Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
/parseltongue/
Day students return to school:
"Harry time to get up." Tom called to his husband. "What are your plansss for today?" He asked as Harry sat up and began pulling on his day robes.
"Eat, play with snakes, plan pranks, eat some more, you know the usual." Harry answered with a grin. "Why do you ask?" He looked at Tom who was smiling at him.
"Ssstudentsss return today." Tom responded making Harry's eyes widen in shock. "How were you planning to hide that you weren't on the train?" He questioned.
"Well I could get someone to apperate me to the platform, or I could floo over to the Burrow and get a ride with the Weasleys." He told his husband. "The best way for people not to know about me being here early is to 'arrive' with the others. I can take the train here and then no one would be the wiser." Harry said. "You know, during third year's first train ride Professor Lupin was on the train." He mentioned with a smile at his husband. "So you could come with me." The look on Tom's face was priceless.
"Sssix hoursss on a train with a bunch of adolessscentsss that don't know how to be sssilent." He pouted, knowing that he would probably do it just to be with Harry. Harry looked so downcast at the idea of having to separate from him that he gave a sigh, "Oh alright, I will ride the train with all the troublemakersss. For you." He stated getting a big smile from Harry.
"Thank you Tom." Harry said wrapping his arms around his spouse. "It means a lot to me that you would do this." He whispered in the Dark Lord's ear. "We are leaving one of the snakes here." He told Tom. "I would suggest Nagini, because she is well known as your familiar and we are trying to wait for classes to let the students know who you are." He pointed out when Tom's face stilled. "Besides, Selene is getting on her nerves and she would appreciate it if we got the little one out of her way for a while." He pointed out.
"Fine, you are right, ssshe isss getting extremely moody about Ssselene." Tom nodded as he spoke. "I will inform them." /Nagini, Selene come in here. Please./
/Master?/
/Yes?/ Both serpents spoke as they entered the room.
/Precious and I will be taking the train back here so that the other students don't know about him having arrived early. Selene, you are coming with us. Nagini you will be guarding the rooms, and keeping out of trouble./ Tom informed them. Selene slithered up to Harry and when he looked down at her she moved until she was wrapped around his shoulders.
/Master, why?/ Nagini asked sounding like she was hurt.
/You wanted some time away from the little one, and you are far to recognizable as my familiar, we don't want to scare the student's early./ Tom answered causing her to think about what he was saying.
/Very well./ She turned to the basilisk. /You better take care of my master while you are on guard duty./
/Of course./ Selene answered promptly.
"Now that that is settled, I am going to breakfast." Harry answered heading towards the door with Tom following behind. Upon exiting their rooms he turned towards their painting guard and spoke. "Good Morning Salazar."
"Good Morning to you both." Salazar returned with a smirk. "I shall see you two later." Both nodded and headed down to the Great Hall.
"Professor McGonagall?" Harry called to the headmistress.
"Yes Mr. Potter?" She answered.
"To insure that the students don't find out that I have been here for the past week, I will be apparating to the train station with Tom. We will both ride the train back with the students." He told her with a smile.
"Very well, Professor Riddle, you will be on the train tonight so please don't forget to check the train once in a while for troublemakers." She stated to her new DADA teacher. Tom nodded. "If the train leaves at 11 you might want to hurry." She informed them. Both nodded and once they finished they returned to their rooms.
"Anything you want to bring with you?" Tom asked gathering some books to take with him.
"Yeah some money for snacks, and you do realize that my friends will probably join us in our compartment, right?" Harry answered.
"That isss fine with me, they are your friendsss after all." The Dark Lord answered.
"What time is it?" Harry asked Tom.
"10:30, we need to go." He answered walking swiftly out of the room with his small husband. They reached the gates 10 minutes later and apperated to platform 9 ¾. They joined the students mingling and boarding the train with ease. Once they found a compartment that was empty they slipped inside and soon were joined by Ron and Hermione.
"Good morning Harry, Professor." Hermione said softly as she and Ron both sat down.
"Hey guys, long time no see." Harry answered with a smile for his friends.
"Are you going to be resorted?" Draco asked walking into the compartment as well.
"No, I am staying in Gryffindor." Harry responded. "Not that I will be spending very much time in the Tower." He said with a smile aimed at Tom.
"Hey look it's Potter and the Loser Trio." A boy wearing Slytherin robes taunted from the doorway. "Malfoy what are you doing with these losers?" He asked noticing Draco suddenly.
"Just speaking to the new teacher, he is a Slytherin Alumni." Draco answered swiftly pointing out Tom to the boy.
"Why is he sharing a compartment with Gryffindors then?"
"I sssit with whom ever I please." Tom hissed dangerously at the boy. "And you Mr. Nott ssshould really think before you ssspeak of othersss you have no knowledge of." The boy, named Theodore Nott, paled hearing the hissing issued from the new teacher's mouth.
"Yes, sir." He answered swiftly and then with a slight bow he left the area. Draco shook his head at the stupidity of his housemate and waived goodbye to the group as he left the compartment as well.
"Anything from the Trolly?" A woman asked walking down the isle with a cart full of sweets.
"Yes please," Harry said quickly pulling some money from his pockets as he stood up. After purchasing several things including Bert and Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate frogs, chocolate bars, licorice wands, and other famous candies, the lady was on her way once more. Harry tossed several of the candies to his friends before sitting down and sharing the rest with Tom.
"Thanks Harry." Hermione stated with a smile. Ron nodded, too busy stuffing his mouth full of candy to speak. Tom wrapped his arms around the small boy-who-lived and kissed his forehead in thanks.
"No problem." /Selene do you want some candy?/ He asked the infant basilisk.
/Yes please, master./ She answered softly. Harry pulled out a chocolate frog and when he opened it she lunged and snapped it up. /Delicious, thank you master./
/Your welcome./ Harry answered then he looked at the card and laughed. "Hey guys look at the card I got." He stated to his friends and Tom.
"Who did you get?" Ron asked.
"Me." Harry answered.
"Yes you." Ron responded. In response to Ron's look of bewilderment Harry shoved the card in his face.
"I got me." Harry declared proudly. "See look, Tom." He showed the card to his husband who smiled at him.
"I might jussst confissscate that from you, Mr. Potter." Tom answered with a grin. "Alssso, it isss Professssssor Riddle."
"Right, sorry sir." Harry answered with a grimace. "It will be hard to remember not to call you by name anymore." Tom kissed him in response.
"It isss jussst until classssssesss are over." He said softly. "When we are alone I don't mind." He informed his husband. "I need to go do roundsss." He stated standing and walking out of the compartment. Hermione and Ron both looked at Harry in surprise.
"Why are you on the train at all?" Ron asked.
"Yeah I thought you were already at the school." Hermione added.
"Professor McGonagall didn't want the other students to know I was already on campus so I came back to ride the train with everyone else. Tom came with me cause I begged him to." Harry responded with a sly grin on his face. Both of his friends laughed at the notion of what Harry could have said to make the Dark Lord ride the train with all the students.
"What did you tell him that you would make him stay with Dumbledore for a week?" Ron asked.
"Don't even joke about that creep." Tom said from the doorway, "He isss a menace to sssociety."
"Right you are, Professor." Harry quipped to the Dark Lord, causing said Dark Lord to chuckle at him. "So how long do you think it will take before the Daily Prophet learns of our marriage and your 'taking over the school'." Harry asked his husband with a smile.
"Who knowsss, but they will probably get mossst of the information wrong." He answered smiling as well.
"I just hope that the reporter that they send for the inevitable interview isn't Skeeter." Harry responded. "She made a debauchle of my fourth year." Hey answered the raised eyebrow from his husband. "She wrote I was a boy of twelve when I was fourteen, she made up lies about my friends, and she made fun of my family." Harry informed the Dark Lord. "I really dislike her."
"You ssshould be getting into your ssschool robesss, we will arrive in half an hour." Tom informed the students, and watched as both Ron and Hermione rushed out to put on their robes. "That wasss easssy." He said with a laugh. "I wanted to get you alone for a minute or ssso." Harry smiled. "Are you feeling alright?"
"I am fine, Tom. I just need to get through the feast then I will be able to rest." Harry responded swiftly. When his friends returned he smiled at them and once the train arrived at Hogsmead they all climbed into a carriage together with the new professor and rode silently to school.
"Thisss isss where I leave you for now." Tom stated with a sad smile. "Sssee you tonight." He whispered in Harry's ear. Harry nodded and sat down at the Gryffindor table with his friends and housemates.
"Harry who is that?" Lavender Brown asked looking at Tom with wide eyes. "He is so hot." Ron choked on his pumpkin juice when he heard what she said.
"I assume that he is the new DADA teacher." Harry answered. "We were in the same compartment on the train but we didn't really speak."
"Oh, well he really does look handsome." Pravati stated from beside Lavender.
"He has a ring on so I assume he is married." Hermione responded loudly. The groans from all the girls at all tables could be heard after that statement. Harry chuckled quietly at them. He looked up to see Tom's smirk. Soon Dumbledore walked in leading the first years to the front of the room for the sorting to occur. Once all of the sorting was finished Professor McGonagall rose.
"May I have your attention please?" She called soon silence fell over the Great Hall. "Hello. Please note that there has been a change of staffing this year, Professor Dumbledore has resigned as headmaster and is currently aiding me as the Transfiguration teacher, we also have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Tom Riddle. Please welcome him and enjoy the feast." With those words the food appeared and she sat down. Once all were done eating, she stood once more for the announcements. "Students, a few more minutes of your time, please. I have a few notes to make and then you will be dismissed to your beds. Please note that all Weasley Products are not allowed, for the full list seek out Mr. Filtch's office and it is posted. The Forbidden Forest is still forbidden, do not enter without a teacher's written permission. Also, please note that the school rules for dating are mandatory so those seeking a romantic relationship should refer to the school rule book, located in the Library. Have a good night. Prefects, please escort your housemates to the dormitories." With that all the students rose and walked out following the 6 prefects to the different dorms. Harry went with his friends to Gryffindor Tower.
"Hey Harry, where are you going?" Dean called as the boy-who-lived was about to leave the common room and head out into the castle. "It is almost curfew, don't lose us points on the first night." Harry smiled.
"I am heading out to speak with Professor Riddle, he asked me to come by before curfew." He told his former roommate. "I won't get into trouble." /Selene, we are leaving./ He called the young basilisk that was hiding in the shadows of the room. Several students jerked hearing him speak parseltongue, even more when they noticed a pure white snake slither out of the shadows and coil around Harry's shoulders. "No worries, just my familiar, Selene." He told his fellow students. Several nodded and went back to what they were doing as Harry climbed out of the porthole and headed out to his own rooms. Unnoticed by him Lavender followed him sticking to the shadows and when she noticed him stop in front of a painting of Salazar Slytherin she gasped as instead of knocking or calling out for the professor he hissed something to the portrait and it swung open. He walked in like he owned the place and she watched as the portrait closed behind him. She stepped out and spoke to the founder.
"I don't suppose you will let me in too?" She asked. Salazar shook his head.
"Got to have the password." He told her. "It is almost curfew, I suggest you get to your common room before I alert the professor that you are wandering the corridors after hours. Wouldn't want Gryffindor to be in the negatives so early in the year now do we?" He answered sneering at her. "Personally I like it when Slytherin wins the house cup but that's just me." Lavender turned and walked away from the portrait and back up to Gryffindor Tower. Upon entering she walked up and pulled Pravati aside.
"Hey I just watched Harry enter the private rooms of the new teacher, he had the password and everything, I think he is up to something." She gossiped with her best friend. "Maybe he is sleeping with the teacher?" She said. She knew that the rumor would be all over the castle before classes were out tomorrow. Both girls smirked at the idea that Harry was sleeping around for grades. "Night." She told her friend as they both went to bed.
