Last Chapter...

"Are you going to give Mr. Riddle your introductions or not?" His voice had an underlying current of sharpness. Malfoy may be one of the youngest in their gang, but he clearly had influence regardless.

The brown haired boy gave a sharp nod to Malfoy and gave Harry a small bow.

"My name is Leo Fawley, Heir to the Fawley family of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. I am of the age thirteen years and will be presented this summer." Harry give a small dip of the head, and made to introduce himself.

But before he did, he made eye contact with the man whom had just walked into Great Hall side by side with Albus Dumbledore. Brown eyes examined intensely the scene in front of Harry.

Hadrian tried to ignore the burning interest in the other man's eyes as he looked at Harry, but even as he turned away from the searching gaze of Tom Riddle he still felt it searing into his mind.

He should have never given into his instincts, and should have just been meek to the man in that cellar. He should have avoided any interest sparking for him in Tom Riddle's eyes.

But, oddly enough, Harry really couldn't bring himself to regret it.

Chapter 13

The Big Deal

Tom Riddle's eyes narrowed in and zoomed to one Hadrian Riddle with a razor precision that frightened Albus. It was as if, despite the hundreds of children in the hall, he could immeadiately see where the boy was.

He knew that his story was a gamble, based entirely on Tom's hatred and general opinion of muggles. If Albus was correct in his assumptions, if Tom's immense dislike for the race would overcome his suspicion, then he was in the clear with Hadrian Riddle.

If not...

He just jeopardized the safety and future of a child and his own safety hand-in-hand. And he knew he could only blame himself for being in this situation in the first place, and that really hurt Albus the most. A man having to face his own faults was the most difficult hurdle.

Walking side-by-side with Albus Dumbledore, Tom made his way to the Head Table. He was to be seated next to the Headmaster's chair as a guest- regardless that the Headmaster in question was not even here.

All the better, Tom was never quite fond of Veers.

But all of these facts were of no true importance or concern to Riddle, as his attention was continually drawn back to the lithe figure of first year Hadrian, a Gryffindor who was currently seating himself at the Slytherin table for lunch after a confrontation with a gangle of his followers' children.

The boy really was rather like him in many aspects he had seen so far... strong willed, and a magnet for people.

Those foul, filthy muggles. He knew he should have burned that orphanage, that place of torment, to the ground years ago. But it would have been to clear to Dumbledore and his already growing suspicions of Tom who had committed the crime. He had been already too close to being caught with the Chamber incident, which most certainly had not been smoothed over the way he had planned.

The sickness of empathy boiled in his veins.

The power of his hate was just as strong.

Harry had to hold back a grin as Leo Fawley introduced himself. That in itself wasn't really the humourous part- it was watching out of the corner of his eye all the Slytherins trying to hide the anger on their faces. He had disrupted their normal seating pattern, and now they just looked lost.

But back to the issue at hand, he was not about to be one upped by this kid's snotty introduction. Sacred Twenty-Eight? Two can play that game. Harry at least thought that the Gaunt name was of the Sacred Twenty-Eight.

These kids wouldn't know any better anyways, the Gaunt family was well and buried. Harry knew that if Tom Riddle was prancing around, then he wasn't besmirching Voldemort's claim to pureblood name.

"My name is Hadrian Riddle, Heir of the Gaunt family of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. I am of eleven years, and my presentation will the summer after next." What the hell was a 'presentation' anyway? He saw some of the Slytherins do a bit of a double take on the whole Gaunt thing, but Harry enjoyed it. Extinct and all, there was little refute against his use of the Gaunt family. He was a Riddle here, might as well use the benefits. It wasn't as if any of them knew who Lord Voldemort really was- or the winding connection to Gaunt. Riddle was smarter than that. And to be clear-

There were very, very limited benefits to walking around bearing the name of the man who wrecked his life from nearly day one.

His old life, that is.

Well, Harry could at least rest with the thought that he was not actually any relative of Harry's.

Leo Fawley was looking right grim, and Harry just smoothly sat back down at the table. James seemed to stare off into space- and Sirius was looking at him with wide eyes- but Harry was not too worried. Because Sirius had a grin to match. He leaned over to Hadrian as the Slytherins dispersed to take seats.

"Nice one, that was really funny to see their faces. You just owned them!" Sirius whispered excitedly, blowing hot air by Harry's ear.

"I know," Harry said smugly. He turned to his left to ask what James thought of his little cruel joke, but he wasn't there. Instead there sat Malfoy with a small- dare he say it?- smile on his mouth.

"Your acquaintance Mr. Potter, is seated to the right of Mr. Black. I merely thought it appropriate that as Professor Slughorn enforced this idea that we socialize, I should sit with you during this luncheon." Harry was growing tired of Malfoy's word vomit, and prim proper polite attitude. "I do believe you are seeing your friends each day, yes? Our contact however is quite more limited, and had gotten off to a rather ill start. Something I would like to rectify, by the way."

Lucius' manner of speech was something he would accept on his adult self, but on a twelve year old it was rather...misplaced. "My attitude was poor on the station, and in the hallway. I first had been rather distraught with news from my uncle; my aunt has been killed two weeks ago. It propelled me into such a terrible state that I lashed out on every opportunity. In the hall, well, it was a combination of that and your impressive skills clearly out weighing my own."

From merely glancing at the other faces of the Slytherins, he could verify the truth behind Malfoy's words. Some were clearly shocked or upset that Malfoy told Harry what had happened to his Aunt. Harry knew any familial or personal friend matters were held tight within circles until released as appropriate by the Head of one's family. That would mean Lucius not only released private information to him, but anyone else at the table who did not know. Quite a risk- the Head of the family could be very upset if word got out.

With a silent wave of Professor Dumbledore's hand, the meal arrived, but that wouldn't save Harry from anwering.

"I agree that we had not started our acquaintance in the... best of fashions. I reacted to you in an immature and weak way by misplacing your luggage. Though I did seek to fix that- I had undone the enchantments keeping your belongings from drying." Lucius' eyes glittered and he really did smile then, slowly.

"I had wondered if that was permanent or if it would just wear off. I had assumed in this morning that the charms wore off, but now I know they did not. Clever! And I presume, if you'll excuse me, that is the reason you were in the Slytherin common in the first place?" Harry smiled.

"Well the atmosphere was just so soothing, I had to see if such peace had long term effects."

"Feel free to experiment with that at any time you so please." Yet another statement from Malfoy that was drawing disapproval from his housemates and confusion from Harry. Was this a ploy to observe Hadrian? Either way, he could not deny Malfoy. The blonde boy was not making his housemates happy at all.

He gave a small dip of the head and turned to his plate. Everyone else in their little centered group at the table followed suit. It was quite funny to see that they had- accidentally- waited for him to start his meal first. A sign of high respect.

After Harry finished compiling his meal, he began to carefully as possible eat his lamb shank with apricot sauce. James scrunched up his nose at it.

"What? It's really good! The apricot sauce just really works with the dish."

"Yeah." James sniffed.

As they all dug in, chit chat started up and Harry could catch snippets of different conversations.

"And then I said that of course you never wear red, for it's simple Selwyn name! How pathetic that rag truly would follow in the footsteps of Madame Loisel without aid..."

"...mother says the weather is just dreadful, but I would much rather hear from father about something other than housewife mumblings. He's a diplomat you know? On a mission to Magical Japan, that's right..."

"Who does he think he is?! He has no authority over us! Malfoy is being whimsical by allowing this fool into our very heart, simply because the idiot got drunk on Riddle's magic. I bet it's real weak magic anyway, probably lies about being a Gaunt descendant." A lot of people had stopped talking to look at Fawley. He picked up momentum from this. "Look at the mudblood, he does not measure up to our glorious House, our glorious... Heritage!"

Conversation had slowly died out, when Leo Fawley began ranting to thin air about Hadrian. Malfoy looked to be building a rage, bristling with indignation. By saying Hadrian's magic was weak he was insulting Malfoy for being affected by it... which was not a courteous move.

Harry was really not appreciating the hoedown that was happening, and in response let his magic flow through him. He didn't ease his classmates into his magic, he just let it crash down on them like a wave. Some had very physical reactions, and heads turned in reaction from other tables.

And that was just a small fraction of what he felt inside, but it shut up any rumors of his 'weakness' ahead of time. Harnessing your magic, your very core, is something only a sorcerer can do- which is what everyone in this castle was. The implication that Harry was a squib would not be ignored! Oh, actually, if Filch was around... maybe not everyone in the castle was a sorcerer.

Just as Harry opened his mouth to give a stern talk down to the Leo brat, Malloy gently nudged him.

"The Professor Slughorn is coming over to congratulate us all on our House Unity efforts." Harry breathed his magic inside onc emore, but the dazed look still lingered in many nearby eyes. Then when everyone was rearranging their faces to look more normal, Lucius whispered to Hadrian.

"This will most likely be pretty painful." Before Harry could even think to question what he meant, Slughorn was upon them.

"Aha, Hadrian, how are you? Enjoying your lunch?" Slughorn boomed. "I do love to see this fine example of House Unity active!" He was so loud that the rest of the lunchroom couldn't help but look over. Harry felt hundreds of eyes search him out and widen at the Gryffindor emblem on his robes.

This is what Malfoy meant, likely

"Aw Sluggy, leave the honey alone." The playful voice of a familiar lady called, all the way from the Head Table. Athena wiggled her fingers at Hadrian with a smile.

Slughorn chuckled jolly and deep, and made his way back up to the Head Table.

The woman swirled her drink around in her glass, while staring Hadrian down. He felt a bit uncomfortable. She did snap out of it to enthusiastically re-welcome Slughorn to his seat.

Harry knew the man was harmless in the long run, but did he have to make it such a big deal? Now everyone would wonder of him, if only for a second. He had the spotlight now, but Harry had had that enough in his life.

He just sighed and went back to his meal, and thought that was the end of the ordeal.

Until Bellatrix showed up.

Tom stared at the strange woman- Professor- and her little cut into Slughorn's show off. She stared at the boy for a while longer before snapping out of it.

He did not blame her, he could not keep his eyes of the enigma that was the Gryffindor sitting with the Slytherins. And perhaps he felt a tiny personal connection to the child- due of course to the similarities they had and the sick story Dumbledore had revealed.

Foul, filthy muggles they were.

So Tom watched the boy closely without stop, and raised an eyebrow at the arrival of Bellatrix Black. She was only eleven but he had heard boasting tales from Walburga's sister of her daughter's immense talent in duelling. An apparent prodigy- who did not look too happy to see Hadrian sitting at the Slytherins' table. Let alone in the spot of the king, unknowing or not.

He felt suddenly a bit protective of the boy, his ignorance and disadvantaged background. She began to raise her voice and shout at Hadrian, but he was unfazed and seemed to calmly respond. She eventually grew rosy in the face with anger.

Little self control, Tom noted. Or maybe, he thought, that's just what children do.

She made to open her mouth again but Hadrian cut her off. When he was done speaking, she just blinked at him and them proceeded to sit down next to him, practically shoving a very disgruntled Malfoy heir out of the way.

She faced him completely on the bench and they talked on for the remainder of lunch. At the end when the students made to leave, she leaned forward and hugged the boy. Hadrian made no move to return the motion and the Malfoy heir had to in the end remove her.

She seemed to apologize from what Tom could tell of their facial expressions. Hadrian said something that caused her to curtsy before flouncing off. The girl seemed to go from hating to adoring him in the span of fifteen minutes.

Then the object of his attention stood to leave with the eldest son of Walburga's and Charlus' offspring trailing behind.

The Potter family was disgraced, and Walburga spoke often of her eldest's disturbing behavior.

He could do better, Tom noted.

Harry was puzzled but mostly uncomfortable about the occurrence with Bellatrix.

"What is wrong with that girl?" He wondered aloud.

"Beats me," Sirius said shrugging. "I'd say only God knows, but I'm pretty sure it's more likely her origins lie with the place down below... if you understand what I'm saying." There was a moment of silence as the three walked before they all started to snicker.

Which disintegrated, quickly, into full blown laughter.

And Sirius eyed Harry's joy with satisfaction. It felt great to make his new friends laugh, really it did. His family never failed to fail to find him humorous.

By Merlin, he thought smugly, if I could do one thing for the rest of my life it would be making people laugh. Everyone needs a laugh. Morgana knows that his family needed to...

Hadrian caught his eye, and Sirius only swelled up in more pride as the other boy once again lost his composure.

The games were so, perfectly on.

History is making itself here and now. This time she would be ready, she would not flee. Not this time...

With a heavy sigh, she threw away thoughts of haunting memories to eye the rolling fields that gave way to distant mountains of Scotland. From the window, she could see the mist swirling around the tops of the dense trees in the Forest. It was generally miserable beyond the glass panes, wet and gray. Athena primly sat herself on the window seat out of respect.

After all, misery loves company.

This weather looked like it could compliment her internal, eternal suffering just perfectly. Britain was the right choice.