Chapter II
"It's a love story baby, just say yes."
"Excuse me?!" Hermione shrieked, harry winced at how loud she could be.
He knew she would be annoyed. He didn't realise she'd be furious, it took him back to third year where she was absolutely fuming when she realised Ron and him had accidently lost her homework for charms.
"Uh, well I-" Ron scratched the back of his neck nervously, he obviously didn't want to endure hermione's fury much longer.
"Yes yes, I heard you the first time!" She snapped at him, "What on merlins name is wrong with you Ron?"
"Nothing! I'm just saying, we could-"
"That would be murder ron, murder!"
"That could prevent so many others dying 'mione! Mum's brothers? Harry's parents?"
"It's still wrong, we would be just as bad as him, he hasn't done anything yet!"
"He will, he probably already has." Ron sneered, "he's not some bloody victim, hermione! He's not an elf, he hurts people because he can, because he wants to."
"What if it changes the future ron?"
"That's the point! Why-"
"No. Ron, what if it changes everything? What if people-our friends aren't born because of it? What if, we're not born at all?"
"-If us not being born is the consequence of him dying and our families being safe then I would accept that." Harry hadn't been paying much attention to his friends squabble, they normally had petty little arguments that really never did escalate into anything major.
This topic of discussion, however, made harry's skin itch, so much so he wanted to pull it off.
Hermione fell silent, which was an odd thing, she never really ever let anyone had the last word especially in debates or agurments.
Ron groaned, sinking into his seat, "Do you think dumbledore has found anything?"
"It's only been a day, ron."
"A day of pure torture watching tilgid flirt with you and carrows questioning me nonstop the little nosy git."
"He isn't flirting with me!"
"Yeah, sure." Ron snorted.
"Have you guys been studying for N.E.W.T.s?" Hermione questioned, obviously trying to change the subject, but also probably to bother the boys even more.
This time harry groaned, "I think breakfast is starting! See you guys later." Ron gave him a 'traitor' look, but ultimately rolled his eyes with a smile on his lips while hermione opened her mouth to protest but harry was already walking off before she could tell him off.
"It's only 5am?"
Harry heard Hermione say to ron as he slipped out the common room, well-the griffendor common room. It was quite strange for it not be his common room too.
Harry huffed, realising he hadn't brought his invisibility cloak with him, what a dumb decision but nevertheless he started making his way down the stairs when he heard a creak.
Harry turned around, fully perpeared to see Tom right behind him with his wand in his face, but ofcourse there was nothing.
He was so paranoid. . .
Harry countined to make his way down the stairs, the stairs creaked, It was him making the noise then?
Harry reached the common room, his common room.
Well no he didn't reach it either, he was outside of it.
What was the password again?
Harry really should've listened more yesterday, because now he was stuck outside of the common room trying to remember a password that was probably only two syllabus.
The portrait on the wall seemed to be asleep, and harry really did not wish to wake it, doubting it would even tell him the password if he did, he spotted a small snake beneath it however, it slithered out, landing just next to harrys foot.
'You seem troubled . . . ' It hissed at him, wrapping itself around harry's shoe, almost squeezing it.
Without thinking, harry replied almost instantly, 'I am actually, I forgot the password.'
'Try 'pure'. . . '
And with that, the snake untangled itself around harrys shoe and slithered back under the portrait, disappearing out of sight.
"Pure." Harry almost whispered into the concerte wall, and the wall started to disintegrate, to make room for the door.
Ofcourse the password would be 'pure'.
Damn slytherins.
"Should we wake him?"
"We're not his nannies."
"Hes still a slytherin, Lestrange, wouldn't it be a bad look if he turned up late on his first day of classes?"
"Well, let him! If he wants to be a disgrace to the house, he can be."
"He-"
"He's a mudblood orion, I don't get why you care so much about him."
And with that, the voices hushed out and harry heard the dorm room open and close, he was alone. Hopefully.
Harry opened up his curtains and sure enough he was completely alone, not a single soul was still in their beds.
He moved over to Tom's bed, pulling open the curtains, his bed was made, and everything was so neat and organised, ofcourse it was.
Harry flipped over the pillows, only to find nothing there, he searched under the bed aswell only to find Tom's trunk.
He would know.
Even with that thought, harry pushed out the trunk from under the bed, so it would lay infront of him.
He would know.
Or maybe just maybe he wouldn't?
Just then, he heard feet stepping up the stairs and he quickly pushed the trunk back underneath before rushing to his own bed before the door opened.
"Oh, harrison! You are awake." None other then Orion Black came into the room, grinning excitedly at harry, his black locks swaying from side to side, chaotic.
"Harry." He corrected and Orion shook his head,
"Ah, I apologise, harry, I was going to wake you but-" but you decided that I was too much of a mudblood?
"Don't worry, I understand, how long did i sleep in?" Harry forced a smile onto his face, before moving towards orion and the door.
"Well, breakfast is nearly finished, about thirty minutes left." Sensing the worry on harry's face he countined, "I do apologise, I should've woken you and do not fret, you'll have plenty of time."
"No worries." Harry waved him off, "It's really my fault."
Orion seemed to want to say something more, well that is until a voice called out behind him, ultimately interrupting whatever orion was about to say to harry.
"Orion? Why are you still up here?" The smooth and enchanting voice asked, most familar to harry, and even more so to Orion who immediately turned around, as if on instinct.
"Tom, I apologise, I was just going to see if harry was awake, he was going to miss breakfast-"
Riddle only smiled, oh, his charming smile, which could melt-fool so many hearts.
Not harry's.
Never.
"It's fine, you can join the others in the hall, I can accompany harrison." Riddle turned his attention to harry, those eyes piercing through his own.
"I'm sure orion-" Harry began, but orion had already nodded to Riddle and was basically running down the stairs.
"Were you saying something?" Riddle hummed, raising his eyebrows in an amused manner.
"It's harry."
"Pardon?" The taller boy seemed to be suprised at harry's statement, which brought a delighted smile to harrys face.
"It's harry, no need to call me harrison."
"Harrison is your name, is it not?"
"Well, um, yes-" Harry felt his cheeks heat up, "but nobody really calls me harrison, it's an old man name."
"Well, why don't you call me Tom?"
No. No. No.
"No, nevermind, call me harrison all you want, riddle, now if I may go-" Harry didn't wait for a response but instead fled down the stairs, and out the door before quite literally dashing down the hallway into the hall.
He had been alone.
With Tom Riddle.
Voldemort.
"Harry? May I ask something?" Orion whispered beside him, scribbling down notes at the same time as speaking.
Harry had chosen orion to sit next to in transfiguration, mostly because he was one of the only people he knew and griffendors didn't take this class with them.
"What language do you speak?" Orion asked when harry gave him a slight nod, harry stopped writing and turned fully to face orion.
"English? Same as you."
Orion grinned, as if what harry had said was silly, orion had that effect sometimes which made harry feel a little idiotic at times, "Well ofcourse, what other language do you speak?"
"I don't speak any other language, orion?"
Orion's grin faded, his lips fixating into a straight line, "I saw you."
"When?" Harry was genuinely confused, he only spoke English, what on merlins name was orion on about? Had the black madness effected him too? So early on?
"This morning, you were outside the common room and you started speaking some werid tounge, It seemed very unique. I just wanted to know because I am interested in studying it, you see I adore studying languages and other cultures! It's such a thrill."
This morning? Outside the-
Oh.
Oh no.
"Mr Black, would you like to share your conversation with Mr Potter to the class?" The profesor asked orion, clearly hearing his rant of excitement across the classroom, instead of cowering like other students did, orion raised his head and beamed.
"Why ofcourse! I was speaking about my interest in languages to harry, they are so magical don't you think? Oh, oh, how I wish I could learn every language in the world! You know the word "pureblood" actually origins from-"
"That's...enough, speak to harry quietly why don't you? Merlin, Potter how you deal with him is beyond my capacity to understand." She dismissed him, turning away to help some other student, some of the class chuckled at her comment mostly griffendors, but harry found it rude in a way.
So what if he was...passionate about certain unusual subjects and topics? And if he knew very specific facts about things that normally people did not know of? That wasn't bad! And if harry was being honest he enjoyed how Orion went on and on about things, not caring if harry didn't respond to every comment he made, it was refreshing in a way.
Hermione found it rude if he didn't respond to her and ron would be annoyed if he thought harry was purposely ignoring him.
Orion did not seem to mind her and went on to chatter to harry about languages and cultures, seeming to forget his previous question to harry.
Thank merlin.
"Cultures are so unique and they're all so very different-well not all of them so different i suppose some are similar, like Korean and Japanese they seem a bit similar, not assuming they are the same thing because rest asure they are not! And it would be foolish to assume such a thing!"
Orion had seen harry this morning, harry knew some students came out early to study in the libary but why would orion be up so early?
"Well, what about muggle culture?" Harry asked, slightly nervous to see the boys reaction to the question, orion was a black afterall and hadn't sirius father been against muggleborns and muggles?
"Well, I think there culture is rather...vulgar and gruesome and quite non-magical and I mean no harm or offense to you but it seems a little disgusting to me."
Digusting? Orion had said it with such a tone that harry wasn't even sure he heard it properly, disgusting?
"Orion, why do you think muggle culture is disgusting?" Harry leaned closer, orion seemed a bit confused at the question, taken aback almost but he answered, not missing a beat instantly.
"It's not proper, they burn witches! For healing people from illnesses harry, that's horrible and they think that we're monsters, that's why they hurt us, they're beasts who only wish to murder us." Orion winced at the word, shutting his eyes tight for a second before re-opening them.
Harry was dumbfounded. Was this the things purebloods taught their children? Burning witches? Murder?
"Orion, not all muggles are like that!"
"How do you know that? I understand your mother is a muggleborn but that is entirely different."
"Some muggles are horrible and evil, like my uncle and my cousin, they treated me very unwell, but that doesn't mean every muggle is like them! My teacher, she was a sweet lady, always helping me when i needed it and she never once let my cousin insult me when she was there,
Muggles are dangerous but so are wizards and magical creatures, everything can be dangerous no matter the species, but that doesn't mean every single one of the species is the same, doesn't make everything evil or dangerous, magical creatures can be kind and helpful, wizards can, so muggles can aswell.
Everyone has the chance to be good and evil, what matters is what they choose to do and be."
Harry turned to scan orion's face, he seemed perplexed at harrys explanation, not responding for several moments, probably proccesing everything harry had just told him.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"I believe you, harry."
Harry seemed stunned at this, orion had barley known harry a day and he trusted him? Instantly?Was this boy actually mental?
"You believe me? You don't even know me."
Orion shrugged, going back to writing, giving harry his infamous grin, "I don't know you yet, but I like you."
And without any other words, the pair turned silent and countined to write notes, occasionally leaning in to the other and making a quiet joke about something that was written in the textbook.
He didn't know why, but harry had a feeling he was going to enjoy hanging out and learning more about Orion.
"Checkmate!"
"You cheat!"
"How can I possibly cheat at chess?" Orion asked, through his unconsistent bubbles of laughter.
"I don't know, but you definitely did!" Orion fell on his back while he countined to howl with giggles which made harry and druella; who was sitting near them watching the whole fiasco go down, burst with laughter of their own.
"What are you three losing your heads over?"
"Harry accused me of cheating at chess!" Orion exclaimed when walburga finally asked after they had all composed themselves.
Harry had noticed how orion gave everyone in the house either a nickname or called them by their last name which was quite hilarious as Nott's nickname was 'willy', harry had nearly pee'd himself when orion told him, orion had a nickname for everyone; other then Walburga and Riddle ofcourse.
"Can you guys shut up? Some of us are trying to sleep!"
"At seven pm? In the common room?" Orion asked, his eyebrows furrowed, lestrange threw a pillow directly at his face which made all four; walburga included now, start giggling again loudly this time much to the displeasure of Lestrange.
"Tom, tell them to shut up, please!" At hearing the all to familar name, harry straightened up and focused his attention back towards the door from which Riddle just came through.
As harry squinted, he saw a pair of small hands clutching on Riddle's robes.
"Who's that behind you, tom?" Druella asked from beside harry, raising her head to see behind the overly tall boy.
"Florence Valerie, a first year, she's a new addition to our house so I expect everyone to treat her with respect." Riddle announced and harry finally saw a small girl, barley reaching Riddle's waist who was clutching on him as if her life depended on it.
"Valerie? That's not a pure-blood name, Merlin is she another Potter? Or worse a mudbloo-"
"Roy!" Druella scolded, giving him a glare which she usually did nowadays, before returning her gaze on the little girl.
"Hello Florence, I'm Druella Rosier." She stook out her hand, waiting for the girl to shake it but alas a few moments past and druella had to put her hand down.
"Ah, a shy little one then?" Orion joked, the little girl seemed to shove herself more into Riddle's robes at his voice directing her aswell.
Orion turned to harry with a confused expression on his face, "Did I upset her?"
Harry rolled his eyes in disbelief, "Obviously, your probably scaring her," He turned to the girl; Florence, "Hello Florence, you have very pretty hair."
She nodded, and harry swore he could see a small smile form on her face but he couldn't tell since most of it was behind Riddle's robes.
"Say thank you, flora." Riddle told her, harry had never heard his voice sound so soft, it almost took him by surprise.
"Thank you." She whispered, harry could barley hear her but she was close enough that he could.
"Oh my goodness! She's adorable!" Came the screeches of both Druella and Walburga as they fussed over her, immediately rushing her out from behind Riddle, and into their arms.
"How old are you?"
"Don't be daft she's eleven."
"I turn eleven in november."
"Your ten?!"
Harry smiled, seemed like life in the slytherin house wouldn't be so awful as he imagined.
It was almost ridiculous how attached Florence was to riddle, he was the only one who could call her flora for a start, lestrange tried to once and he got a glare so cold from riddle that harry swore he was seconds away from pissing himself and Florence gave a steady scolding.
"That's not my name."
"Tom calls you it."
"It's Florence to the likes of you."
Harry had to admit it was hilarious seeing lestrange be so baffled by why riddle was letting a muggleborn speak to a pureblood like lestrange in such a way.
Florence was basically glued to riddle's side and she made it quite obvious he was her favourite out of the slytherin house.
"I want Tom!"
"No, I want to be with Tom."
"Why would I be concerned about Malfoy? Is he with Tom?"
What suprised harry even more was how comfortable the murderous Tom Riddle was to a muggleborn girl following him around at every second, he even seemed reluctant to let Florence play with the other first years - not like she wanted to anyway.
It was two weeks later when harry had found riddle with Florence in the common room after everyone had already left for hogsmeade.
"Flora, please put your scarf on."
"I don't want to, Tom!" Harry heard the girl whine, pushing the scarf out of riddle's hand, harry had, for a split second, been expecting him to curse her or atleast jinx her but instead he let out a sigh and picked up the scarf.
"I do not wish for you to take ill, Flora, now please atleast put your gloves on." With a huff from the girl, she slipped on her gloves. Harry had never heard Tom sound so sweet, when speaking to anyone, he couldn't help but smile subconsciously, as he felt his insides tingle.
Who knew The Tom Riddle could be so kind and gentle with a muggle-born of all people?
"Harry!" Florence exclaimed, pointing at harry with her finger, harry who was standing beside the fireplace grinned at her, while Florence definitely favoured Tom, harry took much joy in to atleast be considered her second favourite.
"Flora, do not point your finger at people, it is rude." Tom chided at her, which made harry let out a small laugh at how even when tom was trying to scold florence, his voice was still as gentle with her as always
"It's fine," Harry dismissed, "Why aren't you putting on your scarf florence? It is cold outside."
"Thou shall not be overcome with such weakness!" Florence yelled, with great confidence, and while harry did not fully understand what she said, he nodded along with her anyway.
"Well, why don't you make riddle put a warming charm on you instead of the scarf?" Harry suggested.
"Oh correct," She turned to Tom, "May you use a warming charm on me please?" She beamed, and Tom abliged while rolling his eyes as florence practically hopped over to harry.
"You will join us won't you, harry?" She gave him a polite but wide smile, in which harry felt himself being unable to refuse her request.
"Ofcourse."