Disclaimer: Do not own HP
A/N: sorry for being gone these last few weeks. I've been busy with real life things and school.
Reaching Through Time
Chapter 29: A Wolf in Muggle Clothing
As much as the boys wanted to go straight to Gringotts, they were unsure if they could. It had just been going on dinner time back in the past, but here in the future it was already dark and very late. The best thing they could do was to hunker down for the night and go to Gringotts first thing in the morning.
With that decision made, Tom tiredly led Harry into The Leaky Cauldron. He jolted in surprise when he vaguely recognized the man behind the counter.
Back in the past, barkeep Tom had been young and just out of Hogwarts. This man now was older, hunched, balding, and had wrinkles all around his mouth.
"You boys are out late." Barkeep Tom had to raise his voice to be heard over the crowd of people that were in the bar for dinner. "Home from Hogwarts early?"
"We had an emergency." Tom told the barkeep as he reached into his pocket. He was thankful that he kept his bottomless bag with him at all times with his money inside. "We need a room for the night."
"Of course." Barkeep Tom took the offered money when it was held out to him. "You boys look dead on your feet. I can have some food sent up to you if you want."
Harry's stomach grumbled loudly at the suggestion of food and he flushed. With the bar as loud as it was he was hopeful no one else had heard the sound.
"That would be appreciated." Tom handed over a few more coins to pay for dinner and then took the key that the barkeep held out to them.
The two were in their temporary room as quickly as possible and as soon as the door was closed silencing charms went up and the noise from downstairs dimmed to a soft mumble.
Tom leaned his back against the door tiredly and ran a hand through his hair. His mind was going in several directions at once making it difficult for him to even remotely try to focus on one thing at a time. He needed to make a plan. They would need to find some place to stay. What was Harry to do about school? What was he supposed to do about work? It wasn't like he could just waltz right into the ministry to try and start the internship Mr. Malfoy had setup for him back in his own time.
It was a good thing they had their vaults at Gringotts; the money there would at least tide them over until he could think clearly enough to figure out what to do.
"Any idea how we got here?" Tom asked as he looked at Harry. His thoughts suddenly came to a stop and he jolted physically. "Harry...your eyes." With everything that had happened to them, Tom hadn't had time to really get a good look at Harry.
"Your eyes!"
With a frown Tom went over to the enchanted mirror that was on the wall over the solitary desk and peered into it. Sure enough his black eyes, the color they had turned to after the blood adoption to the Malfoy's, had changed back to the blue he had been born with.
Harry's eyes, which had been a light green for years, were once more a rich emerald green.
"W-what do you think it means?" Harry asked as he squinted into the mirror. He huffed and rubbed at his eyes in irritation. "Why can't I see clearly?" He mumbled angrily.
Tom grabbed Harry's hands gently. "I think," He said slowly as he considered all the reasons for their physical changes. "I think maybe the time travel may have broken our blood adoptions."
"That doesn't make sense Tom." Harry was glaring at the mirror.
"You probably need glasses again Harry." Tom had no other explanations, but Harry was right. The only explanation he could come up with really didn't make much sense. A blood adoption was supposed to last as long as the people that gave you the blood were alive. Or until the adopted child came of age and decided to break it themselves like Tom had been planning on doing.
By Tom's calculations, if they were in Harry's original time, then about 60 years had passed by. Drake and Demeri Malfoy would be in their late 90's if they were still alive; since most wizards and witches tended to live into their second century then there was a chance their adopted parents were still around.
But the most likely outcome was that they were dead. Tom decided not to tell Harry about his conclusion for the time being.
"We'll get you glasses sometime tomorrow." Hopefully the Goblins would know where they could go for everything they would need.
Harry was silent for a long time as he stared into the mirror, his nose only an inch or two away from the smooth surface. Tom could see how misty those green orbs were and his throat clenched. Harry was holding back tears.
"Talk to me." Tom whispered. When Harry didn't answer he let out a long sigh. He pulled Harry away from the mirror and guided him over to the bed. "Harry. Please."
The younger book took in a shuddering breath and blinked several times to try and get rid of the tears that were trying to fall. "I'm scared Tom."
There were so many emotions going through Harry, but the one that he felt the strongest was fear. He didn't know why he was so scared though.
"We'll get through this Harry." Tom whispered as he sat down next to Harry and pulled him into a tight embrace. "It's understandable that you're afraid. This time...your time...was a scary place for you as a child."
There was a knock at their door. It turned out to be their food on an unmanned floating tray.
"I'm scared too." It was hard for Tom to admit it, but he knew it was what Harry needed to hear. "There are so many things I can't control or predict here. I...I have no idea what to expect." He shuddered and winced at his display of weakness.
"I wish I could tell you everything about my time." Harry picked up one of the chips and nibbled on it. "But I can't really remember much."
"You were a kid Harry, not even at Hogwarts yet. I don't expect you to remember everything." Tom could remember a few things such as how televisions were more common and automobiles were different. Hopefully the magical world won't be so different from the past.
The two ate in silence for awhile. Eventually Tom had to put the tray off to the side as Harry started nodding off while leaned up against him.
They would need new wardrobes, Tom realized as he helped Harry strip out of his outer clothes. All of their worldly possessions were in the past and Tom doubted they would be able to get them back. Other than the bag Harry had had with him, their wands, Tom's bottomless pouch, and the clothes on their backs, they had nothing.
"Get some sleep Harry." Tom tucked the younger boy into one of the two beds in the room. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day."
Just as Tom got up to go to his own bed, Harry grabbed hold of his wrist. He looked up at Tom with big pleading green eyes that always had Tom's heart racing and his chest seizing up.
Without even having to be asked, Tom pulled the covers back and climbed into the single bed with Harry. It was a tight fit, but it wasn't the first time the two of them had squeezed into a small bed together. They just curled up together with Harry laying on Tom's arm and partially on his chest.
Being tangled up with Harry helped to relax Tom and he quickly followed his young love into the oblivion of sleep.
Both Harry and Tom were extremely lethargic by morning. They slept in late and only got up when Barkeep Tom knocked on their door to invite them down to breakfast.
Since Harry was still underage, Tom was the one to cast the charms to freshen up their clothes after they took turns washing up in the washroom.
Thankfully there weren't many people around when they went down for breakfast which meant they could at least eat quietly and without worrying of being noticed.
"So what do you boys have planned today?" Barkeep Tom asked with a grin. There weren't many people in the pub so it gave the Barkeep the chance to chat with the two boys.
"We have an appointment at Gringotts." Tom kept his tone light as he smiled a bit at the older man. "Afterwards we have some errands to run before heading home."
"Well I hope you two have a successful day then."
Harry didn't have much of an appetite and it took Tom prodding him a few times just for Harry to get down half a muffin and some juice. He was still feeling out of it from the time travelling and his nerves were still a wreck.
It was also possible, Tom realized, that Harry was in shock.
The past had become his permanent home and now here he was in his own time again. Harry couldn't quite get his mind wrapped around that fact and his rational mind was starting to catch up; which meant the realization that people from the past might not even be around anymore.
"Come on." Tom could feel Harry's emotions getting progressively more chaotic through their bond. "Let's get to Gringotts." He needed to keep Harry busy so that the younger teen wouldn't panic or worse.
"R-right."
Gringotts was virtually empty that morning. Based on what the Barkeep Tom had told them, Tom figured most people weren't even going to be around since Hogwarts students wouldn't be leaving for the summer until later.
"Well. It's about time." Tom and Harry weren't in the bank more than a minute before they were approached by an older looking Goblin.
Tom squinted at the goblin before something in his mind clicked. "Gothrack?"
Sure enough the goblin in question seemed rather pleased at being recognized. For him it'd been over 50 years since he'd last seen the boys, but for them it'd only been a year. Most wizards couldn't tell goblins apart even if one had pink whiskers. It should have been very difficult for the boys to recognize Gothrack since he'd aged during the time they'd been gone.
"If you would follow me." Gothrack bowed slightly and then motioned towards the back hallway that led to the private meeting rooms and offices.
The office that Tom and Harry were taken to was large and there were various weapons mounted along the back wall; a sign that Gothrack was a high ranking Goblin among his brethren.
"We at Gringotts were greatly concerned when you both suddenly vanished 50 years ago." He told Tom and Harry as he shut the door and threw up privacy wards. He motioned for them to take their seats before going behind the desk. "We assisted the school and the Malfoy's in searching for you."
"Mother and father...are they-" Harry bit his lip and winced at the apologetic look that Gothrack gave them.
"They passed away. If you want details I can give them...but that is not what you need to hear right now." With a snap of his fingers a rather thick folder appeared in front of him. "Due to their deaths, and the death of your adopted brother Lord Abraxas, your blood adoptions were voided."
"Abraxas?!" Now that surprised Tom greatly. He could understand the older Malfoy's passing away, but Abraxas should have still been alive. Unless...
"Dragon pox. We have a cure now, but many were lost before it was developed." The goblin hated giving depressing news, but they needed to know about everything that had changed since their journey through time. "Do you need a minute?"
Quickly, Tom shook his head. He took Harry's hand and squeezed it gently. If Tom hadn't been convinced before about Harry being in shock, he was now. He had no idea what to do about it. Death was one of the things that Tom had always tried to shield Harry from.
"Lord Abraxas figured that the two of you must have been flung through time and as such worked with Gringotts to make contingencies." Gothrack tapped at the thick folder. "If I may?"
"Go on."
Harry was only half listening as Gothrack opened up the file and began telling them about the things that Abraxas had setup. He knew there was a vault for them, but Harry missed the part of the conversation about what was in the vault.
He knew that Tom hadn't been as close to the Malfoy's as he himself had been; Tom had been fond of their adopted parents, but Harry had been the one that had loved them. Abraxas had been the big brother that Harry had always wanted. He just...he couldn't imagine a world without them.
"And what became of Sir Leighleas?" Harry was able to snap out of his shock and pain when Tom asked about the mediwizard that had secretly been Gellert Grindelwald.
"Ah..." Gothrack folded his hands over the folder and cleared his throat. "That is a rather complicated story. Do you want the wizard version or the goblin version?"
"Goblin." Harry croaked out. He had a feeling the wizard version of the story would be missing a great deal of information. Goblins had always been reliable and trustworthy; at least to Tom and Harry.
With a sharp toothed grin Gothrack nodded. "We know that you two boys were attacked the evening before you were to head home for the summer. When Aurors arrived, they found a bound and unconscious Grindelwald and a very distraught and injured Dumbledore." Gothrack pulled out a couple news articles with pictures of Grindelwald in custody and handed them to Tom and Harry.
"Dumbledore claimed that Grindelwald had done something to you boys, but no matter what the aurors did, they could not get Grindelwald to reveal what he had allegedly done."
"That's a crock of Griffon Shit." Tom cursed as he glared down at the picture of Dumbledore receiving an award of some sort.
Gothrack nodded and sighed tiredly. "Gringotts secretly interviewed Grindelwald and learned the truth. The goblin nation tried to reveal Dumbledore's crimes, but...well...wizards do not like being told they were wrong by non wizards."
"Is he...is Gellert dead?" Harry's voice was barely above a squeak and his eyes were red from holding back tears.
"That is a little bit of good news. We were able to get Grindelwald out and replaced him with a very well made golem. His golem is currently locked away in Nurmengard while Grindelwald himself is protected and hidden under goblin magic."
Tom snorted softly. "And they fell for it? A golem?"
The goblin on the other side of the desk smiled once more at them, his teeth sharp and pointy and his gaze almost feral. "Wizards are fools. They believe Mother Magic took Grindelwald's magic from him as punishment. Who are we to correct them?"
At least Gellert was alive; that's all Harry cared about. His heart wouldn't have been able to handle losing the one other adult that he had always seen as a friend and parental figure.
"D-do you know what happened to our friends?" Harry asked quickly. His thoughts turned to Orion and Eileen, Myrtle and Rupert. They would be old by now with children and possibly grandchildren.
"That is where things get complicated."
"As if they weren't already complicated enough." Tom muttered under his breath.
Gothrack nodded slowly and turned a few pages in the file. "We have evidence that Dumbledore cast widespread dark magic to control Magical Britain. He started with those closest to you and worked his way out." Gothrack cleared his throat and shook his head. "We did what we could, but he worked quickly and quietly. Most of his manipulations went unnoticed until it was too late."
"What did he do?" After spending years in Slytherin, a house full of cunning and clever snakes, Tom could tell when a person was skirting around a topic.
"He crafted a new Dark Lord and named him Lord Voldemort." Gothrack sneered and rolled his eyes at the name. "There are rumors, spread by Dumbledore, that Lord Voldemort is really one Tom Marvolo Riddle."
"I haven't used that name in years." Tom sniffed and rolled his shoulders a little in agitation. "He's still stuck on that?" Tom was at a loss at how ridiculous Dumbledore was. Only a handful of people even knew Tom's birth name since he'd never used it in school.
With a shrug Gothrack went back to the story. "Lord Voldemort started a blood purity war and chaos spread once more. Needless to say his plan didn't completely work. The Dark Lord's followers were mostly made up of imperiused purebloods and lunatics. His plan nearly failed when he set the fake Voldemort to attack a 1 year old Harry Potter on Halloween night."
Another news article was handed to Tom and Harry to look at. It was about the night that Harry had lost his parents and about how Lord Voldemort had vanished.
"We don't yet know how you did it, Mister Potter, but thanks to you the fake Dark Lord was vanquished and the magical world has been at peace for 13 years."
Harry read through the article in a state of detachment. He had known his parents had died, but he had never known how they had died.
"That doesn't answer Harry's question. What about our friends and allies?" Tom asked as he shoved the paper away so Harry would stop focusing on the image of a damaged cottage with a strange skull and snake hanging above it.
Gothrack nodded and sighed softly. "Eileen Prince married a muggle named Tobias Snape. We believe she was tricked into doing so, but she refused our offers of help. She had a son named Severus Snape and 'officially' died after he turned 19."
"Officially?" Tom's brow arched up and gave Gothrack a look.
"I can neither confirm nor deny that Eileen Prince changed her name to Irma Pince and works as a spy for us at Hogwarts."
"Ah. I see." Tom leaned back in his seat and smirked in understanding. With just that little bit of information he knew that the goblin nation was working on something big to take down Dumbledore.
"We were able to get to Orion Black before he was forced into a similar situation." Gothrack went back to explaining things to Tom and Harry. "He chose to marry his cousin Walburga Black and they had two sons; Sirius and Regulus. While using Lord Voldemort, Dumbledore attempted to make both Blacks into followers of the Dark Lord, but failed thanks in part to the Goblin Magic we had placed on the Black home."
With a sigh Gothrack turned the page in the file and handed Tom and Harry a sealed letter. "Orion Black passed away of unknown circumstances, along with his youngest son Regulus, in 1979. Please read that after our meeting has concluded.
"Myrtle Warren went missing during the war started by Lord Voldemort. We have been searching for her, but have been unable to find anything. Rupert Flint married and had a son, daughter, and several grandchildren. We suspect that Rupert Flint was able to escape Dumbledore's notice since he had been sorted into Gryffindor. He is currently enjoying his retirement in southern France."
Harry was starting to tune Gothrack out again; the shock from everything settling in. He'd missed so much...his friends had all grown up and gone on with their lives; they'd had children! Just yesterday, to him at least, he'd had lunch with everyone and had made plans for the summer.
"-Draco Malfoy, named after his great grandfather."
Gothrack had moved onto summarizing the lives of Tom's companions and allies after finishing up with Harry's friends.
"How many of my followers were tricked or forced into following the fake Dark Lord?" Tom was asking Gothrack. His voice sounded distant to Harry's ears and Harry was having trouble focusing on anything at all.
"Perhaps we should take a break." Gothrack commented when he noticed just how out of it the younger of the two boys was. "I will send for tea and biscuits."
"Thank you Gothrack." Tom was out of his chair quickly and helped Harry out of his own seat to take him over to sofa on the other side of the room.
Tom knew Harry well enough that he noticed the signs of a panic attack coming on even as Harry calmly took a seat at the sofa.
"Breath for me Harry." Tom whispered as he pulled the smaller boy onto his lap and pressed Harry's ear to his chest. "Copy me."
It helped, listening to Tom's heartbeat and feeling his chest rise and fall with each breath taken in. Harry still felt like he was at the edge of a cliff, but at least he wasn't standing on his toes. Mentally he was able to take small steps backwards until he had just enough distance between him and the cliff that was his metaphorical state of panic.
"How are you so calm?" Harry's voice broke and turned into a small sob before he could stop it. It felt like his entire world was crashing down around him and yet nothing felt real.
Tom didn't answer right away, just taking one deep breath at a time until he was sure Harry wouldn't break down. "I'm not. Right now I'm barely holding on." Tom admitted quietly. "I want to go and hide in a quiet corner for an eternity until I have control again, but if I do that then I can't protect you." Everything he ever did was for Harry after all.
"I have to stay calm and think things through in order to protect us both. I'll panic when we are safe." He tilted his head so that his forehead could rest on top of Harry's head. A small part of his mind registered the fact that Harry's hair was a lot more curly and messy now without the Malfoy's blood adoption.
"This is a lot of information for you boys to take in." Gothrack had returned with a tray of tea and finger food. "Unfortunately we still have much more to discuss." The goblin felt weary and it'd only been a couple hours since they'd first started.
But this was the reason Gothrack had been chosen to work with time travellers; he knew what needed to be done and would not cut corners the way other goblins would. Gothrack had the patience to explain things to time travelers when other goblins would just give the basics and then throw paperwork at them to make them go away.
They waited until Harry was calm once again and was able to sit on the sofa instead of in Tom's lap.
"We've covered most of the important events you have missed so we'll move onto your current affairs." Gothrack summoned the file and set it on the coffee table between them. "We were unsure when you two would return so we will need a couple days to find you suitable living accommodations."
"We're currently staying at the Leaky Cauldron."
Gothrack nodded and made a notation on one of the file pages. "Very good. You should be safe enough there for now. We would rather you both leave the country, but-"
"Dumbledore." Now that his nerves had settled, Harry found that he could feel things again. He felt nothing but rage and anger over the bastard that was at the core of all their problems.
"Exactly. You are a celebrity here Mister Potter. If you try to leave the country, Albus Dumbledore will find out. I would not be surprised if he already senses your presence."
Tom hissed and snarled. "What do you mean?" He demanded with a cold look.
"In the past we were unable to determine who it was that had been draining Mister Potter of his magic. After you both went missing we were able to put the final pieces together. Albus Dumbledore has a type of trace spell on Mister Potter's magic."
"The moment Harry uses any magic...He'll know."
"Exactly." Gothrack nodded at Tom's assessment. "Mister Potter's magic is very unique and because of his sensitivity he is always in a state of constant magic use. The good news," Gothrack smiled then. "is that Dumbledore can not use the trace spell to actually find Mister Potter. It just tells him that Mister Potter is in Britain. Your bond prevents the man from pinpointing your location."
"I want him gone." Harry suddenly snarled and it took all of his control not to let his magic lash out.
Being a goblin, Gothrack was used to dangerous displays of magic and violence. Goblins were a warrior race first and foremost and seeing someone so young calling for another's blood was like music to Gothrack's pointed ears.
"Do not worry, Mister Potter." If it were possible, Gothrack's teeth looked even sharper as he smiled at Harry. "We at Gringotts will do what we can to assist you in your vengeance against Albus Dumbledore."
Harry wasn't normally vindictive nor did he resort to violence as a solution, but in this case he would willingly plunge a sword deep into Dumbledore's heart if he could. He nodded at Gothrack and thanked him for whatever help the goblins could provide.
"Now then. Onto the next order of business." A small simple black box floated from the desk to Gothrack's hand. "Your benefactors planned for just about everything, including your arrival to this time." He opened the box and held it out to Tom. Inside was a simple silver ring. "This ring will disguise you. Only those that you want to see your true self will, but I caution you to not trust anyone right away."
"I understand." Tom took the offered ring and slipped it onto his left pointer finger. "You said Dumbledore was controlling people. I don't want my arrival getting back to him."
Gothrack nodded and then turned to Harry. "We have made an appointment with an eye specialist to fit you with glasses. Your physical appearance has changed enough that no one from the past should recognize you. Or make the connection that Hadrian Malfoy is really Harry Potter." He handed a note to Harry with the time and place written on it.
"With the blood adoption voided, Harry Potter can retake his true name. You though will need a new name Mister Gaunt."
A snort of laughter escaped Harry which had both Tom and Gothrack looking at him curiously. "Just thinking how ironic it is. I changed my name, now Tom gets to change his."
Tom rolled his eyes and shook his head. His only consolation about this was that Harry was calm again. "Well I can't take Riddle back. Gaunt would be too suspicious. Slytherin would garner too much attention." Those were the three names that had actual meaning for Tom.
"You could take up another of your ancestral names." Gothrack shuffled through his file for a moment before finding a rather yellowed sheet of parchment. "The Sayre family is all but extinct in Britain, but they have relatives in America. The Peverell family is also extinct, but it has ties to Gaunt and Potter."
"Really?" Harry blinked in surprise. "So...Tom and I are distantly related?"
Gothrack snickered a little at that. "All wizards are related. Too much inbreeding." He flicked his fingers as if to dismiss that revelation. "If you don't want to deal with possible inquiries from the American Sayre branch, you might want to go with Peverell. And," Gothrack rubbed his chin in thought. "the Peverell family was a well known light family. That could hide you from Dumbledore's immediate attention for awhile."
After a little more discussion, it was decided that Tom would change his name to Thomas Corvin Peverell. Gothrack had both boys retake the inheritance test, to update their records, and then made plans to forge documents for Tom.
According to his forged documents, Thomas Corvin Peverell was from a distant family branch in France and that he had attended Beauxbaton until recently. It would take some bribery, but the goblins in France would be more than willing to help if it meant messing with the wizarding world.
It helped that most of the magical world outside of Britain was rather disdainful of the British Isles. It wouldn't be too hard to plant false memories or convince people to 'remember' that a handsome, quiet, and hardworking Thomas Peverell had attended the french magic school.
Taking the Peverell name had an unintended effect though; Tom became Lord Peverell as well as Lord Slytherin and Lord Gaunt.
Gothrack explained that even though the paperwork was being forged, magic still recognized the claim that Tom was making by changing his name. Which meant even more vaults for Tom to have access to.
Tom would have to make time to return to Gringotts during the summer to look over all his vaults and accounts.
With the Peverell Lordship claimed, the next closest member of the family was named heir; which meant Harry.
Needless to say the two boys were unable to get out of Gringotts until early evening. Both were exhausted and at least Harry was feeling overwhelmed with everything they had just learned. Tom had been given a list of the names of his allies that the goblins believed were being controlled by Dumbledore as well as a list of the names they believed could be trusted.
They took dinner in their room in the inn and retired early for the night. They would have another busy day in the morning and Harry had an appointment with an eye specialist that they would need to get to.
At least they weren't completely alone. They had each other and that was all that mattered.
Harry didn't notice the one major flaw until they were getting ready the next morning. The eye specialist wasn't located in Diagon Alley. The specialist wasn't at St. Mungo's either. No, the person that the goblins had made an appointment with was located out in muggle London.
But he and Tom didn't have muggle clothes. All they had were their school uniforms and robes. They could leave the robes and just go in their pants and shirts, but...Harry was fairly sure that their clothes were very, VERY, old fashioned and would make them stick out.
Which resulted in them making a quick trip into the Alley buy a change of clothes. They would go and get a couple more outfits while in muggle London; it would be enough at least until they had a more permanent place to stay. Then they would get more wizarding robes.
"Why did they have to choose a specialist in muggle London?" Tom grumbled irritably as he and Harry finished changing back at the inn.
"Maybe because I'd be recognized otherwise?" Harry pointed out as he tucked in his shirt. "You read the same article I did. This scar," He lifted his bangs to remind Tom of lighting bolt shape there. "is too recognizable. The specialist is probably muggle."
As much as Tom hated to admit it, Harry was right. The scar that Tom so adored marked Harry in a way that made getting close to other magical people difficult and possibly dangerous. Until they knew who to trust they would have to avoid the magical world as much as possible.
Harry made sure to comb his bangs back over his scar, squinting into the mirror as he did so. As much as he hated the fact that he would have to wear glasses again, at least it would help to disguise him a bit more.
The last thing they needed was for Dumbledore to realize that Harry Potter was actually Hadrian Malfoy.
"Come on then." Tom grumbled as he took Harry's hand. They might as well get this over with if only so they could get their shopping needs taken care of afterwards. He hated having only two outfits after having gotten used to having a full wardrobe with the Malfoy's.
At first Muggle London didn't seem all that different to Tom as they left the Leaky Cauldron. It was still dirty, dingy, and dark. But when they stepped out from the side street, Tom felt himself freeze up in shock.
There was noise everywhere and instead of the bulky automobiles Tom had grown up seeing, there were shiny and sleek vehicles driving down perfectly paved roads. People crowded the sidewalks and it was all Tom could do not to get swept up in the hurried bustling of the crowd.
Harry wasn't having any easier of a time adjusting to the sudden influx of noise and people. He grabbed onto Tom's hand and tugged him back into the side street.
Honestly, Harry couldn't remember much from his childhood and he definitely didn't remember anything about London. Most of the time his relatives had kept him locked away in the house whenever they had to go into the city.
He was so used to Tom's time that seeing his own time was just as overwhelming for him as it was for Tom.
The two stood in the side street for several minutes before Tom straightened his shoulders and tugged at Harry's hand.
"Come on." His voice sounded strained and Tom's eyes were hard and focused. "Let's get this over with."
The directions the Goblins had given them were clear and concise so even though it would have been easy for Tom and Harry to get lost, they found the specialist without needing to stop to ask for directions.
Tom and Harry held hands the entire time they were navigating through London's streets. Tom's grip on Harry's hand was almost painfully tight, but the younger teen didn't say anything. The twinge of pain was almost a relief for Harry.
"Finally." Tom hissed as they found the fancy looking business front. There were a few displays in the windows and a quick glance had Tom raising a brow at the prices. The Goblins had definitely gone all out when selecting the eye specialist.
"Welcome to Guilliver's Eyeware." A sweet voice called out from just beyond a curtain at the back of the show room. "I'll be with you one moment. Feel free to look around."
The walls of the store were covered with different glasses. Each one a different color or shape. Tom had never needed glasses, but he was surprised at the wide variety.
"Sorry about that," A thin woman with short blond hair came out from the back room and smiled at the two teens. "Do you have an appointment?"
Harry handed over the slip of paper that the goblins had given him. He had no idea what he needed to do. There was a small sign on the counter saying something about accepting insurance and most of the frames were hundreds of pounds.
"Perfect! The doctor will see you whenever you're ready Mr. Potter." The woman smiled brightly. "Once your exam is done you can choose frames. Everything is done in house so your glasses should be ready in a few hours."
The exam went pretty quickly. Harry's eyes weren't too bad, but he would definitely need glasses for seeing long distances.
It took longer to pick out a pair of frames. Harry was all for just grabbing a pair that fit, but Tom insisted on seeing each pair on Harry and picking the ones that looked the best. In the end they settled on two pairs and a pair of sunglasses.
"Would you like contacts as well?" The receptionist asked as she fitted the glasses to Harry and messed with a weird measurement device to mark the fake lenses. "We have the newest brands available."
"No thank you." Harry shook his head after the woman had described how the contacts worked. He really wasn't fond of the idea of putting his fingers in his eyes. Glasses would work just fine.
"Alright." The woman took the glasses from Harry and set them into a tray next to her. "Come back in about three hours and we'll have your glasses ready for you."
"How much do we owe?" Tom asked as he eyed the woman carefully.
"Owe?" The woman tilted her head a little. "Everything has already been paid for. The gentleman that scheduled your visit gave payment details."
Of course the Goblins would take care of the cost. Tom had to fight hard not to sigh and roll his eyes. He wanted to be upset about this, about the Goblins taking care of their purchases and such, but he was too tired honestly to care too much.
"Right then." Tom took Harry's hand as the two of them stood up. "We'll be back in three hours then. Thank you."
They were out of the eyeglass shop and walking back down the streets of London within minutes. "Clothes shopping now?" Tom suggested as he eyed the crowds wearily.
"We could stick to the less busy shops." Harry suggested quietly. "They'll probably be more expensive, but…" He chewed on his lip and looked around. They both had plenty of money and Gringotts had given them a weird plastic card to use in muggle stores, but that didn't mean they were reckless with their money.
The Malfoy's had taught both boys how to balance their finances and how important it was to be responsible with their money.
And then Tom remembered something important about their money.
He was over 17 now and that meant he had full access to all his money rather than just the allowance that had been set up for them all those years ago. They could get just about anything they wanted without having to worry about limits.
"Come on." Tom smirked slowly at Harry as they wandered down the street. They had to stop once to ask for directions, but eventually they were able to find their way to the high end shopping district.
Being 17 also meant that Tom could use his magic freely without having to worry about the ridiculous underage trace so they wouldn't be restricted to only getting as much as they could carry.
It was interesting to note that when they walked into the first store, which sported gold gilding around the front door and rather nice looking mannequins in the windows, Tom and Harry were eyed with suspicion.
Tom's eyes narrowed at the blatant snubbing they received from the clerks that were behind a counter or wandering the clothing racks. At one point a gentleman in a very nice tailored suit came up to them while Tom pulled several nice button down shirts for him and Harry to try on.
"May I help you boys with something?" The man's lip almost curled into a sneer as he forced himself to smile tightly at them.
"Yes." Tom shoved the shirts at the man which forced him to grab hold of them or let the clothes fall to the floor. "My companion and I are in need of new wardrobes for the summer. We will need to be sized for fittings and any tailoring done immediately," With a small cold smirk Tom reached to grab a few more things. "If this establishment is capable of such."
The Malfoy's had taught him well on how to deal with idiots such as this man that was trying to talk down to them. Tom poured all of his upper crust upbringing into his posture and voice.
"At least 5 long sleeve shirts each, 7 trousers, several short sleeve shirts, dress shoes, casual shoes, belts, and under clothes. To start." Tom would not let anyone treat him less than what he was.
"No pastels." Harry had picked up on Tom's change in manner and had instantly fixed his posture so that he was standing proudly with his shoulders back and his head tilted up. His eyes never left the clothes as he spoke to the store clerk.
As much as Tom wanted to smirk at Harry for his obvious dislike of the softer color pallet, Tom kept his expression stern. "At least 2 formal outfits as well. Preferably in green."
And then Tom whipped out the plastic card that the goblins had given them.
The instant the clerk saw the card, the entire demeanor of the store changed. Suddenly the women that had been scowling from behind the counter were gracious and cooing at the choices that Tom and Harry made. The man that Tom had shoved the clothes at humbled and practically simpered.
The display was utterly disgusting to Tom, but he was more willing to put up with ass kissing from strangers then being treated like poorly.
Tom had always considered himself an easy shopper, he knew what looked good on him and he knew what he liked. Unfortunately fashion had changed in the 50 years that time had passed and Tom found that the things he normally liked were not to be found. He had to defer to the women that were picking out outfits for Harry and Tom to try on.
Thankfully Tom had a 'classic' handsomeness that made it so almost everything looked good on him. Harry on the other hand was a little harder to shop for. He had a more boyish charm that the women seemed to enjoy catering towards.
One shirt did catch Tom's eye though and he grabbed it and pushed it into Harry's hands to try on.
It was a fairly simple design, white with only a few embellishments. The collar was something both Tom and Harry were used to, the sleeves were long and loose but not billowing, and the shirt hung down past Harry's hips with the sides slashed cleanly. What really made Tom gravitate towards the shirt were the black lightning bolts that outlined the shoulders.
The shirt accentuated Harry's lithe body without making him seem too slim or bony. Tom could see Harry wearing the shirt tucked in and untucked if he wanted as the current fashion seemed to be. It was added to the definite pile.
Tom didn't even bother looking at the final total when they'd found everything that they had wanted in the store. The inhouse tailor had made the adjustments so quickly and cleanly that Tom would have almost suspected magic.
Unfortunately they hadn't found everything that they had wanted for their new wardrobes and the two of them were forced to continue to the next store.
Thankfully, probably because they already had bags that showed off just how much money they were willing to spend, the clerks at the next store were instantly catering to them.
By the time 3 hours had passed, Tom and Harry had enough clothes for a decent wardrobe each. Besides clothes, Tom had also added watches and various other accessories that he had been intrigued by while shopping.
A quickly cast lightweight charm on the bags allowed them to carry everything without worrying about their arms growing tired.
They got Harry his new glasses and made it back to the Leaky Cauldron with enough time to relax before dinner.
"Well...besides the ridiculous amount of automobiles and muggles, I don't think I'll have a problem adjusting to this place." Tom commented as he and Harry went upstairs to their room in the inn to put their things away. "Really though I find myself a little bit impressed by the improvements that have come to pass."
As much as Tom disliked the muggle world, he had felt a begrudging respect to the advancements he had seen. Muggles had found ways to get around their lack of magic and some things, like the strange devices several people had been speaking into, seemed to be immensely useful.
Phones had existed in Tom's time, but not wireless and portable ones. It was like having a portable floo that didn't require a person to go down on their knees to talk to another person. He wondered if a magical version could be made.
"Can we eat out tonight?"
Harry's words caught Tom by surprise as he set their bags down on the bed to be sorted later. He took a closer look at Harry and found that the younger teen couldn't quite look him in the eye. In fact Harry's cheeks were a bit pink and he was shifting around a little.
Tom could make a hundred guesses as to why Harry was acting strangely, but it was easier to just peak in on Harry through their bond.
The younger teen's emotions were all over the place. He was embarrassed, nervous, sad, and even a little happy. None of that told Tom why Harry was feeling the way he was though.
"Harry...talk to me." Tom ordered, his voice soft but inflexible.
Harry rubbed at his left arm for a moment before sighing. "I just...I just want a moment to be normal again. Today was great. I was able to just forget about everything for a few hours and I...I don't want today to end."
For a moment, sorrow flashed in Harry's eyes and Tom felt his heart twist. He was good at compartmentalizing his emotions and thoughts, but Harry was more sensitive than him. Harry felt things more strongly and honestly Tom was amazed Harry hadn't broken down yet.
"Ok." Tom went to Harry and pulled him into a tight hug. "We'll go out for dinner. We passed by a lot of muggle places that smelled good. Do you want to try one of those?"
Instantly Harry's entire face lit up in a brilliant smile and he nodded quickly. He didn't even care that they would be returning to muggle London to eat, just as long as he and Tom were together and taking just a little more time to forget about the chaos that had enveloped their lives.
They were down the stairs, leaving the inn, and reentering muggle London soon after that. Tom made it a point to make their adventure back into London to find dinner as relaxed and casual as possible.
As the two teens left the tavern, they missed the look of surprise from one of the men that had just started to sit down at the bar. His eyes widened and his nostrils flared as he took in a deep breath. The man quickly abandoned the drink that had been set down in front of him and rushed out of the Leaky Cauldron to follow after the two boys.
"How about italian?" Tom suggested as he and Harry leisurely wandered through London looking at the different restaurants available to them. Both of them had turned down fish and chips, and the weird sandwich place with the big golden 'M' over it.
"Italian sounds good."
Currently they were standing outside of what looked to be a upscale Italian restaurant with a couple gentlemen taking keys for the cars to go and park them.
With a sharp grin, Tom took Harry's hand and led him inside where a disgruntled maitre d standing just behind a desk.
"Is there something I can help you with...gentlemen?" The man sniffed and he tilted his head a little to look at Tom and Harry over his nose.
Tom considered the man for a moment. He could see why the man was looking down on them, he and Harry didn't exactly look like the kind of people that would normally eat in a place like this,
"We would like a table for two, sir." Before the maitre d could shoo them away, Tom pulled out the golden plastic card and handed it over. "Preferably secluded."
The man clearly looked conflicted as he took the card from Tom. Like all the other people that had taken the card during the day, he seemed to recognize it as important, but he was frowning deeply.
"I apologize sir, but this is a black jacket restaurant." He seemed reluctant to hand the gold card back to Tom. "And we do require reservations."
Tom glanced past him to see that the men that were eating were wearing fancy jackets and ties while the women were in expensive looking dresses.
As much as Tom wanted to treat Harry to a nice dining experience, he could not fault the man for the rules. He and Harry weren't exactly dressed for an expensive dinner and it wasn't like they had a reservation.
If Tom hadn't been in such a decent mood he might have used magic to trick the maitre de into letting them eat. His finger did twitch and he was debating on doing just that when Harry spoke up next to him.
"Could you suggest another place for dinner?" Harry asked with his best smile, the one that always had Mrs. Malfoy eating out of the palm of his hand. "We're new to the area you see."
The maitre de sighed quietly in obvious relief and smiled at the two teens. "There is a place, Stephanos, just down the block that has a superb Lasagna." The man riffled through some papers under the desk for a moment and pulled out a small map. "Just take a right here and you'll see it."
"Thank you so much." Harry was all smiles as he took Tom's hand and the two left.
"We could have eaten there." Tom told Harry softly. "A small confundus and it wouldn't have been a problem."
Harry shook his head and smirked at Tom. "He seemed nice though. And he did help us to find another place to eat."
"You're too gentle Harry." Tom whispered, but he was still smiling fondly down at the younger teen at his side. "Fine. We'll go to this 'Stephanos' place."
The big smile that Harry gave Tom had him smiling a little in return.
"Hey," Harry was still smiling and holding hands with Tom, but his voice had an edge to it that had Tom stiffening up. "Don't look, but we're being followed." Harry just kept smiling and leading Tom down the sidewalk. "I didn't notice at first, but he's close enough now it's hard to miss his magic."
With as little movement as possible, Tom turned his head to glance back behind them. No one obvious was looking at them. The crowd was thick enough that anyone could hide easily without being noticed.
"His magic feels excited...but in a good way." Harry commented as they waited to cross the street to go down the road towards the new restaurant. "It kinda feels...familiar...but I can't place it."
Which meant it wasn't Dumbledore or anyone that Harry would have had constant contact with. That fact didn't relax Tom at all; they were being followed in muggle London and there wasn't much they could do.
"What do you want to do Tom?" Harry asked as he raised his voice so that he was talking at a normal level again. "Maybe head home after dinner? Or we could find someplace quiet to relax."
"How hungry are you?" Tom asked as he pulled Harry close with a protective arm slung across his shoulders. "We could get ice cream after."
"Mmm sounds good to me." There was an alley up ahead and Tom slowed their walking to make sure their follower would catch up. A nod from Harry had Tom ducking into the alley and pushing the smaller boy behind him.
Their stalker almost ran into the alley after them and Tom grabbed hold of the man's arm and slammed him into the wall.
"Who are you and why are you following us?" Tom demanded. He cast a nonverbal wandless binding spell to keep the man from getting away from the wall of the building. Tom's blue eyes swirled with red as he snarled in the man's face. "Answer truthfully or I'll make sure you never find us again."
The man was oddly calm and his hands had been frozen in a raised position and neither held a wand.
"Lupin." The man's voice was scratchy as if he had just gotten over a cold. "Remus Lupin. I followed you because...because I recognized Harry." His light brown, almost amber, eyes darted to Harry who was still partially behind Tom. "Harry, w-we all thought...we thought you were dead!"
There were tears in Lupin's eyes as he looked Harry over. His gaze lingered on Harry's messy black hair and his bright emerald green eyes.
Tom growled softly and slapped at Lupin's cheek. "Eyes here." He pointed at himself as he spoke. "What do you want with Harry?" His eyes had turned completely red at this point and he was staring at their stalker intensely.
"I just want to talk to Harry. I was a good friend with his parents years ago." There was a tremor there and pain in Lupin's eyes as he met Tom's red gaze. "I just want to talk."
Tom glared at Lupin. "Talk then."
Lupin swallowed and his calm composure broke a little. "Please, can we go someplace? Public is fine. Just...not here." It wasn't comfortable being physically restrained against a wall in an alley that smelled like refuse.
"Tom...I think we can trust him." Harry whispered. He tugged at Tom's shirt gently to try and get him to listen.
His mind worked fast as Tom went through all the scenarios that could happen if he released their stalker from the wall. If it came down to it Tom was sure he and Harry could protect themselves, but what they could do was limited if they stayed in muggle London.
On the other hand their stalker was limited as well. None of them wanted Auror's to come down on them, which would happen if they did any flashy magic around muggles. A lightweight spell was one thing, but battle magic couldn't be easily covered up.
"You are a stranger to us." Tom moved his hand so that he was gripping Lupin's neck tightly. "You could be trying to kidnap Harry. If you move in any way I find troubling, I will take you down." His hand tightened briefly before he released Lupin.
The moment he was no longer touching him, Lupin was released from the wall. "We are going to Stephanos for dinner. You may join us, but this will be your only warning."
"I understand. I just want to talk." Lupin insisted quickly. He kept his hands away from his pockets before nodding to himself. "Would you be more comfortable if I gave you my wand?" His words were strained, but it was obvious to Tom that the man was desperate enough to talk to Harry to give up his only defense.
Tom considered the offer before nodding. He held out his hand until Lupin pulled out his wand from a pocket in his muggle jacket and handed it over. Tom took the wand and placed it with his own wand in a pocket.
"You'll walk ahead of us." Tom nodded his head towards the opening of the alley and waited until Lupin was walking.
"Tom?"
Tom had waited until Lupin was a few feet ahead of them before retaking Harry's hand and leaving the alley.
"Yes Harry?"
"His magic is strange." Harry was tilting his head slightly and his green eyes distant as he stared at Lupin. "It feels like the forest at night. Wild almost, but constrained." He had never felt anything like it and Harry was curious to know more. It reminded him almost of the spirits that liked to be around him, but not quite.
Harry's observation had Tom's lips tightening into a thin line. He wasn't going to take any chances with Lupin; if the man did absolutely anything then Tom would get them out of there and away from Lupin instantly.
"If things go south Harry," Tom's voice was low so that only Harry could hear him. "Grab onto me. I'll apparate us back to Diagon."
There wasn't a verbal response from Harry, but Tom saw the younger teen nodding out of the corner of his eye.
In no time at all the three of them were seated in a quiet corner of the Italian restaurant. After the waiter had taken their drink orders, Tom subtly flicked his fingers to cast several privacy charms.
"You wanted to talk," Tom hissed out as he eyed Lupin closely. "So talk."
Remus cleared his throat a little before attempting to say something. "When you went missing Harry, everyone panicked." His brown eyes never left Harry, as if afraid the raven haired boy would suddenly vanish. "Dumbledore used every spell he could think of to find you. When everything failed…"
"Don't talk about him." Tom's eyes went red and it took all of his self control, and Harry grabbing his arm, to keep Tom from hitting Lupin with a painful curse.
The calm demeanor that Remus had kept up slipped and he looked at Tom and Harry in confusion.
"Talk about who?"
"Dumbledore." Harry didn't look away from Tom as he answered.
"You...you know who Dumbledore is?" Remus and the others had all been led to believe that Harry had been raised outside of the magical world and was ignorant of it.
Tom snorted and he sneered darkly at Lupin. "We know a great deal more than you think."
Harry rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Lupin, but he kept a hand on Tom's arm to keep him calm. "Even with privacy spells we really shouldn't talk too much about our lives out in the open."
"How do you know Harry?" Tom demanded. Since he and Harry couldn't talk about their lives, they might as well get as much info out of Lupin as they could.
"I was friends with his parents." For a moment Remus fished around in his pocket before slowly pulling out his wallet. "I was there when Harry was born." From his wallet, Remus pulled out a single creased picture.
When it was handed over, Harry took it and looked at the image in curiosity. Three adults were standing in the picture, a woman and two men, as well as a small baby bundled up in a fluffy white baby blanket. Harry looked up from the picture to look at Lupin and then back at the picture.
"That's me with your mother and father." Remus smiled sadly as the people in the picture smiled and passed the small baby back and forth between the three of them. "You were only a week old when that picture was taken. It was the last time I saw you before your parents took you into hiding. It was...it was the last time I saw them alive."
"If you were such good friends," Tom felt nothing as he looked at the picture. Sure he thought baby Harry looked adorable, but then again Harry always looked adorable, but other than that he had no real connection to the people in the photo. "Why didn't you take care of Harry after his parents died?"
"I wanted to!" Remus cried out only to stop talking when the waiter returned. Tom temporarily dropped the privacy charms so that they could get their drinks and give their food orders. "I wanted to, but Dumbledore believed Harry would be safer outside of the magical world."
From their bond Tom could feel that Harry was conflicted. The younger boy wanted to believe Lupin, he felt pain over the deaths of his parents who looked so happy in the photo, but most importantly Tom could feel how angry Harry was becoming.
"I wasn't." Harry's voice cracked and his hands shook. He had to set the fragile photo down so he would crumple it.
Lupin winced and he folded his hands up in his lap so he wouldn't reach out to touch Harry. "We understood that after you went missing-"
"I went missing because I was in danger!" It was Tom's turn to grab onto Harry to keep him from practically exploding. "My aunt and uncle hated me! They tortured me, starved me, beat me! Even when the police stepped in they still found ways to make my life a living hell."
The older man that sat across from Harry reeled back as if he had been slapped. "W-what-"
"If it wasn't for Tom, I would be dead."
Silence descended over the table and Tom had to pull Harry close to try and calm the younger teen's shaking.
"T-that's…" Lupin cleared his throat. "I want to believe you, but Dumbledore-"
"Is a horrible, manipulative, disgusting old man that has too much of a fixation on Harry." Tom felt Harry turn his head so that he was pressing his face into Tom's chest. "He is the one that put Harry with his relatives. If he had cared at all he would have checked in on Harry now and then, but he never did.
"Instead he left Harry with magic hating muggles and expected them to keep Harry alive. Instead they did everything in their power to try and break Harry." Tom's arms tightened around Harry and he took a moment to breath into Harry's soft black hair to calm himself down. "As soon as we had the chance, I got Harry out of there."
It was difficult for Remus to wrap his mind around everything he was hearing. He had trusted Dumbledore, trusted that the man had placed Harry in the safest place possible. He had trusted that the old headmaster knew what he was doing.
Was it really possible that Dumbledore had messed up so badly? Was it possible that Remus had misplaced his trust? A part of him didn't want to believe it, but...
Questions and connections that Remus had put to the back of his mind years ago began surfacing. He had never been told exactly why James and Lily had gone into hiding, just that the Dark Lord had been after them. When Sirius had killed Peter and had been accused of betraying James and Lily, Remus had been suspicious.
But Dumbledore had always told Remus that everything would work out; that everything would be alright.
And now Remus was learning that his cub, his pack's cub, the last piece of James and Lily, had been in danger because of Dumbledore.
A strange growling sound tickled at Harry's ears and he very slowly pulled away from Tom just enough to look around.
He gasped when his eyes landed on Lupin. The man's light brown eyes had turned amber and were almost glowing. His canines looked sharper as he snarled at the table and the man's finger nails almost looked like claws.
Lupin was the one growling and Harry could feel the man's magic spiraling almost like a tornado inside of him.
"I'll kill him." Remus growled out as he fought to keep his wolf contained. "I'll kill the lying bastard."
Very slowly, Tom's lips turned up in a dark smirk, his eyes a bright crimson red. He didn't need Harry to tell him about what was going on with Lupin's magic. No. Tom knew and he was rather pleased with the turn of events.
Remus Lupin was a werewolf and Tom knew that werewolves were almost insanely protective of their packs. Tom may not have trusted Lupin with Harry, but he was positive he could use the werewolf to further his goals.
Special thanks to: Louise to, Deb
A/N: Reminder that I do have a tumblr: Ethrildragon