone else as he moved over, "This is my dog, Headmaster. I was already worried sick when he did not come back to me last night." The Professor crouched down to the dog then, freeing it off the bindings. "It is yours?", Dumbledore asked surprised, his eyes moving shortly towards Tom's group, which Tom had expected as well. The Seer nodded. "Yes, I forgot to fill the slip in time. I was going to talk to the Headmaster about it today. As far as I aware am I allowed to have a dog, unlike the students.""That is true, but not if it is posing a danger to the students", the Headmaster responded, while the divination Professor was busy petting and calming the dog."He isn't. I can assure you that. He is very much the opposite. A very intelligent and responsible dog, that is why I let him roam free. He must have been confused, since we have done the rounds after curfew last time together, so maybe that is why he was in the halls."Dumbledores eyes then found Tom, as though waiting for Tom to say something. He wasn't and just as the Headmaster was perhaps about to say some final words, did Dumbledore speak up instead. "It is true, that he seemed to not be harmful. I found him, since he was alarming its surroundings, to two rule breakers", there was an amused smile on the mans lips, "it might have a good sense for that. Besides did it seem very much fine and well behaved in Tom's company, so maybe he could help the Prefects in the future? It would be nice for the students to not have to be fully alone in the dark and if he is well behaved enough, then it shouldn't pose a problem. Perhaps Riddle can attest to that?"Tom was trying not to look annoyed, as he was called then forward and moved over to the Headmaster, unbelieving himself to actually speak on behalf of a freaking dog. "Headmaster, I can not assure how the dog is to every student or Prefect, but I can agree with what Dumbledore said. I did find two students after curfew, that I wouldn't have found without the dogs help and it seemed rather friendly to me, so I, personally, don't think it is dangerous, not me at the very least", Tom assured him, hoping to get enough distance to not endanger himself later, if the dog decided to bite someone again. The headmaster looked deep in thought then. "Hm, and would you think that is a good idea, Mister Riddle?""What, Sir?""Having the dog accompany you for your rounds? I would rather have it be under close eye, then it walking completely freely around, without anyone growing the wiser." The Headmaster looked then accusingly towards Professor Mallet, while the dog had settled to sit between the two of them, looking from one another to the other. "I do think it could be a good idea, Headmaster, considering how loyal, smart and well equipped to finding things, these animals are", Tom said, not believing the words he spoke. Wa she helping a dog? Really? Well, maybe it would be able to help him with his chamber issues if he taught it right or used the Imeperius Command on him after all.The headmaster nodded then, as though he himself agreed with this idea he made to sound like it was his own. "Very well then, the dog can stay, but we will test it first. It will be accompanying Mister Riddle firstly, besides Professor Mallet and if it does not bring any danger, it may roam free.""Thank you, Sir", the Professor for Divination said, while Tom was dismissed. Professor Mallet was soon walking out of the dinning hall with the dog, while Avery walked inside and people had started chatting again. Avery yawned as he sat at the table. "Where is Potter?", he asked sleepily, while looking around, before taking an apple."Still asleep probably", Rosier answered, but Avery shook his head. "No, his bed was empty, when I left.""Then maybe the Owlery, writing his parents or some other sentimental stuff, befitting someone like Potter", Nott sneered, while shrugging his shoulders, looking annoyed. "Can't believe Professor Mallet just stole our dog.""I thought you didn't like it", Lestrange said bored, eyes not even in the conversation. Another shrug from Nott. "I didn't, but we claimed it as ours, so I dislike the idea of someone else taking it from us, that is like if someone just stole our books or room or something."Tom resonated with that, but at the very least wasn't all lost. He was just going to tell them that the Seer might not have the dog for long, if Tom taught it to obey and love him more, when Harry suddenly came rushing in, looking distressed, hair in all direction, eyebags large for someone that slept so long and clothes in total disarray. Tom wanted to grab him and tidy him, considering how disgraceful the smaller boy looked. "You look like shit", Lestrange said happily as he took the boy into view, while Black next to him seemed still too salty about the whole dog situation to talk at all. "Thanks", Harry said sarcastically, before stuffing food into his mouth like he had been starving for days. So disgraceful.Mulciber then had a sudden strange smile on his lips when looking at Harry, moving his eyebrows up and down at the boy. "Did you even sleep in our room?"The boy then froze, clearly caught, but trying to not make it to apparent. "Of course I did, why would you think I didn't?""Your bed was empty", Avery said. "And you seem to have had a rough night", Malfoy added. "And physical exhausted, like you have worked the whole night", Mulciber added, eyebrows moving up and down again. Harry looked at them then, cheeks turning brightly red, before he looked down then. "Shut up."The others started laughing, while Tom wasn't sure he understood correctly. They made it sound like Harry had spend the night with someone else, physical, sexual maybe even, but that made no sense. Why would Harry do that with someone else? He was into Tom, wasn't he? So why would he go do it with someone else, someone who was surely far beneath Tom. Why would Harry lower his standards? Why, why, why... it suddenly repeated itself so often in his head, while he was watching the green eyes and felt the kind of jealousy he usually got for things, not for people, least of all for Harry, but there it was. Tom disliked this idea, so it couldn't be true. If it was, well then Tom would need some plans to plan.But for then was he just going to play along, save his face, while his inside was screaming with pure hate and anger.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Harry couldn't believe it. Dumbledore had put a magical robe around him, dragged him up to his office and had let him spend the night in a transformed cage. Harry always believed living in the cupboard at the Dursleys was rough, but sleeping in a tight metal cage as a dog of his size was agonising.He was happy about his release, even if it meant owning Professor Mallett a favour of sorts. He just wouldn't have wanted to see if his old Headmaster would in the end really go as far as killing an innocent dog, because that was what Harry was. Innocent, well as innocent as he could be as a dog. Either way, Harry wasn't enjoying this. He had kinda hoped Riddle would show at least some compassion, but he seemed to have been wrong about it. Now the worst part though was that the others believed he was some kind of fuckboy, which he totally wasn't. It seemed a good alibi, but it also seemed to keep Tom even more distant. Harry tried in the classes to sit next to him again, but he only managed to sit close by. Tom was seemingly in a sour mood, him and a few of the others, which Harry just had to endure perhaps, it lead to him to eventually, at the end of the day, stay with Lyall. Harry couldn't believe how similar him and his future son, Professor Lupin looked. Lyall was though left with no scars and obviously younger, though a spitting image, besides the eye colour, if Harry went from the school pictures he remembered of his parents and their friends. Lyall was also a bit more shy and focused on studying, rather than the gentle trickster nature of his future son. "Harry are you sure you wanna stand with me again?", the boy asked, turning around unsurely, looking at the Slytherin bunch, who seemed all still in a broody mood. Harry shrugged, uncaring, not turning himself, before continuing down the path the Professor was guiding them down to. Professor Kettleburn was still very young, barely older than maybe twenty-five. He looked kinda weird, but in a... well kinda hot way? Harry cringed at that thought. He couldn't deny it anymore. The last months and weeks, where he really hadn't to act in a survival modus, he had more and more time to think about it and he thought, he might really be bi? Dean mentioned it once to him, telling him that eventually he realised he liked both, gals and lads and Harry had already back then thought that it seemed like a rather logical thing. But now? Now Harry was sure that it also fitting to him, in a way unlike he believed firstly that it would apply to all. Harry blamed Tom for all of it. Tom Riddle had to be handsome and that made everything for Harry so much worse than it already was. How could he, the boy who lived, master of Death, the chosen one, think that he, the dark Lord, Murderer of his parents, Horcrux creator, was in any way hot! It made Harry's cheeks warm up in utter embarrassment. "I am sure", Harry said, after glancing shortly over his shoulder to watch the calculated cold gaze of his future enemy. "They are... we are currently a bit on complicated terms, so I would prefer ignore their existence for a bit, like they seem to ignore mine.""Uh, okay", Lyall responded a bit unsurely, turning back around, walking beside Harry, eyeing him from time to time. "You are a bit weird, you are aware of that?"Harry shrugged. "I had a friend people called weird. She was one of the greatest persons I have ever known, doesn't seem bad to me to be a bit weird.""No of course not", Lyall said quickly hands flying out, causing a Ravenclaw girl with red hair in front of them to turn around with a light laugh. "I think he is trying to say you are weird, but in a good way, like he is, like I am", she said, letting herself fall a bit back, before reaching out her hand for Harry to take. Her name rung to him, though he did not remember from where. "Margot Droope.""Harry Potter." He shook her hair, watching the red head, eye him with a light sparkle and a grin. "I know."Harry hated that answer. Always had. "You have impressive skills, Harry", she continued. "Right, the dementor thing", he remembered, grabbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. So far he only had explained it to Dumbledore and few that asked, he had hoped people would spread make him look less suspicious. "It was just luck.""Hm", she said knowingly, giving him the kind of knowing smile, that made Harry wanna hide away. Lyall eyed all of it with earnest interest, before adding back into the conversation. "I thought it was pretty cool. I always heard patronus are rather difficult. I intend to master them as well though. I think it would be good for my future research.""Research?", Harry asked surprised. Margot waved that off. "Don't get him started, Harry. He is obsessed with ghosts. Wherever anyone else sees a mystery, he thinks lays some law. That is why others would consider him weird. The way the word was intended once, you know. A bit different from the norm, not though necessary unwelcome. I enjoy the likes.""Because you are weird too?", Harry guessed, righting his glasses, while peaking behind him once more. Tom looked anything else but composed, even if others might think that when seeing him. Margot played fake shock. "Harry! You can't just call a girl weird! How scandalous!" Then she burst into laughing, when a few heads turned around and Harry had looked embarrassed around, hoping the situation wouldn't escalate again in some rumours that ended up pushing too complicated waves of changes around into the world. She then gave him a bump with her fist against his upper arm. "No, you are right. I am weird in the way, that I like to do things people call distracting or a waste of time.""They are and dangerous on top", Lyall whispered, leaning over. "Only if you get caught, which I haven't and won't", Margot shot back, leaning over as well, making Harry kinda caged in. "Say Harry, your brilliant mind, doesn't by any chance have an idea of how I can keep an eye out on the school?" Those piercing eyes shot up to him, looking at him with the same kind of twinkle the Weasley twins had. It brought a smile to his lips at that thought of them.The twins were like brothers to him and maybe it was why, Harry said the following, without thinking about it first. "You mean like the marauders map?"Both of them shared a glance before looking at him with different expressions, saying in similar different ways, "What is the marauders map?" Margot sounded far more excited, close to jumping up and down, as she added. "Uh, maybe we should call us Marauders."Lyall looked sick then. "O don't drag me back into this. The last time you made me stand watch, we both nearly lost our Prefect status."Margot waved that complaint off, uninterested seemingly in the complaint of her fellow classman. Harry felt suddenly a new smile grow on him. This was not like Ron and Hermione and him, but somehow did this feel like a kind of friendship group he could grow comfortable in, one that would seem nice even, trustworthy, very much unlike all the snakes at his back, that were torn between ostracising him because of their leader or inviting him, because of his supposed talent. Harry was just about to explain the way the map worked, in hopes of it perhaps being really able to be made. Perhaps if they worked together on it, they could make it and Harry would have a much easier time on keeping an eye on Riddle, the same way he used to keep an eye on Draco, but just as he was about to, were they stopped by the Professor, who turned swiftly around. The man in front of them wore a long brown leather coat and had a light coloured vest and pants underneath. He looked like an adventurer, light scars over his arms and throat, some already close to being gone again, others much more persistent, but his smile was as warm and friendly, as the one of many other Hufflepuffs Harry had met. The Professor reminded him a bit of Cedric, if he thought about it closer, a Cedric that would have lived and grown and graduated, not the Cedric he was in the end left with. Harry's eyes went once more to find to the future dark Lord with only one thought stuck in his head. I won't let you win again. Harry saw the others eyes on his own and realised to late that his mind was still perhaps a bit open, some quickly pushed it close and turned back around. "Now", the man in front of them clapped in his hand, "We should be at the right place. Just another minute and they are there.""Who is they?", Walburga Black asked annoyed, as they all settled around the Professor, at the edge of the forest, close at an opening. Harry took a chance by looking up and was surprised when he saw the winged black horse like creatures slowly and softly descending, before they stood behind Kettleburn. Harry noticed how the others registered the movement of the sudden wind and grass, but not many seemed to see the creatures themselves. "That is a good question!" Professor Kettleburn pointed at her with a smile. "Who of the students who can see them, wants to answer that question for Miss Black?"Harry for once decided to lift his hand, seeing Riddle do the same. It was Nott though who got picked. "They are Thestrals.""And do you know why not all of you can see them too?", the Professor asked. Nott nodded. "It is because only those who have witnessed death can see them.""Exactly! Great, fifteen points to Slytherin, Mister Nott", Kettleburn said excited, before flopping down the two metal buckets he was holding onto the ground, both filled to the rim with meat. "Now who wants to go first? Mister Potter, I am admiring your eagerness, but perhaps someone else who already encountered one or two magical creatures would be better suited."Harry lowered his hand in disappointment. He used to really like Care of magical creatures, and he wasn't bad in it either. He had kinda hoped to show off a bit, but perhaps it was better not to do so. He didn't need more attention than he already had. A few of the Thestral moved around, coming a bit closer, perhaps thanks to the smell of meat. There was a child as well, that came even closer, standing a bit beside Professor Kettleburn and facing the students with interest, moving its head to the side from time to time and jumping excited around. It made Harry smile. "Alright, then show of hands first, who can see them?", Kettleburn asked then, his, Tom's, Nott's and another students hand lifted. Kettleburn's eyebrows rose in surprise, before he looked thoughtful. "Well I suppose I should be happy that so little of you had to witness something so horrible, though I have to say I am a bit surprised, especially considering the ongoing war. But nonetheless, then all four come on step forward. Take a bit of meat and approach the creatures slowly. We are going to work on building their trust towards you, so maybe in a few weeks we can start flying."Harry was grinning from ear to ear then. He loved flying! It was freeing and excited and whether it was a broom, a Thestral or a Hippogriff, he just loved the feeling of being in the air. The other three though seemed less excited, so while Harry was quick at the front, grabbing a handful of meat, turning first to the little one, who was already jumping excited around. The foal moved over to Harry when he held the piece of meat forward, before throwing it up. The foal caught it in a jump and started ripping it apart, while Harry gave it a proud smile. Harry had found himself growing very fond of the beasts, especially after fifth year. They were not just helpful, but they also gave him some solace. If Harry saw them as something beautiful, then at least that was something positive he had gained from all the horrible he had seen. The foal approached again, once it had finished and Harry fed it with his hand, while using the other to pet it. "Wow, Mister Potter, I did not expect you to be such a natural. If I had known I wouldn't have been worried. Very good, five points to Slytherin." Professor Kettleburn gave him a soft smile, before turning back to the others. "The other three, I am still waiting. For the others, try to notice the presence of the individual Thestral around you, even if you can't see them. It will be easier, considering some of your classmates can see them and are going to feed them."Nott scoffed then, mumbling, "It is just a tiny one, I wanna see how Potter handles a grown one."He seemed to want Harry to hear that, because once he turned around, their eyes met in a challenge. "Very well, I can assure you.""Yeah? Prove it then. Go ahead and take a little flight", Nott mocked him, aggressively taking some meat and throwing it towards the horses, that moved out of its way and did not touch the meat as though thinking it was poisoned. "Mister Nott", Kettleburn warned. "Bet", Harry said, moving to a full stand from his crouching position. "But if I prove you wrong, you have to change seat with me next week." Then Harry's eyes moved over to Tom, the person Nott usually sat next to, before he gave the future dark lord a wink, who nearly snarled when seeing it. "Mister Potter", Kettleburn warned, before taking a second, looking at the situation and then adjusting his words, "Well I suppose a little betting is normal in your age. I will allow it under the condition that you are only approaching them safely and do not try to force them.""Of course not", Harry assured the Professor, while Nott gave him a wicked smile saying, "Very well then, but if you fail, you will be my slave for the whole next week." Even Tom looked at Nott in surprise, so Harry wasn't the only one with wide eyes looking at the other grinning boy, who seemed to not care about the other's attention. Harry shrugged. "Whatever. Sure, I am not gonna fail though.""Then in this class, right now, you have to manage to convince one of them to let you on their back and fly or else it would be considered as you failing", Nott explained again, with an evil cunning grin on his face."Yeah, sure, got the gist of it", Harry said dismissively, before he grabbed some more meat and stepped further forward, behind Professor Kettleburn and towards the herd. They had moved a bit away thanks to Nott, but came closer when Harry moved closer. They were creatures of death, invisible except for those that had seen behind the layer and somehow was it that that made Harry feel closer to them. He too was now a creature of death, one equipped with the same layer of death that could keep him invisible if he wanted. It was as if they were in some sense both the same type of creature, just that Harry wasn't initially born this way, he was made along the way. But he shouldn't be thinking about it in that way, instead should he be focusing on the majestic creatures in front of him, those who he had already flown on once and who were already getting close enough for Harry to stretch out his hand with the meat, offering it to them. He was just about to have one of them eat the offering meat, when a little explosion behind him and a firework above him startled him and the herd, who quickly rushed off flying away. Harry turned angrily around, facing Nott, who was smiling wickedly towards him, wand still raised, while Tom stood beside the blonde, looking equally distraught for some reasons. "Ups, sorry I just wanted to celebrate you seemingly victory, but seems like that must have scared the horses... so now they are all gone, I guess", Nott spoke amused with a grin continuing to stay on his lips.Walburga Black shook her head. "That is low, even for you, Nott. Low and unfair.""I don't know what you are talking about, Black. Harry obviously isn't a sour loser, right? Or will you complain?" Harry rolled his eyes and moved back to the other, passing Nott without answering, who pulled him back. "Harry I asked you something.""And I choose not to answer. I am not your servant-""Slave.""-yet, so bug off or I will make you." His eyes found the others in a challenge, and only grew a bit astray, when he noticed the grey eyes of Riddle on him, looking nearly at awe. It was gone though in a flash again, when Riddle noticed his interest in them.Nott tilted his head, grin wide, before he let go of Harry. "Of course, of course."Kettleburn looked uncomfortable, scanning everyone, then the grounds, before sighing and saying. "I suppose there is no use to it then. You all may leave then if you want to."And Harry wanted, so he left alongside with Lyall, who was looking sceptical around, and Margot, who looked absolutely vicious. "We figure something out. So unsportsmanlike", Margot mumbled, before changing the topic, eyes back with brightness and excitement, "And now tell me about that map!" ... Harry spend an hour with Lyall and Margot going over the basics of how the original Marauders Map worked, though he changed the original of it, by claiming it was only an idea he had for similar reasons. Margot loved it, every bit of it. She even added some ideas and Harry hoped it was fine that he was claiming the ideas of the Marauders as his own, maybe one day he could give his father and his friends the map, so they could enjoy the practical side of it. Well actually, if Harry thought like that, he felt kinda good. The idea, that one day, he would be able to met everyone he loved, give them things to ease up their life, watch them grew up, actually grow up? Harry felt happy thinking about it. Afterwards did Harry went up to the Owlery, sending another letter to his grandparents, before just staying up there for a bit. He had wanted to go the day prior to the restricted section, once Tom was back in bed, but since Dumbledore got him, would he have to see when he would be able to go there today. It was all a bit a lot, he was coming to realise. He had to still look out for Grindelwald, Dumbledore was also kinda trouble with how observant he was, then he would need to find out what kind of magic created Tom, in hopes it would help to not let Voldemort be created. Either way Harry was growing tired of the amount of work he was stuffed with, but it was still better than war. The only thing really troubling though was all the overlooking things. He wasn't as good at keeping an observant look around him, to really consider every possibility of his actions, which seemed to already have caused some issues, that Harry felt brewing up, terrifying him. Harry stayed up in the Owlery until shortly before dinner, in hopes of something from Grindelwald arriving, that would at least calm him down, getting to know what it was that the current dark Lord was currently thinking about. But nothing came, so did Harry make his way towards the Great Hall. His eyes scanned the room, always expecting to see people that had yet to be born, only for them to stop at Margot and Lyall. Lyall looked a bit embarrassed, while Margot was waving at Harry excitedly. Harry grinned and waved back and felt a soft touch in his heart, seeing someone else being so open to him, before he went towards his own house table, sitting facing the Ravenclaw table and Riddle, who was looking a bit annoyed, perhaps still for whatever reason that seemed to have soured his mood in the morning. Black also still looked sad."You think he will come today?", Orion Black asked, to which Malfoy kicked him probably under the table, causing an, "Ah, screw you Malfoy, you heartless wench!""What a traitorous little thing you are, Potter", Nott mockingly said, seemingly still having it out for him. Grin wide. "And here I was let to believe you wanted to join our group.""Am I not? I sit with you, talk to you or are you referring to something else?", Harry asked cunningly, lowering his eyelids, while Riddle gave Nott an angry warning glare, which made Harry chuckle. "What? Don't you have your General in control? Maybe you are in need of a new one?", Harry suggested with a smile towards Riddle, who, at the sound of parseltongue, immediately turned his attention towards him. "Are you offering your services, Harry? Isn't it enough to you being my people's slave?", Tom mused, with the kind of superiority befitting an actual royal and not that self claimed future lord of evilness. Another roll of eyes from Harry, while he had just begun to eat from the food in front of him, before he pointed his fork at him. "Servant and-", Harry stopped, coughing in surprise, as he felt a strange sensation in his throat. He looked up with lowered brows towards Riddle. "Did you put a potion in my food?"Riddle's eyebrows moved up, before he grabbed the plate and took a sniff. "Hm, no, I didn't, but it might be-"Harry did not hear the rest, because suddenly everything went black and the last he remembered was his head hitting the table. Harry opened his eyes back to being in a room, the whole place around him reminding him of staring into a pensive. "Ah, Harry, you must be surely surprised by my sudden approach", the dark wizard suddenly spoke behind him startling Harry as he turned around. He recognised the place. It was the kind of Office he had at first ended up in. There was the glasswall in front of it once more Credence stood, but beyond that Harry couldn't see anything. The main focus was on Grindelwald sitting behind his desk in a chair, looking up from a bunch of papers towards him. "I managed to get one of my house-elf's to attend Hogwarts. I wanted to send a letter to you, but I am afraid it will prove to be too dangerous, so you should instead try to take to finding our little ally. His name is Arcanus, but I am sure he will find you before you find him. I figured it would be better for us to talk like this first before, though I had hoped he would have understood to manage the timing...tsk", Grindelwald let out a disappointed breath, "I'll take it you are currently at dinner? I am sure, it was easier this way, though still a bit disappointing. Well, what can one do?" Grindelwald rose from his chair, moving over, moving closer to Harry, who realised he couldn't move. He felt like he was trapped in one of these memory-like dreams, he had thanks to his connection with Voldemort, just that unlike with those, it was not the Dark Lord's memories he was in, but rather something else. "Do talk Harry? What news can you bring me?""You killed Morfin Gaunt."The eyebrows of the dark lord moved up in genuine bewilderment. "Well, that is not news to me, Harry.""Why?", Harry asked scared, but already knowing.Something cold shone on the man's face then, that he seemed to quickly try to erase. "That is not of your concern.""Is it not? I was scared it had something to do with the Gaunts?""Ah", the dark lord said then, moving a few steps. Credence in the back continued to be a silent observer, terrifying in a way. "You are asking because of that friend of yours? What was his name again? Tim?""Tom.""And you are worried about him?"Harry shrugged. "Kinda.""Hm? Is that so?", Grindelwald asked again, closing in, suspicious, knowing eyes scanning him. "Or is it something else.""Perhaps", Harry decided to admit. "I am... well you could say perhaps in a way I am currently using him. I know his potential, I know his ideals, but I want them to align with mine, before it is too late and I am working on it."There was a sympathy then in Grindelwald's eyes, before he let out a heavy breath. "O, Harry, I know what that is like, I was once like that, falsely hoping the other would see reason and join me, so we would not be batted against one another. Now we have no choice left, now one of us has to die."Harry's head fell at that, eyes unable to take a look into the dark lords sincere one. "I just... I know I can change it, so we don't have to end up like that.""Explain it then to me, Harry. What are you planning? What do you know?", he asked then interested with gleeful eyes and Harry was stumbling over it mentally. There were a few issues he had to consider now. There was the prophecy falsely thought to be about Harry and Grindelwald, while there was also the fake prophecy Harry gave about Grindelwald and Tom. He had planned on using the later as method to keep Tom in check if he did not manage Riddle to change sides. Harry took a deep breath. Half-lies seemed like a save thing. "So far, I have tried to establish a certain narrative to him. I will be honest and admit that I claimed you were after him."Grindelwald smiled amused then. "You used your Seer status like that? How shall I trust you afterwards?"Harry blinked surprised and a bit panicked. "What? No, I did not lie about the things I said to you-""I know, Harry", the man said a bit serious then. "I was just trying to... lighten the mood.""Oh", Harry let out, before blinking the confusion away and continuing with explaining, "Either way I need to keep him in check and I figured if he fears you, he is more likely to return to my home, besides is he important for the future... there is this prophecy.""I think I heard about that. Something I wanted to talk to you about. I heard the rumour it was about you", Grindelwald admitted, hands clenched together in the back, while he moved again, walking around Harry. "Is it?""It is not about you", Harry said honestly, "If that is what you are scared about.""I am not scared about anything, especially not a prophecy", Grindelwald said loudly, waving off the absurd idea and his head moving up. "But that hasn't answered my question? Is it about you, Harry Potter?""No", Harry said, "It is not about me, but about the boy who lived and he-who-shall-not-be-named."The head moved back in confusion and slight distraught. "And who are those people?""Hopefully no-one", Harry admitted, "Hopefully never to exist. So Tom?"The current dark lord waved the matter of the future dark lord of in disinterest. "I will not kill him. Do what you must, but I might need you to take a look for something on him.""Okay", Harry said sceptical, a cold shudder running over thinking about the ring around Tom's finger. He wouldn't get that off even if he tried his best. That would end catastrophic. The dark Lord then cleared his throat, looking suddenly so much younger than he was, perhaps even being a bit red around the tips of his ear, if Harry noticed correctly. "So, uhm, Dumbledore?""What about him?" Harry tilted his head first confused, before being reminded of his spying position he had taken in. He startled back into a straight posture. He was supposed to the do the same kind of thing as Snape kinda, be on both sides at the same time, though he had kinda forgotten to talk to the future Headmaster about that and suggesting it, so now he was working in a really grey and dangerous area. "Ah, yes, right, no, I have not known much about him yet. He seems to dislike Riddle and..."How Stupid could Harry be? Riddle was close to being off the table and now Harry had put it back on the menu, with an even more appetising appeal to it. He watched the careful eyes of the current dark lord in front of him. "Hm, I see, is there a special reason? I am starting to grew interested if both, you and Albus are that interested in him."Harry shrugged, trying to play it off. "I think it is because they are very alike at parts", Harry said unsurely, because he was honestly unsure about it. It seemed like a strangely right statement, though he didn't yet wanna acknowledge any kind of truth to it. He felt uneasy then. He wanted to go, leave, hide under his blanket and not think in any way about any kind of thoughts that were staggering up inside of him. Dumbledore was a Hero, yes, of course, sure, but at what cost? Could Harry, earnestly, consider him a Hero to him? Harry was in the nothing but a means to an end. His suffering and death and all that was supposed to do help some greater cause in the end, but did that justify it? To the world, surely, but to him? He wasn't sure anymore.Dumbledore was good, but he was ready to use all kinds of methods to achieve the better results in the world and in that aspect, weren't Tom and the future headmaster alike? Both in their own sense ruthless? Harry didn't like to think like that, so he pushed it all away again and instead focused on the dark lord in front of him. Grindelwald nodded, deep in thought, a grin slowly rising on his lips. "I see, it is like that then. Return then Harry, keep your eyes and ears open, and don't let yourself be bested by another." There was quick wink, that made Grindelwald once more appear too human, before Harry was pushed out of that illusion. Just in time for him to open his eyes to stare directly into the future dark lords eyes, who had lifted Harry's head by his hair and had pushed a potion into his mouth, which Harry quickly tried to push away. Tom let go of him, looking bored again already, while Harry coughed some more, looking around confused. "How long was I out?""A few minutes", Lestrange answered uninterested, while leaning over to him, staring at him with interested eyes. "How are you feeling?""Like shit", Harry admitted, drowning himself in some pumpkin juice quickly to get the taste out. "Well, then at least you feel the way you normally look", Nott said annoyed, which earned him the middle finger Harry always had ready for Tom, but kept himself from using most of the time. Malfoy nonetheless snorted, while Harry took a look around, so far did no-one else seem to have notice Harry's little poisoning, so perhaps he was in the clear for now, not that Tom for sure would-"So what happened? Any ideas, who would wanna poison you, you little attention seeker?", Tom already asked him, trying to looked bored, when Harry could see the interest glimmering in his eyes. "No", Harry answered and both of them shared a knowing glance, that he was lying. ... Harry went right after Astronomy down into the library, threw the cloak over him, before he disappeared and went to search in the restricted section. He couldn't stay in there for too long tonight, since he would still have to keep an eye on Riddle, for just in case. Harry was still sure Tom was searching for the Chamber, even when it was obvious that it was a bad idea. The allure of a monster killing muggle-borns, surely was too appealing for the future dark lord, as to just give it up. So Harry hurried. He went hidden under the cloak, firstly just checking the upper place of the restricted section, just moving along the shelfs, reading the titles of books as best as he could. He found a few potentially promising title, but nothing he could be sure of, not until he had taken a closer look. Harry in the end grabbed two books, that sounded like they could offer more information, that seemed old and distant enough to not be immediately missed and which were also not locked up, so Harry could take them with him to a corner. He sat down in it, hidden away from others and dared to cast the lumos charm under the cloak, with the first book on his lap. He went through the book, just scanning each pages, trying to read that old writing and that evil language. Harry quickly realised he didn't understand anything written in the book. He tried the other, but had little luck with that either. He just was used to these kind of books and it showed, but someone else was. Harry thought about it for a second or two, before he decided to just go with it. He doubted these books were truly relevant, but they would be a good test run.Harry chose one of them, put the other one back, before he left out, walked into the closest bathroom, checking if it was empty. Once he was sure he was alone, did he put the cloak inside of his pocket, shifted into his animagus form and then grabbed the book with his teeth up. It would perhaps damage it a bit, but Harry was sure it would manage. Though Harry could feel the darkness from the book very much disagreeing with this kind of holding it. Harry then left the bathroom, kept creeping through the shadows, finding his way back to the room the Knights of Walpurgis last were present. Harry sat in front of the door, watched for onlookers, before he settled himself down. He needed to collect his energy before he went back to playing good dog with a bunch of future and present psychos. Harry then lifted his paw and started scratching the door. It didn't take long for the head of Avery to pop out, looking around before looking down. From all the people inside, Harry had chosen to tolerate Orion Black and Avery the most. Avery thanks to his joined love for Quidditch and Black, because he looked a lot like Sirius and because he also liked dogs and to Harry that just was enough of a reason to allow someone a spot in his heart. Avery started smiling. "How honourable of you to come back! What a good mascot you are!", Avery praised him, making him stand up, his tail wiggling, unwilling to him, while Avery scratched behind his ear, opening the door wider. Harry stepped back inside with Avery, who quickly closed the door behind him again. Harry scanned the room, everyone being accounted for. Black was already showing a wide smile, rising up to his feet and probably wanting to embrace dog Harry, a reason for why Harry could never let him know about his true identity. Harry though had another plan and couldn't let Orion's love for dogs get in the way, so he quickly walked towards the armchair where the future dark Lord sat. Harry let the book fall onto Riddle's lap, who was eying him and the book strangely, while Harry was sitting in front of him, breathing excitedly and moving his tail expectantly. He wasn't yet fully free of his dogs instinct, if he ever would be. Was Sirius? Harry doubted it, thinking back to his Godfather. Tom lifted the book, putting the other to the side, before flipping through the pages. "Hm, that looks forbidden", Tom remarked with a wicked grin, gaining the attention of the others. "Where have you gotten that from? Your owner?"The whole idea of Harry now being claimed as being owned by Professor Mallet, just straight up felt wrong, so he didn't bark, didn't do anything, just tilted his head in confusion. "I don't think he could answer you, even if he understood", Rosier said amused, walking over, taking a glance over Riddle's shoulder. "What kind of book is that?""Hm, seems to be a diary, some notebook about some wizards search for resurrection", Tom explained after just a few looks, which made Harry's ears stand up, while he tried to pull himself up on the armrest to see the pages as well, trying to comprehend how Tom had so quickly an overlook. Lestrange laughed loudly then, crackling in a way. "I think he wants you to read it to him, like a goodnight story maybe. Come here, Cerberus, bring me the book, I'll read it to you", Lestrange offered, moving his hand lower, moving his finger in attempt to gain Harry's attention, which he would be fine with. If someone explained him the things, he was sure it would be easier. Harry was just about to fall himself back to the ground and walk over to the other boy, when Tom levitated him and placed him on his lap instead. Harry started him surprised and was even more shocked when the hand of the boy started moving over his back, like some kind of supervillain might do with a cat. Honestly Riddle looked all the much the dark lord then with the way he was handling Harry, so Harry just sat there stiff and uncomfortable, while Tom said with a smirk, "He came to me, naturally he seems to know who the leader of this group is. What a wise dog." Tom moved his hand up to Harry's head then, scratching the back of his ear, making him melt into the touch, calming him down, when this strange feeling settled over him. It felt the way Harry had felt around the other Horcruxes, like in some way they were connected. It made sense, but it also unsettled him, even if it was more comforting than terrifying. Black let himself fall back down in disappointment, while Lestrange just shrugged, "I don't mind owning a used toy, if you end up growing bored of it, like you sometimes do.""Is that so?", Tom asked challenging, eyebrow lifted. Nott stared at Lestrange with a bit more contempt, while Lestrange just looked bored. "Of course, fighting would only make your interest rise in these things you tend to claim as yours, so I just have them after you. Where is the problem?""Where is your dignity?", Malfoy asked instead, nose wrinkling in disgust. "Used things?"Lestrange gave Malfoy then the kind of crazy glance Harry would have expected from Bellatrix, though she wasn't technically an actual Lestrange. "Dignity is for those, who don't really want the things they claim they do. Those who want them, take them in whatever way they can have them. I want that dog, and one day I will have it.""Hey wait a minute, since when did you get to decide that?", Black asked enraged, standing up, pointing at himself, before saying, "I was the one to first find it and I am done earlier with school then the lot of you, so I am going to take him with me and he will be my dog, and I am gonna rename him Pluto."Harry would laugh, if he wasn't a dog, but like this was he just watching not believing how absolutely bonkers this was. Slytherins, really. You throw a shinny object in the middle of them and they fight each other tooth and nail for it. "Our dog", Nott corrected, looking for once calm and collected. Legs over the other, leaning back, book on his lap. "He is our dog, so there is no need for such patty useless fights. More importantly should be the fact that, that Seer seems to wanna take him away from us, when it is so obvious he belongs to us. I mean look at him, he is perfect." Harry felt absolutely embarrassed and wanted to hide behind Riddle, who just continued to stroke him. "He is evil looking, dark, scary and smart. He even came back to us and had enough wit to understand to fetch a book... perhaps even sensible enough to understand the difference between a light magic book and dark one... can dogs sense magic like that?"Malfoy shrugged. "Maybe not normal dogs, but if it is the divination Professor dog, perhaps it is not a normal dog.""Certainly not", Tom agreed please, moving back to scratching Harry, "But that just makes me want him even more... for our club." Harry wasn't sure if he imagined the slight pause or if it was just an accident, nonetheless was it not of matter, because seemingly everyone just agreed. Once more Harry thought Slytherins were very easy in that aspect, something he was very much thankful for. "Alright, then shall we see what our newest member has brought to us?", Rosier asked excited, leaning on the back of the armrest, trying to look at the book. Riddle moved it then, took a closer look and started reading than for all to hear, while they put their other books to the side. "The resurrection stone..."Harry's head immediately moved up, ears perched up. He had not idea how it was so easy for Riddle to read that cursive old, at parts Latin stuff, but the future dark lord did so, and smoothly on top. Tom continued nonetheless, "I believe it to be much more than just a children's story, but that might be because that childhood story might be much more true than most believe it to be."Tom scrunched his eyebrows, clearly confused. Harry was reminded that, just like him, Tom had surely never had read wizard children stories, so he must not know what this was about, though he continued then,
"The story goes as following. Was there were three brothers, who encountered death. All three of them had a wish. The first wished for the most powerful wand and received as such. He would later be killed for it. The second wished for a stone to call upon death, which he got, the story than says he ends up killing himself in sadness, wanting to be reunited with his loved ones. While the third brother wished for a cloak that could hide him even from death, he is the one the lesson of the book seems to be about, hiding himself, only to eventually go with death peacefully, perhaps an analogy how we are supposed to hide from muggles as well, who cares?
What is more important though, is the fact that the cloak has been claimed to have been given to the child of the third brother, while the wand ended in the apprentice hand of the first brother, but where did the stone go? If the second brother committed suicide, would it not have ended up perhaps lost and forgotten? I believe it not to be the case though, I think it must have been taken as well, taken and hidden away by another family continuing to pass it on.
It would make sense after all for all these artefacts to be in constant movement, never to interlink. One can only imagine what a wizard would be able to achieve if he were to wield all three presents of death!
No, I believe the stone has a family name now too it and I am inclined to find it. If the stone is used correctly, I believe it opens a far wider door of possibilities than the other two. It opens a path of communication to the other side, answers to questions yet unknown, maybe even to the big ones. One I am inclined to follow in my idols footsteps.
How to defy death? Not just hide away for a couple more years, but how to keep it from one forever?"
Not the thing Harry was looking for, but he saw then the hungry eyes of the future dark Lord, whose eyes were already skimming further down the pages, while he continued to read for a bit more. There was nothing much more about the stone and the next entry talked about some necromancy, that was rather lacking and so Tom claimed the book was useless, while Harry just knew Riddle was already etching for reading the rest. Somehow Harry needed to get the book back and hide it from the future dark lord or things were bound to become terrible once more. They then moved over to reading in silence and Harry walked around them sometimes getting petted or even being giving a snack from Orion, before Harry settled on sitting down on one of the sofas, rolling himself together and just trying to relax himself a bit, while he kept an eye on the Knights of Walpurgis in case they were planning something stupid. He was rolled together on the free spot next to Nott, expecting that weird guy to ignore him maybe, but instead did it only take a few minutes, before the dark blonde was stroking him and telling him very concerning things, like, "Have you managed to catch that prey last time? I bet you are a brutal little killer with those sharp teeth! I can't wait to see it one day in action." and other similar things, which made Harry uncomfortable, but on the other hand did he also not wanna risk the anger of that dark wizard again, so was Harry staying in place. He hoped the others realised the same, but they just looked either like they agreed or simply didn't care enough, so Harry had to endure. Eventually they were done for the night and this time Harry just casually separated from them, without faking an animal appearance he wished to hunt. He just moved away, walked a different path and once he was out of eyesight did he sprint away, down and managed to get transformed close enough to House of Slytherin, before slipping his Cloak over, entering and then hiding any evidence, before he hid under his blanket, leaving one of the curtain open, like as if he had fallen asleep so tiredly, he had not bothered to take care of it. Soon then his roommates stepped in. "Well, either it was only a short fun night for, Potter, or yesterday was a one time only kind of thing", Mulciber joked, before chuckling. "Shut up", Tom said bored, but with a clear warning underneath his words. "Can't believe it isn't even a week and he already gets-""He said shut up, are you stupid or something?", Nott interrupted Mulciber and it sounded like he was showed against the wall. "Relax! I was just joking", Mucliber sounded a bit scared, if Harry didn't hear wrongly. "Nott", Tom said with a warning, which seemed to deescalate the situation a bit. Nott was seemingly this era's biggest ally of Riddle, good to know, Harry thought, but also bad, because Nott seemed to hate him and next week would surely not be fun for Harry. Harry listened a bit still to them continuing to argue a bit, while undressing and getting bed ready, to which sounds Harry eventually fell asleep to.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Tom was just about to lay down and fall asleep, when the screaming started.When him and the knights had returned, had Harry already laid very undignified in his bed, one curtain laying open, but already deep asleep. Tom suspected now, that the reason the boy had the curtains usually so quickly drawn, had probably to do with the muffling charm he must normally have cast, because right now one was definitely needed. Tom had never head Harry this closely, not like this. Yes, he had heard a bit of him crying during the summer, but this was anything but crying. This was screaming and sounded it horrifying if not delightful. The boy sounded like he was being tortured with the cruciatus curse and Tom was both in delight, as well as in a very weird different mood. Something about this was not as great as he would have believed it to be and so Tom was contemplating, using a spell to close the open curtain and get the screaming out of his ears. The others, either still awake themselves or just about to wake again from the loudness, surely were contemplating something similar. It was then though, when Tom was just going to reach for his wand, that Nott stood up first. They were all then of course going to stand up, but Lestrange was the quickest at Harry's bed. Harry looked terrible and it didn't even bring Tom much joy for some reason. The boy was twisting and turning, sweat on his body, every inch of him tightly pulled and he was either screaming or hissing, as though fighting a mental battle. Tom wasn't yet sure what to do, or if he even should do something. Lestrange however was already sitting at the side of the bed, looking with glittering eyes at the strangeness of the action of Harry. "Has he done that before?", Rosier asked, a bit disgusted sounding, turning halfway away. "In the summer maybe?""No", Tom answered, "Not that I had seen."He was sure that if Harry had such kind of extreme attacks during their shared summer holidays, that Tom would have known and if it was only a tiny bit, hearing him scream or something alike or seeing him tired in the morning, which he would have to be, looking like this. Perhaps he took something then? Tom turned to the side, going through Harry's things without a care in the world. No one was stopping him, a few heads only turned in his direction in interest, as Tom plunged through a box underneath the bed, filled to the brim with calming draught potions. "O, Harry, Harry", Tom said delighted, shaking his head. So that was how he was... wait a minute, didn't Tom make a lot of them? That was one of the things he constantly was asked to brew if he was bored by Fleamont Potter, so that was what they were for? For some child with a little nightmares. "Tom", Harry suddenly said, whispered. His head flew up, trying to see the green eyes, but Harry was still asleep, repeating the word, his name, over and over, sounding anxious, scared and panicked. Now that was a sound Tom could get used to. He was standing back up then, as all of them just watched the nightmare plaguing Harry Potter. "Don't kill moaning Myrtle", Harry spoke tired, before he turned around. "Moaning Myrtle? Does he mean that mud blood?", Mulciber asked amused. "Why does Potter think you would-""NO! CEDRIC!", Harry suddenly yelled, interrupting the other student, while also causing Avery to startle, as Harry had sat up partly risen, seemingly as though he was trying to reach out for some, before falling back into bed. He sure seemed to have a deep sleep. "Don't kill Cedric. Don't!"Now Tom wanted to kill Cedric, whoever that guy was. He wasn't sure, but Tom found a dislike in the way Harry said his name... and wait wasn't that the guy Harry had thought once before? Thinking about how handsome he was? Was that another student? Was that the student Harry had spend the last night with? O, Tom certainly felt that weird need to kill him, but he would have known if Cedric was a student, which he wasn't, so it might be someone else. "The chamber of secrets is opened. No! Open it! Leave me alone, you ugly snake man", Harry mumbled switching between parseltongue and English, like it were two voices talking. Lestrange leaned over then, looking even more fascinated, just like Tom was more intrigued. "What does he say?", Avery asked interested. Tom just waved him off. He wasn't sure that he already wanted to reveal that kind of information with them, though he didn't doubt, that they would support him in his desire to open the chamber. If Harry knew where it was...? Tom felt a grin grow on his face. Harry twisted again in agony, looking like he was truly being tortured and Tom was started beginning to suspect he might really be. Perhaps that was a side effect of the poison, or maybe it was something that just happened to that chosen one. "You are weak! And so is he! Kill him. Kill him, Harry, and the future is yours!", Harry spoke in that strange voice again and what he said fitted not at all with what he knew about the green eyed boy. So maybe it was someone else truly? Maybe Harry was being possessed, right now? Should he then do something about it?Tom decided to use his magic to see first, so he went to make skin contact with Harry, touching his arm. His fingertips had just reached him, when all of a sudden he was seemingly wide awake, stood open, the boys other hand around around Tom's throat and he found himself pushed into the mattress, with red eyes staring into him. Tom should be disgusted by the attempt on his safety, maybe even grew mad, but he was instead absolutely excited. A little challenge with Harry seemed to be strangely something he seemed to enjoy. He would still have to get behind that. But what was stranger, was that Tom recognised the cold eyes on the face of Harry. It looked similar to his own, but so very unlike Harry, something Tom felt strangely disappointed by. Tom showed his Knights he was fine, as Mulciber and Nott were already about to grab the boy from him. Just as Tom though waved his knights off, did the red eyes follow the movement, before he started laughing, vastly different sounding to Harry's laugh, and sat back on Tom, letting go of his throat. It still felt still like Harry's body and the strange feeling Tom got from touching him returned, making him wanna grab for more of it again. Harry's head turned around and there was something snake like about it, as he centered it to concentrate on the Knights watching him. "Like loyal sheep", the strange voice said, that was Harry's but also not, before he grinned wildly. He turned back to eyeing Tom, head tilted as though he was still evaluating him. HIM! How dare whoever possessed Harry looking at him as though Tom's worth was of question. "And you?""I am not a sheep", Tom hissed angrily, making the red eyes widen in humour. "Of course, of course, I know that. I would have killed you if you were. What a waste!", that strange voice said. "It all came to being a waste, but not this time." There was an evil gleam in his eyes then, as a hand caressed his face softly. "Tom", possessed Harry purred, leaning closer and surely planning on trying to say something disgustingly manipulative (which once again, how dare he?), when Nott seemed to have enough of it, using one of Harry's books next to his bed, to hit him over the head. Letting the boy fall back down on Tom, who quickly pushed him off. "What the fuck was that!", Avery screamed. Nott shrugged. "That was a book. You would know that, if you spend only half the time you waste on Quidditch for learning.""I think he meant what that was with Harry", Rosier suggested. Nott rolled his eyes, groaned annoyed. "Well, that was me hitting him in the head with the book, as I have mentioned.""Is he possessed?", Lestrange asked with gleaming interest, ignoring the pointless conversation the others were having, while staring at Tom and an unconscious Harry. Tom finally let his magic move over the knocked out scarred boy, but didn't find the kind of trace of magic he was expecting. He found dark magic, but surprisingly did it seem to come from the inside of Harry, not from some external force. "Hm, perhaps, but not currently." Tom then decided to shake Harry awake, who startled, before he lifted his head, eyes barely opened. "What are you doing?", Avery asked terrified, like he was expecting the boy to attack again, but the eyes of Harry were back to green and he was holding his head, sitting there looking both defiantly, while also kinda submissive. Now that was the kind of look he liked on Harry. "What?", Harry asked confused, petting his head, where Nott had hit. The green then scanning the situation, landing on Tom, eyebrows scrunching down, surely not very well equipped to seeing without his glasses.Nott seemed to misunderstand that though and lifted the book back up. "Shall I hit him again?""You hit me?", Harry asked confused, moving on the bed to sit in a more comfortable position, while reaching over to the nightstand for his glasses. Tom handed them to him, eyeing him with bright suspicion. Harry was just strange, and he was getting stranger with the second. "Of course I did! You were about to kiss Tom, while deeply in whatever mindstate you were just a second ago", Nott explained, aggravated, which caused a few pair of eyes to turn, while Tom stayed focused on Harry. He felt absolutely focused on him, on the way his eyes widened, the face reddened and the shyness with which he averted his eyes from Tom, as though yes, Harry had indeed been thinking about it. It made Tom grin widely for some reason. He liked that sight in front of him, it seemed sweet and delicious in a different way to torture. "Ah, uhm, o, well, I see then", Harry stumbled over his words, not really explaining. Typical."Yeah and the red eyes thing!", Mulciber added, as though the others had forgotten. Harry looked then very much horrified. Seemingly knowing exactly what they were referring to. He wasn't doing so well at then hiding it, but he tried. He fake coughed hiding his mouth, while his deep green eyes moved, as though he was trying to figure something out. Tom realised Harry wasn't so good with that and it was a pain to watch, he would prefer Harry tell him and let Tom take care of the scheming instead. "I sleep walk", Harry tried to explain then, finger lifted like a lecturer, "I... had been in contact with very dark magic during being with the dark lord and it has caused this problem. I forgot to take my potion before the night. I... I am sorry, Tom, if I hurt you." The green eyes then landed earnestly on Tom, who felt suddenly unable to both look, but also look away. He wanted them. He needed them. "What about the things you said then?", Nott then questioned after, seemingly unsatisfied, perhaps the same way Tom was. They knew he was lying, which must be trying to hide a really bad thing, considering how terrible the thing was Harry untruthfully was already ready to admit to them and let them believe. If Harry was honest, then such a kind of secret was worth getting him expelled for. He could be considered as dangerous as a werewolf and they didn't have them after all in school either for a good reason. So unpredictable and violent, but Harry wasn't like that, so the truth had to be something else. Though at the mention of things Harry said, Tom was reminded of them and he found something bitter in him. It was surprising to him though, which part he ended up mentioning. "Yeah, who is Cedric?" Tom's voice sounded not very much like his own either, there was something too emotional about it and he felt greatly annoyed to have it let slipped. The green eyes then stared at him for the first time with something like pure hate, pure anger. Green like the killing curse, he was sure of it. He needed those eyes even more than, craved them the way he had not craved anything since a long while. "Don't you dare say his name", Harry spoke with the kind of calm, that was meant to only come before murder and though Tom was greatly enjoying it, did he absolutely dislike it that it was directed towards him. Nott grabbed Harry then, pulling him towards him. "Don't you dare speaking in threats, Potter. You are the one here in the wrong, don't forget that or I will have to remind your of your place." Harry just stared back, hand grabbing the hand that hold him. Both of the two idiots looking at one another. Tom rolled his eyes and moved off the bed, pulling Nott along. "Well then, good to know. Don't forget the potion again, Harry, or we are forced to tell a Professor. We can't risk you being a danger to us in our sleep, now can we?", Tom drawled the rest out with a wide grin directed towards the green eyed boy, who looked once more ashamed with a red face away. "I didn't... I won't let it happen again", Harry promised and Tom believed him for once or at least believed that Harry would try to uphold this promise to the best of his abilities. Nott seemed less amused about it, but Tom flicked his wand, letting the curtain fall and then directed everyone else back to bed. He would take care of the questioning later, when he finally found a minute with Harry alone. ... Harry avoided them for as long as he could. Tom tried to sneak a glance at his mind during breakfast, but the boy would just stare at the table with red cheeks, occasionally hiding his face fully, either because he was tired or perhaps because he was still embarrassed. It was actually kinda funny, until the day went on and Harry kept to avoiding them, especially Tom, then it wasn't fun anymore. Instead of sitting close by, did he stay close to Droope and Lupin, the Ravenclaw Prefects of their year, and Tom started to dislike both of them greatly. His mood soured for a while, until they were back in the classroom for Defense against Dark Arts and it was everyone else turn, who hasn't last class, to face their greatest fear. This included Harry of course, who looked still shaken up. He was holding his wand ready. Tom could see him practicing words with his mouth, which looked much more like Partornus charm than the Riddikulus spell they were supposed to use. Did Harry already know his biggest fear? It was once more this strange weirdness, that Tom just couldn't explain about the boy, but it didn't matter, for the door opened and black smoke swirled out. Harry raised his wand, back ached. He stood in a fighting stance as though he had been used to it for years. Maybe he had, maybe his lies were all true. Maybe Harry played double or triple games with them all. Maybe he himself didn't even know at this point what he was doing. It would be easier if Tom knew however. But there wasn't any dementor in view, not the say something horrifying didn't show up, though it looked more human than a dementor. It was a tall man looking like person or monster with skin as white as smoke and features similar to a snake. It looked like a spell experiment having gone wrong. But it did carry a wand, and was covered in black robes, so it might really be a person. A unsettling person, ugly in a way, but also stunning in another and radiating such strong power. If what this boggart already presented from power level was an indicator, then whoever this was, might be the most powerful being in the world... not for long of course. Tom was going to be the most powerful wizard eventually. However was this thing, still useful to him right now. Surely it had to be stronger than Grindelwald and if Tom figured out how to... then Tom noticed the eyes. Red. The same shade of red that Harry's eyes had shown in this night. A few of his knights seemed to come to the same conclusion. So that was the thing that had possessed Harry, that was the thing he was scared of, presumable where his nightmares came from. But what was it?"Harry Potter", the thing said with an eerie voice, taking all the attention in the room and cooling it down by a bit, there was a estranged smile on his lips and he was cackling in rather psychotic way. Tom felt strangely uncomfortable at seeing this thing then, it felt completely insane and the true insane were difficult to control, so maybe Tom had to scrap that idea. Harry took a step back, shoulders tensed and he was then quickly throwing a spell, one that was simply reflected. Harry looked pale, even from the distance, and Professor Merrythought was eyeing and evaluating the situation, before seemingly deeming it still save enough to let Harry try a bit more. "The boy who lived", the creature said amused, walking steps without really seeming to touch the ground. He tsk'ed, while shaking his head, eyeing Harry like a lion would eye a little kitchen mouse. "Came to die... just like that." Tom assumed that if the creature had eyebrows it would have lifted them in interest, continuing to walk around Harry. "I am not scared of you!", Harry claimed bravely and stupidly at the same time, a talent only Harry seemed to possess and mastered so proudly. Another fit of laughter. Tom wasn't the only that had a dislike to it, though seemed others much more taken by it. Some of them looked even terrified. "No, you are not, though you should, dearest Harry." The creature sounded condescending in a way Tom would have liked to be able to do as well, while he appeared in front of Harry, having lifted the boys chin up with his finger. "You can torture me all you want, I-", but then Harry was shut up, by the white skinned lips of the creature, that pushed against him. Harry's eyes widened in horror and he seemed to try moving away, but the grip of the creature was tight and Tom watched as its snake-like tongue pushed its way into Harry's mouth, making the green eyes widen even more. Tom felt his own eyes grew smaller as his attention focused on that creature and a kind of fire run through him. Now he really needed to know what was going on and there wouldn't be an else situation. He was going to make Harry tell him for sure. Harry eventually got away from the grip and stumbled to the side, wiping his mouth profusely, while the creature laughed in wild amusement. The green turned angry then again and his posture changed and the way his magic felt. All of sudden Tom could see the spell Harry planed to cast, before he could even move for it. Tom just knew it still. He could practically see the lighting shaped motion, the two words and then the green light shinning out. He was sure of it, even if Harry never made the indication of knowing such a forbidding spell.It made Tom feverish again and he wanted to just grab Harry and keep him like a pet. Was that even an option? Shouldn't he rather work out how to get rid of him? It would have been all a different thing if he had met Harry later in his life, then he could have surely locked him up somewhere, satisfy his interest in the boy and then discard him. But like this? No chance. But it didn't matter. Harry didn't cast the spell. Just as those hateful eyes had turned on the creature, wand drawn on it, had the boggart shifted and instead of this thing, stood there an 18 year old girl with brown curls, in very weird clothing, that looked very strange and dirty, like she had just come from war, but with that kind of fabric? Unlikely. "Harry! What are you doing?", she asked him accusingly. Tom could see how Harry's brain just short circuited and he seemed to have forgotten that he was facing a boggart. His wand lowered, the green screamed in a painful way that Tom found strangely enjoyable. Was Harry lonely? Guilty? O, how sweet and easy it would be for Tom to ensure Harry could only get rid of this feeling with him. "Hermione", Harry spoke that witches name with a kind of longing, that made Tom wanna set her aflame. He would add that name to a list. "Harry, what are you doing? Why... I would have gone with you and yet you chose to point your wand at me? And not at him?", her voice asked accusingly again, which added just more panic to the scarred boy, who in a frantic let go of his wand, perhaps an attempt to get the situation under control. A stupid one though.Merrythought immediately stepped in. Pushed the boggart back into the cabinet, before saying, "Mister Potter, letting go of your wand-" And then she stopped, when she seemed to have come face to face with Harry, who looked out of it. Empty, shallow and shaken. Her eyes scanned their group, before stopping at Lupin. Absolutely not, Tom thought. "Professor, could I perhaps take Harry to his room? He hasn't seemed quite well these last days", Tom asked, trying to sound innocently. Her eyes moved to him again, approvingly and she nodded. "Very well, but I think the hospital wing would be better."Tom nodded. "Of course, Professor." Then he walked over, grabbing a hold of Harry, who just looked fully out of it. If this would end up causing the boy to loose his mind, then Tom would be more than disappointed. They walked out of the classroom and the first bathroom they passed, Harry rushed into and threw up over a toilet bowl. Tom turned away from that in disgust. "Aren't you a bit overreacting?""Fuck you", Harry responded, before throwing up some more or maybe he was crying, who knew that was just an awful lot of annoying sounds this boy made. Tom sighed. "So who was that?"Harry did not respond. Tom waited a bit, until the green eyed boy, rose again to his feet, washed his face and looked a bit more composed. No mind losing yet. Harry seemed thoughtful. Whenever he was having to craft a lie, it was always so obvious. "Don't lie to me again", Tom warned him, as Harry opened his mouth, surely only for more confusing lies.He rolled his eyes then. "Fine, whatever.""You should begin with telling me the truth. Didn't you want me to be at your side? Wasn't that was all this lying was initially about? So that you could trick the word into thinking I was a Potter?" Tom leaned closer, a grin on his face, but also annoyance in his voice. He wanted things to make sense again and he wanted things to belong to him, so better get all sorted as quickly as possible. Harry leaned away, head turned to the side as though it was Tom who smelled badly. "I do. I- that is what I am doing. I am working on things. You should trust me.""Trust goes both ways and so far you haven't earned a tiny bit of mine."Angry eyes glared at him. A different anger, softer, mixed with something else that Tom was interested in seeing played out. "You haven't earned my trust either."Tom shrugged, uncaring. It would be stupid for Harry to trust him of course. Tom wasn't going to plan anything for him, though he still would like for the green eyes to stare at him with trust. "Then it is settled, two people who don't trust each other. What are we meant to do now? You are actively in my way, Potter." Tom stepped another step closer."So?" Harry moved forward as well, of course he would. "Well, I am worried you are a danger to me", Tom countered, watching Harry with great interest. He had never been this close to removing his mask before, but close to Harry it just started to feel like he wasn't wearing one anymore. It was as though Harry could just see right through him and so there was never a need to pretend anything. It was unsettling and dangerous of course, but also so thrilling. "To you or your plans?" Harry leaned his head closer, to which Tom had to look a bit down, just so he could keep on gazing into this beautiful green, so full of emotions. Tom let out a short dry laugh and his hand found the chin of the boy, startling, freezing him. Tom was so close then to him, barely a breath away. The face of the smaller boy already as red as it could get. "To both I suppose.""I only plan on assuring you have a good life, Riddle. Believe it or don't, I don't care", Harry said angrily, slapping Tom's hand away and moving a step back, giving in. That meant Tom won somehow, even though it didn't feel much like a victory. "I will keep an eye on you, Harry", Tom warned him. "So am I, Riddle", Harry said calmly back, already turned around and walking away, leaving Tom alone for a second. What a ridiculous boy. Tom had to laugh. It was so strange, all of it. He should figure out a way to get rid of him or get the information out of him he seemed to keep to himself, but instead did Tom find himself enjoying this little game they were playing. How strange. Maybe he needed to worry more about loosing his own mind rather than Harry's, because clearly things were going very much astray. The future would have to give him answers then and he couldn't wait for it to finally come, so he could once and for all decide what to do with Harry.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Tom had trouble focusing on his potion. Harry stood once more next to Lupin, both deep in a conversation, barely managing there potion themselves. Of course was Tom not so troubled, even if he wasn't focused. He could master this potion in his sleep, but still, it bothered him to not give it his whole attention. All stupid Potters fault. He and his infuriating secrets he was unwilling to share, but not for long. Tom was sick of waiting and he had made sure that soon the waiting would be over. Avery was currently still asking Slughy stupid questions, distracting him, while Lestrange was already out and through a door, getting what would be needed. Tom was glad they were as interested and willing to comply with this, so he didn't have to waste time on getting them to agree. They themselves, seemed rather annoyed and intrigued by the secrets that were Harry Potter. A compiled mystery that seemed so close to creaking, so delicate, so beautiful... Tom was a bit annoyed he might actually have to share whatever answers Harry would give under a good old interrogation under truth serum, but that couldn't be changed currently. Harry didn't give him another option. The green eyes that suddenly hit him and for a second did Tom's heartbeat drop and it felt like the killing curse had flashed before him, erasing him for just the tiny second out of existence. An eerie grin formed on his own lips and he looked down, just as Harry had triumphed grin pressing his lips up. Stupid Potter. "I got it", Lestrange whispered towards Tom as he passed him, to move back to his own table. Tom turned to stare at him shortly, only to see Lestrange's eyes settle back on Harry like some kind of cat fixated on its prey. Tom didn't like that, but he couldn't completely pinpoint why. ... Tom and his roommates were on their way to carry out the next step out of his plan, when they passed through the courtyard, where Harry was. Of course, that is where he was. He was talking for some reason to one of the underclassman from Gryffindor, some half giant names Rebeus Hagrid. Harry wasn't alone, nowadays he never was, ever since he befriended these weird Ravenclaws Prefect. What was so great about them anyway? They barely knew each other and both of them were... well they had a mind of their own. Droope was brilliant, yes, Tom could admit that, not as brilliant as him and certainly in a different way, but brilliant nonetheless, but she was also stubborn, loud and weird, perhaps a better fit for the Gryffindor's rather than the Ravenclaws.And Lupin? He was the worst. He didn't even know Harry before this and for some, unbelievable, illogical reason was Harry still immediately friendly and interested towards him. Clearly had he done something to Harry. Tom wasn't so much surprised. If a sudden new student, a lost heir of a famous house, had shown up out of the nothing, Tom too, would have tried to get him on his side with any means necessary. Well that of course, was before Tom got to know Harry and his absolute confusing strangeness. "So what do you like to do Hag... I mean Rebeus?", Harry asked the half-giant, looking suddenly weirded out, as though the taste on his tongue wasn't right. Tom felt far too focused on the way Harry moved his lips afterwards, licking them for whatever weird taste clung to them. What the heck was Tom thinking about? No! There had to be a more logical reason to this, something his mind was trying to tell him. Something was off. But then again, everything about Harry Potter was just off, so how was Tom to know what about this it was. "I like magical creatures", Hagrid agreed, sounding shyly, as he was looking down at the three older students standing in front of him. "Tsk", Avery scoffed next to him, eyeing the half-giant as well, but with much more disgust. "I don't understand what Harry sees in him? Some charity case?"Lupin turned his face a bit, looking at them. Tom had stoped, and so of course had the others, they were just a bit behind Harry and his group, far enough for them to be able to talk silent enough without them hearing, but close enough for them to listen in if Harry and his group was talking loud enough. Harry grinned at him. That warm grin. "That is great, Rebeus. Magical creatures can indeed be wonderful interesting, though they can also be dangerous." Harry added then a strange laugh to it, one so clear not real, but one that was attempted to be light and joking. "So it is best to not keep under your bed, right?" Droope laughed, far too loud, but Hagrid looked suddenly pale and then also chuckled. What? How could... Harry Potter that sneaky little boy, what was trying to do? How did he know that? Should Tom use that information now. It was so clear that Hagrid had something hidden now, but why would Harry make it so obvious? Or did he...? Yup, Tom realised, Harry thought he was sneaky. How could Tom ever had fallen for any kind of trick? How was Harry able to pull off anything ever at all? It hurt to watch. Tom decided he had seen enough, so he walked over and cleared his throat. His knights following along. Harry turned around, head tilted to the side, when his eyes registered him. "Riddle, what an honour, seeking me out, are you finally allowing me to join your little group?", Harry asked smugly, eyebrows rising and falling again. "I don't know what you mean", he answered cold and calculated. Harry was dangerous, not because he was more cunning than Tom, but because he was more foolish and chaotic and Tom could not understand such stupidness, hence why it would be easy for Harry to just leave whatever scheming to him if his plan was truly aimed at helping Tom in the end. "Yeah, Harry, you know you are part of group, right?", Avery said, putting his hand friendly on Harry's shoulder. Tom could not change that. They had started befriending themselves a bit more perhaps than the others, thanks to their shared interest in Quidditch. And given that Tom was constantly pulling closer and away from him, it was to be expected that eventually his knights might think they were meant to be allowing Harry into their outside social circle, though they had enough understanding to know he was not a part of the inside club. No knight, but certainly a roommate. "I am?", Harry asked surprised and delighted as his eyes moved to Tom, only to seem to understand and a scowl showed on them, as he moved closer towards Droope and Lupin again. "Ah like that, yeah, sure, well, we gotta go now.""Go where?", Rosier asked genuine. "A place", Harry said, "That is secret." That he winked at Tom with a wicked smile on his lips, shared a glance with Lupin and Droope, before looking to the Half-giant. "It was nice talking to you, Rebeus, let's chat again another time. Maybe let's go visit the Thestral together, yes?"
Hagrid's eyes lit up then. "I would love that!"
Harry gave him a wave, then gave Tom a never sure grin and disappeared with his two friends. Tom eyeing him with internal pure hate, while showing none of it outside. He couldn't let his mask fall, even though it was clear what Harry was just referring to. Hagrid turned to him, but flinched away, so maybe Tom let a bit of it slip. The half-giant wisely chose to leave as well, and Tom needed to follow Harry, but wasn't sure how to do it without letting him know. It was infuriating.
"I don't get what he sees in them", Nott noted, still staring after the group that was walking away with hasty steps, whispering all three together, "and how wasteful to use his whole loyalty for those people, they better surprise me in the end or I will grow mad." Then his eyes moved to met Tom's and some shine of madness faced him. Tom wasn't sure if it was his own reflecting or the others in whole. "So... is he now ours or not?"
"Well next week he is yours, isn't he?", Rosier asked amused.
Nott sighed. "Yeah, but temporary things are worthless. They are practically only existing to be destroyed."
"He is going to be ours", Lestrange answered then, eyeing Tom as though he was reading the answer from his face. "Right?"
They all looked at him again for guidance and answers and for the first time, did Tom not want to be the one to give an answer, for the first time did he just want someone to tell him what to do about.... well, about Harry. Tom swallowed, not showing his weird conflicting feelings inside. "Well, he still needs to serve his purpose as my human shield, so he might as well be others."
...
When Tom finally made it to the right floor with the others, was he surprised to find a door, where there was supposed to be nothing. Tom had thought long about where to best brew the potion, and though he normally would have chosen his dorm room or house for doing so, the risk was to great for Harry to show up or for another housemate suddenly growing suspicious. Better to do it somewhere fully else. So Tom had thought about that room up in the seventh floor, that had magically showed up to him on one of his many searchings for the chamber. It was large and filled with all sorts of clutter and surely could they make themselves some room for the potion. He just didn't wanna share it with his knights initially. He wanted to use the room for himself, but they insisted on coming along and doing this together and their usual room for knights activities was too risky for potion brewing. It was a study room after all, besides reading was some things just too dangerous. Either way, it did not matter now, it might have been good as well. Giving his knights another little bone, showing them something they would not have seen else before, it was just that... well now it was simply there. The door to the room just existed there and Tom was so confused, he wasn't sure it was smart to try opening the door. Avery did though. They had stood in front of it. Tom confused at the existence of the door and the others confused at Tom's confusion and so Avery seemed to have decided to open the door in an attempt to answer the confusion. And answer it did, but along came a million questions. The room was not the room he knew. For a second he was trying to tell himself that something had gone wrong, that he remembered it wrong, that they had gone into the wrong floor, but no. No, Tom was sure he was right. He always was. This was the seventh floor. This was the right corridor. This was the right door. And his memory wasn't wrong either, something was just wrong. Harry looked up at him, rolling his eyes. "Great, you already found out about the Room of Requirement's?" He let out a tired breath. Tom could strangle him, watch his life flow out of those green eyes, feel his body underneath his own and... this wasn't the way his thoughts were supposed to move. Tom nearly shook himself, but stayed focused, as he simply strode into the room. It was a big room now, but nothing like the giant, seemingly, endless one he knew from before. There was an upper gallery now, there were carpets, lights, boxes in shelves filled with things, shelves with books, materials and three fighting dolls. There were chairs and couches. There was also a potion station, that would be perfect for Tom, there was a chess table and for some reason also a stand with brooms, as if someone wanted to fly in here. It looked like some kind of club room, for a group that seemed unsure of what they wanted to do. "What is this?", Rosier asked surprised and amazed, as he stepped inside as well, looking around, the others coming along. "The come and go room, don't you know about it?", Droope asked with a tilted head and scrunched brows. "If not then what are you doing here?"They all simultaneously looked at her, except for Tom who kept deep eye contact with Harry, while he answered, "We were indeed here for the room, but what are you doing here."
"Using it", Harry said, stepping closer, away from the table, where they were doing something, papers, cards spread out, ink-pots dangerously close.
"Well, we already wanted to use it", Tom said, stepping forward as well.
"Too bad, we were here first then." Another step from Harry.
Tom stepped forward again as well, letting out a light chuckle. "Ever heard of sharing?"
"I don't do that." Another step.
Tom took the last step, nearly face to face now, eyes gleaming with some sort of fever. "Neither do I."
Then Harry seemed to wanna say something, stopped himself from it and seemed troubled to keep a laughter under control.
"What is so funny?", Nott asked annoyed, before Tom managed to pull his eyes from the glowing green and get his mouth to work again.
"Just the truth, that is if you would know it", Harry said delighted. A wide grin showed on his face. "Let's just say Tom shared something with me, no other person would ever be willing to give freely."
"What?", it escaped Tom before he could stop himself from it. But Harry's games were just too confusing to keep in control all the time.
"I will tell you", Harry assured him, nodding, "But only if you make an unbreakable vow."
"Are you crazy?", Mulciber asked shocked. "An unbreakable vow! That is dangerous. That isn't some simple promise spell. One could die!"
"Precisely", Harry purred, before he added in parseltongue, "It must eat you alive, not to know, doesn't it? Promise me you will never ever kill someone and I shall tell you absolutely everything, I will even continue helping you. I will... I guess, I will help you succeed in becoming Minister of Magic, if that is what you want, if I can help you there somehow."
Tom had never heard someone sound so shy in parseltongue. Mostly because Tom had never heard someone else speak it, which was a shame. It was like a strange alluring melody, that was accompanied by sudden unsure eyes and pinker cheeks. Harry seemed unsure about it at last himself, though his initial offer seemed to stand surely.
Tom felt his own chest move, breathing, living, suddenly felt so utterly different. Then he said, "You are absolutely mental, I have nothing left to say for you. I don't know what you think of me, but it seems absolutely wrong." A lie. A lie. Tom wanted to kill so badly. It seemed only logical for him to kill whatever stood beneath him, but how could his complete opposite understand him so well, how could this boy, the boy he barely had known, know so much of his feelings inside and yet not rush away. When people saw beneath the mask, normal people like Harry, warm people, they were supposed to be disgusted, horrified, not push closer and talk about helping and saving and all that nonsense Harry put into his mouth.
Harry let out a sigh. "Fine, whatever, Riddle, then let's go ahead and dance this dance again, for as long as it takes you to understand, I mean well."
"If you mean well", Tom said aggravated, turning back to Harry, anger now far too clear to the surface, but he couldn't finish.
Droope suddenly leaned a bit towards Lupin, before saying, not very quiet, "Anger in paradise." Both Tom and Harry then turned to face her, to which she just grinned at both, shrugging her shoulders. "What? Someone had to say it."
"No", Harry said sternly and quick, and perhaps a bit disgusted, which was not making sense. It was Tom who was supposed to say it like that. Harry after all was the one having all these thoughts about Tom all of the time, not the other way around.
Tom was close to wanting to point that out, but besides Harry did no one know about his ability of l egilimency and he wanted to keep it like that. Besides had neither Harry not him ever acknowledged it either, so he wasn't going to begin doing it now. No, Tom needed to stay collected, ignore it and endure it for now, that those two Ravenclaw Prefects were there and watching and take revenge on the scarred boy another time.
Tom smiled then, his mind filled with images of Harry that made him happy no-one else could look into it right now. "Well then, I suppose we will leave then." He looked over to the Prefects then, leaving Harry's terrified and surprised face, that had appeared once Tom's mask had fallen back on his face, as though that was the thing he thought he should fear. Truly stupid Potter. "Is it then a wish to keep this room a secret?"
"What room?", Droope asked back in return. "I don't know about a room."
"But we are currently in it", Lupin said back to her confused.
"You mean this place? This places come's and go's, how can something that leaves and comes be classified as a room? There is no proof it exist, except during its existence, which is limited, hence therefore, once more, what room?"
Lupin looked confused, while Droope turned to Tom with an equal masked grin on her face. She hated him, but she had done that before.
Tom nodded towards her. "I see then, we are clear on that then."
"On that and on nothing else... ever", she assured him, her eyes disappearing from her wide grin. Nott was about to push forward with his wand, but Avery and Lestrange kept him in check, while Rosier held a hand on Mulciber's shoulder just in case.
"If that is what you wish", Tom said, his grin slipping a bit and Harry pushed himself in between the two's view then, clearing his throat, seemingly trying to discard the sudden shift in atmosphere.
He glanced shortly back, before his eyes settled back on Tom, which only made Tom more angry at that stupid Ravenclaw Prefect. "You can have the room another day, alright? We do some sort of split custody then, how about it?"
"Split... what?", Avery asked confused.
"Sure", Tom barely kept himself from hissing and then turned mad around, leaving with his group, not without hearing Droope call after him, "O no, there he leaves, the Heir of Snakes and Broodiness, along with his little sheeps."
His ears pinched upward then. It was not logical, but he would have to keep an eye out on her now, just in case she did have something to do with Harry's weird condition.
"What a bitch", Nott mumbled annoyed.
"But that means our room is clear, right?", Rosier tried to cheer them up. The mood wasn't good.
"Yeah", Tom agreed, but he was already calculating if it wasn't perhaps better to choose now a new target for his current potion plan.
...
The next day was Saturday and everyone would be going to Hogsmead, except for Tom, whose Matron just wasn't handing out that slip to him and he wasn't going to go beg for it.
Tom was strolling through the castle nonetheless, walking with his knights towards the exit, while talking. They were asking him if he was needing anything, if he was sure he was fine with staying alone for a bit, as though Tom wasn't used to loneliness. He assured them he was well taken care of by himself and was contempt with staying in the library to study. They seemed less sure now for some reason.
Ever since Harry dropped the bomb about Grindelwald and the ring Tom carried on his finger, where his Knights if possible always present. It was good. It was supposed to be like that. They were supposed to protect him if necessary, it just started to feel weird. Tom hadn't expected them to already be this loyal to him. Sure of course Tom knew they were loyal, he had made sure of it after all, and he was good at reading people too, he was just somehow surprised because this was more than he imagined. Somehow Harry and all his chaos had changed his whole circle along, tightening him and his knights even closer. Perhaps it might also just have been the dogs fault.
The dog always showed up and maybe a mascot was really all they needed to grow even closer together. If that was all Tom needed to ensure his loyal knights would stay loyal for the cause, that was Tom's future plans, and be willing to die for him, that merlin be sure he would keep that dog, even if it meant killing its owner first.
Harry was once more randomly standing around. Also once more with his two friends. They stood right at the entrance where a Professor was checking who was checking the slips from new third years.
Harry waved towards him, then grinned, spoke something to his friends and came then running over, as their group had shortly halted and settled for just staring in judgement.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle", Harry announced amused as he came to a halt in front of him.
"That is my name", Tom agreed, waiting for the next stupid thing Harry was sure to make.
He indeed followed suit after. A little tiny firework sparked to live a bit above them, small trumpets blew, everyone close around to them, as a piece of paper unrolled in the air in front of him. "I know", Harry said, "And I can't change it now, but it doesn't change now, that - Congratulations, you got adopted." Even more firework erupted, trumpets playing a bit more festive.
Tom grabbed the paper from the air, staring at it confused. It was merely a letter, stating what Harry had just admitted. The Potters truly had adopted him... even after everything with Harry? Had Harry not... no, that was Harry's plan after all, but Tom just didn't think he meant it serious.
Harry was still eying the leftover sparkles as Tom looked back up at him. "Man, the twins do those kind of things so much better", he mumbled things that made no sense again.
"What?"
"I am not really good at magical fireworks. They aren't as easy as one might think, you know? Its kinda like an art form."
"Not that, the adoption part!"
Harry pushed his glasses back on his nose, green eyes confused on him. "I told you it was my plan. Could have maybe managed to change your last name to if you didn't ruin it."
"I didn't-"
"Either way, here, my- uh, I guess, our... NO, that sounds super wrong, either way, you new guardians, signed this", Harry said, his face having quickly turned bright red, eyes wide open. Tom took a peak. "Don't think about Tom at the beach. Don't think about Tom at the beach." It nearly was nice enough of an amusement to forgive Harry for the interruption. Harry seemed to notice and pushed him out, before pushing the slip in his hand, eyes anywhere but at him. "Either way, gotta go now." Then he rushed off with quicker steps to the Ravenclaw Prefects, who took him in and hid him, as though they could ever hid Harry away from Tom.
"Well", Malfoy said after a short pause, "that was weird."
"Welcome to the daily life of living with Harry Potter", Rosier agreed.
Lestrange grinned. "I think he is cute."
Everyone turned to him then, Tom with the coldest glance he couldn't hide. Lestrange lifted his arms in defence. "I just think, I do not act. I take what is left." He gave Tom a knowing wink, to which Tom just rolled his eyes.
"I don't think there will be a rest once he done his deed and fights Grindelwald", Nott said.
"Oh I mean before that", Lestrange added, "Tom knows what I mean."
"I don't", Tom sad bored, looking down at the permission slip, that would finally allow him to go to Hogsmeade as well, then he looked back at Lestrange, "so do whatever you want. Black you said the tree broomsticks Inn sells good Butterbeer, yes?"
"Oh, yes", Black answered, only shortly taken back by the abrupt change, then he smiled. "First round is my treat!"
That lightened the mood enough for them to not talk about Harry Potter for a while, as they walked for the first time all together towards Hogsmeade, talking instead about future plans, always looking towards Tom, seeking approval or perhaps ideas. Tom himself only gave vague ideas that he was planning something big, but never clarified. They were hanging on his lips again and for a glorious while was everything once more back under Tom's control. Everything going his way.
He could breath free again, but the treacherous papers inside of his pocket now kept on pushing memories of green eyes back up to his mind, whenever he touched them.
He hadn't even really asked. He could have at least asked if Tom wanted to be adopted. But he didn't. Harry just did whatever. Tom felt an odd smile on his lips at that thought and he was feeling some sort of nauseating feeling in his stomach, but somehow wasn't it bad. He was getting excited, for what? He just didn't know anymore.