The first year at Hogwarts was indeed a rocky year. Things had turned out better that Snape could have imagined though. The situation with Dumbledore had worked itself out. Being headmaster wasn't as hard as he thought and managed to balance the duties with his classes. The problem he had now was Harry. Tom had listened to the Harry but had no idea what he was going to do. Harry had snuck a Basilisk onto the grounds and that snake was just restless. Snape had tried to get Harry to talk to Tom, but Harry was stubborn. Having recovered from his breakdowns in Hogwarts Harry refused to let anyone see him like that again.

"Massster Sssssalazssar. Sssssir Riddle hasss been back to visssit again." Sophira said circling Harry.

"Sssssalvitor go get him." Harry put his Boa down.

"Yesssss Massster Sssssalazssar."

"What are you going to do?" Sophira asked once Salvitor was gone.

Harry sighed. "Have a cssivilisssed talk with your intruder."

"Massster it issss fine."

"Sssssophira. No one wasss sssupposssed to know about you."

"Talking Pasel again son." Snape said as the group approached.

Harry frowned at the Boa Tom was carrying. "I me'nt Tom not 'he whol' par'de Salvitor." Harry's speech was broken from the Paseltongue-English switch.

"Sssorry." Salvitor dropped himself from Tom and curled next to Sophira.

Tom raised and an eyebrow. "I take it the reason was because of your speech problem."

Harry frowned and took his seat under the gazebo. The adults followed suit. Draco went and plonked himself on Harry.

"Massster Malfoy. Why don't you ssshow Massster Sssssalazssar?" Salvitor hissed happy.

That earned Draco a look from Harry and Tom. Draco blushed and mumbled an insult towards Salvitor. This confused the rest of the adults.

"Sorry Harr. It was supposed to be a surprise." Draco lifted his left sleeve. "I was going to show you later. I know you promised not to bring it up again. So I went straight to the source. After doing all the research..."

"You bonded with Sssssalvitor?" Harry didn't realise he was talking Pasel again.

Draco nodded and blushed. Harry's eyes were wide. Tom started teasing them without mercy. The rest were still confused. All they saw was a mark on Draco's arm that looked like an infinity sign. Lucius cleared his throat getting everyone's attention.

"Oh right sorry. Since Harry has the speech problem I'll just explain. Salvitor, as usual, has a big fat mouth. The mark on Draco's arm is the bonding mark. So now Draco can understand Paseltongue. I don't know if he can talk it." Tom now looked at Draco with a questioning look.

Draco hesitated. He didn't want everyone to know he could talk it. He just wanted Harry to know. He shook his head and said sorry. Tom seemed to accept it, but Harry looked at him a moment longer before nodding. Lucius started to tease Draco.

"Dway. 're you suwe you wan'd do 'hat?" Draco laughed at Harry's broken English and nodded.

"So Harry. What did you want me for?" Tom asked.

Harry sighed. He had planned to just talk in Paseltongue, but now everyone was here. Harry looked around at everyone and rubbed his face.

"Sophira."

"What about her?"

"Leave her."

Harry opted for short phrases until his English got better. The others seemed to catch onto this as well. Snape was impressed by the melancholy Harry displayed.

"I am not going to hurt her. I've just been trying to figure out..."

"W'at we ta'k 'bout." Harry said cutting Tom off.

Tom nodded then shrugged. "I meant what I said about trying to do things your way."

Harry looked him over and frowned. "T'en fix you' soul."

Everyone looked at Harry with wide eyes. "How do you know my soul is not fixed?"

"Sense it."

"Half of..."

"More t'an half." Harry corrected.

Tom laughed. "Yes more than half. Has been broken up and stored for safe keeping. Do you expect me to restore it all?"

"Yes."

"That is a long process." Tom said.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Only way I'll 'elp you."

Tom was smiling. "Why is it that is the only way to get you to help me?"

"Not stable." Harry shrugged.

"My mental stated has never been stable."

Harry rolled his eyes. He understood his message was broken, but could no one else sense the man's magic. He tried thinking of a way to put it so Snape would stop giving him a death glare.

"He means your magic. It's unstable and the presence is kind of freaky. I can feel it now but I couldn't before. Harry is sensitive to that stuff and so is Sophira. I think that's why he doesn't want you around her. Not that you will hurt her, but your magic might snap." Draco offered the explanation with ease as Harry looked at him with the biggest smile ever.

The rest of the adults shared looks of amusement.

"So you can sense peoples magic?" Lucius asked with a smile.

Draco hid his face in Harry's neck. Harry pushed him a bit, urging him to respond. Then Draco faced them all again.

"I can only sense that stuff when I'm around Harry. I mean earlier I could barely sense any of your magic. When I came here it hit me like a train. But it's not like its my own sense's. I mean for example. Uncle Sev gives me more of a sense of safety than the rest of you and, what, hope? Dad gives me a sense of acceptance and... and joy?" Draco raised his eyebrow at Harry. "Salvitor and Sophira, I have an overwhelming need to protect them. Tom is just pure chaos there's no single determining factor to his magic. It's broken. Aunt Bella gives off a mothering sense which is nice but extremely weird. And the brothers are new ground."

Snape raised his eyebrow. "You can feel what Harry feels. The presence of each of us is projected through him onto you."

Lucius smiled. "I give you a sense of joy Harry?"

Harry nuzzled Draco's neck and shrugged. "You g've me Dray. Bes' gift ever. Besid's fa'her givin' me a famil'. As fo' Tom. Dray is bloc'd from sensing everything."

"Why?" All the adults asked at the same time.

Harry sighed. "Salvitor tol' me once Dray took the bond he wou'd feel what I do. I blocked Dray from feeling every'ing I feel from Tom because it hurts." Harry's English was getting better as he went along and he turned to Tom. "I'll only 'elp you once you fix your soul. The reason is the pain. You' soul is screaming with pain."



*~*

No one had been prepared for Harry's reason. The next two weeks passed by without Tom calling any meetings. Lucius had even expressed his worry that Tom was dead again. By the end of the second week Bellatrix, the brothers, Lucius, Severus, Draco and Harry were sitting in Lucius' study when a stranger walked in. Everyone but Harry took out their wands ready to hex the trespasser. Harry walked over to the man with a smile.

"Nice to finally meet you Tom Marvolo Riddle." He held out his hand. "It's good to know your soul is intact. Even if there is a small piece still missing"

The man laughed. "It feels good to be mostly whole young master Snape. As for that piece missing it seems to have been destroyed. Care to reconsider helping me with my dream?"

"Gladly."