Title: Just Tom
Author: Razberry
Genre: Romance/Angst(why did I type Action/Adventure? O well...)
Rating: PG... will go up
Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, Rowling owns HP, so please do not sue.
Warnings: None for this chappie...
Summary: Response to one of QueenStrata's challenges. Harry is staying at Hogwarts over the summer, and finds a really nifty mirror that shows whoever looks into it the person that is most like them. Now Harry has to overcome the challenges of getting along with his so called "match"... The only problem? It's none other than Tom Riddle. And what does Dumbledore have to do with this?!
Notes: Wow! I'm really getting these out quick! I usually take forever to get chapters out! Go me!!! Anyways, a lot of you were a little confused last chapter. I hope that this part clears stuff up a bit. And, well.... wow. I actually think that I have nothing else to say. Except that I'm sorry I didn't get this out sooner. I had a Hi-Tri meeting(picnic at Central church! Yay!), a Lifesavers meeting, and a parade to march in(I play flute), along with a little get-together with my aunt & cousin and my usual babysitting gig. O yeah, my dad came home to visit too. :)
Also, if you see a number in a set of these [] that means I have an explanation for that word or phrase at the bottom of the chapter. And since ff.net does not seem to appreciate italics, the character's thoughts will be in /these/. All annoying inner voices will speak in \these\. And since some characters have telepathic abilites, anything that is thought-spoken will be in these. Everyone got that? If not, here's the simplified version for all you idiots out there(j/k).
[] - I have an explanation for that word/phrase at the end of the chapter.
/ / - Peoples individual thoughts
\ \ - Those cute inner voices everybody loves
- Telepathic speech
" " - Regular speech
Okay, well, I think that's it. Now get on with the fic!!!
*~*~*~*~*~*
Tom Riddle blinked in confusion at his new surroundings. He was obviously in the headmaster's office, though it had been changed quite a bit. Professor Dumbledore was there, but he looked older than when he had last seen him, which was odd, because Tom had just spoken with him the other day. There were also two other people in the room that Tom didn't recognize. One was a man that looked to be in his mid-to-late thirties, with shoulder-length black hair, a sharp, pointed nose, and a rather irritable expression on his face. The other was a boy who looked uncannily similar to him but wore an expression of utter hatred and despair on his face. Tom idly wondered why the other boy would be so upset. But first he needed to find out what was going on.
"Professor Dumbledore sir, I-" He was interrupted by the white-haired wizard.
"Tom, I'm sure you're very confused about everything that has happened, and everything will be explained in due time. But first," Dumbledore said, "We need to introduce everyone. The man over in the corner is Professor Snape, the current Potions Master of Hogwarts-"
"But what about Prof. Bennet?" Tom protested. If Dippet had fired his favorite teacher...
"Professor Bennet retired over 20 years ago. I'm afraid that, to you, everything has gone 50 years forward in time. I am now Headmaster of Hogwarts, and there have been several other changes, many that will not appeal to you. But as I said earlier, it will be easier to explain things once everyone knows everyone else," Dumbledore continued on. "The other wizard is Harry Potter, he has just completed 6th year and will be moving on to 7th, just like you."
The old wizard glanced at Harry as he said this, waiting to see the the other's reaction. The black-haired boy's eyes opened wide and he began to protest.
"But- but sir! He-"
"-does not remember a thing that happened after his 6th year. Furthermore, he has been freed of the evil that lived within him and bears no responsibility for anything that his future self has done, nor for the diary that Miss Weasley stumbled upon in your second year."
"But, how-"
"I used Blue Moon Dust on him. It will separate the evil from the good and split them into two different entities. The good half is the boy you see before you right now. It changed him back into a person that still retained a childish innocence. The other half is most likely even more hideous and distorted than before, now that it is evil in it's purest form. So in reality, the boy that you see here is not the person that has made your life and many other's lives miserable, but simply the true Tom," Dumbledore explained. "If it had not been for a few terrible accidents, things most likely would not have turned out the way they did."
"Look, I don't know what I did to make you or anyone else so upset, and whatever it is I'm sorry, but I'm getting a little annoyed that you people are talking about me like I'm not here," Tom said irritably, crossing his arms. He hated it when people did that. "And what the hell do you mean about 'evil' being inside me? I may not be the nicest person in the world, but I'm not evil. And what accidents?"
"I think we have quite a bit of talking to do," Dumbledore sighed. He would have rather discussed this later, after the Riddle boy had been here awhile and Harry had gotten used to his presence.
The Boy Who Lived stayed silent. He was thinking about what the headmaster had said, but was still furious. Not to mention confused. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth he might say or do something he might regret later on.
Meanwhile, Snape had been watching the entire conversation with interest from his corner. Noticing Harry's turmoil, and knowing that the young wizard wouldn't be able to control his temper if Dumbledore began talking about all the horrible deeds Voldemort had done, the Professor suggested, "Perhaps, Potter, it would be best if you and I left for the moment while the Headmaster fills in Mr. Riddle."
Relief appeared on Harry's face. He obviously wanted to get away from Tom. "Yes sir."
The two then left, walking in silence toward the Great Hall for seemingly no reason. Harry spoke up.
"Professor?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For getting me out of there before I hexed that bastard to hell."
"Language Potter..."
"Sorry..."
This was probably the longest conversation Harry had ever had with his Potion's professor without getting angry. The Boy Who Lived was just about to say something else when suddenly, a huge black dog burst through a pair of doors off to the right(they led to the Great Hall) and bounded happily over to the black haired boy.
"Sirius!" Harry laughed, his mood was instantly lightened. "What are you doing here?"
"Black." Snape nodded his head in acknowledgment. The dog looked up at the Potion's Master and shifted to his human form, which looked much healthier than when Harry had seen him last.
"Snape. Didn't think you'd want to show up to welcome me."
"I didn't. Your godson was going to throw a fit if I didn't get him out of Dumbledore's office and I knew seeing you would keep him from cursing someone into oblivion."
Harry's eyes widened slightly. So that was why Snape had led him to the Great Hall! Imagine, the grumpy professor actually trying to cheer someone up... it was unheard of! Sirius seemed to be thinking along the same lines.
"Amazing, you actually did something nice for once... But why was Harry so upset?" Black questioned.
"That can be discussed later," Snape replied. "As of now, I believe you have something to tell Potter, and I have some very important work to do, so I'll be off." With that said, the Potion's Master swept out of the room with a swish of his cloak(A/N: Oooh, how cool. I've always liked it when ppl do that, it's so nifty... anywho, back to the fic).
"You have something to tell me?" Harry turned to his godfather with a questioning gaze.
"Yep!" Sirius' gave the other wizard a proud grin. "Guess who's the new DADA teacher this year?"
"You... you don't mean- but how? The Ministry... and-"
"Yeah! Can you believe it! I'm gonna be using a special charm to hide my true identity. I now go by the name of Prof. Orion White," Sirius said happily. "Now I'll always be there when you or your friends need me."
Harry smiled back. "That's great!"
"Yeah, I really appreciate Dumbledore giving me this job, my Gringott's vault was getting kinda low. But anyway, tell me, how have you been this past year? I want to hear everything."
So Harry told his godfather about the past year. The parties in the common room, the Quidditch matches, the teachers... but he paused and scowled when he got nearer the end.
"What's wrong?" Sirius asked him, an expression of concern showing clearly on his face. "This is about that problem Snape mentioned, isn't it? You know I'm going to find out sooner or later, and it might help you to talk about it, so why don't you explain things to me?"
Harry nodded and sighed, telling the older man all about the mirror, who he saw in it, and what Dumbledore did. Sirius' reaction was very similar to Snape's, except this time there was no Dumbledore to stop his ranting.
"WHAT?! This whole thing is just ri-goddamn-diculous[1]!!! That mirror has to be a phony! How can Dumbledore actually believe that... that 'thing' is your match!" He yelled. "I mean, come on! And how the fuck could he let that monster in the castle! I don't care what Dumbledore says, Voldemort has and always will be pure evil!"
The animagus would have continued with his tirade for hours on end if Snape hadn't stalked back into the room and interrupted him.
"Potter, the headmaster wishes to see you immediately," he said scowling and sounding even more sour than usual. "Apparently there is more to this little scheme of his than previously thought."
Sirius' face then went into its own scowl. Harry looked ready to either cry or kill something, but he left to go see Dumbledore.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Tom was horrified. All of these tragedies Dumbledore had spoken about, were they really caused by him? Sure, he hated muggles and disliked mudbloods, and he wanted nothing to do with them, but wipe them all out?
"Sir, there must be some mistake! I would never-"
"I know Tom, but there were a few unfortunate accidents played an important factor in your 'turning'. However, I do not believe you are ready to hear exactly what they were, and I would prefer to wait until you and Harry learned to get along better so you would have some support."
"But I-"
"I'm not going to argue with you," Dumbledore said sternly. "This isn't up for discussion. Now, I've just sent for Harry and he should be up any moment, so-"
As if on cue, the door creaked open and the Boy Who Lived stepped into the room, keeping his eyes to the floor.
"You wanted to see me," he spat bitterly. Oh, how he wished he were back in the Great Hall with Sirius!
"Yes, my boy. I have called you to discuss your new living quarters," Dumbledore said, familiar twinkle in his eyes. Harry looked up sharply. What? They had to live in the same dorm?! "You will be staying in an area of the castle that hasn't been seen by any student in over thirty years. Originally, it was the four founders' wing. To enter, you will, of course, need a password. As of now, it's 'chocolate hippos'[2], and it will be changed once every 2 weeks. Now, if you boys would be so kind as to follow me, I'll show you the way."
Not waiting for an answer, Dumbledore turned and left the room. Silently Harry and Tom followed him, the former shooting the latter looks of utter hatred.
"Stop looking at me like that," Tom hissed angrily, eyes flashing. Harry's gaze didn't waver.
"You're nothing but evil, and I'm going to prove it," he snapped back quietly, so the headmaster wouldn't hear.
"I may not be a sweet huggy person, but I'm not evil dammit!"
"We're here boys!" said Dumbledore, oblivious to the fight he had just prevented. They had stopped at what appeared to be the end of a hall. Looking at the blank stone wall he spoke to password.
"Chocolate Hippos!"
The wall swung open and revealed a long hall leading to a circular room with a ceiling like the Great Hall's. In the center of the room there was a large oak table, also circular, with four wooden chairs with purple velvet padding set around it. Against the curved walls were some comfortable looking sofas, also purple. Placed evenly along the walls were 4 Hogwarts crests. Above each was a different colored banner, one for each of the houses. On the right side of these was a door. One was a beautiful crimson color, a large ruby at the top, and the handle crafted of gold. Another was a deep blue hue, a sapphire fit on it, and a doorknob of bronze. The next door was yellow, an amber gem set in it's wood, and an obsidian handle. The final door was a dark green shade, this time a gem of emerald on it, and a knob of silver.
"Beautiful, isn't it," Dumbledore said, admiring the room. "I had forgotten how lovely this wing is. I'm sure you can guess which part belonged to whom. And naturally, I'm sure you will want to stay in your respective house sections." He recieved a nod from both of the boys. "Very well then. But I will warn you that there will be several surprises upon your entering."
Tom was mystified. What did the headmaster mean, surprises? Shrugging, the ruby-eyed boy walked past the other two, opened the green door, and walked inside. A few moments later, there was a loud yelp from inside the chamber, and he backed out quickly.
"Holy shit!" He cried.
"Ah, I do believe Tom here has discovered the tapestry," Dumbledore said with a smile.
"Tapestry?" Harry questioned, deliberately ignoring the other 16 year old.
"You see, there is a tapestry of each founder in their respective rooms. The founders wanted to always be able to watch over Hogwarts, so they had their souls magically woven into the cloth. So really, the people in the hangings are the actual founders, not just pictures."
"...Wow."
Tom looked up angrily, breathing hard. "You know, you could have warned me!"
Dumbledore just smiled at walked past him into what was obviously Salazar Slytherin's area. Harry followed him, and Tom came along last, still a bit ruffled from the incident, but regaining composure nicely. Looking upon the silver & green trimmed tapestry that was hanging opposite the door, it became apparent that the other 3 founders had gone over to the Slytherin room for a visit.
"Oh hello Dumbledore!" chirped a small redheaded girl who was perched on one of the vines that were woven into a pattern on the expensive cloth. "It's been quite awhile hasn't it?"
"Yes, Helga, it has been a decent while since I was last here," Dumbledore said to the Hufflepuff founder. Harry gazed at her in amazement. He didn't think she would look so... small. She was only about 4'6", had chin-length, orangey-red hair, tanned skin, and eyes that were a beautiful amber shade. Within them Harry could see the unwavering trust and innocence she was most famous for. She wore a sundress made of many different colors and patterns, all of them bright and sunny, trimmed with shiny gold thread. On her feet were two gold slippers.
"Yes, good to see you Albus," spoke another woman whom Harry assumed was Rowena Ravenclaw. She was taller, about 5'7", had light brown hair that fell in soft waves down to her shoulders, and was sitting cross-legged in one of the tapestry's corners reading a book. She looked up and the Boy Who Lived saw that she has expressive blue eyes that just screamed calm and intelligence. Her dress was simple, yet elegant, floor-length and a pretty faded blue. She wore high-heeled shoes of the same color.
The next person looked rather grumpy. He obviously wanted to go back to his own tapestry, but Rowena was holding onto his cloak to keep him from walking away. This man was the tallest of the group, looking about 6'5", and had long-ish black hair that fell in spikes around his head and was hiked up slightly by a red cloth that was tied around his head. His eyes were as black as his hair and looked rather unhappy at the moment, though Harry could see the brave recklessness under the discontent gaze. He had on a crimson cape that was fastened around his neck by a gold medallion. Underneath this he wore a loose-fitting shirt of a dusty gold hue. Around his waist was a brown leather belt. The pants were fairly tight-fitting and colored a dark red, the ends tucked neatly into a pair of brown boots that reached mid-shin. All in all the outfit was simple, yet at the same time, still rather intimidating.
"It's very nice to see some new faces around here, but I really would prefer to be in my own room, so if you don't mind-" the man was interrupted by a smiling Dumbledore.
"Ah, Godric, still as you were lastime I was here. I had hoped you and Salazar might have patched things up a bit, but I guess Tom and Harry will have to do all the work."
"Me, get along with him?! Never!" said Harry indignantly.
At the same time, Tom yelped, "What?! No way! He =hates= me!!!"
"Now, now, boys, you'll be here together the whole summer and I expect that by the time school starts you'll be getting along great. Don't assume the worst."
But-" both boys began, but were silenced by a shout from the tapestry.
"How many times do I have to tell you, it's NOT MY FAULT!!!" The owner of that voice was the other, slightly smaller man, presumably Salazar Slytherin. He was glaring at Godric with sharp, steel-blue eyes. Salazar also wore simply designed clothes, though his were less worn than Godric's, and they were made of greens, blacks, and silvers. His pale hands were clenching and unclenching to keep himself from hitting the other man, and his long, pale blond hair and forest green cape swished elegantly as he stalked up to Gryffindor.
"Look! I'm not bad! My students are not bad! Just because my house has been home to a few dark wizards does NOT mean that everyone in Slytherin is evil!"
"Look at all the dark wizards through history! Has there ever been ONE that wasn't from your stinking house!" Godric yelled back. They were now nose to nose and looked as though they might pummel the living daylights out of each other any second.
"Just because all dark wizards are from Slytherin doesn't mean that all Slytherins are dark wizards! My house has had some of the best wizards ever known!"
"BOYS!" The two male founders looked at Rowena. "Calm down! You're going to frighten the visitors!"
Godric and Salazar smiled apologetically at her. They were both obviously quite fond of the brown haired girl. After muttering a 'sorry', they each went over to opposite corner's of the tapestry.
"Well, now that everyone knows each other, I suggest you boys get settled in. Tomorrow your special training will begin," Dumbledore said. "I bid you all goodnight."
The headmaster strode out of the room, Harry following shortly to go into the Gryffindor chambers. Godric left as soon as Helga and Rowena would let him, and not long after that the girl's retired to their own rooms, leaving the now snoozing Slytherins alone.
And all was quiet. At least until morning....
*~*~*~*~*~*
To Be Continued...
Notes: Yay! I got this finished! Happy day! Well, now we have some new characters... Rowena, Helga, Godric, Salazar, and Sirius all made a first appearance in this chapter! Wow! Go me! Also, I would like to say DAMN YOU FF.NET FOR PUTTING UP ALL OF THOSE RETARDED RULES!!! YOU PPL DELETED SOME OF MY FAVE FICS! DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!!! That was for anyone who is frustrated & and angry at ff.net, and for all of you whose fics were taken off.
EXPLANATIONS AND DEFINITIONS:
[1] I know Siri would never actually say that, but I was on an Austin Powers high at the time and I like it. So nyahh!!! :P
[2] This is kind of a little joke between my friends and I. We have decided that there is a candy called chocolate hippos(like choc. frogs, except they run in little circles intead of hop) and that Sirius is afraid of them because once someone cast a spell on the candy and made the hippo 14ft. tall and it chased Siri-chan all over the grounds. So... yah.
[3] OK, I know there isn't a number 3 in the fic, but I wanted to add that each founder's looks were inspired by something. Gryffindor was greatly based upon Domon Kashu from G Gundam, Slytherin was a modified version of Legolas Greenleaf from LOTR, Ravenclaw is a bit like an older Hermione, and Helga is like a cross between Ginny Weasley and Ed from Cowboy Bebop.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Now to thank my wonderful reviewers....
AJ - Wow! You flatter me. You really do. I like you. :)
DuckSorceress - *giggles* Potty/Moldyshorts... lol.
Jessica Black
Nagini - Siri/Sev/Remy? I like, but I don't think many would approve...
Shinigami
sara g - Well, they won't have all those powers, but they will have some of what you mentioned.
ash muse - Yes, now that I think about it, that "retarded mirror" comment was a little OOC, but whatever.
Kyoko - I'll bet you thought this was gonna turn out like "Bound" didn't you? :) No way!
The Plot Bunny Whisperer - You've brough up some legitimate points there, and I hope tht this chapter has answered some of your questions.
Deity
Death Eater - *bows* Yes, I am evil, aren't I?
Tavalya Ra - Umm.. the Draco thing ain't gonna happen, but the idea w/ Sev & Siri looking into the mirror at the same time is interesting... (BTW, I luv "Love Potion HP")
padfoot rocks
Fiera - You sound confused... I hope this chapter helps.
QueenStrata - WOW! I'M COOL!!! ^_^ I'm so happy now... and I'm working on your fanart all during school.... until I get yelled at for drawing during class, but anyway, I'm working on it. It's a scene from soulmate(letter writing!). And yah, planning is annoying, cuz I always end up changing things anyway. ^_^ I'm sooo happy you like my fic, I was afraid no one would read it because it's Harry/Tom, but it's my most popular HP fic! :)
*~*~*~*~*~*
Well, that's it for now.... go review, or else I shall... do something bad.... yah... that was lame.... aww, what the hell, MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! There, are you all scared into reviewing now? Good. ^_^v Buh-bye!
Author: Razberry
Genre: Romance/Angst(why did I type Action/Adventure? O well...)
Rating: PG... will go up
Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, Rowling owns HP, so please do not sue.
Warnings: None for this chappie...
Summary: Response to one of QueenStrata's challenges. Harry is staying at Hogwarts over the summer, and finds a really nifty mirror that shows whoever looks into it the person that is most like them. Now Harry has to overcome the challenges of getting along with his so called "match"... The only problem? It's none other than Tom Riddle. And what does Dumbledore have to do with this?!
Notes: Wow! I'm really getting these out quick! I usually take forever to get chapters out! Go me!!! Anyways, a lot of you were a little confused last chapter. I hope that this part clears stuff up a bit. And, well.... wow. I actually think that I have nothing else to say. Except that I'm sorry I didn't get this out sooner. I had a Hi-Tri meeting(picnic at Central church! Yay!), a Lifesavers meeting, and a parade to march in(I play flute), along with a little get-together with my aunt & cousin and my usual babysitting gig. O yeah, my dad came home to visit too. :)
Also, if you see a number in a set of these [] that means I have an explanation for that word or phrase at the bottom of the chapter. And since ff.net does not seem to appreciate italics, the character's thoughts will be in /these/. All annoying inner voices will speak in \these\. And since some characters have telepathic abilites, anything that is thought-spoken will be in these. Everyone got that? If not, here's the simplified version for all you idiots out there(j/k).
[] - I have an explanation for that word/phrase at the end of the chapter.
/ / - Peoples individual thoughts
\ \ - Those cute inner voices everybody loves
- Telepathic speech
" " - Regular speech
Okay, well, I think that's it. Now get on with the fic!!!
*~*~*~*~*~*
Tom Riddle blinked in confusion at his new surroundings. He was obviously in the headmaster's office, though it had been changed quite a bit. Professor Dumbledore was there, but he looked older than when he had last seen him, which was odd, because Tom had just spoken with him the other day. There were also two other people in the room that Tom didn't recognize. One was a man that looked to be in his mid-to-late thirties, with shoulder-length black hair, a sharp, pointed nose, and a rather irritable expression on his face. The other was a boy who looked uncannily similar to him but wore an expression of utter hatred and despair on his face. Tom idly wondered why the other boy would be so upset. But first he needed to find out what was going on.
"Professor Dumbledore sir, I-" He was interrupted by the white-haired wizard.
"Tom, I'm sure you're very confused about everything that has happened, and everything will be explained in due time. But first," Dumbledore said, "We need to introduce everyone. The man over in the corner is Professor Snape, the current Potions Master of Hogwarts-"
"But what about Prof. Bennet?" Tom protested. If Dippet had fired his favorite teacher...
"Professor Bennet retired over 20 years ago. I'm afraid that, to you, everything has gone 50 years forward in time. I am now Headmaster of Hogwarts, and there have been several other changes, many that will not appeal to you. But as I said earlier, it will be easier to explain things once everyone knows everyone else," Dumbledore continued on. "The other wizard is Harry Potter, he has just completed 6th year and will be moving on to 7th, just like you."
The old wizard glanced at Harry as he said this, waiting to see the the other's reaction. The black-haired boy's eyes opened wide and he began to protest.
"But- but sir! He-"
"-does not remember a thing that happened after his 6th year. Furthermore, he has been freed of the evil that lived within him and bears no responsibility for anything that his future self has done, nor for the diary that Miss Weasley stumbled upon in your second year."
"But, how-"
"I used Blue Moon Dust on him. It will separate the evil from the good and split them into two different entities. The good half is the boy you see before you right now. It changed him back into a person that still retained a childish innocence. The other half is most likely even more hideous and distorted than before, now that it is evil in it's purest form. So in reality, the boy that you see here is not the person that has made your life and many other's lives miserable, but simply the true Tom," Dumbledore explained. "If it had not been for a few terrible accidents, things most likely would not have turned out the way they did."
"Look, I don't know what I did to make you or anyone else so upset, and whatever it is I'm sorry, but I'm getting a little annoyed that you people are talking about me like I'm not here," Tom said irritably, crossing his arms. He hated it when people did that. "And what the hell do you mean about 'evil' being inside me? I may not be the nicest person in the world, but I'm not evil. And what accidents?"
"I think we have quite a bit of talking to do," Dumbledore sighed. He would have rather discussed this later, after the Riddle boy had been here awhile and Harry had gotten used to his presence.
The Boy Who Lived stayed silent. He was thinking about what the headmaster had said, but was still furious. Not to mention confused. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth he might say or do something he might regret later on.
Meanwhile, Snape had been watching the entire conversation with interest from his corner. Noticing Harry's turmoil, and knowing that the young wizard wouldn't be able to control his temper if Dumbledore began talking about all the horrible deeds Voldemort had done, the Professor suggested, "Perhaps, Potter, it would be best if you and I left for the moment while the Headmaster fills in Mr. Riddle."
Relief appeared on Harry's face. He obviously wanted to get away from Tom. "Yes sir."
The two then left, walking in silence toward the Great Hall for seemingly no reason. Harry spoke up.
"Professor?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For getting me out of there before I hexed that bastard to hell."
"Language Potter..."
"Sorry..."
This was probably the longest conversation Harry had ever had with his Potion's professor without getting angry. The Boy Who Lived was just about to say something else when suddenly, a huge black dog burst through a pair of doors off to the right(they led to the Great Hall) and bounded happily over to the black haired boy.
"Sirius!" Harry laughed, his mood was instantly lightened. "What are you doing here?"
"Black." Snape nodded his head in acknowledgment. The dog looked up at the Potion's Master and shifted to his human form, which looked much healthier than when Harry had seen him last.
"Snape. Didn't think you'd want to show up to welcome me."
"I didn't. Your godson was going to throw a fit if I didn't get him out of Dumbledore's office and I knew seeing you would keep him from cursing someone into oblivion."
Harry's eyes widened slightly. So that was why Snape had led him to the Great Hall! Imagine, the grumpy professor actually trying to cheer someone up... it was unheard of! Sirius seemed to be thinking along the same lines.
"Amazing, you actually did something nice for once... But why was Harry so upset?" Black questioned.
"That can be discussed later," Snape replied. "As of now, I believe you have something to tell Potter, and I have some very important work to do, so I'll be off." With that said, the Potion's Master swept out of the room with a swish of his cloak(A/N: Oooh, how cool. I've always liked it when ppl do that, it's so nifty... anywho, back to the fic).
"You have something to tell me?" Harry turned to his godfather with a questioning gaze.
"Yep!" Sirius' gave the other wizard a proud grin. "Guess who's the new DADA teacher this year?"
"You... you don't mean- but how? The Ministry... and-"
"Yeah! Can you believe it! I'm gonna be using a special charm to hide my true identity. I now go by the name of Prof. Orion White," Sirius said happily. "Now I'll always be there when you or your friends need me."
Harry smiled back. "That's great!"
"Yeah, I really appreciate Dumbledore giving me this job, my Gringott's vault was getting kinda low. But anyway, tell me, how have you been this past year? I want to hear everything."
So Harry told his godfather about the past year. The parties in the common room, the Quidditch matches, the teachers... but he paused and scowled when he got nearer the end.
"What's wrong?" Sirius asked him, an expression of concern showing clearly on his face. "This is about that problem Snape mentioned, isn't it? You know I'm going to find out sooner or later, and it might help you to talk about it, so why don't you explain things to me?"
Harry nodded and sighed, telling the older man all about the mirror, who he saw in it, and what Dumbledore did. Sirius' reaction was very similar to Snape's, except this time there was no Dumbledore to stop his ranting.
"WHAT?! This whole thing is just ri-goddamn-diculous[1]!!! That mirror has to be a phony! How can Dumbledore actually believe that... that 'thing' is your match!" He yelled. "I mean, come on! And how the fuck could he let that monster in the castle! I don't care what Dumbledore says, Voldemort has and always will be pure evil!"
The animagus would have continued with his tirade for hours on end if Snape hadn't stalked back into the room and interrupted him.
"Potter, the headmaster wishes to see you immediately," he said scowling and sounding even more sour than usual. "Apparently there is more to this little scheme of his than previously thought."
Sirius' face then went into its own scowl. Harry looked ready to either cry or kill something, but he left to go see Dumbledore.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Tom was horrified. All of these tragedies Dumbledore had spoken about, were they really caused by him? Sure, he hated muggles and disliked mudbloods, and he wanted nothing to do with them, but wipe them all out?
"Sir, there must be some mistake! I would never-"
"I know Tom, but there were a few unfortunate accidents played an important factor in your 'turning'. However, I do not believe you are ready to hear exactly what they were, and I would prefer to wait until you and Harry learned to get along better so you would have some support."
"But I-"
"I'm not going to argue with you," Dumbledore said sternly. "This isn't up for discussion. Now, I've just sent for Harry and he should be up any moment, so-"
As if on cue, the door creaked open and the Boy Who Lived stepped into the room, keeping his eyes to the floor.
"You wanted to see me," he spat bitterly. Oh, how he wished he were back in the Great Hall with Sirius!
"Yes, my boy. I have called you to discuss your new living quarters," Dumbledore said, familiar twinkle in his eyes. Harry looked up sharply. What? They had to live in the same dorm?! "You will be staying in an area of the castle that hasn't been seen by any student in over thirty years. Originally, it was the four founders' wing. To enter, you will, of course, need a password. As of now, it's 'chocolate hippos'[2], and it will be changed once every 2 weeks. Now, if you boys would be so kind as to follow me, I'll show you the way."
Not waiting for an answer, Dumbledore turned and left the room. Silently Harry and Tom followed him, the former shooting the latter looks of utter hatred.
"Stop looking at me like that," Tom hissed angrily, eyes flashing. Harry's gaze didn't waver.
"You're nothing but evil, and I'm going to prove it," he snapped back quietly, so the headmaster wouldn't hear.
"I may not be a sweet huggy person, but I'm not evil dammit!"
"We're here boys!" said Dumbledore, oblivious to the fight he had just prevented. They had stopped at what appeared to be the end of a hall. Looking at the blank stone wall he spoke to password.
"Chocolate Hippos!"
The wall swung open and revealed a long hall leading to a circular room with a ceiling like the Great Hall's. In the center of the room there was a large oak table, also circular, with four wooden chairs with purple velvet padding set around it. Against the curved walls were some comfortable looking sofas, also purple. Placed evenly along the walls were 4 Hogwarts crests. Above each was a different colored banner, one for each of the houses. On the right side of these was a door. One was a beautiful crimson color, a large ruby at the top, and the handle crafted of gold. Another was a deep blue hue, a sapphire fit on it, and a doorknob of bronze. The next door was yellow, an amber gem set in it's wood, and an obsidian handle. The final door was a dark green shade, this time a gem of emerald on it, and a knob of silver.
"Beautiful, isn't it," Dumbledore said, admiring the room. "I had forgotten how lovely this wing is. I'm sure you can guess which part belonged to whom. And naturally, I'm sure you will want to stay in your respective house sections." He recieved a nod from both of the boys. "Very well then. But I will warn you that there will be several surprises upon your entering."
Tom was mystified. What did the headmaster mean, surprises? Shrugging, the ruby-eyed boy walked past the other two, opened the green door, and walked inside. A few moments later, there was a loud yelp from inside the chamber, and he backed out quickly.
"Holy shit!" He cried.
"Ah, I do believe Tom here has discovered the tapestry," Dumbledore said with a smile.
"Tapestry?" Harry questioned, deliberately ignoring the other 16 year old.
"You see, there is a tapestry of each founder in their respective rooms. The founders wanted to always be able to watch over Hogwarts, so they had their souls magically woven into the cloth. So really, the people in the hangings are the actual founders, not just pictures."
"...Wow."
Tom looked up angrily, breathing hard. "You know, you could have warned me!"
Dumbledore just smiled at walked past him into what was obviously Salazar Slytherin's area. Harry followed him, and Tom came along last, still a bit ruffled from the incident, but regaining composure nicely. Looking upon the silver & green trimmed tapestry that was hanging opposite the door, it became apparent that the other 3 founders had gone over to the Slytherin room for a visit.
"Oh hello Dumbledore!" chirped a small redheaded girl who was perched on one of the vines that were woven into a pattern on the expensive cloth. "It's been quite awhile hasn't it?"
"Yes, Helga, it has been a decent while since I was last here," Dumbledore said to the Hufflepuff founder. Harry gazed at her in amazement. He didn't think she would look so... small. She was only about 4'6", had chin-length, orangey-red hair, tanned skin, and eyes that were a beautiful amber shade. Within them Harry could see the unwavering trust and innocence she was most famous for. She wore a sundress made of many different colors and patterns, all of them bright and sunny, trimmed with shiny gold thread. On her feet were two gold slippers.
"Yes, good to see you Albus," spoke another woman whom Harry assumed was Rowena Ravenclaw. She was taller, about 5'7", had light brown hair that fell in soft waves down to her shoulders, and was sitting cross-legged in one of the tapestry's corners reading a book. She looked up and the Boy Who Lived saw that she has expressive blue eyes that just screamed calm and intelligence. Her dress was simple, yet elegant, floor-length and a pretty faded blue. She wore high-heeled shoes of the same color.
The next person looked rather grumpy. He obviously wanted to go back to his own tapestry, but Rowena was holding onto his cloak to keep him from walking away. This man was the tallest of the group, looking about 6'5", and had long-ish black hair that fell in spikes around his head and was hiked up slightly by a red cloth that was tied around his head. His eyes were as black as his hair and looked rather unhappy at the moment, though Harry could see the brave recklessness under the discontent gaze. He had on a crimson cape that was fastened around his neck by a gold medallion. Underneath this he wore a loose-fitting shirt of a dusty gold hue. Around his waist was a brown leather belt. The pants were fairly tight-fitting and colored a dark red, the ends tucked neatly into a pair of brown boots that reached mid-shin. All in all the outfit was simple, yet at the same time, still rather intimidating.
"It's very nice to see some new faces around here, but I really would prefer to be in my own room, so if you don't mind-" the man was interrupted by a smiling Dumbledore.
"Ah, Godric, still as you were lastime I was here. I had hoped you and Salazar might have patched things up a bit, but I guess Tom and Harry will have to do all the work."
"Me, get along with him?! Never!" said Harry indignantly.
At the same time, Tom yelped, "What?! No way! He =hates= me!!!"
"Now, now, boys, you'll be here together the whole summer and I expect that by the time school starts you'll be getting along great. Don't assume the worst."
But-" both boys began, but were silenced by a shout from the tapestry.
"How many times do I have to tell you, it's NOT MY FAULT!!!" The owner of that voice was the other, slightly smaller man, presumably Salazar Slytherin. He was glaring at Godric with sharp, steel-blue eyes. Salazar also wore simply designed clothes, though his were less worn than Godric's, and they were made of greens, blacks, and silvers. His pale hands were clenching and unclenching to keep himself from hitting the other man, and his long, pale blond hair and forest green cape swished elegantly as he stalked up to Gryffindor.
"Look! I'm not bad! My students are not bad! Just because my house has been home to a few dark wizards does NOT mean that everyone in Slytherin is evil!"
"Look at all the dark wizards through history! Has there ever been ONE that wasn't from your stinking house!" Godric yelled back. They were now nose to nose and looked as though they might pummel the living daylights out of each other any second.
"Just because all dark wizards are from Slytherin doesn't mean that all Slytherins are dark wizards! My house has had some of the best wizards ever known!"
"BOYS!" The two male founders looked at Rowena. "Calm down! You're going to frighten the visitors!"
Godric and Salazar smiled apologetically at her. They were both obviously quite fond of the brown haired girl. After muttering a 'sorry', they each went over to opposite corner's of the tapestry.
"Well, now that everyone knows each other, I suggest you boys get settled in. Tomorrow your special training will begin," Dumbledore said. "I bid you all goodnight."
The headmaster strode out of the room, Harry following shortly to go into the Gryffindor chambers. Godric left as soon as Helga and Rowena would let him, and not long after that the girl's retired to their own rooms, leaving the now snoozing Slytherins alone.
And all was quiet. At least until morning....
*~*~*~*~*~*
To Be Continued...
Notes: Yay! I got this finished! Happy day! Well, now we have some new characters... Rowena, Helga, Godric, Salazar, and Sirius all made a first appearance in this chapter! Wow! Go me! Also, I would like to say DAMN YOU FF.NET FOR PUTTING UP ALL OF THOSE RETARDED RULES!!! YOU PPL DELETED SOME OF MY FAVE FICS! DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!!! That was for anyone who is frustrated & and angry at ff.net, and for all of you whose fics were taken off.
EXPLANATIONS AND DEFINITIONS:
[1] I know Siri would never actually say that, but I was on an Austin Powers high at the time and I like it. So nyahh!!! :P
[2] This is kind of a little joke between my friends and I. We have decided that there is a candy called chocolate hippos(like choc. frogs, except they run in little circles intead of hop) and that Sirius is afraid of them because once someone cast a spell on the candy and made the hippo 14ft. tall and it chased Siri-chan all over the grounds. So... yah.
[3] OK, I know there isn't a number 3 in the fic, but I wanted to add that each founder's looks were inspired by something. Gryffindor was greatly based upon Domon Kashu from G Gundam, Slytherin was a modified version of Legolas Greenleaf from LOTR, Ravenclaw is a bit like an older Hermione, and Helga is like a cross between Ginny Weasley and Ed from Cowboy Bebop.
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Now to thank my wonderful reviewers....
AJ - Wow! You flatter me. You really do. I like you. :)
DuckSorceress - *giggles* Potty/Moldyshorts... lol.
Jessica Black
Nagini - Siri/Sev/Remy? I like, but I don't think many would approve...
Shinigami
sara g - Well, they won't have all those powers, but they will have some of what you mentioned.
ash muse - Yes, now that I think about it, that "retarded mirror" comment was a little OOC, but whatever.
Kyoko - I'll bet you thought this was gonna turn out like "Bound" didn't you? :) No way!
The Plot Bunny Whisperer - You've brough up some legitimate points there, and I hope tht this chapter has answered some of your questions.
Deity
Death Eater - *bows* Yes, I am evil, aren't I?
Tavalya Ra - Umm.. the Draco thing ain't gonna happen, but the idea w/ Sev & Siri looking into the mirror at the same time is interesting... (BTW, I luv "Love Potion HP")
padfoot rocks
Fiera - You sound confused... I hope this chapter helps.
QueenStrata - WOW! I'M COOL!!! ^_^ I'm so happy now... and I'm working on your fanart all during school.... until I get yelled at for drawing during class, but anyway, I'm working on it. It's a scene from soulmate(letter writing!). And yah, planning is annoying, cuz I always end up changing things anyway. ^_^ I'm sooo happy you like my fic, I was afraid no one would read it because it's Harry/Tom, but it's my most popular HP fic! :)
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Well, that's it for now.... go review, or else I shall... do something bad.... yah... that was lame.... aww, what the hell, MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! There, are you all scared into reviewing now? Good. ^_^v Buh-bye!
