Hey, guys, and thanks for all your reviews! Once again, I'm sorry that the hiatus was so long, but I'm going to try and update as much as I can. So- comment below, and with that, enjoy!

"Mr. Potter."

Fidgeting in his chair, Harry's skin crawled as the stern, angry voice of Professor Dippet came thundering into his ears. It wasn't as if he bumped into that dark-haired, grey-eyed monstrosity on purpose. For some reason, 1930s Hogwarts was even livelier than modern-day Hogwarts, which meant people racing down the hallways, bumping into other people, and causing them to crash-land on the people who killed their parents.

What was worse, any chance of befriending Tom was gone. Harry was never good at keeping his emotions in check, but the rage that boiled under his skin was so utterly unbearable, he felt as though he'd explode the next time he saw that disdainful look in the other boy's face.

"Harry, are you even listening? You can't just go around tackling Tom, no matter what he had done to you! He's a student here, and students cannot go around proclaiming their hatred to other students, especially to students they'd supposedly never met before. This is a peaceful school, and I will not have you mucking about, causing fights amongst other students." Professor Dippet's face was scrunched-up, as though he'd just sucked on a lemon.

Harry couldn't help but gape at the old man sitting in front of him. What was he even saying? Harry was going to have to kill Tom, at the most before the holidays, which, according to the calendar, was three months away. Three months to murder a student that allegedly was perfect in every way possible.

Of course, he hadn't said so to Professor Dippet, but when he had found him lying in the hallway last night, groaning and asking for "Headmaster Dumbledore", the Transfiguration professor, the old codger had known that something was up. He demanded to know everything, but Harry wasn't an idiot. He couldn't just say, "Oh, I've come to kill a model student of yours in order to prevent my parents' and millions of others' deaths," Dippet would think he was absolutely insane.

So, instead, he told him that he'd come from a gravely important mission from the future, which personally made him sound really cool and mysterious, but Dippet didn't seem to believe him. So he showed him the Time-Turner, and explained what Dumbledore had told him- leaving out the whole killing part, of course. He told him about Lord Voldemort, and how he had to be stopped from a young age so it would never come to what it was in the present day Wizarding World.

Professor Dippet consented to let Harry in the school, but with the mutual agreement that Harry would not interfere with anyone or anything else, should he make the wrong move and accidentally change the future (killing Tom and all notwithstanding). Which meant no friends, at all, and no talking to anyone longer than necessary.

Professor Dippet also added that he would have to be Sorted all over again, seeing as though he was from the future, and the Sorting Hat wasn't some TARDIS that could remember an event from the future before it happened. Well, Professor Dippet didn't exactly say it in those words, but it was basically what he meant.

The Sorting Hat was as eccentric as Harry remembered.

Come from a different time, haven't you? The Sorting Hat said when it was put on Harry's head. Very interesting… and on a mission, no less! You're driven, I'll give you that, although definitely not a Ravenclaw… time should not be thrown about so carelessly, any idiot would know.

Harry grumbled. "I'm not an idiot."

No, you aren't, but you don't use your common sense at times. You're stubborn, and you let your pride get in the way of asking for help when you need it most. You have a habit of losing things, you're not very strong, and you let emotions get the best of you.

Apparently, this Sorting Hat liked to focus on Harry's flaws. And according to it, he had many of them.

"Can you just get on with it?!" Harry had burst out in frustration, making Dippet jump.

You're brave, yes, and loyal to friends… you were already put in Gryffindor, weren't you?

No, Harry thought suddenly. Put me in Slytherin. I have to get close to Tom Riddle.

Are you sure? Gryffindor would do well with someone courageous…

"Please put me in Slytherin," Harry said out loud, gritting his teeth.

Oh, all right, all right.

SLYTHERIN!

After all that bit of nonsense was over with, Harry was brought robes, which were a little heavier than the robes he was accustomed to, but he tried not to complain. Headmaster Dippet was already being extremely kind, he reminded himself. Tom was one of his favorite students, and he wasn't even aware of what was going on until Harry had told him about his Death Eater followers. Dippet even gave him an offer to help with his lessons, which made Harry flush bright red and tell him it was unnecessary. After all, he was only going to stay here until he could find a way to bring Tom to reason. Or, at least, that's what he told the old man.

Now, though, he looked up into the Headmaster's face, and he wondered if he should tell him about his parents. It was Tom's fault. All of it. Every single thing that went wrong in his life was because of that wretched monster. If his parents were alive, he wouldn't have to live with a family who despised him like he had killed a puppy right in front of them. If his parents were alive, he wouldn't have to be the Chosen One. He would be normal, he would be happy and loved and safe…

But no. He couldn't tell the professor. It was clear that he was very fond of Tom, despite what Harry had told him. And Harry wasn't one to make an old man cry. So, staring down at his feet, he mumbled, "Sorry, Professor. I wasn't trying to pick a fight with anyone. It won't happen again."

When he looked back up, Headmaster Dippet was staring at Harry with a scrutinizing expression, his eyes boring into Harry's as if he knew Harry was lying.

"Good," he said, after what seemed to be an hour-long pause, and broke their eye contact. "Now, it's been a long day, and I suspect you'll want to go to bed. Professor Slughorn will show you to your dorm…"

"No, that's okay," Harry said absentmindedly. "I already know the way."

Professor Dippet raised his eyebrows. "You said you were a Gryffindor?"

"U-um, yeah, but I just… know the way anyway." He finished lamely. "My best friend is a Slytherin."

"Mhmm." He could tell the Headmaster wasn't convinced, but giving Harry a small smile, he excused him without asking another question, and Harry let out a relieved sigh as he exited the office, and hurried down the hall.

He was going to need to work on his lying skills if he wanted to get through the year.