Tom had always imagined adoption as this wonderful gift one would give to someone they found worthy, and therefore looked forward to the day he would be chosen. And yet, it was his archnemesis who was extending this so-called olive-branch, for he surely is expecting peace and obedience from Tom. Well, they were not at Hogwarts therefore he will act as he pleases, thank you very much. But first, to check this is not a scam that wily old man invented...

"Professor, I must have misheard you" Tom said schooling his expression into a forced smile.

"Not at all, my dear boy" Dumbledore answered, his eyes twinkling madly.

Tom was slowly losing his composure, this couldn't be happening to him. The child was fuming.

"Come now, Dumbledore, April fools has long since passed!" the young boy said as he approached Albus sitting so close to him he could feel his breath.

"Insolent boy!" Severus said "After everything the headmaster is trying to do for you..."

"Headmaster?" Tom inquired "Last time I checked you were just a lowly professor like all the others, last time...you must have time traveled!"

Albus did not lose his joviality "Ten points to Slytherin, Tom. Lemon drop?"

Tom was about to answer him rudely but Harry extended a hand and took the lemondrop before a bigger scene would unfold.

"Let's contemplate, for a millisecond, that I believe you, professor" Tom said dryly feeling an incurring headache "Let's imagine, for a nanosecond, that what you say makes sense, and let's venture and say you have my best interests at heart...for a picosecond. Why exactly do you wish to adopt me, it cannot be for my charming good looks?"

"Perhaps he wishes to keep you for your raving sense of humor" Severus said sarcastically.

"Your acolytes bore me Dumbledore" Tom said while yawning.

"You're welcome to take a nap while the adults talk, Tom" Harry answered back and Tom started looking murderous.

"Dear boy, I only wish to help you achieve your full potential without being swallowed by darkness" Dumbledore said then continued: "I vow to give you love and discipline"

"Love is for the weak" Tom answered back harshly and at that moment Albus sprung up from his chair and enveloped his ex-pupil into a hug.

The teenager felt conflicted, his heart beating like a drum. It felt slightly nice yet it was wrong, right? This was his enemy that was giving him something he did not know how to feel about. It made his eyes sting and dammit, he should not show weakness, so he reigned in his tears. Besides, they were most likely the product of the confusing day he had experienced, Tom deduced.

He must end this disaster before it escalated even further.

"And what if I refuse? What are you going to do then?" Tom asked.

"I'm afraid, my boy, that refusing is not an option" Albus Dumbledore said in what appeared to be a dangerous voice, for once.

Those dreaded words just escaped the old wizard's lips and Tom knew it would be impossible to change his mind. He felt like he was in class, in his first year and had just told his professor an answer that was not in accordance with his principles, like the usefulness of the dark arts.

His professor was miles away ahead of him, power-wise, and if Tom admitted to himself, grudgingly, he topped him in wisdom as well. Tom could just look at his sparkling white beard and ask himself 'What things had he been gone through? What magical powers had he discovered?' And he felt starved for that capacity, ravenous.

Yet still, he refused to stand one more second in the presence of Bumblebore.

"Severus, if you please" Dumbledore said in a business-like manner, all emotion, except grimness, wiped off his face.

Severus nodded and gave Riddle, in a rough manner a golden watch. The others gathered around Tom, took hold of hi while Dumbledore pushed the pointers on the clock down.

"Is this some kind of portkey?!" Tom screamed knowing that the magical instrument resembled a portkey yet at the same time it did not bring him to another place on touch.

His vision swum and he felt lightheaded as a sort of tornado appeared in front of him and oh, no, he landed on Dumbledore's lap who did not seem at all perturbed. The old goat.

"Welcome home, Tom" Dumbledore said while gesturing to a wide, picturesque house. At the entrance stood a younger version of Dumbledore.

"Come, my boy" Dumbledore told him warmly while Severus and Harry followed at their own pace. Tom finally stood face to face with the younger version of Dumbledore.

"When you told me someone important in the future was causing mayhem, I thought you were going to bring 'dear' Gellert here, yet...I should have known" he said looking up and down at Tom.

"Future mayhem? So there is an ulterior motive!" Tom thought.

"Up to your usual mischief, Tom?" the professor said with a glare.

"Someone has to keep you on your toes, professor" Tom said while smiling radiantly before adding "Did you know you lose your remaining wits in your old age?"

"Did you know I'm not above caning naughty schoolboys?" younger Dumbledore threatened while the older Dumbledore chided him saying Tom was "just a child", and to not "go down to his level".

"The scamp must have told the truth, for once" younger Dumbledore said "You must have truly lost your mind if you believe I will allow Tom's little tantrums to go on until he becomes a perilous menace to society"

"I will not let you abuse the boy" older Dumbledore answered, his hands on Tom's shoulders.

The teenager felt like he was watching a good cop, bat cop interaction, only he had no information to give, and he was a tad tired too.

The two Dumbledores glared at one another.

"If the two of you are done measuring your manhoods, Harry is hungry. And Riddle looks exhausted" Severus said irritated that his adopted son had to wait to get his food.

Harry smiled and nodded bashfully.