Chapter two : Sleeping with the enemy
Marvolo walked with Harry back to the Gryffindor common room after the class. He was still amused how the supposed heir of Slytherin had been sorted into Gryffindor. But he was just not Slytherin like at all, he was nice, honest, brave and daring. Marvolo also had a bed in the sixth year Gryffindor's dormitory. It was very modest for him because he was used to sleeping in one of his various castle's, alone in a big room with a huge bed all to himself.
The Gryffindors had been very excited to welcome a new student amongst them, especially someone so charming and handsome. Harry had actually been the least excited of them all but that was to be expected given the history Harry shared with his new brother.
Marvolo still couldn't believe he was related to someone so evil. Marvolo had been good all his life. He hadn't ever tortured anyone or wished anyone any harm and never would he have tried to kill a little baby or his parents.
But Marvolo definitely had killed before. He wasn't proud of it. But the people Marvolo had killed had been in pain and they would have died in a short time anyway, they had been terminally ill. Marvolo had helped them die and then he had made his horcruxes. Marvolo had heard from Dumbledore that his brother had many horcruxes too, maybe there had been some similar thinking in their minds after all. But while Voldemort made his horcruxes by senseless evil killings Marvolo made them helping people.
Marvolo's biggest pride was his first horcrux which was an ordinary pebble. Hidden in Norway, next to millions of other pebbles. Good luck finding that, if anyone ever wished to kill him. Which he doubted would ever happen, although now with his new brother that pebble could actually come in handy. He wondered about Voldemort's horcruxes. Were they also items you would never guess or hidden in space like one of his was? Of course it helped that Marvolo owned a space rocket company among other things.
"Are you okay, Harry? I am sorry about my brother" Marvolo said, looking concerned at Harry.
"I'm fine. It's really not your fault. He has been trying to kill me long before you came along" Harry said, smiling sadly.
"At least I really got under his skin today. He was being too smug about himself, teaching everyone about Voldemort" Marvolo smirked.
Harry nodded.
"It was to be expected. Did Dumbledore actually think that Voldemort was just gonna start teaching us like a proper teacher and not to try to kill anyone or anything? In fact he probably behaved better in class than I actually had imagined. At least nobody died. Yet." Harry sighed.
"Nobody will die, Harry. That's what I am here for. I have left all of my jobs in France to be able to protect the students here, especially you, Harry. We can not let him get to any of the students. Dumbledore's plan may have its flaws but at least the papers haven't reported any new killings recently" Marvolo said.
"Thank you. I am amazed how two people can be so closely related and look exactly the same and be so different" Harry smiled.
Marvolo smiled. If only Harry would truly trust him it would make protecting him much easier but he sensed that despite everything Harry still had his doubts that Marvolo was an evil twin and not good at all. He still hadn't been able to prove himself enough. He needed all of the students to trust him. Of course the other's couldn't know that Marvolo was there to provide them with much needed protection.
Marvolo thought he should probably go and see what his dear brother was up to having the rest of the afternoon off from teaching and he had gotten a message from Dumbledore to deliver to Tom. Marvolo became invisible and headed for the isolated tower that had been given to lord Voldemort to live in.
Voldemort sat in his chambers furious. Coping with the Potter boy and his brother was going to be even harder than he had expected. How could they be so insufferable? His brother had been trying to annoy him on purpose the whole class and then the Potter boy had made him duel him. Dumbledore was not going to be pleased. But what was he going to do? It's not like he could fire Tom as this had been his stupid plan all along. Well not this exactly, but what did he old goat think was gonna happen? That he, lord Voldemort would just teach the students about pixies and award them house points for correct answers?
Nagini slithered into her owner's lap and Tom petted him.
"You really do like snakes too much," Said a too familiar voice suddenly.
Tom stood up and took out his wand and started looking around not seeing his again invisible brother.
"Marvolo, came to die, did you?" Tom hissed.
"Save your energy. And you are never gonna find my pebble" Marvolo said amused.
Tom opened his mouth in confusion.
"Your pebble? What are you talking about?"
"My horcrux!" Marvolo beamed.
"Wait why you are just telling me what your horcrux is.. And you killed someone? Aren't you supposed to be good? Did you tell your precious Dumbledore you are a killer?" Tom asked.
"I can tell you about it because you will never find it. And unlike you, the killing I did was an mercy kill and no Tom, killing a muggle born does not count as a mercy kill" Marvolo rolled his eyes.
Marvolo discontinued his invisibility, to annoy Tom he was sure of that. Just so that Tom could see the smug look on Marvolo's face.
"What are you doing in my chambers? " Tom hissed, now even more furious thinking that the other had a horcrux too and was even harder to defeat.
"I came by to see how you are doing, what can't a brother visit?" Marvolo smiled. Tom put his wand to Marvolo's neck and the two almost identical looking dark haired wizards were looking at each other.
"Fine. Dumbledore wanted me to come and tell you that after the stunt you pulled on today's class there will be a punishment for you. For us actually. He needs for me to watch you all the time. Not just in class" Marvolo said.
"What does that mean? You can't live here! There is only one bed anyway. " Tom hissed.
"I know. But you would share a bed with a snake but not your own brother?" Marvolo asked.
"Exactly" Tom smirked.
The night came after many painfully long hours of them arguing but Tom had been able to control his temper and had not cursed Marvolo, although it had been very close many times.
While Tom went to the bathroom to brush his teeth Marvolo had gone to the bed and was laying under the covers looking very comfortable.
"Get off! It is my bed" Tom beamed furious.
"Hey, I know! You accio the bed and I accio the bed at the same time and let's see who it goes to? " Marvolo smirked.
"You are so not funny" Tom hissed.
Marvolo yawned and pretended to fall asleep on the bed.
"Crucio" Tom said and pointed his wand at Marvolo.
Marvolo lazily muttered the counter curse and sat up on the bed, his hazel eyes looking at Tom.
Tom noticed Marvolo was wearing black silk pyjamas while Tom was wearing what he always wore to bed, just his red tight underpants.
"Cover up, please" Marvolo said and put a hand in front of his eyes.
Tom angrily grabbed a blanket and went to sleep on the couch.
In the morning Marvolo went to sit with the Gryffindors, wearing his Gryffindor robes that got many disgusted looks from Tom every time he happened to see Marvolo wearing those.
Marvolo explained to Gryffindors that because his brother's chambers were so spacious and the boy's dormitory was full he had decided to move to live with his brother. Nobody seemed suspicious of this except for Harry who seemed to understand why Marvolo had been made to move there.
"Sorry" Harry muttered but Marvolo just grabbed his shoulder and told him not to worry about him at all.
Lavender Brown giggled and walked over.
"Harry, introduce me to your handsome friend?"
"It is a pleasure, miss?" Marvolo said, bringing Lavender's hand to his lips and smiled charmingly.
"Brown" Lavender said and winked at Marvolo.
Harry rolled his eyes and meanwhile in the teacher's table Tom seemed to be doing the exact same thing. Tom had been seated between Hagrid and Mcgonagall, no doubt to keep him at bay. Not that he would attack the entire school during his morning pumpkin juice and bagels anyway.
Having chatted for like 10 minutes with Lavender Marvolo excused himself saying he needed to talk to his brother. Tom didn't look happy when he saw Marvolo approaching but forced a fake smile because students were watching the two handsome brothers.
"I just got a great idea that would get you more settled here. Why don't you find a girlfriend?!" Marvolo beamed.
"Absolutely not. Is that all?" Tom said coldly.
"A boyfriend then? I hear Filch is available. " Marvolo continued.
"Marvolo, I am warning you.." Tom said, still putting on the fake smile in case somebody was looking.
Harry Potter walked over to the two brothers.
"I just wanted to say how much I look forward to your next lesson, professor," Harry said smiling.
"Get out. Both of you" Tom hissed.
Tom walked back to his chambers annoyed. A girlfriend, as if he even liked girls. If the great hall hadn't been so full of people he could have attacked his brother again. The old goat had been there as well keeping an eye on Tom. His teaching job at Hogwarts was cutting out to be his worst nightmare. His no good brother in his way all the time and Potter rubbing it in his face that he couldn't kill him. There had to be a way to kill those two. Brother took priority. Killing Harry would be so easy that he wouldn't even have to plan it.
But that annoying animagus making himself invisible every turn and he seemed to be very good at blocking spells too. Well not just seemed, he was too good at blocking all curses he sent his way. So good that cursing him seemed to be impossible. Tom hated to admit it but it seemed that his brother was even more powerful than Dumbledore.
But not more powerful than him. Voldemort was still the greatest wizard alive, he was sure of that.
Suddenly Marvolo walked inside the chambers with Harry with him.
"Did you bring him here for me to kill him? You came to your senses? You will be rewarded" Tom said, looking pleased.
"Do you ever think about anything else than killing, Tom?" Marvolo asked seriously.
Tom fell silent. He did think about killing a lot. But it was necessary in order to gain more and more power and followers. It was normal for him and had always been.
"He doesn't. Half of the words he has ever spoken to me have had the word 'kill'" Harry said.
Tom laughed and even Marvolo chuckled.
"Because you will die, Harry Potter. But if you didn't come here to die, why are you here" Tom asked.
"We needed some privacy" Marvolo answered on behalf of Harry.
"My company will design Harry a custom made broomstick. I don't have much use for those myself as I can fly perfectly without a broom myself" Marvolo said.
"I can too," Tom said proudly but not getting any admiration from his brother from this.
Harry and Marvolo started talking about broomsticks ignoring Tom completely.
Finally they agreed on a broom that would be the fastest and the best broom ever made and Marvolo absolutely refused to let Harry pay for it, insisting he owed it to Harry because of the trouble his family had put Harry through, earning a disgusted look from Tom who had started to read on some books about becoming an animagus.
Soon Tom would be an animagus too and his brother couldn't boast on it anymore or make fun of Tom not being able to do it. Tom had never wanted to become an animagus. It wasn't about him not being powerful enough, he just didn't really like animals or the idea becoming one. He had been reading the animagus books in the summer too after finding out his brother was an animagus. The only thing there was left was for him to pick the animal he wanted to become. The books said that a person can't decide the animal they turn into but the books had to be wrong on that part. What if he turned into something much less intimidating than a lion? Something embarrassing? Surely that couldn't happen.
But what if it did? What if he turned into a hamster? Or a koala bear? He couldn't even tell anyone it would be so terrible.
Tom left the chambers and went outside of the castle for transformation. Luckily there was nobody around. Nobody would see what animal he would turn into.
He then concentrated, closed his eyes and began the transformation. He felt himself getting furry and animal like.
The animal then slowly opened its big eyes. He couldn't believe what animal he had become.