The Serpent that Devours Us

Chapter 12

Tom shrugged, ducking his head a little, though his smile bordered on being smug. “I just don’t want to assume anything.”

“I want you to stay,” Harry said, blunt as can be, because he wanted there to be no confusion on this subject. “I enjoy your company. I’d love for you to fuck me silly later.”

“I have no objections to any of that,” Tom said as he stepped away from Harry. “Though I would like to go and get my affairs in order first and buy some necessities.”

Harry beamed at him. “Well then, let’s go to Diagon Alley!”

Severus had put all of Tom’s earnings in Harry’s vault, so while Tom opened up his own Gringotts account, Harry transferred Tom’s share to his brand new vault. Tom withdrew a sizable bag of gold, looking like he could barely believe all this wealth was truly his.

They stopped at Madam Malkin’s where Tom got a basic wardrobe, and then at Flint and Sons – Cobblers, where Tom got two pairs of shoes. Next was Flourish and Blotts where Tom bought fairly new books on just about every subject. Which led to a quick stop at the luggage shop for an expanded trunk with special library features.

“I’d like to catch up on all the new magical developments of the last five decades or so,” Tom said with an eager gleam in his eyes. “And this way I can easily take my books with me during our travels.”

Harry merely nodded in response. His chest felt like it was glowing and he didn’t think he’d ever felt this happy before. Finally Harry had found a potential partner who wanted to live his lifestyle, who wanted to spend time travelling with him. It was more than Harry had ever dared to hope for and it made him feel so ridiculously ecstatic, Harry hardly knew what to do with himself.

Tom visited a few more stores for a few more knickknacks, and Harry made a short trip to the grocers for some more canned peaches. He also picked up some canned pears, pineapple and cherries, just to see if those would help lure Rene back to their home through the floo.

Just as they were about to call it a day and have some dinner in one of the little restaurants in Fantastic Alley, a very unwelcome voice sounded behind them.

“Mr Potter, I heard some interesting stories about your latest quest,” Albus Dumbledore said, leaning on his cane while he gave Harry a searching look. “That you caught and killed a lethifold.”

“Technically, that wasn’t me,” Harry said with a strained smile. He gestured at Tom standing beside him. “My friend here did the beast in.”

“Your friend…” Dumbledore stopped speaking, his face draining of all colour as he stared at Tom in absolute disbelief. “Tom… my boy… how…” Dumbledore bent down a little, releasing a pained groan, his free hand pressed to his chest while he leaned his entire weight on his cane. A passing woman rushed towards him and placed a hand on his elbow.

“Headmaster, are you well? Do you perhaps need to sit down?” the woman asked in obvious concern.

“I’m fine, just had a bit of a shock.” Dumbledore pushed himself up again, though now his face looked a rather sickly white.

“I was cursed,” Tom said, apparently eager to stave off any more questions from his despised former professor. They had decided along the way they would tell people the truth of what happened to Tom since it explained where he’d been for so long and how he was still so young. “I’ve been stuck as a basilisk for a 60 years, hiding away in an Indian forest. Harry found me and helped me return to myself.”