"Smith, a word please?"

Harry stopped walking, and turned around to face Riddle. It had been two weeks since the first Slug Club meeting, and in that time Harry had managed, with effort, to continue avoiding Riddle non-stop. He regretted suddenly that he hadn't left the Common Room a little earlier.

"Sorry, but I'm busy," Harry lied. Riddle spoke before he could leave.

"Oh, I don't mean to bother you with conversation this time. Instead I wish to ask you a favour."

"A favour?" asked Harry slowly.

"Yes. You see, I have a letter here that I am very keen to get delivered, yet I can't seem to find any time around school work, and so on. Since you seem to be out of the Common Room a lot, I thought that perhaps you might have some spare time to help me?"

Harry recognised the tone that Riddle was using – it was the same tone that he always seemed to use when he wanted someone to do something for him. But this was very confusing to Harry, for he knew very well that Riddle didn't suffer from the time he had to spend doing school work. Riddle and all of his friends were gone for hours on end most days, evidently not doing schoolwork. All of the Professors yelled at Avery, Nott, Lestrange and the others constantly for not getting enough homework done. But Riddle got everything finished perfectly, and still spent all his time with his Death Eaters.

Why, then, was Riddle asking this favour? More to the point, why was he asking Harry to do it? He could get any of his followers to run this letter down to whomever it was for. This left only one reason. Riddle was trying to trick Harry, somehow. Harry surveyed the other boy sceptically.

"Why do you want me to do it?"

"As I said, you seem to be out of the Common Room quite often. No one ever seems to stop you, either."

"Well, I haven't got the time today," Harry said shortly.

"Why ever not?" Riddle asked, his tone suggesting that he had decided to mask his curiosity.

"I…" Then an idea came to Harry. Since Riddle was trying to trick him, Harry was probably better off taking on this challenge prepared. If he were to reject this offer, then Riddle would only think of something better, another way to get to Harry more slyly. Because Harry was now expecting it, as the first trick, a refusal to take this letter would mean that Riddle would know that Harry knew it was a ruse. If Harry accepted, Riddle would think of him as foolish, thus underestimating his intelligence.

Pulling the best skills in acting Harry had, he rearranged his expression into one that suggested he was blind to see any tricks, and that he was contemplating being nice for once. He looked down at the letter that Riddle had in his hands, and then sighed as though annoyed with having no choice but to accept.

"Fine, I'll deliver your letter…"

Riddle smiled faintly as Harry put out his hand to take the parchment.

"Who do I have to deliver it to?" Harry asked.

"A boy named Rubeus Hagrid. He lives in a cabin in the grounds."

"What?" Harry asked quickly.

"Are the school grounds a problem for you?" Riddle asked with raised eyebrows, reading Harry's shock incorrectly. "I was under the illusion that you could manage the avoidance of prefects and teachers… Perhaps I was wrong?"

"No, I just…" Harry had completely forgotten that Hagrid was still at Hogwarts. He couldn't believe that such a detail had surpassed his mind. Hadn't he thought about this before? With all that had happened, and with seeing Dumbledore, Slughorn and a lot of other people from memories of this time Harry had overlooked who the groundskeeper might be.

Riddle was still waiting for Harry to speak. Harry decided to stop showing such obvious signs of shock, for Riddle would no doubt see something more going on in Harry's head if the pause was any longer.

"It's not a problem."

Riddle nodded slowly, with an air that suggested he was happy that his plan was working. With that Harry left the Common Room. It was around nine in the evening, so most of the other students that Harry saw were heading back to their dormitories. Once Harry reached a completely deserted path in a corridor hidden between two tapestries, he reached into his pocket and withdrew his invisibility cloak. This was, of course, how he had managed to continue his strolls around the castle so easily.

Throwing the cloak over his shoulders and putting on the hood, Harry began to walk towards the Entrance hall, one floor up. As he walked closer and closer to the exit towards the grounds, his mind began to wander towards why it was that Riddle was making him do this. The more he thought about it, the more Harry was sure that this wasn't another offer to become a Death Eater, nor a ruse to do the same thing. There was no way that this could trick him into joining Riddle's order, and Harry knew that Riddle was smart enough to assume the same. So there was a motive past this extent.

Then Harry came to guess that perhaps Riddle was just testing him, trying to see if he really could succeed in making it all the way across the grounds without being caught. From the way that Riddle had spoken to Harry before, he gathered that the older boy was curious about how Harry was now never seen. Since the night in which Riddle threatened to tell about Harry's common night wanderings, Harry had taken the invisibility cloak everywhere he went, using it when needed. He knew that if no one could see him or catch him, there was no way that anyone could prove and stop Harry from being away from the other Slytherins. But that must have made Riddle more interested.

Harry pushed open one of the great oak front doors quietly and made his way down to where he knew Hagrid's cabin was. He could see light spilling out from the same windows that he had known for so many years as a student at Hogwarts. It reminded him of being so happy at the idea of visiting Hagrid.

Harry remembered about his first year, when Ron, Hermione and him had tried to help out with looking after Baby Norbert, and his second year when Ron and Him were so desperate to find out how Hagrid was linked to the Chamber of Secrets. There was also the third year, when Harry and Hermione had hidden in the cabin, waiting for some time to pass so they could go to the scene for the second time where Lupin, Sirius, Snape, Ron and their old selves were stationed. In Harry's fourth and fifth year he had always come to visit Hagrid when he had important problems, and in the sixth year that's where he had miraculously obtained the memory that Slughorn held, with a little help from his lucky potion.

But here Harry was now, half way towards visiting the cabin again, both long before and long after he had visited previously. To make matters worse, he was going to give Hagrid a letter from Tom Riddle of all people. The very boy who had almost ruined Hagrid's life and future…

Harry stopped walking. Now that he thought about it, why on earth would Riddle ever be sending Hagrid a letter? Riddle should know that any contact what so ever with the boy who he framed was dangerous. Harry wasn't really supposed to know about the past between Riddle and Hagrid, so maybe Riddle thought he could trust Harry… But Riddle didn't trust anyone. Harry was still frozen with trying to work this all out. He really wanted to get his facts straight for this.

If supposedly Harry was a mind reader, like Riddle, then maybe Riddle had decided that Harry knew about the past of Hagrid and himself. Harry would have perhaps heard about it in the minds of other students, even before someone told him about it. There were doubtlessly theories and gossip wandering around, after all. So Riddle probably knew that Harry was aware about the stories that followed Chamber of Secrets… That would mean that Riddle would expect Harry to be interested in this letter.

Harry really wanted to open it now, but was reluctant to, because he knew that this is what Riddle was intending him to do. Yet if Harry didn't open the letter, he could never have the chance to work out what Riddle was playing at. Harry regretted having started this. Riddle was still ahead of him, and he knew it well as he stood here. Even with Harry knowing more about Riddle than Riddle knew about Harry, he was losing.

Well, what had he expected? Voldemort wasn't going to be a foolish person even at seventeen years old, even facing a boy who came from the future. Harry was beginning to feel truly sick. He had to open it, even if that was the intention. If he resisted the temptation, he would never know what this was about, he would never be able to learn from this mistake to know and understand how Riddle worked…

It couldn't be a fake letter anyway, for if it was there would be no point to it. Harry gave up thinking about everything by opening the letter with quick haste. He recognised Riddle's neat handwriting at once, and began to read in the light of his newly lit wand.

Dear Hagrid.

To begin, I ask that you do not throw these words away out of shock or bewilderment, or at least not before you have read what it is that I have to say. As unexpected as the idea of this letter may be, it is under the best terms possible that I am sending it to you, and I hope you will be able to accept the new provisions on which I am approaching without too much struggle. I am not asking for any sort of change from the damaging correlation I inflicted between us, I merely ask that you weigh out the options here as carefully as the past will allow, for the sake of the future.

To put matters simply, I am rather interested to hear about anything you might know about your own parentage. Not on your father's side, of course, it is only your mother and her evidently large family to which I am referring. I know that there aren't very many people within this school, if any people at all besides you and I, who are either interested in or aware of a few facts concerning your ancestors, yet to me it is very a fascinating history, and something that could be put to good use one day.

As you may or may not be aware of, I am hoping to learn about all the different kinds of magical creatures and beings to a great extent in the near future, and what with your evident knowledge in that very subject, you would be an ideal person to come to for help with any inquiries I may meet along the way. Even at your current age there can be no mistake that you have made somewhat of a connection with the creatures you come across. I know that this must perhaps be because of your mother's side of the family, and a gift such as that should be passed along and taught to as many people who are willing to learn about it, I believe.

If the answer to my question is a definite 'no', then there is not much more to be talked about between you and I. If you're answer is 'yes', however, you will have made an exceedingly wise choice, and a reply back to me as soon as possible would be greatly appreciated. I'm not asking more than a few details on things you might know, and we could even communicate through owl if you do not wish to be within my presence at this time.

So until we speak again, I send my best regards.

-Tom Riddle

Harry stared down at the neat strokes of ink upon parchment for a very long while. He barely felt the cold wind seeping in under the invisibility cloak as he stood stock still, thinking over what this letter meant, whilst taking in the smaller details of it. He only stood where he was for about two solid minutes, yet it felt like longer to him as he came to one important conclusion. Riddle was already trying to obtain power over the giants.

This was only the beginning, perhaps, but Harry knew that a lot would come of it. He reread the letter again, less quickly this time, and noticed that it was very well written. By using the right terms and not giving away too much information, Riddle had managed to hint towards the idea of giants, but if Hagrid was willing to search for another alternative he could perhaps think that Riddle only thought that his mother's side used to be involved in some form of research towards magical creatures.

Harry knew, as Riddle might have, that Hagrid wasn't a pessimistic person, so any chance to see a less harming or difficult meaning in Riddle's message would be just what Hagrid would do. Does Hagrid even know how evil Riddle is yet, Harry wondered? Hagrid could easily fall for Riddle's ruse of kindness if he believed that Riddle was trying to make amends with him, or if he thought that Riddle was perhaps not scared of the monster he was supposed to have caught Hagrid looking after. Hagrid might think that Riddle felt regret for that event, and would hear what he has to say, to sympathise with the idea that he too had parents that had died.

Riddle would use Hagrid after this letter was delivered, Harry knew. He would pretend to feel sentiment and understanding towards the half giant if he needed to, like his memory had done with all of Ginny's problems. Riddle wouldn't need to keep Hagrid at bay with false hope of understanding for very long, because he would manage to get all the information that he needed out of him long before he saw it coming.

Harry bit his lips as he thought about what could happen if Hagrid did know about giants even this soon. Riddle would be able to rise to power rather quickly… or perhaps just have time to make a very strong bond with giants all around the country for the years to come. Harry had never learnt very much about how the first war went, for it was a confusing event, yet he knew that giants and other magical creatures played a very, very important role. With them on his side, Voldemort had become more powerful than the Ministry so simply. He had more to offer, he made the creatures trust him…

Harry turned around gradually to look back up at Hogwarts castle looming above him. He started to feel his heart beat against his chest rapidly as the darkness pressed against the high walls of the towering school, offering his imagination the chance to think that giants could be stationed not far away, waiting for the chance to smash the school into pieces and kill all the people he knew from the past again. Harry knew that it was only the blood pounding in his ears that made a booming noise clearly notable to him, yet he found himself walking briskly to Hagrid's cabin before he knew it. He didn't want to be in the dark grounds, alone, for much longer.

He was soon climbing up the few steps that lead to the door to Hagrid's cabin. He knocked, and heard rustling behind the door. The heavy footsteps of Hagrid were only feet away when Harry remembered that he couldn't wear the invisibility cloak here. He quickly tore it away and put it in his pocket before the door opened, and a boy with a mane of tangled black hair appeared in front of him.

Hagrid was a little shorter than he usually was to Harry's memory, but still taller than any other person Harry had met. The beady black eyes weren't quite as merry as they were within the older form of Hagrid, and it was unusual to see him without the huge heard obscuring half of his face, yet Harry could still see that this was the same Wizard he had befriended so many years ago. Age could not confuse such a fact.

Harry then saw that Hagrid was glaring at him slightly, and realised that he had been staring for longer than politely necessary. He almost felt embarrassed, but not at all scared, even if the younger boy was three times his size and about seven times his strength.

"Erm, I'm sorry to bother you Hag - Mr. Hagrid. But I have a letter here for you."

Hagrid didn't drop his glare. "A let'er?"

"Yes. It's not from me, of course. I was just asked to deliver it."

Harry held out the envelope in which Riddle's letter was held. He had managed to seal the envelope again almost perfectly before he rushed onwards to the cabin, so he was sure that Hagrid at least wouldn't know that he had read what was written, even if Riddle would. Hagrid took it from Harry after a second of hesitation.

"Thanks… Yeh can go now."

Hagrid was about to close the door in Harry's face when Harry spoke.

"Wait. There's one more thing."

Hagrid opened the door again, giving Harry his full attention. Harry was glad to see that he wasn't glaring as much now.

"Erm, I just want to tell you that…"

"That wha'?"

Harry had no clue how on earth he was going to word this properly. He tried as best as he could in the short time frame he had. "I just want to say that I personally don't agree with the person who is sending you that letter."

"Wha' does tha' mat'er?"

"Erm, well I suppose it doesn't matter very much… but you should know more than anyone that the person who's sending this letter likes to play games. Only today I was tricked by him… he does it without care and without a trace of a bad outcome to appear later on. He's only doing it for himself, there's nothing in it for you in the end."

"What're you talkin' 'bout?" Hagrid asked, in a tone that suggested he had a theory about who Harry might be referring to.

"Just - just don't listen to him. You'll be far better off in the end."

Harry and Hagrid stared at one another for a minute, and Harry wondered if he should say any more, yet he couldn't think of anything else to say. He hoped that these words at least would hint towards the fact that he knew a lot about this situation, and didn't think Hagrid should help Riddle. There silence was broken after a while by Hagrid.

"Righ'… Well, g'night."

"Goodnight." Harry replied quickly, taking a few steps downwards to show that he was leaving as Hagrid closed the door.

The darkness that fell once the door was closed turned out to be very prominent to Harry's vision. He threw on the invisibility cloak without real need, and headed back towards the castle. The light pouring out from the tall windows lead Harry back up to Hogwarts safely. But his mind wandered as soon as he started to walk.

Riddle must have been trying to catch Harry's curiosity with this letter, and it had certainly fulfilled that purpose, but in a different way than expected. Harry wasn't burning for the answers of why such a 'riddled' letter was being brought to the mysteriously wild groundskeeper of an unsure past, instead he was wondering why Riddle was sending this letter now. It seemed so early in time to his mind…

He knew that this must have been a test of trust from Riddle, amongst other things. If Harry brought the letter to Hagrid even after reading it, as Riddle wanted, then he would have kept his word and wouldn't have hesitated on the idea of telling a teacher. The plan was, of course, to hook Harry in, to test if he was trustworthy even past his apparent suspicions of Tom, and to see if getting to Hagrid's cabin and back was or wasn't a challenge. Harry had just passed Riddle's tests… and he didn't know whether that was a good thing or not.

There was one thing that he was sure of though, and that was that this was already the beginning of what would soon be the greatest War Wizardkind will ever come to face. The idea of ruling giants and perhaps all other magical beasts was placed within Riddle's mind even so soon. Harry realised, almost suddenly, that he was going to have to do something about Voldemort before it was too late for him, and if he was going to attempt sussing Riddle out, Harry would have to go with some of Riddle's tricks occasionally. They were only minor setbacks, after all… and it was the only way in which he could learn.

He didn't know what he would do, but he was certain that it would mean acting upon this last chance that he evidently had. The idea was scaring Harry though. This would mean that he had to stay around Riddle, had to wait patiently for the time to come when he could defeat some part of the Dark Lord. He knew that it would take a long time – years, perhaps – but it could be worth it.

Yet he was alone. Completely and utterly alone…

… Until he was old enough to meet Dumbledore again, forming the Order of the Phoenix. The idea didn't make Harry smile, to his surprise. It made him nervous. By then Lupin, Sirius, his mother and his father would be there. A load of other people he knew, too.

Then he realised what was making him nervous. Even if he did manage to live for that long a time, he would have to refrain from telling people certain pieces of information due to the fact that it would change history too much. To change the day that made Harry come to the nineteen forties in the first place would be one thing, but to change the day when Voldemort chose to visit his own house in Godric's Hallow, to kill his parents and fail in killing him was quite another.

If he lived to that point in time, he would literally have to let his own parents die after months or perhaps years of getting to know them in the Order. Then Sirius would be sent to Azkaban, and Lupin would perhaps stay underground with the werewolves in fear of being unjustly framed for some other crime, like Sirius. Harry really wasn't sure whether he could do that, even centuries in the future.

Yet it meant that he could somehow, impossibly, spare some of the people he had known, saving the world from complete destruction. And why else would Harry be here? Now that he thought about it, it seemed like a completely valid reason for this completely messed up and confusing fate. It seemed a long and troublesome path, lasting for over fifty years, but it was still better than death. This war was all that Harry had known… even after messing it up once he had a chance to fix it. He might die, but at least he will have done something to help this time around. Harry felt hypocritical, but ignored it.

He would have to stay closer to Riddle and the Death Eaters though, which made him a little uneasy. He wondered how on earth he could manage to endure their presence, but maybe after this year he could become more companionless. Riddle himself would be impossible to keep away from if Harry was to do this properly. If he was really going to become a Death Eater, as he tried to avoid thinking about, then he had to learn how to be one as accurately as possible.

He felt like Snape, somehow. Except Snape hadn't faced quite as much as he was facing now, so he'd have to become as good as Snape had been, if not better. He was the only person that Harry knew to have hoodwinked Voldemort successfully. Harry wasn't really sure yet what 'being more like Snape' meant to him, but for now it seemed to make sense. It made him feel reassured.

He was at the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room, so he stopped thinking about this new and extraordinary idea, this plan. Now wasn't the time to dwell upon such thoughts, for only time could help him to decide how he was going to pull this off. It was the beginning of a new adventure, and this time he had to do it without being helped with blind luck. He had to become more prepared, and face all that he had been fighting for completely alone.