Title: Just Tom
Author: Razberry
Genre: Romance/Angst
Rating: PG... will go up
Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will, blah blah blah, all that legal stuff....
Warnings: Once again, none.
Summary: Response to one of QueenStrata's challenges. Harry is staying at Hogwarts over the summer, and finds a really nifty mirror that shows whoever looks into it the person that is most like them. Now Harry has to overcome the challenges of getting along with his so called "match"... The only problem? It's none other than Tom Riddle. And what does Dumbledore have to do with this?!
Notes: Yeah, I know, it's been forever since I've updated. To be honest, I really just haven't felt like it lately (plus I got kicked off for a few days by those bastards at ff.net). I've had a shitload of schoolwork, family problems, and my best friend is really having some trouble and I'm worried about her. So I'm not apologizing this time, I have my own shit to deal with that's more important than fic chapters. And if you couldn't tell, I'm in a crappy mood from lack of sleep, so this chapter probably isn't gonna be all bounces and giggles.
Also, if you see a number in a set of these [] that means I have an explanation for that word or phrase at the bottom of the chapter. And since ff.net does not seem to appreciate italics, the character's thoughts will be in /these/. All annoying inner voices will speak in \these\. And since some characters have telepathic abilites, anything that is thought-spoken will be in these. Everyone got that? If not, here's the simplified version for all you idiots out there(j/k).
[] - I have an explanation for that word/phrase at the end of the chapter.
/ / - Peoples individual thoughts
\ \ - Those cute inner voices everybody loves
- Telepathic speech
" " - Regular speech
Okay, well, I think that's it. Now get on with the fic!!!
*~*~*~*~*~*
"So do you think they've killed each other yet?" Harry asked Tom as they walked through the Forbidden Forest(staying near the path of course).
"No," Tom replied. "Though Mr. Black is probably getting close."
Harry smiled lightly and they walked on in relative silence. They had left Sirius and Severus about a half hour ago, under the pretense of looking for a place to camp for the night. In actuality, they had just wanted to get away from the older wizards' bickering for awhile.
"Where do you think we're going?" Tom inquired after a few minutes of relative silence.
"No idea," answered Harry. "I don't know of any places that can't be apparated to or reached by owls."
"Neither do I," Tom turned back around to face the other wizard, leaning against a tree. "Avalon, perhaps?"
"No... I don't think so. I remember Hermione saying that it could only be reached by water, or something like that[1], and I'm pretty sure Dumbledore would have mentioned that. None of us packed for a boat trip."
"...This Hermione girl must be very intelligent. The way you talk about her, it sounds as though she's a genius."
"Oh, she's brilliant," Harry said. "A bit pushy at times, but brilliant."
Tom looked over at the Boy Who Lived. "Tell me about your friends."
Harry looked slightly taken aback. He wasn't upset that the other wizard was asking about his friends, it was just unexpected, that was all. He smiled slightly.
"Well, I've already told you about Hermione and Ron; they're probably my two closest friends- well, definitely. And then there's Neville. He's... not exactly graceful, and certainly not a top student, and he's very insecure and quite shy... but he's a good friend too. And Seamus and Dean. I guess the only way I could describe them is... odd. That's all the boys in my dorm... well, I guess it may be your dorm this fall, if you're sorted into Gryffindor."
Harry fell silent. He had almost forgotten that Tom would be going back to school with him. Now his thoughts turned to his classmates' reaction when they found out what had happened. He knew Tom was thinking the same.
"Do you think... will the headmaster tell the school what's going on?" Tom's garnet gaze turned to Harry questioningly.
"I honestly don't know," Harry replied. "If you're put in Gryffindor, he'll most likely tell my dorm mates... they'd find out anyway. Ron already knows the situation, sort of, and he really can't keep his mouth shut."
There was a slight pause in which they both just looked at the rapidly darkening sky before Tom spoke again.
"Hn. Like I'd ever be put into Gryffindor."
Harry turned to him. "After all the things Dumbledore has told you about, you would still go into Slytherin?"
"It's not the house that determines what a person will be. I think that whatever happened to make me into such an evil person, if I was in any other house and the same thing occurred, I would have still turned out the same."
"Maybe," Harry conceded. "But maybe not. A different house will have different people in it. Perhaps if you were in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, there would have been people there to help you."
"Do you know the saying 'it's the wand that chooses the wizard'?" At Harry's nod, Tom continued. "I think it's like that with houses as well. You can have a different house than what you should be in, but you won't do as well in there as you would in the one you really belonged in."
Harry felt a knot form in the pit of his stomach. Tom must have sensed that he'd hit a nerve, because he quieted. The Boy Who Lived then suddenly sat, just dropped on the ground, and stared at the moss covered soil.
"I was supposed to be in Slytherin," he said quietly, in a voice that held both defeat and amazement. "The hat wanted to put me there, and I said no. So it put in Gryffindor instead." Harry looked up at Tom sadly.
The other boy's eyes widened in surprise. He would never have thought that Harry was anything but a Gryffindor.
"Well, like I said, it's only my opinion-"
"No... you're right. Everyone knows I should have been in Slytherin. In second year, everyone thought that I was Salazar's heir, and more than one person has told me that's where I belong," Harry continued on. "Dumbledore once told me that it's our choices that make us who we are. But... what if the choice we make is the wrong one? It might have seemed like it was right at the time, but... maybe I should have just listened. Snape's always telling me how I never listen when it's in my best interest. Maybe he's right... maybe I don't listen well enough. Maybe-"
"Maybe Snape's an idiot and you are too for thinking that he might be right," Sirius said as he walked up to them. "You're a Gryffindor through and through, and don't you forget it."
"Sirius..."
"What? You are. Ask anyone and they'll say that you're either very stupid or very brave, both of which are traits carried by us Gryffindors."
Harry gave Sirius a weak smile. "Do you really think so?"
"Yep."
"I second that," Tom said. "You're most certainly not Slytherin material. They would chew you up and spit you out."
"Thanks... I think."
"Now let's get back to that greasy bastard, he's supposed to have set up camp," Sirius said. "There was a clearing not too far from the path that didn't look all that dangerous."
The two younger boys nodded and followed Sirius to where, indeed, Severus had set up camp and was now proceeding to cook something in a fair-sized cauldron[2]. Sirius peered into the black pot and wrinkled his nose.
"Looks absolutely disgusting," the animagi stated, making a face. "What are you planning to poison us with, Snape?"
Severus raised an eyebrow. "Poison you? I believe you do a good enough job of that on your own, Black."
"I was in first year! How was I supposed to know that pixie dust was poisonous?!"
"...Read the textbook?" Snape rolled his eyes and added a strange looking plant that Harry didn't recognize. Tom apparently did though, because he 'hmm'-ed in approval and began eyeing the contents of the cauldron hungrily.
Over the next hour, dinner was served, and although the two elder wizards bickered throughout the entire meal, it was a rather enjoyable event. The fire was warm(it wasn't that cool out anyway), the forest was quiet, and the soup was great. Harry never did find out what it was, nor what was in it, but once he thought about it, the Boy Who Lived realized that he most likely didn't want to know anyway.
"Well, let's turn in," Sirius said as he stood. "We need to get up early tomorrow."
"Be packed and ready to leave at five-thirty sharp," Snape instructed. "I advise you to wear warm clothing."
With that said, the two elder wizards each went into their own separate tents[3], and the two boys retired to their own shared quarters.
Bidding good night to Tom and Sirius, Harry rolled over onto his side of the tent and curled up, ready for a decent night's sleep. But the peaceful tranquility of the forest would soon be shattered by a strange and disturbing event that none of them could have forseen.
*~*~*~*~*~*
To Be Continued...
Notes: Well, there you have it. Some nice interaction between Harry and Tom; hopefully their cooperation will rub off on Sev and Siri. Next chapter, Sirius has another dream, Harry makes a new friend, and you might get a little hint as to where they're headed. Nobody's gonna get it... (cookies and a dedication to anyone who actually does! ...Tanaka, you don't count, I told you. I will say that I did leave a veeeeerrrry subtle hint in this chapter...)
EXPLANATIONS & DEFINITIONS
[1] For those who didn't know, Avalon is said to be a mystical island that can be reached through any body of water. If I remember correctly, a password or incantation is also needed.
[2] Yes, Sev can cook. Hey, if he can make potions, why not soup?
[3] What? You actually thought they'd share? Maybe in the future, but right now it's an impossibility. I need them both alive after all.
*~*~*~*~*~*
And now to thank my wonderful reviewers...
Draco's hot! - There's no way I'm just going to stop... I can guarantee that this thing will be completed. I'm just not sure when. Unfortunately, real life likes to interfere...
yoko - Lots of impatient people here... I'll update when I can.
KitFoxGirl - Thanks for all your great comments!
twin demonic angels - Thanks for the warning, but I was a little too late...
EclipseAzNGTX
Rotang007
Oreya - What an understanding person! Thank you!
Demented Chook - There will be eventual Tom/Harry and Sev/Siri...
Avemtilla
QueenstratasNo.1fan
Luna Aelf Writer
Keeme
opalescentknight - Yes, I realize that there's a lot of extra crud, but I enjoy responding to my reviewers. I also realize that my chapters are often quite short, but that's just the way they are in this fic, okay?! Some stories are meant to have short chapters, and this is one of them. And I have to say, it's pretty sad when you actually check how many words are in the story and how many are extra crud.
chaser1
Angua Snape - It's definitely not dead, trust me... it just... has a cold... yeah...
Illucia
Duchess of Darkness
lillinfields
Mrs Tom Riddle - I'll get to the snogging eventually...
Inky
wanderingwolf - Parseltongue will come into play soon...
Leanna-Marie-Malfoy
feathergurl
Queenstrata - I really can't remember how I figured it out... *grins sheepishly* But I know it was really complicated and annoying... And as for Mr. Scanner... he died. Luckily a friend of mine has one so I can use hers nextime I go over there... whenever that shall be...
*~*~*~*~*~*
Oh yeah, sorry if I missed anyone up there, I couldn't get to the next page of reviews to check...
Author: Razberry
Genre: Romance/Angst
Rating: PG... will go up
Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will, blah blah blah, all that legal stuff....
Warnings: Once again, none.
Summary: Response to one of QueenStrata's challenges. Harry is staying at Hogwarts over the summer, and finds a really nifty mirror that shows whoever looks into it the person that is most like them. Now Harry has to overcome the challenges of getting along with his so called "match"... The only problem? It's none other than Tom Riddle. And what does Dumbledore have to do with this?!
Notes: Yeah, I know, it's been forever since I've updated. To be honest, I really just haven't felt like it lately (plus I got kicked off for a few days by those bastards at ff.net). I've had a shitload of schoolwork, family problems, and my best friend is really having some trouble and I'm worried about her. So I'm not apologizing this time, I have my own shit to deal with that's more important than fic chapters. And if you couldn't tell, I'm in a crappy mood from lack of sleep, so this chapter probably isn't gonna be all bounces and giggles.
Also, if you see a number in a set of these [] that means I have an explanation for that word or phrase at the bottom of the chapter. And since ff.net does not seem to appreciate italics, the character's thoughts will be in /these/. All annoying inner voices will speak in \these\. And since some characters have telepathic abilites, anything that is thought-spoken will be in these. Everyone got that? If not, here's the simplified version for all you idiots out there(j/k).
[] - I have an explanation for that word/phrase at the end of the chapter.
/ / - Peoples individual thoughts
\ \ - Those cute inner voices everybody loves
- Telepathic speech
" " - Regular speech
Okay, well, I think that's it. Now get on with the fic!!!
*~*~*~*~*~*
"So do you think they've killed each other yet?" Harry asked Tom as they walked through the Forbidden Forest(staying near the path of course).
"No," Tom replied. "Though Mr. Black is probably getting close."
Harry smiled lightly and they walked on in relative silence. They had left Sirius and Severus about a half hour ago, under the pretense of looking for a place to camp for the night. In actuality, they had just wanted to get away from the older wizards' bickering for awhile.
"Where do you think we're going?" Tom inquired after a few minutes of relative silence.
"No idea," answered Harry. "I don't know of any places that can't be apparated to or reached by owls."
"Neither do I," Tom turned back around to face the other wizard, leaning against a tree. "Avalon, perhaps?"
"No... I don't think so. I remember Hermione saying that it could only be reached by water, or something like that[1], and I'm pretty sure Dumbledore would have mentioned that. None of us packed for a boat trip."
"...This Hermione girl must be very intelligent. The way you talk about her, it sounds as though she's a genius."
"Oh, she's brilliant," Harry said. "A bit pushy at times, but brilliant."
Tom looked over at the Boy Who Lived. "Tell me about your friends."
Harry looked slightly taken aback. He wasn't upset that the other wizard was asking about his friends, it was just unexpected, that was all. He smiled slightly.
"Well, I've already told you about Hermione and Ron; they're probably my two closest friends- well, definitely. And then there's Neville. He's... not exactly graceful, and certainly not a top student, and he's very insecure and quite shy... but he's a good friend too. And Seamus and Dean. I guess the only way I could describe them is... odd. That's all the boys in my dorm... well, I guess it may be your dorm this fall, if you're sorted into Gryffindor."
Harry fell silent. He had almost forgotten that Tom would be going back to school with him. Now his thoughts turned to his classmates' reaction when they found out what had happened. He knew Tom was thinking the same.
"Do you think... will the headmaster tell the school what's going on?" Tom's garnet gaze turned to Harry questioningly.
"I honestly don't know," Harry replied. "If you're put in Gryffindor, he'll most likely tell my dorm mates... they'd find out anyway. Ron already knows the situation, sort of, and he really can't keep his mouth shut."
There was a slight pause in which they both just looked at the rapidly darkening sky before Tom spoke again.
"Hn. Like I'd ever be put into Gryffindor."
Harry turned to him. "After all the things Dumbledore has told you about, you would still go into Slytherin?"
"It's not the house that determines what a person will be. I think that whatever happened to make me into such an evil person, if I was in any other house and the same thing occurred, I would have still turned out the same."
"Maybe," Harry conceded. "But maybe not. A different house will have different people in it. Perhaps if you were in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, there would have been people there to help you."
"Do you know the saying 'it's the wand that chooses the wizard'?" At Harry's nod, Tom continued. "I think it's like that with houses as well. You can have a different house than what you should be in, but you won't do as well in there as you would in the one you really belonged in."
Harry felt a knot form in the pit of his stomach. Tom must have sensed that he'd hit a nerve, because he quieted. The Boy Who Lived then suddenly sat, just dropped on the ground, and stared at the moss covered soil.
"I was supposed to be in Slytherin," he said quietly, in a voice that held both defeat and amazement. "The hat wanted to put me there, and I said no. So it put in Gryffindor instead." Harry looked up at Tom sadly.
The other boy's eyes widened in surprise. He would never have thought that Harry was anything but a Gryffindor.
"Well, like I said, it's only my opinion-"
"No... you're right. Everyone knows I should have been in Slytherin. In second year, everyone thought that I was Salazar's heir, and more than one person has told me that's where I belong," Harry continued on. "Dumbledore once told me that it's our choices that make us who we are. But... what if the choice we make is the wrong one? It might have seemed like it was right at the time, but... maybe I should have just listened. Snape's always telling me how I never listen when it's in my best interest. Maybe he's right... maybe I don't listen well enough. Maybe-"
"Maybe Snape's an idiot and you are too for thinking that he might be right," Sirius said as he walked up to them. "You're a Gryffindor through and through, and don't you forget it."
"Sirius..."
"What? You are. Ask anyone and they'll say that you're either very stupid or very brave, both of which are traits carried by us Gryffindors."
Harry gave Sirius a weak smile. "Do you really think so?"
"Yep."
"I second that," Tom said. "You're most certainly not Slytherin material. They would chew you up and spit you out."
"Thanks... I think."
"Now let's get back to that greasy bastard, he's supposed to have set up camp," Sirius said. "There was a clearing not too far from the path that didn't look all that dangerous."
The two younger boys nodded and followed Sirius to where, indeed, Severus had set up camp and was now proceeding to cook something in a fair-sized cauldron[2]. Sirius peered into the black pot and wrinkled his nose.
"Looks absolutely disgusting," the animagi stated, making a face. "What are you planning to poison us with, Snape?"
Severus raised an eyebrow. "Poison you? I believe you do a good enough job of that on your own, Black."
"I was in first year! How was I supposed to know that pixie dust was poisonous?!"
"...Read the textbook?" Snape rolled his eyes and added a strange looking plant that Harry didn't recognize. Tom apparently did though, because he 'hmm'-ed in approval and began eyeing the contents of the cauldron hungrily.
Over the next hour, dinner was served, and although the two elder wizards bickered throughout the entire meal, it was a rather enjoyable event. The fire was warm(it wasn't that cool out anyway), the forest was quiet, and the soup was great. Harry never did find out what it was, nor what was in it, but once he thought about it, the Boy Who Lived realized that he most likely didn't want to know anyway.
"Well, let's turn in," Sirius said as he stood. "We need to get up early tomorrow."
"Be packed and ready to leave at five-thirty sharp," Snape instructed. "I advise you to wear warm clothing."
With that said, the two elder wizards each went into their own separate tents[3], and the two boys retired to their own shared quarters.
Bidding good night to Tom and Sirius, Harry rolled over onto his side of the tent and curled up, ready for a decent night's sleep. But the peaceful tranquility of the forest would soon be shattered by a strange and disturbing event that none of them could have forseen.
*~*~*~*~*~*
To Be Continued...
Notes: Well, there you have it. Some nice interaction between Harry and Tom; hopefully their cooperation will rub off on Sev and Siri. Next chapter, Sirius has another dream, Harry makes a new friend, and you might get a little hint as to where they're headed. Nobody's gonna get it... (cookies and a dedication to anyone who actually does! ...Tanaka, you don't count, I told you. I will say that I did leave a veeeeerrrry subtle hint in this chapter...)
EXPLANATIONS & DEFINITIONS
[1] For those who didn't know, Avalon is said to be a mystical island that can be reached through any body of water. If I remember correctly, a password or incantation is also needed.
[2] Yes, Sev can cook. Hey, if he can make potions, why not soup?
[3] What? You actually thought they'd share? Maybe in the future, but right now it's an impossibility. I need them both alive after all.
*~*~*~*~*~*
And now to thank my wonderful reviewers...
Draco's hot! - There's no way I'm just going to stop... I can guarantee that this thing will be completed. I'm just not sure when. Unfortunately, real life likes to interfere...
yoko - Lots of impatient people here... I'll update when I can.
KitFoxGirl - Thanks for all your great comments!
twin demonic angels - Thanks for the warning, but I was a little too late...
EclipseAzNGTX
Rotang007
Oreya - What an understanding person! Thank you!
Demented Chook - There will be eventual Tom/Harry and Sev/Siri...
Avemtilla
QueenstratasNo.1fan
Luna Aelf Writer
Keeme
opalescentknight - Yes, I realize that there's a lot of extra crud, but I enjoy responding to my reviewers. I also realize that my chapters are often quite short, but that's just the way they are in this fic, okay?! Some stories are meant to have short chapters, and this is one of them. And I have to say, it's pretty sad when you actually check how many words are in the story and how many are extra crud.
chaser1
Angua Snape - It's definitely not dead, trust me... it just... has a cold... yeah...
Illucia
Duchess of Darkness
lillinfields
Mrs Tom Riddle - I'll get to the snogging eventually...
Inky
wanderingwolf - Parseltongue will come into play soon...
Leanna-Marie-Malfoy
feathergurl
Queenstrata - I really can't remember how I figured it out... *grins sheepishly* But I know it was really complicated and annoying... And as for Mr. Scanner... he died. Luckily a friend of mine has one so I can use hers nextime I go over there... whenever that shall be...
*~*~*~*~*~*
Oh yeah, sorry if I missed anyone up there, I couldn't get to the next page of reviews to check...