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Chapter 8

"Harry, what were you thinking," Hermione screeched as Harry walked into headquarters that night. He had spent the entire afternoon and evening at Hogwarts, speaking with Dumbledore and taking turns sitting by Draco's bedside. He hadn't woke as of yet. Poppy said that it might be a day or so before he did. His body had received a lot of injury, both physically and mentally.

Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean," he asked tiredly as he collapsed onto the couch and flung his arm over his eyes. When she didn't answer he looked up and came face to face with a furious looking Mrs. Weasley.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING," she shouted loudly, causing Harry to jump and everyone that was in the house to stop whatever they were doing and look in the room. "GOING AFTER LUCIUS MALFOY LIKE THAT? ARE YOU MAD? YOU COULD HAVE DIED, YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!"

Harry winced at the volume of her voice and held up a hand as if to ward off a blow. "Please stop yelling," he said helplessly. "I've got a headache that could kill."

"DO YOU THINK I CARE THAT YOU HAVE A HEADACHE AFTER THE DANGER YOU JUST WENT THROUGH," she continued. "HOW DARE YOU DO THAT?"

Harry sighed and stood up. "I'll be in my room," he said, shaking his head. He really didn't want to hear this right now. Especially after he had heard it for hours at Hogwarts.

He walked past a shocked Mrs. Weasley, past a crowd of serious and shocked Order members, past his questioning friends, up the stairs, down some hallways, and to the door of his room. He leaned against the door for a moment before entering it with a sigh. He collapsed on the bed and buried his face into his pillow.

He felt guilty for what happened to Draco. Of course, he had no reason to feel guilty, but he just did. He had done everything he could to help him. He had caught Lucius Malfoy. And he was leaving Draco with the decision as to if Lucius Malfoy would die or not. And he was serious about sending Lucius to Azkaban if Draco wanted him free. Harry would personally make it his mission to see that Lucius Malfoy was never seen a free man again for as long as he lived, if it was the last thing he did.

There was a gentle knock on his door and Harry ignored it. He rolled over and buried his head underneath his pillow, pulling the covers up to his chin. He didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment. He wanted to go to sleep and stay asleep until this whole thing blew over.

"Harry," called the uncertain voice of Tom Riddle.

Harry bolted upright, his wand in his hand, looking wildly around the room. He slowly relaxed when he realized that Tom had come with him from Hogwarts. He had forgotten all about him the moment he had stepped into Grimmauld Place and collapsed on the couch. He sighed and threw the covers off of him and walked to the door, opening it.

"Yeah," Harry asked, his voice a little harsh.

Shock covered Tom's face before it was replaced with a cold expression. "Are you okay," he asked.

Harry was shocked, to say the least. "You, of all people, are asking me if I'm okay," Harry stated in an incredulous voice. "No, in the bloody hell, I'm not okay," he said loudly, nearly shouting it in the other boy's face.

Tom nodded and backed away from the door. "I don't remember anything, Harry," he said in a soft voice, an edge of hurt on it. "You shouldn't be mad at me for something I can't remember even doing. I don't know who I am."

"You'll remember," Harry said harshly in an unforgiving voice. "You'll remember and go right back doing it. Dumbledore doesn't understand. He thinks you can become good after all you've done."

"All I've done," Tom repeated, screeching his outrage. "I'm only fucking sixteen years old, Harry. What have I done that I don't remember doing? I've only just finished my fifth year. That's all I can remember, Harry. My years at Hogwarts. I can't remember the summers, I can't remember any friends I might have had, I can't even remember where I went during the holidays and the summer."

Harry, shocked, didn't say anything. Tom continued his rant, "What have I done that was so horrible? Did I murder someone? Did I torture someone? I despise the Dark Arts with my life, despite the fact that I'm in Slytherin, Harry. What right do you have to judge me, when I can't even judge myself?"

"Just go, Tom," Harry said, turning his back on the boy. "Go, before I do something I'll regret."

There was silence and then a voice so soft, Harry had to strain to hear it. "I just wish someone would accept me for who I am now, not for something I might have done earlier or later." Then there were the retreating footsteps.

Harry collapsed at his doorway just as Ginny appeared in the door looking furious. "What do you think you are doing, Harry Potter," she asked angrily.

"What in the hell is this, Yell at Harry Day," Harry groaned, slamming his head into the wall.

"Harry," Ginny said after a moment, sighing and sliding down to sit beside him on the floor. "I understand what you are going through. Really, I do. And I know it is a hard thing to ask, but give Tom a chance, get to know him."

"How can you ask me that… How can you do that yourself… after all he's done to you? To me? To everyone," Harry asked.

"He doesn't remember, Harry. He's been aged back all those years until he was sixteen again," Ginny said softly. "He hasn't done any of those things yet, despite the fact that we know. He's innocent."

"I know that, Ginny," Harry said, "but I still can't forgive him for that. He took my parents, Ginny. He's the reason they're dead. He's the reason Neville's parents are crazy. He's the reason my life is hell."

"You can't blame him, Harry. I wanted to do the same thing. Deny that he was here and hate him for Voldemort. But the truth is, Harry, that he isn't Voldemort yet. And maybe we can prevent that. Dumbledore sat me down with him and I got to know him. He's sweet, even if quiet and distant, and a Slytherin. He just wants to be someone, and to be loved by someone, though he'd rather die than admit that last part. He's been hurt a lot."

"That's something we both have in common," Harry said sarcastically.

"Harry, seriously," Ginny said. "Please, give him a chance, for me at least. Please."

Harry sighed. "I'll give him a chance but I won't like it. If he starts being a git to someone then I'll hex his ass all the way back to the cradle."

"I suppose that is fair enough," Ginny said, sighing as she realized that was the best she was going to get from him. "Now, how about a cure for that headache? That was what Tom was coming up here for, you know. Snape's been letting him make potions for him, under his eye, mind you. There's a supply cabinet in the kitchen."

Harry sighed and rubbed his head. It was throbbing painfully. "No, I should keep the headache after what I did to him. I should have listened to him." He tried to ignore the guilt worming around in his stomach, assuring himself in his mind that he was in the right. If only he believed it.

"That won't be necessary," Tom said from across the hall. He tossed a vial of slightly blue liquid at them and Harry caught it easily, even from his position on the floor. "I can see why they say you're the best seeker Gryffindor's had in a while." With this said he turned and marched down the hall and vanished down the stairs.

Harry blinked after him. "Was it just me or did Tom Riddle just give me a compliment?"

"Don't be such a prat," Ginny said, slapping him on the arm. "Come on and take your potion. I think mum wants to apologize for being so unreasonable. You didn't even get a sliver of it, Harry. You should see her when she has a go at Fred and George. It's awful and hilarious at the same time."

Harry laughed and smiled. "I'll give him a chance, Gin, for the sake of the world. But he must never find out who I really am. He must not know that I defeated him when I was only a year old. Can you keep Ron from spilling it all? You know how he gets when he's angry."

"I'll try. If I can't control his mouth then neither will he. I'll hex it shut."

"What was everyone's reactions when they heard," Harry asked, pausing at the top of the stairs.

"Well," Ginny said slowly, "Fred and George automatically wanted to have a celebration party, Dad was a bit glum he wasn't the one to catch him, Moody complimented you but said you were foolish to do it so haphazardly, and the whole Order is ecstatic about having one less Death Eater to worry about."

"But now we've got to get Lestrange," Harry said darkly, hate pulsing through every cell in his body. "No matter what anyone says, with Lucius Malfoy gone, she'll go power hungry. If we thought we seen the worst of her the night she killed Seamus, just imagine her killing the whole of Hogwarts. She'll stop at nothing to bring her lord back or take his place herself."

"We'll stop her, Harry," Ginny said reassuringly, placing a hand on his arm to calm him. "Just wait. She'll slip up and we'll catch her."

"I hope so, Gin," Harry said, his voice still dark. "The Order is trying but they aren't getting anywhere. Hopefully with Lestrange down we can get a window. Lucius Malfoy wasn't enough."

siriussnape: Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the wait. Enjoy it and tell me what you think.

Nemi Jade: Thanks for liking it. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter too.

athenakitty: Well, for the answers, you'll just have to read to see :)

I'm really sorry that it took so long to get this chapter up. I probably wouldn't have put it up if it hadn't been for Ari reminding me, so thank her. Enjoy and please review!

Happy Reading!