I do not own Harry Potter
Tom's Pov
He saw the boy look around fearfully, his bright green eyes wide open, absolute terror twisting his expression before his breaths started becoming shorter and his already shaking form started trembling almost violently. He seemed to be in the midst of a panic attack. He watched as Dippet made his way forward and asked the boy his name, the boy appeared to have calmed down a bit but the stuttering and shakiness in his voice clearly showed his unease as he answered him.
Peverell? That meant that the boy was a pureblood. But the Peverell family was thought to have been extinct for a long time and yet the boy in front of him claimed to be of Peverell lineage, could it be true? he wondered. He saw his followers and many other purebloods looking on in thinly veiled curiosity at the boy though some looked at him in disbelief, clearly not believing that he was part of such an ancient and noble house.
The boy was 15? He had thought that he'd be a 3rd year at most considering his height and physique, he could see from most expressions around him that they also were shocked at his age.
As the boy spoke of his family's death, he didn't seem to feel much grief for them at all and yet as he spoke of his parents, his tone was filled with pain and sorrow despite how long it had obviously been. He didn't know what to make of that, other than the most obvious reason that he hadn't the best relationship with his aunt, uncle and cousin, it seems a few other Slytherins noticed that as well from the expressions on their faces.
When Dippet asked about how he had come here, the boy's response was unexpected, others seemed to think so too for many held horrified and sympathetic expressions as they gazed at the boy. They were all probably coming to the conclusion that Grindelwald had captured him but what he wanted to know was why the Dark Lord would bother to imprison and torture a fourteen year old boy when he could have killed him alongside his family. He saw Elijah narrow his eyes slightly, clearly also wondering the same thing, he was always the most perceptive of his followers. It just didn't add up. There had to be more to the story that the boy was omitting or he honestly didn't know though something was telling him it was the former.
The boy then mentioned that they were going to kill him before he came here, he didn't know who 'they' were but it was most likely Grindelwald's followers, so Grindelwald either got what he wanted or the boy didn't have what he wanted. The fact that the boy hadn't recognised Grindelwald when he was all over the daily profit was also confusing, had he been living under a rock all these years?
Dumbledore, the utter fool that he is, stepped forwards and asked questions even he wouldn't be callous enough to ask, ok scratch that, he would, but unlike the old coot he wasn't stupid enough to ask such probing questions in front of the entire Great Hall. The reaction he got was expected as the boy flinched back slightly and Dumbledore's expression was priceless, he obviously didn't expect that, which was utterly dense for someone as old as him, though now he that he thought about it, that must be the problem, clearly his old age was getting to him. Even some of the Gryffindors looked at their head of house strangely with slight anger on their faces, though it was far and few in between, after all not many in Gryffindor would think badly of Dumbledore, after all to them he was some blasted saint who could never do any wrong.
Dippet then told the boy that he should get healed up in the hospital wing, which in his opinion probably should have happened first thing, though Dippet was probably just shocked since something like this has never happened before in Hogwarts history. After the headmaster reassured the boy, who clearly had no nowhere to go since it seems that his entire family was dead, that he would prepare arrangements for him, he had an inkling as to what Dippet was going to do and he could see that many of the perceptive Slytherins were also thinking the exact same thing.
The boy was most likely going to be enrolled in Hogwarts and he was looking forward to it as he was officially intrigued, there was just something about the green eyed boy that interested him, he didn't know what it was but there was something telling him that there was more to the boy than what meets the eye. In the way the boy had looked at him as if in recognition and the intelligence and the calculative glint he saw in his eyes before terror clouded over, he didn't know what to believe at the moment. There were questions churning around in his mind right now, his boredom completely forgotten, and he needed answers.
His thoughts were interrupted by Dumbledore's voice as he voiced his suspicions against the child, now he could see for the first time that nearly all the houses were united in their anger against Dumbledore. What was the old fool thinking? To say something like that in front of the entirety of Hogwarts and in front of the child himself no less. It was utterly stupid but he knew there was something more to it, there was something slightly shaken in the old man's countenance which he had noticed ever since the boy had mentioned his name. Clearly he had recognised the Peverell name but unlike others his recognition was different, more personal, he didn't understand what the Peverell name had to do with the old man but there was something that clearly had him suspicious about the boy and he wanted to find out what.
He saw the panic enter the boy's eyes as he looked up at Dippet and he saw something in the Headmaster change as he looked down at the slight sheen of tears in the boy's emerald green eyes, somehow enhancing their appeal. Dippet suddenly looked angry as he turned towards Dumbledore and what he said next had most of Slytherin house suppressing their mirth, even he had a hard time stopping the smirk that wanted to form on his face at the old man's expression. It was hilarious. However he also noticed that the boy's shoulders were shaking, to others it would seem as if he was scared, but he caught the small hint of amusement in his eyes before it vanished. It wouldn't be noticeable at all if it wasn't for the fact that he was an expert at reading people and seeing through other masks, it was a necessity when living in the snake pit, and throughout the whole scene playing out in front of him he had realised something was off about the boy but he hadn't known what it was until now.
When he heard a thud, he belatedly realised that as he was thinking, the boy had passed out and was now being carried on a conjured stretcher towards the hospital wing. As he looked at him go a few questions were churning in his mind and he was burning with curiosity. Why had the boy put up a facade? It was clear to him that he was, from the expression he had seen in his first glimpse of the boy and the hint of amusement in his eyes he had seen later, which wouldn't have been seen on a boy who was as traumatised as he portrayed himself to be. The fact that he could hide his emotions so easily that it takes someone as skilled as him in reading emotions to glimpse it, showed that the boy was used to putting up masks. Now he really wanted answers as he despised not knowing, however, now that he thought about it he loved a challenge more. He couldn't wait to get it out of him and he knew he would, he always gets what he wants he thought as he smirked internally. They all acted defiant at first but later they were spilling all their secrets and the boy wouldn't be an exception.
As the Great Hall doors closed behind the boy he wondered, how much of his story was true and how much was a fabricated lie?
He had no idea the whirlwind that was Harry James Potter or what he'll now be known as, Hadrian Peverell.
