Harry quite frankly felt like shit when he woke up the next morning.
Staying out late to fly and having to get up at seven am was a truly bad combination indeed.
They didn't actually have to be in class until eight but the other's had made it clear to him that not going to breakfast with his classmates was considered extremely rude. Damn Slytherin etiquette.
He was very tempted to tell them where they could shove it but kept it in.
Play nice, he thought, just for a little while longer.
Since he already showered last night he just went to brush his teeth and hair and then put on his uniform.
He belatedly remembered to actually put on his glasses and looked around while gathering his school supplies for the day.
The mood was strange.
Malfoy was uncharacteristically quiet and withdrawn, Lestrange and Ramon were both watching him like a hawk and were those eyebags under Riddle's eyes?
Müller already left with the excuse of having to drop off a book in the library, which Harry understood by now as being an euphemism for making out with professor Rose's assistant. Ew.
And Black was too busy putting on his eyeliner to pay attention to anyone else.
It didn't take too long until everyone was ready and off they went.
Breakfast was great as always but Harry kept noticing Riddle glancing at his uniform from the corner of his eye.
When he caught a particularly unsubtle nosewrinkle he decided enough was enough and turned to face him.
"What's wrong with my uniform?"
"Hm?", Riddle quickly plastered on a dreamy smile and tilted his head in faux confusion.
"You keep looking at it. What's wrong?"
He heard Ramon snicker at something but didn't look away from the blueeyed boy.
"Well.. I didn't want to be rude by bringing it up but I guess you leave me no choice."
"Just spit it out. I'm a big boy, I can take it."
"Oh can you now", Riddle raised an eyebrow, "well then. Your uniform is not exactly your size is it? The top's too large and the trousers too small."
Harry didn't think it was that noticeable but just shrugged.
It's not like he wasn't used to hand me downs.
"Yeah well, had more pressing matters to spend my savings on. A shiny new uniform wasn't exactly in the budget", he gave him a significant look to remind him of their talk the day before.
"Of course. I understand. It's just...well here in Slytherin there are certain standards to live up to."
"Yes well I can't exactly do anything about it", muttered Harry. What was this all about? Was Riddle trying to humiliate him? Was this some kind of power play? Something to make up for showing vulnerability?
But Riddle just nodded in understanding: "Yes but I could."
"Huh?"
"We're friends, are we not? Besides, as headboy it's my responsibility to make all new students feel welcome. Let me pay for it."
"You want to... buy me a new uniform?"
"Yes."
Harry was both dumbfounded and irritated.
Did they think of him as some kind of charity case?
"Tom, I can't let you do that."
"Oh come on Harry", chimed in Ramon, "don't be like that. You won't get anywhere in life running around like that. See it as a sort of welcoming gift."
"For once I agree with him", said Müller who was wearing a scarf all the way up to his chin despite the warm glow of the torches and candles all around, "if I have to look at those musty rags one more time, my wand might act on it's own and cast a quick incendio."
"Besides, it's not like a new uniform would cost much. Wouldn't be any trouble at all really", grinned Black and snatched Malfoy's plump green apple right out of his hand and bit into it with a satisfying crunch.
The blonde boy retaliated at the personal attack with a flick off his wand, absolutely drenching Black's face in milk and cereal.
He sputtered and choked on the mouthful of apple.
Lestrange sitting beside him just looked on, eyebrow lazily rising higher and higher as Black's face turned increasingly red and he hit his own chest hard.
He didn't move to help.
Instead he casually continued eating his own food and Harry somehow got the faint impression of a king watching his court jester.
Harry looked on in faint concern but didn't really feel like getting up if he was being honest.
However when no one moved to help him after almost another minute passed, Harry started getting up when Benjamin Rose suddenly came into view.
He looked annoyed and hit Black hard on the back without comment.
The piece of apple practically came flying out, hitting a horrified Müller straight on the forehead and Black almost faceslammed into the table from the sheer force of the hit.
Malfoy froze, then his shock morphed into outrage but Rose just cast a silent silencio on him.
"How is it that everytime I come over to your table one of you is actively dying?"
"Makes breakfast more interesting, wouldn't you say?", said Jonathan who looked more than amused at Malfoy's voiceless hissy fit.
"If you say so. Anyways, I just wanted to ask if you want to walk to potions together. I'm assisting today."
"Don't you usually work with professor Rose?", asked Harry.
"Sure but I'm studying to become a potions professor too and she's only qualified to teach defense and history."
"I see.."
---
Tom continued eating his food in annoyance as Harry and Benjamin continued discussing his training to become a professor.
He liked the boy well enough.
He had a good head on his shoulders and didn't act completely idiotic like most of the other students in the school.
Even before he graduated he had been a responsible and competent sort of guy.
Right now though all those positive opinions flew straight out of the windows as he watched Harry's green eyes light up in interest at what Benjamin was telling him about.
Those eyes should be on him. He should be listening to him. Him, not anyone else.
"My lord, is everything alright", asked Algernon quietly, concern obvious in his voice.
Tom realized that he'd been gripping his fork tight enough for his knuckles to turn white.
He sighed and relaxed his hand, digits aching slightly.
"Yes, of course. I'm fine. Come on, we should head on down to potions if we want good seats."
He stood up and the others followed his lead.
It was more than bothersome to retrace their way back to the dungeons when they'd just come from the very same place but it wouldn't do to appear rude and not show up to breakfast, even if he could just ask a house elf to bring some food to their dorm.
They were the first to enter the classroom and claimed the back row seats for themselves.
The others would inevitably fight for the middle seats while the losers would have to sit at the very front.
He didn't hesitate to sit next to Harry once Benjamin left them to prepare for the class at the front of the room, not that any of the others would've dared take the seat from him.
"So", he began and Harry looked up at him, the planes of his face eliminated from the dim green lighting of the lake, "about that uniform."
The soft dusting of pink taking over the dark haired boy's face was adorable and delicious at the same time.
Tom reveled in the sight.
He did that.
"Tom, I already told you it's not necessary. Seriously. I don't mind my current one.."
Harry hadn't been wrong exactly.
The uniform, while a little worn down, looked fine.
Most people probably wouldn't even notice that it wasn't new but Tom had gotten a more than good look at it last night and couldn't but shudder at the idea of the shorter boy being clothed in a pristine new set of robes that he'd bought him.
He would look so good, tight fabric stretching over his toned body.
Maybe Tom would get him some more sets for his free time as well.
He could ask Jonathan about the cuts best suited for Harry, knowing his fashion know-how was always accurate.
"Please Harry, don't be modest. It's not fair that you have to settle for hand me downs after all you went through. It would.. Make me happy to buy them for you. Please."
And he meant what he said.
While he was glad for this opportunity of showing how valuable he was as a friend, it really wasn't fair.
Tom remembered how horrible it had been for himself him in those younger years, how the other students would bully the dirty poor orphan boy who's clothes had more patched spots than original fabric.
How he had to take any odd job no matter how humiliating or painful so he could afford to get decent supplies for his first year at hogwarts.
A summer best left rotting and unremembered.
The familiar hate and distaste welled up in him at these thoughts.
Hate at the muggles for treating him as worth less than dirt and hate at the Wizarding world for leaving him to fend for himself.
He was once again remembered why things needed to change drastically and soon when he thought of Harry's situation.
The boy was similar to him in ways he never would've imagined anyone to be and what happened to him made him want to kill those responsible for hurting him.
He couldn't let things continue like this.
"Fine."
He was suddenly ripped out of thoughts when Harry spoke.
Tom perked up, smiling slightly.
He had agreed? Just like that?
"Wonderful, I will order them right a-"
"Fine, you can buy them for me but I will pay you back as soon as I can."
Now, that wouldn't do.
But before Tom could disagree with him, the door slammed open and their professor came sauntering in, looking way too chipper for the early hours of the day.
Tom kept his mouth shut but shot Harry a severe look to show him that this wasn't over.
Harry just smiled and rolled his eyes.
Infront of the class Slughorn leaned back against his desk and welcomed everyone.
---
The smile froze on Harry's face as he saw just who the teacher was.
How could he have forgotten this?
Of course it was Slughorn.
Harry thought back to the memory he'd seen of the man and Riddle in the pensive and he was immediately reminded of the gravity of the situation he was in.
He needed to stop Riddle from killing anymore people and making a second Horcrux.
And to that he would need to play into his wishes, gain his trust and loyalty.
Harry suddenly didn't feel like smiling anymore and let his expression drop, disguising the move behind the palm of his hand as he rested his head on it.
Having already missed a good chunk of it, he finally tuned in to what Slughorn had to say.
"... Either way it's good to finally see you, especially my snakes.
My deepest apologies for not greeting you properly but I've unfortunately taken quite ill over the break.
I hope you've had a good start anyways and made our new additions feel right at home. My dear boy Benjamin will assist us once a week and help all of you should you have any trouble in class, though I doubt he will be of much need to my potions experts, hm?"
Harry was just grateful to not be called out.
His eyes roamed over the other students that had trickled in after them.
It was a mixed class with all four houses present, though Harry couldn't make out anyone in particular from his position in the last row.
Slughorn moved to the chalkboard and wrote out some instructions before turning back to class, smiling.
"For our first lesson we will be brewing a very special potion. Does anyone have a guess as to what it could be based off the ingredients I've written down?"
Harry expected Riddle's hand to shoot up immediately but that... Didn't happen.
Riddle's forehead was slightly wrinkled in confusion or irritation and it was obvious that he didn't know the answer.
There was some whispering from a couple of Ravenclaws but no one moved to answer the question.
Harry took in the list of ingredients and was surprised to realize that he knew the answer.
He didn't want to draw attention to himself but Slughorn was looking increasingly disheartened, energy seeping out of him.
Harry took pity on and him and raised his hand.
"It's Felix Felicis, sir. It brings the drinker luck."
Both Riddle and Algernon shoot Harry sharp looks.
A few other students turn to get a better look at him aswell.
Harry ignored them all.
"Excellent! Just right, 20 points to Slytherin! I don't believe we're acquainted, mr...?"
"Harry Evans. I transferred from America."
"Ah of course. Professor Rose speaks highly of you. I can already see what she means. Mr Evans here is correct. It seems that he's the only one bothering to keep up with the news over the summer. What a shame, I expected better of a 7th year course, especially one with so many bright minds as this one."
Harry was sure he didn't imagine the professor's gaze lingering on Riddle at those words and noticed that boy tensed up.
"Well no matter. As mentioned we will be brewing Felix Felicis today, my own invention. I registered it about two months ago. You will be the first people in the world to brew it besides me. The instructions are on the chalkboard, you may begin. You have until the end of the lesson. "
He spoke with less enthusiasm this time, obviously upset that no one had read about this breakthrough in his career and Harry felt a little bad but not bad enough to try and say something nice.
Instead he walked over to the supply closet to get everything he'd need.
"How'd you know that?", asked Ramon curiously.
"Yeah, not even Tom knew the answer", said Black and Harry was glad for him that Riddle had also wandered off to get his own ingredients. He was sure he wouldn't have been happy to hear that.
"Oh, well...", why did he always do this to himself?, "I just wanted to know all there is about hogwarts and magical Britain before coming here. I just happened to read an article about it in the daily prophet."
"Weird, I never saw that article. Potions news is usually kept in magazines specifically catered to them", said Algernon in that usual monotone voice of his.
"Yeah it was near the back so.. maybe they were running out of things to write, huh? Well, it doesn't really matter. We should get working, we don't have much time."
They reluctantly agreed and everyone focused on their work.
It wasn't an easy potion to brew and the room was silent, only the sound of knives hitting cutting boards being heard.
Harry wasn't struggling though.
He remembered the way he did it last year well enough and disregarded the given instructions entirely.
They were even worse than the ones Snape had given them and he figured that Slughorn must've worked on the method over the years.
Riddle next to him was working more efficiently than anyone else but he simply couldn't compete with Harry's advanced approach.
Soon enough Harry added the last of the ingredients, mashed, not cubed, and watched the color of the potion change to a perfect golden color.
There was a sudden delighted noise right next to him and Harry jumped.
Slughorn leaned over Harry's cauldron was practically beaming at the sight.
"You truly are a treasure, aren't you? Miraculous work, mr Evans! I believe you beat my own record time, unbelievable."
Harry shifted uncomfortable at all the looks he was getting.
"It's really nothing sir... I just like potions a lot, that's all."
"Now now don't be modest. This is absolutely examplary work! Everyone should take a page out of your page, my boy."
"Thanks, sir..."
"Professor, I've finished as well", came Riddle's voice, sounding a bit tight.
Slughorn briefly looked over at him and at his work: "Ah yes. Good work mr. Riddle. Now, Harry why don't you come up to my desk and help me rewrite my notes, hm? I belive I might be able to learn from you."
Harry was pulled along and spent the rest of the lesson explaining the way he prepared the ingredients, coming up with bullshit reasons as to why along the way.
When he looked back to his empty seat and Riddle, the boy was already staring straight at him.
What the fuck?
Harry looked away again, feeling a shiver run down his spine.
What was wrong with him?
"Alright. I've kept you long enough. Class dismissed. Those who failed to brew the potion are expected to write me a detailed explanation on what went wrong. Off you go."
Harry also got up but was stopped by Slughorn's hand on his shoulder.
"Just a moment Harry. I just wanted to say that you've really impressed me today. You see, it's very unusual for me to do something like this so early in the year but some of the more extinguished students and I have these meetings a couple times a month. The slugclub, it's called. I would like to invite you. Your friend mr. Riddle is part of it to. You don't have to accept the invitation but if you do, we'll be meeting on sunday in two weeks time. Think about it, alright? You can also bring a plus one. Be sure to dress nicely if you decide to come."
No fucking way.