It was much harder work than it seemed to be the genetic equivalent and heir apparent of the Dark Lord.
So much had gone wrong already; he had been lurking in the hall when somehow Snape had suspected Black's condition before he could get James in the same room with the others. Thomas had had to use every last ounce of magical energy he possessed to pull one over on the house elf and smuggle the child out. He was so, so tired; but only a few more moments, and his father would have access to all the remaining Children of the Spirit.
Exhausted, Thomas dragged the Stunned child to the gates, where he would allow his father to take over the operation. He'd been properly brought up to not have a conscience; nonetheless, something pricked at the back of his neck at earlier having had to stun the only person who had ever attempted to be his friend. He'd spent a whole day listening to Beatles tunes with George Weasley, who had never heard them because of his wizarding background. "Bloody brilliant!" his enthusiastic new friend would say wonderingly after each tune. What would George think of him now...he knew that George's family had been instrumental in his father's previous downfalls.
He couldn't afford a conscience or the luxury of friends. He was here to restore Voldemort to full power by assisting in the murder of anyone who could oppose him. And then, when Voldemort achieved their goal, he would be primed to take his place at his right hand. It was that simple.
If it's that ruddy simple, a small voice in the back of his mind said, then why do you feel so crappy about it?
Shut UP., Thomas replied nastily to the voice.
And you're handing over a little boy to a murderer. Nice.
Shut UP!!
Helping that psychopath murder all those people? The headmistress has been nothing but kind to you; can you not rise above your upbringing? Aren't you more than your genetic code? Didn't George tell you that Harry Potter lived among the worst sort of trashy Muggles who treated him worse than dirt, and yet here he is a ruddy SAINT?
Not likely. Leave me alone.
Do you really want to be like Voldemort?
That's the million dollar fucking question, isn't it?
It's not as if there's much to recommend the bastard, right? How many times has he been defeated, anyway?
I'm not talking to you anymore, damn it...
Don't you know who I am, friend? I'm the Spirit. I dwell in you thanks to your mother - your real mother, not the trash that adopted you - Tom Riddle's mother. And yes, that means you do have a conscience and a sense of right and wrong buried within you, just like Harry Potter did...
Sorry, but I have FREE WILL and I don't believe in you.
Sure, you have free will. You can choose to be evil, like your father, or you can choose the path Harry Potter chose. It was hard for him, you know, after being locked in a closet and yelled at for eleven years to choose to do good deeds. Sometimes he wished for death rather than his destiny. It's not easy to do good; it's much easier to follow a dark path filled with anger. Harry was helped by friends; you, too, have friends now, who would happily help you.
Just...shut the hell up.
Do you really want me to? You're approaching the gates, think long and hard before you open them to Voldemort and choose the path of death rather than life.
*~*~*
George Weasley, Junior, woke up with a start to find a wand in his face.
"We don't have all day, Weasley. Where did he go?" It was Professor Snape.
"What...who..."
"Don't be thick. Where was he headed?"
"Errol?" George felt very confused.
"I don't think the boy knows, Severus," Dumbledore said, "but someone approaches who might know."
Dobby rushed up in a panic. "He has taken young Master James, he has overcome Dobby, bad Dobby, bad bad bad..." Dobby was hitting himself with a candle-holder.
"Where was he going, Dobby? THINK, ELF!" Snape was in a terrible panic.
"I...don't...know..." Dobby said between blows, "but I knows one thing, I does, I hear...everyone must get out of the Infirmary!"
Dumbledore paused, and a lightbulb went off. "Severus, I believe our young friend may have gone to deliver James to Voldemort and that he will probably attack the remaining Spirit-children and Sisters who are all gathered together with one blow. It makes sense - the only threat Voldemort percieves, those against whom he wants revenge, are the remaining members of the Order and their children - and of course, myself, which is why it was certainly no coincidence that I was summoned.. We need to scatter everyone and prepare them." Fawkes suddenly appeared. "Ah, my old friend...please go to the gates of Hogwarts and report to me if there is anyone there in need of our assistance."
Perplexed, Snape looked at Dumbledore. "How do you always know exactly what to do? I've been meaning to ask you this for thirty years or more...would come in quite handy as Associate Headmaster, of course..."
Dumbledore's eyes had their customary twinkle for a split second before returning to the Grave Look Severus knew all too well. "George, will you accompany us to the Hogwarts gates please? And Dobby, to the Infirmary, if you please, to ask everyone to step outside and scatter a bit just in case; if you'd also be so kind as to send Professors Lupin and Black to the gates. I certainly think your punishment is sufficient," he continued kindly to the elf, "Voldemort has hoodwinked many, including myself once or twice."
If George found this confusing, he didn't hesitate as he followed his two elders out of the castle and rushed to where a child much older than his eleven years was slowly carrying a bundle in his robes.
~*~*~
Sirius was adamant. "I'm staying with her here. You all go on...get out...you heard Dobby. Get out!"
Harry and Draco looked doubtfully at Sirius. "What if they come for her? You'll need us..."
"No," Eleanor said, "Sirius is right. You need to get away and not be all clumped in one place. If Severus and Albus fail, it's best for you not to be in one place until he makes his move."
"Precisely," Sirius cried, "so do as I say. Get out. She will be fine; I give you my word, it will be over my dead body that any harm comes to Hermione."
Everyone left then, scattering for watchpoints in different places in the castle where there was a decent view of the gates. Sirius was alone with Hermione again, for the first time since he had been hexed into compliance with this awful scheme. He, and he alone, was responsible for her coma; he could blame the young boy who managed to put an Imperius curse on him that morning, but it was easier to blame himself than admit he had been bested by a child.
"I'm so sorry," he said, a tear forming before he angrily brushed it away. "You've made me weak, damn it. All I could think was how I could get revenge for you choosing him over me, when all along I knew I never had a chance. Damn, damn, damn. If I could take it back and do it to myself, I'd do it now. Gods damn me for all eternity, I'm such a fool." He closed his eyes and laid his head on her heart, letting the tears come.
"Hmmm," said a small voice, "at least you realize it now."
His eyes flew open and his head shot up. "Hermione? Am I dreaming?"
She smiled weakly. "Not unless I am. But there's something important I have to tell you, Sirius."
"Anything..." he trailed off. "Wait. My head was turned. You couldn't have seen me speaking about being an idiot. You..."
"Apparently," she whispered, "whatever charm you used, worked. I can hear. But not only can I hear you, I can hear Severus, and we need to get down to the gates. Now."
*~*~*
"Thomas," George said, "think for a minute. What are you doing? That song, you played it for me just this morning. You said it was your favorite. Imagine. Do you really think John Lennon was talking about a wonderful world united under Voldemort?"
Thomas rolled his eyes, aware his father was close enough to be watching their every move. He could not betray his growing suspicions about his father's motives and his needling prickle of conscience eating through the years of hard life. He had to be strong. But the voice insisted that it was too late, even as George was trying to reason with him.
You've already shown that you are a child that can rise above, Thomas. Today, when you put Sirius Black under the Imperius, you gave him the exact instructions on how to put her out of commission, certainly, but also you knew it would restore her hearing. Your father told you of that spell, it had been in your family's vault for years after your grandmother had developed it. He told you because he thought it was funny that Headmistress Granger suffered from a curable malady, and that he wanted to keep that in his arsenal for bribery or blackmail down the line. Voldemort told you explicitly to give Black a different curse, never dreaming you would have passed on the right information. Why did you do that, Thomas?
None of your business.
You like her, don't you? You see in her a mother that you never had; someone to take you in and care for you, regardless of your past. You know how close she is to the orphaned Harry Potter. You wanted to give her a gift.
Whatever.
But deep down, Thomas knew this was true. Unwittingly and unbearably, he wanted to do something...good...he thought he could achieve his father's ends while helping her, and no one would be the wiser until it was too late.
This should have been simple, Thomas said to himself. Friendship and caring were never to enter into it.
But he was having more and more trouble channeling his anger, fear and hatred. A pull towards the good things that he'd never thought to have started when he stepped off the Hogwarts train and was sorted into the wrong House.
*~*~*
Snape and Dumbledore hung back in the shadows, watching the scene unfold. Snape kept whispering, "We go in and get James now. I don't like this."
"No, my friend," Dumbledore would say, "let this scene unfold. Voldemort cannot get into our gates without an invitation, and his son is not close enough to do so. Let Mr. Weasley talk to him; I daresay a child his age, as bright as he is will do more than we can as crochety old adults with an agenda."
This is what Hermione overheard, that caused her to realize that her son was in danger. How she could hear, she didn't pause to think in the panic that rose in her at the thought of her child in danger; she made Sirius conjure her an air-chair to ride in, and he pushed her at top speed towards the gates.
"Even now, the child struggles," Dumbledore said. "Remember, he has a piece of the Spirit in him since he is Tom Riddle's exact double. Tom twisted that gift into a dreadful curse, but this boy has the chance to choose his own destiny. We'll go in at the first sign that Mr. Weasley is not getting through to him."
"I believe I'm in charge here," said a new, distinctly female, whisper. "But thanks for coming, Albus. I'm the first to admit that I don't want to do this alone."
Two heads, one white and one dark, whirled around to see Hermione floating in her air-chair, with a contrite Sirius Black behind her. Snape rushed to her side, and dropped to his knees to kiss her. Sirius stepped away, offering his place to Severus.
"How did you know..." Severus began, but Dumbledore put a hand on his arm and indicated the exchange taking place at the gates.
*~*~*
Voldemort stood at the gates, scowling unpleasantly at how badly the plan had gone awry. He knew that the elf had scattered all the Order of Benevolent Light witches and their offspring, making a quick kill much more difficult. And his bargaining chip, the Granger boy, was a tantalizing 20 yards away but inside the gates. What the bloody hell Thomas was doing talking with that Weasley runt...he couldn't hear...but Thomas had stopped moving and had not invited him inside.
"George, I'm sorry I Stunned you...I have to go...I can't talk now..." Thomas was in a panic over what would happen to him; he'd endured a little Cruciatus at his father's insistence over the summer to "toughen him up". While he had maintained a stoic presence, he'd simply wanted to kill the old man afterwards.
How could you have so much hatred for Voldemort and still be his monkey boy?
SHUT UP!
I don't think you really want me to shut up, do you? Listen to George. The Headmistress will forgive this if you stop now, and you will be among friends.
He had no answer. So tempting, to lay down this burden...
"I surrender," he said, before he knew the words were escaping. Emboldened by the sudden rush of freedom, he yelled, "DO YOU HEAR ME? YOU ARE NO FATHER OF MINE, TOM RIDDLE! I SURRENDER!"
A scream of fury emanated from the gates; fortunately, Harry Potter had moved surreptitiously around towards the gates and was able to lock his wand onto the shouting and put Voldemort in a Full-Body Bind in record time.
"How many times do I have to defeat you, maggot?" Harry said, kicking the bundle at his feet. The dementors Voldemort brought with him had fled, knowing that their opponent had no trouble finishing them off and sensing that their benefactor had just met his doom.
Hermione rose from her chair and walked unsteadily on Severus' arm to where Thomas stood with the flush of uncertainty. James was just waking up on his own, and looked worriedly at his mother and father. "Where am I?" Thomas said, confused.
"You're home, my son," Severus said, hoisting the boy up in his arms.
Hermione held her hands out to Thomas Riddle. "And the same can be said for you, Thomas. You have just done a noble thing. I'm proud of you."
As Thomas flushed, George scratched his head. "Who is Thomas?"
~*~*~
Much later, at an impromptu celebration in the Great Hall, Sirius came over to Hermione.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, "so sorry."
"Oh, do shut up, Sirius," Hermione said softly, "I have you to thank for a great gift..."
"No," he said, "you have Thomas Riddle to thank. He put me under Imperius and told me how to do it."
She clapped her hand over her mouth. "The prophecy in the Riddle diary! Her grandson did cure me. Fascinating...I will have to talk with him and find out what he knows."
Severus walked in, after having put James to bed for the second time that evening, with Dobby once again in charge after repeated assurances that no bad men were coming to overcome him again and that they were not angry with him. He spied his Headmistress across the room deep in conversation with Sirius. Briefly squashing down a surge of jealousy, he waited until she was alone for a moment before approaching.
"What did Black want?" Severus growled.
"Say my name," Hermione said, leading him to stare at her.
"Why?"
"Just say it. Slowly. With feeling."
He cocked an eyebrow. "Hermione," he said, drawing out the last syllable for emphasis, "what is this about?"
"I heard you telling James his night-night story," she said, "I hear everything you say."
"You...hear..." he stumbled.
"I hear perfectly, and oddly enough, I hear you when you aren't with me. It's going to take a little getting used to..."
"Are you saying I have to thank Black for something?" he said after regaining his composure.
"No, really, you have Thomas Riddle to thank." She smiled. "I delighted in hearing you and James together. I can't express to you how amazing it feels to hear again after the years of silence. I was frightened, at first, but I will become accustomed."
"We really do have something to celebrate," Dumbledore said in her ear. "Magnificent."
She looked over at young Thomas. For the first time in his life, he was acting like a normal boy; playing Exploding Snap in the corner with a group of Gryffindor boys, all up well past curfew for the special occasion. "More than one thing, I think."
"You think the third time's a charm?" Harry said, walking up. "Are we done with You-Know-Who yet?"
No one could answer his question.
~*~*~
Later that night, Severus and Hermione made love again in their hideaway in the dungeons. Eleanor had given the Spirit back, but was staying on; apparently her relationship with Sir Nicholas had taken a turn for the serious. Hermione felt whole again, and Severus kissed her from toes to head very slowly, saying he had a lot of making up to do for years of being a bastard.
"I don't think you'll catch up, but it won't hurt to try," she said with a grin.
"Do you like having children?" he said seriously. "I always hated my students, of course, but I find I'm very attached to James."
"He is wonderful," she yawned.
"Thomas will need strong parental figures," he said. "Lupin is his head of house, but I was thinking it would be..."
"Yes," she said as if reading his mind, "yes, we can speak to the Weasleys about him. George is like a brother to him already."
"Or we can provide that stability," he said lightly.
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting we make our family arrangement more permanent?"
"Yes," he said, "I am."
THE END
A/N: Thanks for hanging in and for all your encouragement!!! Yes, I see the sequel hanging out there waiting to be written. I'd never intended this to be a trilogy, but I suspect it might end up as one. Please be a responsible reader and review....THANKS!