Chapter Seven – Laying the Groundwork
The halls of Hogwarts were fairly quiet. Matthew saw only a few people in the halls as he made his way to Quirrell's office. One hand was swinging lazily by his side, while the other was caressing the hilt of his wand in his pocket.
Matthew stopped outside the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, listening intently. Not hearing any sound indicating a lesson was taking place, he pushed the door open, peering around the frame as he did so. He had been right; there was no one in the classroom. Closing the door behind him, he navigated his way through the maze of desks toward the front of the classroom, where a set of stone stairs led to a closed door.
Matthew took a couple of calming breaths as he ascended the steps, his fingers curling around his wand. Reaching the door, he raised his hand and rapped sharply on the door.
"Come in." a voice replied. Matthew shook his head and pushed the door open.
Professor Quirrell was sat behind his desk, hunched over a large pile of parchment, the light of the room reflecting off the top of his head. Matthew had to suppress the urge to snort. He would have thought the teacher would have used something to cover up his baldness. His purple coat was slung over the back of his chair.
"Ah, Mr Riddle! Come in, come in!"
Matthew closed the door softly, wandlessly and non-verbally locking it as he did so. It wouldn't do for someone to walk in right in the middle of the proceedings. Turning back round, he walked over, leaning against the back of the seat opposite the professor.
"You may sit down, Mr Riddle." Quirrell said, motioning toward the chair.
"I'd prefer to stand, sir, I don't require too much of your time."
Quirrell shrugged.
"As you wish." Adjusting his position in his seat, he fixed his gaze on Matthew. "So, what can I help you with?"
"I need you to help me kill Harry Potter."
Quirrell nearly fell out of his chair at the bald-faced audacity of the boy stood in front of him.
"You – what?"
Matthew smiled slightly.
"I need you to help me kill Harry Potter."
Quirrell looked at Matthew intently, trying to work out whether or not the boy was joking. His eyes were cold and hard; he didn't seem to be joking. Tentatively, he reached out with his mind, hoping to gain some insight into the boy's request. To his surprise, however, he found the boy's mind was protected by incredibly thick barriers. Withdrawing quickly, he looked sternly at the boy.
"That is not something to joke about, Mr Riddle."
Matthew's smile widened.
"Who said I was joking?"
Quirrell's eyes widened. He made to move around his desk, but the boy's wand was up and in his face before he had moved two feet.
"Not a good idea, sir."
Quirrell took a step back, eying the wand in his face. Flicking his gaze around, his eyes landed on his wand lying on his desk. He made to dive for his wand, but Matthew flicked his wand. Quirrell's wand slipped through his fingers, soaring into Matthew's outstretched hand. Matthew studied the wand for a moment before tossing it aside, far out of the teacher's reach.
"You know, for a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, I expected better." Matthew taunted. Quirrell tensed.
"I suggest you go no further, Mr Riddle. Attacking a teacher is an expellable offence."
"Really, Professor?" Matthew said condescendingly. "Surely you have noticed that I have a wand, and you don't. Therefore, I don't think you're in much of a position to make threats."
Quirrell sighed lightly. The boy had a point.
"What makes you so sure I would help you kill a student?"
Matthew laughed quietly.
"You won't be able to help yourself." He raised his wand slightly. "Imperio!"
Magical control was an area of magic that Matthew had always found to come naturally. Coupled with his natural charisma and his father's constant emphasis on the power of being charming had led to Matthew becoming incredibly proficient in forcing others to do as he wanted, whether by his hand or under their own power. This skill was incredibly useful when he couldn't afford to have blame attached to him for any assignments.
As soon as he uttered those four syllables, Quirrell's eyes took on a glassy appearance. Matthew smiled as Quirrell's mind opened up to him like a book. The man was completely powerless to resist Matthew's hold on him.
Recalling his father's lessons on Intention Theory, Matthew channelled more power into the curse, modifying the effect in his mind so as to allow him to keep it permanently in effect. Satisfied, Matthew lowered his wand, releasing the flow of magic.
Sit down.
Matthew smiled as Quirrell's eyes refocussed and he settled himself back into his seat. Matthew crossed the room, picked up the teacher's wand and replaced it on the desk. Pointing his wand at Quirrell again, he muttered "Obliviate!" The professor's eyes glazed over again for the merest moment as Matthew pocketed his wand.
"Thank you for the clarification, Professor."
Quirrell shook his head slightly.
"Not at all, Mr Riddle. Anything else I can help you with?"
Matthew smirked slightly.
"No, thank you, Professor."
Quirrell smiled.
"Very well. You may go."
Matthew span on his heel and pulled the door open. He slipped through and pulled the door shut. As soon as the door was shut, Matthew allowed himself a smile. The first part of the plan was in place.
oOoOo
The next day, Matthew went to the library. If Hermione would be anywhere, that was where she'd likely be. He had to start laying the groundwork before anyone else attempted to befriend her.
As he had assumed, Hermione was sat at the back of the library, surrounded by books and rolls of parchment. Matthew took a claming breath and sat down next to her.
"Good afternoon, Hermione."
Hermione jumped at the sudden breach of silence.
"Oh! Hi, Matthew."
Matthew smiled slightly, twisting slightly in his chair to face her.
"So, how are you settling in?"
"Well, okay, I guess. My dorm mates are okay, but we don't really have too much in common to talk about."
"I meant how are you settling into the wizarding world?"
"It's... different to how I imagined."
"Different how?"
"I don't know. I read so much about the wizarding world before I came to Hogwarts, but it's not the same as I thought it would be."
Matthew sighed lightly.
"Books can only get you so far, but they aren't a particularly good source of information."
"How so?" Hermione asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"New information is being uncovered all the time. Because of this, books can become out of date as soon as they're published. I'm not saying that you should square off books altogether, but they shouldn't be your only source of information."
Hermione nodded.
"I must admit, I never thought of it like that."
Matthew shrugged.
"Well, there you go. So, do you have any questions about the wizarding world? As a Muggle-born, it must be quite daunting, entering a world you knew nothing about until a few weeks ago."
"I do have one question at the moment."
"Fire away."
"I've noticed that some of the other students, particularly those in Slytherin, treat me and the other Muggle-born students differently than the others. It's not a problem, but I was wondering if you would have any idea why?"
Matthew sighed heavily. A heavy topic, but also a perfect opportunity. He could not have asked for a better question with which to ensure her view of the world was similar to his own.
"Firstly, what do you know of blood purity?"
"You mean like, half-blood, pure-blood, that sort of thing?" Matthew nodded. "Quite a bit. It's discussed a lot in magical history books."
"Yes, I would have thought so. Have you noticed that the wizarding world is very behind the Muggle world in terms of technology? For example, Muggles use telephones, while wizards still use owls as the primary means of communication?" Hermione nodded. "Well, therein lies the problem. Pure-blood families are usually very old, very powerful families, steeped in tradition, to the point of arranged marriages, a custom I understand is no longer the norm in Muggle society. They are very resistant to change, and do not like anything that interferes with the status quo. For the sake of this conversation, they represent the magical world. With me so far?"
Hermione nodded.
"Yes, I think so."
"Muggle-borns, on the other hand, come from a world where progress is encouraged and valued. When they come into the magical world, more often than not, they find it difficult to cope with the new way of life. They try to battle the system and bring about change, which, naturally, draws the ire of the pure-blood supremacists, those who believe that Muggle-borns have no place in our society."
"So, the pure-blood students treat me differently because I represent something they have been brought up to loathe?" Hermione asked. Matthew nodded sadly.
"I'm afraid so."
"So, where do you lie in terms of your attitude?"
"A fair question." Matthew said, choosing his words carefully. A slip of the tongue would destroy the tentative relationship they currently had. "I believe that Muggle-borns should have an equal place within magical society. Witches and wizards have been breeding with Muggles and Muggle-borns for centuries; if they hadn't, magic would have died out. My father is working to destroy these barriers of blood purity."
"Who is your father?"
"I doubt you would have heard of him."
"Come on, try me."
Matthew considered for a moment. If the modified Fidelius worked as his father had said it would, she would be unable to say who he was if she already knew. The simple fact that she had to ask was proof enough that she didn't know. But still, Muggle-born or not, it was far too early to reveal exactly who his father was.
"Tom Riddle?"
Hermione considered for a moment.
"I can't say I've heard of him."
Matthew nodded.
"I'm not surprised. He's a very reclusive man. He keeps to himself a lot of the time. But he is working toward great change to the wizarding world. A better world for everyone."
"That's wonderful goal."
"I certainly think so."
"And you want to help him realise that goal?"
"I do. This is something I feel very strongly about."
"Hermione was silent for a moment. Matthew, too, kept silent, not wanting to push the girl too far too quickly.
"Thank you, Matthew."
"Any time, Hermione. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me."
"I will." Hermione said, as she stood, rolling up her parchment and replacing it in her bag. Pulling out her wand, she waved it over the piles of books, incanting the spell Madam Pince had taught the first years for reshelving the books. She waved at Matthew as she left. Matthew smiled as she disappeared out of sight.
oOoOo
Dumbledore ran a tired hand down his face, trying to massage some feeling back into it as he continued reading the latest Order report from Alastor Moody. It did not make for good reading.
While he put on a calm and collected front around the Order, he knew, deep down, that they were losing this war. After the death of the Potters, the war had shifted from one of attrition to one of espionage and subterfuge, fighting in the shadows, something Tom Riddle was extremely well-versed in.
And then there was the sudden appearance of Matthew Riddle. While the boy had assured him that he had little to no contact with his father, his refusal to allow Dumbledore to examine his mind was the cause of some concern on the part of the headmaster. He would have to tread cautiously around the boy. He didn't believe the boy's story about hating his time with his father, but with no evidence to back up his claims, he had little case.
Harry would have to be protected at all costs. He didn't know why Voldemort had sent his son to Hogwarts, but their ages were too similar for comfort. He was sure Matthew harboured ill intent toward Harry, but, again, he had no evidence to support this theory. It was maddening.
oOoOo
"He's learnt well." Bellatrix remarked as the image of Matthew faded from the scrying mirror in Voldemort's study.
"That he has." Voldemort agreed. Turning back to his desk, he picked up a single sheet of parchment, handing it to Bellatrix. "This is your next target. Make sure he's found, but you aren't."
Bellatrix took the parchment, glancing at the name written at the top. A feral grin broke out on her face.
"I shall leave at once, my Lord."
Voldemort allowed himself a small smile as the door swung shut behind the witch. Matthew's handling of the Mudblood's question had been perfect, painting himself in a good light as well as his father. That would make her conversion to the Dark side so much easier, should Matthew decide to follow through on that part of the plan.
Things are starting to fall into place.
oOoOo
An opportunity to befriend Susan Bones presented itself the next Monday in Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall had them attempting to change a paperclip into a button. As was the norm in this class, Matthew could see no point in learning what he considered to be nothing more than a party spell. Having been done with the first year syllabus by the time he was six, he transfigured his paperclip and pulled out one of the charmed Dark Arts books his father had given him.
At the next table, however, Susan and Hannah seemed to be having difficulty in Transfiguring their paperclip. Matthew let them struggle for a few moments before returning his book to his bag, standing up and crossing to their desk.
"You're flourishing your wand too much." he said, kneeling next to the desk. "Try it without the flick at the end of the movement."
Susan raised an eyebrow at his comment, but did as he said. There was a quiet pop, and where the paperclip had been lay a small, black button.
Professor McGonagall had seen the exchange. Crossing the room, she came to a stop by the desk as Matthew stood up again, an impressed look on her face.
"Well done, Miss Bones, and well done for helping another student, Mr Riddle. Take ten points for Slytherin."
"Thank you, Professor." Matthew said, shooting her a small smile, trying not to let his loathing of the professor show in his expression. Turning, he returned to the desk he was sharing with Draco.
"What was that about?" Draco hissed, as Professor McGonagall moved toward Ernie MacMillan. Matthew pulled the book back out of his bag as he answered.
"Are you aware that susan is the niece of Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?"
"Really?" Matthew nodded. "Well, I guess I can see the advantage of trying to befriend her."
"Exactly." Matthew said, opening the book and disappearing behind it.
oOoOo
After the lesson, Matthew and Draco were walking down the the Great Hall when a voice calling his name caught Matthew's attention. Turning, he saw Susan running toward them, her bag swinging wildly behind her.
"Hey," she said as she reached them. "I just wanted to thank you for your help in Transfiguration just now."
"It's no problem." Matthew said, waving his hand airily.
"Well, thanks anyway. I just can't seem to get to grips with Transfiguration."
"Everyone has something that doesn't come easily." Matthew said, an idea forming in his mind. "But if you're having trouble, I'd be happy to help you."
"Help me how?" she asked.
"My father told me of a room here at Hogwarts. If you want, we could meet up a couple of evenings a week to work on your Transfiguration?"
"Just the two of us?" Susan asked apprehensively.
"Well, us, and anyone else who wants help with their work."
Susan mulled it over for a moment.
"Yeah, that would be good." she said, shifting her bag on her shoulder slightly. "Let me know when you're available."
"Of course."
As she walked away, Draco rounded on Matthew.
"Anyone else who wants help with their work?"
Matthew sighed.
"If it was just me and her, she'd either get suspicious, or be too afraid to come. Slytherin House doesn't have the best standing among the other Houses. No need to burn bridges, and any allies we get out of this the better. Long run, Draco."
Draco sighed.
"Fine. But I'm not going to be friends with them."
"I could've guessed that, and I'm not asking you to. At least pretend, for now. You never know, they may surprise you."
"Doubtful." Draco muttered, but Matthew was already heading toward the Great Hall. Hoisting his bag further over his shoulder, he hurried in the direction of his best friend, shaking his head as he went.
oOoOo
A couple of days later, an unfamiliar owl fluttered down to Susan at breakfast, a note clutched in it's talons. Setting down her knife and fork, she took the note from the owl, slitting it open as it flew away.
Susan,
If you are agreeable, we can begin our study sessions on Monday. Meet me in the Entrance Hall after dinner on Monday, and I will show you where the room is and how to get in. Feel free to bring along anyone else who wants help with anything.
Matthew Riddle
Susan folded up the note and put it in her pocket, glancing over to the Slytherin table as she did so. She could see Matthew, talking animatedly with Malfoy.
"You aren't going to go, are you?" Hannah asked, seeing where Susan was looking.
"Why shouldn't I? He's offering help."
"He's a Slytherin."
"So?"
Hannah was silent for a moment.
"Listen," Susan said, twisting in her seat to face her best friend. "He seems perfectly nice. Just come along. You never know, he might surprise you."
Hannah huffed and turned back to her breakfast. Susan sighed, shaking her head. She picked up her knife and fork and continued to eat.