Disclaimer: Do not own HP

A/N: Sorry about missing the updates for the last couple weeks. I made an announcement about it over on my tumblr (ethrildragon).

Reaching Through Time

Chapter 16: Broken

Tom felt a small degree of satisfaction over the results of Headmaster Dippet's decision. The dark part of him felt that expulsion was too light of a sentence.

Attempted murder was still a prison sentence for most adults.

Tom led the way down to the dorms once the Slytherin students were excused. The Gryffindors that were to be expelled were going to be escorted to their dorms to pack and then would be taken to separate lodgings for the night.

Professor Slughorn was saying something reassuring and comforting Tom was sure, but honestly the dark haired teen wasn't even listening. He simply nodded and kept his expression worried instead of dark and cold.

"I'm sure Hadrian will be alright. If you would like Tom, Abraxas, I can give you permission to stay in the hospital wing."

"That is very kind of you professor. Is it alright if I go down to the dorms to update Orion Black and Eileen Prince?" Tom put all his Slytherin manipulation into his words so that he would come across as a concerned and responsible upper class man.

Professor Slughorn nodded quickly. With a wave of his wand a he transfigured a piece of paper and wrote a note on it to excuse both Tom and Abraxas from the curfew.

"Just make sure you don't wander away from the hospital wing tonight." The professor told them with a fond smile. "Give Hadrian my best when he wakes up. I'll stop by before breakfast."

Once the professor was gone Tom led his group to the Slytherin common rooms. The few people that were there scattered when Tom sent them a cold sneer. Only Orion and Eileen stayed behind, watching Tom nervously.

"Harry will live. Sir Leighleas is taking care of him. Go to bed." He instructed the two first years, his voice sharp and firm so that they would not question him.

Finally Tom was alone with his followers.

"I have one question." Tom's eyes had completely turned red as he turned to face the group that were trying not to cower. The temperature in the common room literally dropped several degrees as Tom's magic flared around him in barely restrained waves. "How the HELL did those scumbag Gryffindor's get their hands on HARRY?"

Abraxas was probably the only one to have ever witnessed Tom in a true rage, and he could count on one hand how many times it had happened.

"We got separated while the crowd was leaving the stands." Alf Mulciber was the first to speak. He was afraid, but he knew if they didn't answer then Tom's rage would only grow.

"Tom." Abraxas spoke quietly as he attempted to calm his adopted brother. "The Gryffindors planned the attack. They knew Harry would be easy to separate from the group. We thought he would stay close to Orion, Eileen, and Rupert, but we were wrong."

Tom fumed for several long minutes. He so wanted to punish all of his Slytherin followers, but the gentle lull from Harry through his bond held him back. Harry would be upset if he found out Tom had lost control over his temper again.

Especially if Tom vented his rage on his fellow Slytherins.

So the enraged teen took one deep breath, and then another. Slowly his magic came back to him leaving the group before him visibly shaken.

The Slytherins had known Tom was powerful, but that display had revealed more power than any of them could have imagined. It had even brought a couple of the younger boys to their knees.

"From now on there will be someone with Harry at all times. I don't care if his friends are with him or if he complains. Until I know for sure the rest of the school knows Harry is off limits he is NOT to be left alone."

With one last scathing glare at his followers Tom motioned for Abraxas to follow after him.

Tom didn't turn to head for the stairs to head up towards the hospital wing. No. Instead he turned to go deeper into the dungeons to go to the hidden entrance to the chamber.

"Tom?"

Abraxas didn't get an answer, nor was he told to leave when he followed after his brother. He continued to stay silent even as Tom hissed at a wall and it slid back to reveal a dimly lit stairwell spiraling down into who knows where.

"I won't let them get away with what they did Abraxas." Tom's voice was low and filled with his still barely controlled rage. "They nearly killed him. If I had been a second later, if I hadn't known what little healing magic I did, he would have died."

"A-are you sure?" Abraxas felt his throat tighten and his mouth go dry. He had seen Harry, but he hadn't thought a bunch of students could be capable of beating another student to death.

Tom nodded grimly. "Sir Leighleas confirmed it."

At the revelation that Abraxas had almost lost his baby brother he felt his own anger grow stronger. His eyes hardened and he grimly followed after Tom.

"I'll write to father." Abraxas knew his father could have the to be expelled Gryffindor boys punished further for what they had almost done.

Tom shook his head though. "Write to father, but don't expect him to be able to do anything."

Before Abraxas could ask why, they entered a partially flooded chamber that was lit with torches that flickered with green flames. He heard Tom hiss something and then there was a loud grinding noise.

When the giant black snake slid out of the mouth of the statue that had just opened, Abraxas stumbled back. It didn't take a genius to connect the dots.

Giant snake + Tom speaking Parseltongue + hidden part of the school = Salazar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets.

And Abraxas knew exactly what that giant snake was. "To-om." His words were soft as he stood frozen in place as the snake laid it's giant head at Tom's feet.

Tom ignored Abraxas for a moment to speak with the basilisk.

"Senestra. Can you leave the castle?" Tom had a plan, but he wanted to confirm a few things before he gave his orders.

"I can go wherever you tell me too so long as the castle is within sight. Ophion said hatchling was attacked. Where is hatchling?" Senestra asked quickly.

"Can you enter the forest?"

Senestra nodded quickly and asked again about Harry.

Tom didn't answer at first and it left the ancient basilisk fidgeting impatiently. Senestra had grown quite attached to the fearless human that would talk to her about anything and everything and rub at her scales for as long as she wanted.

"Harry was attacked by a group of Gryffindor students. They almost killed him. In the morning they will be expelled and taken through the forest to Hogsmeade station where they will board the train to return to London." Tom told Senestra slowly. "We will go into the forest in the morning. I'll knock out any adults that will be with them. I want you to kill the Gryffindor students."

"May I eat them Master?"

Tom considered it for a moment. If Senestra ate the students then there would be no evidence. If done right Tom could even make it look like the expelled students had attacked the adults before running off.

"Not right away. Better yet don't attack them until I have a little...chat with them." Yes. Tom would take the time to ensure the Gryffindors knew just how badly they had messed up.

Abraxas knew Tom and the snake were planning something that had to do with Harry's attackers and he wanted in.

"Tom? What can I do?"

Tom looked away from Senestra to consider the blond teen. "I need you to cover for me in the morning. Senestra and I," Tom set a hand on the Basilisk's snout so Abraxas would know who he was talking about. "Are going to go and take care of the Gryffindors in the morning. We're going to make it look like they attacked their escorts, stole their wands, and ran off."

And in reality they would be dead; at least that's what Abraxas' vindictive side hoped.

"I'll do whatever you need me to do Tom. Just make sure they suffer for what they did."

All Abraxas got in response was a single nod from Tom before he went back to talking to his basilisk about what they were going to do.

As soon as everything was said and done, Tom led the way up through another passage with a hell of a lot more stairs than the one they had come down in. Abraxas shouldn't have been surprised when they came out close to the Hospital wing.

"So you're back." Sir Leighleas stated as he came out of a back room when Tom and Abraxas opened the door. He must have had an alarm or something set to go off if anyone entered the hospital wing. "Curfew is in an hour."

Tom instantly handed the note Professor Slughorn had given them and watched as the mediwizard read through it.

Leighleas took a deep breath and let it out with a huff. "Fine. But you are not to disturb Hadrian. I'll set up a couple cots."

The two teens glanced at each other and then went over to the cot that Harry was resting on. Three other cots were occupied with the quidditch players that had been injured earlier.

"He looks better." Abraxas mumbled as he glanced over Harry. Tom, Ophion, and Sir Leighleas had worked fast enough that there hadn't been a chance for bruising to really happen. The swelling was gone though and Harry looked like he was having an easier time breathing.

Tom hummed softly in agreement as he reached out to gently brush Harry's long bangs out of his face. His fingers skimmed over the lightening bolt scar on the younger boy's forehead.

Seeing as how there wasn't much the older boys could talk about, especially with the mediwizard hovering not so subtly nearby, both boys settled down into the cots that Leighleas had setup.

Tom was able to get a few hours of sleep before Ophion and Ladon woke him up to head down to the Chamber. Ophion would stay with Harry while Ladon would come with Tom and use his ability to track the boys as they were escorted away from Hogwarts.

As Tom stood and cast a few spells to keep himself hidden and make his cot appear like he was still there, Tom glanced at Harry worriedly. The boy was still sound asleep due to the potions and spells he was under.

"I'll take care of everything." Tom hissed softly as he brushed his fingers through Harry's bangs one last time before turning and leaving the Hospital Wing.

The trip back down to the Chamber was quick and soon he was riding Senestra through a tunnel that led out of the castle and into the forbidden forest. By the time he and Senestra had found a decent spot to wait for the group, the sun was rising over the horizon.

It wasn't hard to figure out where the group would be as they traveled to the Hogwarts Express. So Tom took the time to set up a few traps that would keep the group from escaping once he knocked out the adults that would be with the teens.

Soon enough the carriage that was transporting the expelled students and a couple adults was spotted.

"Two minutes." Ladon told Tom with a quick hiss as the snake kept track of just how far out the carriage was.

Ladon didn't need to tell Tom the moment the carriage had crossed his wards. Tom could sense it and instantly he sent out spells he'd learned from books in the Malfoy library. The ministry officials that were escorting the teens passed out and the carriage came to a stop.

"What's going on?" One of the boys asked as he reached out to shake the adults awake.

Jersey, Croop, Bannisten, and Jones. Those were the four teens that Tom was after.

"It's simple really." Tom stepped out from behind a large tree only to lean against it. "You four are making an escape attempt. A friend of yours, probably that oaf Hagrid, set up a sleeping trap that knocked out the ministry men there," Tom waved a hand at the two officials that were sound asleep. "You stole their wands and escaped into the forest."

Tom's black eyes were tinted red as he smirked coldly at the four teens. "At least that's what the ministry and headmaster will think. In reality you'll be eaten by a basilisk."

Senestra liked that idea, eating the four humans that had harmed her dear hatchling. She would kill them with her gaze and then swallow each of them whole. It would be a very good meal for her.

One of the teens, Tom hadn't deigned to learn which was which, moved to grab a wand off of one of the adults. Tom smirked as the other wand was grabbed as well. If a full investigation was done the MLE would find that the magical signatures of the boys had overlapped with the wands belonging to the ministry officials.

"You made a fatal mistake attacking my Harry." Tom's words were barely spoken in English as his smirk turned into a deep sneer. "I made it common knowledge that Harry and his friends were not to be touched, and yet you beat him within in inch of his life."

The longer he spoke the colder the air around the four teens got. One of them attempted to send a spell, probably a body binding spell, at Tom only for it to fail. The wards Tom had setup earlier were too powerful.

Slowly Tom started walking towards the carriage. "It's too bad I can't rip each of you limb from limb. I have to keep this clean so that the aurors don't find anything contradictory." That didn't mean Tom couldn't torture the boys.

"Crucio."

His wand was still in its holster as Tom cast the unforgivable curse. His pure rage and desire to see these boys dead for what they had done empowered him and his wandless magic.

"He's an eleven year old boy! What defense did he have against you?" Tom demanded. His voice was eerily calm as he lifted the torture curse from the four writhing teenagers. "None. The answer is he had none."

The four teens were panting and one had fallen out of the carriage. Tom glared at them, his eyes completely red.

"I wish we had more time, but if you don't arrive at the station within the next few minutes someone will come searching."

Tom cursed the boys once again. Their screams of pain were kept silent by the Tom's wards. It wasn't enough. It wasn't nearly enough. With a snap of his fingers Tom shattered the bones in the legs of each boy.

They were whimpering and one of them was begging for mercy.

"You think I'd show mercy to you? After what you did to Harry?"

Another snap of his fingers and each boy cried out as their arms were shattered.

He would have done more, but Tom knew he was running out of time. He couldn't leave them alive in case the aurors somehow were able to track them.

"Senestra."

The look of pure terror on each of the boys faces as they watched the giant basilisk come out of the forest to slither close to them was so delicious for Tom.

"Breakfast time."

Tom felt pleased as his basilisk snapped up each boy one at a time and proceeded to swallow them whole. Their screams didn't fade until they were deep within her stomach.

Taking a deep breath, Tom ran his hand through his hair for a moment. He reveled in the silence that had replaced the screams from the terrified teenagers. His revenge for what had happened to Harry had barely satisfied him, but knowing Harry would be safe was enough to calm his ire.

With a wave of his hands Tom broke the wards he'd placed. He grabbed the discarded wands of the adults and then turned to stalk back into the forest. Using wandless magic, Tom made sure any signs that he and Senestra had been there were wiped away.

Hopefully people would believe that the boys escaped and took the wands of the ministry officials with them.

By the time Tom made it back up to the Hospital Wing he was completely calm and his eyes had gone back to black.

"You made it back just in time." Abraxas told his brother when Tom slipped back to his cot. "Sir Leighleas just went by. I told him you would be back in a few minutes."

Tom smirked at that. he always seemed to have the best timing. "Has Harry woken up yet?"

Abraxas shook his head and sighed softly as he sat on the edge of the cot he'd been sleeping on. "Sir Leighleas wants to keep Harry asleep until at least tonight to make sure he's healed up enough so he won't feel any pain when he does wake up."

Tom appreciated the care the mediwizard was giving Harry. As much as he wanted to talk to Harry, the mediwizard was right that he needed to sleep.

"You boys can go to breakfast."

Leighleas had returned while Tom and Abraxas had been talking.

"I won't wake Hadrian up until later. You two still need to eat though." Leighleas pointed a finger at Tom and Abraxas. "You can come back after you eat."

It was a good thing it was Sunday, otherwise Tom would have been tempted to skip classes just to stay next to Harry. He was even willing to skip meals, but the look Leighleas was giving them told Tom there was a strong chance the mediwizard would magically kick them out.

Tom waited until he and Abraxas had left the Hospital wing before finally saying the one thing he knew his brother wanted to hear.

"It's taken care of."

Breakfast was quiet around the Slytherin table. No one wanted to attract Tom's attention, not with how he was glaring at his meal. Abraxas didn't look much better off.

"Hey."

Tom looked up sharply only for his gaze to soften a little when he saw Rupert standing next to the Slytherin table. Tom didn't blame the first year Gryffindor for what had happened; he didn't deserve Tom's ire.

"Will Harry be alright?" Rupert's voice was soft and there were dark circles under his eyes. "It's my fault they hurt him. I-I shouldn't have ignored them. They warned me if I kept being friends with Harry there would be repercussions."

Tom could see why the sorting hat had put Rupert in Gryffindor. He was brave enough to take blame for something that wasn't his fault. He was willing to sacrifice himself even when he didn't have to.

"Harry will be alright." Tom said soothingly. "It wasn't your fault Flint. No one should be forced to give up their friendships just because of some ridiculous house rivalry."

A few Slytherins, the ones that weren't a part of Tom's followers, looked at him in surprise and some even sneered. It was the truth though. A house rivalry was no reason to attack and hurt each other.

"Harry would be upset if you stopped being his friend."

Rupert nodded a little stiffly, but he didn't quite look convinced.

With a small sigh Tom shook his head. "Sir Leighleas is going to wake Harry up tonight. You should be there." It wasn't a request and Tom made sure Rupert understood that. "Having his friends around him will help Harry heal much faster."

Again Rupert nodded, but he looked a little better.

Tom spent the rest of the day speaking with his followers in the common room. He made the decision that in order to make the school completely safe for Harry, Tom would need to gain followers in each house.

So to pass the time until the evening when Leighleas woke Harry up, Tom worked on a plan with his inner circle.

"Who do we know, in the other houses, that have the same ideals as we do?" Tom asked from where he was seated before his followers. They were in the Room of Requirement, away from prying eyes and any ears that would want to listen in. "Or, better yet, who can we bring into the fold?"

It would be difficult to recruit from the other houses; houses that were predominantly Light.

Slowly names trickled in from his followers slowly. Most of the students suggested were from Ravenclaw with one or two from Hufflepuff. Most were from either pure-blood or half-blood families.

"Talk to them. Find out their stances on muggles." Tom instructed his followers once they had enough names to satisfy him. "Find out how they feel about dark magic."

The meeting ended after that with only Alf and Abraxas staying behind to speak with Tom.

"What are you planning Tom?" Abraxas asked with a weary sigh. He knew how his adopted brother felt about muggles, but Abraxas had always felt that not all muggles were bad just as not all wizards and witches were good.

Abraxas was the only one, besides Harry, that Tom ever allowed to question him. Alf was getting up there on his list of most trusted, but that list still remained especially short.

"Short term? To make the school completely safe for Harry. If I have followers in each of the houses then they'll be able to watch over Harry when we graduate in a couple years." Tom explained slowly. "Long term, I want to have enough power to change our world."

Tom wouldn't go on muggle killing sprees like Grindelwald, that wouldn't really make the changes he wanted, but he still wanted to create a way to protect muggle-born children and half-blood children from muggle fear and anger.

"We need to create a stronger separation between the muggle world and ours. The muggles have weapons that can devastate our world while we are forced to hide in the shadows." Tom could understand why Grindelwald wanted to leave the statute of secrecy; to rule over the muggles. But Tom knew, after growing up in the muggle world and knowing first hand what they could do, that the muggles would never allow themselves to become slaves to the magical world.

"The biggest danger to the Statute are the muggle-born children. They need to be removed from the muggle world as soon as they display magic."

"That means taking children away from their parents." Abraxas whispered, his voice breaking a little. He knew the story of his older sister and he knew how hard it would be on families to lose their children.

Tom nodded. "Muggles can be obliviated and their memories changed. It would be better for all magical children to grow up in our world; to grow up knowing why they are so special."

"What about half-bloods?" Alf asked steadily. He didn't know Tom's past, but he wasn't about to ask why Tom took this so seriously.

For a moment Tom had to think. "We're not like America. We won't deny people marrying who they want. But there need to be stronger protocols. If a witch or wizard wants to marry a muggle then the muggle must give up their life in the muggle world." At least that would help to prevent too much inbreeding.

Such a law would deter a great deal of people from pursuing lovers and partners outside the magical world.

"Let's go. Harry should be waking up soon." Tom said stiffly. It would take time to build the world he envisioned, but he would do it if it took the rest of his life.

Most of Tom's followers had wanted to visit Harry as soon as he'd woken up, but Tom had limited the group to just himself, Abraxas, Orion, Eileen, and Rupert. That way Sir Leighleas wouldn't complain too much.

Thankfully Leighleas had waited to remove the sleeping spells from Harry until Tom had returned. It took a few minutes for Harry to stir from the deep sleep he had been under.

"Tom?"

Harry's voice was weak and slurred from sleep, but he was able to sit up and look around. The pre-teen's movements were stiff and he had a hard time keeping his eyes open.

"I'm here." Tom sat down on the edge of Harry's bed and gently took one of his hands when Harry settled against the metal headboard of the cot.

"What happened?" Harry could vaguely remember being pulled out of the crowd he'd been walking in and then pain. So much pain. His mind attempted to supply memories, but as soon as they started it felt like they were slipping away from his mind.

Tom glanced at Sir Leighleas, who had his wand pointing at Harry. "It would be best if Hadrian's memories are returned slowly. I would rather he not hurt himself because of another panic attack."

Harry frowned up at the mediwizard and then at Tom. "What is he talking about?"

With a sigh Tom started to slowly explain what had happened. "Several Gryffindor students attacked you. We were able to stop them before-" He couldn't bring himself to say it. Just the thought of losing Harry scared Tom to death.

Slowly, Leighleas released Harry's memories. He stopped whenever he felt fear or panic well up within his charge.

It felt strange, having his memories slowly come back to him. He couldn't remember exactly how he was hit or hurt, but he could remember that it had hurt. He could remember falling to the ground to try and protect himself. Harry could remember Tom saving him.

With a sigh Leighleas lowered his wand and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. When he'd taken the job as the Hogwarts Mediwizard he had never expected to practice his mind healing as well.

"What happened to them?" Harry asked wearily. "The Gryffindor students?"

"They were expelled and sent home this morning." Abraxas supplied quickly. "Their wands were snapped."

The way Tom didn't quite meet his eyes told Harry an entirely different story. He couldn't ask though, not while the mediwizard was standing over them.

Leighleas waited to usher the students out until after each one got the chance to give Harry a hug and to tell him how glad they were that he was alright now.

"Can't Tom stay?" Harry asked with big light green eyes as the mediwizard attempted to send the other students down to dinner.

Leighleas breathed deeply through his nose to try and keep his patience. "Only Tom." He could deal with one non injured student at least. "I'll have dinner brought to you two." It would be just the two of them since Leighleas had sent the quidditch players back to their dorms after lunch.

The smile that Harry gave Leighleas made the man pause and a small smile crept its way across his own lips before he turned to walk away.

Once Leighleas was gone Harry turned back to Tom, his happy careful expression falling as he looked at his older friend seriously.

With a sigh Tom sent up a privacy spell, a silencing spell, and a couple others to make sure they wouldn't be overheard.

"What did you do to them?" Harry demanded quietly. "I know you Tom. I know you did something to the Gryffindors that hurt me."

"They deserve what they got." Tom sighed softly and reached out to brush Harry's bangs out of his face only for the smaller boy to slap his hand away. Tom frowned at him, but didn't reach out again.

"What did you do?" Harry's light green eyes burned into Tom as he frowned at the older teen. "Tell me. I'm not a little kid."

Tom sat back and carefully locked his emotions deep within his mind. "I had Senestra eat them."

Harry paled for a moment before looking down at his lap thoughtfully.

"Are you upset?"

For the length of time Harry was silent, Tom held his breath. Finally Harry shook his head slowly before shrugging.

"I know you wouldn't have killed them unless they'd done something horrible." Harry's words came out slowly, but he refused to look at Tom. "I...I remember I was in pain, but not how badly. It was bad...wasn't it?"

With Harry not looking at him Tom was forced to reply out loud. "You almost died. I couldn't let them get away with almost taking you from me." His hand reached out again only to be slapped away. Tom frowned deeply at Harry before ignoring the younger boy's hand to grab his Harry's chin to lift his face up.

"You mean everything to me Harry! I won't let anyone touch you ever again. I swear I'll protect you."

"You can't promise that!" Harry jerked out of Tom's hold and glared at him. "They were students! Like us! What's to stop another student from trying to hit me again?" Harry demanded, his light green eyes never leaving Tom's black gaze. "I understand why you killed them, but you shouldn't have done that. You should have let the adults deal with it."

Tom was at a loss for words. Harry had never spoken to him like that before and it left Tom confused and unable to form a reply.

There were tears in Harry's eyes. Tears and fear. Even though Leighleas had kept the full extent of the pain and the panic attack from Harry it was obvious the younger boy knew how badly he had been hurt.

"You can't protect me Tom." Harry insisted weakly. The fire that had flared up was dimming quickly as Harry's strength was sapped away. "You can't control the entire world."

Something was broken in Harry and Tom could see it. Harry had always looked to Tom for protection and support, but after what had happened Tom had failed him. It was like the curtain around Harry's innocence had been yanked away and now the boy knew that the one person he had always looked to for safety couldn't protect him all the time. He knew Tom didn't have the power to keep him safe.

Slowly, with careful movements, Tom climbed into the bed. He gently pulled Harry into his arms. Harry struggled for a moment before giving into the embrace.

Tom swore to himself he would make the world a safe place for Harry; even if Harry didn't believe he could do it.

Special thanks to: Louise to and Maurey

A/N: I'm back on schedule now. Expect chapter 17 next monday! If you want to see my random updates and anything else that might be happening in my life, check out my tumblr: ethrildragon