[HP] Dearest Enemy

Tom's face froze for a moment, and then he stared straight at Alphat expressionlessly.Alphard was a little frightened by Tom. His roommate had never shown such an expression to himself. This strange Tom gave him the urge to run away from this person for a moment.

"Thank you, Al," Tom said softly. "I'm fine, there's nothing wrong with me."

"Really, that's great." Alphat forced a smile.He can probably guess that the reason for Tom's change should be related to his guardian, but Tom is unwilling to tell him anything.Alfart is a relatively innocent child in the Black family. He feels that he and Tom are already good friends, but Tom's gaze makes him realize that he doesn't know this person at all. He doesn't know about Tom and Tom's thoughts. Nor did he know the part of Tom's nature that Harry repressed.Watching Tom turn his attention back to the book, Alphat wanted to comfort him with something, but didn't know how to say it, and finally had to pretend that what just happened didn't happen.

Tom had really changed, Alfred came to this conclusion after careful observation.Tom's demeanor was still the same as before, even more elegant and decent, but his eyes no longer had the clarity of the past, but there was a bit of gloom that others could not detect.His smile has also changed, and it is even more difficult to find that heart-warming expression on the face of the young man who has few smiles. His elegant smile is very much like an exquisite mask.Arfart wanted to cheer up Tom, but no matter how hard he tried, he only got a glance or a sigh of resignation from Tom.

But Tom didn't realize what his roommate had done for him.Harry's no-show makes a heartbroken Tom turn his attention in another direction: his parentage.It has almost become the consensus of the entire Slytherin house that Riddle must come from a famous family, and Tom has officially started to investigate his own life experience after entering the school.Harry knew everything, Tom thought more than once, but for some unknown reason he always refused to reveal anything to himself, and Tom couldn't guess what the real reason was.With so few clues at hand, Tom decided to start with the surname Riddle and find out who his father was.

Hedwig brought home the letter Tom had sent Harry on Christmas night, untouched.Tom took down the letter with a blank expression, and threw it into the fireplace.After soothing the owl, who was exhausted from the long journey, Tom continued to search for clues in the book.Tom's actions couldn't be concealed from Alphard, who was extremely concerned about him.After learning that Tom wanted to check his own life experience, Alfred secretly got the family tree of the Black family from home to help Tom check it together.Tom was grateful in his heart, but there was no expression on his face.

It's almost a holiday, and Alfart was supposed to prepare for his exam, but Al insisted that he was so smart that there was no problem with the exam, so he stayed with Tom in the library to check everything.Tom didn't let Alfart tell the story. Accepting Al's help was already his bottom line. He didn't want others to know what he was looking for.

The term is finally over, and Tom is making no progress in his tracing of his past.The surname Riddle does not appear in any books related to magic.Tom read a lot of books on the history of magic, but he didn't even see Riddle's initials.

"Maybe you can look up Potter's surname." Alfred suggested on the train, "Potter's surname is much easier to look up. I think your guardian Harry must be someone from the Potter family. By the way, I can ask Charles Potter, Gryffindor seventh year, Aunt Doria's boyfriend, maybe he knows Harry?"

Tom was lost in thought.Tom hadn't seen Harry have anything to do with anyone named Potter in all these years.But if the surname Riddle has no clues, then starting with Potter is also a feasible way.

"Just ask around while chatting." Tom finally accepted Alfart's proposal. "I'm going to work in the bookstore in Diagon Alley during the summer vacation. You can come to Diagon Alley to find me."

"Perhaps Mr. Potter will come back during the summer vacation." Alfat saw his friend's thoughts and comforted him in a low voice.

Looking at his friend's sincere face, Tom tried his best to swallow the words he wanted to refute: "I hope so. Thank you, Al."

The long summer vacation has begun.Tom was still the only one living in the apartment in London, and another man with black hair and green eyes did not appear.Tom checked the vault that Harry had left for himself, and sure enough, as he expected, there were only a few Galleons in it, and he had to support himself.Tom returned to Hooper's bookstore to help the old man. When Hooper learned that Harry hadn't come back, he sighed deeply, but was comforted by Tom.

Tom hadn't completely lost hope. There was a small voice in his heart that kept telling him that Harry would come back, that he had made a promise with him.It's just that this voice is too small and is often ignored by Tom.Tom continued to search for his own background in his spare time.Arfart would visit Tom every time he came to Diagon Alley, and the two sighed after exchanging progress.No one in the Potter family could match up with Harry, so whether it was Riddle or Potter, the clues were completely broken.

Alex found Tom reading a book behind a counter in Diagon Alley at the end of July.Tom had only seen the man once after school, and that was when he followed Dumbledore back to school and Alex himself came to explain it to him.But Tom was in a bad mood at that time. Although he was very concerned about Harry's condition, Tom just listened to Alex quietly and said coldly after Alex finished speaking, "Is that all you want to tell me?" Quickly left Dumbledore's office, so didn't hear the reason why Harry wouldn't come besides his research and the hunt of the dark wizard.Alex is also very busy. His father intends to hand over the family business to this playful young man. For this reason, this Gryffindor quit his job at the Ministry of Magic and imitated his grandfather everywhere. Travel, which is why he went to Germany.

Tom asked Hooper for leave and followed Alex to the sunny cobblestone road outside the bookstore.Alex bought Tom a chocolate nut ice cream. Tom frowned. He didn't like sweet food like ice cream, but Alex obviously had something to say, so he whispered thank you.

"You ran away before I finished talking last time." Alex said to Tom while eating his share of blueberry ice cream, "Harry was targeted by a dark wizard in Germany, so I can't reply to your letter. I hope you don't resent him for it."

Tom frowned, looked up at the gray-eyed man sitting opposite him, and poked the silver long-handled spoon into the dessert in the glass with some irritability: "I don't resent him. Harry wants to throw it away." I am not a day or two, although he promised."

Tom's voice was almost a whisper, but Alex still heard his last words clearly, and couldn't help but frown: "Harry never thought of losing you, why would you think so?"

The black-haired and black-eyed boy frowned, poking at the ice cream that was gradually melting, without saying a word.

Alex stroked his arrogant short hair helplessly.As he grows older, Tom is no longer the well-behaved little boy he saw for the first time. He has become more and more unpredictable as Harry said.A child who is less than 13 years old has such a complex expression on his face.Harry, your godson is really difficult to deal with, Alex glared gloomily at the uncovered sky above.

"Alex." Seeing Alex staring at the sky and not speaking, Tom was slightly displeased, "Did you call me out of the store just to discuss the matter between me and Harry?"

"Of course it's more than that." Alex withdrew his gaze and stared at the boy sitting opposite him, "I'm leaving England for Germany in a few days, and I'm going to visit Harry on the way. Do you have anything for me? brought him something?"

Of course there is!Tom's first instinct was to yell at the damn guy, but that was clearly unrealistic.He couldn't send Harry a Howler letter, then Harry might actually lose him.

"No." Tom said the word dryly at last, and began to eat the ice cream that had melted in front of him.

"No?" Alex stared at the opposite boy in disbelief.It's not that he doesn't know how deep the child's affection for Harry is.He and Harry were old friends, and Alex would visit Harry here on his travels since meeting them six years ago.Tom had always followed Harry like a little tail, obediently helping him, annoyed at how he teased the children.The boy's cheeks were gradually losing the tenderness he was familiar with and becoming more defined, but Alex firmly believed that some things would never change.

"You're not a kid anymore, Tom." Alex changed his smile, "Don't get angry because of this."

"Preaching isn't for you, Alex." Tom said coldly, "I really don't have anything to give Harry." Tom frowned impatiently, "If you must bring something, please bring it for me." I'll take him a word and I'll take care of myself as well as he expects."

"You're still angry, Tom." Alex reached out and rubbed the boy's neatly combed black hair, "It's still the same as before."

"Alex!" cried Tom angrily. "Don't treat me like a child!"

"Harry will come back." Alex watched Tom stretch out his hand to smooth the rumpled black hair, and said gently but firmly, "If he really wants to throw you away, I'll tie him back for you."

Tom froze for a moment, narrowed his eyes and stared at Alex: "Is this the condition for you to rub my hair?"

Alex raised his eyebrows: "I think this is a good deal."

"Very good." Tom stared into the man's eyes, "Deal!"

Alex stared dumbfounded as Tom conjured up a quill, an ink bottle, and a piece of parchment, quickly wrote a contract, and handed the quill and parchment to himself.

"I hope you won't break the contract." Tom looked into Alex's steel-gray eyes, and pointed to the blank space in the lower right corner of the parchment, "You will bring Harry to me when he doesn't want to come back to me." I."

"Very good, very good." It took Alex a long time to come to his senses, and he signed his name on the parchment, "It seems that you learned a lot in school, right?"

Tom put away the parchment and gave Alex a bright smile.