Mother Magic and the Philosopher's stone

Chapter Seventeen

Albus Dumbledore looked down at Harry with a kind grin, wrinkles creasing in the corners of well worn dimples.

"Now Harry, that was some impressive magic," his tone was soft, unassuming and warm. Harry felt a cold chill run down his spine, then the brilliant fire of Lady Magic rest around his shoulders. Reassuring, comforting, furious. "But the damage to that poor mountain troll was rather intense. Where did you learn those violent spells?" Harry blinked, rather confused and irritated at the question.

"Violent spells- Diffindo? Sir? It's just a cutting charm, tailors use them all the time."

Dumbledore nodded gravely, like this was a question he was trying to solve.

"Indeed, indeed, that is not the problem my boy." Hot anger flashed across Harry's face. Why did he have to be here? He had saved his friends from a dangerous beast, surely he deserved to just go back to his common room and go to sleep.

"Well, sir. What is the problem?"

"That you felt it necessary to injure the troll so badly, Harry. Surely you could have just ran to a teacher? Your professors were just around the corner?"

"My apologies Headmaster. Quite frankly none of us had any idea where you were, as I'm sure you know mountain trolls can run extremely fast. We would have never been able to outrun it and would have possibly died trying to do so. I did what needed to be done." Dumbledore nodded gravely, feeling every bit his age as he tried to hack at the vicious brick walls Harry was building.

"I'm... sure you did Harry." The older wizard shuffled some papers with a glint in his eye, leaving the latest Daily Prophet on top, headline stark against the pale ivory of the newspaper parchment. 'BREAK-IN AT GRINGOTTS! GRINGOTTS SECURITY BREACHED'. Seeing the distraction from the conversation as an opportunity to exit, Harry stood up.

"May I be excused now professor? It's rather late, and I'm rather...shaken up. I'm sure you understand." The small Ravenclaw smiled a charming smile, a familiar one that sent a shiver up Albus' spine.

"Ah, of course my dear boy. You can server detention tomorrow night with Professor Flitwick. I'm afraid you did behave rather recklessly after all." Without so much as another word, Harry spun on his heel and stalked out of the office, fire boiling in his heart.

--

As soon as he got back to the common room Padma and Lewis ran up to him, wanting to make sure he was alright.

"Harry! I'm glad you're back! What did the headmaster want to talk about?" Harry grimaced, remembering the awkward and unpleasant encounter.

"Apparently in a kill or be killed situation, the headmaster thinks it's appropriate I die instead of harming another living thing." Hermione, who had been hanging back by the fire, still deathly pale (and quiet for the first time since they'd met her) looked over in shock.

"You don't really mean to say he told you that?" Harry just shrugged, having realised a while ago that above all else, Granger worshipped authority figures, no matter how corrupt or actually poor at teaching they were.

"In as many words. He was also showing off a prophet from a few months ago. There's no reason for it to be on his desk so I have to assume he wants me to investigate for some reason. Who knows what else he has in the cards for me he's been trying to manipulate my life since I was born. I just want to go to bed guys, I want to tell Ouro what happened and go to my detention without being attacked." Hermione looked almost distraught and guilty, an impressive array of emotions for one face to express at once.

"I just want to thank you guys for saving me. If you hadn't have shown up- I'd surely be dead. I-I know I'm not easy to be around, it's just there's so much to learn and it's all so new and exciting that I get carried away!" she looked down at the floor, staring intently at a very interesting patch of cerulean carpet while her eyes brimmed with tears. "I was wondering if we could be friends?" Padma bit her bottom lip, clearly debating what to say next. This was a side to Muggleborn Hermione Granger that she had ever seen, she was clever but clearly out of her depth in the wizarding world. Maybe she could teach her?

"Yes. We can be friends. I'm sorry for what I said about you earlier today. It was undeniably harsh, and I know you didn't deserve it. If you would like, I'll teach you wizarding customs. Perhaps you won't feel so lost?" In a blur of bushy brown hair Padma was engulfed with an armful of witch. It took her a paralysing moment to respond, arms jerkily wrapping themselves around Granger's form.

"Thankyou Padma! I promise I'll be open minded and less rude!" Harry and Lewis looked at each other helplessly. Girls.

--

In the highest tower, Albus Dumbledore paced back and forth, deep in thought about his newest and most troubling pupil. Harry Potter was intelligent, charismatic and confident. All the traits that should have been stomped about of him living with muggles. He had a small group of friends that flocked to him despite blood and house, and he could lead them without them even feeling lead. There was something familiar about it all. The followers, the charm and wit- that merlin damned smile.

It was Tom Riddle.

Oh yes, he could see it now. That night something terrible happened, all those years ago, and poor baby Harry's soul was latched onto by whatever was left of Lord Voldemort. Separated from protective magics it grew and festered and now there was the reincarnation of Tom Marvolo Riddle walking Hogwarts once again. Building followers, an army, without making the mistakes of his previous life. And what's worse is the Malfoy brat hanging off Potter like a disease. He was sure with the benevolent guidance of the great Albus Dumbledore, that this new Tom Riddle could be moulded. It would take work, elbow grease for sure, but if anyone could do it- it was him.

But where to start?

Watching the pitiful form of his once master burn a hole into the rug, Fawkes trilled, mourning the lost of a truly great wizard, and the rise of a dark one out of the ashes.