Dark

Chapter 7: 'Friends'

After another lesson from the very secretive DADA teacher, Harry decided that he needed to finalize his plans involving the Stone. There was no way that he was going to leave it in the hooves of a goat.

Luckily for him, it turned out Riddle needed information too.

"M-Mr. Potter. Stay b-back f-for a m-moment," the man stuttered.

Harry rolled his eyes at the professor and made his way to the front desk. Unlike his 'past self', his appearance was no where near as shabby as before. Actually, the only difference was that his hair was more tamed.

Once the class had gone, Harry slammed his hands on the table. It must have looked really odd from an eleven-year-old but he didn't care.

Quirrel's eyes flashed red and he leaned back on his chair, "Now, Potter. What was that for?"

"I know what you seek and Quirrel's body isn't going to get it for you. I'll get it to you by Christmas."

Riddle raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"Because I'm bored and Old MacDonald is boring."

"..."

"Ease up on the stuttering, will you?"

With that, he left.

***

It was finally time for lunch and Harry could finally get away from dust-filled rooms for an hour. He was eating peacefully when an all-too-familiar voice from behind him.

"Mr. Potter."

"Professor," he acknowledged plainly. There was no necessity for niceties or tears.

"In my office at 7 PM. Don't. Be. Late."

With an overly-exaggerated swish of a cape, the man left.

***

Finally the time came and Harry was more than excited. He was absolutely thrilled. It was obvious that Dumbledore ordered him to do this so he needed to make sure that Dumbledore doesn't send one of his dogs to do his bidding.

Snape was a complicated man at best but he wasn't dumb and he was useful. The man was the youngest to ever get Potion Mastery. It happened for a reason. The man was an asset.

He arrived at the Potion Master's office door and knocked exactly three times before a voice came from the other side of the door.

"Come in, Mr Potter."

Harry opened the creaky door and walked in with a certain grace only found with power. Snape, unsurprisingly, didn't bother to look up from his work and gestured to the seat in front of him. For Snape, that was as nice as it was going to get unless you were a Dark Lord.

Harry sat there patiently, not making any sound of movement. He knew that the moment he did, Snape would reprimand him.

"You are here, Mr. Potter, because Dumbledore asked me to ask you about your studies."

"First of all, I need to establish that I am not responsible for your prior relationship to my mother or father or their choices. Is that understood?"

Snape looked up from his work and eyed the boy suspiciously. Harry felt an attack on his Occlumency walls and he fought it out without flinching.

"Is that a Hogwarts Professor performing Legilimency on a student? Imagine the lawsuit? or the headline: Former Death Eate-"

He was cut off by a hand slamming on the table, "Fine, Potter. There's something up and I'm going to find it one way or another."

Harry shrugged and leaned back in his chair, "I learnt through books. That's all Dumbledore needs to know."

"Fine."

Harry stood and turned to leave. Before he did, however, he let a bit of his new magic swirl around the room. Not too much but enough to frighten the man.

"Tell your Lord when he returns, I said 'hi'."

***

A week later, Harry once again found himself in Dumbledore's office staring at the various trinkets that decorated the walls. Fawkes was standing on her perch and appeared to be lost in thought.

"Harry, my boy, I-,"

"As I have mentioned before Headmaster," Harry interrupted, " I am not in any way 'your boy' so please refrain from calling me that, I am much more comfortable with you addressing me as Mr Potter,"

"I apologize, Mr Potter," Dumbledore kept a smile on his face though now it was obvious that it was forced and his eyes had lost their twinkle.

"I understand that you have not been as sociable with your housemates and I am happy to stop that,"

Harry wanted to smirk but refrained and instead raised a eyebrow, "How do you intend to do that, Headmaster Dumbledore?"

"Why, my- Mr Potter, a re-sort of course,"

'A resort?' Harry thought, 'the man obviously wants me to be the Gryffindor Golden Boy so bad that he actually would betray Hogwarts tradition?' Pathetic.

"Thank you, Professor for your kindness but I am perfectly fine in my current house," he wanted to barf at how innocent he sounded. Here he was, a skilled dark wizard being polite to the man who ruined his life.

"Mr Potter, as Headmaster of this school, I take pride in allowing my students to have a healthy academic and social life," he smiled, "You, Mr Potter are progressing greatly in one field but not the other.

"Thank you, sir," he said with no emotion at all.

"Mr Potter, I expect you to have at least one friend by the start of the next term or else I may have you taken off the Quidditch team,"

Harry didn't really care about Quidditch but he wanted to prove to the Headmaster that he was capable of anything. His magic swirled around the room causing Dumbledore to involuntarily shudder before returning to his normal composure.

"Very well, Professor," Harry smirked, " I accept the challenge," Harry left the room.