On another trip to Texas :)

Hopefully buyin a house this time AND I'M ACTUALLY UPDATING THIS TRIP!

LE GASP

XxXxX

Harry looked all over the castle for Tom, even going so far as to make a second Direction Stick to hunt him down.

For whatever reason, it didn't work. Wherever Tom was, Harry couldn't find him.

The only other class he had that day was Defence and everyone knew that - like last year - Defence was a joke, so he went down to visit Caerro and Caelila near Hagrid's hut.

They were both happy to see him and they, like Draco and Ron, were quick to inform Harry that Tom would forgive him.

He didn't believe them any more than he had the other two.

Before he knew it, the sun was setting and he had missed Dinner. Not that he was hungry anways, but he had hoped to catch a glimpse of Tom there in order to gague his level of anger. That way he could measure the level of apology that he needed to dish out.

Harry didn't think that he had ever needed to apologize before.

Well, of course he's done it when he accidentally bumped into people, but never for a purposeful offence like this.

Being so buried in his thoughts as he was, Harry missed the approach of a person.

"Mr. Potter," said a voice behind him.

Quickly, Harry stood and spun, ignoring Caelila's whine of complaint as he accidentally shoved her head off of his lap.

It was only Professor Snape.

"Hello, Professor," Harry greeted, hissing a "Sorry," to Caelila before she rested her head back on his lap with a snort of amusement.

Severus sighed and sat beside Harry, stroking the scales of the now rather large dragon. Her head was now so big that half of it hung off of the boy's lap. It was a wonder that he was able to dislogde it when he stood up like that - her head must be heavy.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked the boy.

"Oh, not much, really," Harry responded. Snape raised an eyebrow. "I'm just... sorting some things out."

"Like?" Severus asked, pausing for an answer. When none came forth, he continued. "Believe it or not, I am usually pretty good with sorting out my students' issues."

"Professor, I'm a Gryffindor. I'm technically not your student."

Severus smirked. "Tell me, Mr. Potter, do you know with whom my loyalties lie?"

Harry glanced at Severus in confusion. "What does this have-"

"Just answer the question, Harry."

"Well," Harry said, screwing his face up in concentration. "According to Tom, you're on his side, but if that were totally true, you'd be in Azkaban right now, wouldn't you?" He looked for a nod, but received none. "So... Dumbledore must have gotten you out, right? Right?" Severus nodded here. "Which means that your loyalties would lie with Dumbledore because why else would he get you out?"

"You are... partially correct." Severus said, smiling sadly. "My loyalties have always lied with your mother, Harry, and she served Dumbledore. I didn't dare tell her that Dumbledore was just as insane as the Dark Lord, and I only truly deflected to Dumbledore's side because I feared for her life. I asked the Dark Lord to spare her, but I didn't put faith in that. Dumbledore believes that I am loyal to him."

They sat in silence for a while, as Severus allowed Harry to sort this out.

"Why did you tell me this?" Harry asked, looking up at Severus.

"You are your mother's child, Harry." Severus replied, standing up. "Now, Mr. Potter, I'll give you fifteen points if you can tell me the signs of someone being under a Loyalty potion."

"They start feeling giddy at first, and then a bit lethargic, before settling back in their normal condition with their changed loyalty... why?"

"Do keep that in mind, Mr. Potter. Twenty points to Slytherin." Harry watched Professor Snape walk off in confused awe.

XxXxX

"Do sit down, Mr. Riddle," Dumbledore said, pulling out his bowl of lemon drops.

Do not sit down. Voldemort said to Tom, his 'voice' slightly panicked.

Tom sat down.

This is not the time for petty rebellion, Tom!

Shut up.

"Care for a lemon drop?" Dumbledore asked, offering the bowl. Tom declined "respectfully". No matter how much he hated Voldemort right now, he drew the line at lemon drops.

"So, Mr. Riddle, my boy, do you know why you're in here?"

Tom sighed. "I skipped History of Magi-"

"Not quite, no," Dumbledore said, the twinkle in his eye gone. "You're here because you have been putting the Imperius curse - or some variant of it - on Harry Potter, as well as switching places with him. You've been terrorizing the muggle-borns for a while, and these offences line up to expulsion. However," He said, interrupting Tom as he started to object. "I am willing to drop some of these. You simply must convince me, my boy." Tom again opened his mouth to start arguing when a kettle of tea and two cups appeared. "Care for some tea?"

Do not, under any circumstances, Voldemort said, as Dumbledore poured Tom some tea, I repeat, Do Not drink the tea, Tom!

Tom picked up the cup and glared at himself in the reflection. I'm sick of you ruining me. In one gulp, he downed the whole cup. He blinked twice, slowly feeling happier.

Tom- TOM-

Tom vaguely wondered why there was a bug buzzing in his ears.

He felt so light. Could he fly? Tom giggled as he imagined himself flying.

"So, my boy," Dumbledore said, setting aside his own cup, "Have anything to tell me?"

Tom giggled again. How could anyone have a beard that long? How long was it, even? Could anyone measure that much? It must have been seven hundred and seventy seven feet at least!

"Your beard..." He whispered. "Is it magical?"

Dumbledore's eyes widened, before he nearly laughed. He forgot some of the effects of the particular potion he had used.

Normally, he would feel bad of having to drug a child like he did, but there was no reason to feel bad. Not only was he preventing the Dark Lord from rising again, but he also wasn't the one who brewed the potion.

What he did hate was overworking Severus like he was. First Death's potion plus a whole batch of Loyalty potions, not to mention his paperwork and the papers he had to grade as well as the potions that the Hospital wing always needed.

Ah, well, he could deal with it.

"Tom, you may leave. Don't forget that your next detention is tomorrow at this time."

Tom giggled and he stood, nearly skipping out of the door.

This may prove to be quite entertaining.

Dumbledore smiled.

XxXxX

Todaaa.