04-09-2016, 01:05 PM
Harry was a little disconcerted with the fact that Riddle actually doffed his pointed hat and concealed his wand to offer a handshake. Still, he didn't just stand there in shock; he took the other wizard's hand and gave a firm shake. It was a sad fact, but strangers usually didn't react well to a tall man in a dark coat, carrying a large staff and claiming to be a wizard. Other wizards tended not to like him, given his rather... irreverent attitude towards tradition, but then, he doubted that there were books about his life in other universes. It would just be a bunch of stories about some bumbling wizard P.I. almost getting himself killed on a regular basis. Even then, they were probably, to use the language for Tom's world, Muggle books, and the likelihood of his rather messy life being a children's series was laughable. Somehow, he doubted an adult Tom Marvolo Riddle would pop down to the local bookstore for a mystery novel, if they even did exist.
This multiverse theory was a headache.
Still, this Tom claimed not to be involved in the whole Chamber of Secrets debacle. Harry didn't believe it, not really, but there were much more important things to do today, and he could see to his Warden duties regarding warlocks at a later point, like never, considering his thoughts on killing people for one mistake. It'd be hypocritical of him to judge Riddle for killing someone when he'd done the same, and for a pretty bad reason. Self-defense was what they'd called it, how Ebenezer had justified him to the Council, but really, Harry still had doubts. He could've hid. Justin couldn't keep sending creatures after him forever, without a fresh link he'd have nothing to go on. But he wanted to end it on his terms, and he'd burned Justin to death. He thought he'd murdered Elaine, too, and he had been so relieved to see her again. Confronting young Voldemort could be delayed for a while, yes.
The sudden onslaught of compliments regarding his coat was a little surprising. Usually people joked that he looked like he'd walked off the set of El Dorado. "Thanks, both of you. It was a gift." He actually smiled, remembering his young apprentice. The smile faded when he realized that his absence meant she was considered a warlock because of the asinine terms of the Doom of Damocles. Lea might have been "watching her" in his absence, that was was a godmother was supposed to do, but he remembered her... help... well. It was almost as bad as the alternative. "Not to mention a little project." He flipped the collar over, pointing out some of the more prominent runes embossed into the leather. "Magical body armor. It takes kinetic energy and spreads it out. Bullets and the like still hurt, but they don't penetrate it. Feels like getting hit with a baseball bat, but it's a longer-lasting enchantment than an actual shielding spell." Honestly, he was glad to have one person to talk shop with, possibly two if the sensation he was picking up off of the newcomer was any indication. Magic was hard to understand, but honestly, Harry enjoyed it. There was a reason wizards called it The Art. It was a high expression of human ingenuity, and being able to speak with someone who understood it was a privilege, when most people looked at it as "just magic" and didn't see any further than that. The fact that one of those people might or might not be Lord Voldemort aside, Harry's pride in his work hardly ever got a time to shine. "Glad to meet you, Connor. I'm Harry."
This multiverse theory was a headache.
Still, this Tom claimed not to be involved in the whole Chamber of Secrets debacle. Harry didn't believe it, not really, but there were much more important things to do today, and he could see to his Warden duties regarding warlocks at a later point, like never, considering his thoughts on killing people for one mistake. It'd be hypocritical of him to judge Riddle for killing someone when he'd done the same, and for a pretty bad reason. Self-defense was what they'd called it, how Ebenezer had justified him to the Council, but really, Harry still had doubts. He could've hid. Justin couldn't keep sending creatures after him forever, without a fresh link he'd have nothing to go on. But he wanted to end it on his terms, and he'd burned Justin to death. He thought he'd murdered Elaine, too, and he had been so relieved to see her again. Confronting young Voldemort could be delayed for a while, yes.
The sudden onslaught of compliments regarding his coat was a little surprising. Usually people joked that he looked like he'd walked off the set of El Dorado. "Thanks, both of you. It was a gift." He actually smiled, remembering his young apprentice. The smile faded when he realized that his absence meant she was considered a warlock because of the asinine terms of the Doom of Damocles. Lea might have been "watching her" in his absence, that was was a godmother was supposed to do, but he remembered her... help... well. It was almost as bad as the alternative. "Not to mention a little project." He flipped the collar over, pointing out some of the more prominent runes embossed into the leather. "Magical body armor. It takes kinetic energy and spreads it out. Bullets and the like still hurt, but they don't penetrate it. Feels like getting hit with a baseball bat, but it's a longer-lasting enchantment than an actual shielding spell." Honestly, he was glad to have one person to talk shop with, possibly two if the sensation he was picking up off of the newcomer was any indication. Magic was hard to understand, but honestly, Harry enjoyed it. There was a reason wizards called it The Art. It was a high expression of human ingenuity, and being able to speak with someone who understood it was a privilege, when most people looked at it as "just magic" and didn't see any further than that. The fact that one of those people might or might not be Lord Voldemort aside, Harry's pride in his work hardly ever got a time to shine. "Glad to meet you, Connor. I'm Harry."
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