Chapter Two

The next time Tom Riddle approached Harry it was while he was flying, Quiditch practice hadn't started yet but he just didn't feel right without flying at least every week. Harry couldn't tell if that was because flying was in his blood or because his animagus form was Avian.

He floated down to where Tom was sitting in the stands, still on his broom. He had a kind of grace in the air that completely left him when he had two feet on the ground. And no matter how infinitely small the chance, Harry still wanted Tom Riddle to see him as attractive. "Hello," the Head Boyd had searched him out he could start the conversation.

"I am fascinated with Higher magic. After talking with you the other day about animagus I looked up the details. Having the gift only makes it easier to transform and allows some of the gifts of your other form to crossover, but it does not preclude the ungifted from being able to transform."

"That's correct," Harry replied, he knew his father hadn't been but Uncle Sirius had.

"If you haven't had the chance to explore your transformation I would like to work on it with you if you would permit it." Tom asked, hi wavy hair fluttering in the wind. How the man could be so beautiful yet masculine at the same time continued to confound Harry.

"What Higher magic have you explored thus far?" Harry asked. He knew he was going to say yes but this was a prime opportunity to get information out of the secretive snake.

"I like you have mostly worked on exploring my gifts. While I have always been a parselmouth, with my coming of age I became able to use parsel magic, which does not require a wand so is quite useful. My other gift is not quite so neutral, though many would say parseltongue is quite dark. I have the Gift of Possession."

Harry bit down on a gasp. That was quite a confession to make to anyone let alone someone you barely knew. "That is quite a dangerous gift both in its use and to have. I imagine you haven't tried to learn how to use it."

"You are quite correct I imagine I will have to leave the country to get any kind of instruction or even any books beyond the few I have found in parseltongue." Tom gaze was trained on Harry's eyes. "I have also taught myself Occulemency and Legimency, with a bit of help from Professor Snape."

Harry grimaced, "You have my complete sympathy for that. My mother insisted I learn the basics of Occulemncy last year because she said any career I went into would require keeping secrets. My father was behind her all the way, its required for all Auror's to have at least a basic knowledge of it and its easier to learn at a younger age. Let's just say Professor Snape wasn't impressed with either my work ethic or my results. Its all about the same with Occulemency."

Tom was once again surprised. He hadn't expected the Gryffindor to be so blasé about him having a dark gift or even to know what Occulemency was. He needed to stop underestimating Harry Potter. The boy might be a year younger and look more comfortable in the air but he was quite sharp and knowledgeable about the most obscure things. But thinking about it more broadly his father was a high ranked Auror with the Potter seat in the Wizegenmot and his mother was a well known Charms Mistress and Spellcrafter for the Committee on Experimental Charms. Those kinds of positions and the kind of magic associated with those professions were quite intense. Harry Potter might be a half-blood like himself but he came from an advantaged and knowledgeable background unlike himself, he just didn't shout it to the world like most of the Purebloods he knew. His mother while born of muggle parents was educated by a witch from a young age, was powerful and intelligent which had lead to her getting a Mastery quite young.

Harry was a Gryffindor, maybe he could help him see the magical world from a different perspective. "And Tom, I would love to work on our animagus forms together. Meet me tomorrow night at eight on the seventh floor by the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy?"

"If you insist," Tom replied puzzled. But Harry was going to wait to reveal the Room of Requirement, it was so much better to see it firsthand.

Tom and Harry had been making progress on their Animagus forms for a couple weeks before Harry transformed into a flying squirrel. Harry was quite startled, while Tom laughed his ass off, which was startling in itself.

"Ha ha ha, so small, so cute. Good in the air, ha haha, agile, graceful even. My god it couldn't be more suited," Tom exclaimed as he crumpled into a pile of un-Slytherin hysterics, or maybe giggles was more accurate if less mature. Harry though was in no mood to give his opinion on Tom's uncharacteristic behavior since he was quite busy pouting at his friend.

Tom finally started to get himself back together, "Oh, Harry don't pout. It just makes me think of you as a squirrel with you cheeks stuffed with acorns." Harry's cheeks puffed before he looked away, officially not pouting anymore. Tom walked up behind him and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "I still find you quite attractive; the knowledge that you soul animagus is a flying squirrel doesn't diminish you at all."

"I'm never going to live it down with my family," Harry complained, still pouting if no longer officially. Tom had by then heard many stories about the pranks that Harry's father had enacted in his youth and continuing adulthood, could only agree. James Potter would be hiding acorns around his son for years.

"He was going to do something no matter what your form was," Tom replied.

"But at least if I was something fierce with fangs it couldn't be too bad."

"You godfather transformed into a Grim, something considered a symbol of imminent death and your father buy's him a new dog collar and leash every Christmas. Nothing you could have transformed into would have helped."

"He couldn't make fun of a Phoenix."

"That's an impossible transformation. But he would have probably brought bread and asked you to make toast."

"An owl?"

"Given you mail to deliver."

"A tiger?"

"Catnip."

"A fox?"

"Hmm, difficult, fox … vixen … dominatrix accessories."

"Oh god that's horrible. I guess a flying squirrel isn't that bad," Harry said turning towards Tom. They were quite close now, with Tom's arm still around his shoulder. "And you still consider me attractive. I didn't know you considered me that in the first place."

Tom smirked, " I would have been an idiot not to."

"So are you going to …" Harry's complaint was interrupted by the best kiss of his so far short life. Harry was quite pleased, it hadn't even taken that long for Tom to do something. He was always horrible at making the first move so he always maneuvered it so that the other person made it first. It made things so much less awkward.