[a/n0]Common theme from #45 bitterness ends with the last generation. Characters in Harry Potter don't bear that out on either side, be they Weasleys or Malfoys from 1st War. Delphini certainly didn't seem the forgive & forget type either. There wouldn't've been a WW2 without the Nazis and their 'Jews stab in the back' theory. And my country is 6 generations out still with a KKK.
[a/n]Sequel to HDD#225
Harry Does Different CCXCVI
Lone Traveler VIII
World of Riddle
Many visitations to many places had left Harry Potter rather weary. The powers that be decided he needed a respite and a happy ending. They sent him to FZ2JER09 as it was coded for them. The Lone Traveler didn't need to ask the date as he entered Hogwarts, a clock overhead provided that down to the second Wednesday April 29 1992 10:14:36. This Harry found odd, why would students be gathering in The Great Hall when they should be in class?
"Pardon sir, are you from the Ministry?" a girl asked.
Only a long history of interacting with younger versions of longtime friends kept Harry from blurting out "Indeed, Miss…?"
"Chang, sir, Cho Chang. Hoping to be Ravenclaw prefect one day." She offered a hand and not quite a smile.
"Evan Jameson" he introduced himself using his typical alias, returning the shake. He only brushed the girl's surface emotions "Easy to see the sadness of the day. Want to come aside, chat for a second?"
Cho snorted and sobbed "Auntie Meri was the best. Poor Professor Riddle. You MUST know them."
"Pity me, hadta settle fer a Texass edacatison." He dropped into a thick western American accent for effect "A popular pair, then? Give me the short version."
She smiled and wiped away a tear "A real sad beginning. She potioned a Muggle she was in love with and had a baby. Thought he was really in love with her, but as soon as he missed one dose, he ran out on her. Almost died in childbirth. But a kindly healer took her into an orphanage, delivered Professor Riddle and kept her from dying."
"Remarkable! Tell me more!" the Lone Traveler exclaimed, remembering even after many hundreds of different visitations. This was clearly the future of where he'd already had an impact.
Cho looked up apologetically "Sorry, sir, you should maybe join the Head Table. They're starting the ceremony." She ran to the Ravenclaw table.
"Staff, students, guests" Headmaster Dumbledore stepped up to the podium and addressed the somber crowd. His eyebrows disappeared under his hat as his glance touched Harry but he resumed "We're here today to say farewell to a beloved fixture. Dear Merope had such a difficult start here as you all know. Hers was a landmark case that basically outlawed love potions and rightly so as they are little different than the Imperius Charm. But she worked tirelessly …here… all the rest of her days to show us the best a magical can be. As witches go, she was perhaps, not the most powerful. But, she so exemplified the traits that Professor Sprout has consented to step aside for the rest of the term and allow your Auntie Meri to be Head of Hufflepuff for the remainder of the year."
The traditional photograph of a Head of House adorning the Great Hall changed accordingly to muted applause. There was a black strip running diagonally across it.
"I hope Professor Riddle can manage a word or two." Said Dumbledore as he yielded the podium.
The Lone Traveler was still Harry Potter, it was impossible for him to NOT react, and that very negatively. He went for his wand before his brain even knew his hand was moving. Just barely, he managed to restrain himself. This did raise his threat level in the Headmaster's eyes. He desperately controlled his breathing and focused on the crowd of students. Himself, among the Hufflepuffs? Interesting. Next to Susan Bones. Ron Weasley in Ravenclaw? Really? How rare! But across from Hermione explained that. Now THAT was interesting! Exchanging meaningful glances with Slytherin Theodore Nott?
"…today, please, everyone I want to be just Tom." Professor Riddle was saying "Everyone's condolences have been wonderful and I do thank you, truly. But in a way, they feel almost unnecessary. By that I mean, like all of you, I will certainly miss my Mum, I do not feel as if she left anything unfinished behind. Forgive me, that was a bit clumsy, no unfinished business would be more proper. There is always something else a person would like to do, but look around Hogwarts. It would be selfish of me to talk all day but perhaps Mum's single most noticeable achievement is what we now call the Magical Forest. In Headmaster Dippet's time we called it The Forbidden Forest because it was entirely too dangerous for our pupils to visit, even with armed escort. I plan to take a leave of absence with the family then return in good time for finals. Thank you all again."
As the hours passed it became apparent to the Lone Traveler that he must both confront Albus Dumbledore and have an honest chat with Tom Riddle. As the mourners' line dwindled sometime after 2pm, he approached.
"Tom, I caution you, this man harbors ill intentions toward you." The Headmaster warned.
Harry shook his head "In another place I was all but your grandson, except for you preferring wizards to witches." Noting the embarrassment, and the blank expressions, he merely smiled "Classified. Sir? Sorry. You might recognize a couple impossible things in me related to several of your students. If that doesn't convince you, please hold my wand for the duration of my chat with Professor Riddle. That would be another impossible factoid to add to your list, of course. Plus you have my oath I would never besmirch the Holy Site of a funeral with violence."
"But this is MY wand!" exclaimed Dumbledore in high exasperation.
The visitor winked "Quite the conundrum, eh Professor? Professor Riddle, I'll honor what your speech requested and just offer, I am sure you will miss your mother."
"Elegantly phrased, sir." The suave professor held out a hand, which was shaken only reluctantly "You hesitate. Why?"
Harry was still highly suspicious "What are your views on immortality?"
"There is one method to achieve that without harm to others, the Sorcerer's Stone; as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor I teach how to protect oneself against numerous others without telling the children exactly what ritual they are guarding against." all Riddle's barriers flared into being "As for myself; I believe I have already exercised the only true path to immortality. I have three children and five grandchildren."
Harry smiled and visibly relaxed "That much aligns with my philosophy Professor. Let me tell you the truth about me. I fibbed to Miss Chang over there, though I can make a vague claim to James Evanson: I am the son of an Evans and a James."
"James? Potter! Evans? Lily!" the professor didn't lack for brains "You are a time traveler."
Nodding, the visitor said "The little blonde Ravenclaw there dubbed me The Lone Traveler many thousands of travels ago. In the prime time, you were obsessed with personal power and immortality. You used a particularly evil method that I had to deal with before I killed you myself. And one of my first travels prevented your first murder."
"You refer to horcruxes." Riddle was nodding "Yes, Horace and I discussed them shortly after I joined the staff. We worked out, in collaboration with Filius, a counter-charm. You see, we reasoned that as a murder of an innocent is a required ingredient to horcrux creation, you must simply jinx all possible innocents in such a way as to make them useless. Without, of course, harming them in any way."
This was a vast idea with such great potential, the years of Travel fell out of Harry's face as he asked with near-childlike eagerness "Can you show me? It could change EVERYTHING?!"
REMOVE THE TEMPTATION STOP THE CRIME was the title of the scroll Tom Riddle offered as a light swelled.