"Why must we do this, Pet?" Again his pet was causing havoc at Hogwarts. This time with the help of the basilisk.
"Who are you?" It was odd. His pet acted as if he didn't remember him and for a moment Harry was inclined to believe him. But the events of last year weighed heavily on his mind and no matter what new form his pet took the man should remember his master.
"Do you not remember me Pet? It's only been a year." Tom frowned, nose scrunching cutely in Harry's opinion. The dying girl at their feet twitched. Finally the basilisk spoke up, her body sliding closer to Harry, though her tail stayed wrapped around Tom.
"He does not recognize you Master. He is still young." Harry frowned. How could his pet not recognize him? He should know even if he didn't remember. Harry suddenly turned to the basilisk, glare in place and she shrunk back appropriately.
"Do not think I will let you off easy. You should have made sure my Pet was safe in my absence. Sent him to a guardian! Instead you let him run around killing people like a child!" The basilisk lowered her head, ashamed of herself. She had failed her master and she had failed Death. She should have protected him.
"You are my master?" Harry turned back to Tom, watching the teen stare at him in open shock. It seemed he was telling the truth. "But you're just a first year!"
"Second year!" Harry huffed in annoyance. He was short yes, but that didn't mean he looked like a first year! Tom scoffed and crossed his arms. How could he have a master who was so much younger than him?
"I'm older than you!" Harry growled, magic crackling around him. Both Tom and the basilisk moved back, knowing that they had pushed him too far.
"Pet. My patience grows thin." Tom suppressed the whimper that threatened to leave him. How did a second year manage to look so scary? He looked down at the girl on the floor between them, Ginny Weasley. The red head twitched and while she wasn't the best choice, Tom was running out of options.
"You can't stop me." Harry shook his head, reaching out to his pet. His fingers passed through the boy and Harry sighed.
"Let her go, Tom. Her song still has many notes to it." Tom frowned. He didn't understand.
"I need her. I need a body." Harry softened, letting his hand hover over his pet's cheek.
"I will provide you with one. But first you must let her go." Tom felt tears well in his eyes and nodded, releasing his hold over the witch on the floor. Ginny gasped in air before passing out.
"Master I-" Harry smiled and kissed his pet as best he could. The teen was taller than him and still incorporeal but Harry managed.
"Shh… I will take care of you." Tom let out a sob as he was sucked back into the diary. Harry carefully picked up the book, holding the object close to his chest. He could feel his pet inside of the journal, a broken part of him. He nearly cried out at the idea of his pet splitting his soul. He should have been here.
"Master?" The basilisk slithered closer, still wary of her now silent master. Harry smiled faintly and turned to the queen of serpents.
"He is lost." The basilisk nodded, Tom was very much lost. Her little charge had longed for his master no matter how much he denied it. Her eyes roved over her master, taking in how young he was. It had been far too long since her master had resurfaced. Something had to be wrong. He would never leave his pet for so long by choice.
"Why were you gone?" Harry growled, fingers tightening around the diary. There was a sharp burst of magic that sounded like a whimper and Harry shushed the book.
"Someone blocked me. Postponed my birth and body." Harry seethed and the basilisk watched. She had only seen her master so angry once before when someone had killed his pet. Harry had a small suspicion of who could have blocked him and he was not happy. He would make them pay. "I was too far from him."
The basilisk easily wrapped her tail around her master in a mimicry of a hug. Harry leaned against her scales, sighing softly. He wanted to be angry again but mostly he was just tired. He just wanted to be with his pet.
"He will get better." Harry smiled as the basilisk comforted him. She always knew how to make him feel better.
There was a wolf in the school. A wolf!
Harry shivered in delight at the thought of the moon creature. Wolf song was always so powerful, especially during a full moon. However the wolf pretended to be a man, normal and boring.
The wolf spoke to him sometimes. Tried to suppress his song and be average. Harry thought it was such a waste. Tom thought it was hilarious.
And the best part was that Severus knew! The Potion's Master knew about the wolf and was surprisingly angry. Though it may have something to do with the notes of fear and arousal coming from him whenever he was around the wolf.
Interesting.
His time at Hogwarts just kept getting better and better.
There were also Dementors at Hogwarts and Harry was not pleased. He was ashamed he had ever created such despicable creatures and now they were here to patrol the school in search of a murderer. That just would not do.
He would have to do something about them. They upset Tom.
He had searched for the murderer and he'd found him, though not the one the Dementors were looking for. Peter Pettigrew squirmed in his hold, scratching at his gloves. Harry sighed and gripped the rodent tighter, smirking at the squeak he got in return. They sat in the Shrieking Shack, waiting. The others were coming.
Black arrived first, deranged and angry. His song was erratic and Harry felt slightly disgusted. It seemed he had another song to fix. Remus came next, speaking with growls and his wolf straining at his soul. Harry listened as the whispers watched in amusement. His amusement left him when Black shot an Unforgivable at the hidden Potion's Master. He would not let anyone harm one of his pet's toys.
He stood, magic reaching out and healing Severus of the effects of the Killing Curse. Black looked at him in surprise, having forgotten he was there. Harry easily ignored the man's shouts, sidestepping the stunned werewolf and kneeling next to the newly revived Death Eater.
"Severus? I am going to cast a Cheering Charm on you." The man nodded weakly and Harry silently cast the charm, watching as color returned to the pale face. He stood and turned green eyes to the man who had dared spill death from his lips.
"Black. I do not enjoy watching you kill those who still have time to live. You are here for one man. Take him." He dropped Pettigrew to the floor, reversing the man's animagus transformation and binding him in ropes with a snap of his fingers. The wolf seemed even more stunned and looked at Harry in surprise. Black was watching Pettigrew with such contempt that Harry shivered in delight. He could not wait for Pettigrew's song to end. Black raised his wand to kill the rat only to be stopped by the wolf.
"Wait Sirius! We need him!" Black jerked away from Remus, eyes wide in hysteria and Harry took a cautious step towards the Potion's Master. He did not want the man to be killed again so soon.
"We need him dead!" Remus tugged on Black's arm, drawing the man away from the snivelling rat on the floor.
"If he's alive we can clear your name. If you kill him it'll only convince everyone you've gone mad!" Black sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat and Harry was momentarily disappointed.
"You're right. You're always right Remy." Black turned back to Pettigrew, the man staring up in fear at his soon to be killer.
"Don't think I'll let you live for long." Harry finally smiled.