A Little Help from a Snake // Tomarry

2: And They Were Soulmates*

Revised: March 14, 2022

There are a couple important notes for new readers (and a reminder for rereaders) at the bottom.

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Summary: Oh my gosh, they were soulmates.

'Hatchling? Harry, are you okay?'

Harry managed to mumble something back incoherently and opened his eyes a crack.

"You're awake," the goblin healer said, sounding slightly surprised. "Can you sit up?"

Harry blinked a few times and slowly pushed himself upright. "I feel weird."

The healer helped Harry stand up and led him to the mirror on the wall. Harry looked at himself. He still looked relatively the same, except now he had grown a bit taller and was less scrawny. "Hm," he muttered to himself. "Maybe I'll actually grow over five feet."

Azure let out a hissed chuckle and even the healer looked amused. "Are you feeling well enough to speak with Griphook?"

"Yes, ma'am."

The healer once again directed him, this time back to the room where Harry had been previously.

Griphook jumped right to it. "Mr. Potter, I have been reviewing the parchment and noticed something very interesting."

Very interesting could mean very good or very bad, so Harry leaned forward with some trepidation.

At the bottom of the parchment, under the compulsions that were no longer on him, read:

Soulmate: Tom Riddle

Harry tilted his head. "Who's Tom Riddle?"

Griphook looked at him steadily. "You know him as Lord Voldemort."

Harry froze. Beside him, Azure lifted her head. 'That explains it.'

Harry turned to her. 'Explains what?'

'Why he couldn't kill you,' Azure said. 'Legend has it that soulmates cannot willingly try to kill each other.' She tilted her head in that way Harry came to know as a snake shrug. 'Or so I've heard.'

Harry's mind was still trying to process the first bit of information. "My soulmate, as in the person I am meant to be with, is the Dark Lord?"

"The parchment doesn't lie, Mr. Potter," said Griphook.

"I know, it's just a lot to take in." Harry ran a hand through his hair. "How is this supposed to work? How can I be his soulmate? He's gone!"

"Gone, yes," said Griphook. "But that does not mean he is dead."

Harry closed his eyes briefly. He had to get out before he did something asinine like scream. "Shall we go over the vaults?"

Griphook diplomatically ignored the waver in his voice. "We shall."

Once Harry had everything he needed, including his trust key, he left Gringotts. He let his bangs cover up his forehead, knowing that as soon as people saw the scar it would be chaos.

His first stop, per Azure's suggestion, was Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, where he was greeted by a squat, smiling witch. "Hogwarts, dear? Got the lot here — a young lady being fitted up just now, in fact."

A girl with dark, curly hair looked up as Harry stepped onto a stool next to her.

"Hey," she said.