He hated his cupboard. It was too small, dusty and he often hit his head on the underneath of the stairs when he stood upright. But Harry had no choice other than to live there, when he wasn't doing chores, of course. He was hungry and a bit cold, but also angry; letters have been arriving for him each day for some time now and still his Uncle forbid him to have a single one. He had argued the matter and the result was being locked inside his cupboard without supper.

'I hate this.' Harry grumbled to no one in particular as he sat on his makeshift bed and crossed his arms. 'They're my letters...they're for me!' He scowled angrily. His head began to throb as it had been since he'd the nightmare about the green flash and scream again two nights ago, although it had never made his forehead hurt for so long before. Harry rubbed his scar while still thinking about how he wished he was strong enough to snatch the letters from his uncle's hands and tear them open to read. He was so infuriated that he even envisioned another “strange incident” like when he had appeared on the school roof when Dudley had been chasing him or how his hair had grown back after his aunt had hacked it off. He thought of his uncle turning into a prune and being squashed, he thought of his aunt turning into a horse and Dudley...well, his cousin was already practically a pig.

Harry gasped as his scar hurt more deeply and his head spun with dizziness. The cupboard suddenly seemed larger and his surroundings further away, but Harry had little time to take in the strangeness as he forced his eyes closed in effort to endure the pain. He heard something unfamiliar and a smoky vapor appeared before him as he re-opened his eyes and stared at it. He thought he saw a snake-like face, then there was a teenage boy in old-fashioned clothing and just as Harry thought he noticed a younger face; the cupboard burst into flames.

Harry yelped and inched away but each wall, the door and the stairs above were flickering with orange fire. Although he noticed that it didn't hurt him. The vapor was still scarcely visible behind the fire near the opposite wall and soon the flames split like curtains to reveal a boy standing bedside his bed. He stared at Harry for a moment in his grey shorts, high socks and black shoes as well as his grey shirt and slightly darker jacket. The flames vanished so quickly that Harry's eyes became unfocused for a moment as he stared at the strange boy who had somehow appeared inside his cupboard.

'Wh-who are you?' Harry demanded to know while the boy looked around their small space and ducked lightly to avoid the underneath of the stairs.

'Where am I?' The boy asked with a suspicious and untrusting glare and did not answer Harry's question.

'My cupboard.' Harry answered with a similar expression. 'There was fire and...you just...appeared.' He stared in shock to what had happened, still trying to decide if it had truly been real or not.

'Who are you?' He asked and while Harry frowned at not receiving an answer to his own question, he decided to reply anyway.

'Harry Potter.'

'Harry Potter?' The boy whispered and realization dawned on his face as though he was absorbing a vast pile of shocking knowledge all at once. 'Hello Harry Potter.' He held out a hand for him to shake.

'I'm Tom Riddle'.

'Nice to meet you, Tom.' Harry answered, still confused but reached out to shake the boy's hand anyway.

'I will explain what happened.' Tom said as he moved and on the edge of Harry's “bed” and stared at him with interest, now seemingly more aware of what was going on from the moment he learned the other boy's name.

'First, how old are you?' Tom asked with mildly masked curiosity and still appeared to be cautious.

'Eleven, in three days.' Harry replied as the shock was starting to wear off and he was eager to hear the boy's story, all while praying that his relatives didn't find him and make the other boy leave.

'I'm Eleven too.' Tom nodded. 'And ten years ago, your parents were killed by a different me.' He said, his tone never changed and nor did his expression. 'At this time, I am known as “Lord Voldemort” and he tried to kill you as well. But it didn't work, although a piece of himself and his powers were transfered into you by accident...that part is me. I am who he used to be.' Tom concluded.

'I...I was told that my parents died in a car crash.' Harry frowned.

'By who?' Tom inquired with a look that clearly showed annoyance.

'My aunt and uncle.' Harry answered and his anger towards them increased; he was also pleased when the other boy seemed to despise them as well even though he had never met them.

'Liars!' Tom spat. 'Voldemort murdered them.'

'But why? What did they do to you...I mean, him?' Harry clenched his fists and wasn't so sure if he wanted this boy to stay anymore.

Tom only shrugged. 'Something to do with a prophecy.' He said as his expression calmed. 'I am not sure.' Tom looked around their space once again with renewed interest.

'Why are we in a cupboard?'

'This is my room.' Harry blushed slightly while trying not to think upon the fact that this was a younger version of the evil man that had killed his family. 'Wait, you said his powers were transfered to me...what does that mean?'

Tom stared at him for a moment and then glanced upwards, seeing the little light bulb hanging above them and his eyes narrowed as he looked back at Harry. He now knew that there was nothing magical about the household in which they were in.

'Muggles.' He growled.

'What's a muggle?' Harry asked and wasn't sure if he should be concerned or not.

'Non-magic people.' Tom said. 'They're not a wizard like me. Or...like you.' He added although he seemed reluctant with including Harry. 'They have no magic at all.'

'Magic? Wizard?' Harry's eyes were wide. 'But I can't be a...a wizard!'

'You are.' Tom said with a note of finality and fell silent.

'What happens now?' Harry asked after a moment of the only sounds being the TV in the living room distance. 'You can't stay here, if they find you...' He started to worry, not realizing that his aunt and uncle weren't too far away and would have surely heard their chatter or else the strange fire.

'I can hide myself from anyone.' Tom revealed a little smugly. 'Only you can see or hear me. You speak to me with your mind and that way no one is suspicious.' He explained. 'If there is no room for me...I can disappear for a while.'

Harry felt a headache as he tried to take in everything he'd heard so far and closed his eyes for a brief moment just as the TV in the living room was switched off and the Dursleys headed to bed.

'Sleep.' Tom instructed firmly. 'You will see me tomorrow.' And then he faded away into vapor and Harry was left on his own once again. Or so it appeared.

'Sleep, Harry Potter.' The voice reached his ears and yet he felt it inside his head at the same time.

Seeing no other choice and with mental exhaustion sweeping over him, Harry lay down in his bed and tried to fall asleep. He dreamed of the green flash again that night, although his scar no longer hurt when he awoke.

'Up!' Petunia's voice pulled Harry from his slumber early the following morning. 'Get up! Now!'

'Rude muggle.' Tom said while covering his ears in effort to block her out. He pain no attention to the fact that he had startled Harry when the other boy noticed him standing exactly where he had the previous night. Harry pulled on his glasses quickly and sat upright but shook his head with a sigh and made his way out of the cupboard to begin his task of making breakfast for his relatives.

'There you are.' Petunia frowned at Harry while Tom moved out of the cupboard and lingered behind to look around curiously. 'Cook the breakfast and don't burn it!'

'Yes, aunt Petunia.' Harry sighed and moved to do as he was told while Tom slowly walked into the room, sidestepping out of Petunia's path as she headed into the living room. She may not hear or see him, but she would certainly had felt Tom and he expressed no desire to be touched by such a muggle nor discovered by anyone he displeased.

'What are you doing?' Tom stood beside Harry with his eyebrows narrowed. 'Cooking? Why aren't they doing it?'

'It's my job'. Harry said to him, only he heard the words inside his own head and realized that Tom had been right about voiding suspicion. He turned to see if the other boy (who was almost the same height as himself, he now noticed), to see if he had heard him.

'Is that all?' Tom questioned.

'I also clean, do gardening and stuff.' Harry shrugged.

'They treat you like a house-elf!' Tom was enraged by this although it was only shown in his eyes and clenched fists as well as his harshly whispered tone. His expression was more controlled but displeased all the same.

'What's-' Harry went to ask but Vernon's voice snapped him from the curiosity with his annoyed tone.

'Hurry up! Where's my coffee, boy?' He growled.

'Yes, Uncle Vernon.' Harry sighed and moved to pour the coffee into his cup that sat atop the table, waiting for him.

'I'm hungry!' Dudley declared as he entered the room and glared at Harry while he sat down into the chair beside Vernon.

'I think he has eaten enough.' Tom looked disgusted as he stared at Dudley and Harry had to suppress a snort of amusement.

He returned to cooking breakfast and placed the sausages on the plates provided and then put them on the table as his aunt returned and sat comfortably in her seat at the table.

'There are only three plates.' Tom observed with a hiss and turned sharply towards Harry, who was now standing in the corner of the kitchen to watch them eat.

'I feel your hunger,' Tom's tone changed quickly as he sounded merely curious. 'And yet you do not eat with them.' He sounded annoyed again; his mood swings were hard for Harry to keep up with.

'I eat afterwards, if there's anything left.' Harry felt ashamed to admit and stared at the floor.

CRASH!

A plate slid off the counter and smashed against the kitchen floor, causing the Dursleys and Harry to jump. Tom seemed unsurprised and turned to glare at Dudley, who was now choking and turning blue.

'Stop it!' Harry said when he realized what was going on while Vernon eyed him in fury and Petunia desperately tried to help Dudley.

Tom glanced at Harry and relaxed although his expression remained. The choking stopped and the plate rose back onto the counter as it repaired itself.

'You....You...' Vernon stood and waved a fat finger at Harry, who backed away slightly with nervous eyes. The owls chose that worst timing to attempt to deliver more letters.

'What is that?' Harry asked when he heard sounds coming from the living room and Tom turned quickly towards the noise also, all interest in the Dursleys gone. He left the kitchen and Harry followed, grinning in amazement when letters after letters erupted from the fireplace and rained down on him. He stood on a coffee table and reached for them while the Dursleys screamed and Vernon tried to stop him from getting a letter. Tom stood near the back and just stared at all the letters with mild fascination but kept his distance from what was going on.

'Come back here with that letter!' Vernon shouted when Harry ran from the room and tried to get into his cupboard. Tom paused but couldn't follow since Petunia and Dudley had blocked the way and they would surely notice him shoving past.

'They're my letters!' Harry yelled back and felt his uncle grabbing him. He fought as much as he could but knew that he was going to lose again his bigger and stronger uncle.

'That's it!' Vernon shouted. 'We're going away! Far away where they can't find us!'

Tom remained silent as the letters continued to rain, Harry continued to struggle and then as quickly as it had started...it stopped.

--

Within an hour, they had packed and were getting into the car. Vernon grabbed Harry by the scuff of his neck and shoved in in beside Dudley, who was looking nervous all whilst complaining about his TV shows. Harry saw Tom standing outside the car as he faded away to vapor and was glad to know that at least he wouldn't be alone.

'Tell me more about magic,' Harry asked Tom once he realized it was going to be a long drive and settled back in his seat. 'Who sent the letters? Do you know?'

'Hogwarts,' Tom answered. 'Albus Dumbledore.' He added and proceeded to fill Harry in on the details of their world and what to expect, such as shopping in Diagon Alley and riding the Hogwarts Express.

For two days they stayed at the shack on the rock out at sea. Harry came to realize that even though Tom could disappear into his mind, he still needed to eat, drink and stay warm like everyone else. Usually these were shared if he faded away (as harry called it), so the boys could share magic etc. Tom did this as little as possible because it was quite clear that he despised sharing in any form, but this eased up lightly when the nights were cold and they shared the blanket as they slept on the stone floor.

It was the end of July and the boys lay on their stomachs as Harry drew a cake in the dirt and checked Dudley's watch to see that it was almost midnight. He had managed to save a pair of overlarge pants for Tom when they had been forced to pack quickly; the other boy now wore them over his shorts to keep warm although he hated the clothes just as Harry did.

While Harry made a wish, Tom stared at him and pushed his mind into Harry's, using his learned power of Legilemens to find out what Harry was wishing for.

“A home away from the Dursleys with my new friend.” He had thought and Tom pulled back in surprise. Harry thought he was his friend? Even after what he'd told him his older self had done? And even though he still barely knew him at all?

Harry blew out the pretend candles and there was suddenly a loud knock at the door. Both boys quickly sat upright in surprise and Tom even got to his feet. He was also quite furious that he hasn't got his wand with him, making him feel more powerless than he usually was.

The knocking continued and increased in volume; even with the storm raging outside, everyone could hear it clearly. Dudley had bolted awake and his parents came downstairs. All three boys were startled to notice that Vernon was carrying a shotgun.

'Who's there?' Vernon asked and the knocking stopped. The door opened and revealed a tall figure dressed in black robes and with shoulder-length hair. He stepped out of the rain, seemingly dry, and eyed everyone in the room.

'You!' Petunia hissed when she recognized the man to be an adult Severus Snape.

'Yes. I see you have not changed at all, Petunia.' Severus frowned and his eyes narrowed dangerously when he saw the gun. 'Please lower your muggle weapon, Mr Dursley, I assure you I intend no harm...unless provoked.' He extracted his wand and waved it too quickly for Vernon to act. The gun had vanished.

'I demand you to leave at once, sir!' Vernon scowled.

'I assure you that I have no pleasure in being here,' Severus drawled calmly. 'I merely wished to endure that Mr Potter receives his letter.'

'My letter?' Harry stepped forward at those words and even though the stranger was dressed entirely in black, he had made the gun vanish so he must be a wizard too.

'And you must be Mr Potter.' Severus looked down at the boy and frowned at the mop of hair and defiant expression, although he did not miss the emerald eyes staring up at him.

'Yes, sir,' Harry nodded in confirmation. 'Who are you?' He wondered and glanced at Tom, who had retreated against a wall to stare at the scene.

'I do not know him.' Tom admitted with a shrug. 'They sent Dumbledore to me. Perhaps he is a professor?'

'Are you a teacher? At Hogwarts, I mean.' Harry asked the man.

Severus wondered what the boy had been staring at over by a shadowed wall but was more shocked by the child's question. He had never been under the delusion that Petunia would tell the boy anything about the wizarding world and the boy had certainly not opened a single letter sent to him...and yet there Harry was asking if he taught at Hogwarts.

'Yes.' Severus nodded and handed a letter to Harry, who opened it eagerly and read it aloud.

'He will not be going, I tell you!' Vernon rushed in once he heard that Harry had been accepted. 'We swore when we took him in that we'd put a stop to all this rubbish!'

Harry tightened his jaw and glared at Vernon when he heard that. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tom moving closer until he was standing beside him. Neither boys were pleased to hear that the muggles had kept this from Harry and never told him.

'He can't make me stay, can he?' Harry asked his friend.

'I lived at an orphanage.' Was Tom's answer, indicating that he didn't know how it worked when someone actually had a guardian.

It was still sad news, but Harry felt a little better knowing that his friend was also an orphan and would understand what it's like not having parents while having to watch others that do.

'You cannot simply stop a wizard from having magic, Mr Dursley.' Severus said angrily. 'I assure you that regardless of your actions...that simple fact cannot be changed.'

'So, I can go to Hogwarts?' Harry grinned.

'Absolutely not.' Petunia snarled as she came closer and Dudley huddled further on the couch and away from the man.

'But I want to-' Harry went to argue but Vernon overrode his words.

'Silence, boy!' Vernon growled. 'You will not be going.'

SMASH!

A lamp that had been hanging nearby shattered and everyone apart from Tom was startled and turned to look at it.

'Tom!' Harry groaned and frowned at him.

'Those muggles are trying to stop you from going to Hogwarts!' Tom snapped back. 'Don't let them, Harry.' He said firmly. 'Tell them you are going.'

Harry pondered for a moment while Severus rolled his eyes at Vernon but paid closer attention to Harry; the boy seemed a bit surprised by the accidental magic and was glancing elsewhere again. He wished he'd let Hagrid do this task but Dumbledore had insisted that a few days ago there was a magical disturbance around Harry even though it didn't seem to be anything bad. He had insisted that Severus partake in delivering the letter in case there was something that needed to be fixed or assessed; something Hagrid was unable to do.

'I'm going.' Harry said to Vernon and Severus could tell by the muggles reactions that the boy was no normally so defiant. Surely that wouldn't be the case? He had expected to find a spoiled Potter brat but what Snape was seeing so far suggested otherwise.

'You dare-'

'Threaten him.' Tom encouraged with a small smirk.

'With what?' Harry asked quickly and looked around for something.

'Say you have to go, otherwise your magic will be out of control and you may kill them.' Tom said eagerly. 'Make him worried. Convince him.'

Harry bit his lip and inhaled. 'I have to go.' He said. 'I need to learn to control my magic. What will happen if I don't, Uncle Vernon? Perhaps I would become angry, and hurt or even kill those around me.' He felt powerful in saying those words and did his best to appear firm. His friend was right, Vernon seemed to be concerned with those words and Petunia was doing a second-take while Dudley whimpered. He glanced at the stranger but the man's face was blank. Perhaps he agreed?

Severus was horrified and entirely befuddled by not only Harry's words but how he knew these things. No one had told him, had they? Obviously the boy had found out somehow.

'I shall take him to buy his school supplies and than he will remain in your care until term begins.' Severus said after a moment of nerving silence. 'If he is not on the train when it departs, we will arrive to collect him.' He added, sensing Mr Dursley's thoughts of locking the boy up.

'He was dumped on our doorstep!' Vernon said instead. 'He is of age for your freaky school now, surely someone else can take the boy?'

'He requires the blood wards,' Severus glanced at Petunia with a hint of threat. 'You know this.'

'We will depart in the morning and he shall be returned in time for supper' He concluded and waved his wand to conjure a bed near the door for himself since it was rather late. He could have simply arrived in the morning but this was the way Dumbledore had requested him to do things. This way he can check Harry for unnatural magic while the boy slept unaware.

The Dursleys knew they had no choice and while Petunia was reluctant to leave her son downstairs with two wizards, there really was no other place for him to sleep that had room.

Severus watched as Harry lay on the floor and glared deeper when he realized that's where the boy sleeps.

'Up.' He instructed and Harry obeyed while Tom paced in a nearby corner, muttering softly to himself. Severus waved his wand and a sleeping bag appeared.

'Thank-you, sir.' Harry smiled and lay on the comfortable, green sleeping bag.

'He never told you his name.' Tom realized as he approached and sat on the “bed” with Harry, eying the stranger with the stare.

'Who are you?' Harry asked again.

'Severus Snape.' He answered from where he sat on his own bed. 'But that is “professor” or “sir” to you.'

Harry nodded and yawned. He hoped that this wasn't all a dream but once again had little time to ponder as he lay on his sleeping bag, feeling content. And withing moments, he had fallen asleep. Tom lay down as well but watched the stranger with caution until he could no longer keep his eyes open and faded away into vapor as he fell into a slumber.

Severus watched Harry and waited a little longer before he cast a few examination spells. He was displeased to notice several hidden injuries and evidence of poor healing, but apart from that, he could not detect anything on the surface in which had caused Dumbledore to become concerned. He dug deeper, trying to identify anything different, although he didn't have something to compare it with since this was the first time he had ever met the boy.

There were no traces of Dark Arts and no obvious sparks of magical interest other than that the boy appeared to have an unnaturally high level of magic. Snape is certain that he will have to keep a closer eye on this boy from now onwards.