Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!
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The treatment that Tom Riddle had witnessed Harriet receive at the hands of the Dursleys enraged him.
He could have easily blasted into Number Four, Privet Drive to remedy the situation by using his own talents and Dobby's help.
At twelve years old, Tom had already learned curses that could have burned a house down or peeled someone's skin off, but he resisted the urge to try them.
Tom Riddle was no idiot.
He was well aware that underage magic would get him expelled from Hogwarts.
He needed to stay in school to ensure that he would be near Harriet.
Besides, the bitter truth was that Merope could barely afford to feed him and herself.
As much as he wanted Harriet to come and live with them, he understood why that couldn't happen…...yet.
Regardless, Tom remained determined to free his darling from her prison.
In hopes of securing assistance, he ordered Dobby to use his memories as a guide once again.
A short while later, they landed beside a tall, rickety building that sat close to a lake.
Together, in the warm, summer night, Tom and Dobby walked towards the Burrow.
Tom hadn't gone to the Malfoys for further aid, although he was certain they could have rescued Harriet, because he knew that she wouldn't want to stay with Draco, her worst enemy.
Harriet would want to stay with her…..friend, Ron…. as much as that truth irked him.
Tom raised his hand and knocked on the front door while Dobby stood obediently next to him.
He hadn't wasted his time going to Hermione's house.
Tom had learned the Granger girl's parents were both muggles, what could they have possibly done to help?
As the door to the Burrow swung open, Tom and Dobby found themselves staring at Ron.
Tom couldn't hide the scowl of hatred that crept across his pale face as he looked at the boy he so envied.
How many hours did Ronald Weasley spend with Harriet Potter every week during the school year?
…..Hours in her company that Tom badly longed to experience?
The colour drained from Ron's face as he gaped at his unexpected visitor, but Tom spoke flatly, "Good evening…..I'm here to see your father…..He works for the Ministry, doesn't he?"
Ron lost his words for a moment.
As he swallowed his frightened shock, he nodded his head.
"...May I come in?" Tom asked.
Ron nodded again and stepped to the side.
Most of Hogwarts' students were already at least a bit wary of Tom Riddle, the odd first year who was intimidating, strange, and already alarmingly talented at the Dark Arts.
Ron was completely terrified though as he watched the boy he feared most walk right into his house.
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Ron tried not to tremble as he led Tom Riddle towards the dining room, where his father, Arthur Weasley, sat chatting with Fred and George, his twin brothers.
"My Mum and sister are upstairs in bed." Ron whispered to Tom just before they walked into the room, "We'll have to keep our voices down."
"I have no need to shout." Tom replied in his eerily calm voice.
Beside him, Dobby blinked his large eyes and wrung his hands nervously.
"Ron!" Arthur called as he looked up and watched his son step into the room with another boy and a house elf, "You've brought some friends to the Burrow this evening, I see! How odd...you didn't tell us you invited anyone."
"I...I didn't." Ron murmured to his father.
"Oh." Arthur replied.
He noticed the way that Fred and George's smiles fell from their faces when they saw Tom standing there.
Dark clothes, dark hair, and piercing, dark eyes, Tom Riddle was particularly menacing for a boy his age.
As tension built in the room, Arthur sought to dispel the anxiousness as he stood up, walked over, and stuck a hand out towards his guest while he introduced himself, "Well, any friend of my son's is a friend of mine! How do you do? I'm Arthur Weasley."
"Your son and I share a friend, Mr. Weasley." Tom quickly corrected Arthur as he firmly shook his hand and introduced himself, "Pleased to meet you, sir…...I'm Tom Riddle."
Arthur smiled down at his guest nervously as he asked, "Good lord…...are you really?"
When Arthur glanced up to see the serious expressions of concern on his sons' faces, he knew that the boy in front of him had told the truth.
Arthur was a capable wizard, but it did make him more than a bit uneasy to have Tom Riddle, whom Fred, George, and Ron had told horror stories about, in his house.
"I've come to ask for help…...Harriet Potter is in desperate need of assistance." Tom said quickly, ignoring the obvious, uncomfortable atmosphere in the room, "Mr. Weasley, you work for the Ministry. Surely there's something that you can do?"
Fred and George frowned.
Ron's expression of silent terror twisted into a dismayed scowl when he heard that his best friend was in distress.
"Why don't you sit down, Tom?" Arthur asked as he gestured to the table, "We can talk the matter over….Would you like anything to eat or drink?"
"No…...thank you, Mr. Weasley." Tom answered with a polite nod.
Merope had impressed upon him how important it was to always use good manners.
Tom had learned the power of politeness, especially when he wanted something.
Arthur sat down at the head of the table. Tom sat to his left while Dobby stood beside him.
Ron took a seat across from Tom while Fred and George lingered by the doorway.
They didn't know her as well as Ron did, but the Weasley twins already considered Harriet Potter as a friend.
Fred and George were eager to hear more about her situation and see if they could help in some way.
"Go on, Tom." Arthur nodded encouragingly, "Tell us a little more, will you?"
"I visited Harriet Potter this evening." Tom began as everyone listened closely, "She was made to work like a slave in clothes that didn't fit. I could see that she was starving…...The people that keep her, that call themselves her family…...they treat her worse than a servant."
Everyone stayed quiet as Tom looked at Arthur and went on, "Underage magic is illegal, Mr. Weasley...I realize that, but surely an adult wizard can do something about this?...Aren't you a public servant under Ministry law? The public needs your help! Harriet Potter is in terrible trouble!"
Arthur glanced at his sons before he put a hand to his head, sighed, and looked at Tom while he spoke, "Well…..under Ministry law, there's legal channels that can be taken to remove a child from someone's custody, magical or muggle. We'll need to hire an attorney, gather proof, have Harriet write a statement-"
"-How long is all of that going to take?" Tom interrupted with an irritated scowl.
Arthur shrugged as he explained, "...One year…..maybe two. It won't be an overnight process, that's certain."
An overnight process to liberate Harriet from the Dursleys, that's what Tom wanted.
He shrewdly decided to prey on Arthur's sympathy.
"I heard them say they're going to lock her in her room and put bars on her windows." Tom quietly revealed as his dark gaze bore into Arthur, "You're a father, Mr. Weasley. Would you want someone to do that to one of your children?"
Arthur frowned at Tom for a moment while he thought.
He tapped two fingers against the dining table before he cleared his throat and said, "It's a funny thing, boys……..Performing underage magic is illegal, yes, however, the law does not technically extend to uses of certain enchanted objects….and vehicles."
Ron blinked.
Dobby wrung his hands.
Fred and George smirked at each other.
"What does that mean, exactly, sir?" Tom asked.
"It means, my boy," Arthur said with a mischievous smile as his gaze moved around the room, "...That if you four promise not to say anything about it, then I may be able to provide a faster solution."
Tom brightened as he nodded at Arthur and vowed, "You have my word, Mr. Weasley…….as long as I can be directly involved in Harriet Potter's rescue."
"Good." Arthur nodded back at Tom with a smile, "If you can tell me where you live, my sons will pick you up as soon as I have it ready."
A wicked smirk spread across Tom's handsome face as he silently celebrated his victory.
Merope had taught him well.
A steady mind and a respectful tongue did in fact go farther than impulsive, thoughtless actions.
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Harriet's rose had come at a terrible price.
Life with the Dursleys became unbearable after Tom's unscheduled visit.
Her aunt and uncle only allowed her to leave her room when she had to go to the lavatory.
The frequency and portions of her meals had decreased.
Shut in her bedroom with iron bars on her window, Harriet felt as trapped as Hedwig, who stood day after day, cramped in her cage while she yearned to fly.
As Harriet laid down to sleep on the third night after Tom's visit, she sighed to herself while she slowly lost consciousness.
A dreamless void appeared before her as she slept……
It wasn't so bad, only another month, then she'd be back at school…..
Only another month until she could see Ron and Hermione again……
Only another month before she could see-
The roaring of an engine woke Harriet.
She scowled as she opened her eyes and noticed that glaring lights beamed through her window.
Harriet reached over to the nightstand and hurriedly put her glasses on.
She blinked as she rose from bed and curiously shuffled over to discover the source of that blinding brightness as she peered through the window.
Outside, an antique, blue and white car idled in the air while four familiar faces stared back at her.
Harriet's mouth fell open as her green eyes widened in shock.
George sat in the driver's seat, but Tom leaned out of the car, eager to make sure that Harriet saw him first.
Behind Tom and George, Fred and Ron looked on.
"TOM!" Harriet called out in a hushed whisper, "George! Ron! Fred! What are you all doing here?!"
"Rescuing you, of course!" George laughed.
Tom scowled at George, annoyed that he had spoken first.
He had planned on being the one to explain his heroic mission to Harriet.
"Hurry!" Tom shouted as he looked at his darling, "Get your things!"
Harriet was going to protest, but before she could, Fred and George started to secure a hook to the bars on her window.
She hastily grabbed her trunk, Hedwig's cage, and the few clothes she owned as the twins successfully used the hook, a chain, and the weight of the car to pry the metal bars off of her window.
As the iron bars clattered noisily to the ground, Harriet's aunt and uncle woke from their sleep.
Her emerald eyes widened as she heard them stomp down the hallway while she quickly shoved her belongings out the window to George, Tom, Ron, and Fred.
"POTTER!" Vernon roared as he unlocked her door, threw it open, and barged into her room.
A dangerous scowl formed on Tom's handsome face as he watched Harriet's ugly uncle come charging towards her like a rampaging rhinoceros.
Ron had taken Hedwig's cage, the last of Harriet's belongings, into the car, but as Harriet herself went to climb out of the window, Vernon grabbed her by the foot and attempted to pull her back.
George turned the steering wheel and began to slowly drive the car away as Tom and Ron clutched onto Harriet to drag her inside the vehicle through the window, but Vernon was determined to hold on.
"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH YOUR FREAKY LITTLE FRIENDS!" Vernon roared.
Too much of Harriet was in the car, and too much of Vernon was out of the window, but it wasn't satisfying enough for Tom that Vernon would simply lose his battle.
Tom decided that the stupid, cruel, fat oaf deserved a more severe punishment for harming his beloved.
Tom's lips curled in a smile of pure malice.
While George drove the car away from the window, Tom purposely grabbed onto Vernon's arm.
He used the momentum of the vehicle's departure to give Harriet's uncle one brutal yank, which sent him tumbling out of the window to crash violently into the bushes below.
Harriet fell into the car with a gasp as Tom stared down at the scene while they drove into the night.
He frowned when he noticed that Vernon was still moving.
Harriet's voice interrupted his thoughts, "You shouldn't have done that! He fell a long way!"
"He'll be alright." Tom said calmly as he turned to look at Harriet. A feigned frown marred his face as he assured her, "I had to do it for your protection. He tried to keep you there...Those people aren't going to hurt you anymore, Harriet Potter, don't worry."
Silence passed between them for a moment while Harriet stared at Tom.
A soft smile danced across her lips as she considered her liberation from the Dursleys.
"Thank you all!...For helping me!" Harriet cried gratefully as she looked around the car.
"Tom told us about what was happening." Ron nodded.
"It was all his idea." Fred smirked.
"Really?" Harriet asked Tom.
When Tom nodded, his world changed.
Overwhelmed by relief, gratitude, and her own feelings for him, Harriet rewarded Tom by placing a very gentle, innocent kiss on his smooth cheek.
His dark eyes widened as he felt her move against him.
The twins made encouraging noises in the front seat while Ron grimaced in disgust, but they all disappeared to Tom as he focused on Harriet.
Tom couldn't think or hear or see, all he could do was feel.
Tom felt the brush of Harriet's sweet lips against his face.
Tom felt the teasing hardness of her nipples brush his chest through her thin pajamas as she leaned forward.
While the Weasleys' flying car soared back through the dark sky towards the Burrow, Tom Riddle wanted with all of his being to feel more of his darling…...
One more month and school would resume.
Tom Riddle counted the days.