Chapter 9

In motion

Tom Riddle and Death faced off in the entranceway of the shared bedroom. The former eyed the taller being with a bland look before shifting his gaze to narrow at Harrison Black who stood to the left. "No." And made to shut the door only to have the raven clamp his hand around the wood and push it back open. "Absolutely not."

"But he's our guide though." Harrison shouldered in enough space to bodily grab the other boy around the shoulders just as they back peddled causing him to enter the room fully. "You remember the teacher who took us to Diagonally? She was way weirder."

"He looks like a serial killer." Riddle stated bluntly. Both boys ignored the replying thank you. "I expected more caution from you out of all the imbeciles here." Tom made to turn on his heel to slip out from the hold only to end up with the raven's arm hooking around his waist and his personal space entirely invaded. "Let go."

"We're going." Harrison kicked the door open fully and forced the other boy along with him down the hall toward the stairs to the first level so they could finally leave this damn awful place. Really, you'd think he would've been running out of here. Not trying to lock himself up. "You're such a fucking weirdo."

"Language now, child."

Harrison shot the disguised Death a quick look without Tom seeing. It seemed to amuse the entity further as its stolen body grinned back almost a bit unsettlingly as this teacher's face was gaunt already. The man looked like a blend of Severus Snape and Flich. Ugh, what a combo look. "So how are we getting to Hogwarts, Mr... uh man?"

"Mort." Pause. "By train."

There was an almost awkward silence for a moment.

Death opened the front doors of the orphanage once the trio were within reach; prompting Harrison to yell out a bye that got some shouted back goodbyes before staff quieted it down. Not that any of the three stuck around to really listen. Death guided the young duo around the corner per previously given instructions to do so by its master. It took out a portkeyed item earlier stolen from the teacher who had originally been sent to pick up the boys. Death had swiftly dealt with the human, their body currently hosting himself. Harrison had clearly been interested to know the details but neither of them furthered the topic as the head matron had been there.

"Portkey." Tom's confusion dimly entered his voice as he laid eyes on the out of place book. "I thought students were to take a train." The accusing tone was directed at Death and Harrison both. A telling side eye was shot to the raven who still had their arm around his waist no matter how many times Riddle tried to wiggle out without looking silly.

"I swear, your name should've been Cautious or something." Harrison gently pinched Riddle's side causing the boy to jerk into him before he let them go to step forward to take hold of the book. He ignored the glare and gave a taunting wink after pointing briefly to the orphanage. "Unless you wanna stay there all year?"

The trio disappeared on the spot.

Similar to last time both boys had an unsteady landing. There had been a short moment of being upright until Riddle had to step back abruptly into Harrison to avoid being bumped by a crowd of muggles going by. The warning glare to keep quiet was noted by the raven who looked amused but wisely remained quiet. Their time back at the orphanage after the trip to Diagonally Alley had greatly soured the brunette's mood and darkened the surrounding aura around the boy. It was almost tangible. Harrison would have mentioned the barrier Death had put up around them but that would be too telling and who was he to go against Tom's wishes. Death seemed to think now would be a good time to depart from the pair. Both boys were informed of the location to the platform they needed and upon Harrison's request Death left out the how before leaving.

Brown eyes looked from the clearly solid stone pillar between two train railways to Harrison saying nothing and yet causing the other boy to chuckle. Followed by a laugh and response that was not appreciated. "No, I did not die but clearly that man was not right in the head."

"Oh, you have no idea."

"Now you admit it?"

"Hmm?" Harrison ignored the flat look while pointing to the hidden barrier Tom had looked at moments ago. "Let's go, don't wanna miss the train now, eh?"

"Exposure to the outside has diminished your brain cells."

"What does that even mean?"

"That is a wall. Solid stone."

"But it's not though..?"

Riddle drew out his wand to cast something when Harrison grabbed his wrist, halting the action, and whispered "You can't do magic here!" He shook off the hold and used the point of the wand to poke the raven's chest in no longer suppressed anger. "We're stuck in the middle of London. With no means because you thought it a grand idea to follow a murder." The tip of Tom's wand burned lightly against tender flesh as if responding to its owner's emotion toward the raven.

"I hate how I can't argue that but I promise we are where we need to be." Harrison rolled his eyes at Tom's replying body language of crossing slender arms over their chest. As if saying, 'prove it, idiot.' Which he did but it took out all the fun Harrison had planned to have with it. It's why he kept Death from telling Riddle how to get to the Hogwarts Express in the first place. "Fine, you joy killer."

Tom watched as his roommate nicked something from a passing muggle and tossed it at the stone pillar. It was stupid. A pointless action in his opinion until he saw it. The small object did bounce off the stone pillar but there had been a warp. A weird wave-like motion equal to something touching the smooth level surface of water. What just…A hidden entrance? Riddle looked back at Harrison and part of him wanted to smack the far too pleased look on their face. Loathsome git. Without warning Tom shoved the raven into the pillar pulling a startled noise from the boy and unexpectedly for another from the opposite side.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Shouted some kid who had been passing the barrier when both boys had come through. "You're supposed to check before-"

"Oh shut it, you iky firsty."

"You're clearly a first year too!"

Harrison shrugged while adjusting his stance from the forced push. "Meh, shoo now." He ignored the disbelieving look the kid gave him to tap Riddle on the shoulder then motion to the impressive red and black train of the Hogwarts express. With a lower voice so only Tom could hear he added, "I always wanted to say that."

"You have yet to taint me with your stupidity." Tom walked toward the train with Harrison in step beside him. He caught the raised brow at his starting statement and finished it off with a pointed look. "Don't start now."

"Is that a challenge?" Asked the raven as arms came up to cross behind their head, gray eyes moving off the crowd of witches and wizards Tom was still looking at. Look at him trying to muffle all that awe. It was clear Riddle was taking everything in without trying to show a single sign of it. How cute.

"It's a death sentence." Tom replied without missing a beat even as he walked toward the train.

Both boys boarded the train not bothering to linger on the platform since neither of them had family to bid farewells to. They passed a few cabins full of students and Tom dismissed those that still had room for more thus leading them onto a bit of a lengthy walk until the pair settled into an empty one. Riddle examined the small space with his back to the other boy so he missed it when Harrison pulled out his shrunken trunk and with a muttered spell unshrunk it back to its original size. The soft glow and quiet thunk of the returned size had Tom promptly turning to face the other boy. His gaze almost accusing when they set upon the full sized trunk before leveling a a heavy stare on the other boy. Prompting Harrison to raise a brow in question.

"Was it not stated," The brunette motioned faintly to the object or preformed magic that Harrison was now lifting upward into the overhead rack. "no magic outside of school."

"Uh…" Harrison wasn't sure how to break the bubble without causing Riddle to explode on him. He's gonna get testy either way. He waved his hand over the space around them as if trying to say, 'see all this?' to which only caused those brown eyes to become tinged with annoyance. "We're surrounded by magic now, they can't tell who is doing what like they could when we were at the orphanage. So you can forget what that loony muggle studies teacher said."

"How did you know the counter spell?" Tom accused, knowing full well all their school items had been shrunken by the weird woman right after she exchanged the money to the clerk. He absolutely loathed the wolfish grin forming on the other's face.

"Magnifying glass exists."

No one would have expected someone like Tom Riddle to use a book for revenge violence.

After demanding to unshrunk everything both boys were seated in a forced implied silence thanks to one Tom Riddle. Much to the smothered amusement of a freshly wounded Harrison Black. The raven looked away from the green and blue scenery to the bowed head across from them currently buried in the pages of another book. How many books has he read by now? Four? Five? Harrison propped his elbow upon the windowsill resting his temple against his fist and let out a noisy sigh. How Granger-like. He nearly grinned at the look leveled on him from over the brim of Hogwarts A History but managed to muffle it down not wanting to deal with another hardcover to the jaw or cold tantrum.

"Enjoying the books, nerd?"

"Quiet."

"I think you meant to say quite, and you're welcome."

Harrison could almost see the eye-roll that went unperformed. Guess he's too into his books. The raven shifted upright from a slouched position with an overhead arm stretch before standing up. "Wanna check out the train before we arrive?" It was asked despite the answer already known- or lack of answer as Riddle just ignored him. He chuckled to himself as he slipped out of their train compartment; sliding the door closed quietly.

Unfortunately his first few steps nearly had him colliding into another body. The interaction did not linger long as the raven barely paid any mind beyond a brief head turn toward the person with a muttered "My bad." Completely obvious to the pause in the other's steps as Harrison went on his way to check out the metal transporter. And if he was lucky, some intel on the social level of the magical world. Both inside the school and beyond. The findings will help steer him in which course of action the time traveler would be taking from this point onward.

"What have you been so ensnared by?"

"Something unexpected."

Gray eyes slid away from the viewing window built into the sliding door of the compartment to meet the equally impassive gaze of their compartment mate. Their stance remained at a comfortable lean against the small corner where the door framing met the dividing wall. Crossed arms came undone to hang loose. One hand shifted upward to knock lightly upon the glass twice without attracting any attention thanks to the notice-me-not charm they had applied to the compartment upon first stepping in. "It has earned a closer look."

"Best to save it until tomorrow." The other boy who had remained seated by the actual window returned their attention back onto the un-scrolled letter. "Newly added wards have been cast upon the train this year."

"How delayed."

"Indeed. Father says it was merely done for show."

"Her body had not been left undiscovered for long."

"Regardless," They cast a glance to the darked haired boy whose body may be facing the direction of his own but the turned head showed their attention was still on whoever it was beyond the windowpane. "do mind the wards."

There was no reply, only a dismissive silence followed by them moving away from the door. The young male removed some parchment and a self-filling ink quill from a small bag attached to their ebony trunk. His movement gained the attention of the other boy once more; prompting them to ask after what they were doing. "Minding the wards."

The brief look of amusement was cast in reply before it shifted into mild confusion and a slowly budding curiosity at the following words of the dark haired boy. "You know I have second year prefect duties this year, I can't sit by the first years."

Gray eyes lifted briefly from the bleeding ink swirling elegant curve into crisp paper. The gaze relayed silent intent of matters best not vocalized. Both boys seemed to have a silent conversation. Their understanding of one another allowed for such a muted exchange of words without amiss understanding. There was a telling intent in those gray eyes that the seated boy had seen quite a few times over the years they've known each other. The most recent glint of similar mirth preceded the incident of last year. It caused the latter to put aside the scroll they had been reading entirely.

"I have no inset of innovation toward whatever has gained your interest."

"I assure you, this will pique your interest as well." The quill's tip finished off the conveyed words and spelled to dry quickly. The letter was short and to the point. He never was, and never will be, one to have any inclination for curling words around beyond the main topic that need not be extended just for the sake of the receiver. "However, speak to none about it beyond the surface context."

"Two silver dragon scales." There was dim amusement tinting the formed smirk as the dark haired boy summoned the requested item from their trunk. It was dropped into the other boy's extended hand that was promptly pocketed with a single incline of the head. "Your involvement shall remain veiled then."

"Good."

"I expect a full filling in before the night shifts."

The replying sharp smile was enough. Both boys fell into an easy familiar lull of quiet after the letter was cast out of the window in the elegant form of a paper crane. Its paper structure flew into the open expansion of countryside scenery only to swop around to another section of the in motion train via another open window. The crane swept by the heads of many students gaining no less speed despite the few swaying maneuvers along to its destination; which happened to be another train compartment where a single young girl was seated with two others already dressed in their house robes lined with green.

Dark eyes read the letter with a sour note of misapplied jest.

In another compartment a couple hundred feet away Harrison Black paused in mid motion of getting comfortable in their seat for the remaining time left till arrival when a sudden shiver brushed along his spine in a telling sign. Over the years since his true first year he had gained a sixth sense of sorts toward dangerous or forbidding things when the unfortunate target was himself. However this time the time traveler fully welcomed it for this time around havoc was going to be stirred up by his own hands. He lifted his gaze from the journal resting on his lap scrawled with magic hidden parseltongue notes of gained intel and planned steps with no set order to look out the window.

The distant view of Hogwarts could be seen in near vivid outline against the sunset's pooling of soft hue colors. It won't be too long now as they should be pulling into Hogsmeade station within the hour. Then another thirty minutes of time between the station, scenic boat ride all first years took, and the trek to the grand castle itself. There was a telling feeling of dark excitement swirling underneath the raven's skin as the train rolled ever more closer to Hogwarts. It was a feeling Harrison had not allowed himself to feel let alone linger on when not within the concealing confinements of his home at Godric's Hollow. He cast a glance toward Riddle who was reading another book with the same intense focus of a historian finding new priceless artifacts of grand history. All his plans were based around this young Voldemort to be branched off into subplots that will turn the events of the future with a dark rumble. A quiet lull before the thundering storm. Soon the months of a near year's time of preparing and planning will be able to be officially set into motion. All Harrison needed now was the perfect set off point and nothing fit it more perfectly than the disruption of Slytherin house.

Let the fun begin.

A Sardonic smile formed on the young raven's lips.

A/N: Not sure how I feel bout this chapter. Setup is there for the good shit– but eh.

Normally I post around the 24th for this story but this chapter got me staggered; like hard.

— & not in the fun way.

So it is what it is.

Chapter 10 is almost done since I've switched between it, this one, and other stories to help shake off the block.

Which reminds me…

[To reviewer: Lu Phantom]

I read 'em words. I appreciate the vile tongue. You can pay me in continued support. That review was some good motivation. Might hit you up on that beta offer sometime. Thanks for the R n R— : ]