[HP] Dearest Enemy

Tom had never known before that Harry enjoyed life some of the time too, and the weather today was indeed fine for a walk.The breeze is soft and gentle, the clear lake is sparkling, the sun is bright but not dazzling, the vibrant woods, the ancient castle and the students playing or reading on the grass... everything is so perfect, just like the landscape painting on the wall , although being in it, it makes people feel a little unreal.

Harry put his hands in his trouser pockets, just watched, listened, and walked without saying a word, savoring the comfort and tranquility of the early summer afternoon.Tom followed him, also silent, feeling that the panic caused by the sudden appearance of the green-eyed man dissipated quietly.It's nice to go for a walk now and then, Tom thought lightly, though it's a waste of time.

"Tom, do you usually go out for a walk?" Harry asked suddenly.

Tom shook his head.He always has a lot of things to do during the day, so he prefers to wander alone in the castle or the Forbidden Forest at night, as if the whole world is his own, and no one will disturb him.

"I forgot, you always like to go out for a walk after curfew," said Harry, but there was no reproach on his face.

Tom was watching him, and it was strange that Harry was saying something that didn't make sense.

"Harry, what exactly do you want to say to me?" Tom hesitated for a moment, but asked directly.

Harry turned to look at him.Suddenly meeting those emerald eyes, Tom suddenly felt his mouth was a little dry, and his heartbeat that had just calmed down began to speed up again.

"Just a walk and a chat," said Harry calmly. "Am I wasting your time?"

"No." Tom quickly denied, and said after a pause, "I was just surprised."

This is indeed surprising.Usually Harry is busy, either his work or his research, Tom rarely sees him out of his office.If Alex and Harry hadn't played Quidditch with Harry during the winter break, Tom wouldn't have known his godfather was so good at flying.It turned out that Harry never liked being trapped indoors, he preferred to be free to do what he wanted in the sun.

"Sorry, Tom," Harry said softly.

"What?" The black-eyed boy looked at the man beside him in surprise, and stopped in his tracks.What did Harry eat wrong today?This is not like usual him.

"I'm not a good father." Harry said softly, and also stopped, "I have never been able to get rid of my prejudice against you before, and it wasn't until recently that I realized how stupid I was then."

"You mean around the time you left me for Europe?" Tom took a long time to start.

Harry shook his head: "Not only those years. When you were young, too, I always..." Harry paused, "I always thought of you as someone else. But you are not, I thought about it, You are not him."

Tom was confused.Harry took him for someone else?What the hell is going on here?

"I don't quite understand," said Tom slowly.

Harry curled the corner of his mouth and reached out to stroke the boy's cheek.Tom shuddered a little at the overly intimate gesture, but didn't move away from his hand.

"You don't need to know," said Harry calmly and softly. "It's all about me."

The man withdrew his hand and continued to walk forward. The boy frowned slightly and trotted two steps to keep up.The two of them didn't say anything else, and walked quietly along the lake to the vicinity of the Forbidden Forest.

"It's time for you to go back and study, Tom," said Harry. "Remember to come to me next week. It's the same old time."

"Okay." Tom nodded to Harry, turned around and took a few steps, looked around the quiet surroundings, and then walked back, hugging his godfather gently.

"In fact, I have forgiven you a long time ago." The young man blushed and whispered these words in the man's ear, then turned around and ran away like a fly.Harry couldn't help laughing at Tom's rarely embarrassed back.

"Are you sure it's here?" Tom turned his head and asked the little snake coiled on his shoulder, and the latter nodded with certainty.

"That's right here! Bernie told me this is the shortest way." Nagini twisted his body.Tom pursed his lips, and placed his hands on the cold and damp rough stone wall, feeling the chill invade his body from his palms along with the moisture on the wall.He was now standing with Nagini at the end of an underground corridor at least fifty feet lower than the Slytherin dungeons.This is the real entrance to the Slytherin Chamber of Secrets that the basilisk asked Nagini to tell Tom.According to Nagini's description, the entrance to the women's toilet on the third floor of the castle was just one of the exits reserved by Slytherin for the basilisk, and this one was the door for people to enter.

Tom held up the lighted totem and groped on the stone wall for a while, and he was relieved when he vaguely touched the totem that seemed to be the tail of a big snake.He risked being caught by Harry and came here following the little snake that had been entangled with him, not to circle around a dead end.But having said that, this secret passage is really not something that ordinary people can find, although it is not far from Slytherin's cellar.And judging from its closed state, Tom is sure that no one has been here for at least hundreds of years, but he still can't be sure if Harry, who has always been elusive, will suddenly reach out a hand from the darkness to grab him shoulders, with anger and helplessness on his face.

"Open." Tom took a step back, hissing.The giant snake totem on the stone wall quickly flashed a green light, and began to move slowly upwards, because the perennial closed door opened very slowly, and gave Tom the illusion that the entire corridor was shaking accordingly, as if the entire castle would be shaken Awake.After the stone door was fully opened, Tom waited a moment longer before raising his wand and stepping into the sticky and dense darkness.

"Bernie, I brought Tom." Nagini shouted happily inside.

However, the basilisk did not appear, Tom only saw the vague outline of a huge coiled body, and a hissing voice that was clearly different from Miss Snake sounded in the darkness: "Are you a descendant of Slytherin?"

"Yes, my name is Tom Riddle." Tom gripped his wand tightly, his body trembling uncontrollably.It's not out of fear, but out of excitement.

"My name is Bryant. Put out your wand, boy." The shadow moved, as if approaching the boy, "Or cover your eyes. As far as I know, you should be the last descendant of Salazar .”

"I am his only descendant." Tom said, extinguishing the light from his wand, with a low voice, "I am honored to meet you, Briente."

It was almost daylight when Tom left the Chamber of Secrets.He left Nagini in the kitchen, rubbed his eyebrows and walked towards the Slytherin lounge.It turned out that the Chamber of Secrets was divided into two by the statue of Salazar Slytherin. The outer one that he and Harry entered from the sewer last time was the laboratory that Slytherin used to study black magic. Tom just left It is the den of the basilisk, and the corridor leads directly to the room inside.Though tired, Tom didn't want to sleep.He talked to the basilisk all night, and although Slytherin hadn't left any magical tomes or even a scrap of parchment in the Chamber of Secrets, the basilisk knew far more than Tom had imagined.As expected of the King of Snakes, Tom secretly admired that the old basilisk knew far more things than the little guy Nagini.The basilisk was happy to have someone to talk to, and he even mentioned Slytherin's departure.But just like in "Hogwarts, a School History", Briente didn't know why Slytherin left at that time, he only remembered that when Slytherin said goodbye to him at the end, his voice was full of exhaustion and bitterness , at that time he had just been born less than two months old, but Slytherin was already an octogenarian.

Tom returned quietly to the bedroom.Arafate's bed curtain was still tightly drawn, obviously his friend was still fast asleep.He walked into the bathroom and took a hot shower, only then did he feel a little tired.After changing into pajamas, Tom lay on the bed and closed his eyes, feeling as if his body and consciousness were all trapped in a soft cloud, sleepiness invaded like half of the sea at high tide.

"Tom." Nagini's voice echoed far away, "Can I go play with Bernie?"

"Go." Tom said, wanting to reach out and stroke the little snake's head, but fell asleep in the next second.

"The latest flavor of biscuits, try it." Alex, who disappeared for a whole weekend, threw a beautiful candy box to his friend.Harry quickly caught the small box and smiled helplessly.

"I'm not Dumbledore." Harry laughed, "I don't eat snacks."

"It's blueberry, and for Dumbledore it's pure sugar and honey." Alex sat down on the corner of Harry's desk familiarly, "I know you don't eat snacks, but the old man came from the outside If you bring it back, you have to accept it."

"Mr. Palampion gave it to you?" Harry was very surprised, he clearly remembered that Alex's father didn't like sweets very much either.

"My grandpa, you have seen his portrait." Alex said, "He is back, otherwise I will try to turn down all the banquets and arrangements of the old man."

"Think more about your father." Harry put the box in a dark corner of the shelf by the window. "He's just a son like you."

"Anyway, the old man said, don't force me if I don't want to." Alex shrugged indifferently, "Happy life always comes first."

That's like what someone who likes to travel around the world would say.Harry shook his head and sat down in his chair.

"Going out for a drink tonight?" Alex asked, and Harry shook his head.

"Tom is coming tonight."

Alex raised an eyebrow: "Is all his prefect's little things done?"

Harry nodded.Alex curled his lips: "You are too partial to your godson, dear Harry, I would be jealous."

"Is there anything wrong with my preference for Tom?" Harry spread his hands, "He's my child."

"Okay, okay." Alex raised his hand in surrender, "Then I won't bother you and your precious godson tonight, and I have to go back to the manor for another night. When we are free, we will Go have another drink."

"As soon as the OWLS exams are over, we'll be free," said Harry. "Don't worry, Aaron, it's only a few weeks away."

"Sounds really fast." Alex jumped off Harry's desk, "I should go, I haven't given him Dumbledore's box of biscuits yet."

Tom expected to see that restless spiky-haired guy in Harry's office again, but Alex didn't show up all night.But Tom has seen him at school during the day, is this guy busy?

"What's the matter, Tom?" Harry asked after noticing the boy's expression.

"Alex," said Tom, "I thought he'd be here today."

"He has some personal business to attend to today," said Harry. "As you may have heard, Mr. Palampion just returned from abroad two days ago."

The black-eyed boy showed a sudden realization expression, so that guy probably won't appear in Harry's office these days.Thinking of this made Tom feel very happy.

"It's getting late, Tom, you should go back to sleep." Harry looked at his watch and stood up.Tom nodded and started packing his things, and Harry walked him to the office door.

"Then, good night, Harry." Tom said good night to his godfather as usual, but Harry didn't answer, reached out to cup the boy's cheek, and kissed Tom lightly on the forehead.

"You wanted a goodnight kiss," said Harry, smiling gently. "Sweet dreams, Tom."

Tom looked at his guardian in considerable amazement, his heart beating almost out of his chest.The black-eyed boy blushed, hurriedly opened the door, and left as if fleeing.

He he he he he really gave himself a goodnight kiss! ! !thought Tom, so shocked that when he finally came back to the cellar after a number of detours, his face was a strange mixture of shock and joy.Fortunately, no one was in the lounge at this time, so Tom went safely to his bedroom without being seen by anyone.

Except, of course, for Arafat and Nagini.

"Are you all right?" Alphat asked worriedly, looking at Tom with a drunken expression on his face in surprise.

"I'm fine," Tom replied happily, throwing his arms around his roommate's neck. "I'm just so happy."

"What happened?" Arafate was taken aback by his friend.But Tom just laughed and said nothing.

"It's time to go to bed, dear Al, good night." Tom said softly, the corners of his lips still curling up happily, and walked towards the bathroom.

One person and one snake looked at each other, and then stared at the door of the bathroom slammed shut, without recovering for a long time.