Sitting through the Welcoming Feat, Hermione sighed. You'd think with Dipit as Headmaster and Dumbledore as Deputy, the Feast would be different. I just want to leave.

Hermione picked at her food, watching as the Gryffindors became more boisterous, the Hufflepuffs kept switching seats, and the Ravenclaws were quizzing the Firsties.

While Hermione was watching the other Houses; she, herself, was being watched. A Third Year Slytherin has seated himself so he could watcher her. The boy found her intriguing. He has seen the books that she read, but was confused by the low marks she got. She ghosted through the halls and seemed to be on friendly terms with the House Elves. But, most importantly, she did not fear him. The boy wanted to get to know this interesting girl, perhaps even recruit her.

Puling on her jumper, Hermione debated about going to the Great Hall for breakfast or swinging by the kitchens on her way to the Library. She wouldn't be missed. It was a few weeks into term and it was a Saturday. Hermione grinned. Kitchens it is then Library.

The elves were more than happy to give her a light breakfast before sending her on her way.

Hermione found the Library empty and the matron was not at her desk. Running her fingers down the spines of a dew books in the Restricted Section, she pulled out Malleus Maleficarum. Jumping onto one of the desk and started to read. Before long, Hermione became enthralled by this book on dark magic. Why the Ministry put a ban on it, Hermione couldn't understand. She couldn't read Malleus Maleficarum in her time. She doubted it was even in the Library. So called dark magic was a fascinating subject that was never touched on. Hermione couldn't understand banning any knowledge.

Suddenly Hermione felt someone tap her on the shoulder, jolting her out of her bubble. Turning, she saw a Slytherin boy in her year. He was slightly taller than her, with jet black hair, dark brown eyes and pale skin.

"You're Hermione Granger, aren't you?" He asked, tilting his head to the side and smiling at her.

Hermione eyed the boy warily. There was a reason she had kept her distance from people here and her head down. "Yes and you are?"

"Tom Marvolo Riddle and I found a book that might interest you." The boy quickly opened The History of Druids and handed the book to her. Grin never leaving his face.

Warily taking the book, the young witch gasped. Her name was appearing and then disappearing from the page. "Why are you having me look at this book?"

"Just keep reading." Riddle smiled. With the books he saw her read, he knew she would love this book.

Narrowing her eyes, Hermione read backwards and then her eyes widened. According to the book, she was a direct descendant to the Druid Queen on her mother's side. The young witch frowned. Well, that explains my potent affinity for magic even though I'm a muggleborn. But why send me back here? And why is that so important? It's not like people even care about who your ancient descendants were.

"You're not from this time, are you?" Tom asked.

Hermione froze, terrified he would run to the professors. She had seen that he was the teachers' pet.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. But we might want to steal this book." Tom smiled, pointing to Hermione's name in the book he was holding. "See how your name fades from being on the page to not being on the page. People smarter than me could easily figure that you are from the future."

"I can't steal from the Library." Hermione whispered. She knew that Madam Pince would have her expelled if she stole form the Library in her time, but she didn't know about Madam McCarthy. She was so old, that she could barely see.

"Then I'll keep it for you." Tom smiled. This would be a good witch to be on his side, even if she was a muggleborn. She was powerful, most muggleborns weren't powerful, and power was all that mattered. He refused to be powerless. Never again would anyone pity him or feel sorry for him. Once he had power, he would never had to pretend to accept anyone's pity again.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Hermione asked. She was genuinely confused; Harry had told her who Tom Riddle was on the train ride home after their second year. "I'm a muggleborn."

"I see that not only have my plans for the Wizarding world been leaked, they have also been distorted." Tom sighed, sounding very put upon for a thirteen year old boy. Of course, he didn't really have a plan, more like a fledging idea. "Look, it's not muggleborns that I have a problem with. It is muggles."

"Oh." Hermione was still confused. Perhaps Harry had left out a lot about Tom or maybe he didn't know.

Tom extended his hand. "Do you think that we could be friends?"

What do I have to lose? Hermione thought, before accepting his hand. "Friends." The young witch then smiled at her only friend in this time period.

Crossing her arms, Hermione leaned against the wall in her sanctuary, waiting for Tom to bring her the books she wanted to read. She glanced at her nails.

"Got them." Tom grinned, dropping a pile of Wizarding Law books on her table.

Hermione arched an eyebrow. "You expect me to read all of those?"

"Well, you are a smart witch."

Tilting her head to read the titles, Hermione snorted. "You don't have a plan, do you?"

"I have a plan!" Tom exclaimed.

"Killing muggles doesn't count as a plan." Hermione muttered, smirking at her friend's childness.

Tom narrowed his eyes. "Don't patronize me, you're only slightly older than me."

"How old are you?"

"I turn fourteen in December." Tom puffed out his chest.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm seventeen. And no, I don't know how I de-aged when I was brought to this time." she opened the top book and flipped to its table of contents. "Tell me why you don't like muggles."

"My father was a muggle."

"And? I can't work up a government for you if I don't know what your issues are."

"My muggle father left my mother after she got pregnant with me." Tom glanced away. "And she left me in that orphanage. A dirty, poor, muggle orphanage."

Hermione nodded, sinking into a chair and pulling out some parchment. "Let me work and I'll get back to you."

Smirking, Tom left her to work on his cronies.

Perhaps I can limit the destruction he caused. Hermione thought, then grinned. And I still have my Time Turner.

"You finished already." Tom asked, sliding into the chair across from her.

Hermione grinned. "I was given a Time Turner for academic uses only, Tom."

Tom's eyes lit up. "So what's our plan?"

"Well, since you have such a vendetta against muggles, I was thinking that the International Statues of Secrecy should be tightened in England."

"How so?"

"If you would let me finish." Hermione sighed, messaging her temples. "The only thing we would need to do is pass a law that says only squibs can marry muggles. We will also work on stopping the discrimination against muggleborns, starting with removing muggle studies and replacing it with a class on wizarding culture."

Tom nodded slowly. "What about muggleborns?"

"I found nothing," Hermione started flipping through Magical Law Vol. 3. "That even mentions adoption. But I found an ancient practice called fostering, which could even be adapted for muggle borns."

A small, genuine, smile graced Tom's features.

"Speaking of muggleborns…"

"We were?" Tom smirked.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Don't make me hex you."

Leaning back in his chair, Tom chuckled.

"Purebloods have this 'thing' about blood purity." Hermione scowled.

That's an understatement. Tom refrained from quipping. He didn't want to piss her off… too much.

"Because of that," Hermione leaned her elbows on the table. "I was thinking, that once you have three generation of magical ancestors on both sides you'd be considered a pureblood. You wouldn't be Sacred Twenty-eight, of course."

"I like that."

Hermione smirked. "I wonder what the Pureblood will think when they find out you are a Halfblood."

"They will respect my power." Tom darkly stated. "and if not, I will make them."

A pleasant shiver ran down Hermione's spine. Shaking her head, Hermione shuffled her notes. "You need to let up on the Creature Laws."

Tom frowned. "I don't want to rule creatures."

"Creatures are a part of our world." Hermione shook her head. "We'd have to visit them, of course. I will not make the same mistake I made with the House Elves."

Tom snorted.

"Other creatures will not be so forgiving, Tom." Hermione snapped, gathering her books.

"I'm aware, Mia."

Hermione paused and looked at the Slytherin. "What did you call me?"

"Mia." Tom shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

"Mia." Hermione rolled the name around her mouth. "I like it."

A bright smile ghosted across Tom's face, before he schooled his features into neutrality.

Hermione was working on reconfiguring the Wizagmont, when Tom sank into the chair across from her. She sighed. "Don't you have cronies to bother?"

"I could." Tom smirked. "But you're smarter than all of them."

"Of course." Hermione snorted. "I don't have raging hormones."

"Something you and I have in common." Tom boasted.

Hermione arched an eyebrow in disbelief. "U-hu."

"Where do you go over the summer?" Tom decided to ignore her comment. "You're family doesn't exist yet."

"My grandparents are alive." Hermione muttered.

Tom rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

"I do." Hermione grinned cheekily at him. She sighed. "I stay in the Come and Go Room."

"The what?"

"The Come and Go Room, also known as the Room of Requirement. You haven't heard of it?" Hermione smirked, tilting her head to the side.

"You'll come home with me." Tom ordered.

"Excuse me?" Hermione quietly stated.

Tom swallowed, the anger radiating off of her was palpable.

"I am not one of your cronies." Hermione continued in the same deadly quiet voice. "You do not order me around."

"Would you please come home with me over the summer?" Tom slowly stated, licking his lips. He could sense her power and the darkness residing inside her.

Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"It would be helpful for our cause."

"Oh, 'our cause' is it?" Hermione quipped.

"Yes." Tom nodded. "I am willing to share power with you. But only you."

Hermione rested her elbows on the table and placed her chin on her interlaced fingers. She regarded him until her became uncomfortable and started to squirm. "Why?"

"You're power." Was Tom's immediate answer.

"Power? What kind of power?"

"It doesn't matter." Tom shook his head. "You have dark power, but it's small."

"You can sense that?" Hermione's eyes sparkled at the prospect of learning something new.

Tom nodded. "You dabble in dark magic. My cronies," He smiled at her. "Have libraries I think you would like."

"Mudblood." Hermione pointed to herself. "Your cronies: Pureblood."

"I'll work on them." Tom promised, he didn't like her calling herself 'mudblood'.

A/N: Hope ya'll enjoyed this chapter. Don't have much worked on the next one, so don't know when I'll be updating.