Tom watched Hadrian's face, taking in every single facial change, not that there were many admittedly, but there were enough to see he was deeply conflicted, cautious and a little bit wary. It was as if whatever he knew was something that wasn't meant to be shared, which put Tom decidedly on edge. There was quite a lot he didn't understand about what Hadrian had spoken about, especially DNA but he could guess what he meant by it, although why he would call it that was a complete mystery. His mother had died giving birth to him, that wasn't sacrificial magic…and if she had why had everyone lied to him? And more importantly how did Hadrian know? It was beginning to do his head in, quite literally as he felt as though his mind was about to explode with all this information.
"Do you want the truth, Tom? I mean really want it? The genie cannot be put back in the bottle." Harry said slowly, unable to believe that Death was encouraging him to tell Tom. It was madness, he shouldn't be doing this, it would come back to bite him in the arse, probably in the form of being killed by Tom. Of course, he didn't like thinking that way, Tom was just a fourteen year old teen he wasn't Dumbledore and wasn't about to prejudge someone or manipulate someone into doing the same.
Tom arched an eyebrow at the very Muggle phrase, there was no denying that Hadrian had spent a lot of his time in the Muggle world, he was sure he had been truthful about that. In fact Hadrian had never outright lied to him; at least he didn't like to think so. Did he really want to know? Whatever it was, it was obviously serious from the way he was talking. He was too curious to say no, but he'd always been one for desiring as much information as possible from the world around him. "Yes," he stated calmly, before he actually thought about saying it.
"I'm not from this time," Harry confessed, keeping a close eye on Tom and his reaction.
Tom immediately frowned, as if he was trying to decipher the true hidden meaning behind Hadrian's words. Time-travel? Was it even possible? Nothing he had read so far in the magical world indicated that it could be done. In fact the only 'time-travel' that was written about was the time-turners and they only went back hours at a time. Could he be from the past? It would explain why he was so wary of this time, going from somewhere then into the future and finding out the Muggle world was at war…would be confusing. He'd never had trouble getting around Hogwarts either, so he'd obviously attended the school before being here. "How far forward did you accidentally come?" Tom asked, and how was his story able to be verified? Surely they wouldn't have let Hadrian remain at Hogwarts if they figured out he lied? Unless they knew the truth and the students were left to draw their own conclusions? Didn't anyone recognize him? He obviously knew his mother and well judging by the fact he was familiar enough with her magic.
"I didn't come forward, Tom, I came back," Harry replied, "Sixty years in fact." well actually more than sixty years, but he wasn't going to get into every little detail, what did it matter if he was off by a few years?
"You don't sound German," Tom stiffened completely, sixty years? It was mind boggling, he'd assumed a few years not bloody sixty. Sixty years made him seventy four in that time, it was seriously weird to think of it that way albeit if he survived at any rate.
Harry laughed a little, "That's because I'm not, they don't win, neither of them."
"If you're from the future, how do you know about my mother?" Tom said his eyes narrowing again. What reason would a boy sixty years in the future have with knowledge on the Gaunt family? The Germans didn't win? It seemed impossible right now, with how bad the war was, yet Hadrian was telling him that neither Grindelwald nor Hitler won? He felt a part of him relax with that knowledge, he survived he could have showed it in triumph from the rooftops.
"I only know the basics; I obviously didn't know her personally, but the wards…" Harry trailed off, "They're similar to the ones I lived under during my childhood. It's why nobody ever found you, or came here with the amount of magic you've cast on the Muggles."
"You keep saying that, but why would she want me hidden?" Tom scoffed derisively at the thought.
"She could have used magic to try and save herself without really knowing if it would save her life. At that point it was a fifty-fifty chance, and the Ministry would have come to find out what was going on and Obliviate the Muggles. So she had a choice, use magic without knowing full well what would happen, and risk the Ministry finding you or she could die knowing you'd be safe." Harry explained quietly, his face solemn. "You had a grandfather and uncle alive then, although I'm not sure whether he's still alive right now or not - I think he's in Azkaban but my knowledge this far back is iffy. They hated all things Muggle, they were pureblood fanatics and revelled in the fact they were the last direct descendants of Salazar Slytherin. What do you think they would have done to you, a defenceless baby, a half blood, with a Muggle father? They would have killed you the second the Ministry workers dumped you on their doorstep. She knew she had to protect you, that is why she ran, that was why she was so weak with hunger and thirst by the time she was due to give birth, she was destitute, Tom and truly a broken woman her love for you was all she had left. You were all she had left, never ever call her weak, she's the reason you survived. She had a choice that was why the sacrificial blood wards went up around the orphanage."
"That is not basic information," Tom said weakly, not sure what to think of all this. A very small hidden part of him hurt to hear that he had a family the entire time he was stuck here in an orphanage thinking he was an orphan. But he quickly snuffed it out, he had survived without a family, he didn't need them, and he would make sure they would regret it for the rest of their lives. The hurt never lasted long, it was quickly replaced with anger and rage, they would suffer - they would all suffer. "You know who I am, don't you?" he knew without confirmation, but how was it that he knew him so well?
"Yes," Harry told him honestly.
"You aren't family are you?" Tom truly dreaded the answer.
"Well…" Harry trailed off, watching Tom's eyes widen with disbelief, "Sort of, we're cousins, like ten times removed or something."
Tom let out an inaudible sigh of relief; thank Merlin for that, for a second he thought Hadrian was going to say he was his son or something. He knew it wasn't possible, he would never bed a woman that would never happen - at least not this point in time. He could never see it happening in the future either, he wasn't attracted to girls something he had come to terms with over a year ago just before Hadrian had shown up. "So you know about the Gaunts?" desiring to know more.
"The House of Gaunt was a Pure-blood family descended from Cadmus Peverell and Salazar Slytherin, and one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. They had a tendency of marrying their cousins to keep their blood pure and to retain the traits of their ancestor, most notably the ability to speak Parseltongue. They were very wealthy and prominent once, having descended from many powerful witches and wizards. But their liking for grandeur in tandem with little sensibility at their indulgences meant the family gold was left in ashes long before you were born. Marrying their cousins led to an instability and violence that flourished through the generations. They now live in a shack just outside little Hangleton in poverty." Harry informed him, Tom could be considered just as unstable, but his looks and ability to blend in with his environment made him a bigger threat than the entire Gaunt line put together. "I am a descendant from Ignotus Peverell, the youngest brother."
"So you are a Slytherin as well? Why can't you speak Parseltongue?" Tom demanded. He had so many questions he honestly didn't know where to begin! But he was determined to get all his questions answered.
"I'm not directly related to Salazar Slytherin, I'm directly related to Godric Gryffindor, but I do have the ability." Harry confessed, wondering just how Tom would that that revelation.
"Can you really?" Tom hissed, his eyes set challengingly.
"Seriously, Tom?" Harry hissed right back smirking wryly.
"Brilliant!" Tom hissed his eyes twinkling deviously, they had their own language, he could speak to him about anything and nobody would be any the wiser. He didn't dwell on the reaction he had to Hadrian speaking to him in that language. The underlining hissing, the soothing sound to it, he crossed his legs and forced his swelling erection to recede. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to speak Parseltongue after all. Nope, not the best idea, he scowled.
"Just be aware, Dumbledore can understand Parselmouth, although he can't speak it, but I don't know where or when he acquired the skill." Harry informed him cautiously. Was Tom happy about his ability to speak to snakes? Huh, that definitely hadn't been one of the reactions he had foreseen.
Tom scowled even more at that pronouncement, how he hated Dumbledore. "And what of my father?" he demanded.
"He lives with his parents in Riddle Mansion. He was tricked with potions, your mum fed him love potions, but he began to build up an immunity to it, and as soon as he regained his senses, realized he was married to a Witch he fled claiming bewitchment. The orphanage tried to reach out to him, to tell him about you but he told them you weren't his son. He never remarried nor had any children in future." Harry revealed, Tom really should be discovering all this himself, what if he was going to make the future worse by telling him all this? He just had to trust that Death knew what he was doing; he knew what was going to happen before it did after all. If this failed all he had to do was come back again - he could go wherever and whenever he wanted. If this didn't work out he would just have to start all over again younger and learn from his mistakes as he went along. Ah, what the hell, Tom knew quite a bit of what he already told him, in fact next summer…it was next summer wasn't it? No, wait yes, he hated having to work all this out. It wasn't next summer, it was the next again summer. He saw the darkening look on Tom's face, one he was familiar with, he usually wore it when someone was about to be in a lot of pain. Maybe Death was right, there was just no saving the Riddles - not that he cared overly much, he had seen and done too much in his life to really care about someone he didn't know anymore.
"And Granger?" Tom enquired, curious about that reaction. It's another reason why he had assumed Harry was from the past, perhaps knowing the Muggle or something.
It was Harry's turn to scoff, his eyes darkening considerably, his lip curling unconsciously, "He's the son of wizard, Hector Dagworth-Granger, but he isn't magical himself, in fact it takes two generations for it to show itself. In the form of Hermione Granger," he gritted his teeth viciously just thinking about her. "She and a few others were the reason I was so injured before I ended up here in the past." his hands were balled into fists as he tried to regain his composure. It felt so good to talk about it, and if there was anyone that would understand his drive for revenge on those who had hurt him it would definitely be Tom Riddle.
"Bet you regret saving his life now," Tom chuckled darkly, finding it ironic. Although he must have survived somehow otherwise he wouldn't have been around to continue his line. "Still he owes you a life debt, and since neither he nor his offspring will be able to collect it, that debt will go straight to her,"
"No, not really, maybe at first, but he has nothing to do with what she did," Harry sighed softly, shrugging his shoulders. "He's just a kid; nobody deserves to die that way."
"If you know me, then you know what becomes of me," Tom said shrewdly. Which meant he also survived this hell somehow, it was a big relief to him.
"Yes, but I'm not telling you anything about your own future, at least not unless I have to," Harry informed him grimy, his face unrelenting. "Trust me, knowing about the future can change it in ways that even I don't want to think about. I've already changed so much by coming here, in small ways that even I cannot even begin to predict."
"What if it makes it better?" Tom pointed out hiding a sly grin on his face, he was sure he could get it out of Hadrian someway.
"But would you really risk it?" Harry said in return.
Tom frowned thoughtfully, would he? Dare he? Was it worth knowing things only to be disappointed if it didn't happen due to Hadrian's presence as he had said he'd changed things in small ways - things he hadn't predicted he'd obviously come across such discrepancies since. He wondered why Hadrian knew so much, there was at least fifty years age difference, was he well known like he had hoped? He didn't get why though, he'd always planned on changing his name, and then he remembered the beginning of their conversation…had he been manipulating him? "You've been manipulating me all year haven't you?" Tom ground out, glaring at Hadrian.
"Nope, not really, mostly just the other Slytherins their beliefs are so idiotic, I mean really? Stealing magic? Did you believe that, Tom?" Harry stated strongly, glaring at Tom just as suspiciously.
"No," Tom eventually said, relaxing against his bed, rolling his eyes, it was stupid that he admitted to. "You know I want to change my name…which means I did do it didn't I?"
"I told you, I'm not telling you about your future, although why you didn't go to Gringotts and get it legally changed I don't know," Harry muttered petulantly.
"You can do that?" Tom perked up in interest.
"Of course, you can change it to either Gaunt or Slytherin if you don't want to be known by Riddle anymore. Tom Marvolo Gaunt has a nice ring to it, or even Tom Marvolo Slytherin. Either one will do since both are renowned; everyone knows the Gaunts are descendant from Slytherin line. Although you won't be able to do it as long as your grandfather and uncle are still alive, since they are the heirs to the line, technically at least since there is no estate left." Hadrian told him quietly.
Tom grimaced at the use of his first name, but it wasn't with the same loathing as before. Still the prospect of legally changing his name from Riddle, getting rid of his Muggle name sounded very good to him. It brought up all sorts of ideas and he quite frankly desired to go straight to Gringotts and get it done. Were the Gaunts that big of a threat to him? The thought turned his stomach, but he vowed that he would take them out before they tried anything with him. From the sounds of them, they were deranged, insane; perhaps it was best not to rock the boat right now. Not until he learned enough magic to defend himself, he swore when he returned to Hogwarts he would redouble his efforts to learn everything he possibly could. That and do the ritual the first night back and get himself free of the trace so he couldn't be caught, ever. "How much do you know about me? Do you know all my plans?"
"Plans change, you know, so I have no idea what you want to do with yourself right now, I do know though that you have some serious anger management issues, and you really shouldn't get so curse happy with those that follow you, take everything I've ever told you and really think about it Tom." Harry said seriously, before lugging under the bed and pulling out the box and began to eat the rest of the food within it. He only had a sandwich and fruit salad mix left, but it was more than enough for him - well right now at any rate. Soon he would be spending all night underground. "I can't stay in the Muggle world all summer, there's no way,"
"Where will you go?" Tom asked, hiding his anger, betrayal and hurt that Hadrian wanted to leave him to rot in this hellhole and go somewhere else. Unlike him, Hadrian had many friends who would welcome him for a few weeks from all houses. Although he had noticed he avoided the purebloods, like Potter, Prewitts and Weasley's instead spending time with half-blood.
"Well I was hoping you could convince Slughorn to write a permission slip for us to stay in the Leaky Cauldron or Hogshead but I don't want to do to that one despite the fact its safely within the Alley because Dumbledore's brother works there - and as much as they loath each other he might end up telling - I can do without Dumbledore finding out and forcing us back." he scowled at the thought.
"He's just the Transfiguration teacher, he has no say in what we do," Tom pointed out airily, evidently not concerned.
Harry smirked sarcastically, "Want to bet on that?" he said with a bitter look on his face, "He puts his crooked abnormally large broken nose in places he has no right, if he found out he would do anything in his power to get us back here." he had told the matron that Tom had to return every summer, just like he had told him he had to return to the Dursley's. He took far too much interest in what his students were doing during their time from Hogwarts and it was rather concerning.
"You really hate him don't you?" Tom said, mesmerised by the look of sheer disgust on his face. "I never thought I'd see the day where anyone saw through his façade, well other than the Slytherins but most don't care anymore, he's always been that way and they're used to it. It's just me he seems to watch closely, its very annoying." he had completely forgotten about the idea of getting out of the orphanage earlier. Which of course only bringing up Albus Dumbledore could do, since it always sidetracked Tom Riddle each and every time. Or in future, way in the future, Harry Potter as well.
"Yes, I've always wondered about that, why did you get all loose tongued and tell him you could control animals and speak to snakes? I mean seriously, you don't normally talk to people full stop never mind tell them stuff like that." Harry said after swallowing his sandwich and gazing at him curiously. "That's why he's so suspicious, not everyone has the amazing control over their magic like you do - not at eleven. He knows what you will grow to be, knows you'll be one of the most powerful wizards in the world. Considering what you told him he knows your magic is more inclined towards the Dark Arts, you'll find it easier to cast the Dark Arts as your wand predicted."
Tom couldn't help but puff out in an extreme sense of smug pride and satisfaction. Although it also explained Dumbledore, then he realized Hadrian hadn't bloody said anything about his own hatred of Dumbledore, sneaky bloody Slytherin he thought with a sense of bemusement. "You didn't say why you hate Dumbledore." he was perhaps the sneakiest Slytherin he had met besides himself.
"No, no I didn't," Harry said giving him a knowing look, not caring if he had been caught out, but that look melted on his face replaced by fear as the Air Raid Siren began to blare. "I thought it went off at the same time every night?" he squeaked out, surprised out of his wits.
"Yes, because the enemy decided to keep it at the same time every night just so we were prepared," Tom muttered sarcastically already gathering everything up, his trunk was still shrunk from yesterday so all he had to do was slide the ritual book into his bag as well as his sandwich he wasn't giving that up for anyone - not even the suspicion of the matron.
"Funny," Harry muttered his own brain kicking into gear seeing Tom gathering everything of his together. "Make sure you give me that book back before we return to Hogwarts. I need to keep it hidden, the last thing I need is Dumbledore starting his crap on me, and I can't talk my way out of having copied it!"
"Like they'll care it's a book on light rituals," Tom snorted.
"The trace ritual is not considered light, Tom, especially not by Dumbledore. In the next sixty years a dozen classes get stopped, and even more books get removed from the library!" Harry muttered petulantly, as he shrunk his trunk once again. Just as he had picked it up the room was bathed in darkness as Tom put the light off, it's really one of the first things they're supposed to do really. You could end up with a hefty fine if you forgot to turn everything off it was on a poster in the hall way. You'd lose your allowance for a year if you left anything on. He wasn't sure how much allowance you could get during war - and what the hell you could spend it on really.
"He does what?" Tom spat indignantly. "So that's why you find a few classes harder than others," as if he finally understood.
"I suppose you could say that," he wasn't about to tell Tom he was actually twenty-one years old or that he was the Master of Death, considering just how terrified he was of dying it wasn't the best thing to do. Their conversation immediately halted as they began to run down the stairs, Harry had made sure to take a pillow and cover with him, although he should have placed a heating charm on it to keep him warm in the underground. Like yesterday they were given packed lunches and marched off down the streets, one of the caretakers coming out last after a few minutes of making sure every light in the building had in fact been put out.
All the destruction he had seen in the early hours of the morning was gone, as if the entire community had cleaned it up and helped everyone. "What happens to the people who've lost their homes?" he asked as they passed area he had helped the little boy. The amount of homes that were destroyed was horrific.
"I don't know," Tom frowned, at the unexpected question, throwing Hadrian a questioning look as they marched along. They kept at least a foot of space from the children in front of them but not too far - they didn't want to be too near the adults, of course, when 'they' appeared it was really just 'Tom'. "I think they stay in a shelter,"
"The underground or a different kind of shelter?" Harry asked curiosity.
"Don't you know all this?" Tom muttered put out at having to talk about a part of a life he loathed beyond comprehension.
Harry leaned up, irritated that he was having to but damn it, Tom was just too damn tall even with the potions he was taking. "I only had a few years of Muggle history remember before going to Hogwarts? I know the basics but that's about it, I've never had to worry about this before, and I don't want to." he admitted with a whisper, before pulling away.
Tom gazed at Hadrian, seeing how badly he was taking it for he first time. He was very pale, his eyes wider than normal, despite the knowledge that Britain wins, he was terrified. Of course, he was too, but more used to it (and not to forget hiding it as well) the look struck a very deep protective cord in him, he wanted to protect him, and for once Tom didn't even think about arguing with his own thoughts and attraction to Hadrian. Which reminded him, "Why do you want me to ask him?" he asked, hopefully Hadrian would understand what he was on about.
Harry gazed at Tom blankly for a few seconds before recognition dawned, "Are you kidding? The guy thinks you're the second coming of Merlin!" Harry said snorting in amusement. "Even sixty years in the future he talks about you like a proud father." albeit also extremely ashamed one too, he often wondered if it was loyalty to a Slytherin or self preservation that made Slughorn keep quiet. He'd also wondered why the hell Tom had left Slughorn live with the knowledge he did. It had taken using the guilt he felt over another special 'Slug club student' to get Slughorn to hand the information over; he had been very fond of 'cheeky Lily Evans'. "You can get him do to anything, this should be a walk in the park for you."
"He likes you as well," Tom pointed out as they turned the corner to the underground and waited in the queue.
Harry scratched his chin absently, "Yeah, but I'd rather not risk being told no, so we go for the option that gets us the hell out of here with permission."
"What we?" Tom stated scathingly.
"Would you really stay here because you are too proud? I suppose I could help you get your own money so it wouldn't be 'charity' to you." Harry grunted but that would be revealing his secret room at Hogwarts. Ah, well, he would find it sooner or later and how it worked, sometimes he couldn't help but think Tom was just too damn smart for his own good. Although that wouldn't exactly work out well, it would require waiting until he returned to Hogwarts. Finally the queue moved quickly until they were underground, they were herded to the same spot as yesterday, at least he assumed so - it all looked the same really so how the hell was he supposed to tell.
Tom grabbed a hold of Hadrian before he sat down, guiding him towards the post and only then did he let him sit down, and he followed afterwards. "What did you mean by letting me get my own money?" he demanded having to keep his voice low so the others could hear, and lower than normal since sound reverberated all around the underground - the usual tunnel affect.
"Well you would be good at selling things, so I thought I'd show you to a room that's filled with lots of lost items over the years at Hogwarts. Although I doubt the wands would be any good to sell but there are lots of books and other stuff." Harry shrugged, "Or if you actually have money I can point you in the right direction for betting on a Quidditch match, who would have thought reading Quidditch through the ages would come in handy?" an ironic laugh left his lips.
"That's too risky, you said yourself you had changed things, there's no guarantee the right team would win," Tom said immediately, he didn't deal well in risk.
"I hadn't thought of that," Harry said quietly scrunching up his nose in thought, he would need to ask Death about it, he was sure what he had left wasn't enough to get them both a room as well as food for the rest of the summer. He hadn't made that much from the students at Hogwarts, while it was a lot of money; it wasn't that much at the end of the day. "Still something needs to be done, I'd like to get a decent night of sleep, and I'm not used to this anymore."
Tom immediately pounced on Harry's slip up. "What do you mean anymore?" his tone riled and suspicious.
"Er…well, I was raised by my aunt and uncle…Muggles that didn't like magic, that much is actually true, it's better to tell a variation of the truth than get caught in a lie. I lived in their cupboard under the stairs until I was eleven and the letters scared them into thinking wizards were actually watching the place when my letter was actually addressed there, so they moved me to my cousins second bedroom." Harry revealed already cursing himself for doing so. What the hell was he up to? You didn't tell Slytherin's information like that, it could be used against you. Flipping his thoughts off, he wasn't embarrassed by it, okay, maybe he was but not in the way anyone would assume. It would just make the Slytherins sure they were right about Muggles and hate them more - and understand why he hated them.
"Yet you still want to help them?" Tom scoffed finding it unconceivable.
"Well put it this way, Tom, Grindelwald has killed hundreds of people…we're all wizards should we all be considered evil? Despite the fact there are those out there that would do the right thing risking their lives to save others? We're all different, whether we are creatures, wizards, witches and yes even Muggles. Not all of them abuse their own, sometimes family actually means something." Harry said softly, sighing tiredly. "Condemning an entire species because of something a few people have done…then there is no hope for the world. Look around you at all these people, they're not going to give in, and they remain strong in the face of adversity. They're stronger than you think, don't see them as weak or beneath you, we have magic yes, but they create much more than we do - they're smart, they're inventive, yes they can be destructive so can wizards."
Tom just gave him a look that said he was off his rockers for even suggesting such a thing. He shivered cursing himself for not bringing his cover; he had been deeply unprepared for the siren to go off so soon. He blinked in surprise when Hadrian squeezed closer and threw the cover over him too - the warmth of it surprised him until he realized Hadrian must have put a warming charm on it. The heat sunk into his bones and gradually stopped the shivers. "I know you don't believe what I said, but you should think about it." Harry murmured quietly.
Tom just gave him a deep measuring penetrating look, as if trying to decide whether it was actually advice from something he did in future or if Hadrian was just being his usual self and trying to get others to see what he saw. Turning from the impenetrable green eyes, he looked around himself at everyone, watching families play cards, share food, listen to the radio and just boast moral by dancing and putting the gramophone on and listening to the songs. Mothers hugging children close, trying not to show their fear; it made his lip curl, and made him dwell on what he had learned earlier about his own mother. She had died rather than risk his life; it was a novel concept to Tom who had always assumed she was weak - unable to survive giving birth. It was to him, or had been very shameful especially for a witch. He always felt she should have been stronger. He was beginning to doubt all his own beliefs, he blamed Hadrian…looking down at him he grumbled silently to himself - he couldn't really blame him though. All he had done was told him the truth, he couldn't deny it, after all he could feel the magic in the walls himself.
Life was certainly not boring and uncomplicated with Hadrian around.
He would learn in time it was always that way.
Always had been too.