Sorry for not updating earlier, it's become really hard for me to use a computer. I don't know whether I can update more regularly in future, but hey, there's hope.
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Chapter 12
Tom put his book away immediately and Sylvie hid under his sleeve. Then Tom went to Hagrid's hut with Hermione. They walked over the grounds in a quick pace, thick raindrops pouring from the clouded sky and coldness chilling them to their bones.
"What are we going to tell him?", asked Tom worriedly while holding his bag over his head, trying to keep himself at least a little bit dry. "I mean, he won't know me, right?"
"We're just telling him the truth.", said Hermione. "He likes you so much, he'd never abandon you."
"That's what I thought of Ron, too.", said Tom darkly. But he agreed with Hermione, Hagrid wasn't like that.
When they reached the hut, he remained a few steps behind, to not be immediately seen. Hermione knocked on the door. After a few seconds it was opened by a bruised and bloodied Rubeus Hagrid. Hermione and Tom stared at him in shock. Last year Hagrid hadn't looked very good either but this time it was even worse.
"Hagrid – what has happened to you?", asked Hermione, looking up and down on him. "You look terrible!"
"Hermione! I should've known you'd turn up so soon!", he exclaimed with a big smile and pulled Hermione into a bone-crushing hug that lifted her into the air. "Where are Harry and Ron?" He let go off Hermione and looked around, now noticing Tom who was still standing in the rain and holding his bag over his head. "And who's that?"
"We'll explain that inside. Let's just sit down and maybe have some tea.", said Hermione, gently shoving Hagrid inside and motioning for Tom to follow. He was glad to be inside, he and Hermione were wet from head to foot and he felt really frozen through. The hut was warm and cozy, there was only little light from outside but Hagrid had made a big fire. Hagrid immediately turned to preparing a large pot of tea and Hermione pulled Tom down on a chair in a shadowy corner and sat down on another chair close to his, blocking Hagrid's sight on Tom as the half-giant still hadn't been able to get a good look on the son of the man who had been responsible for him being expelled and much more things that were a lot worse.
"What happened to you?", repeated Hermione. "Have you gone to the giants again?"
Hagrid chuckled. "I can't keep anything from you kids, can I?"
"Well, it was kind of… obvious.", Hermione said while Hagrid started looking for cups.
"I've found Grawpy a nice lady friend."
Hermione gasped for air. "You mean – there are two giants in the forest now?!"
"Yep.", Hagrid said contently and balanced the tray with cups and the teapot towards the wooden table, filled three cups of tea and handed each of them one. When he looked at Tom he stopped dead in his tracks. He blinked and looked again. Then he shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. "You – you really remind me of someone."
Tom shifted uncomfortably and lowered his head and let his wet dark hair hang in front of his face.
"Hagrid, please sit down.", ordered Hermione now firmly. "We need to talk about a few things."
She took her hot cup of tea and started sipping of it. Hagrid sat down, too.
"So what's up?", he asked, looking slightly worried.
"Nothing too bad.", explained Hermione. "It's about Harry – nothing's happened to him, of course – but we found out a few… kind of disturbing facts… but as I said, it's not that bad, I mean, he's still himself and all, well, in a way…" She shot a pleading look at Tom.
He decided to continue. One more time. "Okay, I'll just get over with it quickly. Look, Hagrid, actually I'm Harry. I just look different." Hermione nodded confirmative.
Hagrid was clearly confused. He looked at Tom with his black beetle-like eyes again. "Harry? But – why do you look like this?"
"And I've got another name now.", Tom said, looking into Hagrid's eyes. "I found some things out over the summer. About my parents. I think – did you notice whom I look like?"
"Yes, um…" Hagrid hesitated. "Well, you kinda look a bit… like… like You-Know-Who at your age… that's really strange."
Tom closed his fingers around his hot cup nervously. "Yeah, exactly. I'm still the Harry you know and so, but my name is now Tom Riddle, too."
Hagrid stared at him as if he had lost his mind.
"That has a good, logical explanation, you know.", said Hermione. "Although it sounds really strange."
"Yes, it has, but it's a bit freaky, you know.", said Tom.
"Then come to the point, I can't bear the curiosity.", said Hagrid and tried a smile. "Why are you called You-Know-Who's name, and what's with your parents?"
"They were not my parents.", said Tom gravely, wanting it to be over. "Lily and James Potter. They were not my parents. Dumbledore made us all believe so, but it's not true."
Everybody was silent. Hagrid needed some time comprehending this. He realized that Tom was serious, but didn't get a thing. After a while he asked, "And who is it, then?"
"Tom Riddle and Matilda Black. I was named after my father."
Again, this heavy silence. Hagrid looked completely shocked. Understandable. But he caught himself quite soon. "You're You-Know-Who's son?"
"Yes." Tom just wanted to turn into thin air or something.
"I knew… or know, whatever… is she still alive?… Matilda. She was at school here with her family and with… er… Lily.", said Hagrid quietly. "I didn't know her well, but… she seemed pretty nice. So… you say she's your mother? But… how? I don't understand anything."
"They were married. She's dead. Dumbledore kidnapped her when she was pregnant with me and then killed her right after I was born and gave me to Lily and James and placed a charm over me to make me look like them. But Lily was her friend, so she made the spell wear off when I was sixteen, and my mother sent me a dream of how she named me and Dumbledore killed her. Dumbledore told me the rest then. Now the funny thing is that Harry Potter is in fact Voldemort's son. But please don't be angry at me now, it was also a shock for me and I only hope it doesn't affect our friendship."
Hagrid stared at Tom for some moments. Then his eyes became watery, and a single tear trickled down his face into his beard. "It doesn't.", he croaked, stood up and hugged Tom so tightly and long that he almost fainted from the lack of air.
"Than-thank you… this really… means so much to me.", panted Tom after Hagrid had let go of him. Hermione smiled.
"This is a great shock for me, how great I'll probably need some time for actually realization, but I'll always stand beside you. Especially in times like this, when you need it.", promised Hagrid. "Anyway, where is Ron?"
Tom looked at the floor. "Well, he… he didn't react as well as you did."
"What?!", roared Hagrid. "He hasn't… he has not quit being friends with you, has he?"
"He did.", answered Hermione instead of Tom. "And Ginny, too."
Hagrid was fuming. "That's… I'd have thought more of him! I'd have thought he'd stick to a friend!"
Tom was happy that Hagrid was so concerned about him. They told him everything that had happened while he was gone (at least all that Hermione knew), about the DA, their new teacher and Tom said that he got along with Judy and Glenn quite well. Hagrid also knew them and liked them, especially Judy who was very interested in magical creatures.
Then they asked Hagrid about the giantess again.
"Well, I went to the mountains again with a photo of Grawp. I didn't take him with me, that would have taken really long. But his English was improving very fast, so Aragog agreed to look after him while I was gone.", he explained. "So I had to find a nice girl for him. To my luck, most of the giants had forgotten about me and Olympe. Don't like to remember things. Golgomath was dead already, but the other gurg supported You-Know-Who, too. So I had to be careful. At night I went looking in the caves for a lovely giantess. And I even found one who spoke English and liked the idea of coming here. She didn't mind that Grawpy's not that that big, she's a bit small herself. Her name is Selma, by the way. But although we were careful we got into a fight with another giant. That was really bad. She's quite a fighter, Selma, just the right lady for Grawp."
They kept talking for some time, neither Tom nor Hermione particularly liked the idea of two giants in the forest.
When they left, Hagrid pulled the curtains aside and watched through the window as the two students walked up to the school through the rain.
The next day was the trip to Hogsmeade. Tom (he had asked Sylvie to keep an eye on Malfoy especially out of the castle) walked together with Glenn and Judy, discussing the matter if it should be allowed to keep dragons (Judy insisted on her point that everybody who knew how to keep them should be allowed to) when Pansy Parkinson and her friend Blaise Zabini caught up with them.
"Can we walk with you?", asked Pansy.
"Yes, if you want to…" Tom didn't want to be rude, but the two girls had a habit of being a bit annoying. Judy rolled her eyes and Glenn didn't show in any way that he had taken notice of the girls.
"That's so cool that you're doing this club thing – what was it again? – the DA.", chirped Blaise who was walking beside Tom.
"Er… yeah, thanks."
"Oh, look, there are Granger, Potter and the Weasleys!!!", she screeched suddenly and pointed at the Gryffindors. "Ooooh, isn't that cuuute! Ickle Potty's own fan club! And such an ugly mudblood bitch!"
Hermione, Ron, Lupin and Ginny turned around. "Shut up, will you! I'll make you!", yelled Ron, shaking his fist. Hermione had to hold his arms in order to keep him from running to the Slytherins and punching them.
"Yeah, you two make a nice couple, too!", shouted Ginny. "Two of the same sort, you wannabe-Death-Eaters, you!"
"The little girl needs to run to mommy crying, doesn't she?", called Pansy and Blaise started to giggle uncontrollably. Tom didn't have a clue on what to do, why did they have to be so stupid?
"Now, stop it, what's this about?", asked Glenn loudly in a slow and deep voice. Miraculously everyone did stop and went their way, although Blaise and Pansy were unable to stop their giggling.
The walk proved to be a test of Tom's patience. A difficult test. Blaise had clung firmly onto his arm and was giving him difficulties to keep up with the others because she kept on pulling him behind all the time and continued to annoy him with her girlish behavior, although he figured that was not what she actually wanted. When they had almost reached the village she stopped abruptly.
"What's the matter?", asked Tom.
Blaise looked deep into his eyes as if she were trying to hypnotize him. She pulled him closer and looked even deeper. He didn't get anything. She giggled again, then she squeaked, "I really like you, Tom." And before he could react she had wrapped her arms around him and crushed her lips on his. He was in shock for a second, then struggled out of her grasp.
"Er, Blaise… I… I'm sorry, but… I really have to go now.", he stuttered and ran in the direction of the village. He vaguely noticed Pansy who had been watching curiously… well, can you guess?… yes, giggle, what else.
The first shop that Tom reached was Honeydukes. He hurried inside and started looking around, hoping that Blaise wouldn't come after him. A few minutes later the door opened again and Judy and Glenn came in.
"You have a girlfriend! How lovely.", teased Judy.
"She's definitely not my girlfriend.", grumbled Tom. "And won't ever be."
"You sure?"
"Positively."
The three friends bought a lot of sweets, Tom even bought Cockroach Clusters for Sylvie. Then, after checking for signs of Blaise, they left the shop. On the street Tom almost ran into Hermione.
"Hey, I've been looking for you.", she said. "I told Ron and Ginny that I wanted to go back and study, because I want to talk to you, so I can just hope they don't see us. Let's go into the Three Broomsticks, okay?"
"Yes, sure." They said goodbye to Judy and Glenn and went into the pub ordered butterbeer and sat down a table in a corner behind a large pot plant.
"So, what's up?", asked Tom.
"Well, you probably won't like this. Professor Dumbledore talked to us yesterday, us being Lupin, Ron, Ginny and me. You know that they think you could have prevented that Azkaban escape, and Dumbledore confessed that he had been thinking of that, too, although he doubts it. But he said that he wanted to make sure he knows, unfortunately I have no idea how. Lupin told us that he didn't believe you capable of this. And Dumbledore asked me to keep an eye on you. I agreed, but I think he knew I wasn't serious, I mean, I really do trust you, I wouldn't ever be your friend if you'd be in with You-Know-Who, but that's just ridiculous. You hate him." She said this utterly confident, without any hint of a doubt in her voice.
"Yes, it is…", Tom replied dizzily. He felt guilty betraying the one person who blindly trusted him. He hadn't done anything really unmorally in his opinion, but still… it was enough to count as betrayal.
Hermione didn't notice the momentarily lost look on his face and went on talking. "So, how's your school work going?"
"Oh, it's fine.", answered Tom who was glad for the change of subject. "I'm getting better grades than ever. And what about you?"
"It's good that you study without me telling you to all the time, Ron wouldn't. I still study enough, too, but at the moment I'm spending most of my time with S.P.E.W. projects. I'm just working on some leaflets." She smiled. "This is really important to me, the elves seriously need to be defended, and they don't do it themselves because of the brainwashing they get, like that the couldn't have fun and do what they want…"
They kept talking until Tom looked at his watch and told Hermione that he had an appointment to attend to. He didn't specify what it was, and she didn't ask.
He rushed to the meeting place, an old yellowish house with a pink door next to the joke shop that looked as if no one had cleaned anything there in years. The garden and the walls of the house were full of strange things that looked like large pancakes. Maybe it even were pancakes. A large sign 'For Sale' was put up behind the turquoise fence. All in all, the house didn't look inviting enough for any normal person to buy. Tom shrugged and went inside through the door which he opened with "Alohomora". He found himself in a dark hall full of dust and spider webs. He entered a room which he would have classified as a living room where he found his father pacing up and down the room.
"Welcome, Tom.", said Voldemort. "I almost thought you wouldn't turn up. Don't mind the place, it is not nice, but good for occasions such as this."
"Hello. I was talking to Hermione Granger till a few minutes ago, and she told me some… disturbing facts."
"These are?"
"Dumbledore is suspecting me and wants to keep an eye on me now. He has even asked Hermione to spy on me.", said Tom dully.
"That's not good. Typical though."
"It's just… she told me all this, and told me so honestly how she didn't doubt me, and I am… doing this."
"Doing exactly what?"
Tom felt uncomfortable. "Doing… like… associating with you. She said that something like… she wouldn't be friends with me if I were on your side."
"I don't understand why you even care…"
"She's one of the only people who know who I am and haven't changed their opinion of me.", interrupted Tom. "And I'm constantly lying into her face."
"I get that. Still, don't tell her anything, you might not like having to lie, but it's necessary. Now, I want to make sure you know what you're doing. I'm sorry, but if you really want to 'associate with me', as you call it, you won't be able to keep all your friends, you won't be able to go on with your happy life like before, with some little changes that only make it easier for you. I can tell you it won't be easy and all fun or whatever. I don't know what you want, but you will not get it by siding with me. You'll be in for trouble, trouble, and more trouble. You're not the kind of person for whom the pleasures you'll get make all this trouble worth. That'd rather be someone like Bella. For you, it's better if you go back to your school and keep on living like before, happy and without any worries. I will let you live. After all, you're still a child."
Tom stared at Voldemort unbelievingly. "Excuse me, but my life was never happy and without worries. You certainly made sure of that. And I don't…"
"Shh!", interrupted Voldemort and with a wave of his hand opened the door.
Tom heard a scream, followed by a loud noise. A figure tried to stumble out of the dark hall, but was stupefied by Voldemort. When Tom took a closer look he recognized Blaise Zabini.
"What is she doing here?", asked Voldemort.
"I don't know… she's in my class, seems like she followed me."
"This is what I was talking about. This time nothing serious happened, but the truth will get out eventually. And they will all turn away from you.", said Voldemort. "Do what is best for you."
Anger rose in Tom, but he kept his face straight. "You don't know me enough to know what is best for me. Maybe this is. Enervate!"
Blaise woke up and looked around in fear. "You won't do anything to me, will you?"
"You'll see.", Tom looked at Voldemort. "I have to be like Bellatrix? If I have to… Crucio!"
Blaise screamed.
After a few minutes of watching her in pain Tom lifted the curse. Blaise remained crying on the ground. "Go, and don't tell anybody what you've seen, or you're dead. I mean it."
She nodded quickly without looking up and ran away.
"And the meaning of this was?", asked Voldemort who had been watching unimpressed.
"Why you don't seem to believe it, I don't know, but you have become more important to me than the others. I know I'll have to sacrifice things to get something better, but I'm willing. If you need more proof, I'll do whatever your Death Eaters do. I can be loyal. Try me."
"Try you? Alright, how about… how would you feel about leading an attack against a family of very active enemies of mine?"
"Which family?"
"The Weasleys."