Chapter 23
Tom packed everything neatly into his trunk, for the first time actually leaving it all out until the morning they were due to head off on the Hogwarts express. Usually at the orphanage he had everything packed all the time, he just didn't trust his things around the other orphans.
Especially not his magical items, those were the most precious things he'd owned...until a few weeks ago that is. He hadn't taken the locket off since he got it; it was definitely his most cherished possession.
Grabbing his robes he added them to the corner in a neat bundle nodding in satisfaction that everything was in place. His bag was already packed as well, with a change of uniform and a book to read for the journey and of course a box of food.
"That's the room been paid for and the keys returned," Harry told Tom as he quickly gathered his own things, there was someone already in the room cleaning it up for the next occupants. Tom hadn't been happy that Hadrian had let her in, but she was currently keeping out of their way in the bathroom sensing Tom's frustration at her.
Of course Harry had just laughed out his amusement as he went down the stairs to pay Ross what they owed. "I'm glad the check-out time was so late, saves us from having to wait around for hours." he added before shrinking Tom's trunk and watching as he put it in his bag.
"You are the impatient one," Tom commented dryly, "I on the other hand wouldn't have cared." zipping the bag back up.
"Yeah...for now," Harry muttered quietly as he left the room.
Tom narrowed his eyes, giving Hadrian's back a speculative look before smoothly slipping his bag over his shoulder and following him out of the room. They had waited until the last possible moment to catch the train, since Hadrian was going to Apparate them straight to the magical platform.
How he planned on doing that without at least a few of their fellow students seeing them was anyone's guess. After all he was illegally Apparating, and you could end up with a fine.
He just got to the pub when Hadrian gestured to him to come, so he made his way over, giving a tense smile when someone bumped into him and apologised. None of his real thoughts of feelings appeared on his face.
"Close the door and let's go," Harry said his hand out waiting.
Tom closed the door and grasped a hold of his arm, not accepting his hand. The feeling of being sucked through a pipe evaded him before he knew it; he was standing at the platform beside a beautiful Scarlett train, steam bellowing from the chimney, as a whistle sounded, either indicating that it was the last call or five minutes to go. Considering there was nobody around, with the obvious exception of the parents waving, they realized that the train was in danger of leaving without them.
Tom grabbed Hadrian and bolted towards the nearest door, which was thankfully still open, he had just propelled them both in when the doors began to close. "That was close." Harry commented, his green eyes sparkling with vitality. The adrenaline rush was just...so familiar that he loved it. "It's a good thing our trunks were already shrunk."
Tom just huffed out in bitter sardonic amusement; go figure Hadrian was enjoying this. That was something else he could add to the list, he was an adrenaline junkie. Personally he found nothing amusing about risking ones own neck for the sake of amusement or fun. "Let's just find our compartment."
Harry sniggered as they began walking through the train, he peered in each compartment, replying to the various hellos' he and Tom both received from the students.
That was another thing, he had known Tom was brilliant, part of him had also known that he was liked but just how popular he had been - that had been unknown to him. But of course he could get absolutely everyone to adore him - wrap them around his bloody fingers.
"Tom! Hadrian! We thought you missed the train!" Thaddeus' face lit up in relief when he saw them through the small gap Hadrian had opened in the compartment.
Tom was always the first one there, they'd looked through all the compartments twice before settling down in the one they were in now, feeling as though they were missing their wand. The others all wore similar looks on their faces, something people not in Slytherin would be hard pressed to get from them.
"You think I would miss the train?" Tom enquired pointedly, as he claimed his usual seat.
"No, of course not," Avery replied right away.
The others refrained from rolling their eyes; Avery had always been one of the worst for trying to cosy up to Tom. Sometimes it was embarrassing to see, but most days he didn't try too hard for that they were grateful. It had gotten worst last year, particularly after Hadrian had shown up and added another to their little 'group'. Hadrian had quickly made his way up to the top section of the hierarchy.
Hell he could compete with Tom for the actual top spot if he wanted, although nobody knew who the hell would win between them. They were both powerful, scarily powerful really; both had no qualms about using that power either. Although they hadn't seen Hadrian using it other than self defence when he was really pissed off.
Nobody wanted to test the boundaries with him, not even the Head Boy who had been the former untouchable until he'd tried to put 'Tom' in his place due to the fact they'd all thought he was a Mudblood. Big mistake, he had promptly been put in his place so to speak.
He'd been there, and seen it with his own eyes, the fifteen year old had fallen like a sack of potatoes and started screaming in agony without Tom needing to lift his wand - there hadn't been any sign of a spell either.
Normally Slytherin's didn't give in so easily, they continued trying, but he hadn't, he had even refused to meet Tom's eyes for the duration of his last year at Hogwarts.
"Who are Head Boy and Girl this year?" Tom asked politely, but there was a demand behind that thinly veiled 'question'.
"Walburga Black for Head Girl, Cygnus Black for Head Boy," Rabastian informed him.
"What about the other houses?" Harry asked curiously, glancing back at them.
"Who cares?" Avery sneered.
"Me, or I wouldn't have asked," Harry replied icily giving him a look as if to say he was an utter idiot. Great, he was going to have to endure his bloody pettiness all year again; he had forgotten how annoying it was.
Feeling irritated he turned back to the window and just stared out at the scenery as the others all chatted; his good mood had turned sour - damn Avery to hell. That was until a statement a while later caught his attention.
"Fourth year, you know what that means!" Rabastian chuckled as he rubbed his hands together.
Harry turned to stare, cocking his head to the side. "What?" he asked arching his eyebrow.
Lestrange grinned and proceeded to explain, "There's always a Yule ball for forth years and up, it's probably the only decent thing that happens at Hogwarts."
"Wait...a Yule ball?" Harry managed to rasp out, looking horrified. One had been enough; he was not attending that stupid ball again. "Every year? People went to one last year? When? I mean a lot of people went home for the holidays...it's not exactly normal behaviour to go home when something like that's going down."
"No, its a few days before the holidays, so people can attend and still go home for Christmas." Lestrange shrugged unbothered.
"Ah," Harry nodded thoughtfully, "So this happens every year you say?"
Tom listened to the conversation from behind his book, glancing at the others and due to his position was able to see them all perfectly well - it's why he had chosen to always sit there from the first time he sat on the Hogwarts express.
Nearly every move he took or observed was carefully calculated. It would appear that the Yule Ball was no longer a yearly occurrence in Hadrian's time. What the hell happened to Hogwarts? The books, the classes, the traditions? Considering he'd managed to do all that logically he had become Headmaster and survives at least another sixty years.
"Its tradition, it started during the first ever Triwizard tournament and has remained so each and every year." Nott explained further. "It gets bored after the second one the others say, but the fact they still attend means they're talking out of their arses. The Slytherin's wouldn't go if it wasn't brilliant."
"So you can't be invited if you're...say a year younger? I mean with someone else that's fourteen?" Harry enquired curiously.
"No, it's never been done at least," Lestrange said scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Although I am now wondering if it's a rule or not."
"Why so you can take Eileen Prince and try to convince her father to allow you to court one another?" Avery said derisively. "That's not going to happen."
Harry choked before facing away from them all; biting his tongue badly enough to cause it to bleed and sting like hell. Not sure what to think of a fourteen year old...although he could be fifteen he had no idea - lusting after a twelve year old kid it was disgusting.
Avery was right though, it wouldn't happen, or maybe that's why she'd left the magical world. Lestrange ended up married to someone else, but he wasn't sure who, he didn't know much about this generation. All he knew was he had at least two sons, Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange, powerful, sadistic and without a decent bone in their bodies.
"You have a problem with that?" Avery asked irately.
Harry turned to face Avery his eyes glinting with warning, his patience was wearing thin. "Unless you want all your teeth knocked the fuck out, I suggest you keep your comments to yourself, is that understood? I don't give a damn what the hell you're trying to prove, but I've had enough of your shit already and we haven't even reached Hogwarts. Stay out of my way."
Avery turned pale but his face remained defiant, refusing to bow down to Hadrian but everyone couldn't help but notice he didn't say a single word further. He had obviously taken Hadrian's warning to heart.
Tom just smirked from behind his book; he had been waiting on it happening for a long time now. Avery had kept pushing, taking little digs at Hadrian due to the fact he'd been pushed down the hierarchy the moment he showed up.
He was getting fed up with it himself, yet he couldn't intervene not without a good a reason. If he had then it would have just made the situation worse. Avery hopefully would give it a rest, if he knew what was good for him at least.
He thought with amusement, he knew Hadrian could be just as cold and ruthless as him. He had the capacity to be, but he rarely showed it. He had in Borgin and Burkes, he showed it when necessary or when confronted with a situation he didn't like.
All of them looked up when an announcement began to play all around the train, informing them that they would be soon pulling up to Hogwarts. Harry grabbed his bag and pulled out his brand new Slytherin tie and folded it in place before making sure it was fit snugly under his chin.
After that he simply clipped his new cloak around his shoulders and he was ready for the day. His wand was already strapped to its holster on his wrist, he only ever removed it to clean it now and again despite the fact it wasn't needed. He had bought everything new with the money he had gotten from the bets much to Tom's testiness.
A booming laughter had them jumping slightly. "What the hell..."
"Hagrid," Harry said his tone impassive yet an odd note to it that nobody other than Tom seemed to pick up on. It was something Tom intended to interrogate him on later to find out more.
"That oaf!" Thaddeus muttered, rolling his eyes. "Can't believe Hogwarts is letting it half-breeds."
"He's magical, magical blood runs through his veins, like him or not everyone with magic deserves to be here." Harry stated sharply. "One of the best duelling champions is a bloody half-breed!"
"Who?" Lestrange asked interestedly.
"Find out," Harry said shrugging his shoulders, oops, obviously it wasn't well known. Although how nobody had figured it out was anyone's guess, Filius Flitwick was far from inconspicuous for Merlin's sake.
He had the characteristics of a goblin, small, not the best looker...his skin was dark although not too dark like Goblin's but that was probably due to the human DNA in him.
He was vicious when he wanted to be, there was no denying he was a fantastic dueller, obviously, he had won the international duelling championship multiple times. Although he wasn't sure of the number here in this time, he had won this summer he'd seen it in the newspaper.
"Where are your trunks?" Thaddeus asked changing the subject as they all removed their trunks from the compartments above them.
"Shrunk and in our bag," Harry informed them, he had no worries about the others telling on them, it was more than their lives worth and they knew it. "Let's start going now, I'd rather not be in a queue," he added stepping up and opening the door to the compartment before ambling out. The others followed closely behind him.
"What the hell is he doing?" Avery muttered, gazing at the half-giant suspiciously.
"Do you hear those sounds?" Nott asked, but whatever it was - nothing made a sound again.
"Whatever it was...it can't be good," Harry said pensively, staring at his back, he knew Hagrid's penchant for dangerous animals. Thankfully he knew it wasn't a dragon since he'd always wanted one implied he'd never had one.
Whatever it was, his room mates would probably complain about it and whatever it was would be removed. It had sounded like a cat or something so hopefully it was just that, a cat.
It was weird seeing Hagrid in school uniform, he looked neat and tidy, his enormous beard was absent and as he noticed when Hagrid turned around, his beetle black eyes were gleaming.
The spider, Aragog, bloody hell, how could he have forgotten? When did he find it? It was small so...some time next year before Tom set him up?
"Why is that?" Tom asked staring down at Hadrian.
"I'm not sure, just a feeling I have," Harry said honestly, it was almost like the feelings in first year, the bad feelings he'd had that something was going to happen. It couldn't could it? The chamber wasn't going to be opened until next year, they were safe surely! Yet he couldn't shake the feeling off completely.
He would face it as he always had - head on.
"That's us," Nott said, opening the door once the train had stopped, heading straight for the carriages, the first years were being called by the caretaker further along the front of the train. The five of them clambered on and the feeling of excitement grew, they were back at Hogwarts again. Tom was just looking forward to getting the trace off him and visiting the Room of Requirements.
Notes:
Ooo is Hagrid going to get on the wrong side of the Slytherins and start the whole thing off? or will Harry manage to prevent Hagrid from being a complete and utter idiot and stop him? hmm will Tom ask Harry to the ball? Will Tom take Harry to the chamber? Will he offer the suggestion of using the basilisk shredded skin to make money?