Authors note: This is my first story, so I would appreciate lots of Constructive criticism and help, if you would. I would also love any questions or comments you might make, even if it's just as simple "nice."
Disclaimer: No, I do not own any thing, characters included. My ideas were taken from a mesh of many other people, combined, and personalized.
Warning: Possible beating later on. Uncle Vernon is quite the horrid character.

Abandoned to the Cold

3

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^-^ Meditation and Sanity -^-

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At 5:30 the next morning, Harry awoke from a dreamless sleep, for which he was extremely thankful. Too many times had his sleep been burdened by nightmares of Voldemort, Cedric, Sirius, and all the others he had seen die through Voldemort's mind. He realized that Riddle had ended up sleeping across him again. He may have felt protected when the snake was awake, but he knew better than to startle it from its slumber. He gently shifted out from under it, being careful to keep from waking it.

Once he finally made it off his bed, he went downstairs to cook for the Dursleys. He figured that since Riddle was a slow at waking, it would be safe to leave him upstairs while he cooked. He was careful to avoid the creaky stair and proceeded to the kitchen. He was debating trying to charm the meal again. Could he do it? There would be more pros than cons if it worked unless the Dursley's found out, but would it work? For all his expertise with wand magic –almost none- he had no idea if he could successfully spell the food.

Harry sighed deeply while pulling out eggs, bacon, and bread. He would try it, As he mixed the eggs with ham and cheese, he willed for it to soothe the Dursleys temper, but not too much. He felt a small tendril of magic tentatively leak out and leak into the food, and slowly, ever so slowly, the tentative link thickened, then broke off. Harry gave a grin. He had found a get-out-of-beatings-today-free card! IF it worked like it did yesterday, it could improve their moods enough they would only do the barest cruelties to him for at least most of the day.

Harry looked back on yesterday and blessed his discoveries. He didn't know how much pain he had saved himself, but he knew it was a lot more than a little. He did know that without Riddle he would have been sorely tempted to blow up the Dursleys. Or worse, considering what they were saying. He shuddered and felt himself grow angry at what they said yesterday. Harry slowly began his meditating techniques.

Ever since his godfather had died, his temper was not to be envied, even if he had any rein on it at all. He was ready to snap at a single phrase. He had finally lost it one day in Grimmuald Place and stormed out. (Really, what had they been thinking, bringing him back there? Obviously nothing.) He had walked to a different section of town, leaving flustered Order members behind. While there, he had come across a store and wandered in. It wasn't as if he had anything else to do. Inside had been-books. It was a bookstore. Out of idle curiosity, (his anger forgotten with the discovery) he had picked up a book on meditation. It said it was an ancient way to calm the mind and clear the senses. It uncomfortably reminded Harry of Occlumency, but he bought it anyway. He stayed in a nearby park, and practiced the first exercise, breathing. In and out. It sounded stupid, but it was not Snape saying it (if he had ever said anything), so he tried it. To his great surprise, it helped him get a grip on his mood. Ever since then, Harry had studied the book and could easily reach a relaxed state, (unless he completely forgot about it, as he was apt to do with the Dursleys and had yesterday).

Harry focused on meditating, cooking, and soothing the Dursley's mood. As he finished the meal, laying it out on the table, he realized he could see a slight shimmer around the food. It broke his meditation and he couldn't see it anymore. Frowning, he brought his mind back to the state of peace meditating brought. The shimmering reappeared. Focusing on the shimmer and meditation, he made a mental note to figure it out later. Shrugging it off, Harry turned and made his way upstairs, nimbly avoiding Dudley. Yes, he had healed his arm, yes Dudley had hit it again, but no, he did not want to injure it again. He grimaced and made it back into his room.

Upon seeing the snake awake, Harry began hissing. ::Good morning, Riddle. Sorry for not taking you with me, but I noticed yesterday that you didn't like mornings. Seeing as I knew I would be back up here within an hour, I decided to leave you on my warm bed rather than bore you with cooking. Speaking of cooking, I managed to spell the Dursley's food again. Maybe today they will stay in a good mood like yesterday!::

Riddle remained quiet throughout Harry's explanation, but sighed as he heard the conclusion. ::Yesterday was a good mood? I keep feeling less and less inclined to kill you with every speck of new information you give me. You should be glad, because I am completely serious when I contemplate killing you.::

Harry shrugged. ::And I was completely serious when I contemplated letting you. All joking aside, I have been thinking about suicide, and this wouldn't be a bad way to go. However, before I can off myself, if I do, I have things to take care of first. Dumbledore, Voldemort:: Harry winced at the pain and almost clapped a hand to his forehead but continued without pausing, ::and Bellatrix, of course. That insane lunatic is to blame for killing my godfather.:: Harry felt his temper grow and breathing quicken. He inhaled sharply. ::Hang on for a moment. I need to meditate before I lose my temper and trash my room.::

Riddle waited with a curious gaze as Harry closed his eyes and began breathing slowly. Eventually, the tenseness that was ever prevalent lessened and his frame relaxed. You could see the difference as his mind calmed. Riddle whistled slowly, impressed. ::I didn't know you knew Occlumency!:: When Riddle said that, Harry instantly tensed up again. Every inch of Harry instantly screamed "anger."

::Occlumency? THIS is meditation! None of that clear your mind" no instruction crap! I hate Occlumency! Every time somebody mentions Occlumency, I get flashbacks it was so terrible. I see the damn lessons with Snape, shouting clear your mind and then immediately ramming through and forcing me to relive memories as I desperately try to block out the worst of the Dursleys! Do you know how hard it was? Going from only knowing that I was going to have lessons with Snape and waiting outside the door for my first lesson, and then not even five minutes later I was invaded for the first time! Not a word of instruction passed his lips! The absolute most he explained was "clear your mind!" How the hell was I supposed to do that while he was forcing me to block my worst memories and dragging me through the others? I would say he deserved me falling into his Pensieve. At least I told no living soul about my lessons, and I'm almost completely sure he reported back to his master. I still think he was purposefully broke my mental barriers.::

The snake froze. ::You have got to be kidding.:: Harry shook his head. ::Exaggerating?:: Harry shook his head. ::That was exactly what happened?:: Harry nodded. ::Did you try to find any books?::

Harry nodded, and shook in frustration and anger. ::Every last one, of the few that we had, were checked out! From the Forbidden Section! It's a fact one of the professors took it out, but exactly who took it is information that is not allowed to be divulged. Guess what that means? Someone took the books and didn't want me to know? That's not all either, the books are still out!::

Riddle was shocked. ::Well, it's clear somebody wanted you to fail Occlumency horribly! By horribly, I mean absolutely and completely! There is no possible way to keep anybody out or learn any Occlumency like that! Wait- they saw this and you are still here?::

Harry grinned. ::No. All Snape saw was my cupboard, an aunt with a ripper of a dog, and some minor verbal abuse. Oh, I think he saw flashes of some chores too. Other than that, I'm pretty sure I hid most of my home life. Ha, as if I was going to let that Death Eater see my greatest shame. He ridicules me enough already, why provide him with more ammo?:: Harry sneered. ::'Insolent brat! You're as arrogant as your father, always thinking your exempt from the rules. You stride around like you own the place, a pampered little prince!' Does that sound like someone who could possibly understand?::

Riddle shook his head. ::You should not have been able to Occlude, yet you did!::

Harry shrugged. ::I tried to hide the memories. Whenever he got really close, I nudged another, tantalizing memory just into his view. I made sure he saw it, then put up a small struggle before giving it up. I didn't want him to think I was giving it to him. Of course, he took many memories I didn't want him to see, but none of the memories I couldn't allow him to see. I could not afford to let him see them, so I didn't let him see them. I just focused on other stuff.:: Harry shrugged again. ::That's all.:: He really didn't see what the big deal was.

Riddles eyes were bugging out at this point. ::Th-that's all? That is Occluding! The way you say it it sounds like where it is truly necessary, you have Occlumency learned and mastered! Not many can successfully distract others while the other is already in your mind.::

Harry just shrugged again. ::He wanted the memories, so I made him think he stole them, that's all. I made it look like forbidden knowledge and he jumped on it. Anyways, what do you mean my meditating was Occluding?::

Riddle sighed. Whether it was in disbelief or awe, Harry didn't know. ::You really know nothing about Occlumency, do you? Meditating is the essence and the first main step of Occlumency. Once you clear your mind, it is harder for anyone to find anything for the Legilimins to latch onto. With meditation, it is easier to control your emotions thus easier to banish the Legilimins. Sheesh, the books my old paranoid owner bought went in much more detail than your so-called professor.::

Harry laughed. ::I learned more about Occlumency in one session of casual conversation with a snake than a half-year worth of lessons with my snarky professor.:: Harry froze up as he heard noises from downstairs. ::Crap crap crap! Coming or staying? I have chores to do! All are inside today.::

Riddle sighed, turned invisible to all but Harry, and crawled up his arm. ::You are still much warmer than an empty room.:: The moment Riddle was curled around Harry, he leapt out the door and downstairs. There, he endured a scolding from Aunt Petunia and was told to paint Dudley's room while they went out Christmas shopping. Harry readily agreed, and after an insulting scolding to leave everything alone, the Dursleys left.

Harry groaned. ::I hate this chore. I need to take everything in Dudley's room, make sure it's out of the paints way, clear the shelves, and cover the shelves. Then I must spread an even layer of paint on the wall, wait for it to dry, then do it again. After it's all finished, I need to put Dudley's room back together and clean up for him. So it's a double task in one, and I need to have it done before Dudley gets home and ruins my work.::

Riddle sighed. ::Do I want to know if he messes up the paint deliberately or not?:: His tone was dry and Harry let out a wry grin.

::Probably not, but I'll tell you anyways. As you most likely guessed, he purposefully does it. Do you know how to get blood off fresh paint? I do, and it's my blood I have to try to scrape off the walls. If the paint is wet and comes off with the blood, I have to repaint over it the next day. Once I'm done with that, they test it the next night to see if the paint dried smoothly and if I scrub hard enough. If I pass both "tests," the blood will eventually come off. Every time I fail either test, I have to do it all over again. I hate it. The only good thing is they leave me alone while I do it. Apparently, the fumes hurt Aunt Petunia's senses and destroy more brain cells than my uncle and cousin can afford.:: Harry stopped at the door. ::Get ready to see-:: Harry opened the door and bowed, flourishing grandly in the air, ::-Dudley's room.:: Harry rose from the bow and began cleaning and moving stuff, leaving the snake to suffer shock in silence.

::This is….argh! This is exactly why Lord Voldemort wants to kill all muggles! Look at this! A huge room lavishly furnished! Toys everywhere! Expensive crap as far as the eye can see! Yet you live one room over where broken things grace broken shelves, while you curl up on a broken bed with a threadbare blanket! Unbelievable! Stupid filthy muggles!::

Harry paused and pretended to take offense. ::Hey, don't knock my bed! It's very nice, four posters, canopy, soft as heaven mattress, the works! Well, okay, not really, but it really isn't a bad bed. Bad blanket, yes, bad room, yes. Bad bed, no. I only come back in the summer anyways, and I don't need the blanket then.:: Harry folded the bed as he picked old wrappers up off of it.

::Why don't they give you a better blanket right now?::

::Honestly? I think they forgot. They aren't intelligent enough to take away my stuff as punishment, unless it's food.:: Harry sighed. ::Speaking of food, I'm not supposed to get any food today, because there is supposedly no way to know if I do my work or not. The next day, if I did my work well, I get lunch and supper. If I steal some food the day before, then that's a really good deal. Half of the time I do steal, half the time I don't.:: Harry began taking the stuff off the shelves. ::I don't want the Dursley's to realize I'm taking their food.:: Harry shivered all over, feeling cold at the thought. ::I don't think it would ever happen, but if they caught me…:: Harry shivered again. ::I get the feeling they could make your Lord Voldemort's torture look easy.:: Harry flinched. ::I honestly believe they could rival him. They are the evil of the muggle world.::

Riddle started hissing. ::You think these stupid muggles can equal the Dark Lord's torture? You don't know-::

Harry cut him off. ::Yes I know. I know every damning thing he does when he is in a temper. I can see it. When he is truly angry, or feeling any emotion strongly, I'm brought to his mind. I can feel his thoughts, his emotions, and his pain. I watch as his most loyal are tortured, I watch when new recruits are tortured, I watch when his prisoners are tortured, and I watch as he rewards his favorites.:: Harry shuddered. He did not need to see what he did then. No need for a sex ed class for Harry Potter, he saw it all through everyone's favorite Dark Lord's mind. ::I watch as he plots, I watch as he fights, I watch and I cry and I try to stop him or escape but I'm forced to watch and watch and watch!:: Harry pounded his fist against the wall. All of the shelves that still had stuff on it a moment ago did no longer. It was flying off the shelves, or more specifically, away from Harry. He fell to the floor, crying. ::I watched, as he tortured over and over again. And yes, I still think the Dursleys can do worse. Chains; check. Torturous living space the size of a cupboard; check. Whip; check. Lack of care; check. Desire to torture, kill, and maim; check. Lack of humanity; check. What am I missing? Oh yeah, intense hate and loathing for one Harry Potter; double-check.::

Riddle said nothing as Harry covered the shelves. He stayed silent even as Harry began painting, gently stroking the brush across the wall. Harry was done with the first layer before he said anything. Harry lay down on the floor to wait as the paint dried. What was the snake thinking? Did he think Harry deserves it for stopping the Dark Lord and killing the King of Serpents? Did he think he deserves some retribution, but not that much? More? Does he pity me? Hate me? Or should I entertain the idea hiding at the back of my mind I can't quite think of? Harry didn't know what the idea is, but something was telling him to observe Riddle carefully. Looking at him, Harry could see why. Who trusts a random, 6-foot snake? With his white scales and blood red eyes, he gave out a terrifying visage. What told Harry he could trust him? Well, for one he had been freezing in the cold in the dead of winter. For two, he had done nothing but listen to Harry and help him since he had arrived. His family owed him for helping calm Harry down and not blowing them up. Harry pondered as he waited and the snake stayed quiet.

::Oh. Well, I guess that explains a lot. Like why you try to kill the Dark Lord.:: The snake finally spoke.

Harry gave a hollow laugh. ::I try, and I hate it. It's the only reason I put up with Dumbledore's manipulations. I have to save my friends, the other muggleborn, and the muggles.::

::Why. Why do you feel obligated to save the people who wrong you?::

Harry sighed. ::There are so many reasons. I just told you one. I need to finish the job. I need to fill some prophecy or other, whatever the stupid thing is. I have to save the muggles.::

Riddle broke in, hissing. ::Why? Why save the muggles? You are seeing what they can do. You are living in what they can do! They are pathetic apes filled with cruelty and weakness. They are filth filling our world, a barbaric species incapable of using magic properly and understanding it! Why are you expanding any effort to save them?::

Harry looked at Riddle oddly. ::Are you judging the world based on a few peoples actions? Yes, these muggles hate me. No other muggles I know, aside from Dudley's gang, truly hate me. They dislike the image Petunia gives them-seriously, who wouldn't be worried by a hardened killer child?- but they are actually very nice. Even as they are scared, they try to help. A teacher at my school helped me through my home life once he found out, though I wouldn't let him tell anybody or do anything. I watched as he gave up his life to save a child from drowning.:: Harry shivered, remembering his fear. ::Before he could help me, he gave his life for me.:: Harry saw in his mind the field trip he took with his school, the running from Dudley to his teacher, the accusations, the throwing him in the water, his teacher jumping in to save him, the other teachers standing around as he tried to fight them and his exhausted body to save his teacher, and he saw himself failing. ::He- he was af-fr-fraid of water.:: Harry shook. ::He was afraid of water, yet he just jumped and gave his life for me. He gave up his entire life at a minutes' notice, just for me.:: Harry started yelling. ::Can you just lay there and say the man who lay down his life for me was dirt? If you can, I suggest you HOLD YOUR TONGUE!::

Riddle wisely kept quiet. Harry fumed. Red was covering his vision, and he saw blood. He imagined blood falling from blood red eyes, streaking over where his mouth should be and passing his almost nonexistent lips. Tom Marvolo Riddle would pay for trying to kill others without reason. Harry would give up his life for his old teacher's equally nice wife at a moments notice. If Voldemort ever tried to kill her, there would be no lack of killing intent on Harry's side. Conversely, if Dudley ever was caught by the Voldemort, Harry would allow him to kill him. A life for a life.

Dudley had tried to kill him for no reason. He had ended up killing another man. Dudley had no reason to kill. None. At least Voldemort thought he was saving his world. At least he had a reason. ::At least your Dark Lord has a reason. He had none. None!::

Harry cried silently, tears streaming off his face. The red covering his vision disappeared. ::Why do you make my emotions in a turmoil? I can't carry out a conversation with you without my emotions taking over.:: Harry stifled any sniffles and began meditating. Once he sufficiently calmed, which took a long while, he checked the paint and began on the second layer. He started quietly humming a song to himself, Breathe No More by Evanescence. It fit him. Did the world love him or his reflection? He bled, oh how he bled, and he breathed no more innocent air.

Riddle watched silently. ::So you can excuse the Dark Lords killing?::

Harry sighed. ::I can understand. In his twisted mind, he truly believes he is saving the wizarding world. My cousin only wanted to be rid of me and my freakishness. One day, the world will be rid of him, and I cannot wait until Dudley is gone. I cannot excuse his killing. Tom, however, is trying to protect wizards. What he needs to realize is that they are safe from muggles now, and that he is only making it worse on the wizards by creating a war.::

::Why do you call him Tom or the Dark Lord, but not his name? At least, not without flinching. I thought you were supposed to be one of the few people who could say his name at all, and one of the two who could say it without flinching.::

Harry sighed. Really, who would expect a snake to pick up on that? He had called him Voldemort once or twice in Riddle's presence, but he flinched almost imperceptibly every time he did. ::I can't say his name without some pain. It gets worse the closer I get to him. My theory is the scar bonds me to him, sort of, and whatever feelings we have for each other is reflected through that bond. Saying his name opens the bond and helps me read him. Right now, we are opposing each other, and he was feeling negative emotions, so it hurt worse. I figured out a neat little trick though.:: Harry grinned.:: The forecast for today's muggle killings and the mood of Voldemort-:: Harry paused to interpret. It hurt, but not as bad as earlier. He was definitely getting flashes of curiosity and anger. ::Low muggle killings, probably instances of minion torturing. He is currently studying, or receiving new information. His anger is being tempered by his curiosity.::

There was awe and anger in Riddles voice. ::You can tell all that? What about his privacy? Can you use it to spy on him? How much does it hurt?::

Harry looked thoughtful and made sure his answers were correct before he started answering. Really, the snake was extremely eager looking, waiting for the answer. ::I had to guess that. All I could get was curiosity, anger, and a sense of new information. I know him well enough to bet my prediction is 80% accurate. I am not seeing anything, so I don't feel I'm invading his privacy, though it wouldn't bother me if I was. He infiltrated my dreams, the most private part of our brains where we try to understand our life through our subconscious! I can't use it to spy on him per say, just guess when the next attack is. It normally hurts a decent amount. I would compare it to…banging your head on a cement wall. Trust me, not fun. I did it far too often last year. I would be touched by your apparent concern for me, but it's obvious your just worried about your Voldemort.:: Harry flinched at his deliberate use of his arch foe's name. He felt anger, continued curiosity, a slight bit of…fear(?) and…guilt? A minute portion of the last two, to be sure, but they were there. Harry felt bad for the minion or book in sight. He did not respond well to fear, lashing out at others, if Harry's visions were anything to go by.

Harry got up, and Riddle said nothing, knowing Harry was correct. Harry put up another layer of paint and started talking again. ::Really, it's annoying putting on another layer of paint because your cousin still writes on the walls like a little kid…:: Harry brushed more, his attempt to lighten the mood having failed miserably. ::Well, if it makes you feel any better, I have some good news on the Dark Lord. I don't know if it's good or bad for me, but for you it's definitely good.:: Harry paused. ::He's regaining his sanity.::

Riddle looked shocked. Again. Harry grinned. Really, he had not expected saving the snake and talking to it to be this much fun. The look on its face whenever it was shocked was priceless. ::What do you mean by that? The Dark Lord is insane?:: Harry could hear anger rising up in the snakes voice. Ooh, apparently he didn't like that insinuation.

::Unfortunately, yes. He was insane. I could feel it whenever I was trapped in his mind. I think that contributes to some of the random muggle killings. Not all of them had a point, and neither did the excessive needless torture. Don't worry though. He is regaining his sanity. He should be able to appreciate his life more, and think more clearly. His planning and war efforts will definitely improve now that the haze clouding his mind is mostly gone. Not that he wasn't good at planning before, mind you. It's just going to be even harder to win the war now, if we even can.

His sanity has been returning slowly since his resurrection. Well, it wasn't really working that well in the beginning and he was completely mad. That's one of the reasons he lay low during my fifth year of school, last year. At the end of the year, I was tricked into coming to the ministry and inadvertently killing several order members and-:: Harry swallowed and tried not to sob. ::My godfather, Sirius.:: Harry began breathing slowly as he laid the paintbrush aside, done with his task. ::Tom came to the ministry. We encountered each other. I could barely think through all the pain shooting through my scar. Dumbledore appeared and started fighting him. Tom decided to defend himself. By throwing himself in me, in a way.:: Harry shuddered, almost breaking through the feeling of calm meditation brought him. ::Th-the pain when he entered my body was-tremendous. I have felt the cruciatus, and I do not exaggerate when I say it felt like several of them focused on my scar, my heart, my soul, and my head.:: Harry shuddered again.

::He overshadowed my body and attempted to get Dumbledore to kill me to get rid of him. Even through the pain, I saw Dumbledore considering it. A smile was spreading on his face as if it was his dream come true, before a troubled expression crossed it. I saw it, and recognized what it meant. He was going to sacrifice me soon, and a complication that had crossed his mind saved my life. I felt sheer terror, and with strength born due to desperation, I tried flinging Tom out of my head. I felt his shock and surprise-his every thought was clear. I saw his madness, and in my panicked state, I thought it might help save me if I tried to remove that madness. Before I threw him out of my mind, I cut through the fog the madness caused, providing Tom with a way to break free of his madness. I think it worked, and he saw Dumbledore's look. He actually helped in my efforts of getting him out of my mind. Before he left, I noticed the pain had dimmed, partly proportionate with his insanity. That's another thing I think causes me pain through the bond, his insanity. Partly, at least.

Luckily for us, Dumbledore was halted in his plans by the arrival of the ministry. You should have seen the minister's face as he stared at his broken atrium, the Dark Lord, Albus Dumbledore, and me. I think he was shocked be the atrium most of all though.:: Harry grinned and laughed in slight disbelief. ::I swear the Dark Lord saw that and destroyed the atrium even more. Several statues and columns exploded before he left. Honestly, if I wasn't exhausted and fighting against him, I would have cheered right then. I hate the ministry, especially after all of their lies. Anyways, the point of that was that the contact with my mind and my help started tearing apart his madness, I believe. So, like I said, good news for you and any other supporter of his, and bad news for Dumbledore.::

Harry stood and decided to let the snake think on that. He was trying to be nice and not say anything against his Dark Lord. He wasn't going to lie for it, no way, but he decided it was best to keep on good terms with the snake. There was no reason to annoy his new- friend, could he say that? Yes, the snake was his friend now. No one he ranted to and explained things like that to couldn't be anything less than a friend.

Harry decided to test his newfound magical prowess and concentrated on drying the wall. After he felt his magic take hold after a few minutes, he grinned in success and started hauling Dudley's stuff into the room. After he finished, he left Dudley's room to go shower. He explained where he was going to the snake before going to wash the paint smell off and take advantage of the Dursleys not being there.

Harry sighed as he turned on the hot water and burnt the paint smell out of his skin and pondered the snake he had named Riddle. The snake clearly was a fully-fledged supporter of Voldemort. He was so interested in whenever Harry started talking about him that "tell me now" vibes practically flowed off him. Occasionally Harry felt like the snake was thinking of killing him. He saw the ruby red eyes lock on him, and it seemed as if death itself was residing in his eyes. Harry shivered, a cold chill crossing over him. Yet the snake was smart, and had realized that he had to rely on Harry if he wanted to survive. The moment Harry's usefulness ended, it would be up to the relationship with the snake, which meant he shouldn't say anything bad about Voldemort. Yet there seemed to be a reluctance to want to kill, as the snake had no need to keep him calm or explain things, or even talk to him. It was a riddle as to whether the snake actually wanted to kill him or not. Either way, Harry was more likely to live, but he still had to be careful. No threatening the snake or in any way harming it.

Harry turned off the shower and toweled dry, making sure to avoid looking at his reflection. He was vain enough not to want to see the scars in his chest. He dressed slowly, and then headed towards his room where he had left Riddle.

::I don't know about you,:: Harry hissed, ::but I'm in the mood for turning in early. I need to conserve energy since I didn't get supper. Oh, speaking of eating, are you still full from the rodents you ate the other day? I don't know how much snakes need to eat exactly...::

Riddle shifted as Harry lay down so that he would not be crushed, then crawled and lay his body over Harry's. ::I just need several mice a week and things like that. I had a large meal yesterday, so I should be sated for a while.::

Harry hummed an agreement. He lay drifting off to sleep thinking of lost and regained sanity as the Dursleys entered downstairs. He paid them no mind and slowly felt himself succumb to slumber, his body searching for rest to recover.

Riddle stayed awake longer, listening to the Dursleys crash through the house. The noises made him hiss quietly in annoyance as they distracted him from his thoughts. He contemplated things lost and gained, and finally fell to a fragile sleep as the discord downstairs continued long into the night.

Hello to everyone who was kind enough to read this! I am SOOOOO sorry I didn't update earlier! I have been on a vacation to Alaska to visit my grandparents, and I have been unable to get an internet connection. Let me tell you: Alaska is the state of the cleanest toilets without plumbing. They have the most too. Nasty. Anyways, I had meant to update before I left, but I was unable to. So, I shall be sure to update the next chapter as soon as possible. I mean it this time, it will be up by two weeks at the most. I'm hoping to be able to concentrate on it and get it done within half of a week though. OK, I'm home, have taken a shower, eaten, and updating this. In that order.

Thank you for all of the reviews! I love them, and make sure to read every one. Currently, there are (checks web now) 33. Thank you! It may interest you to know I am going to your profiles and reading your stories and favorites. Many of them are extremely good, but it is slow going. Know that I will get to you eventually.

There is a poll on my page asking about the rating for this story. We should have passed the worst of the abuse, I'm not sure if there will be a big Christmas spectacle or not yet.

Well, thanks again for reading, and I hope you will see a new update her e by next week!

Original chapter published: July 23, 2010
Words: 5,477 w/o authors notes, 5,755 with.
Pages: 11 w/ Bookman Old Style size 11 font
Updated November 29, 2010
Words: 5,555 story only