[HP] Dearest Enemy

Tom's holidays are busy.He was going to work in Diagon Alley, and secretly helped Borgin-Bock's business. In addition, many classmates came to visit Tom and Harry under various names.Needless to say, Selwen and Lestrange who were with Tom came to their new home early in the name of visiting Harry and gave them valuable gifts.Obather also came and invited Tom to a party at Malfoy Manor.He has already taken over part of the family affairs, and he seems to have matured a lot, but his romantic temperament has not diminished at all. Thinking of Lucius and Draco, Harry is amazed at the genetics of the Malfoy family.Arfart also came to visit Harry and Tom, as did his sister Walburga.Harry knew that Walburga was the mother of Sirius. As the eldest daughter of the family, she was arrogant and arrogant at a young age, but she became very restrained and even shy in front of Tom.Walburga was one level above Tom, and had the same elegant black hair and dark gray eyes as his younger brother. He was a famous beauty in Slytherin.

Billy Weasley also came to see Harry, but because Tom was at home, he just said a few words to Harry and left.Harry had a crush on Weasley, but Billy and Tom were rivals at school, and the two were never at odds.Roel Duraff has always admired Tom, and although he is in Hufflepuff, this hardly affects his friendship with Tom and Alfart, which has remained until now.

Harry didn't dislike these children who ran to his house under various names, but he couldn't say he didn't like them either.Since Tom's mood stabilized, Harry picked up his own research on time magic.Harry needed to continue his research in a quiet environment. Although many students came to visit him or Tom made Harry very happy, Harry's research was also interrupted.After Tom learned in a chat after dinner one day that Harry was going to Hogwarts to continue his research in order not to be disturbed, he gave orders to the people who often came to find him.By July, only Arfat and his sister Walburga were the only ones who visited the two frequently, and everyone else kept in touch with Tom by writing letters or meeting in other places.

Another comfortable evening.The heat of the day gradually dissipated, and when Tom returned from seeing Walburga off, he saw Harry sitting down on a chair on the porch with a book and reading it quietly.When Harry saw Tom enter the door, the corners of Harry's mouth curled up slightly.

"A date with Miss Black again today?"

Tom nearly fell down the porch stairs at Harry's abrupt remark.The black-haired boy turned his head, only to see the man with green eyes looking at him gently, and couldn't help feeling a little flustered.

"I just walked with her by the river." Tom forced himself to say calmly, "Alfart told me that the Black family is going to marry Walburga."

"Oh?" Harry was a little surprised, "The candidate has already been decided?"

"Not yet." Tom replied quickly, "But I'm definitely not in the consideration of the Black family, and you need to agree to this kind of thing." Besides, I'm not interested in that delicate woman at all, Tom added in his heart.

"If you meet a girl you like, I won't object." Harry said leisurely, "You have to have your own life."

"Harry, what are you looking at?" Tom changed the subject calmly, "Is it something related to time magic?"

"A reference book of ancient runes." Harry showed Tom the cover. "Professor Humberur told me that your ancient runes have surpassed OWL level, and you have taken his class."

Tom nodded, and leaned on the railing of the porch to chat with his godfather: "But he told me that my level is still some distance from NEWT."

"Don't worry." Harry said, "You will only be promoted to fifth grade after school starts, and there are still two years left before NEWT, as long as you pass the OWL exam."

"That won't satisfy me." Tom replied softly, the corners of his lips raised slightly, "I have to get straight A's."

Harry looked at the boy's determined face, closed the paper in his hand and said to Tom, "Do you have any plans for what you will do after graduation?"

Harry looked serious.Tom didn't expect Harry to ask himself this question. After thinking about it, he said leisurely, "I want to enter the Ministry of Magic. But becoming a professor is also a good choice."

Tom looked over at Harry.There was no surprise on the man's face, he continued to ask, "Do you like Hogwarts?"

The boy nodded seriously: "No one doesn't like Hogwarts, it's my second home."

Harry curled his lips.Hogwarts was their home, where boys without a home found their own.Tom opened his mouth as if to say something, but finally just stared at Harry for a few seconds without saying anything.

"Is there anything you want to ask?" Harry asked understandingly.He was in a good mood now, and would be happy to answer Tom's questions.

"Why do you want to study time magic?" Tom asked slowly, "Time is one of the three major problems in the wizarding world. Wizards have been researching this topic since before Hogwarts was founded, but the results are not significant. Time magic is remote and dangerous, I don't understand why you spend so much time on this research?"

Harry's gentle face disappeared, he didn't expect Tom to ask himself this question.He couldn't answer the real reason for his own research on those dangerous things, but he had to give an answer.

"Some accidents happened before meeting your mother," said Harry in a low voice. "Sorry, Tom. I have no comment on why I studied time magic, and I don't want you to ask me that again."

"I'm sorry." Tom hit a nail and sighed inwardly.He had thought Harry might tell himself what his research was about, but now it seemed that he had been overly optimistic.But this is also within his expectation, Harry is very good at keeping secrets, and it is difficult for Tom to ask him what he is unwilling to say, and Tom has understood this since he was very young.

Even if many years have passed, what will not change will not change after all.

On a hot afternoon in early August, a young man with short black hair suddenly appeared in front of Tom who was walking home.Tom was so startled that he instinctively touched his wand, but the young man raised his hand and made a gesture that Tom was very familiar with.

"Alex!" Tom called out his name in a mixture of surprise and joy.The other party grinned at the boy, revealing a row of neat and white teeth.

"Long time no see, dear Tom." Alex and Tom hugged each other and patted the boy on the back, "You've grown a lot taller, what did Harry give you to eat?"

"Harry never gave me anything I shouldn't eat," said Tom. "Are you looking for Harry?"

"Yes." The gray-eyed young man nodded, "Harry told me that you have moved, and I'll come and see where the new house is."

"This way." Tom led the way. "Harry will be glad to see you."

Luckily, Alex caught up with Harry preparing dinner.When he was in Germany, Alex had experienced Harry's cooking skills. Alex was very happy about his good luck and bragged to Tom.

Tom had a faint smile on his face.It was not a day or two since he had known Alex, this lively guy was not as quiet and gentle as Harry.A typical Gryffindor, Tom said of Alex, but this guy obviously prided himself on his Gryffindor qualities, and he didn't sound much better than that Billy Weasley.Tom was used to the quiet atmosphere at the Slytherin table, and was very dissatisfied with the always noisy behavior of the Gryffindors.But Alex and Harry had a great conversation, and Tom listened to the two chattering away while eating dessert.

"...I have promised my father to stay in England." Alex said regretfully, "He said he doesn't care what I like to do, as long as I stay in the country..."

Harry had known for a long time that Alex was unwilling to succeed his father as the next patriarch of Palampion. He also visited Alex's father after he came back and borrowed the books of Palampion.Harry understood Alex's thoughts quite well, and persuaded the old man when he was chatting with Mr. Palampion.

After dinner, Tom offered to wash the dishes, Harry made tea, and the two went to the living room to continue the conversation.

"...Fortunately, Dumbledore helped me again." Alex sat relaxed in Harry's single sofa, "We will have many opportunities to meet in the future."

"So you're going to Hogwarts too?" Harry asked.

"You're still so sharp." Alex smiled. "I've applied for a teaching position in the Protection of Magical Creatures class, and I'll go to the school for an interview next week."

Harry smiled mildly.Alex will undoubtedly be loved by the students, the only thing to worry about is whether he, like Hagrid, likes to keep very dangerous magical creatures as pets, and then use them to teach students.

"At least Mr. Palampion is relieved." Harry said gently to his friend, "With Professor Dumbledore as your guarantee, the board of directors will not embarrass you."

"The only thing to worry about is Professor Kane Rufus." Alex said, holding a teacup. "He's not an easy old man to convince."

"But you've already figured out what to do, haven't you?" Harry smiled slightly. "Such small things never bother you."

"I need your support." Alex grabbed his friend's hand, "You have to come with me during the interview."

"Do you have to go?" Harry frowned slightly. "The interview at Hogwarts is not difficult. Professor Rufus is also getting old. He should be very happy for you to take over his class. You are his proudest student. .”

"Harry, don't you even want to give me such a little support..." Alex began to complain about his friends.At this time Tom walked into the living room, just in time to see Alex begging Harry to accompany him to the Hogwarts interview, frowning displeasedly.

"I didn't expect our professor of protection of magical creatures next semester to be afraid of a small interview." Tom said lightly, glancing at Alex who was looking at him, "I don't understand. You have been notified of the interview, will Professor Rufus continue to stay in his office and refuse to give up your seat?"

Alex smiled bitterly: "He is the interviewer, and he will definitely not be happy to meet me."

"Why?" Harry asked.Professor Rufus, although he looked like a grumpy old man, was surprisingly easy to get along with, and Harry was curious that Alex would be afraid of him.

"This... I made a little mess in his class," Alex stammered, "and made him very upset. He probably didn't mention it to you, that 'Palampion' What kind of bad guy is the kid..."

The corners of Tom's mouth curled up involuntarily, gloating as he listened to Alex's story about his school days.It seems that Alex was notoriously mischievous when he was a child. The only person in the school who could subdue him was Dumbledore and Rufus, and the old man with missing fingers was indeed a very weird person. Alex's interview has been tough.

Tom didn't intend to join the conversation between the two men, so he sat aside drinking tea while flipping through the reference book on ancient runes that Harry had read a few days ago.For some reason, Tom didn't like seeing Alex and Harry getting too close.Tom actually didn't like to see anybody get close to Harry, not even Alphard.