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Although uneasily, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny turned in. It had only been about an hour when Harry received a patronus, a silvery white Fox of Draco's informing him of his arrival at the Castle. Harry pulled on his night gown quite irritated. He entered his office and looked out the window. Malfoy stood outside the Castle gates waiting for Harry to remove his protection.
These days, Hogwarts remained protected at all times. Anyone who had to go in or out had to wait for the protection to be removed. They had decided upon dropping the protective charms for one single hour everyday for routine work but otherwise the protection remained intact. Usually, Tom handled these matters, since he had left on a rather dangerous errand, Harry had taken over.
Harry removed it then sat on his chair awaiting him.
"Enter." He called out when Malfoy knocked.
Malfoy entered and without so much as a greeting sat down in the chair opposite him.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Harry asked.
He put a file down on the table. "I have called these applicants for interview tomorrow. You ought to have their Professional Profiles before interviews begin."
Harry picked up the file and skimmed through it. There were about 15 candidates. "Why did you call them without informing me? I don't have time for this right now. I have been holding interviews myself but I had more planned in the upcoming days."
"Well, then, you need not plan anymore. They will be seeing you tomorrow."
"You could have waited a couple more days."
"Actually, I couldn't have. Not with parents sending rather insolent complaints about the increasing number of accidents in your Green Houses. Haste was needed." He stood up. "Thank you for your time."
***********************************************************************************
Tom appeared in the far corner of a muggle street. He looked around. A sign around the corner read Private Drive. He took out his wand and the Deluminator that Ron had given him to turn off the lights of the street. He clicked it 12 times and the 12 balls of light in the street got sucked into it. He put it back in his pocket and waited for Riddle to arrive. He had already sent him a note.
He put a hand on the wound on his chest. It was burning like hell. He was bleeding fast. He waited a few minutes standing by a lamp post. After a while though, he started feeling weak. He slid right down and sat in a corner of the street with his back to the lamp post. Riddle had better come quick. He closed his eyes. If he kept bleeding like this, he wasn't going anywhere.
"Tom." It was a high pitched cold voice with no warmth in it.
Tom looked up. Riddle was standing over him. He stood too. "You came?"
"I do not turn my back on my own blood, like some." Riddle retorted at him. He looked at him a full minute. "What has befallen you?" He asked him nearly sneering at his weakness.
"The truth." Tom replied gaining his full attention. "I know now you were right. Harry Potter turned on me when he found out who I truly was. He tried to kill me. He overlooked all that I had done, my years of service to Hogwarts, my betrayal to my own blood."
"Had he not understood the truth the day I tried to kill him?" Riddle asked rather surprised.
Tom shook his head. "He had understood who you were but he had taken you as an imposter. He had not yet known that I was your brother. I told him the truth, in the hopes of gaining his trust." Tom replied. "However, all I gained was suffering."
"So, you escaped? How disgraceful. Did you not fight for your honor?"
"I did and I won. I have killed Harry Potter."
At Tom's final words Riddle looked into his eyes intently. Tom opened his mind to allow him to see the fake memory. After a couple of minutes, Riddle spoke. "It seems you have acheived the unthinkable. How do you feel, Tom? You have always condemned my ways, today, you have turned to those and to me. How does it feel to see things from my side."
Tom gulped down. He wasn't prepared to answer such a question. "I do not feel pride in taking another's life but I had no other option. It was either kill or be killed. And I have turned to you in my dire need. I have nowhere else to go. I have come to you for sanctuary."
"I shall not turn you down like you did with me." He grabbed Tom's arm and disapparated.
The two of them appeared out of nowhere in the narrow, moonlit lane. The lane was bordered on the left by wild, low-growing brambles, on the right by a high, neatly manicured hedge. The moment Tom and Riddle appeared Tom staggered a bit. Riddle pulled out his wand and healed him. It took one swish and Tom was left upright.
Riddle who had noticed something before had not mentioned it purposefully. Now, when Tom would enter his world, he would have all the time to question him further.They started walking. They turned right, into a wide driveway that led off the lane. The high hedge curved into them, running off into the distance beyond the pair of imposing wrought-iron gates barring the their way.
Tom froze. He knew what place was this. He had read about this place in history. Riddle did not stop. "You need not stop either." He walked straight through those wrought-iron gates as though the dark metal was smoke. Tom took a deep breath and moved on. Indeed, for him the Metal did not seem to exist. He too had walked right through it as if it wasn't there or a mere projection.
A handsome Manor house grew out of the darkness at the end of the straight drive, lights glinting in the diamond paned downstairs windows. Somewhere in the dark garden beyond the hedge a fountain was playing. It was Malfoy's Manor.
***************************************************************************
The moment Malfoy had seen Riddle receive a note from Tom he had known something wasn't right. Why would Tom call upon Riddle after so many years? It could be nothing more than a trap.
He had to find out but he needed a reason to be at Hogwarts. He had business there anyways. He would have to enact their plan now. He had grabbed the file of applicants he knew Harry ought to have and had left immediately.
However, nothing out of place appeared to be Hogwarts. Harry Potter had allowed him inside, in Tom's absence. Did he know that his Deputy had left the confines of the Castle? He ought to know. He had undone the protection, he knew Tom wasn't available. Tom had called Riddle with a plan apparently with Harry Potter being the chief conspirator.
He only wished Harry had stayed out of this. None of this had anything to do with him anymore.
He also wished Riddle had not decided upon avenging the Dark Lord. It had brought Harry Potter breathing down their necks, again.
******************************************************************************
Tom felt as if he was dreaming. He had read of this place, of how magnificent it had been when the Malfoys had not been declared Deatheaters. He had also read that this place had been the Head Quarters of the Dark Lord at the height of his power. He had barred it to unwanted Wizards by the wrought iron gates that could not be crossed save by those who bore the Dark Mark.
He was utterly shocked to know that himself and Riddle could, even though they didn't have the Dark Mark. Perhaps, the power of the Dark Mark was contained within them. Even Malfoy had not been able to get inside. He lived with his family elsewhere. He had mentioned his regret in an interview of losing his father's age old heirloom to the Dark Lord.
Riddle walked up the front door as Tom followed him silently. He looked about him and saw several disillusioned figures in black cloaks and hoods around the Manor. Riddle had official guards all over the place, more like Deatheaters to him. They entered the hallway which was large, dimly lit, and sumptuously decorated, with a magnificent carpet covering most of the stone floor. The eyes of the pale-faced portraits on the wall followed them as they strode past. They entered the empty drawing room.
Riddle seated himself in a large comfortable chair in a kingly manner while Tom stood still staring around. All those years, Malfoy had been around him and he had not discovered he had kept Riddle.
"Malfoy took you in when we left the orphanage." It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
Tom gulped down. What had that fool done. "Why did he take just you? Why didn't he take both of us?"
"He didn't know there was two of us. At least that is what he has told me. He is very good at occlumency. I don't get to see everything that goes on in that head of his, more or less like you." Riddle smirked.
Tom felt alert. What did Riddle mean by that? "Do I not have the right to keep what I wish to, to myself?"
"Of course, you do. However, I find what I want to. So, answer me, Tom, why Private Drive? Do you not know whose dwelling it had once been?"
Tom stood transfixed. He had never expected Riddle to have noticed. After a moment however he spoke up. "I had to choose a place Harry Potter's companions won't look for me. They would not expect me to appear at Harry Potter's old dwelling, let alone a muggle street that it is. After all, I wasn't sure you were going to show up. I had to pick a place I could stay unnoticed. In this attire, I look like a muggle, it is easier for me to blend in with them."
Riddle simply sat there.
"Do you not trust me? Not even now when I have achieved the unthinkable, when I have killed Harry Potter."
"He hasn't!" Before Riddle could answer, however, Malfoy had entered the Drawing Room. He had heard Tom's last words. This was a trap for either Riddle or himself. Harry was well alive.
These days, Hogwarts remained protected at all times. Anyone who had to go in or out had to wait for the protection to be removed. They had decided upon dropping the protective charms for one single hour everyday for routine work but otherwise the protection remained intact. Usually, Tom handled these matters, since he had left on a rather dangerous errand, Harry had taken over.
Harry removed it then sat on his chair awaiting him.
"Enter." He called out when Malfoy knocked.
Malfoy entered and without so much as a greeting sat down in the chair opposite him.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Harry asked.
He put a file down on the table. "I have called these applicants for interview tomorrow. You ought to have their Professional Profiles before interviews begin."
Harry picked up the file and skimmed through it. There were about 15 candidates. "Why did you call them without informing me? I don't have time for this right now. I have been holding interviews myself but I had more planned in the upcoming days."
"Well, then, you need not plan anymore. They will be seeing you tomorrow."
"You could have waited a couple more days."
"Actually, I couldn't have. Not with parents sending rather insolent complaints about the increasing number of accidents in your Green Houses. Haste was needed." He stood up. "Thank you for your time."
***********************************************************************************
Tom appeared in the far corner of a muggle street. He looked around. A sign around the corner read Private Drive. He took out his wand and the Deluminator that Ron had given him to turn off the lights of the street. He clicked it 12 times and the 12 balls of light in the street got sucked into it. He put it back in his pocket and waited for Riddle to arrive. He had already sent him a note.
He put a hand on the wound on his chest. It was burning like hell. He was bleeding fast. He waited a few minutes standing by a lamp post. After a while though, he started feeling weak. He slid right down and sat in a corner of the street with his back to the lamp post. Riddle had better come quick. He closed his eyes. If he kept bleeding like this, he wasn't going anywhere.
"Tom." It was a high pitched cold voice with no warmth in it.
Tom looked up. Riddle was standing over him. He stood too. "You came?"
"I do not turn my back on my own blood, like some." Riddle retorted at him. He looked at him a full minute. "What has befallen you?" He asked him nearly sneering at his weakness.
"The truth." Tom replied gaining his full attention. "I know now you were right. Harry Potter turned on me when he found out who I truly was. He tried to kill me. He overlooked all that I had done, my years of service to Hogwarts, my betrayal to my own blood."
"Had he not understood the truth the day I tried to kill him?" Riddle asked rather surprised.
Tom shook his head. "He had understood who you were but he had taken you as an imposter. He had not yet known that I was your brother. I told him the truth, in the hopes of gaining his trust." Tom replied. "However, all I gained was suffering."
"So, you escaped? How disgraceful. Did you not fight for your honor?"
"I did and I won. I have killed Harry Potter."
At Tom's final words Riddle looked into his eyes intently. Tom opened his mind to allow him to see the fake memory. After a couple of minutes, Riddle spoke. "It seems you have acheived the unthinkable. How do you feel, Tom? You have always condemned my ways, today, you have turned to those and to me. How does it feel to see things from my side."
Tom gulped down. He wasn't prepared to answer such a question. "I do not feel pride in taking another's life but I had no other option. It was either kill or be killed. And I have turned to you in my dire need. I have nowhere else to go. I have come to you for sanctuary."
"I shall not turn you down like you did with me." He grabbed Tom's arm and disapparated.
The two of them appeared out of nowhere in the narrow, moonlit lane. The lane was bordered on the left by wild, low-growing brambles, on the right by a high, neatly manicured hedge. The moment Tom and Riddle appeared Tom staggered a bit. Riddle pulled out his wand and healed him. It took one swish and Tom was left upright.
Riddle who had noticed something before had not mentioned it purposefully. Now, when Tom would enter his world, he would have all the time to question him further.They started walking. They turned right, into a wide driveway that led off the lane. The high hedge curved into them, running off into the distance beyond the pair of imposing wrought-iron gates barring the their way.
Tom froze. He knew what place was this. He had read about this place in history. Riddle did not stop. "You need not stop either." He walked straight through those wrought-iron gates as though the dark metal was smoke. Tom took a deep breath and moved on. Indeed, for him the Metal did not seem to exist. He too had walked right through it as if it wasn't there or a mere projection.
A handsome Manor house grew out of the darkness at the end of the straight drive, lights glinting in the diamond paned downstairs windows. Somewhere in the dark garden beyond the hedge a fountain was playing. It was Malfoy's Manor.
***************************************************************************
The moment Malfoy had seen Riddle receive a note from Tom he had known something wasn't right. Why would Tom call upon Riddle after so many years? It could be nothing more than a trap.
He had to find out but he needed a reason to be at Hogwarts. He had business there anyways. He would have to enact their plan now. He had grabbed the file of applicants he knew Harry ought to have and had left immediately.
However, nothing out of place appeared to be Hogwarts. Harry Potter had allowed him inside, in Tom's absence. Did he know that his Deputy had left the confines of the Castle? He ought to know. He had undone the protection, he knew Tom wasn't available. Tom had called Riddle with a plan apparently with Harry Potter being the chief conspirator.
He only wished Harry had stayed out of this. None of this had anything to do with him anymore.
He also wished Riddle had not decided upon avenging the Dark Lord. It had brought Harry Potter breathing down their necks, again.
******************************************************************************
Tom felt as if he was dreaming. He had read of this place, of how magnificent it had been when the Malfoys had not been declared Deatheaters. He had also read that this place had been the Head Quarters of the Dark Lord at the height of his power. He had barred it to unwanted Wizards by the wrought iron gates that could not be crossed save by those who bore the Dark Mark.
He was utterly shocked to know that himself and Riddle could, even though they didn't have the Dark Mark. Perhaps, the power of the Dark Mark was contained within them. Even Malfoy had not been able to get inside. He lived with his family elsewhere. He had mentioned his regret in an interview of losing his father's age old heirloom to the Dark Lord.
Riddle walked up the front door as Tom followed him silently. He looked about him and saw several disillusioned figures in black cloaks and hoods around the Manor. Riddle had official guards all over the place, more like Deatheaters to him. They entered the hallway which was large, dimly lit, and sumptuously decorated, with a magnificent carpet covering most of the stone floor. The eyes of the pale-faced portraits on the wall followed them as they strode past. They entered the empty drawing room.
Riddle seated himself in a large comfortable chair in a kingly manner while Tom stood still staring around. All those years, Malfoy had been around him and he had not discovered he had kept Riddle.
"Malfoy took you in when we left the orphanage." It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
Tom gulped down. What had that fool done. "Why did he take just you? Why didn't he take both of us?"
"He didn't know there was two of us. At least that is what he has told me. He is very good at occlumency. I don't get to see everything that goes on in that head of his, more or less like you." Riddle smirked.
Tom felt alert. What did Riddle mean by that? "Do I not have the right to keep what I wish to, to myself?"
"Of course, you do. However, I find what I want to. So, answer me, Tom, why Private Drive? Do you not know whose dwelling it had once been?"
Tom stood transfixed. He had never expected Riddle to have noticed. After a moment however he spoke up. "I had to choose a place Harry Potter's companions won't look for me. They would not expect me to appear at Harry Potter's old dwelling, let alone a muggle street that it is. After all, I wasn't sure you were going to show up. I had to pick a place I could stay unnoticed. In this attire, I look like a muggle, it is easier for me to blend in with them."
Riddle simply sat there.
"Do you not trust me? Not even now when I have achieved the unthinkable, when I have killed Harry Potter."
"He hasn't!" Before Riddle could answer, however, Malfoy had entered the Drawing Room. He had heard Tom's last words. This was a trap for either Riddle or himself. Harry was well alive.
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