-Harry-

"Harry, I know it's mad, but.." Hermione whispers.

"I can't do it, Hermione!" I say.

"Shh! I've been researching this spell for around a month and I think it's safe," she says quietly.

"Oh, brilliant, you think it's safe," I say.

She shushes me again before beginning another tirade on the importance of following her plan.

"Harry, it reverses time. It isn't going to harm you, but not many people have ever done it before. There isn't concrete evidence, but this is the best way. I found that if you're careful and don't erase yourself then you can change the future without ruining the present or future," she says.

"How is that possible? You've always said that messing with time is tricky," I say.

"It is tricky. That's why I waited until I was sure," Hermione says, "Let it suffice to say that you could go back and-"

"Save me parents? Dumbledore?" I ask with excitement.

"Save everyone, Harry. If you could encourage Tom Riddle to never become You-Know-Who, if we do this right then you could save everyone, including him," she says.

"Why would I want to save a murderer?" I ask.

"He had to be a person once. Go back to the orphanage that you told me about. Befriend him. Kill him if you must, but remember Harry that if you do it before he's done anything, before the monster envelops the man, it makes you no better than him," she says.

Of course I am the only one who can do this. Me. It always falls to me. Always.I have to become friends with Tom Riddle? That's brilliant. I suppose it couldn't be someone else's turn to 'save everyone.' No, never. It always must be me.

"Hermione, why are you suggesting this? You usually tell me to listen to Dumbledore," I say.

Hermione bites her lip. I know that it must be difficult for her to defy authority, and because of that I know that this alternative plan must be tremendously better than the one we have now. And we don't really have a plan now, but we sort of do at the same time. If only Dumbledore had told us more than he did, gave us any reason at all to follow his plan over this one. The one that sounds like it could actually work.

"Dumbledore isn't here anymore to advise us and I think we should try this before we try his plan," she finally says.

"How am I supposed to get back if I fail?" I ask, "I suppose you've researched that too?"

"Yes, but you can't keep going back and forth. You get one shot and then if you want to come back, if you're really done there, then you can come back. But that will be the end, Harry. You can't come back after he's defeated because a different version of you will take your place. But if you do fail to defeat him, or bring him to your side.. you say 'Reditum' and you find me. We'll go Horcrux hunting, but as a last resort," she says.

I walk towards the back of the Astronomy Tower. Hermione grabs me in a fierce hug,

"Um, I guess this is goodbye," I say.

"Goodbye, Harry. I'll, well… I will. I want you to know that if you don't come back, and you live out your life, that even though I'll forget you I don't want to. I love you, Harry, and I'm going to miss you every single day until magic fixes the paradox by erasing my memories. If you don't come back,"

I cut her off with a rough hug.

"I'll never forget you, Hermione. I'm sorry that the war and Voldemort took away our ability to stay friends," I say and then I whisper the spell with my back turned to her, tears streaming down her face that I just can't bear to see.

I suddenly find myself in dripping wet Muggle clothing and standing outside of the orphanage that I saw in the Pensieve when Dumbledore was showing me his memories of Voldemort. No, Tom. I don't know when he became skilled in Legilimency but I know that he can't find any thoughts like that in my head, even though I've learned to protect myself from those kind of attacks.

I look down into the puddle left by the rain and see my reflection. I'm soaked, but I can see that I look young, like I'm 11 years old again. I'm scrawny and I look underfed, as though the spell understood my needs and adapted me to fulfill them with the least resistance. The effects are confusing, but helpful at the same time.

"Hello?" I call out, seeing no one in the lobby.

"Hello? Oh, hi there. Can I help you?" a tall woman asks.

"I'm Harry. I don't have any-" what should I say? How do I explain that I must be here simply to spy on or to become the close friend and confidante of a soulless murderer? That I am either to avenge my parents death, and Dumbledore's and countless others, or I am to live out my life at the side of Voldemort- Tom Riddle?

"I don't have anywhere else to go," I admit quietly. Not a lie.

"Oh, my! Poor dear! Come with me, I'll help you get dry," she coos.

I follow her quietly. Now what? Do I follow him around here or wait for Hogwarts? Will I get a Hogwarts letter, considering I don't exist yet?

"Here are some towels and some new clothes for you, dear," she says, "Just stay in here with Tom and I'll come back later to talk to you, okay?"

I nod and rub the towel over my head. Easier than I thought, I guess. Although I shouldn't be surprised no one wants to share a room with a psychopath. I look around the room. Share a bed?! Tom must've been moved to a single room to save space. Either the spell was trying to help me, or they ran out of that space when I came. Brilliant. Rooming with the devil.

"Whatever are you doing in my room?" Vol-Tom says when he walks in the door.

"Hi.. er.. I'm Harry and I live here too," I say.

I sound so meek. Already cowed to him. It's disgusting, and yet I'm… nervous? Tom scowls at me and goes towards his- our, I shudder- bed.

"Are you going to stand there and get my floor all wet or are you going to towel off?" he asks.
I pull off my wet shirt and rub the towel across my body. I slowly and methodically take my wet clothes off, drying myself and then putting new clothes on. Tom never takes his eyes off of me. I flush red.

"You're Tom, right?" I ask, even though I know.

"Yes," he says.

We stare at each other for awhile. Not nervous, I think, maybe just uneasy.

"Er, how old are you?" I ask.

"I'm eleven," he says with boredom.

"Do you go to school?" I ask.

"The orphanage has tutors for us," he says.

He's definitely annoyed now, but I feel the need to be persistent. I smile. Wonderful, Dumbledore hasn't come to see him yet, or if he has, term hasn't started.

The front desk lady comes through the door.

"Hello?" she calls.

"Hello," I say.

"Oh, good, I just wanted to ask you a few questions. How old are you, dear? What is your name?" she asks.

"Harry Potter," I say with a small glance at Tom. He's unaffected and looks bored. It feels weird to say my name and get no reaction. No shrieks of joy, no anger, just acceptance.

"I'm eleven," I say. I hope that I'm eleven, or else it will look badly when I don't get invited to Hogwarts. He'll think I'm a Muggle.

I'm surprised that I can be in a room with him and feel nothing. Maybe it's because he hasn't done anything yet, or maybe I don't truly hate him. I don't hate anyone, really.

"Okay, Harry, where are your parents?" she asks.

"I don't know," I say.

It isn't really a lie since I don't know where they live.

"What are their names?" she asks.

"I don't know their real names. I haven't seen them for years and years," I say.

She looks alarmed. Just a little lie so that she never finds out that I don't exist, that I have a 'home' and don't belong in an orphanage, and especially that I have come from the future to change the past.

She smiles at me one last time and then leaves the room looking troubled.

"I don't have friends, so don't expect me to like you," Tom says.

I almost feel bad for him.

"I could be your friend, and you don't even have to like me," I say.

"Whatever," he says.