The world was in ruins, and Dumbledore knew it was his fault. Given a chance to change things he ends up back in time. With knowledge of the future, he decides that peace is not the way for some things, but for others? One Tom Riddle is about to find out about that.
Wool's Orphanage 1935:
Dumbledore smiled as he watched the children play, or rather most of them. One little boy sat with a book that looked far to big and old for him. Dumbledore walked over and looked down at the young boy. He was clad in grey shirt, shorts and was barefoot. It was summer so that was normal even in the magical world. The boy looked up to see a tall thin man clad in a simple three piece tweed suit with full neatly trimmed beard and hair in a deep auburn red. The boy looked noble, tasseled black hair, blue eyes and olive skin. Somehow Tom Riddle, for that was the boy's name knew this man was here for him. Then he felt it and his eyes went wide and he got a smile from the man.
"Good afternoon, is the matron of this children's home in?" The man asked.
"I would need to know who is calling sir." Tom said rising to his feet, "I am Tom, Tom Riddle."
"Albus Dumbledore at your service." Dumbledore said.
"Mrs. Cole is in, she is nice enough, but she might be taking her medicine." Tom said trying to be nice, "she does that a lot."
"Well I will try to not disturb her much." Dumbledore replied.
He headed into the orphanage determined to make sure that the purebloods did not rise this time and that Grindlewald, already a problem was stopped as quick as he could. He saw Mrs. Cole, a poor thin woman who still took great care in how she looked. Her hair was done up on her head and she was clad in a faded but ironed and neatly darned dress, stockings and polished shoes. She stood up and saw Tom who stepped back, not sure if this meeting was for him. Yet deep inside he knew it was. Mrs. Cole looked over the man, suit was of the middleclass sort, not of the rich, he looked like a professor of some sort to her.
"I am Albus Dumbledore, I am looking to adopt a child." Dumbledore said.
"I see." Mrs. Cole's tone was chilly, "a man, unmarried wishes to adopt a child?"
"Yes, and I assure you I wish for a son, you see, well I can't have children myself and never married."
"Tom please step out." Mrs. Cole said and Tom did closing the door behind him, "I know what you are, I know your kind."
"I assure you I would never abuse any child, Tom is not normal is he?" Dumbledore asked.
"No, no he is not, strange, but not bad, no just does strange things." Mrs. Cole said.
"And I can help with that." Dumbledore said, "you and I have the same goals for him, he is a bright lad, anyone can see that, you want him to be a success."
"Yes, he does not belong here, none do really, but him, he is a spotlight in a room full of candles and the candles are getting resentful, promise me, you take him, you take him and love him as a father would, nurture his brain."
"I can do that, I promise that I will." Dumbledore said.
On coming back in time to the time Tom was seven was perfect, and he had seen how Mrs. Cole liked little Tom. He had decided that raising the boy himself was the best thing and he knew Mrs. Cole would agree. He knew Tom was listening and hoped him hearing that Mrs. Cole cared would get him to hopefully see that no everyone was bad. Dumbledore was not going to use magic on her, rather he wanted her to hand over Tom on her own and show Tom she cared. Her face softened and she sat quietly.
"His mother was no great beauty, outside you know, but she brought herself here with the last of her strength to have him, to make sure he had a place to live." She said, "sounds like the man, well things happen and I don't blame the girls, men can be such brutes. So he came out as lovely as can be and she named him Tom Marvolo Riddle though she was in love with her, well it happens all the time. Then she died, her last words I heard them were 'I love you Tom Marvolo' she loved her son."
"And I will give him a good home, a place to belong." Dumbledore said, "but our little friend is at the door and needs to have a say come in Tom."
"Sorry sir." Tom said blushing as he came in, "you want me?"
"I do." Dumbledore said, "you will be my son."
"It would be good for you Tom." Mrs. Cole said, "though I will miss you."
"You are the only one." Tom said. "Yes Mr. Dumbledore I would like very much to be your son."
Dumbledore smiled and took Tom away after the adoption was complete. They went to his cottage in Godric's Hallow and there Tom was introduced to magic fully. He loved it and loved his new life, as many books as he wanted to read, tutors to teach him French, German, Latin, Greek, maths, science and history, both magical and muggle. Tom knew his life was only going to get better from here on out, even when Dumbledore, no father found out he could speak to snakes. Books on healing were added to his studies and Tom thrived.
He did not see his father head out and find Grindlewald years earlier than planned. He did not see him destroy Grindlewald fully along with his followers single handed. He did not see the purebloods realize their day was over and try to hang on to what little they had left. What he did see was a father who loved and cared deeply about him and wanted him to be happy and loved. He spent the next few years in a happy daze, learning, growing and making if not friends, allies. His time at Hogwarts would be marked by more growth, discoveries and new friends.
Hogsmeade Town 1955:
Lord Tom Marvolo Dumbledore of house Slytherin looked out over the vast town. When he went to school it was a charming village and a wonderful place to visit and live. Yet the cold war and the last world war made a secure safe spot outside major muggle areas important. So now the small charming village of Hogsmeade, the village of Godric's Hallow and Camelot were the major magical districts in all of Great Britain. Hogsmeade was the last to add charming homes for magicals.
On the outside the buildings looked like normal very muggle tall brick apartment blocks with shops on the ground floor. Yet with the help of dwarfs and house elves along with goblins what should have been three bedroom flats ended up being whatever the person living inside wanted it to be. There were flats that looked like country estates, flats that were palaces inside, most had to hire out for jobs like this but some families could do the work themselves. Tom did not live in Hogsmeade, he lived in Hogwarts and was the new head of Slytherin as befit his station in life. Dumbledore was with him, still clad in a muggle suit but with a warm blue woolen cloak on.
"It looks great, it is safe here, like the others?" Tom asked.
"Yes, it is, and muggleborn are settling in well with the books and such to teach them customs and traditions." Dumbledore replied.
"Such a good idea to have those books out first, the other, well they have caused quite a stir." The new head of Gryffindor Minerva McGonagall said, "but they are needed, after all they are to protect this world not change it."
"Some change is good." Tom said, "some is not, it is wise to choose carefully what needs to be changed and not."
"I quite agree." Arbaxas Malfoy said walking up, "then again you always have had what is best for the magical world in mind my lord."
"Do stop, I don't really get on with titles." Tom said, "not with friends at least."
"Very well Tom, you are my better half blood though you are." Arbaxas said.
"Don't make me knock you down again." Tom said.
It might be strange for a pureblood to bow to a half blood, however Tom was no ordinary half blood. First he was the adopted son of the most famous man in the world, Albus Dumbledore who had not only destroyed Grindelwald but his followers in one long drawn out battle. Then he was a direct heir to the house of Slytherin and on top of that was a Parselmouth who used his powers to heal not hurt. That and his familiar was a basilisk he called Nellie who lived in a chamber deep in Hogwarts. Very few dared to mess with him and who would want to? He was a great man, a good ally to have and he was getting married to Myrtle Warren, a muggleborn who's mother worked on cracking the encryptions the Nazi's used. Myrtle came up, clad in a simple but pretty blue silk gown and stylish small round glasses with her black hair plied on her head.
"Are you happy Tom?" She asked.
"Yes, glad I came to my senses and saw you as the one to wed." He replied.
"Well, my family is rich you know." Myrtle replied, "is that a reason to wed me?"
"No, because I am very rich myself, and I love you." Tom said, "I really do."
"Good, because I plan on making you very happy, and seven children." Myrtle said.
"Seven is a good number." Tom said.
In the end Myrtle only could have two children of her own, but Tom did not mind adoption and so they adopted five more. There was a small pureblood faction that did rise, but it was quickly stamped out and in the year of 1971, Tom rescued a small greasy haired boy from a band of other first years. He glared down at the three boys standing there caught with a look of disappointment. The boys were scared, and rightfully so, Tom could be very scary and as defense professor, well he knew lots of things and could probably turn them into nasty things.
"And here I thought students of Hogwarts were above cowardly acts." Tom said, "so three rich purebloods picking on a poor muggleborn, not very nice."
"I am not muggleborn! Me ma is a pureblood an me dad a squib!" The boy protested.
"Ah, well I stand corrected Mr. Snape, now I think a week detention and one to get you to think on attacking others." Tom said, "oh and Mr. Potter, I will write your mother, this very day on how you have been acting."
"No please sir! I will be good!" James protested.
"The letter is as good as written." Tom said, "now back to your dorms, not you Mr. Black, a few words with you."
James was given two good swats to his rear as was Peter and both headed back to their dorms. James decided then and there it was no good to pick on others, and his mother was going to be so disappointed in him. He went to his shared room and did not come out the rest of the day. In the meantime professor Marvolo (Tom thought that had a ring to it) took the two first years to the hospital wing. There he left the two in the care of the matron and told her to run extensive scans on both.
While this was happening, Dumbledore was seated in his office. He had decided to continue wearing more muggle clothing, which was why he was wearing a blue and purple checked leisure suit with a bright yellow turtleneck, his hair was long as was his beard and he looked like an aged hippie. He thought back on his second chance, how he had seen what Harry did when he found out everyone thought him evil and wanted him dead, after all he did. Harry was powerful and the resulting war had devastated the world, or it would have if Dumbledore had not been given the chance to go back in time. He had intended on killing Tom, but on seeing the bright seven year old he decided to adopt him. Sure Tom needed a firm hand and had to be taught that just because he was powerful did not mean he could hurt others.
With his future knowledge, Dumbledore was not only able to stop Grindelwald before he could become the greatest threat in the modern era to magicals (and destroy China's magical population), he was able to stop his whole army. This still lead to the muggles having WWII and all that came of that. Tom could be dark, very dark at times but Dumbledore understood and was able to talk with Tom through much of his darkness and he did not judge his son. He just hoped it was enough in the end. He stood up and drew on a bright green cloak and headed out, his trousers were a nice touch, bellbottoms and the students, manly muggle thought him "cool" and "with it man". He came on the hospital wing where Tom waited with the two students.
"Hello, as you know I am headmaster Dumbledore." Dumbledore said to the two scared youth. "I did see your scans, Mr. Snape will stay at the school over summer and Mr. Black I am going to contact your grandfather, he will not stand for how you were treated."
"What of my father, he is nice when he is not drinking." Severus said, "I don't want him hurt."
"I will do what I can for him." Dumbledore said, "first you need protection."
"My grandfather will kill me." Sirius said.
"I doubt that, he will see it as a fine prank." Dumbledore said, "I could tell you the pranks he pulled in school, one time…. Well in the future, for now rest and then we will talk punishments for hurting others."
Sirius was surprised when his grandfather came and told him his parents were under house arrest and he and Regulus would stay with them. He was concerned as already one Black, Andromeda had left the family to marry a muggleborn, or first generation, er magic blessed. He did not want to loose any more Blacks, and he did find Sirius getting sorted to Gryffindor a fine enough prank. Dumbledore should have felt sorry about telling Sirius that but oh well, Hogwarts needed a bit more fun though he had a feeling Tom was not going to be amused, at all. Then again his office, classroom and private rooms along with himself were very well warded. He was a paranoid fellow after all.
The years passed, the Marauders were formed, but this time they were far more funny and light with no harmful or cruel pranks to be found. In fact they would make sure they were "targeted" as it were in all school-wide pranks. So they would be shades of pink, have different animal horns and so on. They certainly made for a fun bunch, especially with what was going on outside. Bellatrix had taken up where Voldemort would have and she was trying to target or get to Tom. Her forces were not as vast as his had been, on the human side, no she used as many evil creatures as she could. There were not many who wanted to join her in Hogwarts, Tom made sure of that. Showing them exactly what she expected of her followers made those who had thought of joining her decide against it.
Still, she was terrorizing the muggles and got not just the ICW involved, but MUN, and they did not "play nicely" a phrase Dumbledore once heard somewhere. Still, by 1981, Bellatrix went after the Potters and Harry was an orphan and she was defeated. Yet something was different, very different. Petunia had married Severus Snape of all people. Sadly Bellatrix had murdered Vernon shortly after they had wed and left her alone with a baby, Severus stepped in as a father and was there for her. Tom came to the hospital wing where Harry was being treated.
"I called Petunia." Tom said, "she is expecting Harry, I am going to set up his room."
"Where is Sirius?" Dumbledore asked.
"Stunned and locked up without his wand in a room." Tom said, "Peter was captured, I never thought he would, ever."
"You will go take Harry?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes, strange how I feel so drawn to him." Tom muttered, "there is a shared destiny here, but a good one, or will be good, I will protect him."
"Good, glad to hear that." Dumbledore said.
He was, Tom was a good man, sometimes he would come to Dumbledore to talk about the deepest parts of his mind. Dumbledore listened and that was what helped Tom stay away from the dark and evil. Now he had another task, and another project as he took a sleeping Harry to where Petunia lived now, not Cokeworth or Surrey, but with a magical son and husband and a magic level enough to brew, she was living in Camelot. Harry was brought to her by Tom and she and Severus took the boy in to raise. Harry would grow up loved, wanted and in the end grow to a strong man.
Tom continued to teach, when Bellatrix came back in 1997, he was there at the final battle. He gave as good as he got, fighting her the best he could, but in the end his life was cut short and he died the very same day he did in the past. Dumbledore was there and he went to deal with Bellatrix but Harry already had. Dumbledore wept over his dead son and took him to the great hall. His son's life was always meant to be short, but at least now he had died fighting evil not being evil himself.