Title: Praeter erratum praeter
Disclaimer:I don't owe any of the characters you may recognise from Rowling's books. (to bad really)
Beta: Kalathetrumpeter
Warning: Some of the characters will be OOC, especially Tom. If you don't like it, don't read the story...
Summary: A youth potion gives Riddle more trouble than he'd expected. First the Death Eaters refuses to take orders from a 16 year-old-boy and Lucius decids to take over. Throwing Riddle out onto the streets. Then he ends up at Hogwarts. "Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance, Tom?" Dumbledore asked.
A/N: First of all, I would like to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to by Beta-reader Kalathetrumpeter, the chapters always look so much better after she has corrected them, which makes me wonder. How in the world were you guys able to understand all that rubbish that I wrote? Anyway, it's much better now, thanks to her! Grins and waves to her Beta
Second to those who reviewed:
Wanamaker: Neither can I, because I haven't got a clue! Okay, just kidding. I know what to write in the next chapter.
Vigrest: I see your point, and I promise, Tom will meet Draco soon.
Kittybro: Please, please don't slit your throat!!! Fall down on her knees and folds her hands As for the couple thing, eh….uhm…just keep reading okay? And I tried to make the chapter a bit longer, but there was a schoolbook on my head that kept screaming for attention.
Emike: Thought it would make a nice twist .
DarkRoseBlood: sighs with relief. I thought I'd never her from you again…As for Tom threatening the Sorting Hat, hehe, well, I thought about you when I wrote that part . And yes, Dumbledore knows that Tom is Tom Riddle.
Kalathetrumpeter: Thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks. Not much else to say, I don't know what I'd do with out you. .
Carya: Thank God. I was afraid that you were mad at me. You aren't right? looks suspiciously at the name. Nice to hear from you by the way.
Dracodolenz: Nice to hear that you like it. Hopefully I'll hear from you again.
Previous chapter: "Well then, off we go."
They left the office, and Dumbledore led the way towards the Gryffindor common room.
Chapter 8
Tom woke up two days later, with a headache. He groaned and turned over in the bedWhat he really wanted to do was go back to sleep, to hell with the Sorting ceremony. It was too bad that that wasn't an option. Yawning, he got up and headed for the bathroom, grabbing a pair of black school robes on the way.
Tom desperately tried to get time to slow down as he wandered around the castle in the afternoon. He didn't want the other students to return, especially not Potter, or that Weasly girl Ginny. They both knew all too well how he looked, and since he didn't have a wand, he couldn't use a disguising spell. And every potion that could do the trick had to brew for three weeks, or more. He was left him with no other alternative than to hope that neither of the two would recognize him.
Damn, he thought, and looked down at the page that he had already read four times. He just couldn't concentrate on the book.His thoughts always seemed to drift of to Potter, and how Potter would react on seeing him. Once more he tried to show his thoughts away, so that he could concentrate on the book.
After stalking around in the castle for an hour, he had ended up in the library. After a quick look through the shelves, he'd chosen a book about charms, which he couldn't remember being there in his own school years.
"Here you are,"
The voice interrupted Tom's thoughts, and he turned around eying Dumbledore in the doorframe.
"Yeah, I just wanted to catch up on my reading." he answered.
"Well, it's time to go. The sorting starts in a few minutes."
Tom hesitated, biting his lower lip. He wasn't to keen about doing this. He wasn't actually nervous, just irritated. This was his best chance in years to get rid of Potter, and he didn't even have a wand.
"What's bothering you, dear boy?"
"Eh…nothing. Well, I'm just nervous. Let's go." He got up, and followed Dumbledore out the door and down to the great hall.
The hall was decorated in Hogwarts' colours, and with flags that wore the Hogwarts' crest on them.
The tables were filled with students, and Tom swallowed before entering the hall. He slipped down into one of the chairs by the Gryffindor table, and started studying his hands. Then, when Dumbledore started on his usual speech for the year, he closed his ears, and only pretended to be listing.
The sorting started, and after two or three of the new pupils had been called up, a girl suddenly came running into the Great hall and slipped into a seat next to Tom. He was surprised to find out that the girl was Hermione.
She looked up from the papers she had been carrying, and caught the sight of him.
"Tom," she smiled, "Great, you are a Gryffindor too."
"Yeah," Tom grinned, "Why are you late, by the way? I thought everyone wanted to see the sorting."
"I'm Head Girl this year, you know what that is?"
Tom nodded and Hermione continued.
"Well, I been in a meeting with Minerva McGonagall, she's the head of Gryffindor house."
"Okay, is that the woman that wears her hair in a bun?"Tom looked towards the teacher table, and realized that he actually didn't know all of the teachers. Many of them had started teaching after he graduated.
"Yes. Oh, there's Ron and Harry," she waved and Tom looked down the table and saw Weasly and Potter waving back.
"Friends of yours?" he asked.
"Yeah. The one with the red hair is Ron Weasly and the other one is Harry Potter."
"Harry Potter. The Boy-Who-Lived? You seem to have famous friends," Tom smiled.
"Maybe, but he's really nice. I think you would like him."
Tom gave another fake smile, "Properly."
They were interrupted when the food appeared on the table, and neither of them said anything before they had filled their plates with food.
"So, which subjects are you taking besides The Magical History and Charms?"
"Eh…Muggle Studies (He had chosen that to ease the suspicion on him. After all, who in their right state of mind would believe that the Dark Lord would take Muggle Studies?), Potions, and Transfiguration(he had chosen the two last subjects based on his own skills. He had always been good in transfiguration, and potions.)"
"Really? Those the same subjects as me, only I'm taking Arithmancy instead of Muggle Studies, and I'm also taking Care of Magical Creatures. You should be glad you aren't taking Divination. The teacher, Professor Trelawney, is a really crazy witch. She has no clue what so ever about the subject. I tried it in my third year, but I quit. There was nothing in it for me."
Tom smiled. She sounded just like him.
"So, what do you think about the school so far?"
"I love it." he lied. He actually hated the gooddamn place. And the act he was putting on for Hermione was getting a bit exhausting.
"That's nice. I can give you a tour around the castle afterwards, if you want," she smiled persuasively and Tom couldn't resist. At least then he wouldn't have to meet Potter right away.
"Yeah, that would be nice."
"Wow, it's huge," Tom smiled and looked around the library, which of course was the first thing she wanted to show him.
"Yeah, I love it. Do you like to read?" She leaned against one of the tables and crossed her arms.
Tom turned and flashed her a brilliant fake smile, "Yes. Well, the library back at Durmstrang wasn't this big, but I spent quite a lot of time there."
"Hermione!" a girl shouted, and came running into the room.Her red hair flooded behind her, and Tom spun around and looked straight into the eyes of Ginny Weasley.
Ah, Miss Weasley. She looks much better now then she did in her second year, Tom thought as he studied the girl Her red hair was falling down to her elbows, and her eyes were glowing.She'd gotten a bit taller by the years and she now looked like a teenager girl, a very good-looking teenage girl.
"Hey, I'm Tom Marvolo," Tom smiled one of his most charming smiles, the one he normally reserved for the teachers, and reached out his hand.
Ginny, on the other hand looked like she'd just seen a ghost. Her face was pale, and Tom wondered if she was about to faint. She surely looked like it.
"Hey, Ginny, what's the matter?" Hermione placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder, and the younger girl snapped out of her mood.
"You!" she hissed, and Tom was taken aback by the hate in her voice.
She took a step towards him, eyes blazing with hate and anger.
"Who the HELL let you into the school!" she screamed and Tom took a step back, not sure what to say to calm the girl down. Maybe it was better to leave that problem to Hermione.
"Ginny! What is it?!" Hermione took a hold of one of Ginny's arms and turned the girl towards her.
Ginny was boiling with anger by now, and it frightened Hermione. She'd never seen Ginny like that before.
"Let go of my arm Hermione!"she hissed and yanked her arm out Hermione's grip. "I'm going to go and see Dumbledore! And I'll get that…that thing thrown out of here!"
Tom raised an eyebrow. He'd never known that Ginny had such a temper. Too bad she wasn't on the Dark Side.
"Gin! Calm down." Hermione tried. When it didn't work, she turned towards Tom, "Do you know what's she's talking about?"
"I don't have a clue," Tom answered, "maybe I'm reminding her of someone she, …uhm…, doesn't like?"
He looked at the raging Ginny and smiled innocently.
"You always was a good actor Tom," she spat out, "I don't know what your doing here, but I can guarantee that you won't be staying!"
"Gin! What the hell are you talking about?!" Hermione asked, looking from the furious Ginny to Tom and back.
Ginny looked about ready to murder, and her voice shook with anger when she answered.
"That creature standing before you is Tom Marvolo Riddle. Better known as The Dark Lord Voldemort!""WHAT?!" Now Hermione was yelling, and Tom flinched at the sound.
Well, it was fun while it lasted, Tom thought.
"I think we should go to the Headmaster and get this sorted out," Hermione said, and looked at Tom.
"You know, I don't know who that Tom fellow is, but I know that I'm not Lord Voldemort. You have clearly mistaken me for someone else," Tom said, and crossed his arms.
"Well, if that's so Tom, then you wouldn't mind coming with us to the Headmaster and clear this out once and for all," Ginny grinned evilly.
"Of course not, why should I?" Tom shrugged and started walking towards the headmaster's office. Hermione and Ginny followed closely.
"Tom, Hermione, Ginerva," Dumbledore greeted, "what can I do for you?"
Tom only shrugged, and waited for Ginny to start talking.
"Headmaster, why in the world is Tom Riddle here?!" Ginny asked, pointing towards Tom, who was smiling sheepishly.
"Yes, I've been waiting for that question," Dumbledore said, and his words sent a cold chill down Tom's spine.
A/N: Okay. That's it for now. See you next time. Yes, and check out my journal on, www. /users /poenix/
Just remove the spaces, or go to my bio and press homepage. If you get a messenge that the site isn't working, then remove everyting in front of www. xanga except the http part and press enter. I'll be using it to post informasion about my story.