Lost Cub

Chapter Eleven

Tom was furious with himself, and he also felt incredibly guilty.

How much had he done to hurt that poor child?

One: show up at the Potter's house on Halloween. True, his intention had been to just take a look at the prophecy child, but Dumbledore had been there, and their duel had killed both Lily and James, and the Killing Curse Dumbledore had shot at Tom had bounced off of the babe before hitting him. Because of that, the child had gone to his Muggle relatives, and Tom could see all the signs of abuse... and he knew what those were because he'd had a mirror when he'd gone to Hogwarts.

Which was three points in one, technically....

Two: set a troll loose on the third floor. He'd thought that all of the students were in the Great Hall, but when he'd arrived, having Quirrell announce the arrival of a troll, the child was missing. He'd been even more horrified to discover that Hunter was trapped in the bathroom with the troll just outside....

How many more mistakes would he make before he accidentally killed the submissive werewolf?

Quirrell was upset, too, but not as upset as Tom. The professor, while feeling incredibly affectionate of the shy little boy, was not a dominant vampire, therefore it was not ingrained in his head to protect submissives.

It was not your fault, Lord Slytherin, that my little heir was hurt, a voice said quietly in his head. Tom recognized Hogwarts' voice; the school hadn't spoken to him since he'd a student.

Who else is to blame? Tom thought back bitterly.

Dumbledore, and Ronald Weasley. Dumbledore is to blame for James' and Lily's deaths -- he cast the Killing Curses, not you -- and he was the one to give little cub to the Dursleys.

Tom blinked. He'd never heard Hogwarts speak with so much hatred, even when talking about Dumbledore.

And Ronald Weasley insulted little cub's friend, Miss Granger, so badly that she went to hide in the bathroom. If he had not insulted her, she would be at the feast and little cub would never had to have gone to comfort her. However, Ronald is a child, and does not know the damage he has done... well, not until now.

Hogwarts' tone was slightly smug. Tom wondered briefly what she'd done, then decided he didn't want to know. Sometimes she was as mischievous as the dominant vampire twins in Gryffindor....

You must protect little cub from Dumbledore, Hogwarts said firmly. To do that, you must be in your true form. I will aid you to the Stone.

Tom's jaw dropped, and he heard Quirrell make a noise of discomfort. What?! Didn't I endanger the students by letting a troll loose?!

Your intention was not to hurt the children, as you knew they would all be in the Great Hall, and that Dumbledore would send them to their House dormitories, all of which are far away from the third floor corridor. And this is not a reward, Tom.

Tom sighed. Thank you, anyway, Lady Hogwarts.

It's my pleasure. As long as you make sure Snape knows that little cub is not the spoiled brat he thinks he is.

Anger flared in Tom's chest. Oh, he'd show Severus the truth, all right... after he'd made him scream a few times.... No one would hurt Hunter!

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Ronald Weasley was not stupid.

He wasn't, really! He just didn't think before he acted.

So when his older brothers, who had been watching Hunter Potter from afar, locked him in a closet and shouted at him for hours to stop being a stupid, spoiled brat or they would hex him sideways, he realized he'd been -- well, a stupid spoiled brat.