Disclaimer and A/N for this story b/c I forgot about it in the first doc: I don't own, I wish I did. I'm just a fangirl who likes uncanny solutions for everything I see and hear. I don't know about cannon, I've read books a very long, long time ago so this story will mostly be non-cannon AU. I'm writing it just because I'd really like to see Hermione Granger interacting with Tom M. Riddle. FYI I see young Riddle as a very Sherlock a-like (in appearance mostly, maybe in personality to?) those who really enjoy BBC1 series will know what I mean.

In need of a beta-reader. Whomever is willing to be one might feel free to send me a message. I'll give a cookie for that :3

Thank you very much for all reviews so far! It really means much to me, at least I know I'm not the only crazy girl with twisted imagination. Now, read and review!

Previously:

"Red beam shot from the tip of a wand and connected with woody surface of a door, busting them out of place and into chamber. At the same moment dark, powerful magic crazed with energy. Cracking noise filled up a corridor with such power its echo could be heard in all castle.

Darkness and light collided then. Magic mingled with magic tearing onto each other..."

T.M.R.

Huge quake nearly moved the castle from its foundries and only eerie silence could be heard afterwards. Indeed, outside world gave the impression as if nothing happened. A few birds flew up into the sky from the Forbidden Forest, while a bright sunshine fell like a ghost through large windows at sixth floor, straight into corridor where only one door could be seen.

Where unmoving body of Hermione Granger was laying on stone floor.

From a hefty gash on her head red blood seeped slowly marking ground in a gory circle. Dark magic disappeared in a tic as if it done what it had to do. Chamber doors still were somewhere inside however it was hard to tell with all the smoulder coming out of it.

Few seconds passed yet smoke didn't even think to disperse. Wherever behind it you could clearly hear loud, sluggish movement. After what seemed to be forever, dirty hand shot out from the chamber to hold onto place where once doors were. Its owner then bit by bit stepped out, making his appearance known with ear-splitting coughs.

A tall, young boy without looking around, slid down nearby wall, welcoming its coldness. Then to everybody's surprise he started to laugh. Loudly, and it reminded more barking of a dog but he didn't seem to mind it. Once his moment of relief passed he opened his eyes. They fell on a motionless body of a girl, around whom blood still poured quite profoundly.

"Oh, fu— No." he muttered grimly to himself, not moving from his place. Girl was unconscious, didn't seem to have any bad injury, still just to check her condition he made a quick movement with his wand. "Barely alive..." he mumbled under nose, standing slowly. As he was getting up, he heard steps and voices speeding towards them. Not thinking much he pointed wand on head and ran in exactly opposite direction. Familiar feeling of Chameleon charm flooded around him and soon enough he was creeping from around the corner.

"Oh my..! Merlin..!" Minerva McGonagall shrieked when her eyes took in the sight before her. "Poppy, please..! It's good that I took you with me!"

Poppy Pomfrey hurried to laying girl, checked her pulse and then sighed worriedly. "She's alive... but only barely. She must've lost a lot of blood... And have a pretty large wound on the head..."

"What you're saying?"

Poppy shook her head slowly. "Nothing, Minerva. It's just... nothing."

"I really don't like it" she said looking around with frown. "What had happened here? Why's Miss Granger in such state?"

"I don't know" replied Poppy taking Hermione's hand in hers. She pointed her wand at her students head and murmured something. "It's better we take her to Hospital Wing as fast as we can... She can't lose anymore blood."

"Yes, yes, of course." Minerva nodded but then she seemed to feel something. "However could you be able to do this by yourself? I'd like to stay here and see if I can find something."

Poppy nodded. "I'll try my best" she said, speaking spell and levitating unconscious student before her. "But please, do hurry..."

Minerva didn't say anything staring at body of Hermione Granger for as long as she could. It was a shock to see her favourite student in such a state. Then again she remembered that terrible quake from half hour ago, could that be linked to what happened to Miss Granger? Maybe, probably even. She took out her wand and pointed it at chamber, in couple seconds everything was cleaned up and there wasn't a trace of anything what happened. Inside, room wasn't destroyed, it looked fine but then again what happened with Miss Granger? Lone idea that popped in was that of an attack. Sniffing few times she cleared her square glasses and put them back on her pointy nose.

She was an old witch and lived through many hard years, however it still is a shock that after fall of him somebody could try to take his place. And so soon! And to attack Miss Granger of all people! Then there was that familiar tingling in the air of dark magic, it was probably what lured Hermione here. Doing a common wand faction she could tell that what she tasted on her tongue was something very familiar but couldn't put her finger on it. Something was missing, she didn't know what though.

Just as she thought she won't find anything she stopped herself from going. When she came here she didn't hear nothing, merely eerie silence. That could mean only two things, attacker was still here or fled before she got here. Steeling herself, Minerva looked towards corridor's end with simple task on her mind. She went there waiting for an attack but it never had a place. With one easy anti-curse, she came to stare into eyes of a person who she believed to be dead.

"You" she seethed with her face stricken. "Impossible! We fought you! We killed you!"

Boy whose charm was easily finished cursed lowly. But then he heard what was said and it caught his attention. "What do you mean 'we killed you'?" he asked with dark expression upon his face.

Minerva was in disbelief, it simply wasn't possible! He couldn't be here. Now! Never again. They just not so many months ago destroyed him and all of his horcruxes, unless... No, she shrugged off that thought. No, he couldn't made more of them, could he? However as unreal as it seemed to be, Tom Marvolo Riddle was standing there face to face with her and he looked not older than eighteen.

"Who are you?" Tom asked slowly, his face stoic mask. "I don't remember you... But I should, shouldn't I?"

Minerva opened her mouth and then shut. "Let's go to my office Mister Riddle."

At that Tom smirked, crossing his arms. "You do know me... professor."

"Yes" she said as coolly as she could, nodding curtly. Then made a quick move with wand and white wooden stick found its way into her palm.

"Professor!" said Tom seemingly upset. "That's my wand."

Minerva started to move in direction of corridors. "I am well aware of that, Mister Riddle. But now please, after me..."

Tom speeded after her. "I hope we're going to visit Headmaster Dippet first" he said slowly. "He's going to hear about this."

"Well good luck with that." Minerva chuckled, her eyes sparkling from behind her glasses. "He's dead for something like... fifty years?"

Hearing this Tom stopped in mid-step. His mind was racing with everything that happened so far. He was in Hogwarts, wasn't he? On sixth floor precisely. Nothing seemed right yet everything was right. Well, everything except the thing he just heard. Headmaster Dippet was dead for fifty years. How come?

"Not possible" he said coldly yet with some insecurity. "I just spoke with him."

Minerva shook her head slowly. "Then after me, please... Maybe you'll get some answers" she stepped on stairs with young Dark Lord on her tail. "Oh and do please stop looking at me like that, it's not going to help."

Tom growled lowly in throat. "What's going on here? Is this some kind of a joke?" he asked, looking around hall. Portraits seemed brighter here, even weather outside was different from what he remembered. It was all hot and sunny here while from where he came was cold and stormy, not to mention it was night. "Where the hell am I?" he mumbled, cracking his neck towards hear able laughs.

After few minutes of stepping from stairs to stairs they seemed to finally go on with their journey. It wasn't long for Tom to realise they were going towards Headmasters office. They stopped before well known gargoyle.

"You said..." spoke Tom carefully, gazing from corner of his eye at older witch. "I thought that we're going to your office?"

"Yes, Mister Riddle." Minerva said with authority. "You might be surprised but I am Hogwarts Headmaster."

Just for a second Tom paled visibly. "Pardon me?"

"I thought you know. You're well educated, aren't you? Might even say, bookworm-ish..."

"What that have to do with anything?"

Minerva cleared her throat. "Transfiguration" she said and gargoyle jumped to the side. She made few steps and Tom with her. Soon enough both of them were inside her office. "Now if you please, Mister Riddle, sit down." With quick flick of her hand she appeared a solid looking chair.

Tom however wasn't at all that interested in following this woman's orders. His eyes seemed to glue itself to portraits of past Headmasters. Surely he wasn't surprised to see his Headmaster Armando Dippet, who upon seeing him almost choked on invisible broccoli. Then there was another familiar face he recognized. It was one of a sleeping Albus Dumbledore. Lastly his eye caught most recent portrait of some dark haired man whose hair looked like in a terrible need of a bath.

"How" escaped his lips.

"My boy, my boy!" said loudly Dippet, smiling. "How are you Mister Riddle? Long time no see."

"Good... afternoon, sir" answered Tom politely. "Do you know what's going on? Why I am here? Where I am? It certainly can't be Hogwarts I know."

"It definitely is, Mister Riddle" put in Minerva, looking closely at Tom. "However, I am very interested in your story. How did you get here?"

Dark eyes of Tom Riddle stared at Minerva for a second. "I could ask you the same question" he said slowly and then shook his head. "I have no idea what happened or how for all that matters."

"Hmm..." Minerva narrowed her eyes at him. "How old are you now Tom?"

"Seventeen almost eighteen."

"You're in Slytherin, am I right?"

"Yes, what's the point of this, professor?"

"Minerva, give boy a break!" snapped Dippet from portrait, shaking his finger angrily. "He just came here! Not that I'm not surprised to see you again Tom, though I need to ask you this one question... how's this possible?"

"I told you I don't know."

"It's hard to believe."

"It's true." Tom said coldly. "One second I was sitting in a— chamber—" his voice quivered slightly. "And next I am walking out from a freaking war zone... The girl was lucky she didn't hit me with that blasted door!"

Minerva breathed slowly. "What I am supposed to do with you?" she asked everybody and nobody.

Tom shrugged nonchalantly. "I can... move to Hogsmeade, maybe find some job."

"That's a great idea!" popped in Dippet looking proudly at Tom, Minerva however shook her head slowly, she couldn't let young Dark Lord walk around by himself.

"No, Armando. He's got to stay in Hogwarts... I need to keep an eye on him" she concluded.

"And why's that?" Tom asked suspiciously. "It's not as if I killed anybody..."

That hit a nerve.

"You're going to stay here, Mister Riddle" repeated sharply Minerva. "That's it and you won't have anything to say in this matter, understood?"

Tom too quickly and too sweetly agreed. "Of course, Headmaster..?"

"Minerva McGonagall."

Name seemed to flash before his eyes. "You're..." he stuttered. "You're Minerva McGonagall? Dumbledore's trainee?"

"Yes, it's good your memory didn't change."

Tom's cheeks went pink. "I'm sorry, professor."

"Oh, believe me I know you're not" she dismissed him with a wave of a hand. "But I really am curious as to why you're here with us in your early eighteens Tom. I don't remember you disappearing and that's speaking volumes. You didn't time travel, did you?"

Feeling ground from under his feet crumbling fast, Tom took a look at Dumbledore's portrait and found him looking back.

"You're right Minerva." Albus spoke slowly, smiling. "He's not a time traveller."

Tom shook his head. "No, you're wrong" he countered icily. "I remember it was night, stormy at that when I was transported here. It was— Saturday night, I think... October 14th,1944..."

"Then... why I don't feel like believing you Tom?" asked Minerva.

"Well, you were always a little bit prejudiced, professor... Headmaster."

"It's nothing about prejudice Tom" spoke Albus, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "I might be just a part of myself but I still can feel a difference between you and a real you."

Glaring at portrait, Tom asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"You're not real."

"Of course I am you old piece of— Dumbledore!"

"Mister Riddle!" shrieked Dippet. "Language, young man! Language or—"

"Or what? With all respect, you can't take points from my house because unfortunately I'm not form this time period, Headmaster Dippet."

"Leave him be Armando" cut Dumbledore studying Tom. "It looks he doesn't know... or he knows but doesn't want it to be true. Which could be very interesting, don't you think Minerva?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes but it's very unlikely."

"Still there's hope."

"What are we going to do with him then?"

"Honestly I don't know Minerva."

"There's always the easy way..."

Dumbledore sighed slowly. "Yes there is but let's leave it as our last resort if anything else fails."

"You're really hoping that—"

"Old man's dementia, Minerva. You have to forgive me."

Minerva smiled at that. "Alright then..." she took a quick look at Tom who was listening intently with his arms crossed. "Tom" she cleared her throat "as you're here now, by any means not knowing why or how, I want you to attend your last year of school."

"What?" he asked, staring at Headmaster."You mean as a student? Or professor?"

"Boy I know you'd be more than capable to bear with professors attitude" answered Minerva, folding palms on table. "Although I can't do that, you weren't trained by any professor, were you?"

"No."

"So you see, I can't do that. As a student though you can easily blend in." Minerva glanced at Tom's robes. "Alas I must've to ask you to leave yours Head Prefect badge here as we have chosen Head Prefects already."

Tom frowned little. "Why you insist that I stay here?"

Minerva cleared her throat loudly. "You're from the past. You're Tom Marvolo Riddle. You're hiding the truth therefore I can't let you go roam outside world free."

"That's bullshit—"

"Mister Riddle!" screeched Dippet, Albus smiled tightly.

"I officially redeem Tom Marvolo Riddle born on 31st December, 1926 as a seventh year Slytherin student on 22nd September, 1998."

"You can't..."

Minerva's wand was in use. From its tip shot turquoise light which connected with old looking parchment. Afterglow of a spell lingered in the air, document disappeared.

"Now I can, Mister Riddle!" said Minerva forcefully, standing up from behind a table. "And by your short temper and badmouthing you got yourself first detention! Tomorrow 5 a.m. sharp, here."

At some point in time, Minerva with all honesty could say she never felt better than when young future Dark Lord snapped his mouth shut.

"Now. You know where Slytherin's Common Room is so I won't even bother for someone to take you there, however..." Minerva thought everything through. "There's a small correction as to where Hospital Wing is" she said slowly. "You might remember it being located on a first floor, now it's on third."

Question almost bubbled out from Tom's lips. Minerva upon seeing this, gestured with her hand in approval.

"Why is Hospital Wing on third, banned floor? Isn't it a bit dangerous for students to wander there alone?"

"Not anymore."

"Not—"

"If you have some questions" cut in Minerva, silencing Tom "you'll be free to ask them your housemates once you settle in. Meanwhile I'll just tell you this: we know who you are and we know what you're capable of doing. Of course I can't tell you how to live your life, I just hope you won't repeat the same mistake you've done in the past."

Tom didn't seem to be fazed by these words in the slightest. Right now he was openly waiting for nearing conclusion of that unorthodox rendezvous.

"I see..." Minerva spoke coolly. "Let's get you going then, Mister Riddle. I'll send a note to Horace saying that his favourite student is back."

That surprised young Riddle. "Horace Slughorn's a Head of Slytherin?"

Minerva nodded. "Yes. Off you go now, I still have some paper work to do."

Tom had better idea though, he didn't budge. "May I ask for my wand back, Headmaster?"

"Half day without your wand will do you good" she answered, smiling tightly. "Dismissed."

Tom was furious, alas he listened to short command. Just barely door clicked close behind him, Minerva looked with worry etched on her face at Albus.

"What do you think will happen?" It was a plain question, worrisome though. "And whatever you meant by saying that he's not real?"

Albus eyes twinkled. "I wish I know, Minerva. I wish... Hopefully young Riddle will change and won't turn into the monster we've all known and fought" he frowned then. "As to your second question I don't think I need to tell you, do I?"

Minerva sighed, caressing small frown on forehead. "You're thinking the same thing I am thinking?"

"I think not."

"I don't understand." Minerva seemed surprised. "You can't seriously say you didn't feel anything wrong with his magic."

"It's dark, yes. But Tom is dark, no matter what. Nevertheless I can say that this magic wasn't his. Piece of it yes, but rest..."

"Miss Granger?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Oh, dear Merlin" she spoke sadly, averting eyes from portrait. "Here I thought war ended and now this..." she shook her head. "He's a horcrux, isn't he?"

"Somewhat, yes."

"What do you mean 'somewhat? It's impossible to do a part-horcrux, even if... then it certainly wouldn't have such power."

"With Tom Riddle you may never know, after all he was a very powerful wizard..."