Harry smiled at the things he had been brought, his friends had all sent him things, but his favourite gift had been something given to him by Luna, for Aithusia. Opening the gift, he had laughed so hard he could hardly breathe, startling both Sirius and Remus. It was a box of stomach soothers for reptiles, with a note
'Just in case the peacock didn't go down smoothly.'
~
27th December 1992
Harry smiled as Neville stumbled slightly exiting from the fire place, it made him glad that he wasn't the only person wh o struggled with the floo. Even with his magical core fully unlocked and his absolute control over his magic, wizarding transport methods still caused him problems. That smiled widened when he saw Neville quickly recover and move aside so his grandmother could exit after him. He was happy that his friend that the was being treated better and accepted by his family a lot earlier than in his last life. Neville deserved to be accepted and loved.
Stepping forward Harry smiled at his friend and offered the dowager lady a smile, before taking her hand and placing a kiss above it.
"Thank you for allowing Neville to visit with us Dowager Longbottom. I wish you a great yule and pay Lady Magic grant you strength in this coming New Year,"
The old lady smirked lightly, accepting the formal greeting, "May magic bless and renew you heir Potter-Black. However, I have told you call me Augusta or Gran, none of this Dowager Lady business, you might be able to charm everybody else but I'm on to you mister,"
Harry smiled and laughed lightly, "Of course Augusta,"
Neville watched this with fascination, he was still shocked by the changes in his grandmother. She was different now from what she had been like when he was growing up. Much freer with her emotions and easier to talk to. Harry turned and grinned at the slightly stunned looking blonde boy, "Have a good Yule Nev?" he asked.
Neville soon found himself easily talking to Harry about his yule, visiting his parents and what presents he had received, the boy thanking Harry for the necklace he had received. Harry had given all his friends a necklace that acted like the galleons he had used before for the DA meetings, they could all be modified and acted like beacons, so they would be able to find each other.
~
After Neville eventually gave in and fell to Morpheus' thrall, Harry was left to his thoughts. When Neville had spoken of his parents Harry realised how much others had suffered at the hands of his soul mate- he had, in the past had some fleeting thoughts but until he had heard Neville speak so emotionally he'd put them to one side and focused single-mindedly on getting Tom back. But thinking on it he realised that just from his close friends, Neville had lost his parents, Suzie hers whilst Fred and George had lost their uncles and after viewing the memories of his parents he felt their loss more keenly. He now had an idea of what it was he was missing.
He didn't know how to broach the subject of his soulmate to his friends, he didn't want to lose any of them, yet he knew that he couldn't give up Tom. ~
Meanwhile
~
Hogwarts school of witchcraft wizardry, Dumbledore's office.
~
and
Albus Dumbledore was not having a good week. No, he wasn't having a good year, and he knew exactly who to blameHarry. Potter. He didn't know how, or when, or even why, but he just knew in his gut that the brat was to blame for this latest fiasco with Lockhart disappearing. If the child had just listened and done as he had planned, then Albus wouldn't be dodging calls from the DMLE and facing possible charges.
It was all the brats fault.
Albus had been forced into taking unnecessary risks just to verify that Lockhart was dead. He had done a dark blood ritual, using some of Lockhart's blood that the fool hadn't known he had stolen. He had had to do it, he couldn't risk the man being free and potentially spilling his secrets, luckily it confirmed that he was dead. Which was just as distressing as he didn't know how… yes, he knew about the curse on the DADA position but usually there was some sign, some sort of build-up. He didn't even have a body as proof! Now he was left without a teacher and with a criminal investigation being lead by a woman he had no sway over and who seemingly had an axe to grind if her persistence was anything to go by.
He was going to have to allow the ministry to fill the position for him, better them than the governors who seemed to be all too willing to follow Malfoy's lead. He had considered offering the job to Sirius for a moment, he needed to get that reckless mutt back under his control, but he had thought better of it. The Black lord had obviously given in to his inherited evilness and been swayed to the dark. Unsurprising really given his family. Perhaps though he still had a chance with Remus. Yes, next year… The wolf was always easier to manipulate, he did after all owe Albus his schooling and future… he could use him to get Harry back into his sphere of control.
He needed that damned brat. He had put to much into this plan to give up now. He refused to lose. He was Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard since merlin himself. He wold not let Harry bloody Potter destroy plans he had spent over half a century putting into place. He had already lost the philosophers stone, he couldn't afford to lose anything else.
~
In the middle of an Albanian forestwandering aimlessly
~ What was happening? A soul mate… Where am I? So cold... The one with the power…
Where was Quirrell? The ritual should have worked… the stone…
No, The Stone was a fake, a clever fake that Tom didn't even notice until the last moment. Yes, he remembered that…
Pain, so much pain.
Tom fought for focus, trying to get his mind to stay latched onto a single idea… He Was Lord Voldemort… he had been defeated, by a baby. No, by Harry potter. But Harry wasn't his enemy… he was his… his soul mate? A piece of paper- soul bond-? (unknown match)
But how? Why? Goblin blood inheritance test…
More thoughts filtered in, clearer than before, surprising Tom as he hadn't been able to focus this clearly in years… he was still weak, shockingly so, he was without form or real magic, but it was like he had regained something… something he had lost…
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