Disclaimer: This is not mine! The characters, I mean.

Chapter 6

Tom Riddle and Draco Malfoy

"Harry," Dumbledore started, "You must understand why I am putting him with you and the others. First of which, he only remembers your name."

Harry snorted. "As if I counted on him to forget it," he said harshly.

Tom's eyebrows raised up. "I'm sorry, but do I know you," he asked, his voice a little snobbish. "I don't think I do, which gives you no reason to talk to or about me in such a manner."

Harry turned glowering eyes on him. "Don't you dare talk to me, Tom Marvolo Riddle," he shouted. "You aren't even fit to be in this room or even fit to be alive."

Tom stared at him, confused. After a moment, the confused expression faded and was replaced with an indifferent one. "Then why didn't you kill me a moment ago," he asked slowly, drawing the question out with deliberate meaning.

Harry sagged down in his chair again, the weary expression replacing his anger. "Because you don't remember," he said. "It's like you're innocent, even though I know, and Dumbledore knows you are far from it. I can't kill an innocent."

"And you think I can," Tom asked, standing angrily. "As much as I hate others, I cannot kill an innocent, Harry Potter. You have no right to judge me."

"I have every right," he said bitterly. And you can kill an innocent, Voldemort. You've proved that already. You've proved how far you'll go to get just what you want.

"What did I ever do to you," Tom asked, glancing down at the thin boy. He was angry, but he couldn't bring himself to hit the boy. Here he was, accusing him of murder when he had done no such thing. Who does that idiot think he is? The bleeding fucking savior of wizarding kind?

"Everything. You took it all and made my life a living hell," Harry answered in a tired voice. He felt he no longer had the strength to be angry anymore.

"I don't even know you," Tom shouted.

"Not that you can remember, right," Harry asked, his emerald green eyes straying the boy's light ones. "You don't remember so you don't know."

"And you'll hate me for something I don't even remember doing?"

"You bet."

Damn, Tom thought. I don't even remember and he'll still hate me. Guess that'd ruin my chance to get with him. There's nothing like hate to fuel a relationship, though. A doomed one but still.

"Boys," Dumbledore interrupted. "Please settle down and listen. Harry, Tom needs to stay with you. If anything can change, you can make it happen. We don't know how much time we have left and it needs to happen before its up. We must at least change a few things."

"But, sir," Harry started.

Dumbledore held up a hand. "Please, Harry, you must try. For me and the rest of us. You'll never know what'll happen." His eyes twinkled a little when he said the last.

"Professor, if you are planning something, don't expect anything to come of it," Harry said harshly. At that moment he could have sworn to Merlin himself and the four founders that he absolutely hated Albus Dumbledore with ever fiber of his magical and non-magical being.

Tom watched the banter in shock and grew even more shocked at the venomous tone at with Harry talked to the Headmaster. I thought I only talked to him in that tone, Tom thought to himself. Maybe Potter isn't such a stick after all. This might prove to be interesting…very interesting.

"I am planning nothing, my dear boy," Dumbledore said, smiling slightly as the twinkle got brighter.

"And what about Ginny," Harry asked after a moment. "Have you forgotten about what he did to her in her first year? You can't exactly get her to forget about that."

"I have spoke with Miss Weasley. She has assured me that she will give Tom the benefit of a doubt and that she will try to get the others to give him a second chance also. If she can give him a chance, is there not a chance you can also, Harry? Can you do this?"

Harry sighed and nodded in defeat. "What did Sirius and Remus say?"

Dumbledore shrugged. "He has been in and out of Grimmauld Place for days, Harry. Sirius and the others have met and spoke to Tom. You do not have to worry about it. Sirius has arranged for Tom to have his room next to yours. I expect you to-"

"You should learn not to expect anything from me, sir," Harry said pointedly. "I will not meet your expectations and I will do my damnedest to avoid them at all costs if you push me."

Tom's eyes widened. This is definitely going to be interesting.

Dumbledore's eyes flicked to Tom. "Could you perhaps wait outside, Tom," he asked quietly.

Tom nodded, looking from Dumbledore to Harry. "Of course, Headmaster," he said, stepping from the room.

Harry shifted in the silence, suddenly embarrassed by his outburst. "I'm sorry, professor," Harry started to say in the reigning silence.

"Don't be, Harry," Dumbledore interrupted again. "I am asking a lot of you. But you must remember. This is a sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle. He is not yet Voldemort and has not even stepped in that direction, Harry. If you can befriend him and show him what he has forgotten then maybe when he changes back he'll be changed. Maybe you won't have to fight him."

"That or he'll kill me in my sleep before he changes back," Harry snorted. I think it'll more likely be the latter than the first. "What happens if he's here when school starts?"

"He'll start school with you. He's just finished his fifth so he'll be in the sixth."

"What house will he be in?"

"He'll be given the option of staying in Slytherin or he can try and be sorted again. It is his choice."

"And Snape? What does he think? I bet he's thrilled to have his lord back in his youth," Harry said snidely.

"Actually, Potter, I'm not," Snape's voice floated from behind him. "You'd best be happy that it is not the school year. Headmaster, the others are getting restless and they are wanting to attack again. Lucius Malfoy has established himself as the Death Eater's new leader over Bellatrix Lestrange. Young Mr. Malfoy arrived just minutes ago in my private quarters badly beaten. He's in the Hospital Wing now being treated."

"Why would Malfoy be beaten," Harry asked, surprised.

"Take a guess, Potter," Snape said dryly, glaring at him.

"Well, either Lucius found out his heir was gay or he refused the-," Harry broke off. "Oh, dear Merlin," he said a minute before he rushed out of the room, past a surprised Tom listening at the door, and up the stairs to the Hospital Wing. He ignored the fact that Snape had rushed after him and so had Tom.

Harry burst into the Hospital Wing and looked around wildly. He spotted Poppy to the side, rushing back and forth between her patient and a supply of potions. He rushed over and bent over the bed, looking at Malfoy's face. A bruise that looked a day old circled around his left eye. His right cheek had a deep cut and his wrists had rope burns around them.

"Get out of the way, Potter," Poppy shouted at him, knocking him away from the bed and out of her way. Harry stared at the unconscious figure on the bed, badly hurt, and he seethed.

"I'll kill him," Harry said quietly, surprising himself and the Medi-Witch bustling across from him. "I'll kill him," he shouted, turning on his heel and rushing for the door. He was almost out it before Snape caught his arm in an iron-like grip.

"Stop right there, Potter," Snape said in a cold, hard voice.

"Get off me, Snape," Harry shouted, pulling against the older man's grip. Tom was watching from the side with a confused look. "I swear to Merlin, I'll kill him. He's going to pay for that."

Snape's other hand attached itself to Harry's other arm. "What makes you have that saving and protecting people thing, Potter? Do you want to die," he growled. "Since when did you care about what happened to Draco?"

"I've cared since I learnt he was a human with feelings and not just the snide bastard he uses for a mask," Harry snarled. "Let go of me, Snape, or you'll regret it."

"Will I, Potter," he asked, his face dangerously close to Harry's face, practically spitting.

Harry thrust his arm at the man and watched him fly away from him with a yell. "Yes, you will," he said calmly. "Don't make me hurt you, professor. I don't want to. But I am not going to let another one of my friend's pay for my foolishness and hesitance. Malfoy will not die because of me."

Snape glared out from a lock of greasy hair. He was shocked, but still angry. "Then by all means, Potter," he said sarcastically, glaring at the bane of his existence, one of them at least. "Go get Lucius. Get killed. Leave the world stranded without hope."

Harry smiled, and it wasn't pretty. "I know Lucius Malfoy, professor. I know how to get him to come to me without getting hurt. And in turn I will give him to you." He waved a hand over his face and smiled at Snape with a girl's face. "Lucius strays far too much," Harry said in a girl's voice, a twinkling laugh following the statement and then a moment later, there was no one there.

Note: Wow, isn't that so cool? You'll find explinations on the next chapter. Forget all the things you learnt about Tom Riddle in CoS. And imagine a AU 5th book but pretty much the same.

And now for the reviews.

siriussnape: Thanks, Ari. Hopefully you'll like the next few twists as well. What did you think about this chapter?

JulyFlame: I'm writing, I'm writing. Don't get your knickers in a twist. And I would like a gilded pen, please.

Badassgothicgirl: Oh, yeah, I just love people going cazy because of the cliffies... I'm thinking it's time to pay back other writers for their cliffes. And as for the man outside the room... You'll just have to wait and find out. (I'm evil, I know)

S.Malfoy: Here's your update. I hope you like it. That is, if you read it, of course.

And to the rest of my reviewers: Hi Im Crazy, crazyNproud, lady sakura, crazi4life, LL, Occasus, beauty78900102, Siriuslyfun19212, and momma-dar. Did I leave anyone out? I hope not.

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