Disclaimer: My name is not J. K. Rowling. I don't own Harry Potter and I never will. I don't own Naruto either.

"Parseltongue"

"Normal speech"

'Thought speech'

Flashback

"Parseltongue in Flashback"

AN: Sorry everyone! My big explanation for my lateness is at the bottom. But thanks for waiting! Your reviews really helped me feel better and write much faster!

Chapter 8

"I have not seen you quite a long time. What brings you here?" Tom's pleasant voice gave little evidence to any malice hidden beneath his cheerful outer shell.

However, Severus had served under the Dark Lord for years and could tell the signs. The little twitch in the right eyebrow. The slight lifting of the voice. He could tell that his lord was displeased with something. What it was was the question.

As he opened his mouth to give his reply, he was interrupted by a soft and curious voice.

"Tom? You know him?" Startled, Severus looked down. There, slightly obscured by his tall shadow, was a little boy. The child was so small and petite in appearance, he did not look a day older than five. However, the quiet voice had the feel of someone older.

"He was… an associate of mine." Tom answered. "Well Severus, you haven't answered my question."

"I was stocking up on potion ingredients, my-" Severus was suddenly cut off.

"Harry, why don't you and Neko go look at the owls in Eeylops Owl Emporium. See if any take to you." Tom deliberately interrupted. Harry's face lit up and he dusted off his robes. Once he had disappeared into the owl shop with Neko tagging at his heels, Tom turned back to Severus.

"Do not call me your lord in the public, fool!" Tom snarled. Severus flinched back as Tom seized his arm and dragged Severus into the shadow of a shop. Once Severus' back was to the wall, Tom leaned forward menacingly.

"I know you are a spy. I know you work for Dumbledore. But I also know you are presenting accurate information to me too. I know you are playing both sides of the field." Severus paled even more. If the Dark Lord knew, there was no way he was getting out of this alive.

"I-" Severus tried to defend himself even if he knew it was futile. After all, he had no chance of winning a duel against the Dark Lord.

"Stop. I don't want to hear it. I don't care." Tom cut him off. "I won't kill you. I still have a use for you yet." Severus gulped; no doubt it would be something unpleasant.

"I want you to continue as you have been. However, I do not want Dumbledore to discover three things. I will know if you inform him." Tom stated with menace in his voice. "One. You will not inform Dumbledore of my appearance. Two. You may not inform Dumbledore of Harry's existence. Three. You will tell Dumbledore you are teaching my protégée potions but you may not describe his appearance. You will say he always has a glamour on. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, my…" Severus started to say before hesitating.

"You will have to call me Tom. And you will begin teaching potions to Harry two days from now. I will summon you when it is time. Speak of this to no one and you will not die." With that, Tom swept off, leaving a pale and sweating Severus contemplating this new revelation.

Entering Eeylops Owl Emporium, the first thing he saw was Harry and Neko watching with fascination as an enormous silver owl preened her feathers as she sat on an even bigger nest. The small sign next to the owl read;

Nyctea scandiaca

Rare Silver Arctic Owl

Roosting Female: 90 Galleons

Chicks: 50 Galleons

Eggs: 45 Galleons

Tom chuckled which caused Harry, Neko, and the owl to turn and look at him. Harry immediately jumped up and began pleading with Tom.

"Tom, can I please get an egg? Please, please, please! I promise to take care of it and keep it warm until it hatches. And when it does I'll feed it and clean up after it. Please?! The eggs are cheaper than the chicks. I really want to take care of one! Please?! I won't get anything else! I just want an egg!" Harry begged, desperate to get something he just felt was right. He couldn't explain it. He felt like he needed to get an egg.

"Weell. If you only buy an owl, what about supplies?" Tom gently teased. When Harry's face crumpled because he didn't know Tom was teasing, Tom immediately reassured Harry. "I was joking! Yes you may buy an egg. I will pay for the supplies. However, you will have to take care of it and feed it when it hatches." With that, Harry's face lit up with such joy that it took Tom's breath away. 'How can such an abused child be so full of life and joy? What would he have been like if I hadn't taken him.' As he pondered this, Harry had run up to the shop manager and dragged her to the roost, chattering excitedly as he went.

Tom watched as the manager spoke quietly to the silver snowy owl. Harry fidgeted in barely contained excitement as he waited. Finally the silver snowy owl regally and with great dignity rose and stepped onto the perch right next to the roost.

For a few moments, there was no sign of anything. Then, all of a sudden, a little white head peaked over the edge of the nest. Its little warm amber eyes took in the sight of Harry anxiously watching the nest. Then it peeped.

As if that was a signal, five more heads popped up. Their colors ranged from pure white to dappled gray to silver. Some eyes looked curiously at the strangers while others ignored them with an air of self-importance.

Harry craned his neck, trying to see if there were any eggs. Unfortunately, he was just too short and could not see a thing aside from the little heads that were sticking out. Tom and the store manager nearly laughed when Harry tried hopping up and down to see if there were any eggs. Neko just stared at the owlets.

Harry, frustrated that he was so short finally turned to Tom and looked pleadingly. Tom, relenting to the adorable pouting picture Harry made, conjured a small stepping ladder. Harry eagerly got on it and peeked over the nest.

Right in the middle of the six owlets lay a single cream colored egg. Harry reached out to gently and carefully pick it up. It was still warm to the touch. As Harry delicately cradled the egg, a look of wonder was visible on his face. He slowly stepped down from the ladder and walked carefully to the counter.

Tom inspected the owl care merchandise and kept his eye on Harry as he pulled out his bag from Gringotts. Harry reached into his black velvet bag and slowly counted 45 big fat golden galleons onto the counter. Tom leaned back to better hear what Harry was muttering.

"-seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve-" Tom smirked at the unintentional torture Harry was inflicting on the manager and went back to browsing the owl care merchandise. After picking a owl nest with perch, several pounds of owlet food, a couple packages of owl treats, and a self-adjusting owl harness, Tom made his way to the counter where Harry was still counting.

"-forty-one, forty-two, forty-three, forty-four, forty-five!" Harry triumphantly counted. Tom silently snickered again and set his purchases on the counter. He felt a soft nudge to his foot and looked down.

Neko had a dark purple collar in her mouth. Tom leaned over and picked it up. The tiny silver bell and the silver blank tag was simple but stylish. Tom added that to his pile of purchases.

The relieved manger rang them up to seventeen galleons and Tom quickly counted them out. Harry's eyes were glued to the egg and wasn't paying any attention to his surroundings. Then, Tom gently steered Harry out of the shop. Neko just tagged along, proudly displaying the collar with the newly engraved Neko on the tag. Tom had immediately spelled the name on as soon as he put the collar on Neko.

They made their way to the bookstore Flourish and Blotts. Tom cast a cushioning charm on the egg and slipped it into his pocket while Harry darted around, looking at the many titles.

"Go on, pick some books." Tom called out as he noticed Harry looking longingly at a few books. Harry's eyes widened in amazement at the statement.

"But- but I promised to not buy anything else." Harry stammered out. Tom snorted and replied.

"Yes, but I'm paying so technically you aren't buying anything." Harry paused in order to digest that and then zipped off with Neko at his heels. Tom browsed a bit and came upon 'Everything you need to know about Owls' and 'The Beginners' Guide to Potions.' He also found an obscure little book titled 'Asian Magical Beings' in a dusty corner. He skimmed through that while waiting for Harry. A little while later, Harry came back with two books in hand.

"'Tales of Beedle the Bard' and 'A History of Magic.' That's what you want?" Tom asked a bit skeptically. Harry nodded enthusiastically.

"I like fairy tales. It made me hope someone would come save me like how the prince saved the princess from the evil dragon. Like how you saved me." Harry said cheerfully while looking at 'Tales of Beedle the Bard.' Tom swallowed with difficultly. It was a sad day when someone felt the evilest Dark Lord in over centuries was a 'prince charming' that had saved them. "And I want to learn more about magic so 'A History of Magic' should be perfect."

"Excellent choices Harry." Tom praised while hiding his bubbling anger toward muggles. Particularly three abominable muggles that were high on his list. They went to the counter to pay for the books.

A brunette girl blowing giant blue bubbles of bubblegum sat at the register with an bored expression on her face. She took one look at Tom and blushed bright red. Immediately, she started to flirt while clumsily counting the merchandise. She did such an abysmal job in both counting and flirting that Tom nearly lost his patience and crucioed her. Fortunately for her, Harry was there so Tom was just barely able to rein in his temper.

"Buh-bye cutie! Call me!" She practically cooed in a false girly voice.

'How about I just crucio you instead.' Tom thought darkly and they left the store. Harry, noticing Tom's stormy mood, just quietly held onto Tom's hand.

Neko, annoyed at how the afternoon was turning out, ran back into Flourish and Blotts. Neither Tom nor Harry realized this until they heard a shriek from behind them. Turning, they just managed to catch a glimpse of the girl running out the store. Her brunette hair was covered in blue bubblegum. On top of a non-gummed part of her head sat a tiny garden snake.

"SNAKE! OH MY GOD! SNAKE! GET IT AWAY FROM ME!" she could be heard screaming as she ran down the alley. A minute later, a smug looking Neko pranced out the door. However, all Tom and Harry could do was laugh at the expression on the girls face. It was a mixture of horror, hysteria, and disgust. Both wondered how she would react when she realized that the snake was still there and on her head.

"Good girl, Neko." Tom murmured as he slowed down to chuckles. She just gave a satisfied meow in response. Now, with lifted spirits, Tom led them to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.

"Go ahead, pick anything you want! I'll pay. And you two Neko." Tom said with a hidden smile as he watched both Harry and Neko excitedly begin to browse through the many different flavors. They also got to taste any flavor with the tiny spoon samples. After nearly ten minutes of deliberation and thought, Neko and Harry had decided what they wanted.

"I'll have the Raspberry Cheesecake Swirl and Neko wants the Salmon Delight!" Harry chirped while bouncing from foot to foot. Pausing, he turned to Tom. "Aren't you getting anything Tom?"

Tom smirked. "I already know what I want. I'll have the Triple Fudge Coffee Surprise."

Fortescue cheerfully scooped generous portions into three bowls and stuck two spoons in the Raspberry Cheesecake Swirl and Triple Fudge Coffee Surprise. "That'll be 9 Sickles and 7 Knuts." Tom handed over the money and carried the bowls to a nearby empty table.

Once there, everyone dug into their delightfully cold treat. They didn't surface for a few minutes but when they did, the sight was hilarious.

Harry had a reddish-purple stain all around his mouth. Neko's nose was covered in pink ice-cream. She even had a tiny bit on her ear. Tom had a streak of fudge across his face. How that got there, he did not know. But what they all knew was that they looked ridiculous with their ice-cream faces. They laughed (or meowed in Neko's case) and finished every last drop. Tom got them clean with a sourgify. He used a wand this time incase anyone was watching. After throwing away the trash, they headed to Madam Malkin's Robesfor All Occasions.

Entering, they were met by a plump little witch. She introduced herself as Madam Malkin. She led Harry to a little platform and set a tape measurer to measure Harry as she bustled around. Neko took one look around and jumped onto a pile of wool clothes. There she curled into a ball and took a nap.

"What type of robes are you looking for?" She asked while examining a blot of dark blue cotton.

"We just want a full set of robes. Preferably in the darker colors." Tom replied as he watched in amusement as Harry gazed at the tape measurer in amazement. As if sensing Harry's wonder, the tape measurer began twirling more than necessary, as if showing off. It was during one of these twirls that it accidentally flew straight into Madam Malkin. It immediately flew back to where it came from, as if embarrassed. Madam Malkin looked suspiciously at it but went back to finding bolts of cloth.

Tom and Harry exchanged looks and both barely contained their mirth. When a small snicker escaped Harry's mouth, Madam Malkin stuck her head from behind a tall pile of clothes and looked even more suspicious. They just barely kept their faces straight. When she finally disappeared again, tom immediately cast a Silencing charm on the both of them and they dissolved in giggles and snorts. Tom just barely managed to cancel the charm before she came back.

"Now, you said dark colors? Here are some nice dark blues and greens. I also brought a dark red. I think it would look nice with you hair. Of course, here are some nice black robes. I also took the liberty of getting a few bright colors. This bright green matches perfectly with your eyes. Such pretty eyes. Silver would also go well with your eyes so I brought some of that too. Are these acceptable?" Madam Malkin rambled on.

Tom and Harry examined the wide range of colors. They were almost all perfect with a few exceptions. There was a red that was so bright that Harry had to squint to look at it.

"They are all acceptable except that one. I also want a some acromantula silk dress robes in the bright green, the dark green, the dark silver, and black." Tom ordered. "When can you be finished with the lot?"

"I can have them all finished by the end of the week. Do you will for me to mail them to you or would you like to pick them up yourself?" She cheerfully asked.

"I will pick them up. Is nine thirty acceptable?" Tom replied. Madam Malkin nodded and gathered the clothes. Harry jumped off the platform and scooped up Neko. She just lazily meowed and curled up tighter. Harry looked up at Tom and followed him out.

"Where are we going now?" Harry asked. He was a bit tired but still excited. 'Magic is really amazing.'

"We are going to buy you a wand." Harry immediately perked up. 'A wand! Now I can see if I can really do magic!'

"However, you will only be allowed to use it under my supervision. For the rest of the time, I will be keeping it. It is for your own safety. While a wand is a instrument to channel your magic, it still can harm you. I want you to be careful." Tom warned. "But don't worry. I will be instructing you constantly. You will not be parted with your wand for long. Once I see you can safely keep from harming yourself with it, I will return it."

Tom led them to a small dusty shop at the end of the alley. It had an ancient feeling. Walking in, the old feeling was combined with gloom. There were row upon row, column upon column of boxes all neatly stacked on top of each other. Harry shivered. It felt like a ghost could just sneak up on you.

"Good afternoon." The soft greeting startled Harry into spinning around to come face to face with a peculiar man.

He was pale, so pale that he seemed to have never seen the sun in his life. He had a head of pure white hair that stuck every which way. Long spindly fingers extended from a hand peeking from out of his robes. But his eyes were what caught Harry's attention. The light colored silvery eyes were

"I did not expect you Mr. Potter for a few years yet." His intense pale eyes were starting to scare Harry.

"Um- Hi." Harry squeaked. His heart was still racing.

"We are here to obtain a wand." Tom said curtly. He wasn't happy with how Ollivander had snuck up behind him. Ollivander turned toward Tom and gave a faint smile.

"Ah Mr. Riddle. I never expected to see you in my shop again. Much less with a young charge. I still remember the day we first met. I still remember which wand chose you. Thirteen and a half inches. Yew. The core was a phoenix feather. One of two that I received..." Ollivander trailed off. His eyes darted from Harry to Tom.

"I wonder..." He turned and disappeared behind a shelf of boxes. When he came back, in his hands was a dusty box. It didn't seem any different from the other boxes. When Ollivander opened the box and held it out, Harry was curious but didn't expect anything to happen. How wrong he was.

The moment Harry's fingertips touched the wand, what felt like a charge of electricity ran down his arm. Almost in a trance he gently lifted the wand out of the box, delicately holding it as if it were made of spun sugar. His arm rose, almost of its own accord, and swept down. As it fell, a trail of red and gold sparks showered out from the tip of the wand. Wisps of silver spun in-between the light show.

Tom watched not the light show, but Harry's face. His eyes were halve-lidded, as if he was almost asleep. But when he waved his wand, those liquid emerald eyes had closed. His whole face relaxed. A faint smile were on his lips. It looked like Harry was truly at peace. As if all his demons were chased away. As if he had forgotten every last horrible and cruel thing that had been done to him. It was a look that entranced Tom.

"It just so happens, that the phoenix feather of your wand, Mr. Potter, is the second and only other feather given to me. That same phoenix donated the feather that is the core of Mr. Riddle's wand. In other words, Mr. Riddle's wand is brother to Mr. Potter's wand." Mr. Ollivander murmured.

Tom turned toward Mr. Ollivander in shock. It seemed that more and more things kept linking the two of them together. Who knows what would happen if Harry ever grew to hate Tom. The results could be catastrophic.

"Tom...?" Harry said almost dreamily. "Tom, I feel... warm... and happy. Am I supposed to feel like that?" Tom smiled inwardly and reassured Harry.

"Yes, you are. That means that this wand chose you." Harry smiled and turned toward Ollivander.

"What-" Harry started to ask.

"-is your wand? Holly. Eleven inches. Nice and supple. The core is of course a phoenix feather." Ollivander finished with a satisfied look. "That will be seven galleons."

Tom reached for his Gringotts pouch and retrieved the said amount. As he paid Ollivander, Neko, who had been napping in one of Tom's pockets popped her head out. She looked straight at Ollivander and meowed.

"Ahh. I never ever expected a kitsuneko to come to my shop. Do you wish for a wand as well?" Ollivander muttered, half to himself, half to the sleepy kitty in Tom's pocket.

Neko nodded and wiggled out of Tom's pocket. As she fell, she dark purple flames obscured her from view. However, they vanished as soon as she finished shifting. When her feet gently tapped the floor, she was almost fully human again. All that proved her kitsuneko heritage and that she wasn't an Animagus was the long silky tail protruding behind her and the cat ears perched upon her head.

"Yes." Neko said softly. "I would very much like to have a wand." Ollivander smiled and gave a bow.

"Pleased to meet you, Miss...?" he trailed off.

"Oh! My name is Tetsumi. But I would like to be called Neko." She said as she blushed at her oversight.

"And you may call me Ollivander." He gave a reassuring smile and continued. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"I would like for you to fashion a wand for me." She hesitantly asked. "I would prefer a custom wand over anything that you already have because I don't think they would like me." Ollivander gave her an enthusiastic smile.

"Ooooh! A challenge! I'll be glad to!" He cheerfully said as he darted back behind some shelves to come back with a big box and a set of scales. "Here, reach into the box without looking and pull out what draws your hand the most." Neko cautiously reached into the box and began rummaging through it. Tom and Harry had moved out of the way and were observing off to the side.

"Tom?" Harry whispered. Tom turned toward Harry questioningly.

"Yes? What is it?" Tom could see a curious light in Harry's eyes.

"Why do we have brother wands? Is it because of that link you talked about?" Harry asked quietly as he watched Neko reach deep into the box, going up to almost her shoulder.

"Hmm. I can't answer that." Tom muttered. While he felt some amusement in watching Neko almost dive into the box, he felt discomforted at the line of questioning. It raised questions that he didn't know the answers to. It could also lead to things he didn't want Harry to know about their connection and its formation.

"Why not?" Harry turned to Tom. Even though he had only known Tom for a few days, it felt like he had know the other forever. Tom also seemed to know everything. It never even crossed Harry's mind that Tom didn't know.

"Because... it's very complicated. I don't want to confuse you. I can tell you it does have something to do with our bond." Tom replied as he watched a look of contentment appear on Neko's face. She carefully lifted out a long block of strangely patterned reddish brown wood.

"Aaah. I see you are most affiliated with snakewood. Good." Neko and Tom both froze in startlement at Ollivander's words. The connotation connected to the chosen wood escaped Harry however. "Now, what do you want the core to be? It must be-"

"-magical. I know. If it's possible, I would like to use one of my own hairs." Neko interrupted nervously.

"Hmmm. It's possible. I myself have never used any demon hairs, much less kitsuneko hairs, for wands. However, due to this being a custom wand, I can try it." Ollivander mused. "If you will." He gestured toward Neko's hair.

"Oh! Yes, of course." She swept her hair in front of her and carefully plucked out one of the longest charcoal colored hairs. Ollivander nodded in approval and carefully positioned the set of silver scales in front of Neko.

"Now we need to figure out how long your wand must be. Please place the wood on this side of the scale. Good. Now set the hair on the other side. Yes. Right there. Okay, please step back." As Neko stepped back, Ollivander raised his wand and tapped the top of the scales. It began to tip back and forth. Finally it settled and Ollivander leaned forward and looked carefully at the measurements marked on the side.

"Yes... three chees- but there are two gey sans- don't forget the three gey yis." Ollivander mumbled almost inaudibly to himself. Tom, Harry, and Neko exchanged confused looks but didn't comment.

"Your wand will be twelve inches." Ollivander finally determined.

He gently picked up the block of snakewood and tapped it with his wand while muttering something inaudible, causing it to give off a dim red glow. Then he gripped one end and used his other hand to cover the wood of that end. Then he suddenly ran his hand down the length of the block. In his hand's wake the wood burned a bright red and seemed to almost melt into a slim shape. At the other end, he stopped and pushed the two ends toward each other, shortening the wand.

Once he was seemed satisfied, he stopped and delicately picked up the hair that was still resting on the scales. Placing one end of the strand at the point of the bright red glowing stick, he slowly fed the stand into it. Eventually the whole strand was in the wand. Then he let go with one hand and tapped the still glowing wand with his own wand, muttering something inaudible.

The wand finally stopped glowing and in the block of wood's place was a reddish brown wand with black stripes that looked like a snake.

"There. I'm done. As for payment, rather than money, I would like a single strand of your hair to be used for another wand. I promise not to use it for any other purpose." Ollivander said happily.

Neko slowly nodded. She swept her hair in front of her again and carefully plucked out another stand of the charcoal black hair. Reaching forward she handed it to Ollivander. As he took the strand he held out her wand. Neko hesitated for a heartbeat before grasping in within her hand.

Warm infused her body as she unconsciously raised her hand and swept it down. In the tip's wake, purple and black sparks showered out. A soft smile adorned her face as she gazed at her wand in respect. Turning back to Ollivander after a few moments she thanked him profusely.

"It was no problem. I thank you. I have never fashioned a demon hair wand and now I will be able to create two!" He gave an enthusiastic smile and disappeared into the back of his shop. Neko turned toward Tom and Harry.

"I did not realize you did not possess a wand for yourself. Do you know spell at least?" Tom asked with ill-hidden curiosity. Harry nodded.

"Yes. I was taught spells when I was just a kitling. I also received tutorage from some great wizards and witches when they visited." Neko replied. "I just never got the chance to obtain a traditional wand before..." She trailed off, sadly thinking of her past. She gave a sigh and a weak smile before muttering something inaudible.

The wand, that was innocently resting in her hand, gave a slight shudder before dissolving into the air. A small gust of wind in the shape of a tornado enveloped the wand tip down. As the wind moved down, the part of the wand it had passed over disappeared. Once the wand was completely gone, she burst into flames and turned back into her kitty form. She gave a cute look that said 'Pick me up and put me in your pocket!' Tom leaned down and gently put Neko into one of his many pockets.

Then he held out his hand for Harry. Taking his hand, Harry and Tom finally left the shop. From there they headed toward the little toy shop they had passed on their way to Gringotts. Harry's eyes widened in surprise when Tom walked in and told the manager that he want a chess set identical to the one displayed on the display case. When the manager nervously asked if Tom wanted anything else after retrieving a new set, Tom hesitated. He leaned toward the manager and said something that Harry couldn't catch. The manager glanced at Harry and gave a sly smile and reached under the counter to pull out a long case.

"Will that be all sir?" When Tom nodded, the manager rang up the two purchases and shrunk both so they would fit in Tom's pocket.

"What was-" Harry started to ask before being interrupted.

"Later." Tom answered with a hint of smugness. This time he led them back to the fireplace in which they had originally come from. With a pinch of Floo powder and a some words, they were gone.

To be continued...

AN: Wow, it's been a crazy couple of week for me. I had finals to deal with and after that, my parents found about Starlight Darknight. It wasn't a pretty sight at first but I convinced them to allow me to continue. Your reviews helped me a lot! THANK YOU ALL A LOT!! :D (My dad is actually being supportive now.)

Thank you all and thanks to my anonymous reviewers!

adenoide: Don't worry, while Harry will never be the "Golden Boy."

Dreamweaver: See! Sev survived! Oh, thanks for pointing out that mistake. I don't have a beta and while I do reread my chapters several times to proofread them, sometimes little things like that get past me.

Macvanaly: Yea! You read and actually like my story! Success! You're one of my favs!

Amy: You'll just have to wait and see! Hope you like it!

P.S. Mr. Bunny would like to say that I hope to update on a regular basis now that school is out. Hopefully I can update at least once every one or two weeks and on Wednesdays.

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