~Chapter 10~

Dumbledore gave his announcement ranging from ground rules of where they're not allowed, banned pranks, and magic barred being used in the corridors. Tom wondered if that one was actually true or if he meant spells that could hurt someone. He'll have to ask one of the prefects or maybe their head of house to be certain. There are always loopholes, like the one he found so he and Harry could practice before school.

Harry's interest was grabbed regarding Quidditch trials, wondering if he'll be allowed to sit and watch. Based on what he and Tom have been told, while it sounds dangerous, it also sounded like a lot of fun.

They were a bit wary though when the headmaster warned students not to enter the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side. His simple reasoning was that it was out of bounds to those who don't wish to die a very painful death.

"Is he for real?" Tom asked. He scooted a little closer to Harry.

"He must be," a female prefect commented. "It's rather strange though."

"How so?" Harry said, placing a comforting hand over Tom's.

"Well, he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere than what he just said. Like the forest, that's an obvious one to avoid. It's full of dangerous creatures and plants. The only way students can enter is if they're accompanied by a professor or the groundskeeper."

"Why would anyone want to go in there though?"

"Potion ingredients or to study some of the flora and fauna native to the forest for class, but that's only offered to those in their sixth and seventh years. It's rare anyone younger goes in. But it's still strange. I would have thought he'd tell us prefects about that corridor."

"Maybe something recent happened so they didn't have time?" Tom mused, the girl having to agree though still looked concerned.

"I'll talk with Professor Sprout, she might know what's going on," she hummed. "You're a smart kid, Tom."

"Thank you," the boy smiled.

They listened as Dumbledore wrapped his announcement up by requesting everyone to join their school song. As if to help, he flicked his wand until there was a long golden ribbon fly out. It rose above tables, twisting itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone, pick your favorite tune," Dumbledore smiled, "and off we go!"

As students began to sing, everyone in various octaves, Harry and Tom gritted their teeth. They tried to follow along but found the noise too much. A few of the older students noticed their discomfort and they relaxed when the noise softened.

"Should be a bit better," one of them reassured. "Not a fan of loud noises?"

"Just not used to it," Harry admitted. "Thank you."

"It can get a bit much, wait until the end though. The Weasley twins so far have done something unique each year after the song."

Able to better enjoy the silly-sounding song, they did, soon watching the mentioned twins proudly finishing their part. It was a very slow funeral march, but the expressions were hilarious, a fair number of people giving them applause. The headmaster responded by wiping his eyes.

"Ah, music," he hummed. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now bedtime. Off you trot!"

Realizing they would be going to bed, the boys made sure their pockets wouldn't empty and followed their fellow first years. After such a tense day, exhaustion was hitting them, making them eager for sleep. Holding each other's hands, they relaxed, listening to the prefect talking to them as she led them down to their common room. They walked down different corridors, hardly paying much attention where they went other than when to stop or turn. They heard whispers, looking up every so often to see portraits watching them and the other kids. They pointed and awed, many smiling, others sneering.

"Wake up, guys," the teen spoke up, snapping those nearly dozing awake. "Watch what I do, it'll be important. You need to tap the barrel in a specific order to get in. If you don't, you'll get an unpleasant bath and denied access for a while."

Harry and Tom sobered up enough, watching carefully as the wand tapped in a rhythm. When she finished, the entrance opened up, revealing a passageway.

"Keep that in mind and if you're unsure, practice on a barrel and ask any of the older students here to help you practice until you get it down."

They nodded as they each crawled through, a couple given some help. Arriving at the other side, they were amazed at what had to be the common room. Plants hung from the ceiling, sat on shelves, floors, and windowsills. The children noticed a few seemed to wave, others bouncing excitedly, a couple even greeting! A painting of a smiling woman waved. The few familiar with Hogwarts' history recognized she was one of the founders. While dark outside, the roaring fire and the few copper lamps lit the place up nicely, giving it a homely feel. A young man stood near the middle, a smile on his tired face.

"Congratulations! I'm prefect Gabriel Truman, and I'm delighted to welcome you to Hufflepuff House."

The tired eleven-year-olds smiled, thanking him, making his smile bigger.

"Thank you, and thank you, prefect Melissa Hickory leading them here. Now, I have a short speech to give and a few ground rules while you're in our house."

He guided them all to sit than remain standing, allowing them to get comfortable.

"All right, first, being part of Hufflepuff House means you all have traits that our founder, Helga Hufflepuff, found personally valuable. Each of you has one or more of those traits and I hope you'll nurture them and more will grow to help you become fine young witches and wizards."

Gabriel paused, allowing the words to sink in before he continued.

"As such, I expect all of you to behave and treat each other with kindness and respect not just here but to all of the houses. While we are rivals we are also a family as a whole, so please remember that and hold it to your heart. Be mindful of the school rules as much as our house rules. Both are posted on the wall over there for reference if you're unsure or forget."

He listed off a few important rules specific to their common room and dorms:

I. First to third years' bedtime is at ten. There are a few exceptions though. The time will change accordingly and a notice will be posted.

II. Do not mess with the plants. You are allowed to look and examine them but are not permitted to move or tamper them.

III. If there's ever a problem, see Gabriel, Melissa, or talk to the portrait so that she can retrieve the professor if it's serious.

IV. Boys are not permitted into the girls' dormitory.

V. Girls are not permitted into the boys' dormitory.

VI. Clean up after yourselves and help others clean should they need it.

"I think that should cover it for now. As I said, the rules are posted to double-check, but let's get you, kids, to bed. Girls will follow Melissa to the girl's dormitory. Boys, you follow me."

With sleepy goodnights passed around, they split into two and followed their assigned prefect. Harry and Tom were amazed as were the other boys they would room with. The two though were happiest not only by how comfortable the room looked but found they would be together. They spotted their trunks side by side.

"Night boys and welcome again to Hufflepuff House," Gabriel smiled as he bid them goodnight.

Tired as they felt, Tom urged Harry they should wash up, the other agreeing and followed him, grabbing what they would need from their trunks. When they finished, dressed in cozy pajamas, they found the rest of their dorm mates already fast asleep.

"We each have a bed…" Tom whispered, sounding uncomfortable.

Harry felt the same. Since dropped off at his relatives, they've always shared a cot and later a bed. It felt strange to suddenly sleep separately.

Tom fished through his robe pockets, pulling out the food he collected. He placed them in his trunk where hopefully the ones from dinner don't get too stale. Harry followed suit, getting his stash into his. They can stick some in their pockets in the morning to snack on in between classes.

He spotted Tom taking out the snake plush, hugging it tightly. He still looked uncomfortable as he sat on his bed. Harry took his lion plush, hugging it similarly. He sat on his bed, both looking uncertain. At least they're next to each other. Bidding each other goodnight, they got under the covers and tried to sleep but neither could settle. They tossed and turned and when they finally seemed to sleep, Harry was awakened by a nightmare. He shook, hugging his toy tightly, hearing Tom whimpering, seeing him trembling in his bed. Climbing out, he shook him, dark brown eyes snapping open as he quickly sat up.

"Bad dream?"

Tom nodded, trying to get his breathing under control.

"Me too."

"What did you dream about?" Tom finally asked. He moved over, Harry taking the hint and climbed in. They're clearly not ready to sleep separately, maybe someday but not right now.

"The one with that laugh and the green light."

"I saw it to… Harry, do you think that light, that laugh was him? Your parents' killer?"

"I think so. Try not to think about it."

Tom frowned but agreed. For years, they had been confused by those dreams and now they know what it could be but it didn't make it easier.

"Do you want to try sleeping? We have classes tomorrow."

"Yeah… You'll stay, will you?"

"Of course."

Tom smiled, relaxing as he pressed closer, their arms wrapping around each other. Neither of them had any more nightmares, quickly forgetting about the ones they had not long ago.

***0***

"Hey guys, wake up," Justin's voice broke through their sleep. "We'll miss breakfast."

Harry and Tom sleepily rubbed their eyes, ignoring the stares by the other boys seeing them sharing a bed.

"Okay," Harry nodded as he got up. He dropped his lion plush on his bed as he retrieved his glasses. Tom was still waking up, the snake still tucked in his arms before he finally set it down so he can gather his clothes.

"Why were you sharing a bed?" Justin asked quietly. "I mean if that's okay."

"Oh, well, we've always shared a bed. I guess we're just really used to it," Harry shrugged as he pulled his clothes on.

"That's kind of weird," the rude boy commented.

"They live together, it's not that weird," another boy pointed out. "They're practically brothers."

"Yeah, I suppose…"

Finishing getting dressed, they gathered their school things and hurried out with everyone else to the Great Hall. Tom was beaming when they got their schedules, pointing out what they're having today. Harry was relieved they got the charmed bags. Carrying so many books plus whatever else Tom wanted to cart around would have been a chore with normal ones.

They watched in awe as owls flew in from opened windows, charmed as they've been told to act as if closed. It would keep the cold or poor weather out while allowing the owls' free access to come and go.

"Where do the owls go? Do they sleep in the forest?" someone asked.

"The owlery," another answered. "Students' and school owls all stay there. It's not difficult to get to except during the winter because of the ice."

"That means Hedwig and Eliana must be there," Tom commented as he ate some sausages. They looked and tasted a lot better than what he and Harry had to make back at the Dursleys.

"Are they your owls?" the boy who defended them asked.

Harry nodded while swallowing some oatmeal. "Yeah, they were gifts. Hedwig's mine, she's a snowy owl."

"Eliana's a barn owl. She also got a fascination with collecting strange things."

"Strange how?"

"Bottle caps mostly. Plastic, metal, she doesn't care. She collects them and likes to bring them back. She doesn't care when I have to throw them out though. I think she just likes finding them than actually keeping them. Not sure what she'll find here though."

This earned a few chuckles from those who listened.

***0***

When they finished breakfast, they were off to their first class. It took time for them to find their first classroom, some of the older students helping or asking a portrait. It was still a strange concept but they were quickly adapting to their magical world.

Tom was grateful that Harry let him get Hogwarts: A History. It gave them a slight advantage knowing more about the school such as the staircases or where some of the classes were usually located. Strangely enough, Tom found some of the corridors familiar, as if he walked them before, making locating the rooms easier. It was a bit unnerving but he ignored it in favor of neither of them running late. Despite the occasional assistance to get around though, most of the students would be gawking. They would whisper whenever seeing Harry, pointing him out or at his scar. The boy would try and duck, trying to appear invisible in their eyes. Tom would respond often by taking his hand and try and make himself a shield from their stares. He would also talk over their whispers as they walked to class to distract his friend.

Classes themselves proved to be an interesting challenge, something that thrilled Tom. There really was more to magic than waving a wand and uttering specific words. Harry and Tom had suspected that after having practiced certain spells so much. But to find out there were many more with similar wand movements, others requiring thought and willpower than a pattern added to the difficulty. Then there were classes that had little use for actual magic.

One such class was Astronomy. Every Monday night they learned, they would be up in the astronomy tower. They would be learning about the different constellations and the names of stars and planets. So far, it was the only class that allowed them to be up late and made the next day a tad more forgiving because of it. Harry and Tom loved it though. They have read about stars in school and Tom had found books that talked about old stories revolving around some of them. Any time they were locked out of the house, they stayed up nearly all night watching the stars. They would list off what they knew or what they read about. Sometimes they got lucky if the night was especially clear to see a shooting star.

Another class they liked was Herbology, having it three times a week. Another positive is they got to see Ron, Hermione, and Neville, talking with them when it was allowed. The professor in charge was their own head of house, a friendly witch named Professor Pomona Sprout. The greenhouses they would work in held all sorts of plants and fungi, recognizing a lot of them. They were to be taught the basics of how to care the simpler and safer plants. Sprout would also explain some of the properties several species have for other areas.

However, the two of them, as well as many others, easily found History of Magic to be boring. It was taught by a droning ghost named Professor Binns. He looked friendly and seemed to enjoy entering the class through the wall than a door. The boys heard from the older students that he had supposedly fallen asleep during break years back and when the bell rang, he got up to teach but left his body behind. It was a little unnerving to hear but seeing how comfortable the ghost looked, guessed it must have not been that bad. It was that or he had a lot of help coming to terms with his death.

When they had Charms, a tiny little wizard named Professor Filius Flitwick, head of Ravenclaw, was an excitable and friendly sort. During rollcall he had let out a squeak when reading Harry's name, causing him to fall off the pile of books he was standing on. He gave them mostly lectures about the class and how proper wand movement for different spells can determine its effectiveness, the same with pronunciation. It made the two boys feel proud they had already begun to figure that out.

They would have double Transfiguration with the head of Gryffindor, Professor Minerva McGonagall, on Mondays as well. She was a strict, but clever woman the boys determined. She lectured about the complexity of transfiguration as well as being one of the most dangerous if done improperly. She warned them not to screw around and if she catches them doing so, they would be thrown out. Tom felt that was a fair warning. If a spell can be used to kill someone, he can only imagine the same could happen with a spell that went wrong that shouldn't hurt let alone kill. He also noticed she kept a particularly close eye on him and Harry, finding it rather strange. Then again, quite a few teachers gave them odd stares though figured it was due to Harry's unwanted reputation.

Halfway through class, they were given their first project, several disappointed they wouldn't be turning furniture into animals. Harry was rather okay with that as was Tom, feeling it was too advanced right now. Instead, they would be trying to turn their matchsticks into needles. By the end of class, Tom nearly turned his matchstick into a needle, Harry coming to a close second. Tom's was silver and pointy, but it felt and was shaped like a matchstick. Harry got his pointy and feeling like a needle, but it still looked like a matchstick. She gave them both a small smile though, leaving them beaming with pride.

Defense Against the Dark Arts proved rather strange, having thought it would be a serious class. The classroom smelled strongly of garlic upon entering, people saying it was to ward off vampires. Supposedly, Quirrell had a bad run-in with one, hence his stuttering. The only interesting things they found were some of the stories the professor would share when asked. A few he turned pink, others he got excited, sometimes making his stuttering worse or less depending on what it was. At the end of class, however, both Harry and Tom found themselves with pounding headaches. One of their housemates had to help walk them to class until they passed, asking if they were okay. The pain faded quickly though, grateful for that, more so by the help they received. They hardly ever got help, so this was new to them and they liked it.

Every night, they would alternate sleeping in each other's beds. The other boys found it strange but made no move to tease them or get someone to force them to stop. A couple of nights they would wake up from a nightmare, comforting each other before falling back to sleep.

Around those times one or both would wake up wet and would clean themselves up and change. Those nights often left them more tired in the morning but it was something they were used to so it made little difference. They had noticed though that the bedding would vanish and be instantly replaced with fresh ones after getting changed. They were awed by how the castle seemed to work.

***0***

Friday came and students filtered into the Great Hall for breakfast, most of the staff was already present. Among them was Severus Snape. He watched the students eat, listening to the bit of gossip that would spread. He was listening for anything about Potter and Riddle… He had to force himself to not address him as the Dark Lord even in his mind lest he loses his temper around the brats and called him that. It would not only confuse him but may set him on a dangerous path.

One amusing fact was listening to the Weasley twins laugh and joke with their youngest brother turning the pet rat into a puffskein in colour and fur. He couldn't help but raise a brow, listening when the animal only looked like one thanks to Riddle's help. The redheaded boy wanted to get his dull pet to look interesting and the amnesic child did just that. A very different approach, knowing the boy he was wouldn't have done something so juvenile. He internally shook his head as he listened to anything else of interest. Whether it would help the Order or keep the school standing, he needed to remain attentive. Severus idly listened to Minerva talk about her class with Potter and Riddle. The way she talked about Riddle though, he had to push down some colourful words he wanted to say.

"The boy seems to have talent. He almost turned his match into a needle. Still needs some work mind you, but for a first lesson, it was surprising. The only other to get that close was Miss Granger."

"You do realize who you're praising, right?" he asked, his voice low.

"I know, but you remember what Albus said. He has no memory and so far has proved to still have no memory. I've been closely watching them when they were in my class."

"She's right, Severus," Pomona added. "He's quite a sweet child, he and Harry both. They have such good manners."

"Sweet? He's a manipulator!" he growled dangerously.

"Was," Minerva reminded curtly. "I believe Mr. Potter's proving to be exactly what Mr. Riddle needed so long ago."

"I agree, those boys simply adore each other," the Herbology teacher stated with a smile.

"I have to agree as well," Dumbledore said quietly. A subtle privacy spell enveloped around them without alerting the students. "Minerva, you said Tom nearly turned his matchstick into a needle? What about Harry?"

"He did rather well as a first attempt. I think by the next class or two he'll have a better handle on it. I have a strong feeling Mr. Riddle will ensure that happens. They appear to be a good balance for one another."

"And what about you, Pomona? How have they been?"

"Simply wonderful. They've got a knack for plants. They recognized quite a few herbs and spices, familiar with their uses. Mostly for cooking, but impressive nonetheless. Mr. Longbottom's also quite a knack as well."

"I see, but have there been any problems though?"

"None that should concern our safety but…" Pomona trailed off, a small frown forming before continuing. "It appears the boys have been having accidents. The charms on their beds have gone off a few nights, alerting the house-elves. They've been leaving me a report in the morning whenever it's happened."

"It's normal being in a new place."

"Maybe so, but I still want to keep an eye on them just in case."

Severus listened to this, surprised to hear the boys were wetting the bed. Dumbledore could be right though, it could be because they're in a new environment. He's gotten a few reports of students, first years mostly, wetting their beds once or twice and knows Filius and Minerva have likely had their fair share. As it's been said, they'll have to be watched, the dour man's curiosity piqued.

Thinking back, he had taken notice of the boys sometimes swiping an extra roll or two before bed as well as any snacks they felt they could smuggle. The sweets were normal, recalling Crabbe and Goyle doing the same as well as a handful of other students from his house and others. He even amused himself with a faint memory of smuggling sweets and…

"Dinner rolls…" he whispered, eyes growing wide slightly.

Looking closer, he noticed they were rather small. Comparing Riddle to his past self, he was smaller than he should be. Even Potter was small for his age. Neither James nor Lily were small when they were eleven. He would definitely have to keep a closer eye on them and when he has an opening, talk with Pomona about her findings, and if need be, stroll down to Hagrid's and talk to him about the boys.

When the owls came, two particular owls flew in. Their owners smiled at their arrival, curiosity raised at the letter one of them came with. Riddle's had something in its beak, dropping it on the table, looking quite proud of itself. It looked to be another stone when he held it up. It seems his owl has a strange habit bringing him stones as trophies. Severus shook his head as he finished up breakfast. Class will be starting soon and it's his first one with his new snakes and the lions, already feeling a headache forming.

I want to thank Krysania (Tat) for helping me with this chapter.