Harry Potter and the Return of Voldemort: edited the post on page 32 - Page 9

Originally posted by: nilusoni

Superb part
tom and alex convo is very emotional feel sad for alex
continue soon

Originally posted by: asha_mehta

Hi.

Just finished reading all the parts soo far.

I am completely hooked to your story. It felt as if I was reading all the Harry potter books.

You are a brilliant written and the story you have built so far is just superb.

Waiting to know what is tom's secret.

Continue soon

Two months later, that literally flew for Harry, although everything was fine, a few things were still at edge. Harry had filed an appeal for a detailed inquiry into Professor Andrea Mayweather's disappearance but so far nothing had come up. No news had been received from the Dumbledore's Army regarding their patrol at their designated stations.

Harry was also feeling uncomfortable with Malfoy these days. Malfoy had visited him twice with the file of applicants who wanted to work at Hogwarts. Harry had agreed to see them but not right now, he had planned to do so during Christmas holidays expecting to have discovered a little more about Tom Riddle by then. He had returned Malfoy with the file twice now and in a very foul mood. Perhaps, Malfoy had not been vocal about it but he wasn't really comfortable with Harry's choice of teachers.

A couple of months at Hogwarts and Harry was feeling revived and revitalized already. Dudley had almost become family to Harry. He had become friends with Ron, Hermione and Ginny as well. Harry was surprised to see him so comfortable with magic but he told him that initially he had been terrified when he hadn't seen Hogwarts but the moment he had passed through the double doors he had felt completely at home. Tom was getting along with all four of them very well. His nature was so warm and welcoming anyone seldom refused his company. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny had noticed that he was the life of the entire Hogwarts faculty and kept everyone very well entertained at the Lunch table in the Great Hall. During Breakfast, however, the sole objects of his attention were his students, he never sat down at the Teachers' table then and he took Dinner in his room with Duds and Porch privately like several other teachers did.

Harry had also gotten used to him maybe a little too much but he had and he couldn't help it. He woke up every day to see his smiling face and fell asleep every night after seeing him off to his room. He had been unsuccessful in discovering anymore about him but he had discovered his nature entirely. It surprised him a bit. For someone who was obviously hiding some secret, Tom was exceptionally expressive about anything he felt. He didn't do it intentionally but something about him always gave him away. Even he didn't know he could be that expressive.

All his doubts regarding Tom had been shelved all too well. Tom hadn't disappeared in all that time, not even once as Dumbledore had informed Harry. According to Dumbledore, it was quite strange but Harry knew Tom was clever enough to avoid doing anything that would let him fall under suspicion again. He hadn't even had any nightmares.

Hermione had, however, not given up on following him but her efforts were not as frequent as before. She only followed him occasionally now. On the rare occasion she would ask Ron to do it, he would send students after him. Hermione's persistent belief that they would find something suspicious finally came true the day before Halloween when Dumbledore informed them Tom had received mail in his room.

Although there was nothing sinister about receiving mail in one's room, Dumbledore had told them Tom had been quite worried since he had received it. He had received a small parchment with only a few words and had burnt it immediately after reading it. The weird part was no one knew him outside of Hogwarts, who would write to him and what did he exactly want hide and what made him so anxious?

All those questions would only be answered if they would ever be able to find anything. Hermione had since then followed him all over the Castle but Tom hadn't done anything outside of his schedule.

Harry had other things on his mind too. He had been worried about Alex. Everyone had been watching Alex and had been quite disappointed to find out that Alex had taken everything very negatively. He wasn't concentrating on his studies, he wasn't making friends, he had no interest in anything whatsoever. He sat alone during meals and he went back to his dormitory early.

Harry had noticed Tom was keeping an eye on him too. Tom hadn't given up on him. Harry had seen Tom running after him out of the Great Hall, apparently in an effort to talk to him but Alex would always dodge him. Tom would always return with a fallen face but what Harry found amazing about him was that he was really good at concealing his problems when he needed to. He had never complained to Harry about Alex's behavior so far. He had never brought up how harsh Alex had been to him.

Harry had himself not tried talking to him again. He felt some space might give him enough time to heal. But he never told Tom to keep away from him, he felt, he had no right to. Tom had his own place in Alex's life.

On the day of the Halloween, Tom finally had a chance to find some common ground with Alex. Harry woke up to find the Castle completely decorated. The Great Hall had large orange pumpkins hovering over the four house tables. Harry entered the Great Hall expecting to see Tom running around the house tables but he wasn't there. He waited for a few minutes then stood up. He had gotten used to his company and couldn't wait without seeing his smiling face. He knew Tom hadn't left him room, if he had Dumbledore would have informed him.

He went to his room and saw him standing by the window lost in deep thought with a frown on his face that he had not known. He knocked. Tom turned around and the moment he saw Harry his face split into a wide smile and before Harry had said anything hugged him, wished him a great Halloween and walked out of the room saying loudly something about a few preparations left. Harry was not able to judge Tom's behavior. He returned to the Great Hall to find Tom roaming around the Great Hall in his usual cheerful manner. He cast aside his doubts.

Tom who had been quite worried since he had received the post he had always dreaded had finally answered it. All that he had gotten over in the past two months had come rushing back to him on seeing the parchment that the post had brought. He had hated it every time since the first time he had received it. Back then, he had been curious, now he was angry. He had only replied to it this morning in the hopes of taking revenge. Revenge, that he had been incapable of seeking since Harry Potter's arrival at Hogwarts. He couldn't leave the Castle, unnoticed anymore. The Halloween Party was his only opportunity to leave unnoticed. That was the reason he had to reply to the mail. He had to change the time for the arranged meeting.

He been leaving the Castle secretly, before Harry's arrival to look for Andrea. Her disappearance had bothered him more than anyone else. She had discovered some part of his secret. She had come to him asking questions. The next thing he knew, she had disappeared. He had realized it then that he ought to be looking for her. He had started leaving the castle in the hopes of finding her but had no luck.

Neville's and Hannah's deaths had struck at him so hard that he realized only too late who had murdered them but since then he had been busy protecting his secret from Harry Potter and his friends who had doubted him since the moment they had discovered him apparently by his name. He had had no opportunity to leave the Castle, to seek revenge for their deaths. Now, he had been given that opportunity. He shouldn't have written to him again. He had, perhaps, for the first time made a mistake.

Tom awaited the feast when he would get to escape but before that he had other matters on his mind. Alex had still been avoiding him but he had made up his mind to get him to talk to him today.

After Breakfast when Alex left for his first class, Tom followed him out of the Great Hall. He didn't know why but he felt like he ought to and he was glad that he did as down a deserted corridor he found a couple of 3^rd year Slytherins practicing a vicious OWL spell on him.

"Tellentellegra!"

Alex fell on the stone floor, his legs completely out of his control.

"Hey!" Tom shouted from where he stood and the students who had cornered Alex ran away. Tom had seen their faces. He knew them. He made a mental note to inform Padma. "That's 20 points from each of you!" Tom called out before they were out of earshot.

"Finito!" Alex's feet stopped at once. He extended his hand out for Alex to take but he didn't.

"I don't need your help." Alex got back to his feet on his own.

Tom pocketed his wand, feeling like nothing he would do would ever work. "I know but it's not a bad thing to take someone's help once in a while." Tom replied seeing Alex's attention wavering from him again. He sighed deeply. He had just decided to let him return to his class when his eyes fell on Seth and Malcolm coming from the other side of the corridor real fast at him.

Usually Tom dodged them pretty well. He usually disillusioned himself or on the rare occasion he couldn't due to a crowd around him, all he needed was to send a patronus to Peeves. Peeves wouldn't even need to whizz to him, but something would always come crashing at Seth and Malcolm. Tom, who was about to disillusion himself, suddenly decided against it. He had come up with an idea. It was going to be painful but it had better work for him.

He turned back to Alex turning away from Seth and Malcolm pretending that he had hadn't seen them which was all the more of an opportunity they had been looking for.

"Alex, I wanted to wish you." He started saying to hold him here longer than needed. "Happy-_"

Before he had finished a hard blow to his back made him fall to his knees. Alex backed away from them as Malcolm pulled Tom back up and Seth smirked at him. "Aren't you going to wish us?"

Tom caught his breath. "Aren't the Pumpkins meant to keep away creepy things like you working?"

Tom's cheek earned him a heavy punch in the gut by Malcolm. It knocked all air out of him as his knees buckled again. Malcolm pulled him up again and Seth slammed him in the wall. "You had better watch that mouth of yours."

"Get away!" Seth and Malcolm turned to look at the little boy they hadn't noticed previously.

"What are you going to do?" Both of them stood laughing at him.

Tom who hadn't expected them to turn to Alex pushed Malcolm away and grabbed Seth pulling him back to himself. "Talk to someone your own size." Before Seth could answer heavy footfalls came running at them and Seth moved out of the way as Malcolm ran Tom over like a Bulldozer. He had not taken being pushed kindly and run hard into him. Tom had fallen on his back his ribs hurting where Malcolm's shoulder had made contact with them and his head hurting where it had collided with the stone floor.

"By the way, Happy Halloween." Seth threw a parting kick into his ribs and left with Malcolm sniggering at the fallen heap they had left behind.

Tom jerked his head to focus and to his delight found Alex still standing over him quite worried. He caught his breath and tried getting back to his feet but slid back down by the wall. He could get up but he didn't. He wanted Alex to understand that everyone needed help at some point in time and no one ought to be ashamed to ask for it.

"Do you mind?" He extended his hand towards Alex as if he wanted him to help him pull him up.

Alex took it and heaved him up again.

"Thanks." Tom thanked him.

Alex who felt quite aghast to see everything couldn't stop himself. "Why didn't you do anything?"

Tom gulped down and answered calmly. "I couldn't. They're not students. I couldn't take points from them. And just in case you didn't see there was two of them."

"Are you alright?" Alex asked him.

Tom looked at him quite happy. This was the first question Alex had asked him. "Not really." He replied clutching at his side. He was truly hurting.

"You should see Madam Brown." He said then hesitated a moment. "Let me take you."

Tom nodded and allowed Alex to hold his hand and drag him to the Hospital wing. Alex felt as if he was holding Tom's weight although he wasn't. Tom was walking on his own. He just wanted Alex to believe that Alex had done the job for him.

"Thank you so much. If you hadn't been there, I wonder if I had even made it here on my own." Tom thanked him again for helping him out when they reached the Hospital Wing.

"Don't mention it." Alex replied. Then after a moment he said. "I owe you one for saving me."

Tom felt like he couldn't have asked for anything better. "How would you like to repay me?"

Alex looked at him. He had nothing to give him. "Howsoever you want me to."

Tom smiled. "How about tea, then? Come Saturday afternoon...at Porch's hut?"

Alex thought over it a while. It wasn't a bad prospect and he did owe Tom and he had just agreed to repay him. He had also not seen Porch for a couple of months. Perhaps, he would like it. "I'll be there."

"Thanks, once again. I couldn't be more grateful." Tom smiled widely and before leaving he thought he saw Alex smile a little too.

Alex had just turned when he remembered something. He turned back, hesitated a moment then said, "Happy Halloween."

Tom simply nodded. Today's was the longest conversation he had had with Alex in which he had willingly participated. He could be handing out sweets right now even to Seth and Malcolm.

After Alex had left Tom went on his way back to his class massaging the back of his head with one hand and clutching at his side with another when Duds found him.

"Are you alright?" He asked him the moment he saw him.

"No, I met Seth and Malcolm on the way and they wished me a Happy Halloween." Tom smiled as Duds burst out laughing.

"You ought to gear up. Halloween's not over yet."

"Laugh all you like, I'd like to see you go against them." Tom smiled feeling a little embarrassed. He had a habit of getting hurt every other day and no one knew that better than Duds and Porch. After all, they had been the ones tending him afterwards. Most of his injuries had been courtesy of Seth and Malcolm, others were because he was too careless as Duds put it.

"Someday, perhaps. Right now, I have decorations to attend to and you have a class waiting for you. I came looking for you."

Tom nodded. "I was returning to class."

"Like this? Heal yourself first."

Tom considered himself. As far as he could tell he hadn't broken anything. He didn't need to draw out his wand every ten seconds. He would be fine in a few minutes. "Nah, I'm fine. I'll live." He winked at Duds and left.

Originally posted by: maitsp

cool update. hopefully we'll find out at least part of the secret soon