A/N: Hey guys thanks for the feedback, I wanted to post this as soon as possible :) Thank you so much for reading this, I really appreciate the response it has generated out of you guys! I hope you enjoy the ending, I've been wanting to write this for ages! :D
I was asked what about Ginny. Well she and Harry never had time to get back together after the war as Harry was sent back in time to meet Tom, also the future has changed so from her perspective their relationship never happened.
I hope that clears things up :)
Oh before I forget it this chapter is set in an alternative universe.
DISCLAIMER: I. Don't. Own. Harry. Potter. Do. You. Understand!
I apologise for any spelling and/or grammar mistakes!
"italics" - memories from old universe
Please Review!
First Year: Discovered I was a wizard, met Ron and Hermione, Philosopher's Stone...
First Year: Discovered I was a wizard, met Ron, Hermione and Tom Riddle...
Second Year: Basilisk, Tom Riddle, Ginny...
Second Year: Tom started duelling club, got closer...
Third Year: Sirius Black, dementors, taught Patronus by Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew...
Third Year: Sirius Black, dementors, taught Patronus by Tom, Peter Petigrew, Sirius freed...
Fourth Year: Tri-Wizard tournament, Voldemort, Cedric dying...
Fourth Year: Tri-Wizard tournament, moved in with Sirius, Cedric winning cup...
Fifth Year: Umbridge, smear campaign, Sirius' death...
Fifth Year: Trained by Tom in DADA, Christmas at Sirius's, Death Eater's escape Azakaban...
Sixth Year: Horcruxes, Memories, Dumbledore's death...
Sixth Year: Memories, told about Order of the Phoenix, more training...
Seventh Year: Horcrux hunt, Voldemort's death, time-travel, Tom...
Seventh Year: Member of Order, trained as Tom's apprentice, first kiss...
Opening his eyes Harry was blinded by the sun, peeking out from behind the pure, cotton candy clouds. Squinting he saw two figures running up to him.
"Harry!" one yelled happily as it got closer.
"Hermione?" whispered Harry before he felt the the wind get knocked out of him as he was pulled into a bear hug by the bushy haired girl.
"We've been looking for you everywhere!" exclaimed Ron coming up behind him.
"Where have you been?" asked Hermione as she released him.
"Urgh I went for a walk" lied Harry, dazed by having his two best friends back.
Hermione crossed her arms in a gesture that reminded him of Mrs Weasley - he guessed she had been spending too much time with Ginny.
"Well come on, Tom's been worried" said Ron, motioning them to head up to the castle.
"Tom?" asked Harry, his voice betraying the hope he felt.
"Yes Harry it takes quite a lot to worry him but there have been Death Eater sightings in the area" scolded Hermione.
Thoroughly confused Harry followed them to the castle.
Entering the building he was amazed to see that there were no chunks of stone missing from the staircases or walls, the statues looked pristine unlike the crumbling ones of old. The place had a feel of happiness to it, not the oppressive cloud that once loomed over their heads reminding them of the death and destruction that had taken place.
"Harry where did you get that scar?" asked Ron suddenly pointing to Harry's forehead. Harry looked at him quizzically before Hermione uttered an exasperated "Ronald! He's had that all his life!"
"Oh! I guess I never noticed before" replied Ron quickly in an effort to calm Hermione down.
For the first time Harry paid attention to where they were going and was relieved to see they were making their way to the DADA classroom. It seemed Tom had listened to him.
Standing a few feet away from the door they stopped and Harry walked past them a few steps. seeing he was alone he turned around and looked at his two friends.
"Erm... he was really angry Harry so, um he's all yours" said Hermione.
"Yeah good luck mate, we'll be outside in case you need help" said Ron.
"Thanks guys... I appreciate it" said Harry gulping audibly. Who knows how Tom had changed since they last saw each other.
Entering warily he looked around the classroom. The desks were neatly stacked against the wall as were the chairs.
"He must have just taught duelling" thought Harry, remembering his own lessons.
The wooden floor was immaculately clean, the work of several cleaning charms and Tom's desk was at the front, with the blackboard behind, neat and organised. Harry chuckled thinking back to Tom's obsession with neatness when he was a teenager. It appeared old habits died hard.
His musings were cut short as the door next to the blackboard opened and Tom strolled in, pulling a loose thread from his robes. He looked to be in his mid twenties, his hair was as tidy as ever but with one curl hanging over his smooth forehead. His robes were the standard Hogwarts black but he managed to pull it off magnificently. Underneath the robes he wore a white shirt and grey trousers. The effect was breath taking , at least from Harry's perspective.
"Tom?" he said, his voice sounding loud in the quiet classroom.
Upon hearing the familiar voice Tom looked up, his eyes filled with hope.
"Harry?" he breathed, taking in every inch of his face with his piercing eyes.
"What's going on?"
Tom understood immediately the nature of this question and transfigured a pen on his desk into a chair before motioning that Harry should take a seat. Once he was seated Tom sat on the other side of his desk.
"Harry, I've had a lot of time to research this in depth as you know. Through my studies I have concluded that you went back in time from, lets call it Universe A, and since you changed the time line that led to Universe A you inadvertently created Universe B, that is this universe. Due to this when you travelled forward in time you merged with the Harry Potter in this universe as it is impossible for there to be two of one entity in a universe. I dare say you have the memories of two universes which must be quite confusing."
"Well that explains why Ron never recognised my scar" said Harry,
"Yes it does take some time for the merge to be accepted by everyone as sometimes there are residual memories."
"How did you recognise me?"
"I saw the ring" answered Tom, pointing to Harry's right hand on which rested the ring of Salazar Slytherin.
"Hermione mentioned something about Death Eater activity?" asked Harry. At this Tom's face darkened considerably.
"Yes my 'friends' did not like my career plans. After all the training I gave them they wanted to use it, feeling that they were superior to others. Dumbledore and I started the Order of the Phoenix to try and stop them but they are cunning, a lot more cunning than I anticipated and so they are still active today. Their mission is to take control of the Ministry as by cutting off the head the body follows. If they had control then they could pass laws and no one could argue against them without being sent to Azakaban. However we have managed to prevent them from getting that far."
"Did they kill my parents?"
"In this universe yes, they were on a mission for the Order but were ambushed. Your Godfather Sirius was arrested after attempting to kill Peter Pettigrew and so you lived with muggles before proving Sirius's innocence in third year" said Tom sadly.
"I remember some of that."
"Yes it will take some time for you to gain all of the memories. However if you must know I did kill the Death Eater's responsible for their deaths."
"Who were they?"
"Hyperion and Abraxas" said Tom shortly.
So you have to fight your old friends?" asked Harry incredulously.
"Well Alphard was an auror, your training helped him a lot, he was one of the first Order members. As for the others initially yes but they are all dead now, with each generation they get more and more sloppy and so it is only a matter of time until we defeat them."
"But if they are dead then why do you look not a day over twenty-five?".
"Remember what I said about the horcruxes slowing my aging Harry, also the soul bond helped that considerably thanks to your amulet" chuckled Tom, pulling the scarab out of his trouser pocket, "Due to this I couldn't die of anything but old age but due to the soul bond I could die of anything but old age!"
"See I can be smart sometimes!" boasted Harry.
"Hmm remember I have two sets of memories about you and I can tell you I've seen you make some stupid mistakes whilst I trained you!"
"Why did you train me?"
"I knew that one day you would take over that body and so I had to keep it alive long enough for that to happen. You are incredibly accident prone."
"Its a talent" said Harry smirking.
"So you have two sets of memories as well?" asked Tom, moving the conversation past such petty insults.
"Yeah its kinda confusing but in a way its nice."
"That's how I felt when Harry Potter enrolled in first year, I knew he wasn't you but it was nice knowing you were here in some form."
"I suppose I better go and see Ron and Hermione to tell them that you haven't caused me any bodily harm, they were too scared to come in you know" laughed Harry.
"Actually I think they just wanted to give us some alone time" smirked Tom.
"Oh" said Harry, the laughter dying on his lips.
"Don't worry, homosexuality is not frowned upon and actually there was a bet in the staff room on how long it would take us to get together after you came of age" said Tom smiling.
"Oh God, I won't be able to face any of the teachers now!" groaned Harry.
"Where is that Gryffindor courage that is so boasted by members of that house!"
"Remember the Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin too" remarked Harry, getting ready as he saw the heirs expression morph into one of annoyance.
"I resent that!" yelled Tom as Harry ran out of the door.
"Mate your still alive!" called Ron as Harry emerged speedily from the classroom.
"Only just" laughed Harry as they walked down to the Great Hall for lunch.
"Oh Hagrid wants us to visit him tonight, he says he has a surprise," said Hermione, watching the boys shudder she remarked, "It can't be that bad surely!"
"Yes it can't be that bad coming from the man that wanted and obtained a pet dragon before realising he couldn't look after it!" exclaimed Ron.
"Shhh" said Harry as they neared the hall.
Upon entering they went over to sit at the Gryffindor table - Ron had to drag Harry who had nearly walked to the Slytherin table. Seeing the faces of his old school mates he smiled happily as he tucked into his meal, not put off at all by Ron trying to talk to him with his mouth full and Hermione was scolding the unfortunate red head.
Everyone was still here and it felt almost back to normal. Even though they were still at war he was confident he would get through it with his friends and Tom at his side.