Tom looked at Harry, who was lying in the boat, his body was shaking, his face pale. The boy was in pain, he could feel this. And he could feel the fear, which was slowly going away. Those intense feelings were exactly what gave him a visible form, however short it might have been.
He had already known this. The day he got out of the diary was when he first noticed it, when Harry's feelings were particularly strong, he got more power. Their connection was getting stronger ever since Harry opened the diary, but that one promise made sure he got enough strength from the boy's feelings for him to escape. Today Harry gave him his trust, and the promise to go on no matter what, probably without realising it. Those strong feelings and the feeling that the potion had given him, made sure that the mutt could see him, as long as the feelings were present.
"Water." The Gryffindor said.
"You will have to wait." He replied, setting himself down at the edge of the boat. "Your godfather will be here in a minute."
He looked at the mutt and his younger brother. The magic was crumbling, releasing the young Black and the inferi. He watched how the two brothers struggled for a while. They were losing the fight, even more of those vile creatures were coming at them.
He soon realised that Harry was unable to leave without help. He needed the mutt, or the younger Black, if he wanted to get out of here, preferably with only the younger Black, and his horcrux obviously.
"Harry." He looked at the boy. "Listen carefully. Your godfather is in danger. There is one way to destroy the inferi. Fire. You have to conjure it. Can you do that?"
The boy looked at him, blinking with his eyes. "I think so." Tom did not know where the boy kept getting his strength from. He had to admit it was amazing. The Gryffindor got on his feet, the boat rocked a little, but stabilised again.
"Incendio!" Harry yelled, with the last of his power. That was where everything went wrong. Tom saw the fire, how it consumed the inferi. And then the boat rocked again. He looked back, just in time to see his companion fall over board. He was pulled down with Harry, into the depths of the lake.
Unlike Harry he did not need air, he did not feel the pressure of the water and the inferi, waiting in the vast darkness, were no danger to him. He tried to grab Harry's wrist, but his hand went right through it. He closed his eyes, when fire appeared right in front of him. But the light of the fire disappeared too quickly. "Fight!" He yelled, not wanting to see his only hope die so deep under the water and so far away from their goal.
A hand reached right through him, but before he saw who's hand it was, everything went dark.
"Harry?" Darkness had returned to him. There was no sound, no light, no voices. He was alone again. Somehow, he knew he went back to the diary, locked up in a little book, like he had been for the past fifty-somewhat years.
"Harry?" He walked around in the never-ending darkness. "Do not ignore me!" He yelled. "We had a deal, you and I, you promised me!"
But Tom knew there was no use. The boy's present in his mind was fading away quickly. He knew what this meant. Harry was dying. His last chance to become alive again, taken away by water and darkness.
Tom could not feel anything, there were no emotions. He could not hear anything, no words, no whispers, nothing. And it terrified him. Before all this had happened, he was used to the loneliness, the darkness. But now he did not want it. He wanted Harry back, he wanted to talk to the boy, tell him they had succeeded in finding the first horcrux. He wanted to fight with Harry, to best him in every single conversation and see the boy abilities grew. One day, he knew this, Harry would be his complete equal, one unique soul, that could match his. He wanted to see that, be proud of his creation.
"May God damn you Black!" He screamed to the never-ending darkness, realising no one could hear him. "You and your stupid brother! If he dies, I swear I will find a way to kill you! Both of you!"
Hi own voice echoed in the darkness. The only indication he had now, was the soft throbbing in the back of his mind, the final presence of Harry in his own head.
"Lay him down on the couch." Remus said to Sirius. He did as he was told, gently laying Harry on the couch. The boy's breathing was so shallow, it worried him.
"Is he going to be all right?" He asked softly, stroking the boy's wet hair out of his face.
"I don't know Sirius. Let me look at him." The werewolf grabbed his wand and traced it over the boy's body. "There is still some water in his lungs. We have to get it out."
He could not believe this was happening. Harry was supposed to be at school, having fun with his friends, not lying here, half dead, with water in his lungs.
Remus positioned himself over the boy. While mumbling a spell, he waved his wand over Harry's upper body, pushing the water out. Sirius looked at his godson, couching up water, turning to his side once more. After that the boy's breathing got deeper.
"Get him out of those wet clothes, otherwise he might still die of hypothermia." Remus said, while disappearing into the bathroom. Sirius looked at Harry again, before gently taking the boy's robe of. Something fell out of its pocket, onto the ground. For a moment he looked at it. Tom Riddle's diary.
His eyes darted towards the bathroom, shifting over Regulus his unconscious form in one of the chairs near the fireplace. He could simply take it, be done with it. He licked his lips, before grabbing the little black book and tugging it away underneath his own robes. At least for the time being, Harry needed to be rid of it, until the boy was strong enough again.
Remus came back with some towels and a blanket. "Light the fireplace, Sirius." The werewolf said. Again, he did what he was told, levitating some wood into the small fireplace and lighting it with another 'incendio'. The warmth spread through the room. It was then that Sirius realised how cold he was himself, but that was something he could worry about later.
He looked at Remus, who was covering his godson in towels and the blanket. "What were you doing there anyway?" The man asked softly, placing a pillow underneath Harry's head.
"That's not up to me to tell you." Sirius answered, setting himself down at the head of the couch, placing Harry's head on his lap. He stroked the boy's hair. "He is going to be all right now, isn't he?"
"He's going to be fine. All he needs is some rest." Remus got up and looked at him. "Can you at least tell me how your dead brother is still alive?"
"Harry needs to be back in his bed by morning." He said. Otherwise there would be questions. Dumbledore would ask him, and Remus, why the boy was with them and what had happened to him. His eyes rested on his brother. The soft light of the flames, made Regulus his face look hallow and to pale. "I don't know." He whispered. "He was there, but he shouldn't have been. I had been certain he was dead."
"Well, he's alive. Weak, but alive." The werewolf placed a blanket over Regulus as well. "'I'm going to make some tea."
Sirius looked at his little brother. No day had passed for Regulus, he still looked the same. Young and fragile, like he always had. And their parents had taken advantage of that weakness, made the young man into a brainwashed idiot.
When they were little, Regulus had followed him everywhere, they were inseparable. His brother listened to everything he said, played with him and asked him things. The year he went to Hogwarts, everything had changed. Without him, Regulus had turned towards their parents, he had no influence on the boy any more. The perfect son, that's what they called him. He had almost begged his brother to choose Gryffindor, but the little idiot did what his parents asked, he got sorted into Slytherin. He had barely spoken to Regulus since that day. When the young man had disappeared, he had told everyone what an idiot Regulus had been, choosing the wrong side and getting himself killed. He never expected to find him in a cave at the shore, where one of Voldemort's soul-pieces was hidden.
"Sirius, are you okay?" Remus had placed a cup of tea in front of him, on the small table.
"I just don't understand it. He should be dead." He said softly.
"Or at least eighteen years older. He looks exactly the same like last time we saw him." The werewolf sat himself down on the only available chair left.
"When Harry found him, he was trapped inside a magical cocoon. He had cursed himself, to prevent himself from dying." Sirius was still stroking Harry's wet hair.
"Eighteen years have passed, without him knowing anything that happened. We are going to have a lot of explaining to do when he wakes up." Remus sipped his tea.
"First he can tell us what in Merlin's name he was doing down there." Was it a coincidence? Was Regulus aware of the existence of Voldemort's Horcruxes? And did he just fail the obtain one and destroy it? He had a lot of questions.
"Like you should explain to me what you and Harry were doing down there?" Remus asked, looking straight at him now.
"It's not up to me to tell you. If you want to know, ask Harry." Sirius answered. "But not tonight. I'm bringing him back to Hogwarts, to sleep this of in his bed. Will you please watch my brother until he wakes up?"
"Of course I will." Remus got up again. "Just make sure Harry gets safely back to school."
"I will." He got up as well, heaving Harry in his arms yet again.
Tom paced through the darkness. He could still feel Harry in the back of his mind, stronger than before, but not quit as strong as it used to be. It was frustrating that he couldn't get out of the diary and see him. He knew Harry was asleep, or unconscious, and it would be a while before the boy woke up again. But that didn't make the wait any less nerve-wrecking.
So yes, he was surprised when the darkness became grey, which was a clear sign of someone opening the diary.
"Harry?" Was the first thing he asked. Perhaps the boy was still weak, but awake. After all the events in the cave had left the Gryffindor powerless and weak, just like those protections were meant to do.
Hello Riddle.
Those words were written. This wasn't Harry. The boy knew they could communicate through speech, even if the Gryffindor was still feeling faint. Not only that, there were no feelings present. Harry's feelings were never completely shielded from him.
"Black." He stated. How dare the filthy mutt touch his diary! "This book does not belong to you."
Neither does Harry to you.
"You are mistaken." He said, the words appearing on the paper of his diary. "Due to his promises he does belong to me, as much as I, and this diary for that matter, belong to him."
He almost died because of you. You are undeserving of him.
He rolled his eyes. It was time to put this mutt in his place. "He almost died, because you wanted to save your brother. If you just left him there, Harry would have been fine."
Harry would have been able to handle it! If you didn't make him drink that potion!
"I did not make Harry do anything. He did it all on his own." He had even told Harry that it was a bad idea, but the boy hadn't listened. On the other hand, the Gryffindor had promised him to do everything in his power to find and obtain the horcruxes. So there was really nothing he, or the mutt could have done about it. "I know perfectly well what he can and cannot handle. Drinking such a potion and then fighting of inferi...he cannot. You are to one that put him in more danger then was necessary."
If it wasn't for you and your manipulative words, Harry would never have gone near that place.
"True enough, but then again I never claimed I would not put Harry in danger in order to get whatever I want. Unlike some." He replied, smirking slightly.
I would never put Harry in danger on purpose!
"Oh no? So, you were not going to sacrifice the live of your best friend's son, in order to save your brother? Or do you think Harry is James Potter reborn? I am sure your best friends would have been able to handle it, even though he is dead, and that all because of you."
The Black heir went quiet, but the diary didn't close. Tom couldn't help himself, he smirked. It was always fun to break someone into tiny little pieces. "Or perhaps it is all about saving someone. You killed your godson's parents, so you decided to save someone else, just to make up for that. Letting Harry die in the process is all fine, because he can go to his parent, were he belongs. And you can be proud, because you have saved someone and reunited a family."
I didn't kill his parents, you did.
"Impossible, I have not left this diary in more than fifty years, up until recently that is." He would break Black, make sure the mutt never intervened between him and Harry again. He had to be honest Black had his uses, like being a sacrificial lamb, and solving riddles, when Harry was reluctant to do so. But stealing the diary was unacceptable.
I will destroy you, and your horcruxes.
"Tell that to your godson." He felt anger rising in his chest, but it wasn't his. "Speaking of which, now is your chance."
The sun shone through the curtains, waking Harry up. He looked around. It took a few minutes before he realised where he was. Gryffindor tower, boy's dormitory. How did he get here? Last thing he remembered was falling into the ice-cold water and battling the inferi.
He placed a hand upon his chest. He had difficulties breathing, every breath hurt, as did his throat. He breathed deeply, before couching. That even hurt him more.
"Harry?" He looked up. The red-head was standing at the door. "Are you all right mate, you look like hell."
"I'm fine." He answered. "My throat is a little bit dry, that's all."
It was impossible to tell Ron what happened, not now he and Riddle were so close. They had the first horcrux! Soon it would be impossible to lie, if Riddle got his body back, everyone would be able to see him. But that time was not yet upon them.
"I thought something had happened. Snuffles was on your bed this morning." The red-head looked uncomfortable. "Dean and Neville asked me all kinds of questions about him."
"Sirius was here?" He spoke his godfather's name, without thinking about it. He jumped out of bed, grabbing his robes, that were draped over a chair. After searching every pocket, he realised the diary was gone. That explained the lack of annoying comments about hi sleeping habits and his hair. "He has taken it!"
"Who has taken what?" Ron seemed puzzled, but Harry ignored him. He dressed quickly, grabbing his glasses and his wand from the night-stand.
"I've got to go." He said to Ron, before leaving the red-head alone in the boy's dormitory. He ran down the stairs, crossed the commonroom and went out of the portrait hole before anyone could stop him.
Why did Sirius take the diary? He couldn't believe his godfather did that! Or perhaps he had lost it when he was drowning in that lake. Anyhow he had to find Sirius and talk to him. He couldn't help it, he felt angry, betrayed. After all he had heard Riddle, until he lost his consciousness, which happened when Sirius dragged him on the island. He remembered small parts of it now. He vaguely remembered seeing Remus his face to.
He stopped halfway. Perhaps he was overreacting. Barging in there and accusing the only person, who could actually help him of theft, was not such a good idea. Still the anger did not leave his body.
Moments later he entered the room of requirements. Sirius was sitting at a desk, looking at him. Behind him lay the diary open, with a quill and ink next to it.
"I hoped you... How could you Sirius? I thought you trusted me?" He had to use every ounce of strength he had left just to keep his voice normal.
"I do." Sirius simply replied. "It's him I don't trust. I wanted to speak with him directly."
"You stole the diary, while I was unconscious!" The anger and pain of betrayal were slowly coming to the surface. He was too tired to do this. "Did you ever consider asking me for it?"
"I took advantage of the situation, I don't deny that. But tell me Harry, would you have given the diary if I asked you for it?" Sirius looked straight at him.
Would he? Harry would have loved to just yell 'yes', but he knew it wouldn't be true. He trusted no one with Riddle's diary. Sirius could easily have taken it to Dumbledore, thus ensuring the destruction of the Slytherin heir. But his godfather didn't. He just talked to Riddle, or that was what Harry assumed. Yet the answer would still be 'no'. "Bloody Slytherin." He muttered, even though he knew Sirius had been in Gryffindor.
"I'll take that as a no." His godfather replied. "And may I remind you that I'm as much of a Slytherin as you are."
"You may, but then I will have to inform you the sorting hat almost placed me in Slytherin." Harry grinned at his godfather, who stared at him, disbelief in his grey eyes.
"You're kidding right?" The man asked.
"No actually I'm not. But I know it's not something to be ashamed of." In his first year he had been afraid to tell anyone. In his second he didn't want to believe it. But now he realised Slytherin wasn't all bad. Sure, it had produced a fair number of dark wizards, but so had Gryffindor or the other two houses for that matter. Besides it were his choices that made him different.
"Can I have the diary back now?" Harry asked. "And the horcrux...Please tell me you took it."
Sirius looked at the diary for a moment, before closing it and handing it back to Harry. "Please be careful Harry. I know I always encourage you to be a little bit more adventurous, but this is something else, it's dangerous."
Harry raised an eyebrow, while taking the diary. "Says the man that hung out with a werewolf during the full moon." Sirius laughed at that.
He sat down in one of the chairs, tugging the diary inside one of his pockets. "You have to promise me one thing Sirius." He said.
"Anything." The man answered, serious again now.
"Never steal the diary again. If I need you, if something is about to go wrong, I will tell you, but keep your hands of m... this diary." He looked straight at his godfather now. "Next time I will curse you."
"I promise I won't steal it anymore, but if he hurts you again, in any way, I will find a way to destroy it." Sirius answered, fire in his eyes. Harry hadn't seen the flicker of red in his own eyes.
Harry nodded. He knew there was nothing he could do to stop Sirius, not if it was about something like his life. His eyes rested upon the horcrux, that was lying on the table besides him. This contained a piece of Voldemort's soul? It looked to normal. There was no magic, otherwise he would have been able to feel it.
Harry took the horcrux into his hand. It felt cold, but just a regular cold feeling, from metal o your hand, nothing magical. He opened the locket. A note dropped into his lap:
To the Dark Lord
I know I will be dead long before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more.
R.A.B.
"It's a fake." Harry looked at the note.
Tom appeared besides him, more ghost-like then before, but he was out of the diary once more. "I figured as much."