XIII - Tredecim

Part Two

"We aren't where we once were."

-TR

Advanced Transfiguration had been an amazing class that day. So amazing that after his pigeon had been changed into a mandrake root, and silenced, he promptly rested his head on the desk and attempted to doze off. He was awaken by the severe tapping of McGonagal's wand on his desk.

"Mr. Potter! I suggest you exercise better time management if you aren't getting enough sleep at night. Otherwise, there will be no napping in this class."

Harry rubbed his eyes blearily and tried to focus on her annoyed expression.

"Well? Your mandrake?"

He set the sleeping mandrake in front of her aware of his friends' eyes on him from their desks.

"Color's a bit grey, but not bad for your first try. If I didn't know better, I'd say you have a talent for this, Mr. Potter."

"Thank you, Professor."

Another weekend was ahead of him, and another opportunity to leave the castle. It had been two and a half months since the events of his summer vacation and Harry had never left the castle grounds.

Dumbledore suspected something.

This was the only explanation Harry could come up with. There had been three Hogsmeade weekends, and he'd been instructed not to go on each occasion for "safety reasons". And if that hadn't been enough, he was kept busy while the trip was underway as if to discourage any attempt to leave the castle regardless of the order.

It was insulting.

He played along in the meantime, with a replacement wand and a facade that said everything was peachy again. His friends had been informed of his unfortunate capture during the summer, and of course made every 'friendly' attempt to pry the details from his lips. They meant well, but Harry didn't think they would be able to handle their best friend taking instruction from the world's darkest wizard. Not to mention the wizard that killed his parents. He didn't expect that they'd understand, so he didn't ask them to. He fed them a few vague torture stories and a typical bout of evasiveness and they gave him space to explain in his own time.

Riddle had been correct to assume his Death Eaters would tell their sons and daughters what they'd seen of Potter. For it was obvious Ron and Hermione weren't the only ones aware of his capture. Harry was treated to all sorts of looks and jibes on the matter. Most would smirk, truly believing the Gryffindor golden boy had gotten what he deserved. Harry enjoyed smirking back, something they weren't too comfortable with. Because they had no idea what he'd really gotten from the Dark Lord.

Professor Snape had returned from the manor that climactic day shaken but unharmed. Lucius, to their knowledge, had gone missing or into hiding after the ordeal – it was difficult to say. But Draco was absent this term as well. He was rumored to have transferred to Durmstrang or some other academy for his final term, but it didn't sit well with Harry. Too much had happened.

It was an understatement, really. So much had happened that Harry no longer felt like the same person. Or perhaps it was more appropriate to say he was finally acknowledging hidden parts of himself. He spent endless hours in the restricted section now, browsing freely at night as if his name had been stamped on every cover. It was knowledge, after all, and he was entitled to it.

Harry's first priority had been his mental strength. Salazar had recommended learning to cloak his thoughts, and that was precisely what he did. It was an odd thing to learn from a book, but in the end all that mattered was that his thoughts were truly his own.

There was enough time before dinner for a nap and perhaps finishing his potions essay. Harry hurried up to his room without waiting on his friends. That didn't stop Ron from running to catch up.

"Hey! Harry wait up!"

Harry sighed and slowed his pace.

"You alright mate? You looked 'bout ready to hit the sack in there."

"I'm fine...just tired I think. I'm going to take a nap before dinner. If I sleep through it, don't wake me...I'm not that hungry."

"If you say so. Hey, if you need anything..."

"Yes, I know. Thanks."

He continued on without the redhead till he arrived at the Gryffindor tower. The sight of his bed brought more joy than it should have at this time of day. He started to remove his shoes when he noticed an owl at the window. He let it in, shocked to no end to find his wand clutched in its talons. There was no note, but he knew who sent it. The owl took off before Harry could even reward it, leaving him with the polished wood in hand.

What did this mean?

Instinctively his hand went to where the stud was magically concealed. He much rather would have left it in plain sight, but the thought of his friends' reactions when he told them where it came from was enough to change his mind. He was surprised how clearly he could remember the feel of those long fingers on the side of his face when Tom had installed it.

Long fingers that he now knew had changed him irrevocably.

He closed his eyes tight in an attempt to remember a time when life had been simple. Though, the funny thing about that was that it never had been simple. The only difference now was that he had a choice, whether Dumbledore or the entire wizarding world thought they could make it for him or not.

He picked up the replacement wand and ignited it in his palm. The familiar rush of magic pulled an inaudible sigh from his lips. He knew he needed this. Tom knew he needed this….though how was another matter. All that really mattered was that he was the only one who wanted to nurture that need instead of smother it.

He hadn't felt any pain from his scar in weeks, which he assumed meant Riddle was past the initial anger. But this made him wish he sent the letter of explanation he'd written before classes started. A sad coincidence Dumbledore had been at the owlery the day Harry worked up the nerve to send one. He just smiled at Harry's startled expression with knowing eyes.

"Funny things, owls. They see the world in their lifetimes, but can not share a single detail of their travels."

He hadn't tried to send a letter since, and he knew his own owl would be recognized taking flight from his dorm window.

He really needed to leave the grounds, if only for a short while. Whatever Dumbledore had been planning, it could be affecting Riddle that very second. What if he was destroyed before Harry could speak with him again? He'd have never known what his intentions actually were.

He ignored the irony in worrying about Voldemort being destroyed.

His thumb slid over his wand, as close to a duplicate of Riddle's as one could get. There were several hours before curfew. He slid the wand into his robe and took the invisibility cloak out of his trunk. He decided he wasn't going to wait for tomorrow to be told not to go out again. He slipped it on and closed the curtains on his bed. Hopefully Ron wouldn't try to wake him for dinner.

Harry had done this before – leaving the castle under cloak – though those endeavors hadn't involved a trek further than the Quidditch pitch. The evening was chilly enough for his breath to appear in puffs, but there was thankfully no snow to bear his footprints as he headed through the gates. When the path divided, he took the one leading into the woods and not directly into Hogsmeade. It was dark so he didn't head in very far, just enough that the spark and sound of his apparition wouldn't be heard.

The boy reached out for Riddle's aura, knowing if it was still strong enough he would recognize it immediately, even though he hadn't really felt it in more than two months. When that familiar power washed over him he couldn't help but sigh. He'd been half afraid he wouldn't feel anything.

With enough concentration he was able to focus his apparition on the source of that power. It wasn't something he'd tried before, or even knew was possible, but he had the feeling it would take him exactly where he needed to go.

(chapter division)

A glance over his shoulder would have confirmed it, but it wasn't at all necessary. Riddle felt the searching presence before he arrived. He'd been inexplicably drawn to the boy's power before, but after being away from him for weeks, he nearly trembled with the desire to run his finger through the boy's hair. Though, it wouldn't do to appear weak, especially when he wasn't sure why Harry had come. Dumbledore could be very persuasive – there was know telling what frame of mind the boy was in now.

"I…I got the wand…"

"And?¢

He felt the boy's confusion but hadn't yet turned around. Reassurance would come after he understood the boy's intentions.

Harry hesitated and tried to sense Riddle's mood…..anything that would tell how he was taking this. Unfortunately, Riddle wasn't letting him in this time. But he couldn't help but notice the drastic difference in Riddle's strength. He must have been mistaken…

"I know its been a while but I haven't been able to leave or send an owl."

"Until now…"

"I had to. You may have been….well, you're in danger."

He did turn at this, but only to reveal a bemused expression. "Am I?"

Harry hesitated for the second time in as many minutes. He didn't sound like a man who had just been told he was in danger. And was that movement a little shaky, or was Harry imagining things?

"Yes, Dumbledore—"

"—sent me a letter."

"—is planni…..what?"

"A letter. Strange, considering how many years its been since we last spoke to one another."

"The headmaster sent you a letter? When and what for?"

Riddle leaned against a tree casually, though the movement didn't seem as smooth as it should have.

"A month or so back…the time isn't very important. Tell me, boy, is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"Is Hogwarts 'where you belong?'"

Harry found himself shaking his head. He didn't know where he belonged, but it wasn't Hogwarts – not anymore.

Riddle stared at him for a considerable amount of time, searching. Harry relaxed his mind and let the Dark Lord see for himself. Eventually, Riddle nodded. The motion was slight, and more to himself than Harry. He believed him.

"Albus is convinced otherwise. Or the letter was only meant to convince myself. He was under the impression that I would steal you away again. Though, it seems you've cleared the matter up." Allowing himself a half-smirk, Riddle suddenly righted himself and clutched something – a pouch – to his robes. "I can't speak with you now. Much has changed. But soon I will send for you."

Before Harry could stop him, he disapparated from what he finally recognized as the enchanted forest where they'd gathered the sunspell blossoms. In fact, there were some on the ground where Riddle had been standing.

There was a nagging feeling in Harry's gut. He still had some time before he would be missed. Acting on sheer impulse, he apparated again.

He landed outside of Riddle's mansion. One side of its dark stone face was half covered in rich ivy. Logically, Riddle himself had apparated directly inside the edifice, but wards would only allow Harry this far. He'd begun to consider how he was going to get inside when Riddle's irritated voice filled his head.

"You're either persistent or deaf, boy. I said that I would send for you."

The earring stung. Harry almost smirked.

"I know, but I may not be able to leave again soon. I still need to speak with you."

There was a lengthy, deliberating pause before the wards shifted with a gust of magic. Reminded of the first time he'd gone down to the cellar, he hurried through the gates and into the house. He followed Riddle's aura to the cellar and like déjà vu the older wizard was there brewing and preparing ingredients. Only this time, there was an unsteady quality to his movements. Harry probably wouldn't have noticed had he not always been so captivated by the wizard's grace.

He eyed the ingredients, realization dawning on him.

"You've started it again…"

Riddle paused at the boy's sudden statement but turned it into a shrug, a motion that shouldn't have caused his figure to sway as it did.

"So it would seem."

"How much…longer do you have left?" he tried tentatively.

"How long do any of us have left? Why are you so concerned, Potter?"

He'd meant to sound harsh but Harry ignored the questions. "What happened to it? Why are yo—"

"Would you really like to know?" Riddle looked sinister, eyes bright as he leaned a little on one of the lab benches. "You'll have to ask him," he claimed, gesturing to the hall with the portrait.

For a confused moment, Harry thought the portrait of Slytherin was who he was referring to. But upon following Riddle's lead, he found that it wasn't Salazar at all that he meant. Said portrait was actually absent altogether. The hall though, took a turn that ended in a few dank stone rooms – cells – two of which held occupants.

Harry sucked in a startled breath when he recognized one as Draco. The boy was alive and conscious, though he regarded the both of them with wary eyes. He seemed relatively unharmed – physically. The other cell's occupant didn't appear so fortunate.

Riddle eyed the unconscious body. "Much has changed…" he whispered in Parseltongue before raising his wand. "Enervate."

The person woke and turned over enough that Harry's suspicion was confirmed. Lucius.

"So good of you to join us Lucius. Now do tell Harry why it is that you're here."

Harry eyed Riddle warily, not quite comfortable with the lack of stability in his tone. But Lucius' grunt and sudden movement to clutch his forearm was enough to draw his attention.

"You see Potter, Lucius, once one of my most faithful followers, now needs encouragement to obey my most simple commands. Tell him, Malfoy."

The blonde Death Eater struggled on weak limbs to sit up. This picture of the pureblood clashed horribly with the haughty aristocrat he'd always known.

"H…His potion. I had it…altered."

The Cruciatus curse suddenly wracked his body. Malfoy writhed on the floor while his son looked away.

"Now, Lucius you're leaving out the best part. How is it you accomplished this foolish task?"

He ended the curse so that Lucius might attempt to speak again. The blonde sputtered and heaved.

"An elf. A house…elf."

At his words Harry's eyes widened in surprise. His thoughts immediately flew to Dobby and how Malfoy had abused him. It seemed he taken to using the creatures to do his dirty work. It also may have been what he heard in the cellar the day he was liberated. What else could have gotten past Riddle's wards?

Riddle was smiling – a dangerous expression that only created shadows upon his face. "I've yet to figure out what you planned to do afterwards, Malfoy. Destroy me? Take my place?" Riddle guffawed, turning away briefly. "You may have shown potential as a formidable wizard, but you're foolishly blinded by your ambitions. Did you not think I would know who was responsible?"

Lucius didn't answer. In fact, Harry suspected the two of them had been down this road before in the two months Riddle had likely kept him there.

"And now you've gotten you're son, your only heir mixed in with your ridiculous plan. If I were to kill him right now, who pray tell would carry on the Malfoy line?"

Draco looked as if he was going to be sick.

At their silence Riddle turned away.

"Pathetic."

He began to head back towards the lab proper when Lucius finally spoke.

"I don't suppose you thought I was…alone in my so-called ambitions? If so, you've been as blind as I. If I were you, I'd consider my followers under a brighter light – beginning with Severus Snape."

While Harry nearly choked at the words, Riddle showed no outward reaction to Lucius' insinuation. Instead he reached in his robes and withdrew a book. He tossed it into Lucius' cell and turned to leave for the last time. Harry caught a glimpse of the cover and knew it was Julius Caesar.

"I'm always watching, Malfoy. You'd best consider how long you and your son can survive on muggle parchment. You might even read it first and learn from the mistakes of others."

(chapter division)

Harry got back just before curfew with his mind spinning with all he'd learned. He slipped off his cloak as soon as he was back in his room. Ron threw the door open moments later.

"Harry! Merlin, where have you been?"

"Huh?"

"I came down after dinner to see if you wanted to pull a few laps on the pitch. You weren't here."

"Oh, I took a walk after my nap. You know, just around the grounds."

"Then why'd you bring your cloak?"

"I didn't want anyone to bother me if I got in past curfew. I have a lot on my mind."

"No kidding, mate. You've been so quiet lately. You sure we can't do anything for you?"

"No, it's nothing serious. I just needed some time to myself. But what about you? How are things going with…"

He just realized he'd forgotten the Ravenclaw's name, but hoped Ron didn't notice. The redhead's blush said as much.

"Ok, I think. But keep it down! I don't want anyone to know I like Verna until I get her to go out with me."

Verna, have to remember that…

"You don't have anything to worry about. You just need to relax."

"I know," Ron began before launching into a spiel of insecurities. Harry's absence was already forgotten.

(chapter division)

Riddle watched the flames dance in the hearth of his study. He felt something calm inside of him at the thought of Harry returning. Dumbledore had stolen him back, but he'd returned.

There was also something different about the boy – a confidence in his actions and a knowledgeable shine to those emerald gems. Hell, even his restraint was much to behold.

And fear; there was no trace of it.

Harry must have done a lot of thinking during those two months, and was no longer seeing the world the way he'd been forced. The headmaster had been clever, but he couldn't fool the boy any longer. Harry would not be controlled.

Riddle was almost proud.

The boy had many questions, and Riddle had explained much about his condition and the affects of missing his doses of the potion were having.. It was so easy to cater to the boy's attentiveness. He'd had Harry's rapt attention, as if he were once again lecturing him on one of his books. He could see the gears turning behind judicious green eyes but had not been able to plunder their depths. He blamed his dwindling strength, but he suspected the boy's defenses had grown. It was just as well, considering how he'd teased him about learning to cloak his thoughts.

He smiled at the thought, one that quickly became a frown when he realized what he'd just done.

There were important issues to be considering like whether or not he would be able to complete the various drafts of his potion before he grew too weak. Not to mention he desperately needed to cleanse his ranks before he moved on the Ministry. Riddle considered starting with Lucius, making it a public affair. It would definitely make an effective reinforcement of his power.

And then there was Snape to deal with. A disappointment really, considering what a brilliant asset he was, but not a surprise. Pettigrew had suggested it years ago. A pity he'd been recently killed by Aurors during one their foolish raids. Riddle was loathe to think he'd have to kill the potions master. After all, Snape worked very closely with the headmaster within Hogwarts' walls.

He just may still serve a purpose.

Riddle ignored the ache in his bones and closed is eyes, feeling his body relax into the chair as if it were a part of him. For the first time in a long time, he willed his body to sleep.

…

A.N.

That should provide enough food for thought. This chapter sure covered a lot of things. Thanx for checkin back now and then…I know the wait was pretty bad this time. But I got it out in time to say Happy New Year!

Thankyou for all of your feedback. I know I've already said this, but its been a tremendous help…in keeping me focused and consistent. And for those of you who seemed to want tom n harry back together, you can rest assured. I'm warning you though, they'll be going through some changes….well, tom to be more specific. Just don't want any rotten tomatoes…..(whistles)

p.s: reloaded this chapter in an attempt to fix the chapter breaks. If anything seems unclear I apologize…but ff net is doing a number on displayable character. Pugh…