Chapter 34

Harry arrived at the Riddle mansion well before his scheduled time, the crisp morning air biting at his skin as apparated near the mansion, which was already buzzing with quiet activity when Harry entered. A few of the staff moved about with purpose, their footsteps muffled on the plush carpets. Colin had given him a rough outline of the day, but Harry still felt a pang of uncertainty as he made his way inside.

"Mr. Potter," a butler greeted him with a polite nod. "The young master is finishing his evening lessons. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to the observation room."

"Observation room?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow as he fell into step behind the man.

The butler gave a small smile. "It's a place where you can observe without disrupting the lesson. Mr. Riddle prefers his son's education to be uninterrupted."

Harry hummed, his curiosity piqued as he followed the butler through the mansion. They stopped in front of a door with a small glass pane, and the butler gestured for Harry to step inside.

The room was small and furnished simply, with a single chair and a window overlooking a larger study where Sirius sat at a polished wooden desk. Across from him was a stern-looking woman in a high-collared blouse, her glasses perched on the tip of her nose as she gestured toward a chalkboard filled with neat writing.

Sirius looked… bored. His chin rested on one hand as he tapped a pencil against the desk, his expression glazed over. Harry smirked, leaning against the window as he watched the boy struggle to stay focused.

The lesson continued for another twenty minutes, and Harry had to admire Sirius's ability to endure what seemed like endless droning about political history and social etiquette. Finally, the woman stood, gathering her materials and giving Sirius a nod of approval. The boy's face lit up, and he practically bounded out of his chair as she exited the room.

Harry was waiting for him in the hallway when Sirius spotted him. The boy's face broke into a wide grin, and he ran up to Harry, his excitement palpable.

"You're early!" Sirius exclaimed, grabbing Harry's hand. "I thought you weren't coming until after four."

"I wanted to see what you get up to while in your lessons," Harry said, smiling down at him. "You looked… interested."

Sirius wrinkled his nose. "It's so boring. Miss Fairchild talks too much. But I'm free now! Can I show you the garden?"

Harry chuckled. "Lead the way."

The garden was breathtaking. Manicured hedges bordered colorful flowerbeds, and a small fountain trickled softly in the center. Sirius tugged Harry along a winding path, his excitement infectious as he pointed out his favorite spots.

"This is where I hid last time we played hide and seek," Sirius said, stopping by a tall bush shaped like a peacock. "Nobody found me for ages!"

Harry laughed. "You must be good at hiding."

"I am!" Sirius said proudly. "But I bet you'd be better. You're sneaky. You saved me that one time, remember?"

Harry's smile faltered for a moment before he nodded. "Yeah, I remember. But let's not think about that right now. What else do you want to show me?"

Sirius grinned and tugged him toward a small clearing near the edge of the garden. "This is the best spot! There's so much space here. We can play anything!"

"Anything, huh?" Harry said, glancing around. The sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the grass. It was peaceful in a way Harry hadn't expected.

"Yeah!" Sirius said, picking up a stick and brandishing it like a sword. "I'll be the knight, and you can be the dragon!"

Harry laughed, playing along as he crouched slightly, raising his hands like claws. "A dragon? Alright, but I'm a very grumpy dragon."

"You're no match for me, dragon!" Sirius declared, charging at Harry with exaggerated bravery.

They played for what felt like hours, the boy's laughter echoing through the garden as Harry let himself relax. For a little while, the weight of his responsibilities faded, and he was just Harry, playing with a boy who reminded him so much of his godfather.

Eventually, they collapsed onto the grass, both of them catching their breath. Sirius looked up at the sky, his expression content.

"You're fun, Harry," he said suddenly.

Harry turned to look at him, his heart tightening at the simple statement. "You're not so bad yourself, kid."

Sirius grinned before sitting up. "What should we do next?"

Before Harry could answer, a shadow fell over them. He looked up to see Tom standing nearby, his sharp grey eyes taking in the scene.

"Having fun, I see," Tom said smoothly, his gaze flickering between Harry and Sirius.

"Father!" Sirius exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. "Harry's a great dragon! But I beat him, of course."

"Of course," Tom said, a faint smile curving his lips. He turned to Harry, his expression unreadable. "A productive first day, I assume?"

Harry stood, brushing grass off his trousers. "So far, so good."

Tom's gaze lingered on him for a moment before he inclined his head. "Good. I'll see you both for dinner."

As Tom walked away, Sirius tugged on Harry's sleeve. "He likes you, you know," the boy said matter-of-factly.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Does he now?"

Sirius nodded, completely serious. "He doesn't say it, but I can tell. You're like… his secret favorite."

Harry chuckled, shaking his head. "You've got quite the imagination, Sirius."

"Maybe," Sirius said with a grin. "But I'm always right."

.

Dinner was an elaborate affair, as Harry was quickly learning to expect at the Riddle mansion. The dining room's grand table was set with fine china and polished silverware, and the chandelier overhead cast a warm glow that seemed to amplify the room's opulence. Harry wasn't entirely comfortable in his tailored suit, but Sirius's enthusiasm as he dragged him to the table left little room for protest.

"You have to sit with us, Harry," Sirius insisted, pulling out a chair for him right next to his own.

Tom, already seated at the head of the table, raised an eyebrow but didn't object. Instead, he merely gestured for Harry to take the seat.

As the first course was served, Sirius peppered Harry with questions, his energy as boundless as ever.

"Have you ever seen a real dragon?" Sirius asked, his grey eyes wide with excitement as he bit into a roll.

Harry hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I've seen a couple."

Sirius's jaw dropped. "Really? What are they like? Are they scary?"

"Well, some are pretty," Harry said, cutting into his roast. "Others? Definitely scarier. It depends on the species. There's the Swedish Short-Snout, which is silver and elegant, and the Chinese Fireball, which is a brilliant red. But the one I saw up close…" He trailed off, a small smirk playing on his lips.

Sirius leaned forward, nearly vibrating with curiosity. "Which one?"

"A Hungarian Horntail," Harry said, his voice tinged with a mix of awe and amusement. "Black scales, yellow eyes, spikes on its tail—it's one of the fiercest dragons out there."

Sirius gasped, his fork pausing mid-air. "Did you fight it?"

"Not exactly," Harry said with a chuckle. "I had to get past it to retrieve something it was guarding."

Tom's eyes flickered with interest at this, but he remained silent, merely sipping his wine.

"What was it guarding?" Sirius pressed, his excitement undiminished.

Harry shrugged. "Treasure of sorts. Dragons love hoarding valuable things." He glanced at Sirius and grinned. "Want to see what a Horntail looks like?"

Sirius's head bobbed eagerly. "Yes, please!"

Harry raised a hand, a faint shimmer of magic gathering at his fingertips. Slowly, an ethereal image of a Hungarian Horntail formed in the air above the table. The dragon's black scales gleamed, its wings stretching wide as it let out a silent, fiery roar. Its spiked tail lashed menacingly, and its piercing yellow eyes seemed to glow.

Sirius's breath hitched, his gaze fixed on the illusion. "It's amazing," he whispered. "How big is it?"

In response, Harry made a mini-Harry next to it, to make him see the size comparison.

"And you faced that?!"

Harry was about to answer, but the sound of a soft gasp broke the moment. Harry turned his head and saw Colin standing at the edge of the dining room, a bottle of wine in his hands. The man's face was pale, his eyes locked on the shimmering dragon.

Tom's sharp gaze snapped to Colin, his expression instantly hardening. "Colin," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "What are you doing here?"

Colin immediately stiffened, gripping the bottle tightly. "I… I thought the wine hadn't been brought out yet, sir. I wanted to make sure everything was in order."

Tom's lips pressed into a thin line, his grey eyes cold. "No one is to enter after the dishes have been served. You know this."

Colin's knuckles whitened around the bottle as he lowered his head. "I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't," Tom said icily, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Harry glanced between the two, his stomach twisting at the tension. "It's fine," he said quickly, trying to diffuse the situation. "Really. I don't mind."

Tom's sharp gaze shifted to Harry, his expression unreadable. "You may not mind, Mr. Potter, but I have rules for a reason. He was not supposed to see this. Not that anyone will believe you, anyway."

Colin began to retreat, but Harry stood, taking a step toward him. "Wait," he said, his voice calm but firm. He turned to Tom, meeting his gaze evenly. "It was my fault. I was showing Sirius something with magic in a place I shouldn't. If Colin saw it, that's on me."

Colin's eyes widened slightly, but he remained silent, his posture rigid.

Tom studied Harry for a long moment, his expression giving nothing away. Finally, he leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled. "An interesting perspective," he said coolly. "But unnecessary. Colin overstepped."

Harry shook his head. "It really doesn't bother me if others see. I'm not hiding anything."

That wasn't entirely true. The idea of someone knowing about his magic did bother him—but not as much as watching Colin bear the brunt of Tom's wrath over something so minor.

Tom's eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded once. "Very well. Colin, consider yourself fortunate that Mr. Potter is feeling generous tonight."

Colin bowed his head quickly. "Thank you, sir. And thank you, Mr. Potter."

Harry gave him a small, reassuring smile before Colin hurried out of the room, clutching the bottle of wine like a lifeline.

As Harry returned to his seat, Tom's gaze lingered on him, sharp and calculating. "You're surprisingly protective of my staff, Mr. Potter."

Harry met his gaze without flinching. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

Tom's lips curved into a faint smile, though his eyes remained cold. "How… noble."

Harry said nothing, focusing instead on Sirius, who was still staring at the dissipating dragon illusion with wide eyes.

"That was amazing," Sirius said, his voice breaking the tension. "Can you show me more after dinner?"

Harry chuckled, ruffling the boy's curls. "We'll see."

Tom's gaze flickered between them, his expression thoughtful but unreadable as the meal continued.