Summary: Tom Riddle, one of the century's most powerful Magus prodigies, claims he doesn't need a Fighter. And he doesn't; Bestia-type Fighter Harry Potter just happens to be a convenience when he picks him up. Drabble Series!
Warnings: Slash, AU, ~1k word count drabbles, fighting (possible blood mention)
Pairings: TMR/HP (Tom Marvolo Riddle / Harry Potter), EVENTUALLY: [[past LE/JP (Lily Evans / James Potter), past LE/SS (Lily Evans / Severus Snape), -maybe- SB/RL (Sirius Black / Remus Lupin)]]
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, obviously. Characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
Note: Hope you don't mind the dialogue; wanted to try something new and was feeling the mood for more chat than details.
"So," began Harry as they took off again after a small break, "where are we going?"
Tom turned to look at him with a deadpan expression. "We've been traveling for three days, and you didn't bother asking until now?"
"Well, I didn't say anything earlier because you didn't seem like you were the type to get lost. And after Emeraude, I'm sort of clueless on… well, everywhere else."
If Tom were any lesser of an aristocratic man than he was, he would've facepalmed.
"You do know where we're going, right?"
"…Once again, you decide to ask that now?"
When Tom didn't get any reply other than a shrug, he sighed. "Since the visit to the oracle was, in relation to the quest, useless, I've decided we're going to Half Moon Mountain next."
"Huh," hummed Harry, "can I ask why?"
The Magus didn't bat an eyelash as he continued his explanation. "It has a nullification barrier around it; most magically powerful items use this as protection over their domain, as you've seen with your own Sorcerer's Stone. Half Moon Mountain is also known to have some… curious… links to the other world at magically active times, which is why it's very possible that the Resurrection Stone is hidden there."
"And if it's not?"
"We move on," replied Tom simply.
Harry shrugged again. "Okay. How far is the journey?"
"A week more, at the least. It is a mountain, so we'll have to ascend—and it will get cold, so be sure to keep your cloak on when we get there."
"Can you tell me anything about the terrain?"
"Rocky, obviously. Steep at many points. There's a makeshift road, but it's mostly left unused and, therefore, more of an ancient path than anything. I'd tell you more about the vegetation if I could, but there is much unknown about the mountain itself."
"That's highly inconvenient," muttered Harry.
"Is it really?"
"Well, on one hand you have the fact that we'd be pretty hard to find, especially without magic. On the other hand, if someone's waiting there—"
"—a perfect snipe point," softly answered Tom. "I'm assuming the oracle's got you worried?"
"Yes," admitted Harry. "I don't like the fact that it's a mountain, either."
"What can go wrong, will go wrong at that altitude," agreed the Magus, "but I rather it over somewhere far out at sea, say on an island or something."
"Still…" murmured the warrior.
"There are also many rumors about an enormous Roc that lives at the top of the mountain," Tom continued.
"…Are we assuming that it's guarding something?" asked Harry tentatively.
"We are," confirmed the Magus.
"And that something will be the oh-so magically powerful object that's generating the barrier?"
"Yes."
"And are you even the slightest bit worried about the part that you have no magic at your disposal?"
"What part of nullification barrier did you not get? I wouldn't have been able to use my magic anyways."
"That didn't give you any problems in the Forest, did it now?" shot back Harry.
Tom's lips twitched. "Point," he muttered, but then in a louder voice continued, "Can you not take on a Roc?"
"Well," playfully mused Harry, "It does have the home advantage. Not to mention, the motivation to protect something—"
"Is this a ploy to coerce me into saying something?" asked the Magus with a slanted look out of the corner of his eye.
"Not at all," cheerfully denied Harry. "I've always wanted to see a Roc! The only reason I know of them is because of vague stories my tribe occasionally tells of them—rulers of the sky and what not. I'm sure it'll be a terrifyingly pleasurable experience!"
"Sometimes I wonder whether you're insane or absurdly overconfident," Tom said without missing a beat.
"Why, because I let you drag me everywhere?"
"It's not dragging if I can feel the eagerness radiating off of you," the Magus replied dryly.
"Don't be a killjoy," waved off Harry. "Worst case scenario, the Roc will be too ridiculously overprotective over whatever it's hypothetically guarding, say this Resurrection Stone, and it will have no mind to listen to reason—don't look at me like that!—so we'll have to end up killing it or something."
"Don't you mean if it's female?" Tom asked, his tone dripping with boredom.
"…Normally I'd make some comment about how any woman of my tribe could punish you thrice over for that comment, but I'm actually seeing some truth in your statement," admitted the warrior.
"Yes, that tends to happen when you're traveling with me."
"I'm sure other people absolutely adore you when that happens."
"Well I wouldn't know—care to tell me about your personal experiences?"
"But wouldn't that ruin it!" dramatically cried Harry. "How would it be personal anymore if the whole world knows it?!"
"Are you implying that I'm your whole world?" inquired a wickedly amused Tom.
"Whoever said anything about my world?" retorted Harry. "Now that's just egotistical, Tom. I'm not that arrogant."
"So are you then implying that other people think I'm their whole world?"
"I'm sure the world is very, very angry at you for thinking that one sole person owns its entirety."
"Then who would the arrogant person be now? I'm sure the world appreciates having one sole person decide its every feeling," mocked the Magus.
"…Is this a roundabout way for warning me that I probably shouldn't disregard the Roc as a serious threat?" asked Harry with playfully narrowed eyes. "Why Tom, I didn't know you cared so much!"
"Are you trying to find ways to imply that I have an unhealthy amount of emotional attachment to you?" Tom shot back.
"I don't know, do you?"
"I don't think I'm trying to imply anything at all."
"Of course you're not—because you're seriously implying something that I would very like to know of—"
"Or is this really a ploy to make you over-guess yourself and bring down that ridiculous amount of self confidence you have?"
"There's nothing wrong with that!" defended Harry. Then, abruptly he changed the subject. "Why's the mountain called Half Moon?"
Tom raised a brow at the choppy end to their mock argument. "There are multiple tall tales that include the mountain and an association with the moon. No one knows which is the truth, or at least the origin and first."
Harry frowned. "…Is that an ominous hint that we're going to have to wait for a full moon or something before some secret passage opens leading to the Stone?"
The Magus snorted. "Now you're just being paranoid. Of course not—nullification barriers raise the environmental magic, which means the full energy of a full moon would never be needed."
"But what about if it was a specially crafted passage adjusted to said energy?"
"That would require a team of elite Magi to do," replied Tom patiently, "And the nullification barrier would need to have already been set up before they even got started, which means the task would be near impossible. Ancient magics are far too complex for even I to use them in the range of a block."
"…I'll take your word for it, but if there is some secret passage with a requirement of one of the stages of the moon to be present in the night sky, I'm going to reserve the right to say 'I told you so'."
Tom sighed. "Whatever pleases you."
Word Count: 1240
Word Prompt: Hint