Tom sat in the corner, keeping an eye on Hadrian and his idiotic antics; honestly, he wasn't sure why he had even come. Yet the thought of anything happening to him had him jumping at the opportunity, or so he insisted despite the fact he knew good and well Hadrian could defend himself. Even the seventh year Slytherins at Hogwarts was weary of him, of them actually, but that was beside the point. He was standing beside one of the bookmakers and was placing two bets, one for the Quidditch world cup and a bet for the British and Irish Quidditch League. He had to dig his fingers into his palm, to stop himself dragging Hadrian out of the pub. He couldn't believe he was wasting money on betting of all things! Admittedly the amount wasn't all that large, but the overall betting meant whoever won would end up with quite a windfall of money. He had his doubts about Hadrian ending up with it though. Not just solely because he didn't believe they would win, but because the bookkeeper was a sleaze ball, he looked as though he would gladly take the money but not pay it out.
His face smoothed over and he sat up straighter as he observed Hadrian turning around and wandering back over to him.
"You have completely lost your mind," Tom informed him as soon as Hadrian was next to him.
"No I've not," Harry told him grinning, Tom had pouted all the way there, well his version of pouting at any rate, which means he'd been quiet and sullen over the fact he was 'wasting money'. "Plus I just got an additional twenty galleons for fixing those girls eye sights," apparently they'd graduated the year before from Hogwarts and heard about it, what concerned him was the fact they shouldn't have known he was here or what he looked like. Gleaning their thoughts he saw that they weren't a threat and sisters to one of the Hufflepuff girls he had fixed earlier in the year. "So I've not really lost anything strictly speaking, plus I'll have more when the games end."
"If you say so," Tom said dryly.
"Come on, let's go exploring!" Harry insisted.
"I did see a shop on the way that looks interesting," Tom admitted, standing up and the two teens began to leave the pub.
"Which one?" Harry asked curiously, his black eyes were filled with excitement; it must have really got his attention. Tom didn't get that look in his eye often; he'd only seen it appear a few times, first when he told him the truth and the last time when he read the book on the trace and its removal. It was information, knowledge that Tom desired more than anything else in the world. He knew whether he wanted to or not, he would have to go, Tom would be dragging them there.
"Borgin and Burkes," Tom informed him.
Harry groaned, of course, the one shop he had never wished to step foot in. "Wait…you've never been in before?" he belatedly realized to some shock.
"When I come here I only gather my supplies then leave," Tom replied his tone perfectly neutral, giving nothing away.
Harry stared at the teenager, he was very antisocial, and he truly didn't know or like interacting with people. He preferred manipulating them in all honesty, its how he had been before he became friends with…no, and he didn't want to think on them. The first time he came was exactly how Tom described usually being here. "Not this time." he told Tom vehemently.
"No, not this time," Tom replied his tone and gaze indecipherable as he stared into green eyes before he abruptly began moving again as if he wanted to put distance between them - or perhaps the current thread of conversation. It shouldn't surprise anyone that it would be a bit of both. He didn't go too far ahead, but enough that he had to wait for Hadrian at the entrance of Borgin and Burkes. He couldn't comprehend why Hadrian would want to be near him, he knew his true personality, understood him on a way nobody else could, saw through any mask he employed and made him feel vulnerable for the time in his life. He was welcoming it, when he shouldn't.
"You know he might kick us out," Harry mused, as he opened the door, blinking as he looked around, it looked different, there wasn't as many items lying around as he remembered from his trip there. Tom made a beeline for the books; Harry chuckled in amusement, but began to look around himself. He froze when he saw someone…his eyes going astonishingly large. A fat older lady with a very familiar pink wig on and set of baby pink silk robes on, it was Hepzibah Smith! Bloody hell! She was looking around for more antiques by the look of things. He knew she had a house full of them, due to the memory he had seen from a House-elf that Dumbledore had tracked down the one Tom had set up for her murder. Of all the people in the world, it had to be her? He shook his head, no; he wasn't going to think on what could be.
The cupboard was still there; he observed wryly, he would bet the other was still within Hogwarts. They were handy to have, he would need to buy it one day, and since it was a single one its value couldn't be considerably much. Knowing where the second one was - was admittedly incredibly handy, he could even sell them together for more than double the value. Touching it thoughtfully, it was definitely something worth looking into. Although he would have his inheritance in September, he wasn't just going to spend it without looking out for the future. He wasn't even sure how much he was getting or if it would even compare to the Black and Potter vaults he'd had in his time.
Hell he'd probably get a fortune for Rowena Ravenclaw's lost Diadem if he wanted to, since he knew exactly…wait, no he didn't, all he knew was that it was at the base of a tree in Albania forest, she hadn't told him exactly where in the future, but Tom had gotten it out of her and found it so he could use it as a Horcrux. He was hoping that he could talk Tom out of that at least.
Speaking of Diadems, there were rows upon rows of jewellery in front of him, people's inheritances, stolen goods that had been brought here and sold and desperate people in need of money he thought with real bitterness. He felt his magic unleash slightly, they were utterly disgusting bastards preying on the weak and vulnerable and bloody proud of it too if their bragging was anything to go on.
A little greenish gleam caught his eye and all the breath left him as he gaped in utter shock, he was frozen like that, for a long time, just staring at it. The locket of Salazar Slytherin was right here in Borgin and Burkes, but how? His neck jerked to the side so fast towards the woman, it couldn't be could it? He'd always assumed she's picked it up long before this…Salazar Slytherin's locket just sitting there for what? Fourteen to fifteen years? It just seemed ludicrous, especially for all those that come down here who revered in the wizard and all he did. It wasn't as if she was dead in this new time he'd created…so why?
"Tom!" Harry hissed bolting towards him, "Distract her," knowing she'd probably be just as attracted to him as she had been in a few years…well that just made his stomach turn.
Tom just looked utterly bewildered for a few seconds before he smoothly and calmly said "You owe me." after regaining his Slytherin senses.
Harry looked at him before grunting, "Fine!" he groaned before rushing back over before she could reach the class case. He took only a second to wonder if he shouldn't have thought it through before he said to Borgin, "I'd like to purchase this." his tone blank pointing towards the locket impassively. If this had been the moment it was meant to happen, then judging by Smith's comments to Tom (pensive memory) then Burke hadn't been happy that it had been sold. Did that mean Burke had kept it? And Borgin had put it up on display and sold it without care? He did suspect Tom had murdered Burke, since he had mysteriously gone missing; now he couldn't blame him for every death…but he must have guessed that Burke had bought it from his mother…and killed him.
"That will cost seventy galleons," Borgin said, not moving from his position, dismissing Harry as a potential customer.
Harry let out a sardonic bark of amusement, "You paid ten galleons for it, I'll give you fifteen and not a Knut more!" he said darkly.
"Seventy or get out," Borgin stated sharply.
Harry narrowed his eyes, unleashing his magic, letting the wizard taste it, watching him shiver in dread and revelling in it. They bullied people out of their artefacts and sold it for six times more than they paid for it. With a sweet smile on his face, he told Borgin angelically, "You know," he said conversationally, "I would hate for my accidental magic to go 'poof' I wonder how much of the shop you could save from the flames of Fiendfyre? Such a shame I really should have more control." he sighed shaking his head, letting more loose. "I mean would you ever recover? A scared Hogwarts student accidentally coming in looking for a way out and being hurt…"
Borgin swallowed thickly, eyes wide and fearful as he stared at the demon in front of him. He could only be thirteen or fourteen years old and the magic…dear Merlin…the magic; he hadn't felt anything so oppressive in his life. He had no doubt whatsoever that the little beast would cast the charm that could quite frankly destroy his shop in seconds along with half the Alley. It was choking him, warning him. Stumbling over to the case and unlatched it with shaky hands before he removed the spells keeping it safe from thieves. "Quite right, ten galleons is what we paid…fifteen seems fair." he said trembling slightly. His legs felt like they were made with jelly, and when the magic finally began to recede he wanted to slump in relief but he refused to show any weakness in front of this boy.
"Glad you agree," Harry told him, digging into his pocket and beginning to count it up and hand it over as if he was doing the wizard an honour. As soon as he gave the wizard the galleons he snatched the locket up, this locket and the ring was all that was left of Tom Riddle's inheritance, the ring he'd probably get when he set his Uncle up - if he even does it this time around given what he knew he might just actually kill him too.
Harry turned away and had to stop himself actually laughing, Tom was as always utterly enchanting her, and Smith's cheeks were inflamed red. She was sick, he was underage, but he couldn't deny that he was glad it had gone the way it had. Smith was extremely wealthy, if she'd came over while he was purchasing it, threatening Borgin might have been a futile effort with her flinging her unlimited funds about. No matter what Borgin or Burke were wizards who strove to make as much money as possible. He best get them out of there before the favour he demands was…he shuddered just thinking about it. There was a reason you did NOT give favours out in Slytherin, not unless there was a very good reason.
"Tom! Come on, we're going to be late," Harry said in mock panic, grabbing at Tom's arm and getting them out of the shop and running until he was far enough away that he would see the wizard if he actually tried anything to get back at him. Nothing, the coast was clear, he leaned against the wall, and they were just at the entrance now a few steps they'd be in Diagon Alley again.
"What happened back there? You're magic went crazy!" Tom insisted he wouldn't rest until he got every single detail from him. It had been glorious to see, if he was honest with himself. Still, he hadn't felt it that strongly in ever even when he'd gone nuts at Avery he hadn't felt so…powerful, seductive and alluring. He was beginning to understand why the Slytherins flocked to himself.
"I got angry, but it worked out," Harry said smugly, "Thanks for the help," now he had to decide when to give it to Tom, for his Birthday and Christmas? He was actually dying to give it to him now! But it was expensive to give over for nothing, no, he would force himself to wait until Christmas.
"I'll be collecting on it," Tom warned.
"Obviously," Harry said dryly, as if he had any doubt about Tom Riddle letting a favour slide - the thought was laughable. "Do you want to go and get an ice cream for lunch?" he added, seeing the ice cream parlour, he hadn't had one in years, quite literally, thirteen he thought to himself feeling rather depressed by that thought.
"You don't have enough money to waste," Tom pointed out, "Don't count your chickens on that bet." he warned his distaste clear.
"Tom don't worry, I'll get the money, even if I don't there's still enough to get us through the last few weeks…the money for the room has been set aside, as well as the money for our dinner boxes," Harry said eyeing him strangely. Was it the fact that he felt money was being wasted or was it because Tom wasn't used to people going against anything he said? Or was it general annoyance that he had to rely on him due to the fact he had no money?
"I see," Tom replied, shrugging his shoulders he didn't care whether they got one or not. It explained Harry's actions this morning, dividing the money up as he had before shoving most of it into a pouch and the rest had gone into his pockets. He'd begun to think he wasn't the only compulsive one out of both of them. "Fudge sundae?"
"I'll get us a seat," Tom stated, seeing a flock of people coming up the Alley towards this section, unsurprisingly it was busy due to the fact it was the summer holidays. Most purebloods would only ever come to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. He felt deeply uncomfortable about allowing this, but he was determined to pay every single penny back, and he was keeping an account of what he used. As he took a seat at a table for two - he did not want anyone having the audacity to sit next to them his eyes narrowed suddenly and lip curled in disgust as he realized there were Muggles here, with what was probably a Muggle-born student. Even if Hadrian was right about them, they still had no right to be here, not the Muggles at any rate. They could tell the other Muggles and that was a frightening prospect to him.
"Here," Harry said, putting a large fudge sundae down beside him, ice cream, and a large dollop of whipped cream, nuts, fruit and syrup. It had been extremely weird seeing Fortescue young, almost as odd as seeing Ollivander like that. He'd just stood there for a few minutes feeling wrong footed for some reason. Surely if anything seeing Tom every day should be the weirdest? Maybe it's because he was used to it? Or because Tom didn't look like Tom by his time. It reminded him that he was out of his time; everything here was almost alien like. Yet it was better than the alternative, he had been killed by his own ex-best friends…no, he didn't want to even think about it. Sometimes he wished he could just Obliviate himself of the horrible memories and just live for once in his life without stress or the burdened knowledge that he was so bloody un-likable that nobody stood by him. Sitting down with a scowl set on his face, well that had truly ruined his good mood.
Tom arched en eyebrow at Hadrian's suddenly dour mood, but he made no comment on it, a few others in Slytherin had over the past year, when they were more comfortable with him. He had just stared at them until they'd looked away feeling uncomfortable, that had amused him. He did wonder himself, but given his own moods he could guess. The rest of the visit to Fortescue's remained rather quiet but neither minded very much - they liked silence compared to the others who could never seen to shut up. That's not to say they didn't talk.
"What were you up to in Borgin and Burkes?" Tom asked it had to be something worthwhile; Hadrian wouldn't give or ask for favours for any other reason. It wasn't out of ignorance; he knew how Slytherin worked, although a few things seemed to amuse him more than others. "What did you buy?" he had managed to observe Hadrian while he spoke to the obnoxious woman. She'd gone on about how she was Helga Hufflepuff's heir, and how she frequented Borgin and Burkes looking for antiques. She'd done most of the talking allowing him to hear and see the majority of what was going on at the counter. He would definitely be thinking up something worthwhile to pay him back.
Harry looked up lowering the ice cream back to the container, looking at him intently. "I was getting something back, something that would have ended up in the wrong hands." he told him slowly.
"And why would you know that?" Tom asked dubiously, utterly perplexed. "You had no plans to go into Borgin and Burkes," he added.
"No, no, I didn't, I had no idea it would still be there, and in fact I'm not sure why it still was." Harry replied, "But I'm not going to complain about it."
"What is it?" Tom was really curious now.
Harry dipped into his pocket and pulled the locket out on its chain and handed it over.
Tom was surprised by the weight as it was dumped into his palm, it was a locket he realized, with embedded emeralds creating an intricate 'S' but it almost looked snake like. Hadrian wasn't from this time, so why would he know about the locket and why was it so important?
"That locket belonged to Salazar Slytherin; in fact in the portrait you'll notice he's wearing it." Harry informed him watching a gleam enter his eyes, the same gleam that screamed he wanted it. It was the one he'd given Smith without the red gleam due to the fact he hadn't created any Horcruxes yet. "It stayed in your family, it was one of the items that they never gave away, and your mum had it, until she had to sell it in order to get food and shelter. Unfortunately she didn't even get a quarter of its true worth, and the money they gave her didn't last long, it's why she ended up on the streets of Muggle London." Harry told him sadly. Tom's face went blank as always when personal information came up. "I was going to give you it for your Christmas or birthday, but since you asked…you can have it now, it's by birthright yours anyway. Just consider it an early birthday and Christmas gift."
Tom blinked, "Why?" he couldn't fathom him at all, and it was beginning to wear on him. He got himself indebted to him by way of a favour all for that? It hadn't been something for Hadrian but himself. He'd outright stated he wanted no favours for it, just to consider it a gift. He was the smartest student at Hogwarts, yet he couldn't figure out Hadrian. He had figured out absolutely everyone else around him, and was able to use it to his advantage. With him it was different, it was always different and he was making him feel things he wasn't accustomed to. He wanted him yes, but it was beginning to be so much more than that. Especially with the way Hadrian was bringing him with him, he'd had no reason to do that, but he had, now he go to eat his first ice cream sundae and his first proper gift (he didn't consider the stuff he received from the orphanage as gifts they were useless items) one that was extremely valuable and part of him. He wasn't like the other pureblood's or Slytherins, but there was no denying he belonged in the house of the snakes. Was it what he had been through? He could manipulate people like the rest of them, hell he'd just seen it! He still didn't know what he had been through though, it had been implied but getting anything else out of him proved to be futile, he was very stubborn and unmoving on the subject. His smug sense of satisfaction that he could get the information out of him had long since faded.
"Because I wanted to, plus you'd have gotten it in a few years anyway, this way a House-elf wont pay the price," Harry told him wryly.
Tom's eyes nearly widened at the implication behind those words, but he successfully managed to keep his face set the way it was. That was it, he gave up! There was no way a House-elf would have had the locket so the only thing that made sense was that he may have either killed the original owner or used the Imperius on it to get the locket and set the House-elf up. He was more concerned about a House-elf than whatever else he did?
"Hadrian!" a voice said filled with excitement.
"Myrtle, hey, how are you?" Harry said smiling at her as he turned around in his seat letting Tom think it through. He still felt odd calling her Myrtle, for some reason he still felt as though he was calling her by her last name when he knew it wasn't. "Who's this?" he could remember seeing him around Hogwarts but he wasn't familiar with his name.
"I'm good, my mum and dad can't get over how different I look without glasses," she giggled in that way. "This is Richard; he's in Hufflepuff at Hogwarts one year older than me."
"Nice to meet you," Harry said without prejudice. "What have you been up to anyway?"
"Not much, just visiting Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, well after I finished all my homework, we can't go anywhere on holiday." Myrtle sighed in irritation, "I so wanted to go somewhere."
"Yes, but it's better than ending up dead," Harry pointed out seriously.
"That's what I said," 'Richard' stated giving Myrtle an 'I told you' look.
Myrtle just rolled her eyes, "What about you two?" she asked.
"Same, although we still have homework to do," Harry said.
"There's only two weeks…well almost of the holidays left to go!" Myrtle looking aghast in a typical Ravenclaw fashion.
"I know," Harry agreed wryly. "We'll probably be doing some tonight there isn't much to do around here." same stuff different decades, honestly it was ridiculous. The most fun around here was sitting in an ice cream parlour talking even the Muggles advanced beyond that.
"Well if you need help let me know," Myrtle said, but she doubted he would, she suppressed a giggle of delight at the look Tom threw her. Ooo, he liked Hadrian, this year at Hogwarts was going to be so fun, and she wondered if Hadrian even knew.
Tom was incensed at the idea that Hadrian would need her help when he was there, but she didn't even seem perturbed by his glare. Which made him glare more fiercely at her, telling her without words to back the bloody hell away from what was HIS! He clutched the locket tightly as he continued warning her.
"I will," Hadrian said grinning at the thought, she might be a Ravenclaw and smart, but he knew more - a lot more.
"Bye!" Myrtle said grasping Richards hand and wandering into the ice cream parlour.
Harry chuckled watching, she was going to be just fine and he was glad for it.
"What's funny?" Tom enquired perplexed; he couldn't see anything funny that had transpired.
"They're holding hands," Harry said, "She's got a boyfriend but she's not ready to admit it or she would have introduced him as such."
Tom sniffed but eventually turned around to see for himself just slightly, and his shoulders unconsciously relaxed.