Chapter 4 : The lion

Marvolo woke up alone in the Gryffindor head boy's room in the middle of the night. Dumbledore had said that Harry would visit him but he had been so tired that he had fallen asleep. Had Harry visited him? Marvolo decided to go and look for Harry from the boy's dormitory. Harry would be asleep of course it being so late but he still needed to speak to him now.

Marvolo straightened his robes and went down the stairs until he reached the boys dormitory. Marvolo saw that all the boys were sleeping, Harry was asleep too. Harry was tossing and turning in his sleep probably having a bad nightmare. Marvolo sat beside his bed and held him in order to calm him down.

Harry then woke up and panicked.

"Tom. Did you come to kill me?" Harry reached for his wand and his glasses.

Marvolo had forgotten how much he looked like Tom so of course Harry would be frightened seeing him in the middle of the night in his bed.

"Calm down, Harry. It's me Marvolo!"

"Marvolo? But you died!"

"I had a horcrux. I am just barely alive now"

"But you look good, I mean you don't look dead.."

"Thanks" Marvolo smirked.

"Hold on. You can only make a horcrux by killing, Dumbledore told me. That means you killed someone!" Harry said and instantly backed away from Marvolo.

"I killed terminally ill people who were asking to be killed. I thought I had already proven that I am good" Marvolo said and looked down disappointed. Harry seemed to be thinking for a while but in the end he seemed to believe him.

"I'm glad you are back anyway" Harry then smiled.

"No one can know about it, especially not Tom. I am too weak to use any spells yet" Marvolo said and smiled faintly.

Harry nodded and promised to help him in any way that he could.

Harry walked Marvolo back up to his new room. Marvolo could barely walk; he was so weak. Harry insisted on going to the kitchen to get him food. Harry was just so happy Marvolo was alive and he felt himself fussing over him in a similar way as Mrs. Weasley always fussed over Harry.

Harry refused to leave him alone, Marvolo being vulnerable and defenceless so Harry went to lie on the bed next to him. Marvolo told Harry stories about lessons in Durmstrang and how it was living in France and being a successful business tycoon. Harry learned that Marvolo's adoptive parents were dead and Marvolo didn't have any other relatives besides Tom, not even from his adoptive family.

Marvolo told Harry that he was somewhat famous in France and some other countries because he was involved in philanthropy and had made people work for him. Marvolo had also recently built a children's hospital in Poland. Harry found it ironic how different Marvolo was from Tom. When Tom wanted to hurt people, all Marvolo wanted to do was help them. It was amazing how two people who had the same genes could grow up to be the exact opposites of each other.

Harry realized that Marvolo was probably the most selfless and the kindest person he had ever met, when Tom of course was the most evil and cunning person he had ever known. Marvolo insisted that in the summer Harry would have to go stay at his Villa in Spain as he was shocked to hear Harry had never been outside of the United Kingdom.

Harry didn't know how he could visit anywhere or Marvolo as long as Dumbledore let Tom run freely around at Hogwarts. Harry was astonished to hear that even after being almost killed Marvolo was still going to continue with his job to protect the students. Harry tried to insist that as the whole thing was Dumbledore's idea he should be the one watching after Tom and not Marvolo.

"He's my brother. He is my responsibility" Marvolo insisted.

"But that's not fair! You didn't even know about him until recently and you shouldn't have to be in constant danger because of Dumbledore's screwed up plan! What if Tom manages to kill you for real next time?!" Harry cried.

"I won't lie to you, Harry. If Tom would walk in right now he would probably be successful in killing me. But if he did I need you to promise me, you would leave me behind and run. Promise me, Harry '' Marvolo said with his hazel eyes looking stubbornly at Harry.

"I can't promise you that. I want to protect you like you protected me"

"No. Besides. I am still able to transform into my animal form I'm pretty sure. In fact I would heal quicker in that form if the books I have read are correct, however I won't be able to fight in my animal form now but I could only distract him and flee fast. I don't have enough power to transform properly you see. I would be… Perhaps I should just show you" Marvolo smiled and then transformed into a tiny lion cub.

Harry hadn't probably ever seen anything so cute. The lion cub was looking at him with its big eyes and yawning. Harry took the cub into his lap and petted it. The cub's fur was very soft and it licked Harry's finger obviously liking the petting it was getting. Harry realized how truly weak Marvolo must have been at that point having only barely enough power to transform into a tiny lion cub.

The cub started to nibble on his finger and Harry realized that it must be hungry but what did lion cubs even eat? Given that the cub was so tiny Harry decided it probably needed milk and Harry conjured a baby's milk bottle to feed the baby lion with. Harry kept the lion cub in his lap while feeding it with milk and the cub drank all of the milk hungrily and then the cub fell asleep in his lap.

Harry petted the sleeping little lion and fell asleep next to it.

Harry woke up in the morning to the lion cub licking his face and making cute little growling sounds, then the baby lion pushed its milk bottle towards Harry. Harry laughed and proceeded to give the cub some warm milk.

"I will need to go to my classes now but I will come back when I can. Will you be okay?" Harry asked the tiny lion who nodded. Harry rubbed the cub behind its ear earning himself a lick on the arm.

"I will go and attack Tom for almost killing you" Harry said looking furious. The cub looked mad and growled angrily and bit him on the arm. "Okay, okay, I will try to avoid him!" The cub seemed happy by this and went to lay on a pillow.

Tom took his usual seat in the Great Hall between Hagrid and Mcgonagall for breakfast and looked around searching for Harry. He then spotted Harry having breakfast with his friends looking unusually happy. What is he so happy about, Tom thought annoyed. Had Dumbledore told Harry about his horcruxes and his new threats to Tom in order to stop him from killing? Surely Harry wasn't naive enough to think that Dumbledore's stupid plan would actually stop him from killing or was he? Harry made one random look at Tom, noticing Tom staring at him and flashed Tom a grin that made Tom spit out the juice he had just been drinking. Arrogant little prat, Tom thought annoyed. Sure he was smiling now when he had all of the teachers there to protect him but how confident would he be when it would be just the two of them? You will be with your filthy mudblood mother soon, Harry. Tom smiled to himself.

Tom was particularly happy to see that the place where his brother had usually been seated was empty. He had killed a very powerful wizard, his worthless brother who he had hated from the moment he laid eyes on him. No more of his annoying so called jokes to piss Tom off or his bragging about his fortune, loving parents or happy childhood.

Tom felt an arm on his shoulder and after noticing it belonged to Dumbledore he shivered with disgust.

"Remember, Tom. You will stay away from, Harry"

"And how am I supposed to do that when I am supposed to be giving him a private lesson today?" " What?!"

"Snape thought I should teach the boy privately given that we always fight in the classroom" Tom smirked. "If he blows up by accident during our class who can blame me?"

"Severus will be there too?" "Yes"

"Then by all means have fun. But remember. I will make a trip to Gringotts to get your horcrux if you even try to harm Harry" Dumbledore said and walked away.

Tom felt angry. Why wasn't Dumbledore concerned that he was going to be alone with the boy? Was the old man voluntarily setting the boy up as bait? He had done it before, last year with the Goblet of fire. Or did Dumbledore really think Snape was loyal to him and he would protect the boy? Snape seemed to hate Harry even more than Tom did and didn't even wish to be present at Harry's and Tom's study session.

Harry couldn't believe he had agreed to go to the defence against the dark arts classroom alone with Tom after hours. But Dumbledore had told him it would be okay and surely Dumbledore was sure of what he was doing. Snape was supposed to be there too anyway but Harry didn't see him. Harry saw Tom coming to the room and he closed the door behind him.

"Where's Snape?" Harry asked not believing he would ever have missed Snape's presence.

"Not coming" Tom smirked his brown eyes full of glee.

Okay, this is how I die. Harry thought, thinking about how he had just promised Marvolo earlier to stay away from Tom. Marvolo had stayed in his lion cub form all day and seemed to be getting better as Harry had caught Marvolo chasing after a mouse earlier in the day and after that he had even played with a ball of yarn. Harry smiled.

"What are you smiling about, Harry?" Tom hissed furiously.

Harry concentrated his thoughts back at Tom who was looking angry and gripping his wand very tightly in hand.

"Nobody is around to save you this time. No Dumbledore, no dimwit brothers of mine. Bow, Harry. We must be polite" Harry didn't move so Tom made Harry bow by using imperius.

"Avada Kedavra!" Tom then cried.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted effectively blocking Tom's curse when the wands connected leaving light beams flashing green and red between them.

Harry broke the connection and ran to hide behind a bookshelf.

"Don't you turn your back on me, Harry Potter. I want you to look at me when I kill you. I want to see the light leave your eyes!"

Harry swallowed. How was he ever going to leave this classroom alive? Tom was getting closer to him and he could feel it. He wasn't ready to die yet. Who would take care of the lion cub, who would be there for Marvolo? He hadn't ever even gotten the chance to say thanks to him for saving his life and never even hugged him. Tom, looking almost exactly like Marvolo did walked closer towards him and Harry got an idea.

He didn't want to die before hugging Marvolo and as Tom looked so much like him, having only slightly darker eyes and hair and looking a few years older. Harry ran towards Tom and wrapped his arms tightly around him. Tom was so confused that he dropped his wand to the ground.

"What's wrong with you?! Are you crazy?! Don't touch me!" Tom shouted when he realized that Harry had indeed run out to hug him.

Harry didn't feel so good about his plan anymore having the dark lork struggling in his arms fighting to get off his grip but Harry held him with all his strength not really sure what to do next.

Tom got away from his grip and picked up his wand from the ground.

"Somebody just earned himself a more painful death. Crucio!"

Harry started to toss and turn in pain on the floor and felt like passing out from the pain until it stopped. Harry noticed that something small was biting at Tom's leg and growling. Oh my god, it is Marvolo Harry realized in panic.

Tom seemed kinda amused by having the tiny cub with its teeth in his leg.

"A pet of yours? I thought students were only allowed an owl, toad or a cat but I guess Dumbledore allows his golden boy anything" Tom sneered in disgust and kicked the lion off him.

"No, Marvolo!" Harry cried and ran to the lion.

Tom's eyes widened in panic as he realized who the cub really was.

"No, it can't be. No! Avada kedavra!"

Harry went in front of the cub and by doing so effectively shielded Marvolo from the killing curse.

After that darkness came.

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