Halloween had finally come around again. That morning, Harry woke to a message from Tom in his journal. Neville and Luna both received letters from Tom as well. Professor Snape was told via Floo to inform Draco of the news. It was time. The manor was ready. The group would meet in Professor Snape's office after the feast. Neville was to say he was going to the library to study. Luna's housemates didn't really bother to keep up with her, so she wouldn't be missed for too long. Draco was to use the entrance from the Slytherin dorm, as always. Harry, of course, had a detention.

That's how they all came together. Tom opened the Floo connection to let his guests though. Instead of the Floo Transport room, the Dark Lord thought it would be more personal to let them in through the Floo in his personal study.

"Welcome, children, Severus." Tom was found standing tall. He was intimidating with how he carried himself, but upon further observation one could tell he was more relaxed in posture than he normally was at meetings. A small, inviting smile could even be spotted playing on his lips.

"Tom!" Harry, forgetting his age, ran to the man and hugged him tightly (but not too tightly, given his physical strength being low due to years of malnutrition).

Neville couldn't help but gape at the sight, and felt as though he would nearly faint when Harry's hug was returned. Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort were hugging. Of all the welcomes he could have expected, the young Longbottom did not see this. Severus was in a state similar to Neville's. Luna didn't seem as surprised, and even laughed a little. Draco simply rolled his eyes, knowing that Harry would have probably acted like a 4 year old upon seeing Tom.

"Welcome home, Harry," Tom chuckled, ruffling Harry's hair.

Harry let go of the eldest ravenet and began to motion for his friends to come closer. They lined up side-by-side, each taking their turn to step forward when motioned for. "I believe you know Draco, Tom. Or at least you know his family. We've become very close friends, thanks to you. He's probably the only one in the world who would put up with my rants and sense of humor." Draco gave a small bow, averting his eyes from meeting the Dark Lord's, out of fear and respect. "Besides you, of course." Harry was ecstatic, though tried to contain his excitement. His Tom was meeting his friends, and it made him happy. "This is Neville Longbottom. He was one of the first few friends I made at Hogwarts. He's brilliant with plants and the like. Neville may seem shy at first, but he has a brave heart." Neville also gave a bow, a bit clumsier than the one Draco gave, and kept his eyes focussed on his feet. When the boy did look up from his bow, he saw the Dark Lord with an eyebrow risen at him.

"Longbottom," Tom mused. "That name." He squinted his eyes slightly and tapped his chin, recalling the familiar name. "Yes. Your parents. I am sorry for my followers' actions that night. The prophecy fit both Harry and yourself. Your parents defied me, but they need not have gone through that torture. I do not pertain make orphans." He then smirked and turned his gaze towards Harry. "Except for the brat by my side." Then back to Neville. "He's a special case, I'm afraid."

Harry stuck his tongue out at the man. "Special indeed. Do you invite all of your enemies to live with you?"

Tom ignored Harry's sarcastic question, eliciting a grumble from the boy, and turned his attention to the mystifying girl in front of him. "And you must be miss Lovegood. I see you are living up to your word."

Luna drops to a full curtsey, making direct eye-contact with the man while doing so, then returned to her normal stance. Her smile was blinding. "I am, your Lordship. I am honored that you remember me."

Tom returned her smile with his own, regal one. "How could I forget?"

After introductions were over, it was time for a tour of the manor. It was not as opulent as Malfoy Manor, but elegant in its own right. The vibe it gave off was one of protection and welcome. When they reached Harry's suite, the boy could feel his nerves getting the best of him. He had never had a room that was made just for him. The door was opened, and as the group stepped inside, Harry felt all of those nerves wash away and be replaced with awe. The ceilings were high, with a simple chandelier hanging from the center of the room. Dark brown wooden floors stretched throughout. The desk, sofa, storage, and bed all seemed to be made from the same dark, black-cherry wood as the room's moulding. Powder blue colored the walls. On the cream-colored ceiling were elegant carvings of abstract shapes that wrapped around the chandelier. A king-sized bed graced the back wall of the large room. The bedspread was sapphire blue with forest green swirls and lines spreading out in random design. Harry loved it. He couldn't help but give in to his urge to run and leap onto his new bed. He let out a laugh at how bouncy the bed was.

"Tom! This is the best thing I have ever received! Thank you so much!"

"I hope this day will no longer be a day of sadness in your heart, Harry. I had everything to be ready for this day, specifically."

Harry smiled at him. "Thank you, Tom. That really means a lot to me. I'm so glad that all of you could share this with me." With a content sigh, Harry fell back onto the bed, getting lost in the spirals on the ceiling. He was interrupted when he felt two bodies jump on the bed with him and one carefully sit down next to him. Luna and Draco pounced him and Neville tried to not be part of their wrestling. All four teens were laughing, as it only took a few seconds for Neville to be physically dragged into their game.

The five returned to Tom's study eventually and all said their goodbyes. The three non-Slytherins returned to their respective houses, just making it back before curfew. This was truly the best day ever, in Harry's opinion. He had a family, and now a real home.

Ron was angry. He was more than angry. Nothing was going his way. Practice was terrible and their first game was just a day away. Hermione had kissed Krum, Fourth Year, and that made him upset too. He wasn't exactly sure why it upset him, but it did. She hadn't told them she had kissed him. Couldn't she trust them with that kind of information? Couldn't she trust him with that kind of information?

Ginny had another boyfriend. She was too young to date. Ron had no choice but to resign himself about it previously, but this time his baby sister was dating someone he thought he could trust. Dean was one of his mates. He had to find them snogging to be informed about their relationship. Did no one trust him anymore? The world was spiraling into madness, along with Ron's sanity.

Ron was so frustrated about everything that he almost resigned from the team. Harry had convinced him to not quit. It didn't really matter, though. They were going to lose either way. Ron knew they would. On top of that, the whole team was furious with him. He wasn't ready for this. He doubted why he even joined the team to begin with. Family legacy? Maybe. It's all just so complicated.

It was his luck though that Harry pretended to slip him liquid luck in his goblet before the game. They actually won, and it was thanks to Ron Weasley, no miracle potion needed. Hermione was wrong. So what that they go into another spat? It didn't matter to Ron because Lavender Brown was so pleased with their victory that at the after party in the common room she grabbed him and kissed him. She was cute enough, so Ron returned the kiss. Victory at his first game and then his first real kiss! It was the best day ever.

Hermione was livid. Ronald Weasley was being the biggest prat in the world. He was still ignoring her, until they lashed out at each other about the Felix Felicis they both thought Harry had given him at breakfast. Then he had to go and hurt her feelings by kissing that Lavender girl. She was nothing like her. Lavender cared more about gossip than lessons. The two girls never got along.

If that was the type of girl Ron liked, then Hermione felt as though she had no chance. With her bushy hair and know-it-all brain, she could never be a Lavender-type. It hurt. It really hurt. It hurt so much that it made her want to lash out at the root of her agony. She was holding back by only sending a flock of small birds to attack Ron. There were much worse spells, hexes, that she could throw his way.

When they weren't ignoring each other, they were fighting. Hermione didn't give herself time to regret her actions, and absorbed herself in her studies. It had only been a few days, but it was getting ridiculous. That was probably one of the worst days ever.

The next secret lesson happened at Riddle Manor. Draco was helping Harry study Wizarding politics, from what he remembered from his own lessons with his father. Tom was drinking a glass of brandy, leaving his good liquor in the cabinets today, and reading a book of some sort. Severus stayed behind at the school to grade papers. He was always grading papers, it felt like.

"I'm impressed, Potter. You've been doing your homework." Draco smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Or maybe you're just trying to impress your guardian," he continued in a hushed voice.

Harry only rolled his eyes and shoved Draco lightly as a response. Both boys shared a short laugh and went back to studying. The lessons for the next few weeks went on similar to this. Sometimes Snape would join them, and he and Tom would take turns teaching Harry, and Draco by association. A few times, Neville and/or Luna would come to their meetings. All was going well and there was not much going on in their lives outside of lessons and school. Ron and Hermione were still fighting, which really concerned Harry, but it became normal for their day-to-day lives. November came and went in a blur, but Harry's circle grew closer and stronger in that month, visiting Riddle Manor.

Harry felt really bad that Luna and Neville couldn't meet with them more often. After talking with his circle, the four students decided that they could have regular study sessions in the library, after coming back from the holidays. There were plenty of spots where they could get together and not be out in the open, vulnerable to suspicious eyes. If anyone did come upon them, they could easily explain for their group for what it really was: a study group. Harry and Draco's friendship would come to light, but neither particularly cared about that. It had been a few weeks since they openly fought with the other, and neither cared to keep the charade up much longer. If asked about that, as well, they would tell the partial truth, saying that they grew closer due to detentions/private potions lessons with Professor Snape. Professor Snape did offer both boys lessons, despite the Potions Master not being the Potions' Professor any longer. If anything else needed to be explained, it would be considered easy compared to explaining the growing friendship between the Gryffindor Golden Boy and the Prince of Slytherin.

AN

I went back and edited some things in the first few chapters.