Title: The Gray Phoenix
Pairing: Voldemort/Tom Riddle Jr. X Harry Potter
Genre: Romance/Supernatural
Summary: The summer after his fourth year Harry gets the memories and abilities of two different people who lived in different times. When he makes sense of them, he realizes that his life can never be easy.
Warning: Reincarnation, Slash, Incest, Necromancer! Seer! Harry, Mentions of Mpreg

Chapter Fourteen

Professor McGonagall greeted them at the door, ushering Hericles and the first years inside and to the antechamber to wait before the sorting, much like she had done during Harry Potter's first year and like Dumbledore had done when Heri Black had arrived for his first year. However, this time it felt different. This time, he remembered being Hericles Slytherin; he remembered being the one to greet the new students and welcome them to their new home.

When he had been Heri Black, he had had the knowledge of being the reincarnation of Hericles Slytherin due to his Seer abilities but that was all it had been. Holding this knowledge had been like knowing the sky was blue and the sun rises in the east, and had been much like holding knowledge after reading a book; it had only been meaningless knowledge that had not really affected him. Now that he not only knew but remembered, everything felt different.

He was Hericles Slytherin – Co-Founder of Hogwarts along with his brother and their three friends; he was Heri Black – Slytherin student during the 1940s; he was Harry Potter – Wizarding celebrity before he had even learned to talk. Hericles Feim was all three of them and their experiences were his own. As such he could not help but let those experiences influence him at that very moment. Much like when he had come to the castle earlier during the summer for his tests, he remembered bits and pieces of his past in this castle.

The other founders and he had put everything they had in making and building the castle. Hogwarts was their home, one they had made together. It was the place they had been able to finally call their safe haven, the place mundanes would have been unable to reach them or hurt them, where they could practice their arts among others like them and teach the younger generations to love magic as they did.

At the same time, Hogwarts had also become a home away from home for both Heri and Harry. For Heri, it was the place he had come to find love unlike what he already had with his family; it was the place where he had spent pulling mischief on his cousins for fun; it was the place where Tom felt safe to be himself – something that had always made Heri so, so happy.

For Harry, it was the only home he had ever known. The Dursleys' could hardly be called 'home' and he had never thought of it as such. Hogwarts had offered Harry safety away from his wretched relatives, friendship in the form of the Weasleys and Hermione and so many other people, and even family in Sirius and Remus, as little time they had had together. Hogwarts had given Harry freedom but most of all magic.

Hericles Feim was all of them combined, not one of his past self being more than the other. They were all him.

And that was why as he stood there among the new first years, he could not help but feel nostalgic. He remembered times long past and through this, he looked towards the future; he could not go back to those times, but he could ensure not a repeat of past mistakes. Despite his misgivings, there was a whole future awaiting him, one he knew he would have to fight for but also one that will only be for the best if he did things right.

A squeeze of his hand brought him out of his thoughts. Looking down, he found Nathaniel look around him anxiously though quietly and not joining in the other first years worried mutterings. With an endeared smile, Hericles gently squeezed the small hand encased in his, inviting bright worried eyes to look at him.

"You will be fine," he reassured in a whisper so as not to bring even more curious eyes towards them.

"Do you – Do you know what the Sorting is?" Nathaniel whispered back even as he unconsciously leaned closer towards Hericles' comforting presence.

"Telling you would ruin the surprise," Hericles replied gently before adding, "All you need to know is that everything will be fine."

Surprisingly enough, Nathaniel relaxed at this. The older teenager's words did not inform him of much but his simple words of reassurance were enough to comfort him. If there was one thing the young newly-discovered wizard knew, it was that he could trust Hericles' words.

To be honest, it was not really that surprising to him though. He might have met Hericles only twice so far but Nathaniel had to admit the older teenager had certainly left an impression on the day they met. It was no wonder he would trust his words at this moment; Hericles had saved him once and made him feel safe. Unsurprisingly, this feeling of safety would remain with him as soon as he was close to the other.

It was him; it was the boy!

Heri darted a quick look at the other eleven years old boy standing a couple of paces in front of him as they waited for the Sorting to begin. Yes, he was certain; it was the boy from his dreams. He was real!

Heri always knew he would meet the other one day but of course a part of him had been doubtful. How could anyone believe they meet the one person born for them anyway? Even if they were Seers and Saw far too much?

The worst though was that he knew how much the other boy was going to mean to him.

… and he also knew how much he would mean to the other. Enough that the boy – Tom – would lose his mind to madness after his… death.

No, he could not allow that future to happen but there was only so much he could do. As he was now, Heri Black was too weak to fight that future.

Yet he had to. He would stay away for as long as he could.

Even if it meant giving up his own soulmate.

When Professor McGonagall finally came back, the other first years were still sneaking looks at the older teenager in their midst. However, no one had been brave enough to address him, through no fault of their own. While Hericles seemed benign and warm at first glance, most of them had heard about him, about what he and done during the holidays. Those who did not know – the muggleborns – were quickly made aware by the other students. As such they were too intimidated to talk to him, despite being overly curious about him.

McGonagall ushered them through the door and they filtered out and into the Great Hall in an orderly line, Hericles being the last because of his unique situation. The first years ooh'ed and aah'ed at the ceiling glistering with stars, at the floating candles giving the place a majestic feel and at the four large tables around which the older students were already gathered.

Said students stared at them from their places and whispered, many pointing at the anomaly among the tiny first years. Hericles Feim had become known through the Wizarding World after the feat he had pulled during the holidays; saving a couple of children from Death Eater by erecting an apparent unbeatable shield was nothing to scoff at. And all of them were eager to know what kind of person he was. No one had ever heard of him before and that made the whole mystery even more appealing to them.

They needed something to distract them after the disturbing news of the Dark Lord being back after all.

Once there were four friends who came together.

They had a dream that festered.

A school of Magic, they wondered,

That would be the greatest gift to the world.

But then they pondered,

Who to invite to join?

The bravest, Griffindor offered,

To face the world that hates us.

The hard workers, Hufflepuff countered,

To provide for those like us.

The cleverest, Ravenclaw argued,

And those with great ambition, Slytherin added,

To hide and protect those that cannot.

Together they came and together they made,

But they were never alone on their journey.

The most precious of them, loved and protected,

Unknown to the rest of the world,

But acknowledge in their hard work.

With his heart open the Fifth Founder pondered,

Why not all of them?

Magic is a gift to all.

And so it came and the school was made.

Rejoice children for you are gifted their word.

The Heart is gone,

Broken and stolen.

But not the soul.

A gift of magic to those who once wondered.

So come to me, children,

To the one and only Sorting Hat.

Allow me to place you in your rightful House,

Where you will meet those alike.

Allow me to Sort you,

Because the Heart and Hope is back.

As soon as the Hart's annual song was done, the student started whispering among themselves. And it was not only because of the unusual form the song came as. Never before, in all history of the school, had the Hat ever mentioned this. A Fifth Founder? Was that even possible? Could the Hat even lie? Why would it mention this apparently hidden Founder now of all times?

While the school was in uproar, no one noticed the utterly flabbergasted look that briefly graced one Hericles Feim's face before he was able to school his expression into a mildly curious one.

Well, even he, in all his ability to see the future, he had never expected this from the Hat.

Oh, he remembered when they – the other Founders and he – had come together and chosen to have the Hat Sort the children. They had enchanted Godric's old hat on a whim, pouring everything they had to link the Hat with the school, gifting it with abilities and magic far beyond what would have been considered wise. In their folly, they created the Sorting Hat, a Hat that could be considered sentient and sharing the school's magic; so long as the school would stand so would the Hat be able to Sort. In this, however, they had created something that should usually not have existed; they had given the school and the Hat a conscience.

And now there he was, the Sorting Hat announcing his presence to the whole world before he could even do anything about it. A part of him wondered if the Hat had really had enough time to re-create a whole new song as from the moment Hericles had breached the wards. He would not put it pass it.

With only a slight quirk of his lips that belied his exasperated fondness, Hericles shook the thought away and turned his eyes to the Sorting.

One by one, the children were called up to the stool where the Sorting Hat place them in their respective Houses. When it came time for Nathaniel, Hericles gently pushed the hesitating boy forward and shot him an encouraging smile. The child had thankfully calmed down after realising all he had to do was put on an old school hat but apparently, he still worried about walking up in front of the whole school to get sorted. It was not that Hericles blamed him though; for a child it was a pretty daunting experience but it was also one that would mark his stay at Hogwarts and would remain with him for years.

Nathaniel locked eyes with Hericles before they disappeared behind the Hat. Not even a second later, the Sorting Hat yelled out for all to hear, "HUFFLEPUFF!" Hericles gave him another smile before he rushed over to his new House, being greeted by enthusiastic cheers and clapping.

'They will take good care of him,' Hericles thought quietly to himself, pleased. He had become fond of the child.

(A very, very distant part of his mind wondered if he had become attached because the boy's soul resonated with him like his unborn child had had for a tragically short time so long ago.)

The rest of the Sorting went on without a hitch before all the First Years had all gone through and the only one remaining waiting was Hericles. The Great Hall picked up in whispers but everyone quieted down when the Headmaster stood up.

"Before we continue with the Sorting, I would like to welcome among us Hericles Feim who will be joining the Seventh Years this academic year. I hope you will all be accommodating to our new student. Professor McGonagall, if you would?" He motioned forward and received a nod from the aforementioned Professor.

"Feim, Hericles," McGonagall called, continuing the Sorting like the others.

Hericles stepped forward, like he had already done twice during the last few decades, and gracefully took a seat on the stood, seeming dignified even as the old Sorting Hat settled comfortably on his head.

"Well, now," a familiar voice intoned in his mind, almost prompting a chuckle from him though he refrained. "You finally came, hm? Will you allow me to Sort you in your proper House now?"

'Was that the reason you decided to announce my presence, Hat?' Hericles asked, half-amused. 'You were being a grouch because I circumvented my last Sorting? And honestly, the 'Heart' and 'Hope'? Could you be anymore cheesy?'

The Hat harrumphed in his mind and if it had arms, Hericles was certain it would have crossed them petulantly by now. "That is what you have always been and you cannot tell me otherwise! And for your information, I was not being a grouch. Besides, someone thought it would be a good idea to abuse his status as a Founder to influence his last Sorting!"

'To be fair, it was not as if I actually did it knowingly.'

"But you still did."

Hericles let out an inward chuckled, thoroughly amused by the childish retort. 'Hush now, Hat. We shall talk another time. For now, how about you Sort me? And yes, there will be no protest from me.'

The Hat let out another harrumph but finally announced, for all to hear –

"SLYTHERIN!"

With that, Hericles stood and handed the Sorting Hat back to McGonagall with a smile, before swiftly turning on his heels to make his way to the Slytherin table, being greeted by polite applause, even as the rest of the school murmured among themselves. His robes billowed elegantly behind him and his low ponytail trailed at his back, completely unbothered by being Sorted in the House currently regarded with the most wariness due to the recent chaotic political climate.

Well, they were all going to learn better anyway.

AN: Here's the new chapter. Next coming up is the Welcoming Feast.

Yeah, I know it's moving slowly but in a way, that's the charm of the thing ;)

Don't forget to leave behind your thoughts

Leight