Chapter 16

Summary: More about the new threat…and Tom…well..being Tom.

Notes: I am truly starting to see a pattern for most authors at the moment. One where they use their writing as a calming agent. I just finished doing a law translation and that Newsletter and I would almost believe that I am having an anxiety attack if I weren't still mostly functioning normally. My fiancé is on a whole health thing and as such he made me promise to drink alcohol only on weekends.

Now, I'm not an alcoholic, even though it sounds like it, but I do tend to drink a glass of something when it feels like there is a giant demon trying to claw its way out of my throat because the too many conflicting feelings that I can sense around me and given the situation with that woman at school? Well the end result was her giving me another warning for the music not running smoothly on opening day and I ended up asking her whether she truly hated me so much…guess what her answer was? "That has nothing to do with this!" so naturally that translates to a 'Yes, I hate you.' In my book.

Anyway, constant pressure notwithstanding, here is an update that I hope would brighten your day.

Tom

Seeing the look on Harry's face was truly worth it as he appeared, but it did not transform into the expression of hate that he had been expecting. Sure he'd heard enough about 'Harry's kind heart' to make him sick, but that didn't stop that one part of him from wanting to yank itself loose from his soul again.

Seriously, it was like the fragment acted out a resistance all on its own, and more and more of his soul changed sides as time went by. That did not mean that he had been taken over completely yet, and he had fully intended on facing his enemy head-on, but the moment he saw him again he realized that he just couldn't.

Instead, something protective welled up inside of him and he firmly placed Harry into a section in his 'heart' reserved for kindred souls…not that he'd had any in the past, but he never intended on mentioning that he'd always wanted a little brother.

Now the idea had taken root and he just couldn't let go of it.

He mentally shook his head to get rid of his thoughts as he realized that Harry was talking to him, "…you mean battle? No one even knows I'm here."

Tom nodded, "No one knows you are here, but it is not you that they are after." He pointedly looked at Nick and Sean, "Things have escalated and they are determined to come for your Grimm because your royal wouldn't give him up. It is an alliance they fear because some secrets are simply better kept hidden."

Sean frowned at that, "Other than my so-called sibling, the family wouldn't outright attack unless they had a reason to…wait, you mean?"

Tom nodded, "Someone on this side ratted you out. They told the other side that the Grimm isn't just your pet and now they are coming for both of you because they believe that you somehow found something within the Grimm's books."

Harry snorted and everyone's eyes turned to him. He coughed, not completely able to hide the red dusting of color on his cheeks, "Well isn't it obvious? Act as if you don't know their plans, send a message to your father in an attempt to 'make him proud' and state that you just want to be accepted in return for giving him the treasure."

Sean glared at him, "And why would I do that? They would try and take it by force, in this case, it is you we are talking about."

Harry smiled and shook his head before removing an object from the bag he constantly kept with him and he could hear Tom's abrupt intake as he revealed a red stone, unlike anything they had ever seen before.

He nodded towards Tom, then looked at Sean, "This is the philosopher's stone or at least a cheap imitation of it. It does what the stories say, but there is a drawback that the original didn't have due to people trying to substitute certain materials. This particular stone's drawback is that, in exchange for 1 year's extra time, the demon that was trapped within will take a piece of your soul. Most humans do not know how special a soul truly is, and so they make the bargain. What they do not realize is that the demon then starts messing with their sense of time, always leaving whispers of 'what if one small piece isn't enough'."

The group looked at him in horror and Nick swallowed roughly, "How can something like that exist?"

Harry looked at him with hooded eyes and simply asked, "With human greed, how can it not?"

No one said anything for a few moments but then Sean nodded and looked up in determination, "I think we should do it. The royals become more desperate by the day and we might soon have a full-scale war on our hands if we are not careful."

Hermione glanced at Harry before she turned to Sean, "Are you sure? This is your family we are talking about…"

Sean shook his head, "We both know that I hadn't been planned, they may be family in name, but they never treated me as such."

Harry

He knew that what they were doing could backfire on them if the royal family had the strength of will, but the type of strength needed to fight the curse was far and in between and he knew that Sean wouldn't want to drag civilian Wesen into the fight.

He didn't like the thought of having Sean contact the royals, as they would want to arrange a meeting, but he was sure that he could find a way to keep the man away from his family during the meeting.

They soon agreed on a plan of action and decided to go home for the rest of the night, though Harry had to bite back a laugh when Tom started a friendly banter with him as soon as they left the house, though he'd been confused at first until Tom indicated to the two men watching them with narrowed eyes as Tom leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "Personally, I was never one for blokes and I've never seen the merit of having a partner, but having a Royal or a Grimm at your side would not be so bad, no? Maybe I can take one off your hands…"

Harry growled under his breath and the floating reaper's grin became almost shark-like, "Oh, so that's how it is, can't choose so you want both? That's fair. Afterall…"

Harry almost considered making a fly swatter materialize, but the next moment twin puffs of smoke appeared before him before disappearing just as quickly, leaving two identical and very familiar faces in their wake. Harry watched, stunned, as they each grabbed one of Tom's arms before grinning at him, "Hi Harry, good to see you're still all in one piece, we'll visit after the mission is done, yeah?"

Harry could only nod dumbly before they disappeared, taking Tom Riddle with them. He glanced around and noticed that Hermione and Sirius had also disappeared, leaving him staring almost dumbly at the place the duo had occupied before he shook his head and decided he really didn't want to know. After all, nothing short of the apocalypse would have the twins acting friendly with Tom Riddle…he paused, then glanced back at the empty space in horror.

Someone poked his shoulder lightly and he almost hexed them, only to find that Sean and Nick had moved closer and were watching him worriedly. He pulled up a weak smile, "You know the trouble that Hermione mentioned a while back?"

Sean and Nick glanced at each other before nodding and suddenly Harry found that his escape routes had conveniently been cut off by the two men, even though it seemed like they were doing it instinctively instead of purposefully.

Harry barely stopped himself from stepping back and forced himself to keep his body steady, "Well…it seems to have found me again and dragged you in as well."

The two men paused in confusion and Harry almost wanted to laugh if it weren't so serious, "Reapers do not mobilize like you just saw unless some major death totals will be happening in the near future…the question is…is it on our side or theirs."

Sean's eyes widened and he yanked out his phone before motioning for Nick to do the same, even though he was already frantically typing away on his phone as well, leaving Harry in a state of confusion as he watched them because a) Anyone Sean would contact would probably be civilian Wesen, and b) as far as Harry knew, Grimms were kind of a rarity so Nick couldn't be contacting them for help.

Turns out neither man did as expected and instead of calling in reinforcements, they had been busy warning people and Wesen about 'suspected gang activity' that might occur soon. Harry's respect for them rocketed up quite a bit and he would have done the same if he had anyone else to contact.

Harry knew that warning either Monroe or Rosalee away was pointless and neither Sean nor Nick even tried, so instead, he decided to focus on ways that he could protect the people around him…only to come up with nothing except using his magic to shield them.

A moment later he felt a ghostly flick on his forehead and he frowned, but the culprit's thoughts easily carried over to him through the touch before it disappeared.

Though the voice was right. Why did he have to be careful? Why did he have to hide?

The Statute of Secrecy was no more…

The Aurors and Unspeakables were no more…

So then why did he have to hide if there was a threat to those he cared about?

A tendril of slightly darker energy curled around his form and he barely registered that both Sean and Nick had ceased all movement to stare at him in surprise/uneasiness. He knew his mind was made up as everything clicked into place. He had his magic and his other gifts and he would use them to the fullest to punish those who dared harm his people.

It was finally time to show the world the true power of an original wizard…

And he would make sure that the Royals ended themselves in fear if they dared lay a finger on those that were his…even if they didn't know it yet.