Disclaimer. Harry Potter is not mine. Tom Riddle isn't mine either, if he was, I would be a very happy girl and I wouldn't complain about anything in life ever again.

A/N. More at the bottom. Thank you for being at chapter 5, I appreciate you reading my story. Please leave me a review after reading, it won't take long. I love to read them, even if it's short. I'm constantly checking my story stats, to see how many people are reading this story. Tank you to the people that reviewed, and also to the people who put me on alert and even on their favourite list, I never thought I would ever be on someone's favourite list (don't care how many story's are on that list, I still feel honoured!).

Well, on with the story, it's what you're here for.

Enjoy.

In Darker Times – Chapter 5

The next morning, Harry found himself sitting at the Slytherin table for breakfast. Humphrey sat next to him, and Tom on his other side. It worried Harry, why would Tom want to sit so close to him after their argument last night ? The day started with transfigurations, from professor Dumbledore. Humphrey didn't make it in NEWT transfigurations, Paschal didn't make it either. So it would be Harry, Vincent, Edmond and Tom.

After breakfast the four of them started walking towards the transfiguration class room. Saying goodbye to Humphrey and Paschal, who would be going to divination.

'Such an useless class, divinations.' Tom said to Harry.

Harry nodded, agreeing with Tom on that. He didn't know what teacher was teaching the class in this time, but he supposed it was still pretty much the same.

'What classes are you in, Tom ?' Harry wanted to be in a lot of classes Tom was in, the more time he spend around him the better.

'all of them, except for divinations and astronomy.'

'Playing quiditch ?' Harry had already thought about trying to get on the team here. He missed playing quiditch, especially after his ban from last year.

'No, I used to though. You ?'

'I love to fly, used to play seeker back home.' Harry cursed himself, he slipped up, already. He wasn't supposed to play on a team, being home schooled.

Tom noticed it to, for he stopped walking and turned around to face Harry. They where in a deserted hallway, only a few hallways from the classroom they where mend to go.

'How can you play when you're the only student, Harry ?' Think Harry, think of something!

'Played with my dad, he bought a practice snitch for me when I was younger.'

Tom didn't buy it, he saw the suspicion in his eyes. But he seemed to let it go for now and started walking again.

During the class, Tom sat next to Harry. It seemed like Tom wanted to know more about Harry, as Harry wanted to know more about Tom. He could use this to his advantage, but he had to be more careful.

Professor Dumbledore entered the classroom. Handing out bright yellow canaries.

'Students, welcome to 6th year transfiguration. All of you passed your OWL's or you wouldn't be in this class.' He eyed Harry for a few second, he knew Harry had passed his OWL's but no one else knew. 'That means that the level is higher this year. Next year you will all be going up for your NEWTS. So I expect only the best from you. We are going to practice transfiguring living beings. I want you to treat them with respect, and not harm them in any way. I want you to open your books to page 82, there you will find a description of what you are supposed to do. If you do not understand, ask me. The challenge for you all is to succeed in transfiguring the canary to a purple cushion. Not only is it difficult because it is a living animal, but also because you have to change it's colour. Any questions so far ?'

No one raised their hands, so Dumbledore signalled for everyone to watch how he transfigured his canary into a perfect square fluffy pillow. After that he told the students to start.

This was stupid, Harry had already done this before. In his own time he was way ahead of the students here.

With a flick of his wand, Harry had turned his canary into the same fluffy pillow.

Tom noticed Harry's ease. And did the same thing, only he made the pillow purple, with golden polka dots and golden rimming around the edge. Show off.

After professor Dumbledore walked passed and gave them both a compliment, Tom turned his canary back. Harry did the same, letting it fly back to his cage. Tom didn't let the canary move away, aiming his wand at it with an evil grin.

Harry saw it and elbowed Tom. 'Tom, what're you doing ?' Harry whispered harshly.

'You know about the spell you saw me practicing last night ? The dark one ?'

Harry had been bluffing, he didn't know what spell it was, but he did know it wasn't a spell thought at Hogwarts in 5th year, or he would have recognised. And by the way Tom was hiding the book he guessed it was a dark spell.

'Yes, are you planning to test it ? Right under Dumbledore's nose ?'

'Yeah, why not ? Scared of a little detention ? I thought you where a Slytherin, Harry. You disappoint me. And by the way, he won't notice, he never does.'

That didn't sound like the Dumbledore he knew. He always knew everything that happened in the school, but maybe that was because he wasn't headmaster here yet. Maybe the headmaster had some tricks to find out about the things happening in the school, like the marauders map or something. Or maybe he didn't know because he didn't pay attention.

'Won't notice or doesn't care ?' Harry wanted to know, Tom seemed to know a lot about how things worked.

'Both, he doesn't notice mostly, and when he does he doesn't usually care. Cursed a student last year, only got 20 points taken and 2 weeks detention. No big deal.'

Harry didn't like that thought, Tom seemed to be having free reign in the school.

'I found out about some pretty nasty curses. Last time I tried one people found out, but I practiced it enough I think. Already got two of them down, this is the last one.' Harry looked horrified, what was Tom going to do to the bird ? Seeing Harry's look Tom continued. 'Don't worry, it won't hurt it and no one will notice.'

Tom aimed his wand, made the movement Harry saw earlier and cast 'Imperio' on the non suspecting bird. Harry watched how Tom made the bird jump around, singing a song and flap his wings, not able to resist. Tom had a satisfied smirk on his face making the bird do these things.

'You do know you could end up in Azkaban for this right ? They aren't called unforgivable without reason.'

Tom rolled his eyes and removed the curse, letting his bird fly of as well.

'Such a bore Harry. I really thought you where different then the rest. But where did you find out about the unforgivables anyway, no one seems to know anything about their existence.'

'I have seen them being cast Tom, saw people die or go crazy under them.'

Tom didn't look horrified in the least, he even seemed fascinated by what Harry had said.

'Ever tried one for yourself ?'

Harry remembered the night at the ministry, how he had tried to cast the Cruciates curse on Bellatrix, and failed. Tom seemed to take his silence as an answer for he smirked.

'You failed, didn't you ? Which one ?'

'Cruciates.' Harry didn't like the look on Tom's face at all.

'I could teach you Harry, it's not that hard once you felt the power of control.'

'No Tom, I don't want you teaching me! They're horrible curses mend to hurt or kill. And I have no intention of doing that to any living being.' Harry whispered harshly. After that, they waited for the lesson to end in silence. Tom occasionally glancing over to Harry.

'I'm sorry for snapping Tom. But I really did see enough of those curses, and I still have nightmares about what they have done. It's just difficult to see them being cast. And I'm ashamed I tried to cast one myself.'

After that, Dumbledore signalled the class being over. Tom left the classroom, giving one last thoughtful glance Harry's way. Harry left on his own, seeing Humphrey waiting for him outside. They had potions next and Harry was glad he could sit next to his new friend, a friend not keen on finding out about the unforgivables.

This was going to be really hard, Harry had to be more careful about his opinions. Tom would not change him mind about this, and Harry should play along more, or Tom would keep him away from him. If that happened Harry would never be able to get to know him better.

The rest of the day passed by rather uneventful. Harry spend most of his time with Humphrey, talking about other students, by the end of the day Harry knew a lot more about his classmates, but Humphrey hadn't been talking about Tom, and asking about him would make Humphrey suspicious. So Harry kept quiet mostly, just listening, not really interested.

That night, Harry returned to his dorm early. He suspected no one to be there yet, so he hoped he could talk to Dumbledore and ask him about the things that had happened that day. But when he entered the dorm, Tom was sitting on his bed, scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment. He didn't even notice Harry entering.

Harry sat on his bed, perhaps the journal wasn't such a good idea with Tom sitting there. Harry cleared his throat, hoping to catch Tom's attention. It worked, Tom looked startled.

'Didn't hear you come in Harry. What do you want ?'

'Nothing, just wanted to let you now I was here, in case you where practicing some dark arts again.' Harry tried to make some humour sound trough in his voice, hoping Tom would catch it as a joke.

He did, a tiny smile graced his face. Harry couldn't imagine why Tom Riddle would ever want to end up with the snake face he had as Lord Voldemort. He was a handsome boy, Voldemort was not handsome, and Harry could see nothing from that monster in Tom's face.

'I hope your not angry with me about me snapping at you in class this afternoon.'

Tom shrugged, 'No Harry, I'm not angry.'

'Tom, what I meant to ask you, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to. But it looked as if you enjoyed the bird's suffering. Did you ?'

Tom looked thoughtful for a moment, thinking Harry's question over. After that he looked down at his hands, Harry thought he looked like the sixteen year old boy he was at that gesture and he wondered if Tom was going to answer him.

'I don't know Harry. That wasn't a really big deal you know. The bird wasn't suffering, he was just doing the things I wanted him to, and I didn't make him do any painful things.'

'Suffering isn't always physically, you know that right ?' Harry really wondered if Tom knew that, for his answer seemed like he didn't.

'I think the Cruciatus curse is suffering, the Imperius is pretty harmless.'

'I would take the Cruciatus curse over the Imperius any time.'

Tom looked startled at that. 'Why Harry, you said you saw them, how could you want that kind of pain ?'

'The Cruciates only harms the body, but it can never break you spirit, unless used to long of course. But if you would put me under the Imperius curse, and made me do a lot of horrible things, I would never be the same person again. It would always feel to me like I was the one who did those things.'

'Have you felt that curse before ?' Tom didn't believe him. He couldn't understand.

'Yes, I have more than once.' Harry looked at the pillow on his bed, remembering the pain. Both boys where silent after that, lost in their own thoughts. How could Harry ever convince Tom that the curses he was using where just wrong ? Tom seemed so far into it already.

Suddenly Harry remembered the thing Tom had said about already being able to cast two of the unforgivables. That mend he had already used the killing curse on someone!

'Have you killed anyone Tom ? You told me you where able to perform the curse. Did you do it on an animal or on a person ?'

Tom looked up at Harry. Harry noticed Tom was always thinking everything through in his mind before answering.

'Yes I have performed it.' Tom left it at that, standing up from his bed and walking out of the dorm.

That was all the answer Harry needed to know Tom had already murdered a person. Maybe even more then one. It terrified Harry, Tom was sixteen, and already he had killed. He came down to this time to meet Tom Riddle, and hoped to find out more about the boy. But he realised right then that it might have been to late already. What had Tom been through in his life that he was able to murder a human being ?

Harry let himself fall back on his bed. Staring up at the ceiling. He felt so lonely right now. He missed Ron and Hermione more than ever at the moment. They would talk some sense in him, make him use the portkey and come back home. Harry knew this was useless, Tom couldn't be changed anymore. But a little voice in the back of his mind told him he had to try, that he couldn't just turn his back on the boy. He could always give up later, but not after just one day.

Tom had stirred emotions in Harry that he had tried to put down when he came here. The night at the ministry haunted him, he heard Bellatrix' taunting voice, laughing at itty, bitty, baby potter for not being able to curse her. His godfather, Harry would never see him again, all the promises of a new home away from the Dursley's would never come true now. He was alone in this world.

The portkey would bring him back to his own time, but not his home. Harry had no home. Hogwarts would never be his home anymore after he found out about all the secrets Dumbledore had kept from him. He could only do one more thing, rid the world of Voldemort. After that he could go his own way, start to live his life. But to do that, he had to know how. And Harry doubted he would find any weaknesses from Tom. He had to learn magic, more destructive spells than a simple disarming spell. He had to learn how to kill, and Tom had offered to help him with the unforgivables, maybe he also wanted to help him with other spells. Maybe Tom could teach Harry how to destroy his future self.

With that thought in mind, Harry drifted of to a very restless night. Planning to ask Tom first thing in the morning, hoping the other boy would agree. Harry knew he needed all the training he could get for his last battle with Voldemort.

A/N. So, chapter 5. I tried to make Tom dark, but I also wanted to show he still has a human side. He has not turned into Voldemort yet, but he is well on his way.

I hoped you liked this chapter. And I hope you review to let me know how you like the story so far. I try to answer some reviews via PM so I won't be answering them in the A/N anymore. That is because I don't think everyone is interested in answers they don't understand because they don't know the question.

Thanks for reading.

M