𝕯𝖊 𝕷𝖆 𝕸𝖚𝖊𝖗𝖙𝖊 [√]

3

Harry woke up dazed and confused. He was on something soft, and it smelled really good. He snuggled closer and frowned. Opening his eyes, Harry shot up into the large bed and looked around at his unfamiliar surroundings. He squinted his eyes as he made out blurred colors around him without his glasses.

A door opened, and Harry turned his head towards it. He saw a tall figure dressed in black coming towards him. "You're finally awake, huh?" the figure said, reaching for something and placing it in Harry's hand.

Realizing that it was his glasses, Harry quickly placed them in his nose before looking up at the figure. He yelped when he saw an older version of the Tom Riddle he had met in the chamber staring down at him.

"There is no need for you to worry. You have my word that I will not hurt you," Tom said as he sat carefully at the edge of the bed. I brought you something to eat," he said, pointing to the bedside table beside Harry, who looked over and saw a plate with toast and a cup of tea.

Harry looked at the food before frowning, not knowing if he should trust the man even as his stomach grumbled. "Where am I?" he asked, looking back at Tom.

"My home," Tom said. "I brought you here after you were beaten by those muggles on the playground," he said, and Harry's memory of Dudley and his friends flashed in his mind.

"You were the one who stopped them," He said, and Tom nodded.

"I was, though it seemed they had beaten you quite a bit before they chased you to where I was," he said, standing up and moving towards the nightstand and picking up the plate with the toast. I had to give you a few potions to heal the broken bones and other injuries you had; they made you sleep for a while, so I know you're hungry," he said, placing the plate on the bed beside Harry.

"How long have I been asleep?" Harry asked, hesitantly picking up the plate and taking a tiny bite of the toast.

"A week," Tom replied, and Harry looked up at him wide-eyed. So you see, if I wanted to hurt you, I would have already," he said, moving away from the bed and sitting in a chair by the window.

Harry watched the man cautiously as he ate the slice of bread and took a couple of sips of the tea. When he was done, Harry looked up and noticed that the man had fallen asleep in the chair.

Harry slid off the bed on wobbly legs and approached the tall man in the chair. As the teen stood looking at the man, he noticed dark bags under his sunken eyes. Harry pulled the sheet off the bed and placed it over the man before looking around the room.

He spotted an open door and stumbled towards it. He hoped it was the bathroom, as his bladder was killing him. He sighed happily when he saw that it was indeed the bathroom. He did his business and exited, only to be greeted by Tom, who was about to knock on the door. "Oh, thank Merlin," he said, scooping Harry up and bringing the shocked boy over to the bed.

"We have quite a few things to discuss, Potter," Tom said as he sat beside the bed's edge. "But first, the rules: you will stay here until it is time for you to go back to Hogwarts in the fall; you are to eat at least half of every meal placed in front of you; you are not to leave the grounds for your safety, I already locked the wards so no one can enter. For now, you are not allowed to send or receive owls," He said, and Harry frowned.

"Why are you being...nice to me?" He asked, and Tom looked at him with soft eyes for a moment.

"Because I was once in your position where I needed someone to be nice to me as well," He said before standing. "Try not to do anything to strain; your body will have to build up its strength again. If you need anything, call for Cappy," And with that, he exited the room.

Harry sat on the bed for a few minutes before he laid down, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.

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Word count: 726

Re-published: April 28, 2024, 6:30 am

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