How to Prevent a War

New Year's Party

Harry followed obediently as Ron dragged him away from the Great Hall, followed by the other Weasleys and Hermione. The Slytherins were all busy catching up with each other anyway, after they had exhausted all their questions and congratulations for Tom and Harry.

He knew what was about to come of course, and honestly, he couldn't really blame them either. They'd all reacted well with the others around, but he expected at least one lecture about how stupid and dangerous it was to date the enemy. Not that Harry really considered Tom an enemy anymore at this point. The older teen was smart and charming and he could do just as much good than he did bad, maybe even more if he set his mind to it.

At last, they arrived at the Caretaker's office and the twins took the lead. They threw open the door with a loud bang as it hit the wall and strode in, followed by a fuming Ginny and Ron holding onto Harry, dragging him inside forcefully while Hermione strolled behind them with a deep frown etched onto her face. Sirius looked up from the paper he had been reading which had a large headline about a murdered couple in Diagon Alley.

"What's happening? Something attacking us?" the adult male asked, jumping up from his seat warily.

"Harry's dating Riddle!" Ron exclaimed.

Sirius raised an amused eyebrow and relaxed a bit.

"I know," he replied chuckling.
"They've been connected by the lips since Christmas."

"That must have been one hell of a Christmas present," Fred snorted.

The youngest two Weasleys didn't see the joke in the whole thing and glared at Harry.

"How could you do this, Harry?" Ginny asked softly.
"After everything he's done to all of us, to you!"

"He didn't do anything. That was all Voldemort."

"He is Voldemort!" Ron exclaimed angry, wincing slightly as he said the name.

"Not the same one," Harry gritted out.
"Tom never opened the Chamber, he never killed my parents and he never killed Cedric. I can prevent that from happening!"

"How can you be so sure?" George asked quietly.

Harry sighed and carded his hands through his hair. He looked at his friends, all looking at him expectantly. Ginny and Ron were glaring, and Fred and George didn't look too happy with him either.

"I don't," he conceded reluctantly.
"But everyone deserves a second chance."

"Not him!" Ginny hissed furiously.

"Yes him! That's what we came to do!"

"Harry's right," Hermione cut in.
"We came to stop Riddle. If that can be done peacefully, all the better."

"It's Riddle! We can't trust him not to cut Harry into pieces and not send us his head with a nice postcard," Ron growled.

"I can take care of myself!" Harry shouted aggravated.
"I'm your friend! Least you can do is trust me, even if you can't trust Tom."

The twins deflated visibly, and Hermione smiled. The brunette walked up to him and hugged Harry tight.

"Of course we trust you, Harry!" she said as she let go of him again.
"I'm really happy for you and Tom, just, be careful, alright?"

"I am, don't worry."

. . . . .

"You're a right bastard, you know that?" Harry hissed the second he spotted Tom lounging in the common room.