A Little Help from a Snake // Tomarry

33: Harry the Heinous*

Revised: November 19, 2021

Self care is replacing a scene with a different, better one.

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Summary: Tomalongadingdong's not the only one with nicknames

"Tom, Tom! Guess what?"

The diary, which had been left in the Chamber until after things cooled down, glowed briefly before Tom appeared. Harry skidded to a halt and narrowly avoided crashing into him.

"What is it?" Tom asked.

"I don't have to go back to the Dursleys," Harry said breathlessly.

Tom's eyes lit up and he quite literally picked Harry up and spun around in midair, making him yelp.

'No more Dirtleys, no more Dirtleys!' Azure was chanting, moving back and forth in front of Athanasia, who had come out to hear what Harry had to say.

'Disgusting Muggles,' Athanasia hissed, shaking her great head. 'Can't hurt Tomling's Harry anymore.'

"Nope," Harry said smugly. "And that's not all. Dumbledore's reputation is starting to crumble."

"Good." Tom smirked. Just thinking about getting one over Dumbledore sent a thrill of satisfaction up his spine. "And the Gryffindors? How did they react?"

The exuberance faded from Harry's eyes. "Not well. Can't blame them, really. They looked up to him."

"Yes." Tom looked up at the ceiling, his eyes dark with satisfaction. "But not anymore."

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry watched Ron take a few steps, then pause with a conflicted expression. This had been going on for the past few days, and during meals, Harry would catch sight of Ron and Hermione talking with their heads close to each other. So Harry just waited. Ron would speak when he was ready.

"Um, Harry? Can I talk to you?"

There it was. Harry turned to face him. Beside him, Draco's face twisted into a sneer. "Not alone, you can't."

Ron just sighed wearily. "Okay."

The sneer slipped from Draco's face at this uncharacteristic weariness.

"Harry, I just wanted to —" Ron fumbled but didn't stop "— to apologize. For treating you so badly. You and your friends." He nodded to Draco and Pansy.

"Thank you," said Harry.

"I'm not asking if we can be friends or anything, but can we — I don't know... start over?"

Harry considered this for a long moment. Ron didn't look as though he were expecting Harry to say yes, but he did look sincere.

"Okay." Harry held out his hand. "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

Ron brightened and he accepted. "Ron Weasley."

He yelped as Azure's head popped up over Harry's shoulder. 'And I'm Azure the Awesome!'

'No, you aren't,' said Harry. To Ron, he said, "This is Azure the Annoying."

'Better than Harry the Heinous.'

Ron shot a bewildered look to Draco, who shrugged. "I sleep in the same dorm as them."

"And I share the same house," added Pansy.

"My condolences," said Ron before making his escape. In hindsight, maybe Harry not being in Gryffindor was a good thing.

Severus made his way to Remus' office and knocked on the door.