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Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or make money from this.
"Are you sure she hasn't asked about me?" Ignatius asked a little stunned and Alex shook his head. "But, but we kissed..."
"Abraxas also kissed you and you two aren't dating or have I missed something," Harry pointed out and his friend pouted as Crabbe rolled his eyes.
"She hasn't said a word!" he stated and increased his pass.
"Alex!" Ignatius called out and Harry couldn't help but laugh.
"It seems that Alex's cousin is a hard one to crack," he chuckled and Parkinson gave him a teasing glare before turning back to their friend, who was already a meter ahead. Harry shook his head and watched Ignatius run to his friend and wrap his arm around his shoulder. At the same time they turned their head to look in the corridor right of them and stopped. Noting their abnormal behaviour, Harry caught up with them and turned his head to stare at a girl, a frozen girl. 'A Hufflepuff...'
"What's wrong with her?" Ignatius asked what they were all wondering. Slowly, they stepped closer and Harry raised his hand.
"She's cold," he said while retreating his limb. 'She looks like a victim of the basilisk,' he realized as he made the resemblance with Hermione. 'But that can't be, Tom's the only one who can release it and... the diary?!' His eyes widened. 'Did someone find the diary? Did Tom hid it in Hogwarts?' So many questions were making his head spin.
"We need to warn the Headmaster," Alex said with a hitch in his voice and the other two nodded.
"I'll go..." Ignatius said and turned around, making a dash for it.
"Be careful who or whatever did this can still me near!" Harry called after him and his friend glanced backwards at him before disappearing around the corner.
"It reminds me of a victim of the basilisk," Alex said to Harry's surprise. "You weren't here but..."
"I've heard about it," the youngster quickly answered as Crabbe seemed uncomfortable to continue. "Tom told me about the chamber of secrets," he continued as he felt his friend's eyes on him. "But... only a descendant of Salazar Slytherin can open it; so who opened it?" Blue charmed eyes observed Alex's face and was certain Crabbe knew who the only descendant was.
"I don't know," Alex answered truthfully and a rustling pulled their attention to the wall beside them.
'He's in the wall,' Harry bit his lip and for once was glad he couldn't understand snakes any longer.
"Boys!" Dippet announced his arrival and they turned to see the Headmaster together with Dumbledore and Gomple running after Ignatius. The woman immediately started fussing over the Hufflepuff and the two other professors turned to the three boys – Ignatius had joined his friends by now. "You found her like this?"
"Yes, Headmaster," Alex answered politely. Dumbledore was already giving Harry a look that said he also knew the basilisk was the guilty one.
"She needs to be transported to the infirmary," Gomple turned back to the Headmaster, "and I suggest warning the students." Dippet nodded with a frown on his face. With a quick spell the woman raised the Hufflepuff and started walking away from them.
"Boys, the three of you better return to your house," the Headmaster said before turning around.
"Marvolo, would you come with me?" Dumbledore asked as he shared a look with Dippet. The Headmaster only nodded to him before disappearing around the corner. Ignatius and Alex shared a look; they weren't going to let their charge alone with the enemy.
"Of course, Professor," Harry answered politely. Dumbledore had used an accusing tone, but that was only to keep up appearances.
"Professor, wouldn't it be better if we stayed together, the three of us?" Ignatius quickly asked and Dumbledore immediately reacted.
"I'll be accompanying him back to your common room; when we're done." His tone didn't allow discussion.
"Go on, I'll be fine," Harry whispered nodding his head to his friends. Both of them had hesitation written all over their faces, but reluctantly nodded in the end. Slowly, with a lot of glances at Harry they finally left.
"Come on, we'll talk in my office." The youngster nodded and stepped forward in a puddle of water.
'This adds up to the basilisk theory,' he grimaced as he looked down and back to the place the Hufflepuff had been.
-THTH-
"I'm certain you are aware of who opened the chamber last time?" Dumbledore asked and Harry nodded.
"Tom opened it and blamed Hagrid." The professor nodded not the least bit surprised that he seemed to know the half-giant.
"But Tom isn't at Hogwarts, so who opened it?"
"It could be the diary took control of someone," Harry answered honestly.
"The horcruxs?" The future Headmaster asked and the boy nodded.
"Yes, in my time, the diary took over a friend of mine and made her open the chamber."
"Then that means it's still here, at Hogwarts," Dumbledore added up and the youngster nodded. "We need to find it and destroy it."
"I'll have to tell Tom, Ignatius and Alex won't keep this to themselves." The professor nodded in understanding.
"Find out if he's behind this or if the diary has been found without his interference." Now Harry nodded and got up following the future Headmaster example. "I'll take you back to your house." Both moved to the corridor and continued their way in silence. They stopped before the brick wall that formed the door to the Slytherin's common room. "Be careful, my boy," Dumbledore warned him and Harry watched him turn around before walking away.
'Please don't let Tom be behind this!' With a sigh Harry pointed his wand to the first stone.
-THTH-
Tom was spacing in the usual rented room at the Cluster's Booth. Harry was watching him from the bed, wondering when he should mention the diary. "I need to get in the castle," the older teen suddenly turned to him.
'Now or never.' "To get the diary?" The future Dark Lord stiffened before slowly nodding.
"Yes..."
"Where did you hid it?" Brown eyes narrowed at him. 'He's doubting me,' Harry realized. "I could check if it's really gone and maybe who has been seen around the hiding place?" he suggested and saw Tom's hesitation. The older teen paced some more before opening his mouth.
"I hid it in the room of requirement."
"Together with the ring?" Brown eyes slid to the boy on the bed and held a warning expression.
"Did you destroy my horcruxes?!" he asked with a hint of anger and blue charmed eyes turned away from the other.
"You were trying to kill me," he mumbled in defence.
"I was, wasn't I?!" Tom stepped closer to the bed and took hold of the boy's chin, forcing him to look at him. "But you killed me instead." Harry pointed his eyes to the other's lips, avoiding to look him in the eyes. "Meaning you know how to destroy horcruxes, making that Dumbledore probably also knows," Tom released him and resumed his pacing.
"Is there a way for those soul pieces to re-emerge with your soul?" Harry had to ask and brown eyes turned to him.
"That would defy the whole purpose of making them in the first place!" The future Dark Lord told him like he was a small child that needed to be pointed out the obvious.
"But... Tom, I've seen what will happen to you if you keep shredding your soul." The older teen seemed to remember something and sighed. He stepped back towards the bed and guided the youngster's chin upwards again but this time a sweet kiss followed.
"I won't make more."
"You promise?" Hesitation in those brown eyes, but Tom nodded in the end.
"But now the problem at hand, the basilisk." Harry could see a plan forming as the future Dark Lord changed the subject. "The easiest would be if you went to the basilisk and told it to go back to sleep under my command." The youngster frowned.
'There are a lot of holes in that plan.' "I can't get inside the chamber." Tom gave him an odd look.
"Of course you can."
"No, I can't. I don't speak Parseltongue any longer," Harry confessed and the older teen looked confused. "I told you that being your horcrux had certain advantages." It started to dawn to the future Dark Lord.
"You could only talk to snakes because of the piece of my soul that had attached itself to you?"
'That's one way to formulate it,' the youngster thought and answered with a nod.
"That makes sense," Tom stated. "Then I do have to get inside the castle," he started pacing again until an idea struck him and with a smile he turned back to the bed. "You need to find out who has the diary and if you can, get it." Harry nodded hesitantly.
"And how are you getting in the castle?"
"Don't worry about that," the future Dark Lord smirked and stepped closer again. He leaned forward and kissed the other experimental. The youngster rolled his eyes at his behaviour and grabbed the other's face, deepening the kiss.
-THTH-
For the umpteenth time Harry sneaked a look around the corner to the girls' bathroom that held the entrance to the chamber of secrets, but again nothing was out of the ordinary. "We really can't stay here..." Ignatius said once more and Harry knew he couldn't deny him for long anymore. He hadn't want to tell his two guards why they were watching the girls' bathroom and the two seemed to have lost the last of their interest.
"I guess we should get back," the youngster decided in the end. 'The one with the diary will only come after hours,' he thought and started walking towards the Slytherin's common room while holding himself back from looking backwards. 'I need another way to approach this.' His blue eyes scanned the area around them, like he expected an idea to pop at him. 'Maybe I could ask Myrtle,' Harry wondered. 'Or another ghost... one that likes peeking in the girl's bathroom.' A smirk appeared on his face. 'And I know just the perfect candidate.'
-THTH-
Sneaky Harry made his way to the third floor and looked a last time backwards to Alex who was standing guard. The Crabbe nodded to him and blue eyes turned to Ignatius who was already further down the hallway. They checked every room they came across, but didn't found the one they were looking for. "You're certain this is where he stays?" The youngster asked and his friend fiercely nodded.
"Unless he's charming some other ghost," Ignatius mumbled and just then they saw a transparent woman pass through the wall before them. She ignored them and the man who appeared after her.
"Mr Pervotan," Harry called out and the ghost glanced surprised at them, losing the woman before him.
"Attend, ma belle..." But the woman was gone and with a sigh of defeat Pervotan floated towards them. "Ma belle..." he whined, before he quickly recovered and bowed to the two boys. "Qu'est ce que tu veux, Monsieur?"
"I heard you're the one who has a good eye for the ladies." Harry started with a teasing grin and the ghost started to laugh.
"You can say that! You need advice?" The ghost looked him up and down to check with what he had to work. Suddenly, Pervotan frowned. "But aren't you that lover-boy of Tom Riddle? Why would you need advice on women?" The youngster lost his grin.
"I don't need advice on women, because as you already pointed out: I have Tom." The ghost shook his head in understanding.
"When you have someone like Tom, you won't look at others." Harry's eyebrow rose in surprise.
'Is he serious? Does Tom have that much esteem?' "Of course, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about," the youngster glanced at Ignatius, who took it as a sign he wanted to discuss this in private. Like a good boy, Parkinson moved to the beginning of the corridor where he was out of earshot and Harry turned back to Pervotan. "Tom has... misplaced something." The ghost's transparent eyebrows rose.
"And you want me to find it? That's not really a challenge. I told Tom to only come to me with challenges."
'Really?!' Harry thought surprised and realised that that could work out well for him. "The object he misplaced, has been found by someone else and the effects are..." he didn't need to continue, Pervotan was already linking the recent happenings with Tom's object.
"And what kind of object are we talking about?"
"A diary." The ghost frowned.
"I'm certain Tom is smart enough not to let his diary lay around."
"It isn't a normal diary," Harry confessed and Pervotan floated a little closer.
"Something he had been experimenting on?" he asked in a whisper and the boy nodded after a short moment of surprise.
"As you can understand, Tom wants it back." The ghost nodded in understanding and moved backwards again.
"I'll keep an eye open for it and ask around." Harry smiled a thankful smile.
"Marvolo!" Ignatius' voice called out and the youngster saw his friend signing for him to come.
"I have to go." Pervotan nodded in understanding and floated through the wall after the woman, not waiting to see what would happen with the boys. Harry skipped to Ignatius, who quickly pointed to something around the corner. Blue eyes followed his line of vision and saw Alex trying to block the new Head Boy's path.
"We need to get out of here!" Ignatius hissed and Harry nodded.
"Come on, we can reach the stairs if we cross the castle!" The youngster said and moved backwards. His friend followed and once they were far enough their legs started sprinting.
"So, is he going to do it?" Ignatius asked as they stopped for a moment to catch their breaths. Harry nodded and the Parkinson grinned. "I told you, Pervotan would do anything for our Lord." The youngster had to give him that and they continued their spurt. When they came close to the stairs they slowed down and sneaked a peek. "We're in the clear," Ignatius said as they checked the premises and Harry carefully stepped to the stairs. Nothing happened as he descended it and both of them speeded to their house. When Alex and the Head Boy entered the common room forty minutes after them, they held their breaths, but the Head Boy only had eyes for his girlfriend, who flaunted over him the moment she saw him. Alex shuffled to them and Harry moved over letting him take a seat beside him.
"I thought he was never going to stop searching!" Crabbe panted out of breath and the two other started laughing.
-THTH-
"Mr Remus, detention!" Dumbledore bellowed through his classroom and Harry had to suppress a smirk.
"What did he do, professor?!" Ignatius called out and the future Headmaster sent him a warning glare.
"Do you also want me to take points from Slytherin?" The other Slytherins gave Parkinson a look and he quickly shook his head.
'Now it actually looks like he's doing us a favour,' Harry forced his smile down. After class he got a look full sympathy from his two guards before he was alone with Dumbledore.
"My boy, have you made any improvements?" The professor immediately went to the point.
"Yes, Tom isn't behind this. When I told him, he really wasn't happy," Harry started. "He also thinks someone found the diary." Dumbledore nodded.
"And you know his plan." The youngster hesitated.
"Not completely." The future Headmaster gave him a look. "He wants to deal with it himself," Harry lied. It felt wrong, but he couldn't defy Tom's trust completely.
"He's trying to get in the castle," Dumbledore stated and the youngster nodded. The professor got a pensive look and the youngster just wanted to leave before he said more.
"Can I go, Professor?" Blue eyes turned to him and a nod gave him his release. Eagerly, Harry moved to the door and escaped to the hallway. He could feel Dumbledore's eyes on him and wondered if he knew he wasn't telling him everything. He met Alex and Ignatius in the corridor and the three of them quickly made their way to their next class.
-THTH-
"It's good to see you, Tom!" The future Dark Lord watched how a woman, who couldn't be flashier in her forties, walked towards him. She wore a mini-skirt, which was just against all the ethics, and her make-up had been put on in such a heavy layer that it made her look cheap.
'That they let someone like her work in the Ministry,' Tom thought with disgust. 'I'm certain she's shagging the Minister.' Once in reach, she pulled the teen's face close and kissed his cheeks. Tom held his breath to escape getting nauseous from her perfume. When she released him, he turned his head away from her to gather a deep breath. Recovered he nodded to her in recognition.
"What gives me the pleasure of seeing you today?" The woman asked while batting her eyelashes and making Tom sick in the stomach. "You've come to tell me about that little toy boy of yours?" She asked with a hint of a smirk and the teenager suppressed a flare of rage. "To think my words got you to find yourself an easy prey!" she continued.
'If she doesn't stop...!" The future Dark Lord held himself in check, barely. "He isn't a prey or a toy!" he hissed and got a surprised raise of an eyebrow as reaction.
"He isn't? Are you going to tell me you love him?" The woman spat with disbelieve.
"Coraline," Tom articulated the name as clearly as he could, "my love life has nothing to do with you!"
"Then why are you here?" Coraline asked astonished. She really couldn't think of another reason. Tom collected himself completely and once calmed down, he put up his usual charming smile.
"Business, Spave sent me." The woman's face fell. Clearly, she wanted Tom to have come look for her because of personal reasons. 'Did she really think I came to tell her about my toy; and then what? Confess my love for her?' he shuddered a little but Coraline didn't notice. "I have an appointment with the Minister," he announced and the woman huffed before turning around and guiding him the way.
"Ms Grelyon, Mr Riddle is here for an appointment," Coraline said with an air of superiority when they reach the Minister's secretary. A grey-turning woman glanced up at Tom from behind her glasses, ignoring the other woman completely.
"Mr Stormlin is expecting you!" she stated and pointed to the door right from her. "Go right in." Tom nodded to her and stepped to the door without another word to Coraline.
'Annoying woman!' was his last thought before he closed the door behind him.
R&R