Chapter 44:
The next few days passed in relative calmness, despite the outbreak of the war.
Some people would consider 'calm' to be an odd choice of word, but in a strange way it was entirely appropriate. For him, at least. Harry had always been aware of the war - the calm came from not having any major argument with Tom, and since he spent a lot (he was only beginning to realise how much) time around the young Dark Lord, that led to a rather large decrease in tension and trouble.
The slower pace of life gave him some much needed time to reflect on the twisted knots of his life, to distance himself and notice some things that he'd previously been too harried to pick up upon.
Like Ginny.
He'd had the sneaking suspicion that something was wrong with her; because her personality transformation had been too sudden to be natural, and Salazar, she hadn't been like that before…now he was almost certain. Looking at her, just with her friends or really, anyone who wasn't him or when he wasn't part of the conversation, she was perfectly normal. She was the girl he'd come to somewhat know from his summers spent with the Weasleys.
However, the second he came into the equation, it was as if someone had flicked a switch. The problem was, he didn't know how to confirm it or do anything about it - aside from going to Ron and Hermione, and Ron would most definitely go ballistic. He'd already approached the red head once, and that had gone nowhere, despite the youngest Weasley son's research efforts.
Harry was also thinking about breaching the topic of the remembrall with Tom once more - he'd given the other time to cool after all. Why did he even have to give Tom time to cool off? He was the one that had been obliviated.
Whatever.
At least he was still sleeping better due to Tom's block. They'd had another Occlumency since then, but there had been little progress. He felt like storming out the room in irritation, but still he did not reach his breaking point.. It was so unfair.
Tom said it was his own fault for being so stubborn in the face of torture. Harry supposed it was torture, in a way, re living his memories in the painful manner of having his mind torn open. He always had a headache after Occlumency. Not that he wasn't used to them. Still, strength against torture was not supposed to work against you - that was just cruel. He sighed.
He'd ask Tom about the remembrall today, after he'd finished reading the power levels and auras book. It was quite interesting really, but heavy reading. Tom, naturally, wasn't obliging enough to give him a hint as to what section of the massive tome he needed….therefore, he'd had to manually trawl through the monster of a book himself. Seriously, there had to be a quicker way to research, with magic? Unfortunately, if there was one, he didn't know it. At least, not when you weren't entirely sure what you were looking for. He'd know when he found it. Hopefully.
He'd taken to reading it a meal times just to find the time to get through it, damn his curiosity, which had prompted several odd looks (mate, you're turning into Hermione - ouch - no offence!) and a rather smug air of amusement from the Slytherin heir. The only thing he needed to work on now was not getting distracted by his thoughts, and actually doing the reading he'd assigned himself.
He would find out. Eventually.
He wasn't going to let Tom's ability to control other people's magic lie; it was far too dangerous.
"Any luck finding your answers yet?" Tom questioned lazily. "You've been reading that book obsessively for days."
Fate clearly didn't want him to succeed in that plan.
He lowered the book once more.
"I dare say it would be easier if I knew what I was looking for…or if you just told me."
"Perhaps, but I'm not going to encourage your laziness," Tom drawled. Harry scowled.
"I'm not lazy. I just don't particularly like reading." Tom's smirk broadened.
"I know….I believe the term is book dumb."
"Thanks," he said mildly. "What happened to I don't think you're stupid?" he rolled his eyes, turning back to the book. The third level of the aura is called the -
"I don't think you're stupid," Tom frowned. "I think you're book dumb."
"The clue's in the name, einstein," he replied. Really, dumb was a synonym for stupid - everyone knew that, wasn't Tom supposed to be a genius?
Admittedly, he wasn't really bothered, though he was coming to accept that he wouldn't be getting much reading done. He'd read about a paragraph since he'd sat down for lunch.
"The clue's in the definition, idiot," Tom responded carelessly. "Book dumb. You're hopeless with theory and knowledge from textbooks. It takes you ages to pick it up." he looked up again, finding his interest vaguely stirred now. Tom smiled thinly. "Your friend Hermione, along with the stereotypical Ravenclaw, is what some people might call Book Smart. Talented in Academics, not so good at applying theory to the real world. The opposite of people who are Book Dumb."
Tom favoured him with an unreadable expression.
"Honestly Harry, do you really think you'd be capable of duelling me if you were stupid, or that I would tolerate your company?"
"Tolerate?" he raised his brows. "I'm pretty sure I'm the one that's doing the tolerating." Zevi coughed into his drink, before growing as grave as a tombstone when Tom shot him a withering, scathing look.
"And I'm pretty sure you're deluded," Tom replied after a moment, sweetly. "But I'm polite enough not to point it out."
"I'll give you that one," Harry conceded, before grinning. "After all, there can be no other possible reason as to why I put up with you."
"Forget deluded. Born with a mental infliction. After all, there can be no other possible reason outside of stupidity - which we have concluded that you are not - that you would continue to insult me."
"Because it's fun?" Harry offered.
"Again," Tom smirked. "With the mental infliction."
The bell rang to signify that lessons would be starting soon, and the Slytherin's all rose.
"Oh, by the way, you're looking in the wrong book darling," the Slytherin Heir added innocently.
Harry glanced down at the book, gritting his teeth.
"You said aura's and power levels."
"Yes, and there's more than one book on the subject. I never said the one you needed was in public domain." Harry slammed the tome back into his bag. Now Tom said something - after he'd read 90% of the bloody thing.
He still needed to talk about those remembralls though.
A/N: I am blown away by the response I am getting for this story. Wow, I never realised you guys liked it so much. Thank you so much. I am honoured. I apologise for this chapter, it's not the most interesting :/ hope you enjoyed it anyway. Adios - The Fictionist.