The Mentor's Dilemma

There were a lot of leaps in logic for the fan theory overall, since almost all the other Horcrux were fairly quick to begin influencing people. Surely Harry's cursed scar would have afflicted his dormmates at Hogwarts if nothing else?

'Although, it's possible that they can lie dormant and 'awaken' as needed,' I thought to myself as I walked through the halls towards where Harry's classroom was. 'After all, Lucius Malfoy was able to carry Riddle's diary around in public at the start of Second Year and nobody rioted in Diagon Alley or noticed any dark magic going on. Are there perhaps conditions for each Horcrux to trigger the possession process?'

Whatever the answer was, I decided to keep my mental barriers up just in case Harry really did radiate pure evil which caused the people around him to act like idiots and assholes.

I knocked on the door to the Harry's classroom, and went inside. My gaze swept the room, and I easily spotted the titular hero of the world-famous book series.

He was definitely small and scrawny, and his black hair really was as messy as the books claimed. His glasses – broken and repaired several times with tape – sat awkwardly on his face. It was his eyes that were the most telling, however.

When he caught me looking at him, he flinched back. Literally, honest to God, flinched! His eyes showed fear. Actual fear! He was afraid of me, and he'd never even seen me before today! And I knew why instantly. It was because I was a stranger. And ever since he'd been left on his aunt's doorstep, he'd never once been shown love or affection by anyone. The only time people paid attention to him was to yell, scream, berate and physically hurt him, and I felt a swell of anger rise in my chest.

'I guess his aunt and uncle are just complete and utter tossers,' I thought to myself as I stared back at Harry and struggled to keep a lid on my emotions. 'Some people don't need a Horcrux to be evil, after all.'

"Can I help you?" Harry's teacher, a pinch-faced woman, asked, and I cleared my throat as I tore my gaze away from the boy.

"Hi, I'm here to pick up Harry Potter? I'm his student tutor," I explained.

"It's the middle of class," the teacher protested.

"And Harry here needs all the help he can get," I said, annoyance flickering through me. "I can always go and get Mr. Garden if it helps, though?"

The teacher's already scrunched up nose got even scrunchier, but eventually she relented, and shot Harry a look that told him to scram.

He jumped out of his seat as if it were on fire, and I raised a hand to stall him.

"Bring your school stuff," I instructed, and he did so, stuffing his ratty backpack – more of a sack with straps in all honesty – with the few school supplies he had before scurrying over to me. We then left, and I led Harry towards the library.

We sat down at a table in the back, nicely hidden from view by the shelves, and stared at each other in silence for about a minute.

'Well, shit, I have no idea how to teach anybody,' I realized.

In the end, I decided to take the plunge. "So! Nice weather we're having?"

....

"So! Nice weather we're having?"

I cringed as soon as I uttered the awkward greeting.

At least Harry was just as nervous and uncomfortable as I was, as he shifted about in his seat and avoided making eye contact with me.

"Um, yeah. I guess. Kinda nippy, though," he eventually murmured when he realized I was waiting for him to respond.

"Mm-hmm. It's the fall, after all," I hummed, before shooting him a look, taking in his hand-me-down clothes. "Do you have a coat? Or perhaps a sweater for when the weather turns?"

"I do," Harry nodded, before giving me a concerned look of his own. "Err, why am I here?"

"I've been assigned as your student mentor, sort of like a tutor," I admitted. "I wanted to get to know you before we get down to studying."

"Is it because of my grades?" he asked nervously.

"From what they've told me, it's one of the reasons," I replied. "Like the time you climbed onto the roof and the fire department had to come and get you back down."

"I was trying to hide from Dudley," Harry said, shrinking in on himself at the reminder of what he'd done last year.

"Look, it's fine, I thought it was hilarious, and we got to leave school early," I claimed. "But I do have a question for you."

"Yeah?"

"Are you deliberately tanking your own grades?" I asked, causing Harry to blink at me in shock.

"N-no," he stammered, but his eyes betrayed him.

"Hmm. Let me guess, your cousin also wrecks your homework and assignments," I mused, and that caused him to shiver.

"You're a bad liar, kid, I can tell," I said, holding up a hand to forestall his denials.

"I, I don't…" Harry stammered.

"You don't have to tell me a thing," I replied, before offering a suggestion. "Tell you what! We can work on your homework together after school. Then, I will hang onto it for you until you have to turn it in. We meet up before school starts, probably here in the library, and that way your cousin won't be able to wreck your stuff."

Harry just stared at me, as if he couldn't believe I was being so helpful.

"Why?" he asked after a moment.

"Because I don't like bullies," I replied simply.

....

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