"Let's go back to Malfoy Manor!" Harry turned to Tom.
Tom kissed him gently on the tip of the nose. "Absolutely not, my love. We will do no such thing. The entire purpose of going to Malfoy Manor in the first place was to establish whether Voldemort and I are two separate beings. We have now determined that we are. Now that we understand that, we should retreat to a safe distance - and by that I mean a distance some fifty years into the past - and come up with a plan."
"A plan for what?"
Tom sighed. "A plan for killing Voldemort, of course. What did you think I meant, Harry?"
Harry shook his head slowly. "No, Tom. That won't work at all. I'm not sure I want to kill him, you see."
Tom stared at him. "You don't want to kill him? But Harry, he murdered your parents! He tried to kill you! He has caused immeasurable harm to so many people. Of course we have to kill him."
Harry shook his head, stubbornly. "No. No, we don't. He's you. I thought he would be someone quite different, but he's you. I felt it when I met him. How could I ever wish to kill you?"
"He's not me." There was a flush on Tom's cheeks now. "He's that which I never want to become. If you love me, Harry, please understand that he needs to die."
Harry met Tom's silver gaze. He felt something twist, painfully, in his heart, but he nodded silently.
"I agree that Voldemort must be destroyed." Alphard's voice was calm. "But if we go back to Malfoy Manor and kill him now, nothing will have changed. Harry's parents will still be dead. And so will Sirius and Regulus. It doesn't make any sense to kill Voldemort in this time."
Tom nodded. "You are right, Alphard. It has to be another time, then. Right after he becomes Voldemort. Right after he stops being me."
"Right around the time when Regulus becomes a death eater." There was a slight tremor in Alphard's voice. "I believe that Regulus was the first person Voldemort murdered after his... transformation. If we could go back to that time, we could perhaps destroy the Dark Lord and save Regulus and all his later victims. Including Sirius and your parents, Harry."
Harry swallowed and nodded. I have always known that I would have to kill Voldemort in the end. It's my destiny. I have to do it for Sirius, for my parents, for Tom. So why does it suddenly feel like my heart is breaking at the thought?
"I will do it," said Tom softly. "Lend me the time turner, Alphard, and show me how it works."
"You want to kill yourself?" Alphard regarded him doubtfully.
"In a manner of speaking, yes." Tom smiled slightly. "Oh, don't look so worried, Harry. I will destroy him, but I will come back to you."
"I wonder what would happen if you succeeded?" said Ginny quietly. Her red hair was a flame in the golden glow from the streetlamp. Alphard's dark glance kept drifting back to the fiery tendrils of her hair. "If you killed Voldemort, Tom, and came back to live with Harry in the past, what would happen to Harry in the future? If there is no Voldemort, his parents would still be alive in this time. Would their son still be Harry? Would there be two Harries, one who had met Voldemort and one who hadn't? Would he exist both in the past and in the future?"
Harry reached for Tom's hand. "What a strange thought!" he whispered. "If Voldemort never killed my parents, I would no longer be a horcrux. I would no longer be a part of you, Tom. Or perhaps I would always be you horcrux; but maybe there would be a different Harry as well, one who was unconnected to you."
"Meddling with time always leads to strange and unexpected consequences." Alphard twirled one of Ginny's flaming curls between his fingers. "Thinking about it can drive you crazy. I don't even understand how your journey in time began, Harry. Dumbledore said something about an enchanted memory..."
Harry nodded. "That's right. I wondered at first whose memory it was, but then I understood that it was mine. I was the one who remembered all those things after I returned to my own time, and I was the one who left the memory in Dumbledore's office."
Alphard buried his lips in Ginny's hair. "But that makes no sense at all, Harry. You entered your own memory of the past before you had traveled to the past and experienced the things you remembered. How is that possible? Who could have left that memory there for you before you had even remembered those things? And who enchanted the memory so that you could travel into it? And who wrote to Professor Dippet and told him that you were Elias Black?"
Harry sighed. "I have no idea, Alphard. Maybe I will do all those things myself? No, that doesn't make sense; I would only want to do all those things after traveling back in time and falling in love with Tom... But I only traveled back in time because someone had already enchanted the memory."
"I wonder how one does go about enchanting a memory so someone could travel into it," said Alphard thoughtfully.
"I think there are ways," said Tom softly. "If you had a vial containing a memory, and a time turner, and some rather advanced knowledge of magic-"
"That's what Hermione said!" Harry broke in eagerly. "But she didn't think a regular wizard could do it; it would have to be someone extraordinarily powerful, someone like Dumbledore or... well, like you, Tom."
Alphard turned to Tom. "Do you think you could enchant a memory that way, Tom?"
Tom smiled. "Oh, I suppose. I am rather good at magic, you know. I could probably go back to Dumbledore's office right now and enchant Harry's memory if I could borrow the time-turner, but it really wouldn't explain a thing. There would still be a causal loop: I would only wish to enchant the memory because Harry already traveled into it and fell in love with me."
"Oh, I wasn't just thinking of that memory, Tom." Alphard grinned. "Thinking of that just makes me dizzy. I was wondering if you could enchant a different memory as well, one that I happen to have in my possession. I have some memories that belonged to Regulus. He... he must have known that he was going to die, and he must have wanted to leave the knowledge he had of the Dark Lord behind. I found a few vials after his death. There are several memories in them, recollections of conversations Regulus had with Voldemort. They had quite a few conversations alone, the Dark Lord and my nephew. If someone was able to enter those memories and experience them through Regulus' eyes, they would be alone with an unsuspecting Dark Lord..."
"So if Regulus' memory was enchanted, someone entering it would become Regulus while in the memory?" Tom's silver eyes glittered. "Interesting idea... The Dark Lord would never suspect his assassin. I'm ready to try. Tom Riddle against Voldemort..."
"Or," said Harry quickly, "it might make more sense for someone who could actually read the Dark Lord's mind to become his assassin. If it has to be done, I should be the one to do it. I would have an advantage, Tom, since I can read his mind and you can't."
"Yes, but I've got - pardon me - more experience with murder than you do, my love. You are so terribly soft-hearted, you'd probably end up making out with the Dark Lord instead of killing him."
Harry glared at Tom. "I would not! You are just jealous!"
Tom stroked his hand through Harry's hair. "Jealous? A little bit, yes. But my point..."
"Ahem. Perhaps we should take this conversation elsewhere." Ginny glanced up and down the quiet suburban street. "Draco did say that the death eaters have been keeping an eye on this house for a while now."
"Excellent idea, Ginny." Alphard reached for her hand. "Let's stop by the headmaster's office at Hogwarts, shall we? Tom, you can enchant Harry's memory, and the rest of us can watch you and get a headache trying to figure out the time paradoxes involved."
...
The four of them walked through the near-empty torchlit corridors of Hogwarts together. It was quite late now, and there were very few students about. Harry suspected that many of the students had left the school a few days early anyway; there had been a great deal of frantic packing going on that afternoon.
The insubstantial form of the Bloody Baron floated gently by them.
"What?" A little ripple ran through the Baron's evanescent form. "But this is not possible! I... I know all four of you, but you can't all be here together, at the same time. I must be dreaming..." He drifted off, a perplexed expression on his spectral features.
They paused in front of the headmaster's door. "Acid pops?" suggested Harry hopefully, but the door didn't budge. Of course the password won't work. This isn't Dumbledore's office any more, is it?
"Acid pops?" Tom laughed. "In Professor Dippet's time, the passwords were always very solemn and erudite, like chrysopoeia or Ein Sof. But acid pops?"
Ginny looked thoughtfully at the door. "It's McGonagall's office now, Harry, and I have no idea what sort of password she would have chosen. Something about cats, perhaps?"
Harry thought for a moment. McGonagall must have changed the password since his last visit, shortly after he had asked her about Elias Black and Slughorn's party.
He turned to the door. "Moonflower punch?"
To his relief, the heavy oak door swung open before them.
McGonagall was not in, but the large, airy office bore traces of her presence now. There were more books stacked on the desk than ever, Fawkes' cage was gone, and little potted plants that Harry recognized with as catmint lined the windowsill.
There was a new portrait on the wall as well; Dumbledore waved cheerfully at them from his frame. "Nice to see you, Harry! And you too, of course, Miss Weasley. Mr. Riddle and Mr. Black - it's been a long time."
Harry gazed up at the portrait. "You - you must be surprised to see us all in here together, Professor."
Dumbledore peered at him over his half-moon glasses. "Oh, old men are not so easily surprised, Harry." A smile was hovering behind his beard.
Harry studied the familiar face. "Sir, is all of this your doing?"
"All of what, Harry?"
"About a week ago, I traveled into a memory of the past. Did you enchant that memory, sir, to make that possible?"
Dumbledore shook his head and beamed genially at him. "No, I didn't Harry. But I believe Tom is about to take care that little matter for you."
Tom held up a small glass vial. "Is this the one, Harry?"
Harry nodded silently, and Alphard handed Tom the time turner.
"Now, let's see..." Tom muttered some spells in a language Harry didn't recognize.
"Elamite? Nice touch, Tom." Dumbledore's portrait sounded rather pleased. "I wouldn't have thought of that myself."
Harry gazed up at the familiar face in the portrait. "Do you remember meeting me in the past, sir? Do you recall that I once attended Hogwarts under the name 'Elias Black'?"
"Well of course, Harry! How could I possibly forget?" Dumbledore smiled.
"Were you my mysterious guardian, then? The person who wrote to Professor Dippet and told him my name was Elias Black?"
Dumbledore's steady blue gaze met his. "I'm afraid not, Harry. I do like the name Elias, though."
"There! All done!" Tom held up the glass vial. "Now this memory needs to appear in this office about a week ago..."
"I can take care of that." Alphard held out his hand. "And I suppose I can write a letter to Professor Dippet and tell him that Elias Black will be coming to Hogwarts and mail it a few days before Harry arrived in the past..."
"Good thinking!" Dumbledore nodded approvingly. "And don't forget to arrange for his school trunk to be sent to Hogwarts as well!"
"But I still don't see how any of this works." Alphard sighed. "If we change the past to what it needs to be in order for the present to have happened, we are just creating an infinite loop in time, a circle with no beginning and no end."
Dumbledore chuckled. "You know, I have often asked myself which came first, the phoenix or the flame. Oh, the door! Someone's coming."
The office door was flung open, and Harry's heart leaped in his chest as two familiar figures entered. McGonagall and Slughorn. It's too late to hide now - I wonder how they will react to seeing Tom and Alphard here in this time?
"Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not sure how I feel about that, Horace," McGonagall was saying, somewhat irritably, as she entered the room. "I understand your interest in Professor Dumbledore's book collection, of course, but I rather think that his books should stay in this office."
"But my dear Minerva, I'm quite sure that Albus would have meant for me to have..." Slughorn stopped dead in his tracks.
The two professors stood frozen for a moment and stared at the unexpected visitors.
"Tom?" Slughorn clutched his chest, as if he were about to have a heart attack. "Oh, sweet Merlin! Tom? It's you? But how is that possible-?"
McGonagall came to her senses first. "I don't know how this is possible, but I know who he is." She whipped out her wand and pointed it at Tom. "Harry! Ginny! Get away from him, now! Stand back!"
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Minerva."
McGonagall glanced up at Dumbledore's portrait. "Why on earth not? That's Tom Riddle, Albus. Harry, take your hand away from him - I need a clear shot."
"I don't think so, Professor." Harry stepped in front of Tom, shielding him with his body.
"Harry! What are you doing?" McGonagall gave an exasperated groan. "Harry, he's Voldemort! He just looks a little different at the moment, but I know who he is. Get away from him, Harry!"
"Wait... Alphard Black?" Slughorn whispered. "Minerva, I recognize the other one now. He's Alphard Black, Cygnus' and Walburga's brother. But he died years ago... How can he be here with Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley? This doesn't make any sense. I must be dreaming..."
"Oh, enough of this!" Ginny pointed her wand firmly at McGonagall. "Obliviate!" She turned her wand to Slughorn and repeated the spell before he had time to react.
"Nice work, Miss Weasley!" Dumbledore's portrait chuckled.
Ginny glanced at the two professors who stood immovable and stared blankly ahead. "Oh, dear. I hope I did that right. I've never done that spell before. I hope I didn't cause any permanent damage to their memories."
Alphard grabbed her hand. "I'm sure you did fine, Ginny. Let's leave before they recover and discover us here again, shall we?"
"Give my best to my past self," called Dumbledore cheerfully after them as they headed for the door. "Ah, the good old days! Sometimes I do wish I could travel back in time and see that horrible Christmas pantomime again. Ah, what a hilarious disaster that was!" The portrait wiped tears of laughter from its wrinkled cheeks.
Harry turned in the doorway. "Why? What happened, Professor?"
"We don't have time for that, Harry." Tom dragged him out the door. "Alphard is right; McGonagall and Slughorn will come back to their senses any minute now."
"But I want to know what happened-"
"Well, then we'll just have to go back and see for ourselves, won't we?"
...
"There you are, Elias!" Abraxas beamed as Harry sank down next to him at the Slytherin table at dinner. "What have you been up to all afternoon?"
"Oh-" Harry helped himself to roast and vegetables, suddenly ravenous. "This and that. I went for a walk with Tom Riddle." Funny, how hungry you get when you travel in time and live through an extra half day between tea and dinner.
"Really?" Abraxas' eyebrows shot up. "But it was raining! If you catch a cold and miss the next Quidditch match, I will hold Riddle personally responsible."
"Speaking of Quidditch..." Orion glanced up at the enchanted ceiling above them. "I think it's stopped raining. If we put some torches up, we might be able to practice for an hour or so after dinner."
"Don't be silly, Orion," Cygnus shook his head and reached for the potatoes. "You know the teachers won't permit us to play outside in the dark."
"All we need is permission from one teacher." Abraxas grinned. "I'd ask Slughorn myself, but he has been a little cranky lately. Elias, why don't you ask Riddle? He seems to like you."
Harry glanced up at the staff table, where Tom was sitting, immersed in conversation with the portly Slughorn. Yes, I do think he likes me. Hey, Tom, I'd like to play Quidditch with my friends! Tom looked up for a moment and smiled.
When dinner was over, Tom strolled casually by the Slytherin table on his way out. "I say, Abraxas, it's stopped raining. Why don't you take the Quidditch team out for a bit of practice? It's dark out, but you can always use magic to light a few torches. You have my permission."
"Really?" Abraxas lit up. "Thanks. Wow, that was easy; we didn't even have to ask. You're a good sport, Professor. Let's go out there quietly, people, so the Gryffindors won't notice us and get the same idea."
"Don't worry - I'll try to distract the Gryffindor captain..." Araminta caught John Lupin's glance across the hall.
...
"I wonder what on earth Araminta sees in Lupin," muttered Cygnus as they headed out to the torchlit Quidditch pitch.
"She says he's got some sort of animal magnetism." Druella was coming along to watch the practice. "Can't say I see it myself."
"Ah, never underestimate animal magnetism." Orion set the box with the balls down on the darkened ground. "It drives the ladies wild sometimes. I'm speaking from experience, of course."
"I heard Lupin used to date a Muggle girl back home." Eileen Prince had joined them now. "A neighbor of his, apparently. Can you imagine dating a Muggle?" She grimaced.
Harry sighed to himself. Oh, one day you will date a Muggle, too, Eileen, and not a pleasant one either. I wonder if Lupin's Muggle girlfriend is Remus' mother? Surely, this ridiculous fling between John Lupin and Araminta will be over soon? The moment she mentions how she feels about Muggle hunting, he will probably run away screaming. At least, I hope he will.
"Ready, Elias?" Orion released the fluttering snitch from the case.
Harry grinned. "Ready!"
Flying through the chilly evening air felt fantastic. It was a little difficult to see the snitch by torchlight, but Harry let his instincts take over, and he caught the little golden ball again and again, while dodging the bludgers Cygnus and Orion sent flying by. Tiberius MacLaggen was an excellent chaser, and so was a sullen dark-haired boy named Mordred Nott. The fair-haired Alloysius Avery wasn't quite as good, but MacLaggen and Nott made up for it.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see someone approaching the Quidditch pitch. He was half hoping it would be Tom, but it was only Slughorn. Harry felt vaguely surprised; he had never taken Slughorn for a Quidditch fan.
"Elias! Elias Black!" Slughorn was calling his name softly.
Harry sighed and landed his broomstick. "Yes, professor?"
"Ah, you are an excellent Quidditch player, I see." Slughorn shot him an approving glance. "You are a young man of many talents, Elias. I am sorry to interrupt your game, but I have a pleasant surprise for you. A visitor is waiting for you at the castle."
"A visitor?" Harry looked blankly at the potions professor. He couldn't for the life of him imagine who his visitor might be.
"Yes, my dear boy. Cygnus, will you be a dear and carry Elias' Quidditch things back to the castle for him? I know that you did not expect to see your guest here in the middle of the semester, but he tells me that he happened to be traveling in the area, so naturally he wanted to stop by and see you."
"Who?"
"Ah." Slughorn smiled mysteriously. "I told you it would be a surprise. Why, your guardian, of course! He is waiting for you in the headmaster's office."
Harry blinked. "My... guardian? Here? In the headmaster's office? But how can that be-?" His mind was reeling. But my mysterious guardian doesn't exist, does he? Alphard wrote the letter to the headmaster and arranged for my trunk to be sent here. I thought my guardian was just a necessary invention, to lend credence to Alphard's letter? He's real? He's an actual person? He's here?
Harry tried desperately to imagine who could be waiting for him at the castle, but his mind drew a blank. My guardian? Could it possibly be Sirius? No, Sirius is still dead. Could it somehow be Sirius from a different future, a Sirius who never disappeared behind the veil?
"Such a pleasant gentleman, your guardian," said Slughorn softly as they walked together towards the castle. "One can tell, of course, that he is a man of refined tastes. He must have been quite a good-looking man before the tragic accident."
"Accident?"
Slughorn sighed. "Poor man, to be disfigured like that..." He shuddered.
Harry's mind was swirling. Mad-Eye Moody? Visiting from the future? No, no one in their right mind would characterize the gruff one-eyed one-legged Mad-Eye as "a man of refined tastes".
He gave up and followed Slughorn in bewildered silence to the headmaster's office.
"Ah, you found him, Horace!" Professor Dippet greeted them with a radiant smile. "My dear Elias, I have just had the pleasure of meeting your guardian. Such a charming man! He's naturally very eager to see you, my dear boy."
Harry's glance traveled to the cloaked figure sitting in one of the headmaster's comfortable armchairs. The man got up and walked towards him, brushing aside the hood that partially covered his face.
"Finally!" The man's voice was soft. "You can't imagine how anxious I have been to see you, Elias."
Harry stared at the familiar figure in disbelief.
It was Voldemort.