Summary: A thoroughly impossible freak accident transports our favorite attractive psychopath forward in time from 1942 to 1996. Harry Potter/Tom Riddle slash. Time for Tom to meet the Gryffindors of '96!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, Tom Riddle, or any other people, places or objects that may appear in this humble work of fiction.
Warnings: Possible spoilers up to the fifth book. M/M, obviously. Rating is down as T for now but may, possibly, increase to M as things progress.
Author's Note: What a hectic chapter. Yikes. I'm almost as exhausted by it as poor Tom is. Reviews are welcome, as always.

Chapter Ten: Going Attractively Incognito

The news of the new arrival had swept through Gryffindor House as unusual gossip always did. Many of the upper year students were sitting in the common room talking or working as usual, but there was an air of tense expectation about the new student, and the room was unusually quiet. All Harry had told them was Riddle's name and his year; the questions about where he came from and why he was coming to Hogwarts went completely unanswered. Even Hermione had given up on pestering Harry; she was resigned to the fact that she'd have to wait until Tom Maxwell arrived for answers.

'Hey, Harry,' Seamus whispered, 'I just went up to our room and there's another bed!'

'Of course there is,' said Hermione, 'he has to sleep somewhere, doesn't he?'

Seamus opened his mouth to respond when Parvati Patil hissed 'Shh! He's coming!' And, indeed, the entrance was opening. The room became even more quiet, the upper classmen waiting, and the younger students wondering what all the fuss was about. Harry took a deep, nervous breath.

First to enter the common room was a massive pile of books, robes, and potion ingredients, all overflowing out of a standard sized pewter cauldron which was levitating into the room. Next to become visible was a wand pointing at the cauldron, and then the shadowed hand holding it. Tom slowly came entirely into view but stopped, startled, as he saw so many pairs of eyes upon him. He looked hesitantly about the room.

'Let me help you with that,' said Ron, standing up and pulling out his own wand to levitate the cauldron.

'Uh, thank you,' said Riddle, who was looking flustered by all the attention.

'Come sit here,' Hermione said, smiling and indicating the seat between her and Harry that Ron had just vacated. 'Ron can take your things up to your dormitory for you.'

Riddle, looking more composed, replied, 'I do believe I shall,' and flashed Hermione a smile that made Ron's eyebrows nearly climb up into his hairline. Harry almost grinned himself at the sight, since he knew Ron had nothing to fear from Riddle once he found out Hermione's bloodlines. Mentally shaking himself – he needed to get used to thinking of Riddle as Tom or Maxwell so he wouldn't slip up in conversation – he turned his attention back to Maxwell as he sat down.

'Tom, isn't it?' asked Hermione absently.

'Yes, Tom Maxwell.'

'I've been wondering what brings you here to Hogwarts so late in your magical education.'

'Well,' Tom began, leaning back into his chair and still giving Hermione a disarming smile, 'I've been home schooled by my mum and dad, but now that I'm to start N.E.W.T.-level study, they're no longer qualified to teach me themselves.'

'Why didn't they want you at Hogwarts to begin with?' she asked, a look of mild horror on her face. 'It must have been terribly lonely for you.'

'Oh, no,' Maxwell continued happily. 'My mum and dad were really great, and I got to spend a lot of time with my cousins in Australia during the summer months, so I haven't really been lonely at all.'

'Your parents are wizards? I've never heard of the Maxwells,' frowned Seamus Finnigan.

'My parents and I have been pretty isolated, truth be told,' Tom admitted with a perfectly convincing soft shrug of his shoulders and falling of his eyes. Harry had to give him credit for being a very good actor. 'I imagine I've heard of most of your names, though. There's the Malfoys, the Blacks, the Weasleys –'

'That's Ron,' Hermione interrupted. 'And Ginny, of course, you've already met her.' At this, Harry took a quick peek at Ginny to see that she was studiously ignoring the conversation. As a matter of fact, upon a cursory examination of the room, she appeared to be the only girl doing so; all other eyes were on Tom Maxwell. Ron came back down the stairs at that moment, and he seemed to notice this, as well.

'There's Draco Malfoy, too, but he's not in Gryffindor,' called Parvati, moving over to them and fluttering her eyes, which caused Harry to roll his indiscreetly. Parvati didn't seem to notice. Ron took a seat on the floor next to Hermione.

'What are your names, then? I feel rude for not asking before now,' Tom smiled shyly.

'I'm Hermione Granger –'

'Parvati, Parvati Patil –'

'Victoria Frobisher, call me Vicky –'

'Livia Ogden, it's a pleasure –' said a girl Harry couldn't remember ever talking to before.

'Lavender Brown –'

'Natalie!' cried a third-year girl.

Tom chuckled softly. 'You're all so friendly! Are all the students at Hogwarts as personable?'

Ron was scowling, but Seamus replied, 'No, not really. You'll have to watch out for the Slytherins especially. They don't like us Gryffindors much, and they might single you out because you're new. Don't worry, though, we've got your back. Us Gryffindors stick together, mostly. I'm Seamus Finnigan, by the way,' he added, shaking Tom's hand.

'Slytherin?' Tom asked, sounding confused, and Harry once again couldn't help but inwardly applaud his acting. Even Hermione won't be able to see through him if he manages to keep this up.

'It's another house at Hogwarts,' said Hermione. 'Didn't Dumbledore explain?'

'No. He just stuck this-this great ugly hat on my head and it said I was a Gryffindor. He didn't tell me about the rest. There are four houses, though, aren't there? That's what my mum told me.'

'Yes, the other two are Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff,' Hermione replied again, cutting to the chase before Parvati could do more than open her mouth. 'Which classes are you signed up for?'

'Oh…' Tom frowned distractedly and pulled out a timetable from his robes. 'Let's see… I signed up for Transfiguration, Herbology, Potions, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Charms, Divination, History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Astronomy.'

Ron's jaw dropped. 'Isn't that a bit much?'

'I think it sounds wonderful,' said Hermione pleasantly, causing Ron's scowl to deepen. 'Except for Divination; you'll find that it's not a very well-taught subject here.'

'I disagree,' stated Parvati pointedly.

'I mostly taught myself in that subject, anyway,' Tom replied, 'so I'm sure I won't have any problem with the teaching staff.' This answer seemed to please both Hermione and Parvati, and Harry couldn't help but wonder how he managed to placate two girls at once, when Harry couldn't even handle Cho last year. He found himself starting to look grumpy like Ron and, kicking himself, tried to shake it off.

'You must be tired,' said Harry, trying to make himself look concerned. To his surprise, a sort of sleepy look came over Tom's face, as though he had been holding himself together on sheer cheerfulness the whole time. He's so good that he's even convincing me now.

'I am exhausted, as a matter of fact. It's been a rather long day – but I wouldn't be insulting anyone if I went off to bed, would I?'

'No, not at all!' cried Hermione. 'I'm really sorry for the interrogation, I was just so curious; I didn't mean to keep you up.'

'Don't be sorry at all, Miss Granger. It's been a pleasure speaking with you.'

'Please, call me Hermione.'

'Of course. Goodnight, Hermione, Miss Patil –'

'Parvati,'

'Parvati,' he nodded. 'Well, goodnight, and thank you for the warm welcome.' With a final large grin, Tom walked up the stairs to the dormitory.

'I'd better go show him where we sleep,' Harry sighed, pushing himself out of his chair.

'It's got a bloody sign on it,' Ron muttered, reaching out and giving Harry a nudge back down. 'He'll manage.'

'He won't know which bed is his.'

'It's the one with all his stuff at the foot of it. I'm sure anyone taking ten N.E.W.T.-level classes will figure that out,' said Ron bitterly.

'You didn't say he was so handsome, Harry!' squeaked Lavender Brown quietly, walking over and sitting in the chair Tom had just vacated.

'I wouldn't notice, would I?' Harry shrugged. It hadn't occurred to him that anyone would find Tom attractive; even though Harry knew, intellectually, that he was, 'handsome' just wasn't an adjective he associated with Tom Riddle. Harry thought more along the lines of 'cunning,' 'manipulative,' and 'psychotic.'

'Handsome?' gasped Parvati. 'Gorgeous is more like it! It's criminal that he's been kept at home so long.'

'He must be awfully bright to be in all those classes. I wonder how he did on his O.W.L.s? And he does seem quite nice.' said Hermione. 'I still don't see why you're supposed to look after him, though, Harry.'

'Yeah, well, that's Dumbledore for you,' said Ron abruptly, clearly wanting a change of subject. 'How are you doing on that Transfiguration essay, Hermione?'

However, later that evening, as Harry and Ron were going up to bed, Ron asked anxiously, 'Did any of you ask him if he's good at Quidditch?'

Tom woke up and turned over in bed. He could hear snoring from one of the other boys. It must be late. They're all asleep. He had gone to sleep soon after arriving in the dormitory; he really had been very tired.

Tom's stomach growled. Ugh, I'm starving. He grabbed his wand from under his pillow and took his watch from the side table; using the wand for light, he saw that it was only about two hours before breakfast, so he decided against sneaking into the kitchens and lay back down, thinking.

He was fairly sure he'd charmed most of the Gryffindors: all of the girls – aside from that one loud red-headed one that wasn't even in his year – and most of the boys, at least. He'd have to work on that Ron Weasley, though Tom suspected he was only annoyed because he thought Tom wanted to steal his girlfriend – that bushy-haired girl, Granger.

Harry Potter was less transparent, and more important, since he was supposed to be Tom's shadow for the foreseeable future. Why did Potter dislike him so much? He'd been all right in the common room, but Tom knew acting when he saw it. He knew that he was supposedly a Dark wizard on the run in this time, but why would Dumbledore reveal his identity to those two students and keep everyone else in the dark? There was clearly something more personal involved when it came to them, since they were, apparently, the only ones who Dumbledore expected would recognize him.

He determined that he would try to work out who he was in this time – aside from Dumbledore's vague description – every waking moment that he wasn't using up doing N.E.W.T. work. He was sure that Harry Potter had something to do with it.

And where did that scar come from? He'd glanced at it during the conversation in the common room and had forgotten to ask where he got it. He's probably tired of telling the story, whatever it is, Tom mused, but I suppose I'll ask him in the morning.

Shattered Diamond: Maybe… probably… ;)