A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other characters. I might create characters of my own, but I still have yet to decide if I was to.

Because you had to wait a while, I posted this chapter up quicker.

Talking"

'Thinking'

*Parseltongue*

Chapter 7: Journal

It felt weird to Harry. He feels that this mark is familiar to him yet he doesn't remember ever seeing it before. Feeling compelled to, he leaned down and lightly kissed the mark.

Severus was shocked. People would never want to be around the Dark Mark, let alone kiss it. Severus whispered, "Why did you do that?"

Harry opened his mouth to respond but changed his mind and shrugged and went down to his parchment and wrote IT FEELS FAMILIER.

"Familiar? How so?"

NOT SURE. JUST DOES. LIKE I SEEN IT BEFOUR.

Severus just nodded, not knowing how to respond.

DID YOU NOT LIKE IT?

"It didn't bother be. I was just mostly surprised. Like I said earlier, people tend to want to stay far away from the mark. And then you just went and kissed it."

Harry just shrugged again and wrote WHAT ARE WE TO DO TODAY?

Shrugging, Severus responded, "What would you like to do today? You could read some of those books I got you. Or you could start practicing your writing in that journal you wanted." Harry nodded to that. "Well, go get your journal then and start. I'm going to read the Daily Prophet while you do so."

And with that, they went their separate ways. Harry went to his bedroom, got out the journal and his new quills Severus bought him, and sat down on his bed.

He opened the journal and started writing his name.

HARRY

HARRY

HARRY

Each time his writing got somewhat neater. However, when he took a pause in his writing, the journal soaked up the ink. Harry gasped and started to look through the journal to see where it all went.

When he got back to the first page, he was even more surprised to see writing that wasn't his own.

Harry? Is that your name? The ink then disappeared. Harry wrote down, YES. HOW YOU DOIN THAT?

Doing it spelled with a 'g' boy. Spell correctly.

SORRY. HAVN'T WROTE IN LONG TIME.

How old are you?

11

When I was 11, I was able to write correctly.

MY FAMILY WOODN'T LET ME WRITE.

It's 'wouldn't'. And why would they do that?

I DON'T KNOW. I THINK THEY DO NOT LIKE MAGIC.

So they wouldn't let you because you could do magic. Did you live with muggles?

YES. AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT SEVERES SAID.

Severes? Who is that?

THE MAN THAT IS TAKING CARE OF ME NOW. HE SAID I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO THOSE MUGGLES AGAIN.

So he is your magical guardian?

GUARDIAN?

A guardian is an adult who takes care of you and has legal custody of you. And a magical guardian is a guardian with magical abilities.

WELL, I THINK HE CAN DO MAGIC. I HAVN'T SEEN IT YET. HE TOOK ME AROUND THE SHOPPING ALLEY. AND HE WORKS AT THIS SCHOOL.

School? You mean Hogwarts?

YES, I WASN'T SURE HOW TO SPELL IT.

Harry continued to write in this journal for the rest of the afternoon until Severus came to take him to dinner.

"Have you been writing in that journal for the whole afternoon?" Harry nodded. "Well, it's time for supper. Do you want to stay in the rooms?" Harry nodded. "I will get Minnie to get us some dinner; I will let you know when it gets here." Severus left Harry's room.

IT IS ALMOST TIME FOR SUPPER.

So you will leave? Will you be back?

YES. EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE A JOURNAL, YOU ARE MY FRIEND.

How can a journal be a friend?

A FRIEND IS SOMEONE YOU CAN TALK TO. WE ARE TALKING.

True. How long do you think you will be?

NOT SURE. SEVERES MIGHT WANT TO ASK ME MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT ME.

Are you sure that is how you spell his name?

I DON'T KNOW. THAT IS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.

It is probably more like 'Severus'.

COULD BE. I WILL FIND OUT. I JUST HEARD THE HOUSE ELF. SUPPER IS HERE. I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.

Ask away.

ARE YOU TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE?

How did you figure that out?

THE JOURNAL SAYS THAT ON IT.

Oh, well yes. That is me.

OK. SEVERUS IS WALKING IN. I WILL BE BACK SOMETIME.

Good bye Harry.

Harry closed the journal as Severus walked in. "Dinner is waiting in the kitchen. Clean up and come join me."

Harry went to wash his hands and went to the kitchen. He sat down at the table as Severus was serving them plates. Dinner was a quite affair as Harry wouldn't respond verbally yet.

As they were finishing up Severus asked, "Have you gotten better at writing?"

Harry nodded. "Perhaps we will see. Would you mind if I asked you more questions?"

Harry shook his head. They finished eating and headed to the living room and sat down on the floor in front of the coffee table again.

"How do you like that journal?"

IT'S NICE. IT IS GOOD PRACTISE.

"Is there anything you want to ask me?"

YOU WENT TO SCHOOL WITH MY PARENTS RIGHT?

Severus nodded.

CAN YOU TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT THEM?

"Well, I suppose I should let you know that you look almost exactly like your father. Except your eyes. You have your mother's green eyes, and you have her small nose." Harry scrunched up his nose when Severus said that making Severus chuckle in response.

"Your mother was really good at Charms and potions. She was placed in the house of Gryffindor, along with your father. I had known her for quite some time. We were neighbors even before we started Hogwarts. We were close friends for quite some time."

WHAT HAPPENED?

"We got to an argument and I called her something."

WHAT?

"I called her a… I called her a Mudblood." Seeing a confused look on the boys face he explained. "A Mudblood is a horrible name to call someone who is muggleborn. And a muggleborn is a witch or wizard born from two muggles with no relation to the magical world."

OH. AND MY FATHER.

"Your father… I will be honest with you and say that I despised him. We would torment me constantly throughout our school years."

WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?

"Don't really know. It could be because your mother and I were close friends and your father liked her. That is my best guess."

WELL, THAT'S JUST STUPID OF HIM.

Severus chuckled. "Yes, yes it was."

WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME?

Severus was surprised that Harry just changed the subject quickly but didn't say anything about it. "Would you like me to write it down?" Getting a nod, he wrote it down on Harry's parchment.

Severus Tobias Snape

"Why?"

Harry shrugged. JUST WONDERING.

WHAT IS MY FULL NAME?

"You do not know you full name?"

Harry shook his head no and wrote I HAVE ONLY BEEN CALLED POTTER, BOY, AND FREAK.

Severus sighed and wrote down Harry's name.

Harrison James Potter.

HARRISON?

"Yes, you were named after your grandfather on your mother's side. And James was your father's name. Would you like me to call you Harrison, or do you want me to continue calling you Harry."

HARRY IS FINE.

Severus nodded and asked, "Any other questions?"

CAN ALL JOURNALS REPLY?

Severus was confused about this. "What do you mean?"

THE JOURNAL WE GOT WHILE SHOPPING RESPONDS BACK TO THINGS I SAY.

Severus got even more confused, "Can you show me what you mean?" Harry nodded and went to his room to grab the journal.

He came back with the journal and sat down next to Severus.

He wrote

TOM, I'M BACK. I'M SHOWING YOU TO SEVERUS.

Severus was surprised that the ink disappeared and he was even more astounded when hand writing that wasn't Harry's showed up.

So you found out it was spelled like Severus? It is nice to 'meet' you Severus. Harry tells me that you are keeping him from having to return to those horrid muggles.

Severus looked to Harry and back at the journal jaw dropped. When he saw Harry giving the quill and journal to him, he realized that he wanted Severus to respond back.

(Here I am going to put the letter of their first name in front of what they are writing. Or it might get a little confusing)

(s) Yes. From what I have seen, those muggles he lived with abused him. And what did you mean by 'spelled like Severus'?

(t) Harry had written your name as 'Severes'. I told him to find out how to spell it.

(s) Yes, it seems that Harry was pushed back somewhat in his writing and reading. We are going to have to work on that before he starts school.

(t) He is living in the school and he is of age, yet he isn't attending?

(s) Yes, the abuse he had gone through had made it so the sorting hat couldn't place him. The hat couldn't figure out what hat to put him in because it couldn't see anything in his mind.

(t) Strange. What house do you think he would be placed in when he gets the chance?

(s) Not sure. I had thought he would be placed in Gryffindor because that was the house both of his parents were in. But now I'm not so sure.

(t) I understand. What position do you teach?

(s) I am the Potion's Master and Hogwarts. I am also the Head of Slytherin.

(t) Ah, Slytherin, my house.

(s) How so?

(t) I had once attended Hogwarts as well. Slytherin was my house.

Severus was confused how a journal could attend Hogwarts, he looked over at Harry and noticed that Harry had laid his head in Severus's lap and had fallen asleep.

(s) Harry has fallen asleep. I am going to put him in bed. I should probably be getting to bed as well, it is getting late.

(t) Very well, good night to you both.

Severus closed the journal and laid the journal and quill down on the coffee table. He picked Harry up and took him to bed. He transfigured his clothes to some pajamas and tucked him in.

Severus went back to the living room and sat down in front of the journal. It is just now sinking in that he had a full conversation with a journal and realized how ridiculous it was. But it happened. He put the quill away and picked up the journal. He went back to Harry's room and placed the journal on the night stand next to Harry's bed.

Severus walked to his room, got ready for bed and lied down. He smiled thinking how much Harry has responded today.

AN. YAY! Another chapter done!

What do you think of Tom and Severus 'talking'? I wasn't going to have Severus know about it, but I decided, Hey! What the heck! And put it in.

With Harry 'writing' I know there are some misspellings but I did that on purpose. He is a small child who hasn't written much. He will slowly get better as he 'talks' with Tom the journal and Severus.

Thank you to SilverHaraki, Brookslocklear, PureBood-Princess, UsagiMoon, crazylove4MCR, and aliengirlguy for reviewing chapter 6!