[HP] Dearest Enemy

Harry's eyelids twitched and he frowned, "Tom works in Knockturn Alley?"

Dumbledore nodded.

"What did he do?" Harry sat up nervously.

Dumbledore sat down in the chair beside Harry's bed and told what he had seen and heard in detail.

After listening to Dumbledore's narration in silence, Harry didn't speak for a long while.

"Do you know what Tom does in Knockturn Alley?" Dumbledore asked again at last.

Harry shook his head: "I've followed Tom a few times before, but I haven't seen him go to Knockturn Alley."

"He's been working there for a long time," said Dumbledore. "Many people know him well, and you know what that means. You haven't paid enough attention to him, Harry."

Harry didn't dare look up into Dumbledore's eyes, knowing the elder was blaming him.Tom had never mentioned Knockturn Alley to himself, and Harry speculated that he must have been there, but had never caught evidence.

"I'm sorry, it was my mistake." Harry said softly, he was ashamed of himself, he hadn't been so ashamed in front of Dumbledore for so many years that he wanted to disappear.

"Tom is a very clever boy." Dumbledore said with a sigh. "If I hadn't followed him for a whole day, I wouldn't have thought there was anything unusual about his behavior."

Harry pursed his lips and turned to look at his colleague: "Albus, what are you... planning to do?"

"If he doesn't do similar things anymore, I won't do anything to him." Dumbledore said, "But the rules of survival in Knockturn Alley are different from those in Diagon Alley, and it's hard for you and me to guarantee that he will do something again." What."

"But he's still at school," said Harry immediately. "We still have a chance."

"It's hard for a man to change his nature, Harry," said Dumbledore, changing his tone to a softer tone. "He's at school, by your side, and will no doubt restrain himself. But Tom is an adult, Once he leaves Hogwarts, even you can hardly guarantee what kind of path he will take in the future. If he becomes Voldemort, then the consequences will be disastrous."

"No, Albus." Harry gripped the sheets tightly and raised his voice, so nervous that he had to gasp, "Give him another chance, Tom has changed, he's not the same as that monster! "

"Harry, can you guarantee that he won't become that kind of person?" Dumbledore asked in a deep voice, "Are you absolutely sure that Tom won't go down that road?"

"This is what I have always been doing." Harry took a deep breath, "I did not kill Tom as a baby 17 years ago, and I made up my mind not to let Tom follow Voldemort's old path. In I made a lot of mistakes with Tom, but I never felt that letting him live was a wrong decision." The green-eyed man looked up into the blue eyes behind the upper half-moon lenses, "No one should do anything for him. It took me a long time to understand that. I went back to this time and space and changed history so that I didn’t kill him again or let him kill him. Tom wasn’t that guy.”

Dumbledore looked into Harry's eyes, his penetrating gaze made Harry feel that he had seen through him from the inside out.But he wasn't afraid of such gazes.Dumbledore had more to carry than him, and Harry understood why Dumbledore was so cautious.

"Can you make sure of that?" Dumbledore asked solemnly.

"I can." Harry replied firmly.

Dumbledore nodded, and his scrutiny eyes finally softened: "You love him very much, Harry."

"I love him like my child." Harry smiled unnaturally as his heart moved, "I am his godfather and I will be responsible for him."

When Tom first learned of his life experience, he once hugged him and said a word, he said that Harry was his dearest person.Even if they both hide something from each other, even if they don't fully trust each other, the chains of affection cannot be broken.Because of Tom, Harry's desire to go back to the future has faded a lot. If it weren't for this, he would have lived in St. Mungo's or died in an experimental accident a few years ago; Leisure time is no longer the focus of life.As Dumbledore said, he loves this child, wants to see him become an outstanding person, wants to see him in high spirits, and wants to see him live in peace and contentment.

But before that, he had to solve the trouble in front of him.

"When can I leave the hospital?" Harry asked.

"The healer says you'll have to stay for at least a month," Dumbledore replied, "so you'll have to stay until the end of your vacation."

"That won't work." Harry shook his head. "I can't spend all my time here."

Dumbledore gave Harry a sharp look, obviously knowing what his colleague was thinking: "I'm afraid I would disagree, Harry."

"I know my body very well." Harry insisted stubbornly, "I just need to come over for a check-up once a week."

"When you go to see Tom now, you will undoubtedly tell him that you are in a bad state," said Dumbledore. "Stay in peace for another week, and Alex will be back soon. If your body recovers in two weeks Well done, I'll help you convince your therapist to release you early."

Dumbledore's tone suggested that the matter was over.Harry sighed and paused for a moment, then called to Dumbledore who had stood up and was about to leave: "Albus, can I take care of Tom's business?"

Dumbledore looked at him for a while, then finally nodded: "Okay. Good night, Harry."

"Good night, Albus."

"Dumbledore told me you wanted to leave the hospital," said the therapist after examining Harry's body. "Your recovery is rapid, there is no doubt about it. But there is something that we can't find out that is preventing you from recovering." Magic, you get tired easily. I don't agree with you being discharged from the hospital at this time, and you have to observe for a while."

"But I feel great," said Harry. "I don't think there's anything wrong at all."

"The harm of the spell is potential." The therapist said helplessly, "No matter how you feel, I still stick to my diagnosis."

Harry shook his head helplessly.When it came to talking about his patients, the therapists' insistence often overwhelmed him.

The therapist is gone.However, not long after, a guy with all his hair combed back slowly opened the door and poked his head in.

"Alex!" Harry looked at his friend in surprise.Dumbledore hadn't told him when Alex would be back, and he thought he wouldn't see him until at least next week.

"Hey, buddy." Alex ran in with a grin and carefully closed the door of the ward, "I'm so glad to see you're still alive, the guy who just walked out looked so ugly."

"That was my therapist, and I told him I wanted to leave the hospital." Harry gave a wry smile, then stretched out his arms to hug his best friend.

"Dumbledore told me that you were planning to blow yourself up." Alex let go of Harry and looked at him carefully. "You look like a vampire now, and you still want to be discharged from the hospital?"

Harry smiled shyly and changed the subject: "What did Dumbledore tell you?"

"He told me that you were messing with your research again, and then nearly blew yourself up in the lab with a spell." Alex stroked his hair, "You insist on not telling that brat in your family that he was hospitalized , and no one came to take care of it. So I reluctantly came to be your house-elf."

"As for the house elves, Kaka has been taking care of me." Harry snapped his fingers as he spoke, and an elf wearing a tea towel with the Hogwarts crest appeared immediately, "She is very responsible."

"Professor Potter, Professor Palampion." The elf bowed deeply to the two.

"Give us two cups of tea, if you please," said Harry.The elf bowed again and disappeared with a snap.

"But elves won't entertain you, dear Harry." Alex sat down on the chair next to Harry's bed, "unless you like to listen to their endless chatter."

Harry laughed.He could never quite relax around Dumbledore, but he could when around Alex.His buddies don't laugh at him, or make him unwittingly tense.It was always easy for him to put Harry at ease.

The tea was served soon, and the two chatted and drank tea, and finally Harry's first smile appeared on his face since he was admitted to the hospital.

"I heard Tom was working during the holidays." Alex said, "You still haven't let him know about your hospitalization. What, why did your kid make you angry?"

"It doesn't really make me angry." Harry said flatly, "Tom is an adult, and it will be good for him to exercise outside."

"Does he exercise less?" Alex tilted his head slightly and squinted at his friend, "He has been working in Diagon Alley since the summer vacation of the first grade, and there is no shortage of opportunities to exercise. There is still this semester , " Alex leaned forward, "You two are like strangers, what's wrong? You are a family, it's not good to be like enemies."

Harry shook his head. "This is between Tom and me. Talk about something else, Aaron."

Alex raised his eyebrows and curled his lips.He could guess what was going on between Harry and Tom, but lacked obvious evidence.But since Harry didn't want to talk, he couldn't dig too deep.

"Not as busy as Dumbledore, I have a lot of time to spend the whole day here with you." Alex leaned back in the chair relaxedly, resting his head on his hands, "I asked the doctor Master, as long as it doesn't disturb your rest, I can do anything here."

"You don't feel bored?" Harry asked with a smile, "Didn't you say that as long as you stay in the room, you will be bored?"

"That's in the manor." Alex waved his hand, "Staying in that kind of place will make people feel suffocated."

"I don't think so." Harry took a sip of tea, "I think the manor is very nice."

Alex smiled, but the smile was not as clear as usual: "If you grew up there as the sole heir of the Palampion family, then you would definitely not like it there."

Harry nodded understandingly: "Your father still asks you to inherit him?"

Alex made a gesture between a nod and a shrug: "In fact, I have been urging him to remove my heir status. The Palampion family does not need someone like me."

"Alex," said Harry softly, "Mr. Palampion will be very upset."

Alex shook his head indifferently: "Man, don't worry about me. Dumbledore said that he and Principal Dippet have explained to the board of directors for you, if your body is fine, next year's Defense Against the Dark Arts It’s still up to you to teach. You have to be careful, if there is another similar accident, you will have to be forced to resign.”

"There won't be a next time," said Harry. "It's enough for me."

Alex stared at Harry for a long time, and Harry was terrified by him.

"Aaron, don't look at me like that," Harry protested.

But Alex laughed. "You're too skinny, Harry. I've got to put you on some weight during this time, or your students will think you're abusing yourself when school starts."

Harry smiled bitterly: "Is it that serious?"

"Absolutely!" Alex nodded seriously and stood up, "I'll ask the therapist, your diet needs to be rearranged."

"Wait, Aaron!" Harry wanted his friend to stop, but Alex made a face at him, opened the door and walked out.