Disclaimer: I don't own HP.

"How long do you think he's going to sleep?"

"Madame Pomfrey already told us that it might be awhile longer."

A small groan of annoyance. "I really wish he'd wake up already. Everyone's dying to know what the hell happened when he was fighting You-Know-Who."

"Whining isn't going to help you know."

Harry listened to the voices with some amusement. They had seemed faraway at first, but slowly they were coming closer. The heavy darkness that surrounded him began to lift. He gave a small moan. The conversation halted.

"I think he's waking up!" a voice Harry vaguely recognized as Ron's cried with excitement.

"Go get Madame Pomfrey," the other voice, Hermione Harry realized, ordered.

There was a flurry of footsteps and voices and Harry couldn't resist when his head was tilted back and a potion forced down his throat. He made a face at the bitter taste of the concoction but realized with some gratefulness that the world was becoming clearer. He opened his eyes and saw Madame Pomfrey standing next to his bedside, Ron and Hermione hovering behind her.

"Finally decided to wake up?" Madame Pomfrey's normally stern face was smiling. "The Headmaster is own his way here, so you have a moment to talk to your friends before then." She turned to his friends and her severe look returned, "But don't you dare excite him, he's still recovering." And with that she bustled out of the room.

As soon as the mediwitch left, Harry found his arms full with a tearful Hermione.

"Oh Harry," she sniffed, "We were so worried. Dumbledore had no idea what spell you had used. We didn't know if you'd ever wake up."

"Yea mate," Ron said, "It's been almost a week since you defeated Voldemort."

Harry tensed as memories of the battle came flooding back.

"What happened?" he asked urgently, "Did we win? Voldemort's gone?"

Hermione released her grip on Harry and sat on the side of his bed. "The monster is encased in crystal over near the quidditch field. Dumbledore says its Voldemort, but no one really knows." She looked piercingly at him. "Unless you know why he's like that."

Harry resisted squirming guiltily under her knowing gaze. He opened his mouth to respond, but at that moment the headmaster walked through the door.

"Harry!" Dumbledore beamed and he watched Harry through twinkling eyes. "How excellent to see you awake." The powerful wizard strode to the side of the bed that Hermione wasn't occupying. "You've had many people, myself included, worried."

Harry gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry professor, I didn't think the spell would affect me like this," he explained. Dumbledore smiled brightly.

"Speaking of which," Dumbledore levitated a chair over and sat down, "I think you have a bit of explaining to do." Ron and Hermione looked attentively at Harry.

Harry's gaze wandered over the figures in the room. "Alright," he started, "I'll tell you everything."

By the time he finished, Ron and Hermione were gaping at him while Dumbledore had his eyes closed in thought. Harry wondered how much Dumbledore knew of the demon lords. Hufflepuff said that it was her family's secret, but Riddle must have found out somehow.

When he finished Dumbledore stood up. "I have to go check some things," he told the trio, "And I think Harry needs his rest." This last comment was coupled with a pointed look to Ron and Hermione. They took the hint and stood up to leave.

Hermione gave Harry another quick squeeze. "We'll come back later," she promise. Ron gave Harry a friendly punch on the shoulder and with that the two bid goodbye.

Dumbledore waited until they left before he started talking again. "I wanted to wait to talk to you alone," he started to explain, "There's something you need to know."

Harry clutched the bed sheets unconsciously. Had something happened? To Lupin or to one of the order members?

"When you sealed the Beast King, not only did you imprison him you cast him out of the body which he inhabited."

"Tom Riddle's body?" Harry stared at Dumbledore with confusion.

Dumbledore nodded. "Tom Riddle separated from the Beast King," Dumbledore's gaze never lowered from Harry's face, "He's in one of the guest chambers in the castle."

Harry looked down at his fists. "For obvious reasons I can't let him out. The general public can't know of the existence of the demon lords, and they think Voldemort, in all his forms, is dead. What I need to know is whether or not he is still a risk. Even when he wasn't possessed he still planned on controlling our world."

Harry sat up straight and looked back to Dumbledore. "Can I talk with him?" he asked. "There are some things I need to ask him."

Dumbledore smiled again. "I was hoping you would," he explained, "I don't think he would talk very honestly with me and its you he's been communicating with."

"Alright," Harry said as he pulled back the covers, "I'll go now."

Dumbledore chuckle. "I meant what I said before about rest," he said as he stood up to leave, "You'll talk with him in a few days."

And it was a few days before Madame Pomfrey deemed him fit to leave. Luckily the other two members of the trio came often. They told him about the celebrations that were happening all over the country.

"It's still a madhouse," Hermione told him, "It's been over a week and people are still celebrating. If you think you were a celebrity before, it's nothing compared to what you are now."

Harry winced at this. More fame was not what he needed.

When he finally got back to Gryffindor tower it was to find his bed and the surrounding area covered in gifts and get well cards.

"Gifts from people," Ron explained, "And more come everyday."

It took a while for Harry to sort through all of it. Luckily he had Ron, who was more than happy to help him take care of any candy that was sent. But once he had cleaned off his bed, he had no reason to put off talking to Tom Riddle. Dumbledore had given him the location of his suite earlier, but Harry had avoided going. But he gathered up his courage (why he was nervous he couldn't say) and left Ron on some pretense. He sincerely hoped that he could tell his friends about Tom Riddle. He had kept enough secrets from them.

And so he trekked to Tom Riddle's chambers, his anxiety growing with each step. Was he going to face an ally or an enemy?

When he finally reached the portrait that was the door to Riddle's chambers he paused for a minute before uttering the password that Dumbledore had given him. Only he and Harry could enter, and Riddle couldn't leave, that was what Dumbledore had told him.

Harry entered cautiously as his eyes swept the room. It was a comfortable set of rooms, and Harry thought that Dumbledore was being very courteous to such a guest. Harry walked around the room before examining some trinket on the mantelpiece.

"My congratulations," Harry jumped at the unexpected voice, "on defeating the Beast King." Harry whirled around to see Tom Riddle emerging from an adjoining room. "I knew you could do it."

Harry paused at this, unsure of what to say. He settled on asking a question. "Did you send me those visions?" Tom Riddle smirked at this.

"Of course I did," he replied, his dark eyes mocking, "Even if you had the power to defeat the Beast King, you could never have hoped to seal him without knowing who you were fighting. I threw in the memory with the Slytherins so you would realize that you were seeing a memory and not just a dream."

"But what about the other memories?"

Tom frowned darkly at this, "It took me a few tries to send the correct memory. I'm not even sure of all the memories I sent you." He changed the subject, "Why don't you sit down and tell me why Dumbledore sent you?" And with that he strode over to the couch and sat. Harry followed suit and was quick with the next question.

"But why did you help me?"

Tom barked a laugh, "Isn't it obvious?" He looked at Harry and his eyes were filled with years of rage and hatred, "That foul beast held me imprisoned in my own body for decades; my only objective was to see him bound up like the dog he is."

Harry stiffened under the severity of Tom's gaze, but was able to calmly ask, "And now that he's sealed again?" Tom smirked.

"So that's what Dumbledore wants to know," he leaned back against his the couch, "Honestly I don't know, Dumbledore will never take his eyes off me, so any world domination is off the list." He smiled wickedly, "Until he dies of course."

Harry frowned and asked angrily, "You're still so power hungry? After all the pain you've seen the Beast King cause?" He glared at the man seated before him.

Tom matched his glare, "This society is still severely flawed and I can make a better one." His voice was cool and his look severe.

"But," he said, relaxing into the chair, "I know that the way the Beast King went isn't the right way to make change." He lowered his gaze from Harry's.

"So," Harry leaned forward eagerly, "Does this mean you won't become another dark lord?"

Tom shook his head. "I won't become another dark lord." His face looked determined again, "But I will make changes."

Harry laughed and visibly relaxed. "As long as no one gets hurt you can make all the changes you want."

Tom gave a small smile. "Do you trust me?" he asked, his eyes gazing intently on Harry.

"Not really," was Harry's flippant answer, "But the war's over, the world is saved. My job is done."

Far to the north, in a cave that was filled with a wondrous and mysterious light, disrupted magic began to settle once again. In this marvelous cavern there were three pillars of pure crystal. Only one was still intact.

Look! Look! It's Tom! It's Harry/Tom interaction! It only took me seven freakin chapters.

Thanks to all reviewers! You guys rock so much!

To Batsutousai: Anticlimatic? My bad. And yea, you got the reason Harry was getting visions.