A/N this is another Harry potter/Huntik/Hakkenden eight dogs of the East fic. In this story Harry grew up in the same time period as Tom Riddle. The title has special significance to the story.

Harrison's POV

Hogwarts was still as magnificent as he remembered it to be. It was hard to believe three years had passed since he graduated. The three years spent travelling the world had tanned his skin to almost golden. His piercing green eyes took in every thing.

If one were to see him on the streets they would think he was a regular young man. Possibly just out of school and going to college. His clothes were simple black t-shirt and jeans with a grey jacket.

The only thing they would find unusual was a black crow that sat on his shoulder. Even in the Wizarding World a crow was a strange pet to have. The crow however was different. Only those with magical sensitivity could tell. Thankfully it was a rare gift so not many knew.

Running a hand through his unruly locks Harrison wondered if this was a good idea. Dante his adoptive father asked him to come to Hogwarts as a favor. They needed a professor for training potential new seekers. Most of the Huntik Foundation was still trying to recover. An attack had scattered many of its members. A new guild had attacked looking for something. Whatever they were looking for was still uncertain.

Harrison who left the Foundation after he graduated was shocked by the attack. He accepted the request before he really thought about it. Going back to Hogwarts would mean facing everyone again. It was going to be awkward especially given how he left. Without a word or a way to contact him.

There were only a few reasons he came back. One he owed a favor to Dante and it was called upon. Two he needed to learn swordsmanship. One of the best trainers in the world taught Ancient Ruins at Hogwarts. The last reason had to do with the the bird on his shoulder.

The bird was not actually a bird but a demon. One of the greater demons. It was one that had passed into legend. His name was Murasame and he brought with him a bead. With the bead came a story.

Eight warriors born to protect the world. They died protecting the world from an evil spirit. One carried with him a strong heart and a demon.

Once there was four signs of their return. They are holders of the have a birthmark on their bodies in the shape of family name starts with "inu", which means "dog" in of them experienced death but were saved by a spirit that is keeping them alive.

With the world changing only two signs were kept. The beads and the birth marks. His mark was on right arm arrived after he met Murasame. With it he received his bead. It took some researching but he found out it said devotion.

According to the bird he was forever bound to Duty. Two half souls would battle for his choice. A choice to decide who would be the Duty holder. The one chosen would gain strength while the other would become a shadow. Then eventually fade to nothing.

Harrison didn't want any part of it. He lost enough people that he was close to.

His thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing of his holowatch. It was alerting him that it was almost time to meet with AlbusDumbledore. With a sigh he finished crossing the courtyard. Hogwarts magic washed over him. It accepted both him and Murasame without hesitation. Almost like they were old friends.

He made the short trip to the gargoyle. Sighing he said, "Ice mice."

The gargoyle moved away and he moved up them. The trip was short and before he could knock on the door a voice said, "Enter."

He entered and immediately noticed that the office had changed. It was red and gold like a Gryffindor. The next thing he noticed was that Tom Riddle was sitting in one of the chairs in front of the desk. When they locked eyes both men frowned.

Albus greeted warmly, "Harrison, it's been a long time since you returned to Hogwarts. I hope you have been well. Though I see you don't return alone."

Tom asked look disgusted, "Is that a crow? Why do you have a crow riding on your shoulder?"

He felt Murasame about to answer the other. Quickly he wrapped his hand around the demon's beak.

He replied with a carefree grin, "Sure is. Don't you like him, Tom? On that note what kind of greeting was that? It's been three years since we saw each other. Don't you have something nice to say?"

The dirty look he received said it all. He and Tom had gone to Hogwarts together. Harrison had grown up with his muggle relatives. While Tom had grown up in an orphanage. They went to Diagon Alley on his birthday.

Despite being similar in appearance and age, mentally they couldn't be more different. Tom hated muggles for all they had done. Harrison had grown to see another side of things. That only happened once he met Dante and Metz. It had been completely by accident but that meetin changed his life. He became a seeker and was adopted by Dante within the year.

Dante didn't care that he had been sorted into Gryffindor. Or that the hat wanted to put him into Slytherin. The man simply cared for him.

Albus said breaking him from his thoughts, "Welcome back to Hogwarts, Harrison. I hope your travels were safe. Though I do have to agree with Tom. Why do you have a crow on your shoulder?"

Murasame nipped at his hand making him let go. Then he said, "Shino, I'm hungry. Let's go get some food."

Before men startled, "It speaks?!"

Harrison smiled as he stroked the bird's feathers gently, "That he does. Most of the time it's difficult to get him to shut up. Ouch, Murasame don't bite me."

Murasame gave him the stink eye but said nothing. Obviously Harrison had offended him. Soothingly he continued to run his fingers down its back. There was no point in angering the demon that he owed his life to.

Dumbledore said nodding as if coming to a realization, "That's right. Some titans speak in human tongue. While others speak only through the bond they have with their seeker."

Then he looked at Tom and back to Harrison. He said joyfully, "Well my boys, both of you will be starting as professors starting today. Yes, Harrison I understand that your position is only temporary. That the Huntik Foundation will be sending a replacement seeker sometime this year. It is still a welcome sight to see you back in Hogwarts. Many of your friends worried about you when you disappeared."

Harrison didn't regret his time away from England. It was always one adventure after another. Even when he almost died there weren't any regrets. In that time he changed significantly. No longer was he a naive child. He had seen both good and evil in the world. Learned that light didn't mean good. Dark didn't mean evil. It was all simply in one's intent.

Albus continued obvious to his thoughts, "Tom here will be taking the position as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Your classrooms will be just down the hall from each other. Along with your offices."

Harrison nodded his acceptance. At least they weren't sharing. It would be difficult to explain certain things. Like a certain squirrel titan that couldn't pick a form to save its life. He would have to be careful about what techniques he used while in his office. He wouldn't want a certain wizard to get suspicious of him.

Tom's POV

He was surprised when Dumbledore accepted his application to be the next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He had expected the man to reject him. They had never gotten along. Not since their first meeting at his orphanage.

Out of everyone in his year only two people left the country once graduating. Unsurprisingly Tom was one. What he had not expected was that Harrison Potter was the other.

Harrison was an orphan just like him. Unlike him however the boy had been adopted. They were allies but not really friends before that. After the adoption Harrison drifted away. When they graduated he disappeared off the face of the earth.

Tom had been slowly been amassing a group of followers. They wanted to free the laws on magic. There was no good or evil magic. Just intent.

He had just been accepted when the wards alerted them that someone was at the door. Dumbledore said with a knowing twinkle in his eye, "Enter."

A man he would recognize anywhere walked in. Harrison Potter. Tom had to take a moment to process what was on the other's shoulder. Was that a crow? Why would anyone allow such a mangy animal to ride on them?

Albus greeted warmly, "Harrison, it's been a long time since you returned to Hogwarts. I hope you have been well. Though I see you don't return alone."

That's when Tom felt it. It was almost imperceptible. If he was not skilled in reading magic he would have missed it. The bird held a darkness like he never felt before. Even Grindlewald didn't hold this much darkness.

He kept up his facade despite his curiosity now being peaked, " "Is that a crow? Why do you have a crow riding on your shoulder?"

Quickly Harrison wrapped his hand around the demon's beak. What would he do that for? Crows while intelligent could not speak.

The other replied with a carefree grin, "Sure is. Don't you like him, Tom? On that note what kind of greeting was that? It's been three years since we saw each other. Don't you have something nice to say?"

Tom was reminded why he didn't talk to this man anymore. That carefree grin was sickening. Yet there was something darker in his eyes. Maybe Harrison wasn't as naive as he used to be. Tom snorted internally. Maybe dementors were misunderstood and in need of a good hug.

Still that bird was intriguing. What was it that held the darkness? As far as he knew that there wasn't a magical breed of crow? Unless... It wasn't a crow at all.

Albus said breaking him from his thoughts, "Welcome back to Hogwarts, Harrison. I hope your travels were safe. Though I do have to agree with Tom. Why do you have a crow on your shoulder?"

The bird nipped at Harrison's hand making him let go. Then ir said, "Shino, I'm hungry. Let's go get some food."

It took half a second for him to process what just happened. Then he asked in time with Dumbledore, " It speaks?!"

Harrison smiled as he stroked the bird's feathers gently, "That he does. Most of the time it's difficult to get him to shut up. Ouch, Murasame don't bite me."

Murasame? That name touched at a memory. He couldn't tell what it was yet. Whatever it was it was recent, meaning it was dark.

Dumbledore said nodding as if coming to a realization, "That's right. Some titans speak in human tongue. While others speak only through the bond they have with their seeker."

Then he looked at Tom and back to Harrison. He said joyfully, "Well my boys, both of you will be starting as professors starting today. Yes, Harrison I understand that your position is only temporary. That the Huntik Foundation will be sending a replacement seeker sometime this year. It is still a welcome sight to see you back in Hogwarts. Many of your friends worried about you when you disappeared."

Tom was surprised by the look of indifference on the other's face. If he remembered correctly Harrison was close to the Weasleys, Diggory, and even several muggleborns. At one time even they were close, well closer. Yet there was no emotion on the his face. It was an almost perfect Slytherin and pureblood mask. What happened to the Gryffindor?

Albus continued obvious to his thoughts, "Tom here will be taking the position as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Your classrooms will be just down the hall from each other. Along with your offices."

Tom wanted to groan as Harrison nodded. Rooms down the hall from each other. There was no way that could end well. Tom would be ready to kill Harrison before the weak was up. Still he had to nod his acceptance. At least for now.