Troll Fallout II
"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-"
"You dare show your face around here? After everything your lot did to me?"
"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"
"You should have died with her, then!"
"JAMES!"
"What are you-"
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Harry gasped as he woke, roused by the nightmares - memories, both his and Tom's, if the older man Harry did not recognize was any indicator. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around - he was still in the Hospital Wing, to which he and Hermione had been escorted by Professor McGonagall. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but a quick look out the window revealed that it was still dark, so either he had slept a whole day, or less than a night.
He sighed as he rubbed his eyes, noting that he was alone - safe for Hermione, who was sleeping one bed over. Part of him was surprised, having half expected some police officer or something like that keeping an eye on him, in case he tried to escape - after all, for all the Hogwarts staff knew, he had just killed someone.
'Something, not someone', Tom suddenly spoke up, startling Harry. 'Trolls aren't exactly considered sentient beings. What we did in that bathroom was, in principle, akin to swatting a fly with a textbook - a very large fly, with a club that would have killed you, me, and the girl.'
'She has a name', Harry grumbled. 'And that doesn't change the fact that we killed a troll, using the same bloody spell that killed my parents, hell, maybe even you! How in blazes are you so calm?'
'Age and experience', Tom answered. 'When you've been through some of the things I've been through... it changes you, and not for the better at times.'
'I guess', Harry said unconvinced. 'It's just... that spell. Why did you use that spell?'
Tom was silent for a while. 'It was the only one I could think of in that moment. Troll skin is hard, so most spells won't work, and considering our situation, I needed something that would end the threat quickly. It's what Piggy would call an 'Instant Kill', and considering the troll was two seconds away from killing all of us...'
'It killed my parents', Harry said quietly.
Tom winced. 'I know', he answered. 'I wish I had considered that, but in all honesty, that was time I - we - could not afford to waste in that moment. We had to act, act quickly, and... I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to-'
'To do what? Kill the troll?' Harry laughed bitterly.
'To cause you this pain', Tom quietly said.
Harry didn't say anything for a while. 'I guess that couldn't be avoided, under the circumstances', he finally said. 'And I'm used to being hurt, but... I guess I didn't expect to get hurt by you, Tom.'
Now it was Tom's turn to be silent. 'That hadn't been my intention', he eventually admitted. 'I swear, Harry, I didn't want to hurt you in any way.'
Harry sighed. 'I know', he answered. 'I know. And I... like I said, under the circumstances, I guess it could not be avoided. Just... maybe give me some more warning next time?'
'If I get my way, there won't be a next time', Tom grumbled. 'If I find the bastard that got the troll into the castle, I'm going to make sure he thoroughly regrets that mistake.'
'Maybe leave the punishing part to the authorities, Tom? I really, really don't want you to go on a rampage in my body.'
Tom winced again. 'Yes, it might be a good idea to lay low for a bit. I may have made even more of an error in my decision to use the Killing Curse than you realize...'
Harry groaned. 'Let me guess, that spell is highly illegal to use in anything that cannot be proven to be self-defence?'
'Yeah, more like highly illegal under all circumstances, at least as far as I know. Still, it's not the Ministry I'm concerned about.'
'Dumbledore?', Harry asked, catching the implication.
Tom grunted in agreement. 'His tendency to sweep everything that makes him look bad under the rug does work in our favor in this case - and the Great Savior of the Wizarding World casting an Unforgivable Curse in his first year at Hogwarts under his watch would seriously damage his reputation. I doubt he'll report the happenings, but I am willing to bet half of my remaining soul that he's gonna keep an incredibly close eye on us going forward - well, you, and he may figure out I'm aware that I'm along for the ride. Either way, we really need to be careful.'
'Do you think he'll try to do that Legili-thing where he peeks into my mind? You know, the thing Snape tried?', Harry asked.
'I wouldn't be surprised', Tom grimly answered. 'He is a Legilimens, I know that - trouble is, you'll need to develop your own mental defences, he could recognize my signature if I were to use our symbiosis to shield us both.'
'Yeah, but if he was the one who placed at least some of these wards around my scar, he may already know of you, and with what happened, he may already suspect you're a proper presence', Harry argued. 'Plus, didn't you say that learning this sort of thing takes forever?'
'All the more reason to get started now - good thing I can teach you at least that', Tom said with a smirk.
'I guess', Harry replied, and for the first time in a while, he actually smiled a little bit. At least, until he remembered the memories he had witnessed during his sleep.
'Tom, who was that man you.... that man in your memories?'
Tom didn't answer for some time. 'Remember how I told you how my mother used a love potion on my father, and how I never got to meet him as far as I knew?', he eventually asked.
'But you did', Harry deducted. 'And... you killed him.'
'I did', Tom confirmed. 'Thomas Alexander Riddle, dead by the hand of Tom Marvolo Riddle.' He chuckled, and then sighed. 'I know I have no right to ask this, but... please, do not bring him up again? My family should stay where it belongs - in my memories, and in the deepest bowels of whatever hell there is.'
Harry winced. 'That bad, huh?'
'Worse', was Tom's dark response. 'It's not something I like to think about - at all. '43 was horrid year all around for me, and if I had my way, I'd forget all about it. Let's just say that he and everyone else whom I got that day got what they deserved, and let's leave it at that.'
Harry sighed. 'I guess', he answered. 'But... if you ever need a friend to talk to...'
Tom snorted. 'A friend...', he repeated. 'I can barely remember the last time I had one of those...'
'Abraxas Malfoy?', Harry offered cheekily.
Another snort. 'Like I said, I can barely remember it', he said. 'You know, you seem far more alright with me killing my father than you were with me framing Hagrid for manslaughter when he had that wretched spider of his.'
Harry shrugged. 'I know Hagrid and I like him. And sure, your mother did mess him up bad, but from what I saw, he really would've gotten on well with uncle Vernon. So... I guess I have a hard time blaming you for killing him?'
'I knew there was a reason I liked you', Tom joked. 'But seriously, thank you - for everything. It really does mean a lot to me that you... that you care.'
'Hey, you were my only friend for the longest time. Of course I'll care', Harry said.
In that moment, he heard a soft groaning come from the bed next to him - looked like Hermione was waking up herself.
'Maybe I used to your only friend', Tom said. 'But... it looks like that changed at last.' He chuckled softly. 'Stick to that one, Harry, she's a good sort.'
'Hermione is really nice', Harry agreed. 'I like her.'
'Like her or like her?', Tom joked. 'Ah, nevermind, you're still young - you can figure that one out yourself.'
'Hilarious', Harry drawled as Hermione yawned.
"You awake?", she whispered.
"Yeah", he answered. "Sorry if I woke you."
"You didn't", Hermione said. "Are you... are you alright?"
Harry chuckled. "I could ask you the same thing", he replied. "How are you?"
"I'll... I'll be alright", she said. "You... you saved my life in there."
"... yeah, I guess I did", Harry said.
"I'm sorry", Hermione suddenly said. "I should... I should have run when you told me to. I... I nearly got us both killed."
Harry shook his head. "It's not your fault, Hermione. Not even remotely."
"I... thank you, Harry." Hermione shook her head. "What you did in there... where did you learn all this?"
He couldn't help it, Harry winced. "It's... it's complicated, Hermione, I don't really know it all myself. I just... for the most part, it was... instinct, I guess. Like, I knew these spells, and how to use them, but... I don't know how." He chuckled a bit. "I guess that doesn't make much sense, does it?"
'Smart', Tom chuckled. 'Here's hoping she buys it.'
Hermione chuckled, too. "A troll attacked me in a bathroom, you got in and saved my life by... by kill- by killing it. None of this makes any sense, Harry, and yet... here we are."
"Yeah", Harry said. "Here we are."
"That spell you used... was it one of... the ones you don't know how you know it?", she asked.
"Yeah", he answered, deciding to roll with it. "I... didn't know what it would do, I didn't know it would..."
Hermione's eyes widened a bit. "Oh", she said. "Oh my." She shook her head. "I mean, at least you used it to... defend yourself? And me?"
Harry couldn't quite help it, he had to laugh a bit. "I guess there's a silver lining there", he replied. "Sorry, this whole thing... I mean, it's just absurd, isn't it?", she lamely tried.
Thankfully, Hermione joined in. "No, I'm sorry, I... I don't exactly do jokes, you know what I mean? And like you said, this whole thing is absolutely absurd, no matter how you look at it."
The two of them laughed for a while before Hermione shook herself. "Look, I... I don't know how to... where to go from here. I mean, I'm just not used to... to someone helping me out, and Parvati told me you asked her to check up on me, so... I guess there's one more thing to be thankful about right now."
Harry shook his head. "Look, Hermione, it's... it's no big deal, really. It's what friends do."
Hermione chuckled. "Friends... That's a new one for me", she admitted. "Never really... never really had any of those before."
Harry playfully extended his arms. "Welcome to the club", he joked, and he and Hermione joined in laughter again.
"Do you, ah, mind if I...", she motioned to his bed, signalizing that she wanted to join him on his bed.
Harry shrugged. "Sure", he offered.
Hermione looked around, first left, then right, then left again, as if to check if Madam Pomfrey would jump out of the shadows if she left her bed, and when she was sure that that wasn't the case, she quickly climbed out of her bed and tiptoed over to his, sitting down on it next to him.
"So...", he said just as she said the same thing, and the two of them started laughing again.
"You go first", Harry motioned.
Hermione smiled. "I... know you don't exactly like physical contact and such, but... would you... mind if I, ah, maybe gave you a hug?"
Harry smiled in turn. "Not at all", he said and extended his arms again.
Hermione's smile widened as she closed in on him, pulling him into a warm and powerful hug. Harry inadvertedly tensed up a bit, but soon found himself relaxing again and quickly returned the hug, cautiously at first, but eventually fully embracing her.
"Thank you", she whispered. "Thank you."
And for the briefest of moments, Harry allowed himself to think that everything would be alright for a change. He knew it wouldn't last forver - when did it ever? - but he knew one other thing, as well; that he had just found another friend for life.