Title: Pen Pal

Author: Nekoanima

Summery: What if Harry had a pen pal as a child another boy who was all alone. Harry makes friends with the young Tom Riddle as their letters bounce through time to the one they needed the most.

DISCLAIMER!: I own nothing or Harry never would have ended up with Ginny.

Tom,

I had a flying lesson yesterday, I was pretty nervous about it. A boy in my class broke his wrist by falling off a broom. He had this thing he got from his family in his pocket, and it fell out. When the professor was escorting him to the hospital wing Draco took it and was going to hide it somewhere, I told him to give it back but he took off on his broom. Before I thought about it I was up in the air too. I launched myself toward him to get it back but he sent it flying I thought I was going to be expelled honestly; instead they put me on the team .I made the Quiditch team for my house. I'm seeker. Before me they were missing a seeker. Our three chasers are all girls, Alissa, Angelina, and Katie, Ron's elder brothers the twins, Fred and George are our beaters, and Oliver is our captain and keeper.

Tom smirked he didn't particularly care for the sport but Harry seemed to be ecstatic about it. He was pleased that she was enjoying her school

P.S. here are the pictures, I went a little overboard with them, I hope you like them.

He removed the pictures from the envelope as well and leafed through them. Harry hadn't grown much at all since her first picture, it bothered him quite a lot. Want that a sign of malnutrition? He nearly laughed at the picture of her with a set of pumpkins, they were nearly twice as tall as she was. The next picture was of a lake, Harry was sitting by the shore of it, it almost looked like the black lake but the trees surrounding it were many times larger and the coastline was slightly different.

He opened her next letter it seemed that she was writing what happened in bulk before she sent them.

Tom,

I need help out Slytherining Draco. He challenged me to a duel and Ron being an idiot accepted it for me I don't know the first thing about dueling. I wish they would either stop hating each other or leave me out of it watching them bicker gives me whiplash.

Harry

Tom scowled, Harry was being put into unnecessary conflicts by her 'friends' if she got hurt again because of them…well they would pay for it quite painfully. He was sure Harry would forgive him for it as it would be in retribution for her.

Hedwig studied her master's suitor, he was quite irate at her master's fools. The red own that shared a roost with her master was by far the most annoying getting her master into trouble.

She watched with calculating eyes as her master's Tom wrote his response. She cocked her head to see, being bonded to a wizard was a wonderful thing indeed letting her read the human scribbles, and understand their speech. But her master also spoke snake and since bonding with him she wouldn't eat a snake. She could hear them now as well so no meals that talked back was to be a good thing.

As her master's suitor finished his scribbles she read them and hooted amusedly. Such a good suitor her master had. Keeping him out of trouble. He handed her the letter which she gingerly took in her talons. She ruffled her feathers in preparation of leaving but before she took off she spun around and swiped a piece of bacon from Tom's plate.

With an amused hoot she flew out towards her master's Hogwarts. All the while enjoying Tom's bacon.

'mmm bacon.'

Returning to her master Hedwig landed gracefully on the Gryffindor table, she could not understand why her master would choose a house with such garish colors. She rather enjoyed the cool beauty of her master's suitor's house. She eyed down the line up of the Gryffindors, her master's red fool was stuffing his face like a chipmunk. He opened his mouth to speak and bits of chewed food spat out. Hedwig ruffled her feathers, she was a rather vain bird and she knew it but the red fool was disgusting. She rusled her feathers again and leaned towards her master, he wasn't eating again and looked worried. She nudged his hand, she offered her talon holding his Tom's letter. A small smile formed on his face when he took it, he offered her a bit of chicken, which she gladly took.

Harry,

First Slytherining is not a word. Second the only suggestion I have would be a) look up dueling. And b) lie and don't show up let him get caught for being out of bed.

Though I can not say I enjoy the sport by any means I'm glad that you have found something that amuses you so. I don't believe they let any girls play on our teams. Your school must be very interesting.

Your pictures were all quite good, you should eat more often though you are far too small for our age.

Harry blushed at that remark, he knew he was small, in fact he was one of the smallest first years there was. He took a bite of his lunch, as if it would make Tom stop worrying, then he began to read the last few words of his friend's letter.

Do me a grand favor and stay out of trouble I don't want you getting hurt.

Tom

Harry felt warm inside at Tom's advice. It always made him feel nice to know that he cared about what happened to him. Tom was so important to him, he was always there and Harry could always trust him.

He stowed away his letter and felt better about facing the rest of the day, even getting out of the duel with Draco looked brighter.

Latter that night after they had all turned in for the night Ron pulled Harry out of bed.

"lets go we have to meet Malfoy."

'Oh no, I don't want to Tom said to stay out of trouble' Harry struggled as Ron pulled him through the portrait hole, seeming not to notice.

"where do you think you two are going?" Harry looked at the bushy haired girl, Hermione he reminded himself, thanking her silently for stopping Ron. Unfortunately it didn't last for long.

"what am I supposed to do in a duel?" Harry asked praying that Ron hadn't seen him in the library earlier looking up how to duel and spells.

"you just fire spells at each other." He said bluntly clearly feeling important for knowing something he thought Harry didn't.

"you cant go sneeking out after hours!" Hermione screeched, Harry thought if she had a bit higher pitch she would sound like Hedwig when she was offended.

"oh shut up." Ron retorted going back to dragging Harry.

Once outside the portrait they saw Neville leaned against the wall.

"what are you doing out here?" Hermione asked.

"yeah it shouldn't take the nurse that long to fix a broken bone."

"I got lost and then I forgot the password."

"oh the password is mimblewimble."

A few minutes later all four of them were wandering the corridors with Ron in the lead. Harry resigned himself that there was no turning back now.

"Students out of bed they are here somewhere, heading to the tower

"Malfoy tricked us!" Ron exclaimed. Harry sighed 'no he tricked you, he did exactly what Tom said I should have done.' Suddenly an echoing yowl reverberated through the corridor.

"what's that?"

"quick its Filtch's cat hide!"

"where?"

Harry turned looking for a place. "There, through that door!" Harry hissed, he knew he should he listened to Tom.

"it's locked!" Ron griped, Hermione shoved him out of the way.

"Alohamora." Hermione whispered and the door opened, the four of them scrabbled inside. A moment later they found exactly why the door had been locked.

The dog was sleeping when they opened the door, that was no longer the case.

Between that and Filtch Harry was taking his chances with Filtch.

The four of them ran all the way back to Gryffindor tower. As the portrait slammed shut behind them Harry decided not listening to Tom's advice is not worth it.