The halls of Hogwarts were deserted as Tom made his way to the common room to drop off his stuff. The train would be arriving in two days' time. Tom wasn't permitted to arrive with the rest of the students because of something about it putting the rest of the students in danger. Tom sighed. He suspected that Barty Crouch was settling for trying to inconvenience him at any time he deemed it possible. The man was a lunatic who wanted Tom in Azkaban more than anything. Unfortunately for him, Dumbledore wouldn't let him. It was a miracle Crouch had allowed Tom to visit Scott for a month over the summer. It had taken a four hour court trial to finally get him to sign the approval papers.
Tom took a good look at his bed. He didn't have much unpacking to do; he was required to leave all magical items at Hogwarts whenever he left the grounds, so most of his belongings never left this dormitory. Tom picked up his old wand from the night table, where he had left it. He studied the thing one last time before placing it in a box under the bed. It would hold residence there for the rest of its existence, with several other belongings that Tom couldn't bring himself to destroy. These items included the daily profit that announced his father's imprisonment and a silver chain that his brother used to wear.
Tom took one last glance around the room before heading back down the steps to the dungeons. He had to talk with Professor Snape about something. To his delight he found that the Professor was in his office at the moment.
"Hello professor," Tom said opening the door.
A pair of black eyes flicked up at Tom from the desk before returning to the paper they were previously engrossed in, "The school year hasn't started yet. You haven't already found a dangerous hazard that is threatening all of our lives yet have you," he said sarcastically a small sneer forming on his lips.
Tom shook his head and sat down in the chair that faced the professor's desk. "No I wanted to talk to you about something else."
Snape looked rather annoyed that Tom was interrupting his afternoon as his.
"What?" he asked sharply.
"I was wondering if you would tutor me this year," Tom asked quietly.
That caught the professor off guard and he didn't respond for a second, "You are already seven years ahead of the rest of your classmates. Why would you need a tutor?" Snape inquired.
"Last year, when I fought Quirrell, I lost… bad," Tom said, his thoughts retreating back into his first year at Hogwarts, "If I was anyone else I would be dead. That can't happen again. I'm not going to learn anything from second year schooling. I need someone to train me in advanced magic."
Snape was silent for a second, "Wouldn't your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher be a little more appropriate teacher for you."
Tom openly laughed when he heard this, "Yes I would much rather learn from the great Gilderoy Lockhart, I'm sure I will walk away enlightened after I get an earful of his various achievements," he said sarcastically.
Snape's face did not actively smile, but his eyes glinted in such a way that Tom knew he found his comment funny. When Tom's laughter died down he turned serious and looked pleadingly at the Professor.
"Please professor it has to be you," he said quietly.
"Why," Snape challenged.
Tom was caught off guard by that question. He didn't really know why he wanted Snape to teach him and not one of the other professors. He was about to say just that when he thought of a better idea," I want to learn Occlumency," Tom said. It wasn't a lie, it would be a useful skill for later in life; however, he did not come to the dungeon because he wanted to learn that skill and that skill only. He had heard his father talk about Snape's ability to block out intruders from his thoughts one time in the past. The memory was dim and might not have been accurate, but Tom was a bit desperate to have Snape as a teacher. If that worked as an excuse for why it had to be him then learning Occlumency was as good a training as any.
Snape raised a dark eyebrow, "Because every fourteen year old has the need to prevent skilled wizards from invading their mind," Snape said sarcastically.
"When I was fighting Quirrell he unwrapped his turban and I saw Voldemort. He said he could hear me thinking," Tom said smoothly.
Snape sighed seeing no way out of it, "Fine once a week, Saturdays at noon," he said sternly, "You are to show up on time every time. I don't care if you have plans or not. You will work, no slacking off."
Tom grinned and stoody up, "I will Professor. I promise."
Tom turned and headed out the door happily.
The two days passed in a blur of boredom. It was incredible how impossible it was to find something to do around the empty castle. The two days did eventually come to an end though and finally the welcome dinner arrived. Tom had spent the day wondering around the castle aimlessly talking to some portraits and saying hello to some of the ghosts. As the sky started to darken he knew that the other students would be arriving soon and so he went out to wait for them.
This year was the first year he saw the carriages. They were large enough to fit about ten people and were being pulled by some bony creatures that slightly resembled horses. Tom furrowed his eyebrows; he could have sworn that someone had told him the carriages pulled themselves. He shrugged and dismissed it though. He must have been thinking of something else. Scott came on what must have been the twentieth one with him was a worried looking girl who Tom recognized to be Hermione Granger.
"Sup Scott long time no see," He said as they pulled in.
"Hey Tom," Scott said happily.
Granger looked up confused, "Where did you come from?" she asked.
"On one of the earlier carriages," Tom lied smoothly. The other students still thought he was a normal kid and he had to keep it that way.
"Where were you on the train?" she asked again.
"Here and there," Tom replied vaguely.
She was about to dig more into the issue when Scott interrupted her, "Harry and Ron weren't on the train," Scott said.
Granger immediately forgot about Tom's odd appearance and a worried crease formed between her eyebrows, "Ron's family was on the train but they were both missing," she said.
"That's odd," Tom murmured his thoughts flew back to Voldemort. He was still out there somewhere and it was very possible that he may have attacked Harry or something.
"We should go to the Great Hall before we're late," Scott said, interrupting both of the other two's thoughts. Scott and Granger exchanged theories as they headed down the corridors. Tom didn't participate in the conversation much. Granger must really care for the boys because she looked like she was getting physically sick in their absence. It was quite the three sixty from last year, if he recalled correctly they fought a lot, specifically Weasley and Granger.
When they entered the Great Hall it was decorated grandly with the ceiling the very picture of a clear night sky. Tom had already seen it earlier as he had helped prepare some of it but he had to admit that it was just as impressive the second time around.
The three sat together in the middle of the table next to some of the other second years. Tom wasn't particularly happy about their seat choice. He preferred situations that didn't involve so much social interaction; however, it would have been rude to just leave Granger at the moment so he was forced to sit with them. Scott was next to him on his left and on his right was Neville Longbottom. Across from them were Granger, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan.
"Hey you haven't found Harry yet?" Finnegan asked when they sat down.
Granger shook her head, "No no one has seen him."
Tom tuned their worried chatter out and looked up at the teachers table. It was relatively full and he recognized most of his old Professors sitting up there.
"Professor Snape is missing," he murmured.
Longbottom glanced up at the table, "Yeah he is that's weird." Thomas and Finnegan were turning their attention to the missing potions teacher now too. Tom hadn't meant for them to hear him, unfortunately they had.
"Where do you reckon he is?" Thomas asked.
"I bet he's moping about not getting the Defense post," Finnegan contemplated.
"That Lockhart guy got it right," Scott asked.
Tom nodded," Yup he's the one with the blonde hair who looks like he used a shoe shining charm on his teeth."
"Don't be rude," Granger said sharply. Tom shrugged and ignored her. After another fifteen minutes the ceremony started. The sorting hat came down the aisle singing some song that Tom didn't care to listen to and all the first years followed. Tom watched as the first years got sorted. After a red head girl, who was presumably Ron Weasley's sister, got sorted into Gryffindor Tom tuned them out. Finally the feast started.
Tom grabbed two plates worth of food and started to dig in. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a whisp of a black cloak.
"Snapes back," Scott whispered under his breath. The second year Gryffindors started talking about the usual back to school stuff. Everyone was talking about the latest and greatest of their summer vacation.
"What you do Tom?" Finnegan asked.
"Tom came and visited my house over the summer," Scott answered for him, "We did boxing camp."
"Boxing. That's cool my brother is really into that kind of stuff back at home," Thomas said.
Scott grinned, "Really? My dad is a coach, he had us in boot camp over the summer. It was Tom's first time fighting, he sucked."
Their conversation was interrupted by the two Weasley twins.
"Hey guess where Ron and Harry went," one of them (Tom decided to call that one George because it was impossible to tell the difference) said.
"Where," Hermione asked giving them her full attention.
"They flew here," Fred said.
"In our dads flying car," George continued
"Over half the muggles in England," Fred finished.
"They wouldn't," Longbottom gaped.
"They did," George replied.
"They'll be expelled," Hermione said extremely flustered.
Fred grinned, "Mom's gonna kill em." Both twins cracked up. Hermione looked at them like they were crazy which only made them laugh more.
Dinner proceeded after that with talk of all the different punishments that were going to be imposed on the two. Tom shoveled his fourth plate of food down and was finally starting to feel full when Dumbledore gave his speech and they started heading towards the common room. The portrait of the fat lady was enjoying the return of all her students and the attention that she was getting as a result. The common room seemed more alive than ever that night. Scott and Tom sat down and were playing a game of wizard chests when Harry and Ron walked in. Immediately the boys were swarmed by a bombardment of questions about their day. Even Scott got up to go listen to their explanation. Tom considered going but voted against it. He had had enough socializing for one night. Tom turned and headed up to the dormitory. After all of the days commotion he figured he deserved a good nights sleep.
Hope everyone likes my story so far so press the magical button and review please some feedback would make my day.