Chapter 3: The Decision

Harry was startled out of his thoughts as he felt a rhythmic pattern begin in Tom's breathing. Looking down, Harry smiled as he saw Tom Riddle, Dark Lord of the coming Centry, snuggled into his side sleeping. He was so cute.

Tightening his grip around Tom, Harry realized that no matter how much he could argue against himself, he had already chosen to take him with him. He realized also that just by taking Tom away would not solve the problem. There were at least fifty or more kids inside that also went through the abuse this guy, Snotsworth, put them through. Casting a spell to ensure that Tom remained sleeping, Harry gently picked him up and carried him inside not bothering to turn invisible.

Looking around, he quickly found the office and made his way inside. The man in charge was sitting at his desk, the floor was littered with beer bottles and he had a half full bottle in his hand. His bloodshot eyes looked surprised when he saw Harry with Tom. After a minute he waved his hand at the floor.

"Jussh dump the little shittt 'ere." He slurred. "I'llll take care of 'im laterrr"

Harry's eyes flashed as he walked towards the desk. Concentrating for a second, he blurred his fingertips making sure he had no prints he could leave behind. Ignoring the disgusting execuse for a human, he reached for the phone and dialed three numbers.

999

"Hey!" the man said, sluggishly reaching for the phone to stop him.

Harry didn't let him say anything else, he easily entered his mind, and with a thought stopped the heart. The man died instantly and Harry turned invisible and backed into a corner to watch what would happen.

It didn't take long. Within minutes the sound of wheels screeching and a loud bell announced the arrival of the cops and ambulance. A man ran in and stopped short seeing Snotsworth keeled over his desk, his hand lying over the desk, and the phone dangling right under where it obviously fell from his hand.

"MEDIC!" the officer shrieked, and was answered immediately by running footsteps. Two men burst into the room, without breaking stride they ran to the man and quickly checked him over. Harry was impressed that they were able to take in the situation without stopping to look. These guys were pros and it didn't take long for them to declare Mr. Nathan Snotsworth dead from a heart attack, for obvious reasons.

Harry , his job done silently apparated away.

He reappeared in a bedroom, one that was decorated tastefully in green and silver. The bedroom had two connecting doors, one going to a bathroom similar in size and operation to the prefects bathroom in Hogwarts, and the other going to a walk in closet that was around half the size of the bedroom. The closet was loaded with clothes, everything from dress robes to casual as well as dueling. It even had a special selection for potions brewing.

The bedroom belonged to the famous Salazar Slytherin.

There was no entrance anywhere, as Slytherin had wanted to keep this bedroom a private and he was extremely paranoid.

If someone made it into the Chamber of Secrets, and if they managed to open the mouth of his statue, and then if they were able to get passed the basilisk, they still wouldn't be able to enter Slytherins personal rooms, which included a library, training room, and potions lab.

After laying Tom down on the bed, Harry frowned and closed his eyes concentrating for a second before suddenly his form shimmered and something, another form, walked out of him.

It was a clone. Dumbledore had taught him this spell, and was very useful if you could handle the strain. Most people couldn't especially as it was a catch 22, the more powerful you are, the more power you had to provide your clone, and thus the more power you had to have. It was a vicious never ending cycle that made it not very useful for battles. Well for anyone else but Harry of course.

It was that spell that Dumbledore used to create the clones that used the Cruciatus Curse on him. Dumbledore had given the clone all his power as he wouldn't need it, and that was the only way he was able to keep it going, keeping almost no power for himself. Harry of course was unexplainably diffrent.

The clone of Harry smiled at him and disappeared on his way to Muggle London to look into buying a house. That was, after of course he set up a false paper trail of Muggle parents and being Muggleborn wizard. He had to have some sort of history after all.

Smiling down at Tom, Harry closed his eyes and entered meditation, something he tended to do in place of sleeping, because it always rested the mind and kept him refreshed without losing touch on your surroundings. Besides the last time he had slept, when he was fifteen, he had seen his godfather fall through the veil while staring horror-struck at him, a vision he could do without.

He was woken a few hours later by the feel of an approaching apparation and quickly cleared his head in time for him to see himself pop in with a smile on his face. (Confused?)

With a wink, his clone stepped into Harry and he felt a rush as his magic and the memories of the past few hours merged with his mind. He grinned as he learned that his clone was successful in buying a house in a muggle neighborhood near a good primary school where Tom could go for an education. After sorting everything out, he fell back into meditaion staying there until he was woken by Tom the next morining.

Tom Riddle woke up feeling confused as he felt he was in a bed much more comfortable then any bed he had ever been in before, he kept his eyes closed as he let his other senses try to figure out where he was, survival instincts he had learned from staying in the orphanage kicking in.

Close by, he heard the slow steady breathing of another person near him, relaxed possibly asleep. Realizing he wouldn't find anything else out without opening his eyes, he slowly cracked one eye open and quickly took in the decor of green and silver. He frowned as he still didn't recognize where he was.

Throwing caution to the wind, he opened his eyes all the way and looked around. When he saw the man sitting next to him his memories quickly came back, he barely had time to think before the man blinked and opened his eyes straightening up. When he saw Tom awake, he smiled at him and Tom, against his better judgement, relaxed.

"Hello Tom." Harry said softly. "Had a good sleep?"

Tom nodded shyly and opened his mouth before closing it and looking uncomfortable. Harry smiled at him.

"I'm sorry." He said kindly, "I've been a bit rude, you introduced yourself, whereas I have not. I'm Harry Evans. You can call me Harry."

A look of relief spread across Tom's face as he smiled at him. "Hello, Harry. Um... where are we?" he asked now looking around at the unfamiliar place.

"Far away from the orphanage, Tom. If you want you will never have to go back there."

Delight spread across Tom's face as he looked at Harry hopefully, "Really? Never go back?"

"Of course." Harry nodded smiling, "I have a nice house in London where we can live if you want. On the other hand, Mr. Snotsworth is no longer running the orphanage and the police are investigating the place to make sure child abuse doesnt happen anymore so if you want to go back thats okay as well."

Tom shook his head fervently. He couldn't care less who was running the place he hated the orphanage, but on the other hand, Harry's offer seemed too good to be true.

"Why would you do this for me." He asked, his tone demanding, he needed to know the truth.

Harry smiled sadly and a haunted look appeared in his eyes.

"I grew up with my Aunt and Uncle who had one son my age." He began, "My parents were killed when I was a baby, Tom, and I was dumped on their doorstep because no one wanted me. I grew up amongst their hate for me. My mother and aunt had a fight and never got over it, the hate for my mother transferred to me."

Tom's face became blank in an instant and his eyes grew cold. "I don't need your pity." He said harshly, his hopes plummeting in his chest. Harry was quick to shake his head.

"My whole life," he said softly not looking at Tom, "my whole life the one thing I wanted I could never have. My parents were extremely wealthy and I inherited everything. Many people were jealous because they thought I had everything, money, good looks, popularity."

Harry shook his head again, "The one thing I wanted most was to have a family Tom. I don't do this out of pity, I do this out of hope that maybe, finally, I could have the one thing I always wanted."

As he said the last words, he turned to face Tom, who was shocked that he could see tears in Harry's eyes. One thing was clear, Harry was telling the truth and Tom felt his hopes rise at the same time as his guilt as he realised he jumped to conclusions. Once more he was shy.

"I- I've always wanted Dad." He said softly, "Always wished that my Dad would show up to take me away from the orphanage, but he never did." He was quiet again for a minute before he finally spoke again, his voice wavering in uncertainty.

"W- will you be my Dad?" he asked lifting his face to look at Harry in the eyes, unmistakable hope and fear shining through his clear blue eyes.

Harry's answer was to sweep him up in a hug cling to him tightly. As Tom sat down in his new place on his new Dad's lap he asked innocently, "Was that a yes?"

A/N: Okay Tom and Harry worked things out, next chapter they move in to their new house. Harry gives Tom back his snake friend and explains about magic. Tom goes to school and Harry gets a visit from some unmentionables – er- I mean unspeakables. PLEASE NOTIFY ME OF ANY MISTAKES!! Happy Reading!!