Disclaimer: these characters are not mine – they belong to JK Rowling
AN: So glad you all are enjoying this! I enjoyed writing it. Please keep the reviews coming! I finished this story! It's 13 chapters in all, since I went back and rewrote the last two chapters…xo
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Hermione had finished viewing the Headmaster's memories, though nothing stood out to her that brought them any closer to discovering the rest of Voldemort's horcruxes. The same feeling of mistrust permeated all of the Headmaster's memories of Tom, which made Hermione feel much more confident in her decision to go back in time to give Tom the charmed coin so that he could contact her if he needed to. She fully believed that through their own ignorance, the wizarding world had created their own monsters. Everyone else may have failed Tom Riddle, but she was going to try her damnedest to not be one of them.
A month passed by relatively uneventfully. Classes were in full swing, and Hermione had fallen into her usual routine of spending most of her evenings in the library. She once again pulled the tattered yearbook from its place on the shelf, and flipped it open to the Page with Tom's Head Boy photo. He had grown up to be very attractive, and apparently, extremely smart. She felt herself wishing that he would use the coin she had given him so that she could see him again. If he never took the opportunity to contact her, she too, wouldn't be able to help him. Coincidentally, it was in that moment that she felt her pocket growing warm. He had activated the charm on the coin. She jumped from her seat, and put the yearbook back on the shelf before grabbing her overstuffed bag and sprinting from the library to the grand staircase. She was out of breath by the time she reached the seventh floor, and she paced back and forth in front of the room thinking of a comfortable place to talk with Tom. When she opened the door, she was in a cozy room that had a fire burning in the hearth, and a few comfy looking sofas. She walked in and warded the door, and pulled out her time turner making sure it was set to 'decades' and gave it just shy of six full turns. The room spun quickly around her before it stopped abruptly. The room looked exactly as it had moments earlier, although now, Tom was seated on one of the sofas facing the fire.
I wasn't sure you'd come.
Hermione moved over to sit next to him on the sofa, and she could see that his cheeks were tear-stained.
What happened, Tom?
You said it would happen. At first, I tried to ignore it…the name calling, I mean. I ignored them. But then, it got worse. They started shoving me and hexing me when I wasn't looking. I got so angry, and I couldn't help it!
What did you do, Tom? She asked him gently
Malfoy, he was saying things, and then he used a spell to push me down the stairs. It hurt, and I was so angry, and my magic, it just seemed to react, and before I knew what was happing, he was thrown against the wall very hard and was knocked out. He's in the hospital wing. Professor Dumbledore believed their lies and he thinks I did it on purpose. They lied, Hermione. They said I did it for no reason. I'm not even sure how I did it. I got detention, but they didn't get in trouble at all. Professor Dumbledore doesn't believe me. He never believes me.
Hermione turned to face him more fully and took his small hand in hers
Tom, I believe you. And I'm sorry for how they are treating you. I know what it's like. You must learn to control your magic. I know you didn't mean for it to happen, but your magic is very strong. If you don't control it, especially when you are angry, more bad things will happen, even if you don't mean them to.
How can I control it?
Well, it will take a lot of practice. One thing that always worked for me is to focus on using a spell in those situations that will not allow any harm to come to you, or someone else. Like say, a Petrificus Totalis. When something like that happens again, immediately focus on sending that spell towards the aggressor. They will become petrified temporarily, so that will stop them from being able to harm you, and it will allow you time to get your emotions under control and get a professor. If Professor Dumbledore doesn't want to listen to you, go to another professor who will. I happen to know that Professor Slughorn will be more willing and able to help you, being head of Slytherin House.
How did you know?
How did I know what, Tom?
That I was sorted into Slytherin?
Hermione gave him a little knowing smile
I suppose your ability to talk to snakes made it seem like a rather good guess. Slytherin being the 'house of Snakes' and all…
Tom smiled then and squeezed her hand gently.
Thank you.
For what?
You're the only one I can talk to. No one wants to be friends with a Slytherin orphan.
His tone was flat, and seemed almost emotionless, though Hermione could detect a flicker of sadness in his eyes.
Well, that's not entirely true, now is it? I'm your friend.
Are you a Slytherin too?
No. I'm a Gryffindor.
His eyes widened at her revelation. In the short time he was at Hogwarts, he hadn't met a single Gryffindor that would give a Slytherin a second look.
Why are you my friend?
Well, like I told you before, we have something in common. We both know what it's like to grow up without magic. I expect as you continue your education, Tom, I can look forward to having some very interesting debates with you on magical theory. Try not to get so caught up in the stupid house rivalries. Students from every house have valuable qualities.
Tom shook his head in understanding.
And Tom? Remember what I said about controlling your magic. Use Petrificus totalis, count to ten to calm down, and then go find a teacher. Do you understand? If they ever do something while your back is turned, even if they manage to hurt you, use that spell. Don't ever try to lower yourself to their level. If you want to do great things, Tom, you must rise above all of that, and be an example to others. Someday, they will learn their lesson, and they will understand, but it will not happen by hurting them physically.
He seemed to take in what she had said, but then asked, What if they disarm me?
Well, I'll just have to teach you how to do a wandless expelliarmus, then won't I? she smirked.
Tom smiled at her, and then yawned
You should get back to the Slytherin common room, it's nearly curfew. You don't want any more detentions now, do you?
No, I suppose not.
You'll be alright Tom, I have faith in you.
With that, she stood and ushered him towards the door. Once he left the room, she pulled the time-turner back out from her robes and gave it almost 6 full turns forward. Once again, the room spun around her, and then stopped abruptly. She tucked the time-turner beneath her robes once again, and made her way to the Gryffindor common room.
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"Oi! Hermione! Where were you?" Ron asked looking up from his game of Wizarding chess he was playing with Harry
"I was in the library, Ronald, where else would I be?" Ron just shook his head and rolled his eyes at Harry.
"Harry, has the Headmaster told you anything new?" she asked. Things had been so eerily quiet for the last month, that she felt like she was on pins and needles waiting for something to happen.
"No, nothing." Harry said. She could see a muscle twitching in his jaw as he clenched it tight in the same frustration that he was surely feeling.
She nodded and then decided to head back to her own quarters to get some sleep.
Once she reached the Head's quarters, she entered the common room to see Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson making out on the couch.
"Ugh, can't you do that in your own room, Malfoy?" she said in annoyance
"What's the matter, mudblood, Jealous?" Pansy spat.
Hermione rolled her eyes so hard, she thought they would be permanently stuck staring at the back of her skull.
"Not even a little bit, Parkinson." She retorted as Draco sneered at her.
"Oh, that's right, you have your heart set on piss-poor Weaselbee." Draco hissed.
"Poor or not, I'd choose Ron any day of the week over a stuck up, prejudiced, arsehole such as yourself. All the money in the world couldn't make you desirable, Malfoy." She said before walking into her room and slamming the door before things could escalate. Before she was able to put up the silencing charm, she heard Pansy whine at Draco for daring to let a lowly mudblood speak to him that way.
She flopped back on her bed and let out a breath of pent up frustration. She decided a hot soak in the bath would help her relax so that she could fall asleep.
She made her way into her private bathroom, and once again offered up a silent prayer of thanks to whomever installed these marvelous private baths in the Head's rooms. The bath wasn't quite as large as the prefects bath, but it had the same lavish taps and bubbles. Hermione started the taps to get the water running at the perfect temperature with just the right amount of bubbles. And then began peeling off her clothes. It felt like she was peeling away all the stress she felt with each layer she tossed to the floor. Once she had removed it all, she sunk into the hot bath, and sighed contentedly. As they often did of late, her thoughts drifted back to Tom. She hoped that he would take her advice to heart. Suddenly, it occurred to her that if he did, she could be drastically altering the timeline. If Tom never adopted the same prejudices that were so often aimed at him during his early school years, and if he refrained from using dark magic to get revenge on others, he would never become Lord Voldemort…which would mean the prophecy would never be made…and Harry's parents would never be killed. Everything was now in her hands. Everything they were trying to do in her own time, was simply damage control, but everything she was attempting to do with Tom now was the real solution. The only thing she could do, was keep her fingers crossed that he would in fact take her advice, and that he would continue to contact her so that she could guide him in the right direction.
For the first time, in as long as she could remember, Hermione slept peacefully.