So Sorry! I know I haven't updated in a while and I could think of some elabrote excuse but the real reason is i got lazy...

But, you peoples now have a new chapter - horraze!

And I thank all of you who have add this to alert - fav.s - or reviewed.


"Come on Hermione!"

"No!"

"Please?"

"I won't!"

"It's just a friendly game-"

"I won't play, I couldn't stand being on a broom."

"You'll love it!"

"I won't!"

It was a common banter and one of the few where Ron and Draco actually teamed up. The three boys wanted to play Quidditch, but needed an extra player. Harry, who had been quiet until now, spoke up.

"Why don't we ask Riddle?"

The banter stopped immediatly and the other three slowly (very slowly) turned to face him. There was an uncomfortable pause.

"You don't have to look at me like I just suggested we all join a suicide cult or something."

"Sorry Harry but, Riddle?" questioned Ron.

"Yeah. Maybe he'd come out for a fly."

"... but, Riddle?" Draco tentivaly asked.

"Yea- Oh for Merlin's sake Draco, he's not the Grim Reaper." this instantly confused Draco.

"Who's that?"

"It's- never mind. My point is that Richard said he was a copy, right? He can't go back. So, well, what's the harm in making fr- in being nice to him?"

Another pause as the other three considered this.

"We-well, we could at least ask... he might not say yes."

"Hermione! I thought you were on our side!"

"Harry makes a good point though, I mean, what's the harm?"

The other two boys searched for an answer before sighing and giving up.

"Fine." They grumbled.

The four of them then stood round, everyone but Harry shuffling or fidgeting, waiting for a silent cue.

"Fine I'll go get him." Said Harry and walked off in a slightly annoyed mood.


Tom had watched the four down on the field, two with a broom and another carrying two. He'd heard their words float up to his open window. Harry actually suggested includeing him? Even though the others acted like he was (as Harry rightly put it) the Grim Reaper? Tom closed the window, picked his book and sat back on his bed, pretending he'd heard nothing. A few moments later the was the sound of footsteps outside his door and Tom's door swung open.

"Hey, Tom?" Harry looked around the door before walking in.

"Me and Ron and Draco were gonna chuck a quaffle around, wanna come?"

Tom tried to analyse the sentence, then a thought struck him. He'd never flown before.

"Um, I havn't actually-"

"Flown? Don't worry, we'll teach you the basics. It's just a friendly match anyway."

Tom studied him. Why would Harry ask him along? The others had either ignored or been hostile toward him, so why was Harry different? Perhaps he merely wished to make a fool of Tom. A glint behind his glasses caught his eye and elicted a thought. Perhaps... Perhaps Harry was as curious about Tom as Tom was about Harry.

"Okay."

Tom stood and followed Harry outside down to the field. Once there, he could've sworn the others looked shocked. Tom merely scowled at them.


The four of them, Harry, Tom, Draco, Ron and Hermione, all stood around akwardly for a moment before Harry took charge.

"Chuck us the spare broom Ron?"

Chucked, caught and passed to Riddle, who seemed to hold it akwardly.

"Thanks. Up in air then, I guess. We gotta run Riddle over some basics before we sort teams or anything."

Probably itching to be as far from Riddle as possible, Ron and Draco mounted and shot up immediately while Hermione retreated backwards to find a seat. Harry mounted and hovered, looking back to see what Riddle was doing. It turned out that he was standing (and looking embaressed) still holding the broom.

He doesn't even know how to mount?

Harry voiced his thought and got a snapped reply of;

"Well I'm not aware of the present day procedures, but in my years they didn't think it nessicary to waste time teaching students how to fly."

He landed and walked over to Riddle.

"Swing your leg over like this, first off."

And from that Harry became Riddle's unoffical flying tutor.


A while later, and Riddle actually seemed to be getting the hang of it, miracle of miracles. Draco whined as he zipped past Ron;

"Can we get into teams now?"

Ron turned just in time to see Harry shake his head before asking who wanted to pair up with who. Quickly weighing up the chances of having Riddle on his team Ron said;

"Draco!"

Just after Draco declared

"Ron!"

Ron did his best not to look Draco's way. Unfortuantly, this meant he saw Harry's very slight frown.

"Fine," He said before calling out to Hermione, "Hey 'Mione! Could you throw the Quaffle up for us?"

Hermione got up, colected the ball from where the boys had dropped it.

"Three, two, one, GO!"

She threw the Quaffle up and, just as Ron's hand was about to grab it, he felt a rush of air, saw a black streak and suddenly the quaffle was no longer there. Instead, Harry hovered a few meters away, laughing in a good humoured way.

"Have to do better than that, Ron!"

And with that line, the game commenced.

That night, Tom observed that dinner was much more lively. He didn't know much about the game, but Quidditch must do this to them.

"Bloody hell! Can't believe we got beat!" Ron looked over at his 'teammate' "Why'd you let them score?"

"Why'd I let them score? It was your fault, R-on-ald!" Draco replied, streaching out the red-heads full name.

"Shut up! It wasn't! I just can't believe we got beat 2-on-1."

There was a slight pause and they were all thinking the same thing. 2-on-1? What about him?

"Er..." Ron started quietly, but was cut off.

"Hey! We've been friends since forever! Why am I suddenly nothing and Riddle's '1'?"

This cover-up seemed to be taken in stride with the others and conversation continued. When dinner finally finished, Lupin appionted Tom and Harry as the 'washer-upperers'.

"Oh! Are you sure Lupin? I don't mind-" Hermione started, Tom not missing the glance the sent Lupin.

"They can handle it, Hermione."

Her nod seemed weak as she disappeared upstairs with the others. Harry walked out of the room.

"The kitchen's this way."


Riddle hadn't spoken yet, and Harry wouldn't be the one to strike up conversation. They were say, half-way through the dishes? Then a soft voice.

"Thanks."

Unfortuantly, Harry wasn't sure what he was refering to, as he had just passed him a plate to be dried.

"Um-"

"For the cover-up during dinner."

"Oh. No problem."

"It was unexpected."

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

"Well... we're gonna have to live with you, so may as well live with an enjoyable you."

Riddle nodded. There was silence again.

"They don't like me."

"Oh, well-"

"No. They don't like me. But you seem rather neutral on the issue. Why?"

Harry could tell the other boy wanted answers and would get them no meatter what.

"Well, Ron doesn't like you 'cause you're Slytherin anyway, and Hermione doesn't like you 'cause she knows you don't like Muggle-borns-" Thankfully he didn't ask how Harry knew she knew.

"And they all don't like you because, well. Because they don't like Voldemort."

A pause. they were almost finished washing up now.

"Then why don't you not like me because you don't like Voldemort?"

A thoughtful pause as Harry considered Riddle's question.

"Because your not Voldemort. Not yet. You're already different from the you that stayed in your time."

"You, you don't hold a grudge against me?"

"No, you havn't given me a reason to yet."

"So, clean slate?"

The last fork was put away and the two turned to face each other. Harry felt a quick smile flicker over his face before he held out his hand.

"Hey, I'm Harry. Harry Potter."

The other took his hand and the shook.

"Hello, I'm Tom. Tom Riddle."

They gave each other a smile, that both knew was rare.


Oooo... mini pact...

Gosh, there's so much to get through. I've gotta write down what happens so I don't forget...

Sorry bout the wait! (Have been starting way to many stories, and then there's work, and a life laughs)

Reveiws welcome and appreicated 9along with constructive critisism).