Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Thanks to my beta Lathea and all reviewers.

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Rectifier

Chapter 13: Priorities

"Are you insane?" was Tom's first words after he had seated himself in front of Albus' desk.

Albus merely eyed his visitor with a small smile. "Good morning, Tom. Would you like a cup of tea?"

Tom ignored him completely. "Severus Snape is one of Voldemort's followers."

Albus leaned back in his chair, giving this conversation his full attention now. He had wondered when Tom was going to find out that particular piece of information. It was now only the third week of September; Tom had certainly taken less time than he had expected.

"May I ask how you came to that conclusion?"

"You learn a lot about a person by working with them," said Tom simply.

Albus didn't think Tom had any contact with Severus aside from what little interactions they had during mealtime. For some reason, Tom seemed to hold a deep grudge against Severus, but as always, he was good at masking his animosity.

"Not to mention Voldemort actually marks his followers." A hint of contempt slipped into Tom's voice. "And he only marks the important ones, so that everyone would know exactly who they should target if they want to weaken his force."

Tom had made similar comments on Voldemort's tactics, or lack thereof, before. They never ceased to amuse Albus.

"Are you telling me you've seen a Dark Mark on Severus' arm?" he asked, intrigued. Surely Tom hadn't forced Severus to roll up his sleeve?

"It was the easiest way to confirm my suspicion," said Tom. Then he smirked and answered Albus' unspoken question. "I did it the same way you always do to see what's under an invisibility cloak."

Tom must have charmed his eyes to see through Severus' robes then. Albus could only imagine how Severus would react to this violation of his privacy, but he knew for certain that any accusation of Tom abusing his power would only end up being bounced right back at him.

"I never looked beyond his left arm, in case you plan to tell him."

Albus closed his eyes briefly. "I don't think that would be a good idea, Tom."

Tom's amused look told Albus that he would very much like to see Severus' reaction.

Albus sighed. "I'm aware of Severus' past," he said finally.

The smile dropped from Tom's face. "I know," he said, turning serious again. "And that brings us back to my original question. Are you out of your mind? You let a Death Eater teach in this school when there's a war going on?"

Albus knew he would have to tell Tom the truth, or at least part of it, otherwise it would only cause more complications in the future.

"Severus was, and still is, working for me."

"So he's a spy." Tom didn't look surprised. "For which side, I wonder?"

"Severus has my complete trust," said Albus in a tone that left no rooms for doubt.

"A spy can never be trusted," countered Tom with the same tone.

Albus was growing tired of questions regarding Severus' trustworthiness. And really, Tom should have known better than to question Albus' trust.

"But haven't my counterpart in your world taken just as great a risk when he gave you the Defense position, Tom?" Albus asked quietly. A flash of anger crossed Tom's eyes, telling Albus that he had touched upon a sensitive subject. "I'm not asking you to trust Severus - he'll have to earn that trust himself, I'm sure - all I ask is for you to keep what you've learned to yourself."

Tom narrowed his eyes. "I'm not looking to ruin your plans, Albus, but I do wonder if you know what you're doing. You knowingly let a Death Eater – or someone who must act like one, which is worse - into this school and give him power over your students. From what I've seen in this school so far, Headmaster, I can't help but wonder if you have your priorities right."

Albus vaguely remembered Dolores Umbridge saying the same thing to him last year, with a different set of 'priorities' in mind, no doubt.

"I assure you, Tom, I take my responsibility as Hogwarts' Headmaster very seriously, and that includes protecting the students," said Albus. "I have my ways of realizing that end, and obviously, you have yours. But ultimately, we both have the same goal – to create a safer place for the students to grow and learn. I've found that it always brings the best results for those of similar minds to work on a common goal together, even from different directions."

Tom shot him a dark look, catching his hidden meaning at once. "You take an awful lot for granted, Albus Dumbledore," he said, standing up from his chair. "Let me make this clear for the last time, I don't have any obligations to help you."

Albus couldn't help smiling as he watched Tom strode out of his office and slammed the door shut behind him.

"Oh, but you will, won't you, Tom?" he said softly to himself.

His decision to give Tom Riddle the Defense position had turned out much better than he had anticipated. It had started as a necessary precaution. Tom, with his power and intelligence, could greatly disrupt the outcome of this war, should he choose to take a side. Letting Tom roam free was too much of a risk, so Albus had offered him a teaching position as a mean to keep him away from Voldemort.

And once again, Tom had exceeded his expectations. It was not Tom's vast knowledge in magic that had surprised him – he had expected that – but Tom's skills in passing that knowledge onto his students. Tom's experience in teaching in his own world definitely showed in how he conducted his classes. While the first years were still terrified of their Defense professor, many of the higher year students had quickly recognized Tom as 'a different one from the usual sort', as Albus had overheard one of them saying in the hallway just the day before. It was clear that Tom was quickly earning the students' respect, though his strict demeanor and ever-demanding classes had also gained him a rather notorious reputation.

But what amazed Albus the most was Tom's attitude towards the students. He was cold and distant most of the time, but Albus could tell that at least a small part of Tom genuinely cared about his students. The conversation just now had further confirmed this observation.

Tom had accused him of putting the war before the safety of the students. That accusation alone was a clear proof of how deep Tom had managed to read into this war. It was a serious accusation, and Albus felt no shame in admitting that Tom was right.

Even before Voldemort's resurrection, Albus had already known that one day he would be forced to play two roles at the same time – Hogwarts' Headmaster and the leader of the Order of the Phoenix. He had known that one day he would have to choose between fighting against Voldemort and protecting his students. That choice had been made the moment he realized the significance of Harry's scar.

In order to bring Harry to that last crucial step and to bring an end to the war once and for all, some sacrifices had to be made. Perhaps Albus was partly to blame for drawing the war so close to Hogwarts. Perhaps in favor of planning ahead in the war, he had indeed not done enough to protect his students from what they were too young to face. But in the end, it was all for the best.

So no, Albus did not mind Tom's accusation. In fact, he was more than happy about it. As unexpected as it was, the students had gained an ally in Tom Riddle. And if Tom was willing to help, then there truly wasn't anyone more capable than he was to keep the students safe from Voldemort.

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At precisely eleven-thirty that night, Severus Snape once again found himself standing in front of Thomas Kray's office, bringing with him an ancient Potions text from his personal library. Vowing to make sure that Kray would meet an unfortunate 'accident' like his predecessors had once he had outlived his usefulness, Severus raised his hand to knock. But just before his hand could make contact, the door swung open on its own accord. Severus glared at the door. Somehow, Kray had learned Dumbledore's favorite trick.

Kray looked up from behind his desk. "Professor Snape," he said in greeting. "Come on in, take a seat. And do be careful about that box over by the door; there's a Boggart inside."

Keeping his face blank, Severus walked into the office and took the offered seat in front of Kray's desk. There wasn't much in the office except the desk and a half-filled bookshelf by the wall. Several books on the shelf had no titles. Those were Kray's personal notes on his 'projects'. Severus had only read a handful of them.

Wordlessly, Severus flipped his book open to the last chapter and pushed it across the desk. Kray raised an eyebrow, then he took out the top book from the tidy stack he kept on his desk and mirrored Severus' previous gesture. Severus glanced at the opened book before him. Ancient Runes.

Working with Kray was… interesting, to say the least. Severus knew now that Dumbledore had at least been truthful when he introduced the man as a 'researcher'. Kray was knowledgeable, exceptionally knowledgeable. And as much as it annoyed Severus to admit it, Kray's knowledge in magic far exceeded his own. His understanding in different fields of magic could probably even rival Dumbledore and the Dark Lord. And yet, no one seemed to have ever heard of him until two months ago.

But that could not be true. Severus was almost certain that Hagrid had known Kray before his sudden appearance at Hogwarts; the half-giant was always ill at ease when Kray was nearby. Then there was also Dumbledore, who seemed to have some kind of personal history with Kray.

Since their little collaborative project had begun, Severus had come to realize that at least half of what he learned about Thomas Kray did not add up. The man was an enigma, and Severus hated enigmas.

"This could be useful," Kray commented, looking up from Severus' book. "You may want to look deeper into it."

Severus sneered at Kray's arrogant tone. Oh, how he longed to just pull out his wand and-

But he would endure the man for now, if only for the sake of breaking the curse trapped inside Dumbledore.

Quickly finished scanning the section of Ancient Runes text, Severus looked up to find Kray eyeing him expectantly. Even after two weeks, Severus still remained constantly suspicious of Kray's intention in asking for his assistance. Kray had claimed that Potions was not his strong subject, but Severus knew better than to simply believe his words.

"If we combine this with a Blood Ward," he began slowly.

"Then it's possible to stop the curse from renewing its hold on Albus," finished Kray.

"And the side effects?" asked Severus, already knowing that there had to be at least two or three major ones.

The Dark Lord's curse was among the most complicated ones that Severus had ever encountered. While they were making progress in breaking the curse, they also ran into obstacles all the time. More than once, Severus felt as though they were running like fools in an endless maze designed by the Dark Lord.

"No, the curse can definitely be broken," said Kray impatiently. They had just finished a lengthy discussion based on their findings and Severus had once again questioned whether a cure actually existed. "Voldemort would never use a curse he didn't know how to break."

Severus had gotten used to hearing Kray utter the Dark Lord's name not only without fear, but as though it was some kind of private joke.

"And you know what the Dark Lord thinks because…"

"Because I know how he works. Using an unbreakable curse means he himself would not have any control over it, and that is not acceptable for him."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Is that your guess, or are you merely talking about yourself?"

"The latter, of course." Kray smirked.

Severus narrowed his eyes. "If you insist on wasting time…"

"Why, Severus, it was you who brought up these questions. Again, I might add."

Annoyance rose within Severus. Kray had no idea what this 'project' meant to him. If they failed, Dumbledore would be killed, not by the curse, but by Severus' hands. If they succeeded, Dumbledore would live and Severus would have to die in his place.

"Unlike you, I do have better things to do than wasting my time on petty research projects, Thomas," he snarled, letting his anger fuelled his words. "If that's even your real name."

"And what make you think it's not?" Kray's voice seemed colder than before.

"Please, you hardly even reacted to that infernal name of yours in the first week."

A dangerous gleam entered Kray's eyes and Severus knew at once that he had crossed the line.

"I would watch my tongue if I were you, Severus Snape," said Kray quietly. Then the anger in his eyes slowly melted away into dark amusement. "And a word of advice, I don't think the Dark Lord would appreciate it if words reach his ears that you've been asking too much questions about me, especially about my birth name. Hearing that particular question always brings out the worst of him. "

Severus couldn't help feeling relieved when Kray turned his attention away from him and back to the books they had abandoned on the desk, apparently ready to get back to work. Severus slowly released his grip on his wand and pushed the whole conversation to the back of his mind. He could ponder the meaning of Kray's words later when he was back in his own room.

The last few minutes had reminded of why he had been so wary of Kray in the first place. Aside from the fact that both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord were interested in him, there was a dark aura about him that set him apart from the other fools Dumbledore had called Defense Professors. And unlike some of his predecessors, Thomas Kray never bothered to hide the fact that he was dangerous.

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The students were particularly excited on the second weekend of October. Despite the war raging outside the school, Albus had decided not to cancel Hogsmeade weekends. Tom had protested by saying that a few hours of freedom was not worth risking the students' lives. Albus, however, insisted that it was important to maintain a normal school life for the students, especially when the war was already threatening to alter everything else in their lives.

Having gotten his way, Albus had left the school early that morning, presumably having some 'personal matters' to take care of, which Tom interpreted as matters concerning Voldemort's soul. He tried not to let that thought bother him too much.

Tom himself had chosen to remain at Hogwarts when the students roamed the streets of Hogsmeade. Even in his own world, there was little that could make him venture into the magical village when it was half crowded with over-excited students.

He had spent most of the afternoon marking the third years' essays. It was a frustrating task, especially since this group of third years had not been taught by him before and therefore didn't quite manage to grasp what he expected to see in an essay. After spending hours trying to decipher his students' meaning in between messy paragraphs, Tom finally decided to give himself a break.

His break was cut short, however, when a loud voice reached his ears the moment he stepped out of his office.

"-pelliarmus!" There was a brief pause, then- "Petrificus Totalus!"

Alerted, Tom quickly strode down the corridor towards where the voice had come from. He didn't have to venture far. Just round the corner he could see a student – Mark Williamson, a first year Gryffindor - being held in full body bind on the floor. A short distance away from Williamson stood Brutus Gibbon. Tom recognized him as the first year Slytherin who had challenged him at the end of the first lesson.

Gibbon's head snapped up when Tom made his presence known. He masked his nervousness well, but his stiff posture gave him away. And the boy had every reason to be nervous. Tom's gaze travelled from the unmoving form of Williamson to the two wands Gibbon was holding in his hands. The situation did not look good on the boy at all.

Gibbon opened his mouth to say something, but Tom cut him off. "Release him first then I will listen to what you both have to say." The boy visibly winced, apparently having no idea how to reverse the curse. Tom shot him a disapproving look then pulled out his own wand. "Watch the wand movement. Finite Incantatem."

Williamson stirred and slowly pushed himself back to his feet. He glared at Gibbon, who returned the look with equal hostility.

"Now, let's hear your story," said Tom. "We'll start with-"

"He's the one who attacked me first!" Gibbon blurted out, interrupting Tom. "I was just defending myself, Professor Kray."

"Liar! You're the one who attacked me!"

Tom held up a hand and the two boys wisely shut their mouths. It was clear that one of the two boys was lying and the situation was not in Gibbon's favor. Except, of course, for the fact that Gibbon was wearing a green and silver tie.

Tom Riddle always protected his snakes, and he was willing to extend the gesture to the snakes that weren't his.

He turned his attention to Gibbon, tuning down his Legilimency to a minimal level so that he would only be able to tell if the boy was telling the truth and nothing else.

"You claimed he attacked you, what spell did he use?"

Gibbon blinked. "What-" he gulped at the look Tom was giving him. "The disarming spell, sir."

"Was that before or after you cursed him?"

"Before," the answer came quickly this time.

Tom felt relieved when his magic told him that the boy was not lying.

"What happened after he tried to curse you? No, you'll get your turn, Mr. Williamson." He glanced at Williamson warningly when the boy looked about to protest.

Gibbon stared down at the wands in his hands. "Well, he missed, so I - "

"Look me in the eyes when you're speaking, Mr. Gibbon," ordered Tom. "If you're not the one at fault, then there's nothing to be afraid of, not from me."

Gibbon stiffened, surprise written on his face. Then he nodded with a small smile and met Tom's eyes with obviously more confidence than before. From the corner of his eyes, Tom could see Williamson squirming uncomfortably.

"I was just returning to the dorm, " began Gibbon, "but then I heard someone calling my name. The next thing I knew he," he motioned to Williamson, "was coming up at me from behind and pointing his wand at me. He tried to curse me, but he missed. Naturally I got to defend myself, so I disarmed him and put him in a body bind."

Tom nodded, detecting no lies from the Slytherin. "I think we've heard enough from you for now." He turned towards the other boy, who was staring down at his shoes. "Now, Mr. Williamson. As I recall, you called Mr. Gibbon here a liar."

Williamson nodded, refusing to look at any of them.

"If you've been following our conversation, you should have heard me telling Mr. Gibbon that you have nothing to fear from me," Tom paused, "assuming you're not the one at fault." When he received no response from the boy, he went on quietly, "Now, let's hear your side of the story."

Williamson remained silent and Tom suppressed a frustrated sigh. But a moment later, the boy seemed to have finally found his Gryffindor courage.

"He was right." Williamson squared his shoulder as he spoke, but his gaze remained on the ground. "I attacked him first."

"Why?" the question came from Gibbon, who looked both angry and indignant.

Tom was curious himself. Williamson was a quiet student. He didn't seem to be the type that would go about the school picking fights. Then again, there was a time when no one would ever have believed that Tom Riddle was capable of killing.

Williamson's answer was short, but enough to tell Tom all he needed to know.

"Because your father almost killed my Dad," said the Gryffindor with clenched fists. "He's in St. Mungo's right now. He mentioned the name Gibbon when I visited him this morning."

Gibbon narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about? Why would my father even know someone from a family like yours?"

Williamson gave the other boy a look of pure loathing. "My Dad's an Auror. He's hurt because people like you and your family-"

"That's enough," Tom's cold voice caused both boys to fall instantly into silence. "Tell me," he addressed Williamson, "did your father tell you to take revenge for him?"

Williamson bit his lip. "No, sir."

"Did he even mention the name Brutus Gibbon at all when you visited him?"

Williamson glanced briefly at Gibbon. "No, sir," he said quietly.

"Then," said Tom, "I think fifty points from Gryffindor should be a fair enough punishment. In addition, you will serve one week of detentions with me for attacking a fellow student with no reason other than trying to make yourself feeling better and one more week for attempting to put the blame on him."

Williamson winced. "Professor-"

"Don't even try," Tom cut him off coldly. "I expect to see you in my office at one o'clock sharp tomorrow afternoon, understand?"

Williamson's shoulders slumped. "Yes, sir."

Tom turned towards Gibbon. The Slytherin looked smug, but Tom had mentored enough snakes to tell that the boy was shaken by what Williamson had said and done. He might have to keep a closer eye on the boy for the next few weeks. But for now-

"As for you, Mr. Gibbon, I will give Slytherin ten points for a successful self-defense practice if you can turn in an essay by Wednesday next week, explaining to me why you shouldn't use a curse before you know how to reverse its effects."

Gibbon flushed then nodded his head.

Tom tilted his head, smirking as another idea hit him. "On second thought," he said, "hand it to Professor Snape, tell him I'm the one who assigned it to you. Don't worry, you'll still get the points once you've handed it in."

Gibbon looked puzzled, but in the end he merely shrugged and nodded again.

Tom was about to dismiss the boys when he heard a voice calling his name.

"Professor Kray."

It was McGonagall, looking paler than usual. She glanced questioningly at the two first years before turning to Tom.

"You're needed in the Hospital Wing," she said in an urgent whisper so that the students wouldn't be able to hear. "There's an incident in Hogsmeade. A student was cursed and Madam Rosmerta was found dead in her own bathroom."