The spiders had been interesting. The large one was quite amazing having actually learned human speech. His children were bothersome though. So greedy for Harry's flesh and blood. Harry had easily made a shield charm around him-self and left unharmed. Once he had made it to the edge of the spider's territory he had run into a few centaurs. They had looked at him, told him he should not be in the forest then left. Harry had shrugged and headed back anyways.

He had exited the forest in time to see some ministry officials leading Hagrid away. The poor fools thought he had opened the chamber before and was doing it again. Harry had watched silently from the edge of the trees. Lucius Malfoy had been one of the officials. The man had actually spotted Harry to. Their eyes had met but the man hadn't pointed his rule breaking out. Just smirked at him and walked off. That left Harry back in his room eating the chocolate cake. It was good he had to admit. It tasted even better as he thought of the chaos going on and the fact he could stop some of it, but wouldn't.

.--.

Harry gazed at the simmering red liquid. It looked like blood. He was almost tempted to run his hand through it, but he knew that wasn't safe in potions class. A shadow fell over him and he knew Snape was gazing over his shoulder.

"And what, Mr. Potter, is that?"

"A fever reducing potion." He said easily ignoring the few people casting them nervous glances.

"And why did you make it?"

"I like the color." He said only loud enough for Snape to hear. "It reminds me of blood."

He could feel the man tense.

"Detention Mr. Potter. You were supposed to make a pepper-up potion."

The boy took it in stride nodding and turning to study the potion. His fingers twitched as if they wished to dip into the potion.

.--.

Harry glanced at Snape. The man sat marking behind his desk. Harry slid into the room silently and stepped up behind the professor. He reached his hands forwards and gently brushed Snape's throat from behind him. The man tensed in surprise. Harry swept his hands back, finger tips dragging softly against his throat. Harry grabbed his hair and pulled it back gently as if to put it into a pony tail. Then he stepped beside Snape letting his hair fall free. The man was watching him with narrowed eyes. Harry reached up and gently grabbed Snape's arm. Snape tensed and went to jerk his arm away. Then he looked into those emerald eyes and seemed to freeze. Like a full body bind. His sleeve was gently shoved up and Snape could only stare into green eyes. Finally the Harry pulled his gaze from Snape's eyes and looked down at the arm. The man didn't move even as he ran a finger around the dark mark, tracing it in slight interest.

"So dark." He muttered.

He let a small amount of his magic 'scan' it.

"Ah. So it acts as a portkey when activated by the magic that made it. It's also like Health Revealing Spell, but shows you if the maker is unhealthy, not shows the maker if you arte unhealthy. Interesting."

Snape's eyes widened as the boy talked. Then the boy pulled his arm up so it was closer to his face to study.

"It gives you pain when it summons you."

He gave a tittering laugh.

"He rules you by pain and fear."

Snape shuddered.

"Effective." Harry said looking up at his eyes again. "For the weak it'll make you loyal. It will make you fear to betray him, to receive the pain and death he will give should he catch you."

Snape shuddered again.

"But not everyone is weak." He said looking deep into Snape's eyes.

Snape just knew the child knew more then he ever let on. How? Snape didn't know. Harry let go of the arm with one hand to reach up and rest on Snape's right cheek. The thumb brushed it idly as he gazed into Snape's eyes.

"You aren't ruled by fear. You joined willingly, because you love the dark arts. But you found you despised his ideas. His goals. His ways to rule. He was a hypocrite."

Snape shuddered once again as the child figured it all out; like he had peered into Snape's mind and soul.

"So you joined the light as a spy. But you aren't fully accepted by them, because you love the dark arts. So you're trapped between. No matter which wins you will never fully benefit."

Snape stayed silent and still. The boy stroked his cheek with his thumb and held his left arm in his other hand. Then the boy leaned over and kissed his dark mark. Snape shuddered and Harry straightened smirking.

"What do you wish me to do for my detention?" He asked.

Snape gripped his mark with his right hand starring past the child's head.

"You're dismissed."

Harry gave a small smirk and walked off. Snape couldn't help but shudder again.

.--.

Harry gazed at the large tree sitting on the soft cool grass. His cloak was warm and he wore gloves. Frost covered the area but it didn't bother Harry. He gazed up at the whomping willow and wondered how rare this type of tree was. He also wondered what it would do if it burned. He could already hear the silent screams and the branches waving frantically. He lit a small ball of fire above his hand but extinguished it a moment later. It would get him expelled. He hummed a tune slightly under his breathe. One he had heard D hum most of the time. Suddenly he heard foot steps. A minute later Hermione sat beside him. She gazed at the tree with him for some time.

"Harry…"

He looked at her.

"We…well……can you feel anything?"

Harry raised a brow.

"I mean, I saw you glare at Lockhart with rage. It was frightening. And I saw you gaze at Blaise and I softly, well softer then usual. But most of the time you look so calm. It's kind of frightening when you always look like that."

Harry thought a moment.

"I can't describe how I feel." He said. "I never really felt strong emotion. I feel rage sometimes, but it takes a lot. I stare at you two softly because I like to dream that if I had emotion I would be like you two. I call you friends, but to me the term friends is different then yours. I like you. I would miss you should something happen. But I do not love you. You are not family. I do not have family. Inside I'm empty."

She gave a sad nod as if understanding. She would never fully understand.

"But we are friends?" She asked.

Harry gave a nod.

"I-I just felt as I were using you for books. I mean you're always distant and we've never really tried to connect. Until we became friends with Blaise I just followed you, talked for you, but never really walked with you or talked with you. Then we met Blaise and he and I became friends and you always seemed to be there, but so distant."

Harry just glanced at her.

"It is in my nature to be calm and distant." He said.

"And more mature."

He raised a brow and she blushed slightly.

"You never remind me of a child." She said. "I've never seen you as my age. You act like someone decades older. You have a serious look with that calm air also making you look much more mature and older, even though you're slightly short."

Harry nodded absently. He had noted adults talked to him as he was an equal and many children as if he were older. He looked at Hermione again. They were friends. But he though of her more as a younger ward. Someone who he knew, protected. Someone who everyone would know was his, and not to hurt what was his.

.--.

Harry looked at the frilly dwarf with a mixture of calm and disgust. He listened to the bad poem, ignoring the giggles, and looked to the redheaded girl. She blushed. He gave a calm smile and she blushed again before running off. Then Harry looked at the load in his arms. He despised Valentines. Everyone wanted him just for his looks, his power, his fame, and his wealth. Harry looked at the numerous chocolates and cards in his arms. Then he sent a scowl at the grinning Blaise. He moved looked at the pile and narrowed his eyes. There was one from Lockhart. Moron. He spotted three boxes he had gotten with the morning post. Noir, Maen, D. He moved towards a small first years, who looked slightly miserable. He dumped all the chocolate and cards into the boy's surprised arms, except the three and walked off. Blaise blinked and Hermione smirked.

"See, I told you he could be kind sometimes." She remarked.

Harry rolled his eyes as Blaise grumbled.

.--.

Harry gazed at the diary in his hand. He had found the ghost-girl crying and relieved her of the object that had distressed her. The small black diary was layered with magic. Dark magic. Blood magic. Ancient magic. Dangerous magic. Harry idly flipped a page open and saw it was empty. He dipped his quill in some ink and brought it to the page. As soon as the ink touched the page it was sucked in. Harry started to write.

I'm Harry

He waited. Slowly the ink was sucked up and new words appeared.

Hello Harry, I'm Tom Marvalo Riddle

Harry raised a brow as a tiny, barely noticeable tendril of black magic tried to latch onto his own. He knew who had last had the diary now. That red haired girl. She had broken the books hold enough to try to get rid of it. She hadn't done a very good job. It would most likely call her back. Harry didn't allow the black tendril to latch on, instead just shutting the book. He was curious. He headed off towards Gryffindor tower. What was the Diary's purpose? He wished to find out.

.--.

End of Chapter 15.