A/N: 12/04/1940: The British government authorises the internment of Germans living in Britain.
Although Horace Slughorn outright dismissed his fellow Head of House's accusation that Alastor and Tom had tried to murder one of Ravenclaw's star pupils, he could not deny that the boys had been, at the very least, irresponsible.
He thanked his lucky starts, however, that Albus was out of the castle. His friend would undoubtedly overreact.
"Alright boys. Time to sort this out," he said encouragingly to the children standing in front of his desk. Alastor looked pale and worried, and he was fairly sure the boy had not actually known what the spell would do. That meant someone had given him the spell. And the person that most likely did was standing right next to him. Tom's face was as unreadable as always.
Alastor said nothing, and Horace felt a surge of pride. Tom had made a friend that was loyal enough to keep his silence when all he had to do was blame everything on Tom. Then he got a second surprise. Tom looked up.
"It was my fault. I gave Alastor the spell, but I must have forgotten to include the notes on what it does."
"I think it is quite clear that Alastor did not, in fact, know what the spell was going to do," Professor Slughorn said sternly, "or else he would not have risked throwing it in a room full of younger children. Hand me your spellbook, Tom."
Tom slowly took the book out of his bag and handed it over. Many students kept a spellbook, to write down the spells they were learning, with notes reminding them of pronunciation or wand movements.
Horace glanced over the entrances. "Hmmm…."
"Funny. I seem to recall these spells appear in tomes found in the Restricted Section of the library," he commented.
Alastor shot Tom a look.
Horace stared at the children. "I suggest, boys, that you start explaining."
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Alastor walked the lengthy corridor, a bit dazed still. Tom walked besides him, not saying a word.
"You really got Mr Tewksberry to let you into the Restricted Section?" he asked.
Tom nodded. He wasn't quite sure how his friend would take his trips there, but Alastor grinned widely. "Wicked! Clever move, fooling Tewksberry like that."
Tom looked up.
"You should have told me which spells you got from there," Alastor lightly punched him in the shoulder, "we're lucky no one got hurt. Too bad Professor Slughorn confiscated your spellbook."
Tom grimaced. The work of several trips to the Restricted Section gone to waste. Alastor got one detention for not paying closer attention – Professor Slughorn had told him sternly that trying to impress could lead to serious problems. Tom himself was in bigger trouble, besides sharing Alastors detention.
"You will apologise to Mr Tewksberry for lying to him," the tone of Professor Slughorns voice had suggested that the librarian might not escape unscathed, either.
"You will also apologise to Mr Flitwick and explain what happened. If that means he bans you from the duelling club and ends your lessons with him, that is his full right and I will not speak on your behalf if he does. Am I making myself clear?"
"Yes, Sir," Tom had replied, and then, "Must you tell Professor Dumbledore?"
"I must not, no," Professor Slughorn had steepled his fingers, "However, he is likely to learn of it anyway. It may be sensible that he hears it from you."
And with that hanging over his head the teacher had shooed them out.
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Filius Flitwick gave his Potions Master a serious look.
"As I said, I will not try to change your mind if you decide to ban Tom from the duelling club and stop his lessons, Filius," Professor Slughorn said, "it is your full right. You could have been badly hurt."
The young man leaned back, giving the matter some thought. "I wish to know, Professor, what exactly is wrong with Tom Riddle," he said eventually, "I know he is not quite normal. He is different from last year, I admit that, but he seems to lack some basic understanding about human interactions and feelings. Yet at the same time he is highly intelligent and showing a great deal of dedication in his lessons."
Horace sighed. "I do not know how much I should tell you, since it is Professor Dumbledore, not I, who is Toms guardian."
"You know very well, Professor, that what you tell me will not go beyond these four walls," for a moment, the Professor felt chastised by his student.
"It is not whether or not I trust you, Mr Flitwick, because you know I do," he gave the boy a severe look that had no other effect than to put a slight smile on the Ravenclaw's face, "It is whether or not I have the right to share this."
"Then let me tell you of my suspicions, and you can simply confirm or deny them," the young man said, "Tom grew up in an orphanage, correct?"
"Yes," his Professor replied, "he was born there. His mother died there at his birth."
"It does not seem that Tom had many friends there, or cared a great deal about any specific staff members. He never mentions the orphanage or anyone he knew there."
Slughorn couldn't help but feel that this young man was quite perceptive. In later years, Flitwick would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage because of his size – he had no doubt that the adult Flitwick would have problems getting people to take him seriously. Horace Slughorn however was certain he, at least, would now never make that mistake.
"Although the Matron of the orphanage already was in that position when Tom was born, the staff that has the daily care of the children changes frequently. There is little opportunity for the children to build a relationship with any staff member. Or among each other, really," Horace added, more to himself than to his student, "since there is a constant stream of children coming in and children getting adopted out."
"So Tom has had little opportunity to acquire any social skills or mature emotionally and was fairly left to raise himself," Flitwick concluded, "at the same time he has a thirst for knowledge and a hunger for power. That is a dangerous combination, Professor."
Slughorn did not attempt to deny it.
"Very well," Filius said after a long silence, "I will continue to teach him and let him stay in the club. There is a charms demonstration at Oakfield Institute of Practical Magic two weeks from Saturday in which I participate as part of my pre-Master, Professor. I will ask Professor Dumbledore if Tom and Alastor may accompany me there. It may teach them caution in spell work and at the same time, give them some creative, more benign challenges to put their minds to."
Slughorn smiled, his relief evident. "Thank you, Filius. If I may however, I would instead propose that we convince Headmaster Dippet to allow all Third Years who are interested to attend. It would be a great opportunity for our students, and not give Tom and Alastor the impression they are being rewarded for misbehaviour!"
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Two days later, Horace sat in his rooms, his slightly shaking hand holding a glass of firewhiskey. He did not normally drink during the school week, but he definitely felt he needed it now. Albus and himself did not always see eye to eye on matters, but usually they were able to discuss their views calmly and reach a compromise – or agreed to disagree if a compromise was not possible. Rarely did they full-out fight, but on the few occasions where they had, the results had been months of hidden hostility until they got properly drunk together, decided whatever the issue had been, it was not worth risking their friendship over and buried the hatchet.
He very much wondered if that solution was possible this time.
It had started with Tom's confession and apology to his guardian. Horace still couldn't help but grin a little bit when the boy had chosen a time he knew the Potions Master would likely be with the Transfiguration professor. Undoubtedly he had already noticed that his guardian was far more likely to reign in his first angry reaction in favour of thinking things over before responding when the Potions Master was present.
Albus had, indeed, sent the boy off with merely a scolding and admonishment to fulfil the punishment the Potions Master had set upon him.
When the child had left, he dropped into a chair and groaned.
"Where did I go wrong? Am I spending too much time away from the castle?"
Horace rolled his eyes. "Albus, try to see things in perspective, will you? The boy snuck into the Restricted Section. No, he should not have and yes, he is being punished for that, but almost every student tries to get past Winfred once in while, and last year alone almost a dozen of them succeeded. The man is, I'm afraid, not a very effective Librarian."
"He lied and manipulated to do it!" Albus countered.
"Well no student ever got into the Restricted Section where they weren't supposed to be by being honest!" Horace threw up his hands in exasperation, "not every instance of childish mischief he undertakes means he is going Dark, Al!"
"I have been researching," Albus said, ignoring his friends arguments, "it is possible to bind…to remove his magic."
"What?" Slughorn asked, not believing his ears.
"It is slightly Dark, but I think I can get Ministry approval once it has been established that the boy is indeed going Dark…" Albus feverishly explained.
"NO! Are you crazy? Albus, you are overreacting! Listen to yourself, man."
"He manipulated Winfred! Played on his desires!"
"So?" Horace bellowed, "Winfred feels inferior to the staff and will cater to everyone that treats him with regards. Everyone knows that about Winfred, any student could have done that! The boy is a Slytherin after all."
"Exactly!" Albus paced the room, "what is he learning? What habits is he picking up on? What morals will he adopt?"
"I am a Slytherin, Albus," Horace's voice was low and slightly cold, "I assure you Slytherin does have standards. Tom is clever, not depraved."
"But he will go Dark."
"You wanted to keep the boy safe so he would not turn Dark," Slughorn said coldly, "but it seems to me you want more than that. You want him to be your image of a Gryffindor. He is not that, nor will he ever be. You don't want to just save him from the Dark, you want to change more than that, you want to change who he is. He IS a Slytherin with many of the admirable traits Slytherin possessed. Admirable, yes! We're not a collection of twisted Dark wizards corrupting young minds to our evil ways! Don't get too fixed on Gryffindor as an ideal and don't project your own darkness on Tom. He must be kept from going Dark, but he also has a right to be his own person, even if not every aspect of that personality meets *your* high and mighty standards!"
Eventually things had deteriorated to the point where they were close to a full blown fist fight. Horace had gathered up enough of his senses to leave and retreat to his rooms, licking his wounds and wondering how in the world they were ever going to recover from this fight.