Lord of time (chapter 41-107)

43

"Irene may we have use of your office for a brief interval?" Dippet asked a frown still present on his face. The Aurors had brought the letter they had anonymously received, and the writing was familiar enough that he knew who had sent it. Albus had tried to hide his most obvious handwriting traits, but he wasn't anyone and was very familiar with his deputy Headmasters writing, the way he looped the y, g and a was extremely telling. He didn't understand why he would write such a disgusting letter, Tom was just a young boy, and he had seen how desolate and pale he had become upon reading the newspaper. He felt awful at the way the young orphan had found out about his family. Now this? Albus accusing the lad of having something to do with it when it was obvious what had happened. No he was quite frankly flummoxed at what Albus was doing, and he was very disappointed that he would mark Tom's name on a feeble suspicion. He wasn't sure whether to call Albus out on it or let the matter rest and keep an eye on things. If Albus kept this vindictive streak against a fifteen year old student it meant he truly wasn't the best bet for being his deputy headmaster. It had been in his thoughts especially after Albus giving three years worth of homework to Hadrian, a boy who had been tortured and hurt beyond his comprehension.

"Of course, it's empty at the moment, go on through," Irene Chang said, happy enough to let the Headmaster and Aurors use her office.

"Tom?" the Headmaster said as he approached the teenager's bed, "Do you have a minute to speak with the Aurors?"

"Now why would the Auror's need to speak with my student?" Horace demanded before Tom could reply, eyes narrowed as if he sensed a threat against his snakes.

"We need to ask him a few questions," Auror Aaron Moody said trying to soothe the irate teacher who had his arms on his hips looking to protest loudly.

"Not without my presence, I am his head of house and he is my ward while he is within these walls," Horace replied immediately none of his suspicion leaving him.

"He's correct of course," Dippet confirmed it was in the rules, "Legally you cannot speak to him without his head of house and the headmaster present."

"Why do you need to talk to him at all?" Hadrian asked, already knowing the answer but knowing that any friend would ask that exact question.

"It's a private matter, we merely need his help," Prewitt commented, they weren't in the business of revealing private details of everyone's lives or worse questioning them in front of others. They weren't legally allowed to reveal any information to anyone actually unless they were directly involved. He could feel the eyes of all the students boring into him, all trying to listen in on what was revealed so they could gossip about it.

Tom gracefully moved out of the bed, standing up without a single sign that the Dementors had even affected him, and perhaps they had not. He rounded the bed and stalked over to the office, looking as if he was the one doing the leading, much to the amusement of the adults, who of course, assumed Tom, was just eager to get this over with.

Horace was the first to walk after Tom, and quickly got enough seats conjured for everyone who would be at this little meeting. His mind whirling, wondering what on earth they would need Tom's 'help' for, not that he believed it was to 'help' them there was something going on and he wanted to get to the bottom of it quickly.

"Now what is this about? Tom needs to rest, he's had quite an eventful class this morning," Slughorn said imperiously, sitting up straight and staring at the Aurors.

"Just a few questions," Prewitt said, trying once more to calm Slughorn down.

"What do you need to know?" Tom asked staring at the Aurors, his face set in a serene mask, keeping his suspicion and fury tucked away. If Hadrian was right and Dumbledore had done this, he was going to make sure the old fool paid for this. Dumbledore couldn't have any proof whatsoever, yet he'd called on the Aurors? On HIM! Calming himself, Hadrian's voice echoed in his mind that he could do this. Of course he could, he'd charmed almost everyone he had met. He knew what others thought of him, 'brilliant but parentless, so brave and a model student' even Horace knew he was going to go places in society.