When she first arrived in 1943, Harriet was aware that she would have to make an effort to get to know Tom Riddle, the man who had ruined her life in her time. However, she had hoped to have a few moments of refuge before diving into this part of her mission.
As it turned out, he had a different plan - he too must have sensed the dramatic change in atmosphere around the castle and decided to pursue his own investigation. The fact that he was so skeptical and suspicious of Professor Dumbledore had not helped his curiosity and he had taken the opportunity to gather information that he could use later on.
The red-haired girl tried not to focus on the physique of the young man in front of her - but she quickly realized that avoiding his gaze might be more suspicious and would not help her in the long run. Tom Riddle - or Lord Voldemort? - she didn't know what to call him now that she was meeting him for the first time at this period.
To say he was handsome would be an understatement: he had jet-black curly hair that was carefully styled, as if the locks had been calculated to the centimeter to achieve a staggering degree of perfection. He was pale almost to rival her recollection of Draco Malfoy and had an aristocratic stance, towering over Harriet's petite frame by more than six inches. If he had intimidated her when he had the figure of a snake in 1997, she had to admit that his 1943 figure could be just as impressive. The young woman focused on his face and was surprised to see a slight smile on his lips - and the most shocking part about his allure was the presence of a nose. It might seem insignificant when describing another person, but it was the detail that stood out most in the mind of the time traveler.
If there had been any doubt about his rise to power, well that doubt no longer remained. Without even uttering a word, and even after being caught by Dumbledore in a less than favorable circumstance, he maintained that smug look that must have convinced all the purebloods and young women of his day to follow him and make him their leader.
The young Potter was surprised to hear him speak - even the voice was different and it was hard to tell that the seemingly innocent-looking young man in front of her and the dark wizard who was determined to bring the magical world to its feet were the same person.
- Good evening Professor, I'm sorry to disturb you but I saw the young woman come into your office and her disheveled and distraught demeanor had me worried. I only wished to offer you my help and to fulfill my duties as prefect.
A lie, of course. There was no way he could have seen her set foot in the office, given her invisibility cloak and the special care she took not to cross his path. She had literally raced in the opposite direction and had taken a longer route so as not to have to cross her path. However, other than Albus Dumbledore, no one knew that. He was so manipulative and if anyone less aware had ever heard his words, they could have easily believed him.
The young woman almost spoke up to contradict him, a distinctive Gryffindor flame in her eyes as well as in her heart, a sign of courage and bravery very distinctive of her house. It took one look from the Headmaster - no, from the Transfiguration teacher - for her to stop herself from spouting insults.
- Of course, young Tom, I was going to send an owl to one of the prefects to accompany Miss Potter to her new dormitory, but you're just in time.
Although Harriet tried to remain calm, she couldn't help but feel a little betrayed by her former Headmaster. It was obvious that he knew the danger that the young student in front of him represented and that he knew the extent of the dangers she had to go through because of him, yet he did not hesitate to throw her into the lion's den. The young redhead didn't know what to think, but she knew that she needed rest and a good meal and that it was obvious that her body would give out if she continued to keep this pace.
- I will contact your parents and reassure them that you are here. They have been trying to locate you for days and after Grindelwald's attack in Europe, they were beginning to lose hope.
Despite being surprised by his words, she tried not to show her trepidation and impatience. She was going to get to meet her ancestors...That was enough to calm her down: although she had to pretend to be their daughter, Harriet was aware that the Potters of that time would have been her grandparents, the ones she had never had the opportunity to meet and had barely heard of. However, she knew that they had accepted Lily Evans and had always had a good reputation in Gryffindor house. Besides, if she got stuck at that time and had no way of getting home, she could become James Potter's little sister afterwards...
She tried to focus on this thought in order not to wither and walked towards the object of all her nightmares since she was one-year-old. She was surprised to see him reach out and almost pinched herself as she remembered that it was 1943 - men were supposed to be gallant in those days. Harriet took one last look at her outfit and couldn't help but feel insecure.
I'll be back to see you tomorrow, Professor Dumbledore. I suppose I should go home for a bit before class to ease my parents' minds. Thank you so much for your help tonight.
Tom Riddle simply did not trust Albus Dumbledore. Since their first meeting, the two wizards had not gotten along. The young Slytherin didn't know why exactly - their energies and magics seemed so different and he didn't want to mix with a volatile man dressed in wacky, colorful wizard robes.
Having sensed the change in energy in the corridors, however, he had been eager to follow his intuition and had found himself in front of his teacher's study. He had of course tried to listen to them, but to no avail - it would seem that the old man trusted no one but himself and would he would not be able to understand the purpose of the shift in the atmosphere.
So you have to imagine his surprise when the door suddenly opened and he came face to face with a redheaded girl dressed disastrously and with wounds along her arms and face. Although he didn't know what had happened to her, Tom was sure it hadn't been pleasant. But Dumbledore's excuse was not enough to satisfy him: something was going on and he wanted to know what. Accompanying the young woman - had he said Potter? - to her dormitory seemed to be the perfect excuse to discover more. He then took it upon himself to use his legendary charm to soothe the redhead in front of him but it seemed to have the opposite effect.
He shouldn't have been surprised - given her outfit and attire, she must not have been used to the attentions of other young men.
- Please come with me, Miss Potter. It would be a shame to get lost on the first night, wouldn't it?
Part of Tom knew that casual tone wouldn't work with her, but it was always good to try. She seemed to tense up and gave him a cold, almost…frightetened look? He had always enjoyed having this kind of reaction when he was with the Knights of Walpurgis or students who had had a hard time with him, but he didn't understand how a complete stranger could already fear him. He tried to give the professor an inquisitive look, but the professor had closed the door and left them alone.
- Harriet.
He straightened his head.
- Excuse me?
- I would rather be called Harriet, not Miss Potter.
Tom stared at her again but was surprised this time by the color of her eyes. He hadn't noticed them during the whole debacle before their discussion, but he couldn't help but compare the green she possessed to the color of a certain spell. He was sure that no one else could have such a piercing color, full of ardor but also full of calm.
- It wouldn't be appropriate, but I'll make an effort. You can call me Tom.
Tom.
Tom.
Tom.
She could never call him that without feeling like she was going to throw up. Harriet couldn't lie - that much was obvious. But she had to make an effort, because if she was going to get close to him and put an end to his rise to power, she was going to have to learn to hide her loathing for him.
- Tom...I like it.
He almost stopped walking when she said his name. His wand was beginning to vibrate dangerously in his pocket, as if it were trying to escape and unleash its magic. The young prefect didn't understand why it was reacting this way: from the first moment he had held his wand in his hands at Ollivander's store, it had always obediently listened to him.
He tried to push these questions until he got back to the Common Room and focused instead on the young woman on his arm. A Potter...? It didn't seem possible that she studied in another country since her family was located entirely in England and had always insisted on studying at Hogwarts in order to continue the family tradition of being in the house of bravery and courage - Gryffindor. If you asked Tom, it would be foolishness and recklessness and he didn't understand the appeal of being in that house rather than the house of ambition and cunning, or the house of intelligence and the pursuit of knowledge.
- This is Gryffindor Tower, Miss P-, Harriet, excuse me, I am not used to speaking so casually with a girl of my age. The password is Draconis, and...
The young woman was already in the Common Room.
She hadn't let him finish his sentence.
She had left despite the special attention he had given her.
He felt her breathing intensify and he was pretty sure her eyes had turned a bright red.
He would deal with Harriet Potter later.