Fall Together
Good things fall apart so better things can fall together.
It takes Harry a few weeks to figure out where he even is. The last thing he remembers is a sharp pain in his chest as he walked down the garden path back towards their house where Ginny would have tea ready for them both. It was Harry's way of keeping active as much as he could in his old age. Every morning he took a stroll through the garden, leaning heavily on his cane while he examined all the mature plants, exterminating pests with a wave of his wand as needed.
But now he's stuck in a dark place with occasional blurry vision while he's surrounded by intense feelings of hunger and fear and a deep longing for a warm embrace.
Harry is stuck in a baby. He isn't a baby himself, he figured that out eventually. No, Harry's mind, as it is, complete with well over a century of memories, is stuck in a new-born baby with a mind of his own. It's a very rudimentary mind, still, but there is a tiny conscience there right beside his own.
Harry has no clue what is happening or why, but there isn't much he can do about it while he's stuck in a body that can't even raise its own head yet. While coming to terms with these strange new circumstances, Harry mourns all he has lost. Ginny, their children, grandchildren, even a couple of great-grandchildren. Harry grieves the friends he's left behind, and the ones he's lost along the way.
It takes him another couple of weeks to figure out the baby he's now living in is Tom Riddle.
Somehow Harry, instead of dying and moving on, dropped dead and woke up inside his former archnemesis. Two centuries in the past.
Harry spends hours and hours puzzling the why and how of his unique situation. But no matter how hard he tries, he cannot find any solid answers. It might have something to do with the fact that Harry was once Tom's horcrux. For a time, they shared a soul.
It might have something to do with the fact that Harry once collected all the Deathly Hallows, even though being the Master of Death never did anything for Harry during his very long life, as far as he knows.
It might also be that Harry is there to save Tom. When Voldemort died, his soul was in pieces. And, Harry is sure, where ever souls go after death, they cannot remain there in pieces.
Souls need to be whole.
And Tom Riddle, for various reasons, cannot be trusted to look after his own soul so he needs help. And that's why Harry is here, to guide him onto a different path than Tom had walked before.
Harry likes this theory and decides to roll with it. At the very least, it gives him a purpose in his strange new existence.
Slowly but surely, Tom becomes a bit more of an actual person, capable of complex thought. Harry whispers endless words of encouragement to Tom, and just as many terms of endearment.
Harry soon learns that Dumbledore was wrong about Tom. As a baby, Tom Riddle is capable of feeling love. It only a little spark inside of a small body, but it's there. Harry knows all too well that a fragile little spark like that needs lots of protection and nurturing to eventually grow into an ember that has the capacity to become a simmering flame.
Tom needs love like he needs oxygen, and Harry spends most of his waking hours making sure that Tom feels all the love that Harry can give him. And while Harry's own life had a rocky emotional start, Harry has spent well over a century surrounded by love of all kinds and he has plenty to spare for little Tom.
Goodness knows the staff at Wool's orphanage have very little love to spare. Not that Harry can blame them, not entirely. They are overworked and underpaid, barely making ends meet themselves as the world goes through the worst economic depression it's ever seen. And the orphanage is full of unwanted children whose parents simply cannot afford to raise them. A little orphan like Tom is just one of many babies that need much more love and attention than there is available for them.
There is one member of the staff that looks after the babies that is a little more kind and patient than the rest. Her name is Lena, and Harry makes sure that baby Tom smiles at her as much as he can. Harry cannot control Tom's body, not exactly, but he can coax Tom into raising the corners of his mouth through encouraging whispers. Lena notices quickly that Tom constantly smiles for her and looks after him as much as she can, giving him just a little bit of extra attention and a few more hugs that Tom absorbs like a dried out sponge tasting water for the first time.
Once Tom goes from a passive, rudimentary form of life to an inquisitive little person who is ready to explore the entire world around him, Harry starts to properly talk to him. He stops using baby talk but instead describes all they see around them while Tom sits up in his crib and stares at the world with wide, eager eyes.
Tom's first word, at just over nine months old, is 'learn', and Harry couldn't be more proud even if he tried.
Tom's first bout of accidental magic happens at just a year old, when he summons back a picture book he'd been looking at, but that someone had snatched from his hands to give to a crying child, hoping to calm them down. Thankfully, no one noticed, and Tom happily goes back to reading his book, pointing a little finger at pictures of dogs and boats and horses, while Harry whispers their names in his mind.
Tom teaches himself to read by the time he's two years old and Lena takes notice and supplies him with more advanced books to read during the long days spent in the orphanage's nursery group. Tom's more than content to read fairy tales and adventure books for young boys. He has an insatiable mind that wants to absorb any kind of knowledge it comes across.
Harry vows to make sure that Tom becomes the great wizard Harry knows he can be if only he doesn't succumb to his darker inclinations. Because there is a bit of darkness in Tom, Harry can see as much. But it is small and easily ignored for now.
Since Harry's been there since he was born, Tom doesn't know any better than that a man named Harry lives in his head. He mentions Harry from time to time to those around him, but since it's normal for small children like that to have imaginary friends, no one really takes notice of it. And Harry gently instructs Tom to keep his existence a secret when he's old enough to do so, and thus Harry's presence goes unnoticed by anyone but Tom.
It's a strange existence, sharing someone else's mind. They can't read each other's thoughts, but they can pick up on each other's emotions, especially when they are heightened.
"What are you?" Tom asks when he's three-and-a-half.
"Excellent question," Harry says as he considers how to answer that question. He doesn't want to lie to Tom, but Tom is still very young and while he's the smartest child Harry has ever met, he is still just a very young child. "Remember how we talked about magic and how you're a wizard?"
"Yes," Tom says while he stares straight ahead at nothing, like he usually does when he's talking to Harry.
"Well, magic wanted to make sure that a clever little wizard like yourself had someone to help him learn about magic," Harry says, hoping against hope that will satisfy Tom's curiosity for now.
"Because all the rest here don't have magic?" Tom guesses with a little frown.
"Exactly so," Harry says, sending a wave of warm approval towards Tom. "The people here can teach you all sorts of important things, but they cannot teach you about magic. That's why I'm here."
"Okay," Tom says and goes back to reading a book on ancient Roman history that Lena got for him.
Harry's been telling Tom about magic since he was old enough to understand its concept. He's made sure that Tom knows he's going to Hogwarts when he turns eleven. It gives Tom something to look forward to, something to let him know he won't always be stuck in the hopeless orphanage, surrounded by people who cannot ever hope to truly understand him.
Harry also uses the lure of Hogwarts to keep Tom on the straight and narrow.
"Only children who stay out of trouble are allowed to go to Hogwarts, Tom," Harry says in a stern tone the first time that Tom uses his magic to retaliate viciously against a child who snatched a book from his hands. The child ended up with a small cut on his cheek, which the staff chalked up to Tom's fingernails scratching the boy.
Of course, Harry doesn't leave Tom defenceless. The orphanage is a dog eat dog kind of place, where all the children constantly battle for more attention, more food, more clothes and generally more chances to do well later in life. There are several older bullies who mercilessly take advantage of the younger children, Tom included. And Harry's having none of that.
Tom has incredible control over his magic, young as he is at barely four. So Harry patiently teaches him a wandless stunning charm and Tom starts using it on the older kids that try to hurt him. Harry spends hours telling him in what circumstances he can use that charm, and when he cannot. Tom is, as always, an eager student and listens attentively to Harry's arguments.
Harry's incredibly grateful to Hermione during those moments. When Ginny had been pregnant with their first child, Harry had confessed to Hermione, after sharing a bottle of wine, that he was terrified about raising a child since he'd had such a poor upbringing himself. Harry honestly had no clue what to do when it came to small children.
Within a few days, Hermione showed up at Harry's office and had discreetly handed him a stack of muggle books, all dedicated to childrearing in some form or another. And Harry had read them all, front to back, most more than once.
Knowing his own shortcomings had been a great motivator to study at least the basics of child psychology and the most effective techniques to raise a child.
And now that he is stuck inside little Tom, Harry puts all his knowledge to good use. Tom blossoms into an gifted child, eager to learn everything he could, no matter how odd the subject. He is generally polite to the staff and the other children and only defends himself or others when the situation truly calls for it.
Tom is still, in many ways, an odd little duck. He's a bit more egocentric than others, and oftentimes quite aloof and awkward in any social situation. He doesn't like loud noises and gets very antsy when around screaming children for very long. Mostly he just likes to be left alone so he can read in peace or quietly listen to Harry's many stories about Hogwarts.
Thankfully the staff at the orphanage don't hold any of this against Tom and simply assume it's a consequence of his obviously gifted mind.
Life at the orphanage is, for the most part, structured and predictable, but Tom seems to thrive regardless.
When Tom is six something happens that shakes Tom to his core.
The measles are going around, as they often do, and Tom spends a week or two sick in bed before making a full recovery. A boy in Tom's dormitory isn't so lucky and dies in the middle of the night.
Tom is full of trembling waves of fear while Harry tries to comfort him.
"But where did he go?" Tom asks while Harry sends him all the comforting waves of love he can. "Did he just stop to exist?"
Harry reminds himself that Tom is just six years old. "Death is a part of life. None of us can escape it in the end. That is why we should treasure all the time we're given, Tom, however long or short that might be."
"But that's not fair," Tom whispers, sitting on his bed with hunched shoulders while fat tears drip down his face. Tom isn't a child that cries a lot, but he does occasionally get overwhelmed by his emotions to the point of tears. "Why should we have to just stop living?"
"Someone very wise once told me that death is but the next adventure," Harry says gently, frantically looking for the right words to say. The last thing he wants to see happen is for Tom to genuinely develop a fear of death as he'd done before. "And someone else told me that dying is just as quick and easy as falling asleep. Imagine, Tom, that you get to live a long, long life, learning all you can about magic and the world. And then, when you are old and tired, you get to fall asleep and go on to the next adventure, to see what lies beyond."
Tom sniffles and wipes a hand across his nose. "And will you be there, Harry?"
"Of course, sweetheart," Harry assures him. "I'm with you until the very end, and then we'll both see what the next adventure brings us."
Nodding, Tom slowly sits up a little. "I'm glad you're here, Harry."
"And I'm glad to be with you, Tom." And Harry finds that he really means that. Yes, his existence is very strange and often tedious and sometimes incredibly frustrating. But he's also come to genuinely love Tom for the wonderful boy he is. And Harry honestly cannot wait to see what kind of incredible wizard Tom can grow up to become.
A few months later the orphanage takes the children to a forest outside London. Tom's full of nervous flutters because he gets to travel on a train for the first time. Harry's been telling him about the Hogwarts Express for years now, so naturally Tom's eager to travel on a train. Harry shares in his joy as the train pulls out of the station and some of the children let out cheers, Tom included.
Tom's rather disappointed they have to actually leave the train when they reach their destination, but Harry promises him there are plenty of other interesting things to explore in nature so Tom reluctantly follows the other children outside. As they're walking down a country road towards the woods, Tom trailing behind, they both hear a hissing voice from the tall grass to their right.
"What's that?" Tom asks cautiously while peering into the grass.
"See for yourself," Harry says, curious to see how Tom will react to learning he's a parselmouth.
Tom crouches down, shoves some of the grass to the side and gasps when he spots a small grass snake.
"Hello," the snake says while raising its small head.
"It's a talking snake!" Tom cries out, a hand going to his mouth in shock.
The snake reels back a little. "No, you're a talking human!"
Tom blinks as though the snake has just said something very silly. "Of course I'm a talking human. What else would I be?"
Harry can't hold back his laughter anymore at seeing Tom bickering with a snake. "You're a parselmouth, Tom. You can speak parseltongue. It's a very rare gift amongst wizards."
"Really?" Tom narrows his eyes as he stares at the snake. "I can really speak snake?"
"Well, you're certainly not speaking human, otherwise I wouldn't understand a word you're saying," the snake replies with a little huff.
"Tom!" Lena comes hurrying towards them. The group is already very far ahead and apparently Lena only now realized Tom was lagging behind.
"It's best to keep this talent a secret," Harry whispers to Tom. "You know how muggles react to magic. And other wizards aren't always comfortable with it, either. It's best to let other magicals get to know you before you reveal this particular talent."
"Okay," Tom mumbles and then waves at Lena. "I found a snake! It's friendly."
Lena goes a little pale as she reaches Tom and sees the little snake, but much to her credit she manages to give Tom a brave smile. "How extraordinary. But we must catch up with the others now, so come along."
By the time they're back on the train, Tom seems to have accepted this new discovery and barely mentions it again, except whenever they come across another snake. That suits Harry just fine. He doesn't want Tom to be ashamed of his natural talents, but he's also acutely aware that wizards like Dumbledore absolutely will judge Tom on those kind of abilities. And Harry wants to spare Tom that if he can help it.
Harry's made it a point to not lie to Tom, even if he doesn't always tell him all he knows.
When Tom is eight, he asks, "But what are you, Harry? Your species must have a name. Is it a guardian angel?"
Harry sighs and if he'd still had hands he would rub them down his face. "It's a very long story, most which I cannot tell you yet. But once you're mature, I promise I'll share every last detail with you."
"But why?" Tom asks with a bit of a whine in his voice. If there's something that Tom cannot abide, it's the idea he's being denied some sort of new knowledge.
"Because as clever as you are, you're still only a child," Harry says as kindly as he can, not wanting to hurt Tom in any way. "There are a few things I can tell you now, if you promise to patiently wait until you're older for the rest."
Tom perks up. "Yes, please, tell me."
"All right." Harry pauses for a moment to gather his thoughts and consider what he should tell Tom now. "I am not any different kind of species. I am a wizard, just like you. I lived a full life until I was an old man. And then when I died I found myself living in your head."
Tom's jaw slowly drops open as he takes in everything Harry has just told him. "So you actually went to Hogwarts yourself? What House were you in?"
"Gryffindor," Harry says with a chuckle, thoroughly amused when Tom wrinkles his nose a little at hearing that particular detail. Tom's many things, but a Gryffindor he's not and probably never will be. "Though the Sorting Hat told me I'd also do very well in Slytherin."
"And how did you end up in my mind?" Tom asks eagerly, his whole body flush with curiosity. "Did you do some kind of spell?"
"Not to my knowledge." Harry sighs while Tom shifts impatiently on his bed. "I have some ideas how I ended up with you, Tom, but I can't tell you yet. When you're older, I promise."
Tom rolls his eyes and lets himself fall back on his bed. "Yes, fine. What can you tell me?"
Harry considers that before he settles on a particular memory. "Let me tell you about the time my friend Ron and I fought a troll to save our friend Hermione."
As Harry tells the whole story of how he ended up on the back of a troll, shoving his wand up its nose, Tom listens with bated breath and finally rolls around on his bed, laughing hysterically. Next is the story of how Harry helped to smuggle a baby dragon out of the castle, which garners a similar response.
And from that moment on, Harry includes personal details whenever he tells Tom stories. He stays away from anything to do with Voldemort, for obvious reasons, but he tells Tom about Ron and Hermione, and about Ginny and his children, and Tom wants to hear it all, no matter how small and insignificant the details are.
As awkward as Tom can be around others, he becomes better and better at reading people and their expectations of him. Harry lets him, because it is a way for Tom to understand the world around himself. Tom rarely manipulates people for truly unsavoury purposes. He also has an excellent reputation with the staff, so Harry doesn't care when Tom tries his hand at charming the cook into giving him an extra apple.
There is a very real chance Tom will get sorted into Slytherin, even if Harry suspects he's much more of a Ravenclaw these days. But being a half-blood sorted into Slytherin will come with certain challenges, and Tom will need to be able to charm and manipulate if he's to survive in that House.
Tom is nine when he asks Harry a slew of difficult questions. "Did you know my mother, Harry?"
That takes Harry aback for a moment. Tom has never really asked about his parents before, after the staff informed him that he was an orphan when he was old enough to understand that concept. "I didn't know her personally, but I knew of her," Harry finally says.
Tom's not done yet with seeking information. "Was she a witch? What was her name?"
"Her name was Merope Gaunt and she was indeed a witch."
Lowering his head, Tom scrunches up his entire face in frustration. "Didn't she have any magical family that could have taken me in?"
Ah, yeah, Harry probably should have anticipated these kind of questions sooner or later. Harry himself had often asked himself such questions as well when he was a child. "She did have magical family, but they couldn't take you in."
"Why?" Tom demands, voice much louder than usual. Thankfully they're alone in the dormitory, though everyone is used to Tom muttering to himself at odd times during the day. "I wouldn't have been a bother. I would have been respectful and done what they told me."
Harry desperately holds back the rush of ice cold fear that courses through him at the thought of the Gaunts getting their hands on a baby Tom. He doesn't want to alarm Tom, but he also doesn't want to lie to him. "I've explained blood prejudice to you, remember?"
Tom gives a few shaky nods.
"Unfortunately, the Gaunts are a family that values pure blood over anything else. It's a very silly philosophy, like we've discussed, but they believe in it to the point of not accepting a half-blood in their family."
"Oh," Tom says in a very small voice.
Harry wants so badly to give the boy a hug, but of course he can't so he sends a wave of warm affection instead. "You have to understand that your mother chose to give birth here at the orphanage for a very good reason," Harry says delicately. "It was to keep you safe, Tom. If she'd given birth in the wizarding world and had died there, the authorities would have handed you to the Gaunts without any question."
"And they would have hurt me," Tom says quietly, face oddly blank. "Because I'm a half-blood."
They would have slammed you headfirst against the nearest wall, Harry thinks with a shudder. "Yes, they would have. Trust me, life here in the orphanage is much better than living with them would have been."
"Is that why my mother didn't go to St Mungo's to give birth? Where they might have saved her?" Tom asks, and Harry's once again astonished at how incredibly clever that boy is, to have come to that conclusion on his own.
"Yes, sweetheart," Harry says with all the love he can put in his voice. "She wanted you to be safe much more than she wanted to save her own life. That's what mothers do for their children."
"I still would have liked to have met her," Tom mumbles, plucking at the hem of his shirt, staring at nothing at all.
"And she would have loved to have raised you," Harry assures him. "If she could have, she would have stayed with you, I promise you."
"Maybe she sent you here," Tom finally says, much to Harry's surprise. "Maybe she knew I needed someone to look after me, and she sent you in her stead."
Harry can't help the warm flush of affection he feels for this boy. "You know what? That might just be the case."
When they're getting closer and closer to Tom's eleventh birthday, Tom begins to get more and more nervous.
"It's real, isn't it?" Tom asks out of the blue one evening. "Hogwarts. I'll really get my letter, right?"
"I promise you will," Harry says at once. "Why are you suddenly questioning these things? You know you have magic. You use it often enough."
Tom gives a bit of a sheepish shrug. "I've been reading about mental illnesses and one of the chapters was about how some people have very vivid hallucinations and then I worried that might be the case for me."
Harry chuckles at Tom's anxious look. "You're not hallucinating, don't worry. I'm not a figment of your imagination. You're stuck with me, child, whether you like it or not."
"Good," Tom says with a grin before reaching for a new book to read.
Harry hasn't coached Tom on how to act when Dumbledore shows up with his Hogwarts letter, aside from reminding him not to let on he already knows about magic and that it's best not to mention his parseltongue just yet. But Harry isn't worried about Mrs Cole filling Dumbledore's head with all sorts of scary stories. Tom's got a good reputation in the orphanage, certainly no worse than any of the other children, and Mrs Cole seems fond enough of Tom, especially because he does so well in school and rarely causes trouble.
Dumbledore's wearing the same plum suit as Harry had seen in his memories all that time ago, but his approach to Tom is much kinder. There's no setting anyone's wardrobe on fire, for one.
Tom plays his part beautifully. He has become quite the good little actor over the years. "You mean what I can do is magic?" Tom asks with wide eyes. "I had thought it might be, but everyone's always told me magic isn't real."
"I assure you, it's very real," Dumbledore says with an utterly indulgent smile.
"Do you also have magical doctors?" Tom asks with a small frown as he gives Dumbledore a critical look. "Because I had been considering becoming a doctor. Or a barrister."
"We most certainly do," Dumbledore says, much to Tom's obvious joy. "They are called Healers and they require training in all sorts of magical subjects."
"Good," Tom says while sitting up a little. "Because I want to learn all the magical subjects."
"Well, I do believe we have ourselves a Ravenclaw in the making," Dumbledore says with a chuckle while he hands Tom his letter. "We can go to Diagon Alley right now to purchase your supplies."
"Yes, please," Tom says while Harry sends him wave after wave of glowing pride. "I can't wait to read all my schoolbooks."
"Yes, definitely a Ravenclaw," Dumbledore mumbles as he guides Tom out of the room.
Harry hopes with all his heart that Dumbledore is right. Tom's life would be so much easier if he didn't sort into Slytherin this time around.
Harry is possibly even more nervous than Tom once they find themselves seated under the Sorting Hat.
"You would do very well in Slytherin," the Sorting Hat whispers while Harry desperately tries to keep his own fluttering nerves from spilling over to Tom.
"How do you work?" Tom asks, completely ignoring the Hat's comments. "What kind of spells can make a leather hat the authority on where a child belongs?"
The Sorting Hat releases a dry chuckle. It seems it doesn't have enough power to look far enough into Tom's mind to notice Harry lurking there in the darkness.
"Yes, you would do well in Slytherin, but you'll do even better in RAVENCLAW!"
Without any outward sign of joy or sadness, Tom hands the hat back to an unsurprised Dumbledore and walks towards the Ravenclaw table with determined steps. Harry heaves a quiet sigh of relief. He's certain life will be a lot easier for Tom now that he won't have to face the prejudice of Slytherin House on a daily basis.
Sharing a body with Tom means that Harry experiences all that Tom does. He feels what Tom feels, he tastes what Tom tastes. When Tom is cold, so is Harry. When Tom cuts his finger, Harry feels that pain as well.
And when Tom watches more food appear on the table in front of him than he's ever seen before, Harry cannot wait to taste Hogwarts' amazing feasts again. The food at the orphanage has been plain and bland. Lots of boiled potatoes and oatmeal porridge and watery vegetable soups. Enough to sustain them, but no more than that.
"You weren't lying about the welcoming feast at Hogwarts," Tom whispers while the children around them start loading up their plates. Harry can feel Tom's indecision at what to try first.
"Taste a little bit of everything," Harry suggests, understanding all too well how overwhelmed Tom is feeling. He remembers his own first welcoming feast and his own disbelief at being able to eat as much as he wants. "Don't overdo it, though, or you'll get sick."
Tom manages to pace himself as he adds small portions of roasted potatoes, creamed leeks, lamp chops and roast beef to his plate. They've never had much meat at the orphanage, and Tom savours every bite of lamb and beef, closing his eyes in obvious pleasure. Harry sends him all the warm waves of happiness he can because he, too, savours all the foods they're tasting.
When they're tucked into bed in Ravenclaw Tower later that evening, Tom proves once again to be far more perceptive than Harry sometimes gives him credit for.
"You seemed very relieved I got sorted into Ravenclaw," Tom says quietly in the privacy of their bed, the blue curtains around them tightly drawn.
Harry sighs. "I believe the hat was right. You would have made a great Slytherin. But life in that House would have been a lot more difficult for you and I'm glad you got spared that."
Tom chews on his lip for a moment as he contemplates Harry's words. "I did consider Slytherin as a House for me," he finally confesses. "But I think Ravenclaw is a much better fit. Most of my ambition has to do with learning as much magic as possible, after all."
"I think you're right," Harry says, full of pride at this child he helped to raise in his own, strange way. Tom Riddle as he is now is a far cry from the sneaky, sadistic, broken boy he was before.
During their first week at Hogwarts it soon becomes clear that Tom fits into Ravenclaw like a Niffler fits into Gringotts. Tom loves Hogwarts, that's not surprising. But Tom also genuinely loves being surrounded by other children who are all eager and willing to learn as much magic as they can. Harry has told Tom plenty about the wizarding world in general over the years, but he's purposefully stayed away from teaching Tom any real magic yet, save for a few spells Tom needed to make life in the orphanage comfortable. Harry didn't want Tom to come to Hogwarts and find himself bored in his classes because he already knew all the material.
But now Tom is making friends with his fellow Ravenclaw classmates. Tom looks forwards to spending time with these kids in the library, where they can do their homework together and debate any number of magical topics until curfew and the librarian has to practically kick them out.
In the orphanage, Tom was always a bit of a loner, mainly because his intelligence put him so far ahead of his peers that no one could keep up with him. And Tom never really had patience to socialize with children who didn't have the same insatiable thirst for knowledge as he has.
But now there are any number of kids in Ravenclaw who are just as eager to learn as Tom is. And while none of them can match Tom's genius level of intelligence, there are plenty of kids who are smart enough to keep up with him.
So for the first time in his life, Tom has real friends. People his own age he enjoys spending time with. And Harry is so full of joy at seeing Tom slowly but surely become less of an antisocial child. He gets the distinct impression that Tom is finally realizing what it means to be a human being living amongst others of his kind, even if Tom still enjoys spending time alone from time to time as well.
The staff is completely enamoured by Tom, Dumbledore included. Tom is a polite student who is always happy to answer questions but doesn't demand constant attention. And it quickly becomes apparent that Tom is ridiculously talented at all kinds of magic. He's the first to change beetles into buttons and to make feathers fly and he makes it all seem completely effortlessly.
That's why it comes as a bit of a shock when after two weeks of school, Tom flops down on his bed and says with a tired sigh, "Is there really seven more years of this?"
Harry inhales a surprised gasp, suddenly full of prickling anxiety. "Tom? I thought you loved Hogwarts."
"I do," Tom says quickly, kicking against the sheets with a foot. "I love the castle and I love learning magic. It's just… it gets so loud sometimes. In the Great Hall and in the hallways. It's exhausting."
"That's something we can easily fix," Harry says as he sags in relief. "Tomorrow we'll look for some charms that help to mute sound."
"That would probably help," Tom agrees and pushes himself up to go brush his teeth. "Thanks, Harry."
Tom's first negative experience at Hogwarts happens after just a month of classes. It's a Friday afternoon and after a busy week Tom needs some quiet time so he takes a stroll through the castle by himself. They had found a few charms to help Tom keep the worst of the noise out of his head, but Tom still gets antsy every now and then and needs time by himself to decompress.
"Well, well," a nasally voice says behind them. "If it isn't the professors' favourite pet mudblood."
Narrowing his eyes, Tom slowly turns around to see two first year Slytherins standing behind him, wands out. Harry thinks he recognizes a Malfoy and a Lestrange.
"Just for your information," Tom says with a sharp little smile. "I'm a half-blood. And there's a reasons the professors like me so much. Let me demonstrate." And without further warning, Tom raises both his hands, no wand in sight, and casts two stunners. Malfoy and Lestrange fall over before they can even raise their wands.
"Since when can you cast with both hands at the same time?" Harry asks in astonishment. He's certainly never seen Tom manage it before. Or even try it, for that matter.
"Since today," Tom says with a satisfied spring in his step as he continues his way, leaving two unconscious Slytherins behind in the empty corridor. "I've contemplated the theory behind it for a while now and I found no reason why one couldn't use both hands for wandless magic. Now was a good time to test my theory."
"You clever thing." Harry glows with pride before he sobers up a bit. This confrontation has definitely put Tom on the Slytherins' radar and Harry realizes it's time they step up Tom's ability to protect himself. "Tom, I think it's time I teach you a few shield charms. And a few hexes and curses."
"Can we use the Room of Requirement?" Tom asks, his whole face lighting up in anticipation. They haven't had time yet to visit the Room and Tom is obviously more than ready to explore the almost mythical place Harry has told him about so often.
"Sure," Harry says and before he can say more, Tom's off running towards the seventh floor.
Over the next few months, Harry teaches Tom some basic duelling in a large duelling chamber provided by the Room of Requirement. And that's a good thing, too, because it soon becomes clear that Malfoy and Lestrange are not happy that a Ravenclaw half-blood so easily bested them. Those two Slytherins make it their personal mission to bring Tom down as many notches as they can manage. They lie in wait around corners and behind suits of armour to hex Tom in the back.
Tom takes it all in stride and doesn't let their bullying take away from his joy at learning magic. "It's good practice, Harry," Tom says with the kind of practicality that Harry straight up admires. Tom rarely lets any of his actions get influenced by his emotions, much preferring to use cold, hard logic to get around in life. "I'm becoming much better at dodging and casting shields than I ever would from attending defence classes alone."
"You've got a point," Harry agrees, even though he still gets angry on Tom's behalf every time he gets targeted. Tom usually rolls his eyes when Harry rants about those cowardly attacks, but there's always a simultaneous flush of warm appreciation.
During the Christmas holidays, when Hogwarts is much emptier and Tom has the dormitory to himself, Harry shows Tom how to get to the Room of Hidden Things. By now Tom has mastered a few detection charms Harry has taught him, and Harry feels comfortable letting Tom dig through all the mountains of potentially cursed junk.
Naturally, Tom collects all the books he can find, no matter their state or their subject. Harry teaches him how to expand several of the bags they come across so Tom can store all his new treasures. Tom had to make do with the Hogwarts fund for poor students and could only afford a very basic trunk without any extra features. But this way he's still able to start his own personal library.
"We'll come back before the summer," Harry promises Tom while they sort through all sorts of objects they will be able to sell. Wands, cauldrons, scales, rune carving tools, and an endless array of clothes. "We'll keep what you need and sell the rest. That way you'll have a bit of spending money for the coming years."
"I could take a room at the Leaky Cauldron," Tom says as he gathers up the wands they've found. None of them work well for Tom, so they can all be sold. "That way I don't have to return to the orphanage."
That is exactly what Harry plans on doing when Tom is a little older and the Blitzkrieg will hit London. Tom will be much safer in Diagon Alley, behind its wards, than in muggle London. "I doubt they'll let a young boy stay at the pub for the entire summer without asking questions, sweetheart. But in a few years you'll be old enough that no one will care."
Tom's shoulders slump and he kicks against a dented Quaffle, sending it flying into a nearby heap of broken furniture. "I don't like it at the orphanage."
"I know," Harry says soothingly. "But it's only for a few more summers. And before we'll leave Hogwarts in June I'll show you how to break the trace."
That perks up Tom at once. "I'll be able to do magic?"
"Within reason," Harry says sternly, though he can't hold back a chuckle at the same time. Tom's such an eager little wizard. "You can use it to keep yourself comfortable and safe. But that's it."
"Yeah, yeah." Tom goes back to rummaging through a collection of Quidditch magazines. "I won't go around cursing any of the muggles just for fun, don't worry."
Harry knows very well that's exactly what Tom would do if he thought he could get away with it. Tom doesn't subscribe to any kind of blood prejudice and doesn't believe himself better because he has magic. But lots of the older children at the orphanage have hurt Tom in several different ways over the years. Everything from tripping him in the hallways to stealing food from him. And Harry is sure that Tom would love to exact a little revenge now that he's a proper student of magic.
They only take a few items with them to sell, leaving the rest to be collected at some point in the future. A young child with piles of goods to sell would draw suspicion and Harry wants to avoid that at any cost. But this way Tom will have some extra gold to spend on next year's supplies, though Harry's already quite sure it will all be spent on more books.
So far Harry hasn't mentioned the Chamber of Secrets or the basilisk to Tom yet. Mostly to keep Tom from demanding to go meet the bloody thing as soon as possible. Harry believes Tom will be much better off waiting a few years before meeting a murder serpent face to face. But once he does, Harry is sure Tom will be able to coax the basilisk in giving up some of its venom, plus they can collect some of its shed skin. That will earn them a small fortune, enough to get Tom settled out of Hogwarts while he starts whatever career he chooses.
Tom is the youngest students to ever be invited to Slughorn's Slug Club. Slughorn usually waits until students are at least in their third year before he collects them. But Tom is such a talented student that Slughorn can't resist adding him to his collection early. This lets Tom meet all sorts of interesting people, current and former students both. And while Tom couldn't care less about any of the Quidditch players or Ministry workers Slughorn invites, he is enthralled by all the Masters of several subjects he gets to meet. A Rune Master, a Charms Master and a Master in Transfiguration. Tom interrogates them all with as many questions as is polite to ask during an intimate dinner party.
Whenever one of Slughorn's guests asks Tom what subject he wants to specialize in when he grows up, Tom always says, "All of them."
This usually earns him some quiet laughter from an adult indulging a child's unrealistic dreams. But Harry knows Tom much better and it wouldn't surprise him in the slightest if Tom ends up actually getting masteries in just about every subject that interests him. Tom is that much of a genius, even as young as he is.
The rest of the school year goes by much the same. Tom spends time discussing all sorts of magic with his friends. He attends every single party Slughorn organizes. He ducks and dodges any magic Malfoy and Lestrange throw his way, retaliating with a well-aimed curse about half the time. The other times Tom just simply ignores the Slytherin bullies, which seems to infuriate them even more.
Tom scores top marks on the end of year exams, to no one's surprise.
Harry makes sure Tom brews an aging potion right before it's time to leave school. "Really?" Tom asks suspiciously as he adds chopped oak roots to the cauldron. "An aging potion can break the Trace? That's all it takes?"
"Yep," Harry replies full of amusement. He'd been just as affronted once he'd learned the secrets to breaking the Trace undetected during Auror training. "Take an aging potion after leaving the castle and you'll lose the Trace at once. Best do it in the loo on the Hogwarts Express. The effects should only last a minute, but that way no one else will notice what you're doing."
Tom does exactly that. He locks himself in the loo, undresses so as not to damage his clothes and then takes the potion. He grows a foot in under a minute and stares at his own face in the small mirror in astonishment before the potion wears off and he's back to being twelve years old.
"You're certainly going to become a very handsome man," Harry points out while Tom gets dressed again. "You'll have no trouble getting a girlfriend when you're a little older. Or a boyfriend."
Surprisingly, Tom ignores Harry's remarks completely, but why, Harry's not sure. So far, whenever Harry mentions Tom having any kind of romantic relationships, he always gets the silent treatment. Ah well. Tom is still only a child, so there is plenty of time for any necessary talks about safe sex in the future.
While Tom is clearly disappointed about having to return to the orphanage again, thanks to being able to use magic, life at the orphanage isn't all that bad. All of Tom's belongings are warded so no one can steal or destroy them. And Tom only needs to cast his usual wandless stunners a few times before the older children remember it's best not to mess with Tom Riddle and to just leave him alone.
Mrs Cole is happy enough to see him and gives Tom a small room of his own, much to his pleasure. Tom does the simple chores he's expected to do around the orphanage and he goes down to the dining hall three times a day for their simple, bland meals, but the rest of the time he spends stretched out on his bed working his way through the many, many books he's liberated from the Room of Requirement.
They do visit Diagon Alley a few times. Once to sell the items Tom had brought back with him from the Room, and the rest of the times to browse every second-hand bookstore they can find. Tom's selection of books is quite eclectic, much to Harry's amusement. There's an introduction to Alchemy but also a thick tome on household spells. Of course, Tom puts the latter one to good use to hurry his chores at the orphanage along so he can spend more time reading, the little bookworm that he is.
Second year passes much the same as Tom's first year. The staff is still practically worshipping the ground Tom walks on, as are most of the students save for a select few Slytherins. Malfoy and Lestrange keep up their bullying and Tom keeps using those incidents as practice for his duelling skills.
"Could you please put some more effort into using more advanced curses?" Tom asks one afternoon in November after he's disarmed both Malfoy and Lestrange in under half a minute. "Your spell repertoire is a bit simplistic and it's not giving me much of a challenge anymore."
Harry cackles at the looks of sheer disbelief on the Slytherins' faces while Tom walks off like he doesn't have a care in the world, dropping their wands to the stone floor along the way.
And when a month later Lestrange jumps out from behind a suit of armour, shooting a sickly yellow curse in Tom's direction, Tom's whole face lights up in sheer joy while he bats the curse away with an advanced shield Harry has taught him.
"Was that a bone breaking curse?" Tom asks with a delighted laugh. "Well done, Lestrange. That is exactly the kind of curses I was hoping you'd use."
It is clear Malfoy and Lestrange are getting older students to teach them as many horrible curses as they can possibly learn. Tom is constantly ecstatic about their growing repertoire and ups his own studies of hexes and curses to give as good as he's getting.
Harry notices during the schoolyear that Tom isn't nearly as charming as Harry thought he would be. Oh, Tom's still polite to everyone around him and he can certainly be very charming when he puts some effort into it, but mostly Tom just acts like Tom. A little aloof, a lot fixated on learning as much as he can, and mostly living life by the beat of his own drum. And surprisingly, no one holds this against him. They all accept that this young, genius Ravenclaw would be a little odd at times and do things in his own way without constantly trying to please others. In fact, people seem to find it charming in its own right that Tom isn't interested in putting up a fake front all the time.
The more he thinks about it, the more Harry is sure this is not just because Tom had a slightly different upbringing, but also because he's a Ravenclaw this time around. No one is suspicious of him, least of all Dumbledore. Tom has nothing to prove, not to the students or to the staff.
They liberate more junk from the Room of Requirement for Tom to sell before leaving Hogwarts for another summer at the orphanage.
"Just this summer and the next one, Tom, and then you should be good to stay in the Leaky Cauldron for the rest of your Hogwarts career," Harry says patiently when Tom once again grumbles about having to return to the muggles.
That summer Tom discovers masturbation. One of the books from the Room of Requirement has a few chapters on sex magic with detailed descriptions and some very explicit pictures. Tom's a thirteen year old boy so naturally his body reacts in predictable ways. Tom locks his bedroom door with a flick of his wand and sets to work on his hard cock.
Harry politely pretends he doesn't exist for as long as it takes Tom to finish. The orgasm does feel nice, though, and Harry vaguely realizes he kind of misses sex.
Neither one mentions it after Tom cleans himself up. From that moment on, Tom regularly wanks, as one could expect of most teenage boys, but it's always as quickly and as efficiently as possible. It seems very much as though Tom views masturbation as much as a chore as taking a shower or brushing his teeth. Harry doesn't say anything since he believes it's important Tom figures out all these intimate things on his own without Harry sticking his nose in.
During his third year Tom finagles a pass to the Restricted Section out of Slughorn. Honestly, Harry's rather surprised it's taken this long. Tom spends as much time as he possibly can browsing all the forbidden books. Harry doesn't stop him from reading anything. Harry has raised three children of his own and he knows very well that telling a child they cannot do something that entices them is a guarantee that the child will in fact do the thing anyway. Harry lets Tom read what he wants and then discusses all he's learned as much as Tom needs to develop a nuanced understanding of all facets of magic.
Harry knows what's coming but he's still filled with a cold sense of dread the first time Tom comes across the word 'horcrux'.
"Harry," Tom says full of frantic excitement. "Do you think that would be a way to become immortal?" Tom's not particularly afraid of death, no more than the average human being. But he is always looking for ways to learn more and more and a long life would certainly allow him to spend an eternity acquiring knowledge.
"Not really," Harry says as calmly as he can. "The soul is who you are. Splitting it would change you in ways that would leave you unrecognizable even to yourself." Harry pauses for a moment while he feels Tom's excitement slowly ebb away. "Besides, rituals that require a human sacrifice always have consequences."
"What sort of consequences?" Tom asks quietly as he stares down at the pages of Secrets of the Darkest Arts with wide eyes.
"Insanity," Harry says in as measured a tone as he can manage.
Tom instantly closes the book. "I suppose it does seem too good to be true." Then he places the book back on its shelf and shrugs. "Besides, one can conclude that method isn't very successful in guaranteeing longevity. If it was, we'd be surrounded by centuries old witches and wizards all with a horcrux hanging around their necks."
"Just so," Harry says, suddenly full of glowing pride. How far has Tom already come that he so rationally resists the temptation that did him in a lifetime ago. Because the older Tom gets, the more Harry realizes that this clever, ambitious Ravenclaw has always been hiding inside Tom Marvolo Riddle. It just never got the chance to properly develop thanks to a less than adequate upbringing and an unfortunate sorting.
While Tom spends many hours in the Restricted Section for the rest of the year, he never looks for any information on horcruxes again.
They plan to spend one more summer in the orphanage. Tom's grumbling again, pulling his trunk out of the station with a dark frown on his face. He stops at once, whole body frozen in shock as he sees the crumbling state London is in after nine months of constant bombardments.
"Fuck," Tom whispers, which illustrates his genuine dismay because Tom hardly ever swears.
For miles and miles building are ruined, roofs and walls collapsed, huge piles of rubble blocking every other street. Some buildings are gone entirely, leaving huge craters in their wake.
Harry knew the Blitzkrieg was coming, but he hadn't been sure when exactly. "Yeah, all right. Let's go tell Mrs Cole you'll be spending the summer at a friend's house and then you can get a room at the Leaky Cauldron."
Tom doesn't need to be told twice and manoeuvres himself and his trunk through the demolished streets as quickly as he can. Mrs Cole is more than understanding, having lived through the bombardments for months now. All the younger children of the orphanage have been shipped off to the countryside while only the teenagers remain. They're all put to work cleaning up rubble and digging out bodies from under the many collapsed structures. In fact, Mrs Cole seems downright relieved she'll have one less boy to worry about that summer.
The Leaky Cauldron's owner, a wizard named Frank Whitingdale, doesn't bat an eye when Tom asks if he can rent a room for the summer. Seeing as Tom's still a student, Frank gives him a bit of a discount.
Tom goes off the next day to sell more Room of Requirement treasures so he'll have enough gold to see them through the summer. Harry's pleasantly surprised when Tom spends the next few days going from shop to shop, asking if they need any help. Eventually Tom finds a parttime job at an apothecary, to help restock the shelves in the mornings. Tom does such a good job and shows so much knowledge of potions that he soon is helping behind the counter as well whenever the shop gets particularly busy.
Because Tom keeps himself busy the summer is over before they know it and Tom has more gold than he did at the start of it, even with having stayed at the Leaky Cauldron.
"Since you've shown such maturity this summer, I'm going to give you a reward," Harry says once they're seated on the Hogwarts Express, both eager to go back to school. Even though Diagon Alley is well warded and the bombs didn't reach them there, Harry's still more than happy for them to head back to Scotland and well away from the war.
Tom perks up at once. "What kind of reward?"
"A huge one," Harry says with a knowing chuckle. He can't wait to see Tom's reaction to the Chamber of Secrets. "But you'll have to wait until we're at Hogwarts."
"Harry!" This is said with a definite whine because Tom is really bad at handling surprises. Thankfully some of Tom's Ravenclaw friends join him in his compartment and he's forced to leave matters be for the rest of the journey.
The next afternoon after classes are done, Harry says, "Go to the second floor girl's bathroom."
Tom hesitates for a moment. "Is this some sort of strange Gryffindor prank?"
Harry can't hold back a burst of laughter at Tom's hesitation. "I promise, sweetheart, that you're going to love it."
"Okay." Tom still sounds a little dubiously but he walks on with brisk steps. He dodges an entrail-expelling curse from Malfoy and shields against a skin-melting curse from Lestrange. "Nicely cast," Tom calls out to them as he hurries along. "I'd engage you in a duel, but I'm rather short on time right now. I'll get back to you soon, promise!"
Tom makes sure they're alone in the bathroom. "Find the tap with a snake etched into it," Harry tells him, almost giddy with anticipation.
Still obviously unsure if Harry's pulling his leg or not, Tom shuffles around the room until he find the right sink.
"Now tell it to open in parseltongue," Harry whispers.
Blinking, Tom looks at himself in the mirror, eyes wide. He's had a substantial growth spurt last summer, partially thanks to all the filling meals they had at the Leaky Cauldron, and he now stands as tall as the average man. And Harry knows that he's not even done growing. With a wary sigh, Tom says, "Open."
Tom jumps back at least two feet when the whole wall starts moving. Harry cackles in delight at Tom's response. It's even better than he'd hoped.
"Grab your Shooting Star and enlarge it," Harry says once a gaping, dark hole in the wall has been revealed. Since first year Harry has urged Tom to keep a shrunken broomstick in his bag, for emergencies. They found several old broomsticks in the Room of Requirement and Tom kept the most serviceable of the lot while selling the rest.
"What is down there?" Tom asks as he follows Harry's instructions. He mounts the broom and carefully kicks off, lowering himself into the dark tunnel. He lights up his wand to help him see where he's going before telling the tunnel to close again. It wouldn't do for anyone else to come across this particular secret.
While Tom couldn't give two knuts about Quidditch, he is a very good flyer. The journey through the dark tunnel to the metal door goes more than smoothly. One more parseltongue command from Tom later, and they slowly fly into the enormous room decorated with all sorts of snake-themed details.
"Is this…is this the Chamber of Secrets?" Tom asks as he slowly touches down. The broom clatters to the floor as Tom turns around and around, taking in the whole room over and over again.
"That it is," Harry says with a thick wave of satisfaction. "Now, would you like to meet a basilisk?"
Tom stops moving at once, a wave of icy fear washing through him. "The fuck, Harry?"
Harry had genuinely not expected Tom to be so reluctant to meet Salazar Slytherin's basilisk, but on second thought, perhaps he should have been. It seems reasonable for any halfway intelligent person to be a bit reluctant to meet a serpent whose gaze can kill you and who is big enough to swallow the average human whole.
It takes Harry fifteen minutes to convince Tom to meet the basilisk. "You're a parselmouth and an heir of Salazar Slytherin himself," Harry says soothingly for the umpteenth time while Tom stares at the huge statue as though it might come to life at any moment and club him to death. "Besides, think about how much gold you'll make selling some of its venom. It'll be enough to give you a great start once you leave Hogwarts."
Finally, Tom's insatiable curiosity wins out from his anxiety and he summons the basilisk with a few words of parseltongue.
The whole thing is a bit anticlimactic in the end. While the basilisk seems vaguely interested to meet Tom, it doesn't do much else. Honestly, Harry had never anticipated a bloody murder serpent to be this boring. But the basilisk is old and has spent century after century isolated in a damp basement and seems to have lost any social skills it might have once had.
Tom does manage to convince it to let him milk it for its venom and they end up with eight pints of bright yellow basilisk venom which Tom carefully stores in unbreakable jars. Tom also removes a few shed skins from the basilisk's lair which he folds carefully. Thanks to his summer job, Tom has connections with an apothecary and he'll be able to sell these treasures in small increments in the years to come.
"I'll come back next year," Tom says to the basilisk who gives a disinterested shake of its giant head before slinking back into its lair. "How did you know where to find the Chamber of Secrets, Harry?" Tom asks while they make their way back to the surface. When Harry remains quiet, Tom adds, "Or is this one of those things you can't tell me about yet?"
"It's exactly such a thing, yes," Harry says with a regretful sigh. He hates keeping things from Tom, but he also knows that Tom's not ready yet to hear the truth. Let him finish Hogwarts first and decide on what to do with his life before hearing that once upon a time he'd turned into a Dark Lord responsible for the death of thousands.
"Hm." Tom mounts his broom and squares his shoulders. "It had better be a really good story."
"It is," Harry whispers while an uncertain shiver passes through him. He's honestly rather worried how Tom is going to take that news, but on the other hand Harry knows he cannot keep the truth from Tom forever.
"I'll be patient, if only because you just made me a rich man." Tom pushes off and flies up the dark tunnel again. "Thanks for always looking after me, Harry."
"You're welcome, sweetheart."
No one notices Tom's little foray into the depths of Hogwarts and life goes on as it's always done. The only difference with last year is that Malfoy and Lestrange finally seem to have convinced more Slytherins to try to curse Tom as often as they can. At least a group of ten Slytherins of various ages regularly shoots magic at Tom's back, but Tom still sees it as a useful challenge and uses it to keep improving his own skills. He's also becoming proficient at Runes and uses those to add intricate wards to his clothing to help protect himself. Once he's done, nothing save for the Unforgivables has a chance of hitting Tom, much to the Slytherins' frustrations.
They spend another summer in Diagon Alley, staying at the Leaky Cauldron where Frank welcomes them with a nod and a brief smile. Tom gets a full time job at the apothecary this time and offers his boss, Johannes Munk, some of the basilisk venom to buy.
"Where on earth did you come across this, Tom?" Johannes asks as he stares at the glass jar full of yellow venom in awe.
"Ask me no questions and I shall tell you no lies," Tom says with a charming little smile. Then he leans closer and whispers. "I can tell you that I have an advantage over other witches and wizards who would collect such a prize. I'm a direct descendant of Salazar Slytherin."
Johannes' eyes widen. "You're a parselmouth!"
Tom answers with a knowing look and a slow nod and from that moment on Johannes puts him in charge of milking all the snakes the apothecary keeps in the back. Tom doesn't mind one bit and happily chats with the animals while he looks after them. Harry is pleased with the way Tom has revealed his Slytherin connection. Johannes will most likely slowly spread the rumour of Tom's unique talents and Tom's built up such an excellent reputation for himself at Hogwarts that no one will hold it against him at this point that he is a parselmouth. Most likely people will simply look at it as an interesting little quirk from an eccentric genius.
Tom becomes the fifth year male Prefect for Ravenclaw to no one's surprise. While Tom happily pins the badge on his uniform he also mutters that he hopes it won't take too much time away from his studies. Harry stifles a snicker. Imagine the horror of not being able to study every waking moment of the day!
Prefects are expected to patrol the castle's corridors right after curfew and meet with all the other Prefects once a week, and this puts Tom in contact with Sandra Menners, a pretty sixth-year Hufflepuff Prefect with a bit of a…reputation.
Harry wonders if he should warn Tom about Sandra's intentions when she obviously sets her sights on him. Then again, Tom can easily hold his own against a small squadron of hostile Slytherins, so he should have no problems defending himself against one horny Hufflepuff.
Sandra flirts like her life depends on it whenever she's in the same room as Tom, and Tom returns her sentiments with a stoic but polite interest. The obvious tension finally comes to a head halfway through the year, just before the Christmas holidays, when Sandra all but yanks Tom into a broom cupboard after the Prefect meeting.
Harry keeps his mouth firmly shut as Tom receives his first ever kiss. Sandra snogs Tom silly and gives him a complementary hand job to boot. Tom barely moves and just stands there, undergoing Sandra's enthusiastic ministrations without much participation. Just as Harry wonders if he should quickly explain to Tom that he is allowed to say no, Tom comes with a quiet groan and immediately says, "Well, that was an utter disappointment."
While Harry's completely taken aback, Sandra gasps in shock and promptly bursts into tears before fleeing the cupboard. Tom shrugs and puts himself back to rights while Harry's unsure if he should laugh or give Tom a long lecture on how to not act around girls willing to kiss you.
"Tom," Harry says as they walk back to Ravenclaw Tower. "That wasn't very nice of you, to insult that girl right after she got you off."
Tom sniffs as he stares straight ahead. "I was just being honest about the whole experience. I'm not sure what other reaction I should have given. Should I have lied instead?"
If Harry had hands he would bury his face in them. "No, it's good that you didn't lie. But perhaps you could have spared her your honest opinion. She did nothing wrong."
"She did nothing right, either," Tom says with his usual bluntness. "The whole experience was an utter disappointment."
Harry doesn't really know what to say, because in his own experience the encounter had been a pretty decent one, considering the participants were a couple of inexperienced teenagers. "Perhaps a different partner might yield different results."
"Perhaps," Tom says noncommittedly and changes the subject.
A few weeks after the Christmas holidays Tom has charmed a Gryffindor seventh-year by the name of Rudolf Hall to spend some time with him in a broom cupboard. They snog, Tom gives Rudolf a half-hearted hand job while Rudolf eagerly drops to his knees to suck Tom's cock.
"Thank you," Tom says after they're done.
"Meet again on Saturday?" Rudolf replies with an expectant smile.
"No." And with that, Tom leaves the cupboard without looking back.
"Was this any better?" Harry asks once they're tucked into bed because Tom seems unusually quiet.
"Not really," Tom says, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "I just don't get the whole point of fornication of any kind. It's such a waste of time. If I need to orgasm I can do a much more efficient job of it on my own."
Ah.
Harry can't really say he's surprised Tom's just not interested in sex. From what Harry can tell, Tom feels very little physical sexual arousal, aside from the occasional erection. There's no sweeping lurches in his stomach or growing tension in his groin. There's no mental obsession with having sex of any kind.
Tom doesn't even masturbate more than once a week at most. Harry remembers being fifteen and sixteen. He could barely keep his hands off his cock at that age, wanking as often as he possibly could. Tom's never been like that.
"It's okay to not want to have sex," Harry says because he thinks Tom needs to hear that. "If you enjoy having sex then by all means, go have some with a willing partner. But if it doesn't appeal to you, that's fine, too."
"Yeah?" Tom asks in a small voice, reminding Harry that no matter Tom's tall stature and his mature attitude, in some ways he's still very much a child.
"Yeah, Tom. And there's nothing wrong with you if you don't enjoy it." Harry's always had an active sex life with Ginny, something they both enjoyed immensely. But he's learned over the years that this is not the case for all people. One of Harry's granddaughters was openly asexual. She eventually met an ace witch she fell in love with. Perhaps Tom needed to be made aware of such options as well. "Besides, just because you don't enjoy sex doesn't mean you can't fall in love and start a relationship. Just as long as you're honest with yourself and your partner about your desires."
Tom narrows his eyes and mulls that over for a long time. Finally he says, "That's good to know."
That is the last time Tom has any kind of physical intimacy with another person and he seems perfectly happy with that. And as long as Tom's happy, Harry's happy.
In February Tom comes across Hagrid during one of his Prefect patrols. "Curfew was an hour ago," Tom says while giving Hagrid a suspicious look. "What are you doing still out and about?"
"Nuthin'," Hagrid mumbles, inching away from an out of the way room deep in the dungeons.
"Oh crap," Harry sighs in Tom's mind. "Tom, he's keeping an acromantula in that room."
Tom stiffens visibly before he can help it. Hagrid already has a bit of a reputation for smuggling in all sorts of dangerous critters. "Ten points from Gryffindor, Hagrid. Go to your common room at once."
Hagrid gives a few uneasy looks between Tom and the closed door, but eventually he has no choice but to leave.
"You have to kill the bloody thing," Harry says, even though he doesn't want to see Hagrid get hurt in any way. But a man-eating spider has no business living in a castle full of children, nor in an adjacent forest where it will wreak havoc on the native ecosystem.
"They're dark creatures," Tom mumbles while he carefully unlocks the door. "What sort of curse would work best?"
"Try Sectumsempra," Harry says, knowing very well Tom will have one chance to kill the spider before it strike back and its venom is nothing to sneeze at. "A quick slashing motion with your wand will cut the thing, dark creature or not."
Wand at the ready, Tom pushes open the door, slips inside and quickly closes it again. Aragog, possibly sensing danger, launches himself out of the trunk in the corner. Tom slashes his wand down at once with a yell, inflicting a mortal wound. Aragog falls to the floor, releasing a piercing sound while his legs slowly curl inward.
"How did you know what he was keeping in there?" Tom asks as they hurry towards the Headmaster's office to report the incident.
"I'm sorry," Harry says, while Tom fills with waves of tight frustration. "I can't tell you that yet. Just know that you've just prevented a lot of future misery in the area."
In the end, Hagrid isn't expelled, but it's a close thing. He does have to serve detention for the rest of the schoolyear and he's on probation. If he brings so much as a puffskein into the castle from then on he'll be kicked out at once. Thankfully, Hagrid finally seems to understand the severity of the situation and Harry's happy to see that his old friend will be able to finish Hogwarts after all.
Harry offers to help Tom learn the Patronus charm which doesn't get mentioned in classes until seventh year.
"Why?" Tom asks even though he doesn't seem opposed to the idea.
"Because it will blow the minds of the examiners when you sit your OWLs," Harry says and laughs when Tom immediately get his wand out.
It takes Tom three months and just in time for the exams he manages a corporal Patronus.
Tom stares in awe at the golden eagle that shimmers through the air around them while Harry can't hold back a burst of laughter. "You're certainly a true Ravenclaw with a Patronus like that."
But Tom doesn't respond as Harry thought he would. Tom ducks his head and raises his hand to hide his smile. "It's you," he finally mumbles, taking Harry entirely by surprise. "You're that eagle, Harry."
Well. It's certainly nice to hear that Tom thinks of Harry as such a noble animal that's there to keep him safe.
During the summer Tom has a fresh batch of basilisk venom to sell to Johannes at the apothecary where he again works for the entire time he stays in Diagon Alley. No one from Hogwarts or the Ministry has yet to say anything about it that a student spends his summer in the Leaky Cauldron and Harry doesn't expect that at this point anyone would start to care.
Tom scores outstandings for each and every single OWL he took, twelve in total. Even though Harry's not surprised in the least, he's still incredibly proud of Tom. Yes, Tom is a genius but he also put in an immense amount of work studying for his exams and he's certainly earned every outstanding he got.
"Well done," Harry whispers while Tom smiles down at the parchment in his hands. "I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks," Tom mumbles while rolling the parchment back up. "Though I'm not surprised by the results. It would have been a right embarrassment if someone with my intelligence hadn't managed straight O's."
Tom's a great many things these days, but modest is still not one of them, much to Harry's amusement. As long as Tom stays far away from becoming a budding Dark Lord, Harry's fine with the man being an arrogant genius.
A few weeks after the start of sixth year Tom brings up a subject Harry's not sure how to address.
"What about my father?" Tom asks one evening as they're lounging on a couch in the Room of Requirement after Tom got done with his duelling training against various dummies. "You only ever said he was a muggle. What else can you tell me about him?"
Harry's at an absolute loss for words because he doesn't want to lie to Tom, but he's also not sure how Tom will take the truth. The last thing Harry wants to do is hurt Tom, and he knows that hearing his father is still alive will emotionally cut Tom very deep.
"Harry?" Tom asks, a hint of impatience seeping into his voice. Tom still does not like to be denied knowledge of any kind. "What aren't you telling me?"
With a deep sigh, Harry says, "I don't want you to get hurt, Tom, and this will hurt you."
Tom sits up at once while he narrows his eyes. "And I'd prefer to simply be told the truth instead of being coddled like a baby. I'm not a child anymore you need to constantly protect."
"I know, I know," Harry says and he does know that. Tom is almost seventeen at this point and he's grown into a fine, mature young man who has a mind like the world has rarely seen before. "I'll tell you what I know, as long as you promise me you won't do anything impulsive."
That seems to bring Tom up short and he fiddles with a button on his uniform for a moment. Harry rarely makes Tom promise to not do something. "Yes, fine, I promise I won't do anything drastic," Tom finally says, with the kind of nonchalant air that betrays he's still very much a teenager, no matter his intelligence and maturity.
And Harry tells the story of Merope Gaunt and her desperate bid for freedom while potioning an unsuspecting muggle to the gills.
"You mean to say my father is still alive?" Tom yells, his chest full of burning anger. "All this time, that bastard has been alive?"
"He's terrified of magic," Harry says, desperate to keep Tom from drowning in rage completely. He understand all too well that Tom is furious at his father and most of that fury is expected considering the circumstances. "I doubt he'd ever have taken you in, Tom. You're a reminder of the awful things Merope did to him."
"Fuck," Tom mutters, sitting hunched over with his head in his hands, arms trembling just a bit. "All this time, that bastard was alive."
"If you want, I suggest visiting him after Hogwarts, when you're legally allowed to use magic. At the very least the man owes you a ton of monetary child support. And some answers." Harry's pretty sure Tom won't go on a murderous rampage this time when meeting his Muggle kin. And he does deserve to get some answers. Harry just believes that's better done when Tom is a little older and a little bit more in control of his temper. Plus, a few more years of waiting won't change a thing for Tom at this point.
"Yes," Tom says in a hiss, jaws tight. "Yes, I do want to get some answers. Promise me, Harry, that after Hogwarts you'll tell me where to find him."
"I promise," Harry says at once. He'll introduce Tom to Morfin Gaunt at the same time, so Tom can see what a wretched family the Gaunts truly are. Besides, Harry firmly believes that the resurrection stone will be safer in Tom's hands than in Morfin's.
Tom doesn't bring it up again for the rest of his Hogwarts career, though Harry does notice that Tom is a bit quieter than usual for a few weeks after that conversation. But he recovers eventually and shows no signs of plotting any kind of murderous revenge so Harry takes that as a win.
Slughorn starts inviting more and more prominent Academics to show Tom off to during his Slug Club parties. Tom gets his first offers for apprenticeships in Runes and Enchanting. He politely tells both witches that he'll think about it but that he likes to keep his options open until he finishes Hogwarts. Harry suspects Tom will get many more offers before he sits his NEWTs and thinks it's a smart idea to not yet commit to anything. With the kind of magical talent Tom has, he's pretty much assured of any apprenticeship he eventually sets his sights on.
"Do you have any idea yet what exactly you want to study after your NEWTs?" Harry asks Tom the last evening of their sixth year before the Hogwarts Express will take them back to London the next day.
"Everything," Tom says distractedly, his attention mostly focused on the Potions book in his hands. Most students wouldn't be caught dead reading about Potions the day before their summer holidays, but Tom has always preferred reading and learning over any other kind of leisure activity.
Harry snorts at Tom's non-answer. "That's what you always say, but eventually you will have to select a subject to start with, even if you do get more than one Mastery in the end."
"I'll just see which apprenticeship offer appeals to me the most at the end of next year," Tom mumbles and Harry decides to drop the subject. Tom's right in that he still has a full school year to make up his mind so there is no real rush just yet.
During the summer Tom goes back to working for Johannes in his apothecary. Aside from caring for all the snakes and working the counter, Tom's also allowed to brew a variety of potions now that he's sat his OWLS, which keeps the job from getting too boring.
Tom also sells off the last of the Room of Requirement junk that's worth selling. Thanks to all his different income streams, Tom's brand-new Gringotts vault is very generously filled by the end of the summer. They'll have plenty to see them through life after Tom finishes Hogwarts for at least a decade, if not more.
Halfway through Tom's seventh year, a week into January, Dumbledore calls Tom into his office.
"Some dear friends of mine asked me to give you this letter," Dumbledore says with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Please hand me your written reply and I'll make sure it reaches them promptly."
The envelope is made of thick, old-fashioned paper with only Tom's name written on the front and a blob of red wax on the back without any identifiable stamp in it. Tom takes it with him to the Room of Requirement where he asks for a comfortable sitting room before he opens it.
"Holy fuck," Harry gasps while they read the letter.
It's an offer for an apprenticeship from Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. Those two are amongst the most brilliant minds the wizarding world has ever seen and they rarely take on apprentices. The last time they did was decades ago when Albus Dumbledore got that particular honour.
Tom's smile is quite smug as he folds up the letter, as though he was expecting this all along.
"You're going to accept, right?" Harry all but yells in Tom's head, overcome with excitement. "You have to accept!"
"Of course I'm going to accept," Tom says, smile turning utterly devious. "Eventually."
"Eventually? What does that mean?" Harry's suddenly full of nervous sparks. "You can't brush off the bloody Flamels, Tom."
"Don't worry, I won't." Tom takes paper and quill out of his bag to write an answer. "I'm merely going to inform them that the apprenticeship will have to be postponed for a few years while I focus on something else first."
"Something else?" Harry screeches, frustrated beyond belief he's incapable of grabbing Tom's shoulders and shaking some sense into him. "What the fuck is more important than an apprenticeship with the Flamels?"
"You'll see," Tom says, entirely unperturbed by Harry's complete loss of control.
Harry quietly fumes in the back of Tom's mind, worried sick Tom might accidentally sabotage his own future. But within a week Tom receives a reply from the Flamels that they're happy to take him on as an apprentice whenever the timing is right for him.
"Told you," Tom says with a satisfied smirk.
"Yeah, yeah," Harry grumbles, intensely relieved Tom didn't just accidentally blow up his own career before it even really got started. "What is so important that the Flamels have to wait a few years?"
"I'm going to become a professional duellist first," Tom finally reveals and he sounds a bit apprehensive while he waits for Harry's reply, as though worried he might have just disappointed him.
Harry remains quiet for a few moments as he considers Tom's revelation. It's not a surprise, not really. Tom always has enjoyed duelling, in the classroom and in the hallways thanks to a bunch of overzealous Slytherins.
"I want to learn proper duelling," Tom starts explaining when Harry's not quick enough with a reply of his own. "And what I can learn here at Hogwarts is incredibly limited as far as duelling goes."
"I think it's a great idea," Harry finally says, and he means it. Voldemort was an incredible duellist, even if he used those skills for evil. Tom has that same potential and Harry sees nothing wrong with Tom spending a few years in the professional duelling circuit to reach that potential. "Will you go for an official duelling apprenticeship with someone or just learn on the fly?"
Tom shrugs in a way that seems just a bit too unconcerned. "On the fly. I think I'm good enough already to learn quickly and rise through the ranks on my own."
Harry thinks Tom might be in for a few very real challenges this way, but then again, Tom really does love a good challenge so in the end he'll be all right. "It seems that my Gryffindorishness has finally rubbed off on you at least a little bit," Harry can't help but tease.
"Nah," Tom replies with a grin. "As far as I'm concerned I've already finished a duelling apprenticeship with an experienced Auror over the last seven years."
Well, Harry can't really find any fault in that observation, now can he? After all, Harry has taught Tom everything he knows about duelling so far.
Slughorn entices Tom with many more Masters of a whole string of different kinds of magic, each with apprenticeship offers, but Tom politely turns them down with the very clear message that perhaps someday in the future he'd like to take them up on their offers. They all gladly agree to that.
The NEWTs go as well as the OWLs and Harry's sure Tom once again scored outstandings across the board.
Tom's full of a sense of aching melancholy as they walk through Hogwarts one last time. "I'm going to miss the castle."
"Yeah," Harry says, his voice oddly tight. "Me, too. Hogwarts has always been special that way."
After a quiet, contemplative ride on the Hogwarts Express Tom gets a room in the Leaky Cauldron again. "I'll go look for a flat or house to rent in the next few days," Tom says as he adds some standard privacy charms to the room before opening his trunk. Tom removes his Hogwarts uniform and gets dressed in some casual clothes before he stretches out on the bed.
"You owe me a story," Tom says, staring up at the ceiling while he folds his arms behind his head.
"What?" Harry's honestly confused for a moment.
"You promised, Harry," Tom says, eyes narrowing. "You promised to tell me everything. I do believe I've been patient enough."
If Harry had eyes, he'd slowly close them. "Yeah, I suppose it's time I finally told you the truth."
Harry pauses a moment to collect his thoughts and then starts talking. "My name is Harry James Potter and I was born on July 31st, 1980."
Tom inhales a sharp breath, probably only now realizing that Harry is actually from the future. Thankfully he doesn't interrupt Harry more than that, so Harry can continue the story, which is difficult enough as it is.
"My parents were James and Lily Potter. They died on October 31st, 1981, protecting me from a Dark Lord who called himself Lord Voldemort."
This does not ring any bells with Tom yet, since Harry is sure Tom hasn't ever felt the need to style himself a whole new name out of the letters of the one he was given at birth.
"Lord Voldemort tried to kill me, too, and cast a killing curse at me. But it rebounded because of my mother's sacrifice and instead hit him, blasting his body to smithereens. I was placed with my mother's muggle sister and her family. They despised magic and literally kept me in a cupboard under the stairs up until I got my Hogwarts letter."
There is a brief flash of anger inside Tom at learning that Harry had been so mistreated in his youth.
"I was sorted into Gryffindor and made two great friends in that house. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." Harry proceeds to give a brief summary of every Hogwarts year, only leaving out the revelation of Voldemort's real name. "During what should have been my seventh year, I was on the run, living in a tent all over Britain to keep out of Voldemort's hands while we hunted his horcruxes. That eventually led us back to Hogwarts, where Voldemort had a horcrux hidden in the Room of Requirement."
Tom makes bit of a face, his nose wrinkled and his brow furrowed, at the mention of something so vile being stored in his beloved Room of Requirement.
Harry ignores that rather ironic response and keeps on talking. "Through some orchestrating from Dumbledore I discovered that I had a horcrux in my scar, accidentally created on the night Voldemort tried to kill me, and that the only way I could get rid of it was to let Voldemort kill me."
"No!" Tom sits up a little, leaning on an elbow while he stares into the distance with wide eyes. "Is that how you died? You let that utter bastard kill you?"
"Yes and no," Harry says with a quiet chuckle. Seeing Tom Riddle outraged about Harry's possible death will never not be funny. "I did let Voldemort hit me with a killing curse but thanks to some magical loopholes I didn't die. Only the horcrux did. And some time later, during our final duel, Voldemort tried to use the Elder wand against me but it refused and turned on him. Voldemort was ultimately brought down by his own killing curse."
"Good," Tom says in a voice full of venom. "He deserved that, the utter twat."
"There's one thing I haven't told you yet about Voldemort," Harry says in as steady a voice as possible. "Lord Voldemort was an anagram. His real name was Tom Marvolo Riddle."
Tom falls back against the bed as though he's suddenly lost control of his body. "Tom Marvolo Riddle… I am Lord Voldemort."
"Yeah," Harry whispers. "Well, not right now you're not. Right now you are an amazing young man who has more talent in his little finger than ten random wizards combined."
"You saved me," Tom gasps, sounding like he's on the brink of hyperventilation. "Somehow, you came back in time and you saved me."
"Ultimately you saved yourself," Harry says and he means every word of it. Tom did all the hard work. All Harry ever did was whisper in his mind and give him lots of encouragement.
"It was the horcruxes, wasn't it?" Tom still sounds like he can't breathe. "They utterly destroyed me the moment I created them."
"That, and a really shitty childhood without any love or guidance." Harry thinks for a moment how to explain this delicate subject. "At Wool's you only learned how to lash out at others. Survival of the fittest and all that rot. And at Hogwarts you were sorted into Slytherin and quickly copied their pureblood rhetoric."
Tom blinks a few times and inhales a deep, shuddering breath. "I can't imagine ever subscribing to such an illogical ideology."
"I think you were just trying to survive in Slytherin the first few years before realizing you had ready minions around you if you parroted their beliefs," Harry offers.
"It must have been those fucking horcruxes," Tom mumbles again, eyes squeezing shut as he throws his head back against the bed. "I seriously considered making them this time around as well. If you hadn't warned me about them I might have done so even now."
"But you didn't," Harry is quick to point out. "There's a lot of things you did in your first life that you changed for the better this time around."
"How can you stand it?" Tom asks in a voice that is barely audible. "How can you stand living inside the head of your prophesized enemy, the murderer of your parents."
"You're not that man," Harry says quickly, voice firm. The last thing he wants is for Tom to believe he is anything like Voldemort. "When I woke up inside of you, when you were just a tiny baby, I immediately decided you deserved a second chance and I vowed to help you and support you as much as I could. And I have not regretted that decision for one second. I honestly couldn't be more proud of the wizard you turned out to be, Tom."
Tom manages a few deep but even breaths and slowly blinks his eyes open. "How did you end up inside of me in the first place?"
"No clue," Harry says without much concern. He's been stuck in Tom for over eighteen years now. He's used to it. "I lived a long life and died of natural causes as an old man. And the next thing I know is waking up in your infant mind."
"You did house part of my soul for almost two decades," Tom muses, proving that even in times of great emotional distress, Tom is always eager to solve whatever mysteries he comes across.
"That's one possibility. I was also the Master of Death at some point in my life. Perhaps that also played a part." Harry adds a dash of warmth to his voice. "Ultimately it doesn't matter, does it? I'm glad I got this opportunity, I really am. Seeing you grow up has been a real joy and I can't wait to see what more you can do with magic in the future. For all the evil that Voldemort did, he was a remarkable wizard who managed incredible feats of magic."
"Such as murder and mayhem," Tom mutters in obvious distaste.
"Such as flying without a broom," Harry says with a clear challenge in his voice.
That catches Tom's attention, like Harry knew it would. Tom sits up at once. "How did he manage such a thing?"
"No idea, but I've seen him do it. If he could do it, so can you." Harry is very happy to see that Tom takes this challenge for what it is; a much needed distraction from a very difficult revelation. Tom's always been a person who keeps his emotions close to his chest and who needs time to process emotional upheavals of any kind. Harry knows that in the future Tom will come back to the subject and all but interrogate Harry about Voldemort, but for now it's probably best that Tom focuses his mind on something else for a while.
In the coming days and weeks, Harry is proven right. Tom doesn't talk about Voldemort or Harry's previous life. Instead he goes out and rents a small muggle cottage beside a babbling brook at the edge of some woodland. It's an utterly idyllic place and Tom ignores its beauty completely because he's much too busy signing himself up for every duelling competition he can enter.
It quickly becomes clear that Tom has chosen to deal with his anger and pain on the duelling stage. He soon gains a reputation as a duellist who is calculating, creative and absolutely ruthless. He doesn't shun harming his opponents, though it's never life threatening. Since he is just a beginner he does lose a few duels, but only during the first few months. Tom is a genius and he uses that intellect to study his opponents and their tactics with a devotion that is unparalleled by anyone else. Tom steadily rises up the ranks and goes up several divisions in record time until he's allowed to compete in the highest division known as the Distinguished League.
Tom uses any prize money he wins to sign up for duels all over the world and they start travelling the majority of the time. The beautiful cottage barely gets any use and Tom mostly uses it for storage. They spend their days in hotels and bed and breakfasts around the world while Tom deals with his inner turmoil by professionally putting witches and wizards on their arses as creatively as he can.
Harry lets him, understanding that this is something Tom needs to do for his own well-being. And to be honest, Harry really enjoys watching Tom duel. He spends hours with Tom analysing their duels afterwards, breaking apart their tactics and taking note of anyone's strengths and weaknesses. It is really good fun and Tom relaxes more and more until he finally brings Harry's past up again, six months after Harry finally told him the truth.
"So how old was I when I came up with the name Lord Voldemort? Twelve?"
Harry cackles in the back of Tom's mind before he can help himself. "I cannot say for certain but it wouldn't surprise me."
Tom snorts and then shakes his head, obviously quite embarrassed on his old self's behalf. "What was Voldemort even trying to achieve? Aside from that ridiculous pureblood ideal."
"Honestly? I think any real goals Voldemort might have had once upon a time got lost along the way as his paranoia grew and his cognitive functioning declined with every horcrux that he made." Harry remembers the obvious differences he saw between the Voldemort in his early twenties and the Voldemort that rose from the cauldron in the graveyard. Once upon a time Voldemort had been capable of reason and logic, all held together with a generous amount of common sense. But he'd definitely lost that along the way as his soul was shattered and his mind deteriorated more and more.
"I keep finding myself unreasonably angry with Voldemort for what he did to you," Tom mutters as he shifts in the chair near the window of the hotel room they're in. Tom's got a big duel the next day in Sao Paolo, Brazil. "But then I remember that Voldemort is who I might have become and then I mostly end up feeling angry with myself."
"Oh no, Tom," Harry says at once, putting as much conviction in his voice as he can. "You are not Voldemort, not even close. You're not even the Tom Riddle of my previous life. Your entire life was different, remember that. There are similarities between you both, of course, but ultimately you are very different people with completely different outlooks on life."
"Hm. If you say so." Tom absently scratches at his chest as he stares out the window to the city below. "It's all been rather terrifying, knowing how different I could have turned out. How easily I could have ruined my entire life and everyone else's with it."
"Honestly, Tom, I think that goes for everyone," Harry says, trying to sound reasonable. "I wonder what it would have taken for me to go off the rails in my previous life." Harry still remembers the whole shitshow that was his fifth year at Hogwarts, with Umbridge torturing him for months on end. "There were definitely moments in my old life that I came close to making some really bad choices. Everyone does at some point, I'm sure."
"What did Voldemort do about his father?" Tom finally asks with a feigned air of nonchalance while he plucks at his shirt. "I can't image he was thrilled to find out he was sired by a muggle."
"He killed his father. And both his grandparents." Harry waits with baited breath for Tom's reaction, but Tom gives very little away in his emotions or behaviour.
"Figures. I want to meet him. After this duel." Tom pauses, as though awaiting Harry's response. When Harry remains quiet, Tom says, "You promised, Harry. What are you worried about? That I'll slaughter my useless muggle relatives like Voldemort once did?"
"No," Harry says at once, and he means it, too. This Tom isn't nearly as curse-happy and volatile as his predecessor. "I suppose I'm still trying to protect you, even if you're now a man grown. I just hate to see you get hurt, sweetheart."
Tom's answering smile is both appreciative and exasperated. "You cannot protect me from the entire world, Harry." Tom's smile slips off his face and an emotionless mask takes its place. "I have to do this. I just want to see what sort of people would leave their own child in an orphanage."
"Very selfish people," Harry offers in a quiet voice. "Or very traumatized ones."
"I suppose we'll find out soon enough what sort of person my father is."
As it turns out, Tom Riddle the elder is both selfish and traumatized. He stares at Tom as though seeing a demon in the flesh and backs away until he hits a side table, sending a ceramic lamp crashing to the floor.
Tom's grandfather comes hurrying into the elaborate entrance hall of the family mansion. "Who are you?" the old man demands while helping his son up from the floor. Tom the elder is trembling like a leaf.
Tom keeps his cool and gives his grandfather a polite nod. "My name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. I was told that my family lives here. And I can tell by your appearance that we are most likely related." Both Tom's father and his grandfather look a lot alike. There is a definite family resemblance between the three of them.
"Are you the spawn of that harlot that bewitched our son?" Tom's grandfather demands with a dark look, his whole face scrunching up in a grimace, as though talking about this subject physically hurts him.
"My mother died giving birth to me," Tom explains patiently, keeping his emotions so tightly under control that Harry can't feel anything bleed through. "So I cannot tell you if she was a harlot or not. She did name me after my father before she died and left me to grow up in an orphanage in London."
There is not a trace of sympathy to be found on the faces of Tom's father and grandfather, as Harry had hoped to see.
"What do you want from us then?" Tom's grandfather asks in gruff voice, narrowing his eyes at Tom, who is still standing in the doorway.
"I wanted answers," Tom says, lips pulling up in a sharp smile. "But I can see that the only answer I'll be getting today is that you lot are simply deeply selfish and uncaring people. So instead I'll take money. You owe me that much."
"We owe you nothing," Tom's father snarls, barely able to look at Tom. "That hellish witch ruined me! You should have died with her!"
Tom sighs and takes out his wand. For a moment Harry is paralyzed with fear, thinking that perhaps he'd been wrong about Tom after all. But Tom doesn't cast any Unforgivables, only a couple of compulsion charms. "Here's what you're going to do. You will pay me a very generous sum right now as compensation for all the years you left me to rot in an orphanage. And from now on, you will also pay me a monthly stipend. Do this and you'll never have to see me again."
"Fine," Tom's grandfather growls. "Wait there."
Ten minutes later Tom leaves Riddle Mansion behind, a big stack of banknotes tucked safely away in his coat pocket.
"I'm sorry you didn't get the answers you were hoping for," Harry whispers as Tom strolls down the garden path towards the street.
Tom shrugs, tucking his hands into his pockets. "But I did get some answers. I know exactly what kind of people they are now. And I know that had they raised me, I probably would have had a worse childhood than the one I had in the orphanage."
"Huh." Harry actually realizes that Tom might just be right about that. "Your father certainly wouldn't have treated you with kindness. And your grandfather is probably just as unpleasant."
"They are deeply selfish people, convinced of their own superiority," Tom says matter-of-factly.
Harry has to stifle a laugh, because if there's someone who is convinced of their own superiority, it's Tom the certified genius. Looks like he came about that particular character trait in a perfectly honest way.
"While we're at it," Harry says after he's calmed down. "Would you like to meet the Gaunt side of your family?"
Tom's answering grin is as ravenous as a shark's. "Yes. Let's."
"I'm quite sure your grandfather Marvolo has been dead for a number of years, but your dear uncle Morfin should still be alive," Harry explains as they wander around the outskirts of Little Hangleton for a while, looking for a delipidated shack.
They find it eventually, mostly hidden by trees and shrubbery and lots of overgrown ivy. Tom cautiously walks up the path towards the weathered front door, which stands open just a bit. "Hello?" Tom calls out but there is no reply.
They quickly learn why once Tom pushes the door open and peers inside, wand in his hand just in case.
In the middle of the room lies a skeleton that's only recently been decomposed. There's a dark stain all around it and traces of lots of insect activity. The remains are dressed in tatters rags with clumps of hair still attached to the skull. On the woodstove a cauldron sits that looks like it exploded.
"It appears that my dear uncle blew himself up at some point in the last year," Tom says as he carefully enters the shack.
"Yeah, it does look like that," Harry agrees, a little shocked by this unexpected outcome. "Voldemort framed Morfin for the murder of the Riddles in his sixth year and Morfin spent the rest of his life in Azkaban."
"It looks like he tried to brew a potion of some sort and had a bit of an accident." Tom crouches beside the remains.
"He's still wearing the Peverell ring," Harry points out because he can see the ring resting around a finger bone. "You should take it."
Tom uses some magic to float the ring up and away from the remains and then cleans it with a few spells. "This is the resurrection stone, isn't it?"
"Yes," Harry says, glad to see it being rescued before someone else might discover it. "It's one of the Deathly Hallows. You can use it to summon the souls of the dead."
Tom slips the ring around his own finger and looks at it critically. "The only problem is that I don't know any dead people I would want to talk to."
"You're by no means obligated to use the bloody thing. Just keep it safe," Harry says with an amused chuckle.
As they leave the shack, Tom says, "What about the locket you mentioned, that once belonged to Slytherin and that my mother sold."
"I'm sure it's still in Hepzibah Smith's possession," Harry says, feeling a unwelcome flush of nerves. "Voldemort killed her to get his hands on it."
"I have no plans to do the poor woman in," Tom says quickly, probably feeling Harry's apprehension as well. "But I wonder if I cannot persuade her to part with it after all."
"Persuade how?" Harry asks suspiciously. He knows Tom well enough to know that Tom does not shy away from using magic to get people to do his bidding. He might not be a Dark Lord in the making anymore, but he still has no problems with using people for his own gain.
"Persuade with an Imperius curse perhaps," Tom says airily as they leave the overgrown property behind and find themselves back on the treelined country road.
"Tom, if you're caught using an Unforgivable you'll spend the rest of your life in Azkaban," Harry says with a generous amount of obvious disappointment. "Is an old locket really worth risking your entire life for?"
"Perhaps not," Tom concedes quietly. Then he frowns and at once he's flush with excitement. "I'll just have to invent my own version of the Imperius curse, one that doesn't come with a life sentence."
"That is…" Harry falls quiet, because that is actually not a bad plan. If the ministry doesn't know the spell exists, they can't prosecute someone for using it. "That's actually quite ingenious, I'll give you that." And if someone is capable of inventing such a spell, it's Tom.
"I'm glad you approve," Tom says with a smug little smirk, even though Harry barely even did that. "I'll get right on it."
It takes Tom another year to create such a charm. He keeps participating in all the duels he can possibly sign up for, so he doesn't have all that much time to spend on it, but he still manages it in the end.
He visits Hepzibah during a chilly December morning, just before his twentieth birthday. Tom casts the charm on both Hepzibah and the house-elf the moment he's through the door. The charm he created is based on an overpowered compulsion charm. It's a lot more subtle than the Imperious curse and it can't be used to force people to do things they really don't want to do. But it can convince them to make a certain decision they might otherwise not have made.
In this case, Tom uses it to persuade Hepzibah to sell Slytherin's locket to him, after Tom tells the truth about his mother and how she was forced to sell it to survive. Tom ends up paying a mere pittance for it, which Hepzibah hardly notices thanks to the charm.
Tom starts wearing the locket immediately, though he keeps it tucked away under his shirt. "It was my mother's," Tom says when Harry asks him why he insists on wearing it. "This is the only thing I have of her".
And that, Harry realizes, really is all the explanation one needs to understand why Tom would want to get that locket back in the end.
Tom spends another year or so on the duelling circuit but once he's won just about anything there is to win and he's proven to the whole world that he is one of the greatest duellist that has ever lived, Tom is ready to move on to something else. The Flamels, thankfully, are still more than willing to have him as their apprentice.
Nicholas and Perenelle are clever, eccentric and truly love magic in all its amazing facets. Tom's apprenticeship with them doesn't limit itself to one single subject, but bounces all over the place. One moment they urge Tom to dive into alchemy and the next moment they lecture him on the importance of traditional ward stones. Thanks to Tom's vast intellect he has no problems keeping up with their eclectic curriculum. In fact, Tom seems to revel in their chaotic practices.
It takes Tom three years to obtain his Alchemy Mastery, his first of many masteries to follow. During those years, Tom also finally figured out how to fly without a broom, which instantly qualifies him for a Charms Mastery. While Voldemort only ever taught that charm to a few select followers, Tom has no problems publicizing the charm far and wide.
The Flying Charm takes a decent amount of power and concentration, but with enough practice most witches and wizards can master it. Soon the charm becomes so popular around the world that governments have to come up with special laws to make sure no one breaks the Statute of Secrecy while flying around the countryside.
The Flying Charm also leads to a whole new sport being invented, much to Harry's delight. It's called Float Ball, and it resembles a magical game of basketball played up in the air. Each team has five players and it quickly becomes popular around the world. Even Hogwarts starts offering it as an official sport, though Quidditch does remain the most popular sport in most countries.
"I can't believe you gave the wizarding world a whole new sport!" Harry says in voice pitched high with sheer excitement.
Tom rolls his eyes in response. He doesn't care a thing about sports of any kind, but Harry knows he has rather chuffed that a charm he created is used all over the world.
Dumbledore offers Tom an apprenticeship in Transfiguration and Slughorn quickly follows with a Potions apprenticeship. Tom accepts both and manages to keep up with the required studies without any issues. Tom's muggle cottage finally gets some proper use now that Tom's no longer travelling as much. Thanks to the Riddles' monthly stipend Tom has enough to live off, since he's quite frugal in his daily life. Plus several years of winning duelling tournaments has added a nice bit of gold to Tom's vault so he's got plenty saved up for a rainy day.
"Tom," Harry says right around Tom's twenty-fifth birthday. "I understand you're not interested in sex and that's fine. But I have noticed that you also don't make any real effort to date anyone."
Tom looks up from the old potions book he's reading in his comfortable chair in the cottage's sitting room. A fire is crackling in the hearth and on a side table sits a steaming cup of tea. Tom has built a wonderful life for himself, but Harry's worried he perhaps spends a lot of time alone. "Why on earth should I want to date anyone?" Tom asks with a puzzled frown.
"I don't want you to get lonely," Harry whispers, knowing he might be coddling Tom a bit too much, but he can't help it. He cares far too much for Tom to see him unhappy.
"I'm not lonely," Tom says at once, shutting the book in his lap. "I've got you."
"Sure," Harry agrees quickly. "But I'm just a voice in your head, right? I'm not a potential partner to spend your life with."
"Aren't you?" Tom shifts in his chair and tilts his head in an almost daring way. "We spend all our time together, there are no secrets between us and I like you most of all the people I know."
Harry falls quiet because that sounds like…well, like a relationship. "Tom…what are you really saying here?"
Tom's smile is full of endless amounts of patience and affection. "I'm saying that I love you, Harry. Simple as that."
They've never said those exact words between them. Harry's never been good with emotions and while he has improved over the many years of his previous life, he's always had trouble articulating that particular sentiment. He's given Tom endless amounts of praise and affection and encouragement throughout his life, but he's never said those words to him.
And now here Tom just slings them in Harry's face.
"It's okay if you don't feel the same way," Tom says, gaze falling on his lap, hand stroking the book absently. "I understand, given your history with Voldemort, that you might not return these feelings."
"Don't be absurd," Harry says quickly, interrupting Tom. "Of course I love you. But you have to consider the situation, sweetheart. You're stuck with me. You hardly have a choice in this."
Tom snorts as though Harry has just said something utterly ridiculous. "If I wanted you out of my head, I would have found a way to do it by now." Tom sits up a little, squaring his shoulders as he stares into the flames. "Listen to me, Harry. You are the most important person to me and I couldn't imagine my life without you."
Harry's overcome with a warm flush of affection, and dare he say it, love coming straight from Tom. "I feel the same way about you. I don't want you to doubt that for one second."
"Well then," Tom says as he picks up his cup of tea, a victorious grin on his face. "Looks like we're in a relationship."
Harry needs time to process this. He always thought he was some sort of parent to Tom, even though his feelings for Tom were always different from the feelings he had for his children from his previous life. Harry always chalked that up to their unique situation, but is that even true?
"I could make you a body?" Tom offers completely out of the blue.
"What?" Harry's so taken aback that he's immediately surrounded by waves of confusion and shock.
"I've been considering it for a while," Tom confesses, much to Harry's genuine surprise. He's certainly never mentioned it before. "If you want your own body, I'm sure I can create one for you."
"Well," Harry says and then falls quiet because he has no clue what else to say. "Wouldn't that hurt you?"
"It might." Tom shrugs and sips his tea.
"I don't want you to get hurt," Harry says at once, because that is honestly the last thing he wants to see happen. "And we don't even know if it would work. I might pass on if you remove me from your body."
"We'd have to figure out what you are exactly." Tom places his cup down and inhales a deep breath. "I have a theory about that, actually, if you're willing to listen."
"Of course." Harry has wondered about his own existence quite often over the years. He's always assumed he's an extra soul trapped in Tom's body and that's what he's always told Tom as well.
"It's possible that during the night that Voldemort attacked you, when you were a baby, he succeeded in killing Harry Potter."
"Excuse me?" Harry asks, at once full of questions that he desperately needs answering.
Tom grins and nods his head. "Think about it. Voldemort hit Harry Potter with a killing curse. Baby Potter's soul passes on. But at that exact same moment Voldemort's soul splinters and sends a piece of it into the still living body."
"Er…" Harry's surrounded by cold realization that Tom might actually be right about this. "So you're saying that I was never really Harry Potter to begin with. That I've always been a piece of Voldemort's soul that developed independently into a whole new person."
"Exactly." Tom sounds utterly triumphant, obviously convinced he's figured this mystery out. "And before you ask, the reason you lived and Voldemort died is because you were the Master of Death. You wished for Voldemort to pass on and so he did while you remained behind to pass on later."
"I'm still not sure how I ended up in you then," Harry says dubiously. It's an interesting theory for sure, but it's also a lot to take in on a quiet Sunday afternoon.
"Because you've always belonged to me, Harry. Yes, you're an independent person now, but once we were part of the same person." Tom's really on a roll now, and he gets up and starts pacing the sitting room while he continues his explanation. "Let's just say that what happens after death is reincarnation."
"That's a possibility," Harry easily concedes, since he has no clue what happens aside from arriving at a misty train station.
"Well then," Tom says with a conclusive wave of his arm. "We both passed on and then we both reincarnated into the same body, because we've always been the same person in the end."
"I just kept my memories," Harry muses because he can see how this theory might just be true. "It would certainly explain our unique situation quite clearly, wouldn't it?" There's one thing that Harry's still confused about, though. "If you believe we were always the same person, then why are you offering me a body of my own."
Tom sinks down in his chair again with a tired sigh. "I just want you to be happy, Harry. We might be the same in essence, but we're still two individuals."
"Do you want me to have a separate body?" Harry asks in a quiet voice, suddenly worried Tom might be growing sick of him after all.
"No," Tom says at once, voice full of conviction. "I like you just where you are. This way you're mine and mine alone. Besides, I wouldn't know what to do with you if you had a body."
That is such a Tom thing to say, isn't it? As possessive as that statement is, it still fills Harry with endless amounts of warmth. "Then I'll gladly stay right here with you, Tom, where I belong."
They both bask in a glow of sheer love and yeah, Harry can definitely see that they are in some sort of relationship now. They might have been the same person at one point (though Harry's still not convinced that's entirely true), but they are two individuals now who happen to love each other a great deal.
Over the next couple of weeks Harry tries to come to terms with the idea of being a piece of Tom Riddle's soul all along. It doesn't faze him nearly as much as he thought it would. If he'd discovered this as a teenager, when he was still actively opposing Voldemort, such news would have devastated him. But nowadays, Harry knows himself. He's lived a very long and full life as a decently functioning human being with loving relationships. If he started life as a shard of Voldemort's soul than he's certainly come a very long way.
Though occasionally Harry feels a distant sort of guilt towards Ginny for her having inadvertently married a new and improved version of Tom Riddle. Ginny had never completely recovered from the horrific events of her second year and until the day Harry died she had the occasional nightmare or flashback. Knowing Harry was really a newly minted version of Tom Riddle would have crushed her.
But that relationship was in the past and whenever Harry feels guilt bubble up he reminds himself that he hadn't known what he truly was and therefore it wasn't his fault, period.
"The more I think about it," Harry says one evening as Tom is charming the dishes clean after a simple homecooked meal. "The more I believe your theory about our shared soul might have merit. It doesn't explain how and why I ended up in you with my memories intact, though."
"I've been giving this some thought as well," Tom replies as he levitates the cutlery into an opened drawer. "Another option is that Voldemort's killing curse didn't kill Harry Potter's soul, but that Voldemort's soul shard assimilated with it."
"You mean, the soul piece merged with Harry's soul and became something new entirely." Harry has to admit that this sounds plausible enough.
"Yes. It explains perfectly why and how you ended up inside my mind with your memories intact," Tom says with quiet confidence while he gets the kettle going with a quick charm.
"Because I am a combination of Tom Riddle and Harry Potter, I ended up reincarnated inside you, but because it's not a perfect fit I somehow kept my memories." Harry isn't quite sure if that sounds feasible, but then again, it doesn't sound exactly unfeasible either.
"It's not a perfect theory," Tom admits while he scoops a spoon of dried tealeaves into a cup. "But it's the most plausible one we've got so far."
Harry has to agree and he doesn't object when Tom changes the subject. They will come back to that theory many times in the future but they will never find another theory that fits their situation better than the one they have now.
Within a few years Tom get his Transfiguration Mastery by simplifying the Animagus transformation. He changes it from a months' long ritual with tedious daily spells into a procedure that takes just about a month. It still requires a witch or wizard with above average strength and an innate talent for transfiguration, but it does open up the transformation for many more people than before.
Tom, of course, tests the whole thing out on himself and turns into a black fox, which is exactly what Harry's Animagus form was in his previous life.
"How curious," Tom says once he changes back. "I do believe it is a substantial piece of evidence that we are in fact made from the same soul, at least in part."
"Yeah," Harry readily admits, still full of warm affection that they turned out to have the same Animagus form. "I can't argue with that."
Not long after that Tom gets his Potions Mastery by inventing the Wolfsbane potion a few decades early. Harry had told him about its invention in the future, so Tom simply took that as a challenge and created his own version, which as far as Harry can see actually works better than the original version. There seems to be a lot less pain involved during the transformation.
Slughorn sings Tom's praises to all who will listen, naturally, and Tom is hauled as the saviour who has found a way to protect the good citizens of the wizarding world from the vicious werewolves by simply taming the beasts through a potion. Tom rolls with it and uses the publicity to promote some other potions he's invented. A few healing potions that soon are in high demand, and a wooden furniture wax that was the unexpected result of a failed experiment with bruise balm. Tom's cauldron exploded, covering his entire wooden workbench in the potion, and giving it an amazing shine and patina.
There's some good money to be made in marketing new potions and Tom's vault gains plenty of gold during many years to come. Tom buys the cottage they live in outright and expands it both inside and out. He adds quite a few rooms, which he magically enlarges. The basement becomes a duelling area and the attic becomes a library large enough to get lost in. One of the added rooms becomes a state of the art potions lab.
Harry loves it there. It's quiet and remote and there is a lot of beautiful countryside around them where they can take plenty of afternoon walks.
Tom's next focus is on masteries in Runes and Arithmancy. He's determined to become a Ward Master, one of the more challenging professions in the wizarding world, right up there with Curse-breaker.
Thanks to his prowess on the duelling stage, his contribution to Float Ball and his inventions, Tom's name is known the world over and he receives small mountains of mail from all sorts of inquisitive people. Some want to sing his praises and others want to debate some academic subject with him. Tom ignores the mindless fans, but he always writes back to those willing to discuss academics with him.
Once Tom receives his title as Ward Master, Dumbledore invites him to help renew some of the ancient wards at Hogwarts. It's a long and tedious project, but Tom loves every second of it and he's paid very well for his work.
"Are you sure I cannot tempt you to come teach for a few years at least?" Dumbledore says with a charming smile while he and Tom are enjoying a cup of tea in the headmaster's office.
Tom chuckles and slowly shakes his head. "As much as I love Hogwarts, Albus, I do believe I'm better suited for pursuing my own interests. There is still much I want to study."
Dumbledore raises his bushy eyebrows. "Are you sure there is anything left you haven't learned by now?"
"Not much," Tom conceded with a crooked grin. "But there are still a few magical areas that I've left unexplored."
Next on Tom's agenda is Curse-breaking, just because it's a challenge and Tom loves a good challenge. This is quickly followed by some Dark Arts. Harry isn't worried by Tom's new hobby because he can clearly see it's mainly an academic interest and not something Tom plans on using in his daily life.
By deeply studying the Unforgivables for a few years, Tom manages to create a potion that counteracts the effects of the Cruciatus Curse, even on those victims that have been exposed to the point of insanity. Harry feels entirely choked up, clearly remembering poor Frank and Alice Longbottom and their vacant expressions. It's a real relief to know that from then on such terrible consequences are no longer a reality.
It's the mid sixties when Tom has a bit of a meltdown in his office.
"I can't find a thing!" Tom is looking for one particular letter from a Ward Master in Peru, but his office is a giant mess of parchment and scrolls and books and broken quills.
"Perhaps it's time for an assistant, Tom," Harry says with lots of quiet amusement. "Think about it. If you hire someone to look after your administration for you, you'll have lots more time for your experiments."
Tom places a small advertisement for an assistant in the Daily Prophet the very next day.
The first applicant to appear is a sullen witch by the name of Eileen Prince.
Harry goes cold with shock when she shows up at Tom's doorstep. "That's Snape's mother. I don't know why she's calling herself Prince again, though. In my previous life I don't think she ever divorced her muggle husband."
Tom gives Eileen a charming smile and invites her into the dining room where he serves her a cup of tea. "Do tell me about yourself, Mrs Prince," Tom says while looking at her with a keen gaze.
"It's Ms Prince, actually," Eileen says, barely meeting Tom's eyes. "I'm in the process of divorcing my husband. I have a small son, Severus. He's five."
"You have to hire her, Tom," Harry all but shouts in Tom's head. "Her muggle husband was a right bastard. If she's leaving him we have to help her."
"Do you have a place to stay?" Tom asks with polite interest.
"I'm currently renting a room in the Three Broomsticks," Eileen mumbles, clearly embarrassed about her lot in life.
"That won't do." Tom shakes his head and gives Eileen a resolute look. "There is another cottage available half a mile down the road from here. I'll include it in your compensation, with the agreement that you not only assist me in my administration, but that you also function as my housekeeper. I'd much rather focus on my work than on dusting my furniture."
"Agreed," Eileen says at once with wide, hopeful eyes.
"I wonder what happened differently that made Eileen actually divorce Tobias Snape," Harry wonders later that night when Tom's getting ready for bed.
"Voldemort didn't happen," Tom points out and that makes Harry really stop and think about what that means for the wizarding world. There is a lot less prejudice against muggles and muggleborns for one. Oh, there are still plenty of purebloods who subscribe to blood prejudice, but mostly behind closed doors. Publicly there's only the occasional political debate or opinion piece in the Daily Prophet but it's all rather tame and lacks most of the vitriol that Harry remembers.
It probably helps that a public figure like Tom openly acknowledges that he's a half-blood without a hint of shame. Tom always points out that it's not the background of a witch or wizard that matters, but how they ultimately use their magic. Because magic, no matter where it comes from matters the most.
Yes, the more Harry thinks about it, the more it becomes clear that the lack of Voldemort has far more consequences than they initially thought. In Harry previous life, Eileen was probably too afraid to return to the wizarding world with a half-blood child after a failed marriage with a muggle. But that's obviously changed now.
Eileen brings her child to work with her, since he's still too young for the local primary school. Severus is a skittish boy with an insatiable curiosity. Tom quickly picks up on this and starts giving the boy simple homework assignments. Severus already knows how to read and write and is happy to read whatever chapters Tom tells him to. Severus is studious and eager and laps up the quiet praise Tom gives him for a job well done.
And even after Severus starts going to the local primary school, he usually runs home to Tom's cottage. After a brief greeting for his mother, he always seeks out Tom first thing for more magical assignments.
Harry is sure that Tom sees a lot of himself in Severus and he's genuinely happy that Severus is getting the care and attention he deserves. He's growing in leaps and bounds, both physically and mentally. He's far more confident, for one, and he's learning to control his emotions better through some of the mediation Tom teaches him as a precursor for Occlumency.
"I'm glad Severus is doing so much better," Harry confesses one night in bed just as Tom is ready to turn off the lights. "But I'm sad he'll miss out on a friendship with my mum. Especially with a lack of Death Eaters in Slytherin, I think their friendship might have lasted well into adulthood."
"Perhaps," Tom says vaguely and doesn't say anything else.
Harry's very surprised when Tom apparates them to Cokeworth a week later and knocks on the Evans' door.
Harry's mum is seven years old and listens with wide eyes as Tom explains the concept of magic to the family.
"The reason I'm here," Tom explains once Mr and Mrs Evens have been convinced of magic's existence. "Is that your daughter has exceptional accidental magic. I'm tutoring another child her age in learning the basics, including control, and I'd be more than happy to take on your daughter as well."
"What about me?" an obviously disappointed Petunia asks. "Can I learn magic, too?"
"I'm afraid not," Tom says as kindly as he can. "But it is entirely possible that one or more of your children ends up being magical. You do have that potential."
Petunia gets a contemplative look on her face and Harry hopes for her sake that she's able to accept her lot in life better this time and won't end up a bitter, jealous woman.
And so every Saturday from then on Lily Evans joins Severus Snape in receiving lessons from Tom. The two children get on well together, especially because they are both more than eager to learn magical theory. Tom even lets them brew a few simple potions under his careful eye and it becomes clear very quickly that both Lily and Severus have a natural talent in that particular subject.
"Thank you," Harry says for the umpteenth time after the children have gone home. "I don't know why you did it, but I am so very grateful that you did it."
Tom rolls his eyes as he sets about frying some sausages for dinner. "I did it because it makes you happy, you silly old man. Besides, Lily is a smart and powerful little witch. It is a real pleasure to teach her and Severus both."
When a few years later it's time for Severus and Lily to go to Hogwarts, they are changed children. Severus is confident and not easily riled up. Lily is equally as confident and passionate about every single aspect of magic.
It doesn't surprise Harry in the least that both are sorted into Ravenclaw, much to Tom's obvious pride. He keeps up a steady correspondence with his two pupils.
When Eileen asks for a day off six months later to visit Severus in the hospital wing, Tom accompanies her, wanting to know what landed Severus there in the first place. The letter Eileen received was quite vague on the matter.
As it turns out, four Gryffindor students tripped Severus at the top of the stairs, causing him to tumble down and break a few bones.
Tom is absolutely spitting mad and marches straight up to Dumbledore's office.
"Tom, these kind of pranks happen," Dumbledore says to try and calm his old friend.
"Do not placate me with such ridiculous claims," Tom snarls as he paces Dumbledore's office. "Four students against one resulting in broken bones goes far beyond a few harmless pranks. I will put a stop to this now. Let me talk to these students or I will personally contact all their families and take this all the way to the Wizengamot if I have to."
Half an hour later Tom stands in front of four terrified Gryffindors. "My name is Tom Riddle. Do you know who I am?"
Sirius Black gulps. "You invented Float Ball."
"You're the greatest duellist in the world," James Potter adds.
"And you invented the Wolfsbane Potion," Remus Lupin whispers.
Peter Pettigrew tries to speak but only a squeak comes out.
"All that and much, much more." Tom leans down and gives them a smile full of terrifying promises. "I can make your lives utterly miserable, starting right now. I will go to all of your families and demand compensation for the harm you've caused my ward. And after that I will do everything in my power to prevent all four of you from ever becoming lawfully employed in the wizarding world. Once I'm done with you, you'll wish you could find a job shovelling hippogriff shit. Do you understand me?"
All four boys nod and stare up at Tom with pale faces.
"Swear to me you will leave Severus alone from now on," Tom demands and he gets a variety of whispers in return all swearing exactly that.
"How come he's your ward?" Sirius asks brazenly, though Harry can detect a hint of jealousy in his voice.
"Because his mother works for me and I helped raise the boy." Tom gives them all a last glare before marching out of the room.
The young Marauders leave Severus alone after that, or at least never put him in the hospital again.
While Severus and Lily remain fast friends throughout their Hogwarts years, one thing doesn't change.
"I can't believe she's going out with that toerag!" Severus snarls one Christmas holiday. "James Potter is an absolute pillock!"
"Severus, language!" Eileen calls from the kitchen.
Tom chuckles and gives Severus a look full of sympathy. "Perhaps the boy has matured a little."
"I doubt it," Severus says with an all too familiar sneer. He flops down on the sofa and releases a deep sigh.
"Did you at least ask out that boy you fancied, what's his name?" Tom asks with a curious tilt of his head.
"Barty Crouch. And yes, I asked and he accepted. We're going to Hogsmeade together after the holidays," Severus says while resting his head against the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling in something close to despair.
"Perhaps you should focus on that rather than Lily's questionable choice in men."
"What is she thinking, honestly?" Severus rants on and Harry chuckles in Tom's mind. Ah, the joy of teenagers.
Severus and Lily finish Hogwarts with a staggering amount of NEWTs between them and Tom offers them both a Potions apprenticeship which they eagerly accept. Thankfully their friendship survives Lily's questionable choice in men, even after she marries James.
The Crouches aren't nearly as enthused about their son's choice in partners and Barty ends up running away from home in his seventh year. He lives in Eileen's cottage, sharing a room with Severus when he isn't in school. Since Barty's special interest is wards, Tom offers him an apprenticeship as a Ward Master. Barty can barely hold back tears of gratitude as he accepts. It is a very generous offer, since Tom already has two other apprentices.
Lily becomes pregnant unexpectantly, though Harry was kind of waiting for it. She gives birth to a healthy baby boy named Harry James Potter.
"He's delightful," Tom says as he carefully holds his brand new godson. "Let's hope he takes after you in personality, Lily."
James rolls his eyes but he can't stay offended for long, since he's still bursting with joy at the birth of their son.
What does surprise Harry is when three years later, the Potters have another boy named Matthew, followed two years after that by a girl named Heather.
Watching his former self grow up with loving parents and two siblings is an exercise in happiness and longing. Harry is happy for his former self, but he also cannot help a feeling of longing he gets every now and then. This is what his life might have been without Voldemort. Then again, it does become clear quite quickly that this Harry is not the same individual as Harry was once upon a time, which leads Harry to believe that Tom's theory of their merged souls probably is true.
Harry really is the product of two souls merging together, which means that without Voldemort he wouldn't have existed as he is right now.
Some years later, after Tom's apprentices all gain their Masteries and Harry suspects that Tom is growing a bit lonely, he points out the existence of Hermione Granger. A clever child with a talent for magic and in need of a bit of guidance.
Tom goes to talk to the Grangers and a week later Hermione comes to the cottage for the first of many lessons. Harry can also see positive changes with Hermione. She gains confidence and loses her need to always be the best. Instead she's simply eager to learn, and once she's off to Hogwarts, she also ends up in Ravenclaw.
After she finishes Hogwarts Tom offers her an apprenticeship in any subject she chooses. Hermione insists on Transfiguration, Runes and Arithmancy, and she eventually gains all three Masteries.
Harry Potter goes on to play Quidditch professionally for a decade or so before joining his father in the Auror Department. Tom offers him a Duelling apprenticeship right out of Hogwarts, which young Harry gratefully accepts. Once he graduates as an Auror he's the best duellist of the department.
Eventually Tom tutors some of the children and grandchildren of his previous pupils, because as much as he denies it, he does enjoy some companionship from time to time and he's a rather good teacher.
Eileen dies when she's 105 years old. She remained Tom's assistant until the very end.
"This is why I never tried to make a philosopher's stone," Tom says after the funeral, as he's sitting alone at this kitchen table.
"You could have, if you'd put your mind to it," Harry agrees quietly, voice full of silent grief.
"I'm sure of it." Tom nods and stares out the window. "But what good is immortality if everyone around you dies. Look at Nicholas and Perenelle. They hardly live in the world anymore, lock themselves away from it out of fear of more loss and heartache."
"I'm so proud of you," Harry whispers, because he really, really is. This Tom is such a far cry from what Voldemort once was. "And I love you so very much."
"I love you, too," Tom says and gets up to make some tea.
They do lose friends over the years. Dumbledore, Slughorn, many of the academics Tom corresponds with. Then some of the younger generations start dying. Tom is beside himself with grief when Severus dies of a rare wasting disease at age 80. Tom spends weeks and weeks in his potions lab to find a cure but in the end the disease is faster than Tom's old hands and the cure that Tom does find is five months too late.
Tom lives to the generous age of 151. They both feel that their life is coming to an end during their final weeks. Tom's body is slowly giving up. Walking goes first, and then eating becomes difficult. The house-elf, Willy, that Tom hired a few decades ago to help out around the house looks after them in their final days.
They're ready to die. They've lived a long, fruitful life. They've changed the wizarding world for the better. Tom's affairs are in order and his last will has been written. His riches will be divided amongst those he cares for the most and their descendants.
There's little pain, thanks to an array of potions Willy gives them at set intervals. There's just bone-deep exhaustion. They're ready for a good sleep after a very long, very happy day.
"I'm so glad I got to live this life with you, sweetheart," Harry whispers in Tom's mind.
Tom can barely keep his eyes open as they're lying in their bed. "Me, too."
Darkness starts to close in, drowning out the light of the flickering flames in the fireplace.
"I'm not afraid," Tom says with his final breath.
"Neither am I," Harry manages to whisper before the light leaves them completely. And he's really not. Because he knows that wherever it is they're going, they'll go there together.
Tom wakes up in a tiny body and it takes him a few weeks to realize that this body belongs to a new-born Harry Potter.
"You'd better have kept your memories, too, this time around," Tom says with a chuckle.
The end.
