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That which we make for ourselves	By : magentasouth Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Tom Views: 38078 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I neither own nor profit from any part of the Harry Potter universe

Chapter List
- 1-That which we make for ourselves
- 2-Ch 2
- 3-Ch 3
- 4-Ch 4
- 5-Ch 5
- 6-Ch 6
- 7-Ch 7
- 8-Ch 8
- 9-Ch 9
- 10-Ch 10
- 11-Ch 11
- 12-Ch 12
- 13-Ch 13
- 14-Ch 14
- 15-Ch 15
- 16-Ch 16
- 17-Ch 17
- 18-Ch 18
- 19-Ch 19
- 20-Ch 20
- 21-Ch 21
- 22-Ch 22
- 23-Ch 23
- 24-Ch 24
- 25-ch 25 - provisional
- 26-Ch 26
- 27-Ch 27
- 1
- 2
- 3
He crashed to his knees,
disorientated and dizzy.� What just
happened?� Where was he?�

Harry raised his head and jerked
back, startled at the sight of the castle up a snowy rise ahead of him.�

What? How?� How had he gotten here? �What the hell just happened?! �Did Voldemort put him under imperius or something?�

He had been in a clearing somewhere in the forest.�

He had been there..
and now he was almost back at the castle and everyone
was gone. What happened to the battle?!�

What the hell?!� The snow was thin and
soft.� It didn�t cover bodies or raked up
earth.� This couldn�t be.�

�what the
hell is going on?!� he screamed internally, climbing shakily to his feet and
setting off at a run up the hill to the castle where one way or another his
questions would be answered.�

Tom stood in the shadow of a tree
watching the strange boy run pell mell
up the hill to the castle as if the furies were after him. ��

He was bemused at his reaction to the boy.�

Admittedly he was a very pretty creature with those haunted, pale, emerald
eyes, but it was not like him to be generous.�
He should have left the unfortunate fool in the forest for the grimleys to finish off.�

And to..force himself on the boy..

that kind of lust-driven behavior
really was beneath him.�

He had students throwing themselves
at his feet to touch him.�

He was disconcerted that it had
happened.�� But there was nothing more
arousing to him than curiosity and it was rather peculiar how the boy had
arrived.�

Tom had been in the clearing checking on conditions for a meeting of his
knights the following evening, when the boy had materialised in the snow, seemingly unconscious.�

He�d started toward him but thought
better of it when the shadowy form had started to stir, and had retreated to
the cover of the shadows to watch what the figure did instead.�

Following him he began to realise
that this was not some elite scout of Grindelwald�s
or, in fact any kind of threat at all.�

It seemed to be a youngish boy.�

The way the fellow bumbled around in the forest he was likely to get himself
killed.�

He�d followed, curious which of
the forest�s wonders would take the boy�s life.�

When he�d recognised and retreated from the erlking�s
traps Tom had been mildly surprised and then the boy had doubled back from
where he�d been heading deeper into the forest and had used a point me.�

He�d obviously been looking for the castle since that was the direction
indicated.�

Tom had generously raised his
estimation of him a few notches.�

That had been lost however when
the fool started off into the darkness without a lumos or any kind of spell to
aid vision and had had lost his wand.�

Idiot.�

It was that that had provoked Tom to want to see exactly what he was dealing with
here.� How old was the boy?!� Was his stupid error forgiveable
due to youth?�

He�d been shocked at the face exposed in the wandlight.� Perhaps sixteen.. it was hard to tell; A dirty blonde mop; -angular,
determined jaw and those pale pale green eyes.��

No...the
boy was certainly old enough to know better.�

But on questioning him and finding
his disorientation and confusion Tom felt able to concede some benefit of the
doubt back to the panicked fellow.�

If he had come from a battle of some kind, as he indicated, it was possible he
was suffering from lingering spell damage.�
It didn�t explain how he had come to be here but then..
the boy himself seemed to have no idea where he was or
how he�d arrived.� There was little point
in pushing the question.�

And then when he�d realised he was
going to have to obliviate him anyway, the temptation
to taste him..just a little.. was
irresistible.�

His innocent responses...the way he tried and failed to resist the sensations
and the shame he so obviously felt at his own helpless lust... Tom would have to have him again. �

Even if the boy was not useful.. he
was appealing.�

Of course, he�d have to be careful
in his pursuit.� No one could know.� It wasn�t the done-thing to dally openly with one�s own sex � despite the fact
that some of the most powerful wizards had been so inclined � Salazar Slytherin
for one!�

He suppressed the inner irritation at the constrictive and hypocritical morals
of the age he had the misfortune to be born into. �

He would have the boy even if he had to keep him a dirty little secret in the
dark. �

But first things first, he�d have
to ensure that the boy remained within his domain.� He�d have to make sure that Dippet, that
imbecile, made the morally sound
choice regarding the poor lost boy.� He
set off in the boy�s wake, disillusioned, following in his footprints
swiftly.�

When he got to the castle the
foyer was empty.� He swore under his
breath.� Where had the disorientated
little fool gone?!

He remained very still until he
could hear faintly footfalls echoing from upstairs, then he set off at
speed.�

The boy was moving fast through the corridors.��
He sounded like he was a floor above him.�

Tom hurried to the alcove behind
the golden suit of armour and took the passage up to the next floor.�

The running was louder.� He followed it swiftly.�

The boy was heading toward the moving stairs.�
He caught a glimpse of the tail of his plain black robes heading around
a corner at the end of the next corridor and ran as fast as he could.�

He was halfway up the moving stair
toward the next platform when Tom reached the corner, throwing out his wand and
sending a silent stupefy, before the figure could get to the next floor and out
of range.�

The boy collapsed into a messy pile on the stairs and started to slide down the
slope.�

Tom levitated him over to the
floor near him and then summoned a house elf.

�Go and wake the headmaster and tell him I�ve found an intruder in the school�
he informed the cowed little creature.�

It nodded and disappeared quickly.�

Nudging the body at his feet over
onto its back with his boot he admired the boy�s face again by lumos.�

Even with those startling eyes closed, he was a dishy little package.� He looked so innocent and forlorn.� His eyebrows turned up imploringly even in
unconsciousness.�

Oh yes... Dippet would let this little one stay.�

He levitated him again and set off
in the dark for the headmaster�s office.�
He knew the school like the back of his hand.

�What�s this about an intruder,
Thomas?� Dippet yawned sleepily from behind his desk as he walked in,
levitating the boy behind him. ��

The headmaster was wearing a blue
and white stripey nightshirt and bedcap.� All that was missing was a candlestick and
he�d resemble wee willie winkie, Tom thought.�

He straightened somewhat at the
sight of the unconscious form being levitated into the room, removing and
polishing his glasses as he stood and walked gingerly over to inspect the
bundle on the floor.�

He was wearing old ratty slippers on his skinny white legs that the nightshirt
flapped around.�

�Well..
What in the world?!�� The wards have not
shifted, however did this young chap get into the castle?!� Did you speak with him?� Why is he stupefied?��

Tom bristled internally but
remained outwardly calm.

�No headmaster, I�m afraid not.� He was
running and I could not keep up.� Rather
than lose him, I thought it best to stupefy him and bring him to you.�� At first I thought him a student but he is
not wearing a uniform and when I saw his face...well..
I know all of the students and I don�t know him.��

�yes.. yes.. Indeed.� Not a
Hogwarts student and somehow inside the castle. Mm.
Well lets wake him up and ask him.��

Tom nodded and moved back.� �Enervate� he intoned softly.��

The boy�s eyes flickered and then he
sat bolt upright.

Dippet flinched back as if he were
a cobra.

�Now! Then!�
Boy!� Calm down there!� Who are you and what are you doing at
Hogwarts!��

The boy gasped and looked up at
him, blinking as if he was seeing a ghost.�
�You.. y-you�re headmaster Dippet!� he sputtered, shocked.�

Dippet, the fop, straightened his
nightshirt and cap and seemed to throw out his chest.

�I am indeed, boy.� There is..ah.. the small matter of your name and how you managed to enter Hogwarts
through the wards.. if you could explain..�

But the boy wasn�t paying
attention, he was looking around the room in horror and then he turned and his
eyes met Tom�s..�

Tom actually took a half step back
in surprise at the shock of recognition, fear and then raging hate that burned
in those pale green orbs at him.� He
looked back questioningly.�

The boy couldn�t possibly remember their little tryst and even if he did � this
was an unreasonable measure of hate for such a little thing..
the boy was looking at him like he wanted to kill him.�

He reached for his wand and Tom thought for a moment that the boy actually was going to try to curse him and
flicked his wrist to summon his wand from its hidden sheath, but Dippet, bless
his foolish old soul, plucked the wand out of the boy�s fingers.�

�Now!� You!� I
won�t have you raising your wand in here. Thomas may have stupefied you but you
are quite unharmed, there�s no call for that kind of reaction.� Tell me
your Name, boy!��

The boy blanched and ducked his
shoulders. �Sorry, sir� he mumbled. �I.. force of
habit..��

He chewed on his lip.� �Can I please talk
to professor Dumbledore, sir?��

Tom almost fell over in
surprise.� If he�d known that the little
wretch was somehow connected to Dumbledore, he�d have left him to the redcaps, pretty
eyes and all.�

It certainly explained that look of hate the boy flung at him though.��

Dippet was scratching his
head.� �You know professor Dumbledore then?�� The blonde mop nodded.

�He�s.. a friend of the family��

Dippet seemed content with this
and called upon a house elf to summon Dumbledore to his office.�

He nodded to Tom �I shall return shortly.�
Watch this young fellow please Thomas��

�Certainly Sir� he responded
amicably as Dippet shuffled off to his room, presumably to change into more
appropriate attire.��

The boy on the ground turned and watched him suspiciously.� �I don�t know what you seem to have against
me..� he offered placidly. �I�m sorry for stupefying
you.� You have quite a turn of speed on
you when you�re running.�

The boy bared his teeth angrily
and hissed �don;t talk to me.��

Tom blinked, trying to tell
himself that he didn�t feel some small measure of disappointment that the boy
suddenly hated him so.� Had he hated him
before?� It was hard to tell.� He�d seemed more confused than anything.�

He�d definitely been frightened of him when he�d seen him in the wandlight.�

What might Dumbledore have said
about him to evoke that measure of fear and hate.� He could imagine..��

No matter though.� It would be more of a
challenge to reacquire the boy when he felt so strongly.�

The whoomp
of the floo caught both their attention and then Dumbledore stepped into the
room.� He looked rather surprised but his
expression quickly became flat and unreadable.�

�Professor Dumbledore, Sir.� Tom
acknowledged.��

Dumbledore nodded �Tom.�

The boy on the floor then rocketed
to his feet and raced to Dumbledore.� �Sir!� I�m sorry I
came unexpectedly.� I couldn�t help
it.� I was in danger and the portkey you gave me activated.� I�m so sorry to be a burden sir!��

Dumbledore blinked and seemed to stare at the boy for a few seconds before
embracing him briefly and responding �Quite all right, my boy.� That was after all what i
gave it to you for.�� How are your
parents then?� What has happened?��

The boy looked into his eyes and
then looked down and Dumbledore�s face fell.�

�Ah.� oh
dear.� I am sorry Caed�� he opened his arms to the boy again
who clung to him and buried his face in his robes in an overly familiar
manner.�

Tom schooled his expression not to display the irritation he was feeling. ��

At that moment Dippet returned to
the room wearing his typical brown robes and laced boots.� His face still bore pillow creases but
otherwise he looked as if he had been up for hours.� �Albus.� You do know our intruder then.� He noted,
relieved.�

Tom�s gaze didn�t waver from Dumbledore who seemed to spend a lot of his time
staring into the young boy�s eyes.�

It was possible that he was simply concerned for him after the implication that
something terrible had happened to his parents..but
tom hadn�t noted any glint of recognition in the man�s face when he had first flooed in.�

It wasn�t until the boy had run to him and started to speak that Dumbledore had
suddenly become close to the whelp.�

This all felt very
suspicious.�

�Yes Armando.� Dumbledore answered
� Caedmon is the son of a couple I have been
acquainted with for some twenty years now.�
I have just learned that they have unfortunately been killed.� It seems that Caed
was caught in an attack in France and the portkey
that I had given his parents as a birth gift activated and brought him
here.� �

I am afraid he has nowhere else to go now.��

Dippet looked alarmed.

�Oh!�� Indeed?!� Oh.. very sorry to hear.. mm.� Well.. I should
think the boy could stay in Hogwarts..possibly..� er...
he is capable of magic, isn�t
he?� Oh.. mm.� Yes.� Silly me.� I have his wand here somewhere..��

he looked around his unorderly
desk finding the object he sought after a few seconds.�

�yes.�
Here.�� Well.� Test him.�
If he is capable of sitting at least one subject he may remain.��

Dippet walked to Dumbledore and
handed off the wand, which Tom noted Dumbledore did not give the boy, but instead put in his own pocket.�

Dippet seemed to think of
something else

�I am of course very sympathetic to his plight Albus but I won�t have him holding back the other students.� If he does not meet the requirements for a
subject for his year, he will not be allowed to take it.� No exceptions!��

Tom saw the opportunity and
stepped forward, clearing his throat politely to attract Dippet�s
attention.�

The old man�s face slackened when he turned toward him and he offered a smile,
knowing he�d had Dippet in his pocket almost from day one.��

�Sir... If i
might be so bold.� Caedmon�s situation is
rather unfortunate but not at all his fault.�
I know very well how it can be to lack the advantages other students
have been born with.��

Dippet gave him a shit-eating smile.�

�If.. you would allow, Sir..
I would be willing to tutor him, to ensure he is able to take any subject he
may be weak in.� He will, after all, need his NEWTs if he is to survive on
his own after school.��

Dumbledore looked at him with
blatant suspicion and the boy..Caedmon if that was
truly his name.. glared at
him.�

Dippet on the other hand clapped his hands together in gratitude.�

�Thomas.� Selfless as
always.� I am certain that..er..what
was your name again?� Right.. right... i�m
certain that Caedmon will appreciate your assistance.� Just don�t overstretch yourself, my boy.�� Merlin knows you do take on so many
responsibilities.��

Tom nodded and stepped back,
reassuming his �invisible� pose that tended to encourage people to carry on
conversations as if he were not even in the room.�

Caedmon seemed to be struggling to control his fury.� It was poorly hidden and Dippet frowned at
him.�

As far as Tom was concerned, �Caedmon� or
whoever he was had just shot himself in the foot.� Dippet was a massive stickler for politeness
and good form � and his opinion, once lost, was almost never regained.�

�Yes.. thank you Tom� Dumbledore offered without looking at
him.� �If you dont
mind Armando, I�ll just take Caed and set him up for
the night in one of the guest rooms.�
Tomorrow morning I�ll test him and he can be sorted.��

The headmaster waved them both off
and soon thereafter dismissed Tom also.�
He walked slowly back to the head boy�s room lost in thought.� ��He
was not sure whether he had made the right choice.�

Perhaps it would have been better if he had left the strange boy to his own
devices.. or even assisted
him into an early grave in the forest.�

He didn�t know exactly what Dumbledore was to him but he could not allow any
damage to his reputation this year.�
Despite his lack of means or title, he was being courted by the ministry
of magic for a position, contingent on perfect newt scores..
and he planned the imminent cementing of his little
coterie of �knights� into a more permanent alignment.� He had found a very old bonding charm and
fashioned something more advanced out of it.�
It would allow him to be aware of their movements, to call them to him
or to apparate to their side at will.�

As ..attractive..as the strange boy might be, he could not allow himself to
become distracted.� If the twerp couldn�t
be acquired he would be managed.. and
if he couldn�t be managed he would be removed.�
Simple.��

He very softly whispered the
password for the door into the head boy�s room, letting himself in and wandered
straight into the bathroom divestoing his clothing to
a hanger as he went.�

He would shower and sleep.� He needed to
be up early in order to follow the boy...Caedmon.. Caed..

in order to follow Caed�s movements.�

Harry followed Dumbledore
silently, trying to ignore the ominous feeling and the way that his professor
had pocketed his wand rather than return it to him.�

They walked sombrely and he recognised that they were heading toward professor McGonagall�s
office.��

Indeed Dumbledore stopped in front of the familiar pale wooden door and began a
lengthy series of ward lowering incantations and pass-spells.�

His security arrangement was
beyond paranoid, Harry thought, but then with Lord Voldemort currently studying
in the school Dumbledore was probably being justifiably cautious.��

�There.� Inside now� Dumbledore said softly, opening
the door.�

Harry gasped and smiled in
pleasure.� The room that was exposed was
so familiar � different but so very
familiar. Funny little objects and whirring turning contraptions littered every
flat surface and some of the walls.�

It looked like someone had taken Dumbledore�s headmasters-office arrangement
and squeezed it into a space half the size.��

The bang of the door behind him
startled Harry and he spun to see that professor Dumbledore � a very young professor Dumbledore at that � was
not twinkling at him.�

�Sit.� He said curtly, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk. Harry
swallowed and obeyed quickly. �

He examined Dumbledore.� The man looked younger than professor Snape
had in his own time.� �He had shoulder length mahogany curls and pale
blue eyes and he wore quite a respectable burgundy edged charcoal grey robe
with understated embroidered trim at the sleeves.�

The power that radiated off him felt different than Harry remembered.� Almost as if his �flavor�
had changed over the years.

He did not look amused at present and his younger face lacked the laugh lines
that his older self wore even in sternness.

�Now � I�d like to know exactly
what is going on here.� Who are you and
how do profess to know me? � I have never set eyes on you before.� I took it on trust upstairs and did as you
asked since you seemed in urgent need of assistance, but you had better have a
good explanation for requesting me to lie to one of my oldest friends.��

Harry gnawed on his lip uneasily.
�I.. do.. but I.. I shouldn�t
tell you too much about it, hea..sir.��

Dumbledore�s eyes widened, catching his slip.�
He gestured for him to go on.

Harry shifted on the chair uneasily.

�I.. i�m from a different time.�
I don�t know what happened.� I
think someone cast a spell on me or something.. there was.. there might have been
something like sand and then a spell.� I
woke up at the edge of the forbidden forest.�
I.. I didn�t realise I was in the wrong time
till I saw headmaster Dippet.��

Dumbledore sat back heavily in his
chair, his expression wandering between shocked and dubious.�

After a few moments he asked hesitantly �What time did this incident occur
in?�� Harry swallowed and dithered.�

He didn�t know whether he should say.�
Hermione had gone on and on about the dangers of time travel after
they�d used the time turner to save Sirius.�

Harry had wanted to go back and save his parents and she�d spent pretty much an
entire week in constant lecture mode about the dangers of even allowing someone
from the past to find out details about the future, letalone
blatantly altering events yourself.

�um.. the future, sir.� Harry said quietly. �about
fifty years.��

Dumbledore�s expression wavered slightly and now a new emotion entered the mix
between shock and suspicion.. it
looked a bit like greed.� The ice blue
eyes glinted at him.�

�Can you prove any of this..mr..what is your
name?��

Harry shook his head slowly. �I.. how could I prove it?!.. what do
you want me to do?! �I could tell you who
wins the muggle world war but I shouldn�t.�

I don�t know ..what kind of proof do you want?!��

The expressions on professor Dumbledore�s
face warred and finally, reluctant acceptance won out.

�No.� you are
right.� I should not ask it of you.� Forgive me.�
For a moment I was tempted.. I have come to my
senses.� It is best that I do not know
anything further about you if I am to meet you in the future..
including your name.�
I can infer that you are a future Hogwarts student and that is
sufficient for the moment.��

You shall be Caedmon Piper.� The Pipers,
as you may know, are one of the older wizarding families that have become
scattered widely about the world.� It is
entirely possible that you could be from some uncharted branch.�

As to your blood status � whatever it may in fact be � it would be advisable
for you to be a pureblood in this time.�

Those with lesser blood status are treated with strong prejudice.. although it is worse in some
houses than others.��

Harry frowned..
lesser status?� His Professor Dumbledore would never
have referred to halfbloods and muggleborns as
lesser.�

�ok� he said simply. �

Dumbledore smiled.� �What subjects were you taking in your time?�
he asked neutrally.�

Harry opened his mouth to answer
and closed it again. After a moment he asked hesitantly �What subjects do you
offer now?� Can�t I just pick the ones I�d
like to take?�� He bit his lip thinking
how Hermione would be pleased with him.�

Dumbledore snorted
��If I do not know what you have
studied, how am I to assign you to the appropriate classes?��

�test
me?� Harry suggested.� �Headmaster Dippet
did think that was what you were going to do..��

Dumbledore sighed and leaned back
in his chair. �Currently Hogwarts offers: Transfiguration, charms, potions,
ancient runes, arithmancy, divination, elemental magic or alternately animagus studies, �magical creatures, defense
and duelling, History of magic, herbology, astronomy,
classical studies, art and music and languages.��

Harry blanched.� He hadn�t even recognised all of those
subjects.� �um..� I�d like to take transfiguration..� he offered a small smile.� It was not returned. he
continued uneasily. �Defense and duelling...uh...
magical creatures...��

He hesitated.� Snape hadn�t even been
born yet.� He�d be studying with Slughorn
again � slughorn had been ok in sixth year.. but then Harry had been famous
then and he�d had the half blood prince�s text book.� But without potions (and arithmancy) he
couldn�t become an auror.. ��

Although - he�d find a way to go back and what he studied here would hardly
matter then.��

Reality rushed back in � he wasn�t
ever going to be an auror.

If he went back; he�d still have to die.�
His own side insisted upon
it.� He was sure they�d somehow find a
way to do it and get the effect they needed, since the bloody snake - against
all expectation- apparently wasn�t willing to comply, even after spending years
threatening to kill him. ��

It... might actually be better for him if he stayed
here.�

Surely he was harmless here in the past � they�d be able to kill moldypants in the future without him there. .. But if he
went back..��

�Potions and arithmancy�� he said decisively.� He�d just plan for the event that he didn�t go back and if he did then he
wouldn�t be losing anything.�

He�d dropped charms in sixth year in his time but it might be good to have it
and..surely he�d be ahead of everyone here � he�d
learned things that hadn�t even been invented yet.� �um.. charms.�� Dumbledore nodded.�

�Herbology� he added reluctantly.� He thought it might have been on the required
subjects for auror training list but he wasn�t sure.�

Dumbledore shot him an appraising
look.� �Do you think you will manage
seven subjects, Mr Piper?��

Harry looked down.� He wasn�t actually
sure.� Vold..Tom riddle�s offer of tuition occurred to him
briefly.�

Fuck no.� He wouldn�t take that snake
faced (well.. ok.. perhaps not quite snake faced
here.� he..looked alright.) bastard�s �help if it was the last thing he did � and it
probably would be if he did.�

�I think so� he said with more
confidence than he felt.�

Dumbledore nodded slowly, looking
dubious. �very well then.� I�ll bring you to a guest room for the night
and tomorrow morning we will test you in those subjects.��

He stood and after another minor trek through dark silent corridors Harry found
himself left in a plain single room without furniture.�

It was practically a cell, he thought.�
Dumbledore had even locked him in.�

He did however return his wand to him
before he left.� �At least that�� Harry mused as he
undressed himself immediately and slipped between the freezing sheets.��

He didn�t have the opportunity to
obsess over his situation as sleep overtook him almost as soon as his head hit
the pillow.�

�What the hell?!� he whispered
bemused.�

The echoes of his alarmed cry had
faded.� Harry stepped closer to the floor
length mirror, examining himself.�

In passing toward the bathroom
early in the morning to relieve himself he�d startled and doubled back
frantically for his wand, thinking someone else was in the room.�

Now he stood dumbfounded in front of the mirror peering at his face.�

He looked almost completely
different.� His hair was blonde!..a kind of sandy blonde in
fact.� Nothing like malfoy but shocking all the same.�� And his eyes!!� They were really light green.. it looked like all the colour
had washed out of them.� His skin was a
deeper golden colour than he was used to.�

He wasn�t certain whether his nose was the same.. it looked slightly different..

he
prodded at his face, tugging on his hair and peering at his eyes closely.� When had this happened?!�

Had he looked like this the entire time yesterday?� It wasn�t as if Dumbledore would notice the
difference.� �

A vague memory returned to him of
a yellow spell streaking out of the darkness and then pain all over his face
and skin.. his skin had been
crawling beneath his fingers.�

Voldemort had not only sent him back into the past but had ensured that he
would not be recognised by anyone in his own time.� Well that explained a lot.��

He let his gaze trace down the
length of his naked body in the mirror.�
Nothing else appeared to have been altered.� His muscle tone and shape were as he
remembered them.. just the
colour had changed.��

�Caedmon� he said softly to himself, watching this new face form the
words.�

�I�m Caedmon�� he
tried.� It was a mouthful.�

�I�m Caed� he said and smiled.��

The new look wasn�t..that bad.. he
conceded to himself.� He looked..happier or something; definitely less gaunt and hollow
than he�d been looking for the last few months.�

Perhaps this was a good thing.�

He showered and dressed in his
scourgified clothes from the previous day, returning to lie on his bed and wait
for Dumbledore to pick him up.

Walking back to Dumbledore�s
office with him he wondered why it felt so odd between himself and his former
mentor.�

Professor Dumbledore had been
almost like a grandfather to him.. he�d
always been there..�

Ok.. admittedly he�d left him
with the Dursleys..and when Harry
had begged him not to send him back he�d been quite short with him..

and..perhaps he could have
done more for Sirius..and Remus..

and obviously he could have done much more for Hermione..and Harry�s
parents too..

but he
was there when nobody else was.� And he..�

�it was no good.� Harry could feel it all fraying in his mind;
the image of professor Dumbledore as the benefactor and protector in his
world.�

He didn�t want it to. He wanted to keep seeing the headmaster as the lovely old
wizard sucking on lemon drops and twinkling and saving everyone from the
darkness

� but..he just couldn�t ignore the glaring holes in
that image anymore.�

He wondered why it had been so
easy to ignore them in his own time.�

Even after Hermione had been
killed..he�d still tried to believe the best.

He�d offered his life up on a silver platter to Voldemort and instead the
bastard had sent him here.�

Here he had no one.�

Not even Dumbledore it seemed.�� It felt
like the man was suspicious, reluctant to help him, almost angry with him for
some reason.�

He had no idea what he�d done to upset him in so short a time.�

They walked in silence.� When they arrived, he was shown in wordlessly
and seated at a small desk that had obviously been set up for him to take his
tests upon.��

�Professor?�� Professor Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in
question.� �have
I done something wrong?� he asked softly.��

The older man�s gaze became
shuttered. �no Caedmon.� I was merely lost in thought.� What subject would you like to begin
with?��

The next six hours went past in a
horrible blur.� They didn�t break for
breakfast or for lunch and by the time �Caed� was
struggling with the arithmancy-standards test his stomach was growling and he
felt terribly thirsty.�

�I can�t do the next equation� he
said unhappily.�

Professor Dumbledore craned his neck to see where he was up to and pulled a
discontented face.�

�It seems you do not meet the
requirements for seventh year arithmancy either then Caedmon.� �He responded sadly.�

Harry tugged on his hair, burying
his head in his hands.�

�So..
the only subjects I can take are transfiguration,
defensive arts and magical creatures?!��

Professor Dumbledore looked over
his notes.. �You were just below the borderline of
charms and potions.� I will allow you to
take those provided you prove to me in the first few weeks that you are working
to catch up.��

Harry felt like he�d been kicked in the stomach.

�but.. I need �to take
arithmancy and herbology if I want to become an
auror� he whispered.�

Professor Dumbledore looked away.
�Mr Piper.. You will be returning to your own time,
where you will probably reenrol in your seventh year and some other wizard will
make the decision as to what subjects you may take.�

I have no idea whether standards have slipped over the intervening years.� Perhaps you may take arithmancy and herbology there.�

However, even if you were to remain here � which you shall not - In all
likelihood you could not become an auror, or indeed serve in any capacity
within the ministry of magic.� You lack
any background history in this time and one of the requirements of a ministry
position is a ten year background check.�
Therefore it is of little consequence whether you take arithmancy and herbology now, surely?!��

If he�d felt kicked before, now he
felt ten times worse.� �What am i supposed to do in this time then?!� he asked
plaintively.� Professor Dumbledore
blinked at him

�Why.. search for a means of
returning to your own time, of
course, Mr Piper � something I will also be working on � although Merlin knows
I have other problems at present.�

The sooner you are returned to your correct time, the better off we shall all
be.��

Harry shrank into himself somewhat
and nodded blankly.� �ok�
he managed to respond.��

Professor Dumbledore looked at him
thoughtfully.� �You could make my life
marginally easier and tell me what you remember about the dark wizard Grindelwald.��

Harry looked back uncertainly. �I
don�t remember that much about it� he said hesitantly, seeking to evade the
question. �Bins has an obsession with the goblin wars
and that�s all i remember covering in history of
magic.��

Professor Dumbledore looked at him
sceptically but did not call him on his evasion.� Instead he got to his feet and motioned to Harry
to rise.

�In that case let us go and see to your sorting and you can run along and
purchase your robes and books.� You will
begin classes tomorrow I think..�

And Caedmon...I would...prefer.. you did not accept tuition from
Mr Riddle if you could possibly avoid it.�
The young man has a lot of commitments and it would be better for you to
come to terms with the workload without a crutch.��

Harry bristled and looked down,
blushing.� Not that he had been intending
to take up the generous offer of the bloody dark
Lord Voldemort.. but
professor Dumbledore made it sound like he was wasting everyone�s time and
energy.��

�I�ll see what I can do, Sir� he
managed.�

At that Dumbledore frowned at him
and led him curtly out of his office, marching him up to the headmaster�s
stairway in stony silence.�

Harry actually glared at his back, shocked that professor Dumbledore could be
such a truly massive prig.�

�Ah Albus and..
erm... Mr..�� Headmaster Dippet struggled, smiling
faintly.��

�Piper� professor Dumbledore supplied
shortly.�

The headmaster nodded agreeably. �mm yes. Mr Piper.� Come to be sorted, I take it?�� Albus nodded.�

�He is qualified to take five subjects, Armando.� Transfiguration, Defense,
creatures, charms and potions��

Dippet did not seem to find this overly
brief but smiled encouragingly at Harry. �Well that will be sufficient for a
basic Wizarding education, I believe� he observed.�

Harry flinched as the familiar
voice spoke up behind him.� He noted that
Dumbledore had flinched even more.

�Sir... I don�t mean to interrupt.. but surely Piper would be
assisted by a NEWT in arithmancy..� After
all most positions require it and it would be terrible for him to be
disadvantaged for the rest of his life due to his present unfortunate
circumstances.��

Harry felt reluctant thankfulness
mingled with vague numb horror.�
Arithmancy was an important subject in his own time too.� It was almost impossible to find work without
it.� At present he was facing a choice
between Voldemort�s kind assistance or a prospective bleak future in a past he did not understand.�

�He did not meet the minimum
standard for the course� Professor Dumbledore said simply.� �You insisted, Armando, that Caedmon not hold up the other students.��

Dippet looked indecisive and the
overly polite..caramel smooth.. voice
behind Harry offered �Please Sir - I would be more than willing to tutor
Piper.� He could be meeting the grade
within a couple of weeks at most.. if
you would allow it.�

If you would place him in arithmancy on a probationary basis, I promise I will
see to it that he does not hold up any of the other students.��

Harry swallowed, feeling like a
cow at market about to be sold to a meatworks.��

Headmaster dippet
however interpreted his expression as hopeful pleading apparently, his gaze
vacillating between Harry�s face and a spot above and to the right of him.� �I..will allow it..then.� Tom � you may
arrange with Mr Piper appropriate times for you both to work on his..deficiencies.��

Harry blushed and dropped his head, embarrassed at having his inadequacy
showcased in front of his mortal enemy.��

He flinched at the sudden presence of a hand on his shoulder, looking up in
fright.� Tom Riddle stood at his
shoulder.�

He darted a glance up at him, looking away quickly.� The intense sapphire gaze was not directed at
him but at the headmaster and Harry was glad of it.� He wanted to shake the hand on his shoulder
off but was only too aware of how this would look.�

As if Tom sensed his discomfort
the hand squeezed once, not unkindly and removed itself.

�Yes. Mm. Admirable of you,
Tom.� Hogwarts is..ah..
lucky to have such a dedicated head boy.�� The watery blue eyes drifted back down to Harry
and cooled marginally.�

�Well then.. we shall sort
you Mr. Piper..and then you may.. perhaps..
go with Professor Dumbledore and see about your books
and robes?��

Dumbledore�s face was blank as a sheet and he nodded curtly.��

Harry looked down again, painfully
aware that without Dumbledore, as manipulative as the man might be, he was
entirely alone in this place.��

In the next moment he was temporarily blinded as the sorting hat was dropped
upon his head.� He felt the disconcerting
rummaging around in his mind feeling that he now recognised as legilimency.

�~hmmm.. what have we here?!.. a strange mind!.. You have travelled far,
Mr Potter... or is it Piper...

- no.. definitely
potter.��

I can see that you have met me before.. however I do not recall you at all..�

It seems that last time we spoke you refused the house of your ancestor.. ~�

�its not my
ancestor� Harry thought in response.� The
hat didn�t seem to pay attention to him.

~I see you were in Gryffindor.. but no... that house would not do at all..
Your feelings toward it are quite clear.. as are your feelings toward it�s head of house.� No.. I think you
would do best after all in~

�SLYTHERIN� the hat called out and
was swiftly removed from Harry�s head, offering him a view of Dumbledore
looking at him with tight lipped disapproval and Dippet smiling
encouragingly.�

Dippet had been a Slytherin, he remembered suddenly.�

�Well..�
the headmaster remarked.� �That will make
it much easier for Tom to assist you to catch up.� I am certain you will find a suitable place
in the noble house, Piper.� Perhaps, Tom,
you might take him down and find him a bed in the dormitory, later? Mm?� Show him around a
little?��

It seemed to Harry that he had won dozens of plus points with Dippet simply by
being sorted into the right house.�

�Certainly, Sir.� I�d be glad to.�� The smooth voice behind him said. �

Harry swallowed uncomfortably but Tom went on.

�In fact Sir, perhaps it might be convenient for Professor Dumbledore to leave
me to assist Piper to purchase robes and books also?� I�m sure that the professor is incredibly
busy and I have already been excused from my classes...� it would give us a chance to speak about
house practices and the expectations placed upon all Slytherins.��

Dippet looked pleased as punch. �A wonderful idea, Tom.�
I�m sure Albus would appreciate the assistance.��

Professor Dumbledore shrugged
neutrally but Harry could almost feel the irritation and hostility pouring off
him in waves. �That would suit me, Armando.�
I have a number of other things to work on at the moment��

�Then its
agreed.�� Dippet stated and rummaged
through his desk distractedly.�
Eventually he pulled out a small purse and held it out over the
desk.� Harry watched as Tom Riddle
stepped out from behind him and moved to take the purse.�

He tried not to inspect him but couldn�t really help it.� The boy who would grow up and slaughter
hundreds was painfully well formed � he looked like he should be a quidditch chaser � broad shouldered and slender tapering
build, but from what headmaster Dumbledore had told him, he had never played.��

Tom turned and Harry knew he�d seen him looking.�

He lowered his eyes again but caught a small smirk in his peripheral vision
that faded into a helpful smile as the boy moved toward him and was probably
completely transformed by the time he�d turned back to Dippet.�

�The purse is directly connected
to the Hogwarts scholarship fund � so ensure that you take good care of it, Tom.�

I�m certain that the vault could stretch to provide you both a meal while you
are away, should you miss dinner.��
Dippet smiled at Harry even more broadly than before.�

He wondered at it, and the rather calculating way the milky blue gaze flicked
between the junior Dark Lord and himself.�

The hand returning to his shoulder made him flinch again and he saw Dippet�s smile falter at his flinch and take on an almost
pitying tint. �

He frowned and stiffened, lowering his head further.�

�Come on, Piper..�
Tom said quietly �we�d best be off quickly.�
We have only three hours until the shops close.��

Harry nodded, infuriated with the
inevitable flow of events that had apparently placed him in bloody Voldemort�s
care and frustrated because he couldn�t
think of a realistic alternative to going along with it. �

Keeping his eyes fixed firmly on
the flagstones, he stood, following after the head boy to the door and down the
staircase.�

Author note.

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