The Fall of the Lords
Tom Marvolo Riddle
Tom Marvolo Riddle stood silent at the center of a mocking crowd of Slytherins. Even the 6th and 7th year students, who ordinarily retired to their dormitories in disgust at hearing Professor Traver's welcome speech again, had remained today to see the novelty that was the first muggle-born to enter Slytherin house since it's founding. The 1st through 5th year students, pleased at the apparent approval of the elder classes, had formed a tight circle around their scapegoat. Such fun it was, finally having someone in Slytherin to taunt. It was poor sport to bother Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, everyone stood up for them, and Gryffindor had become far too talented at self-defense lately. Those 6th and 7th year students not engaged in the circle sat outside it in cliques, murmuring, "This is what comes of equality" and "What do you think the circle will do?" "Darned if I know. Glad I'm not in there. Asriel can't be very happy just now." Tom ignored them all. He had no interest in the younger students. They were sheep, following the elder boys unquestioningly. Nor did he care about the elder boys. They were unimportant. Powerless. All except the five in the darkest corner. The Inner Circle. The heart of Slytherin. He'd heard of them from a braggadocios boy who had thought him a potential Gryffindor. "The brightest boys in Slytherin. They elect a member for each member that graduates. Only 6th and 7th years are selected. Except the leader. Their leader is picked in his 4th year and leads till he graduates. Then it goes to someone else." Tom had let the boy ramble on, knowing it wouldn't affect him. He would be put in Gryffindor. Then he put on the hat. A red-haired girl sat fuming silently. "How can he be here?" "Well, don't ask me, Alexis. God knows FATHER would never tell me anything." "Maybe Dippet's got obsessed with the Equality Act." "Igor, you can't change the hat's judging criteria without disabling it." "They could have used a confusion charm on it!" "And have it put Weasley in Slytherin? There are worse things then mudbloods." "Do any of you use your heads? If this was about the act, it would have occurred 18 years ago, when they passed it." A murmur of discussion broke out in the circle. "Have any of you considered that he might be fit to be here?" Silence. "The great houses didn't appear out of the air, you know. They were fit, and so they survived. This boy may be one such, fit to equal you. Maybe even me." Timidly, Alexis, the redhead, asked "A new lord, Asriel? Who would wed him? Who would back him?" A cold, velvety, and impossibly deep voice spoke from the shadow of the corner. "If he is fitting, boy, all of us will." The speaker rose. "If he should prove to herald and end to the mudblood domination..I should very much like to prove his ally." As Tom stared stone-faced, a tall, dark-haired boy rose suddenly from his place in the corner. Pausing to answer one of the girls in the circle, he strode purposefully forward. Tom was impressed by the sense of impatience, as though this mudblood was hardly worth his time. THIS was a boy who understood practiced Slytherin contempt. Though the boy could not have surpassed 4th year, his face was absolutely expressionless. Instinctively Tom knew this was not a boy who could easily be shaken. There was no contempt, no welcome, no rejection in his pale face. Tom just had time to realize that this was a boy he could look up to when the boy met his eyes. His eyes were black, without the slightest coloring, their shine matching the black of his hair precisely. Combined with the lack of color in his face, the result was electric, frightening and awe-inspiring. Though the boy wore his hair back in a crisp ponytail, there was a sense that tampering with nature had only served to make him seem more human. Stepping forward into the circle of students, who fell silent and scuttled quickly away from him, the boy walked forward until Tom had to crane his neck to look at him. Then a deep, smooth voice purred "Tom Riddle." The boy did not raise his voice. He did not need to. His voice was entrancing, though it could hardly be heard. Extending a long white hand, he hissed, "I trust you've heard of Asriel Snape." The boy pulled him firmly into a corner. "I have heard a great deal about you, and I should very much like to know hoe you came here."
Tom Marvolo Riddle stood silent at the center of a mocking crowd of Slytherins. Even the 6th and 7th year students, who ordinarily retired to their dormitories in disgust at hearing Professor Traver's welcome speech again, had remained today to see the novelty that was the first muggle-born to enter Slytherin house since it's founding. The 1st through 5th year students, pleased at the apparent approval of the elder classes, had formed a tight circle around their scapegoat. Such fun it was, finally having someone in Slytherin to taunt. It was poor sport to bother Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, everyone stood up for them, and Gryffindor had become far too talented at self-defense lately. Those 6th and 7th year students not engaged in the circle sat outside it in cliques, murmuring, "This is what comes of equality" and "What do you think the circle will do?" "Darned if I know. Glad I'm not in there. Asriel can't be very happy just now." Tom ignored them all. He had no interest in the younger students. They were sheep, following the elder boys unquestioningly. Nor did he care about the elder boys. They were unimportant. Powerless. All except the five in the darkest corner. The Inner Circle. The heart of Slytherin. He'd heard of them from a braggadocios boy who had thought him a potential Gryffindor. "The brightest boys in Slytherin. They elect a member for each member that graduates. Only 6th and 7th years are selected. Except the leader. Their leader is picked in his 4th year and leads till he graduates. Then it goes to someone else." Tom had let the boy ramble on, knowing it wouldn't affect him. He would be put in Gryffindor. Then he put on the hat. A red-haired girl sat fuming silently. "How can he be here?" "Well, don't ask me, Alexis. God knows FATHER would never tell me anything." "Maybe Dippet's got obsessed with the Equality Act." "Igor, you can't change the hat's judging criteria without disabling it." "They could have used a confusion charm on it!" "And have it put Weasley in Slytherin? There are worse things then mudbloods." "Do any of you use your heads? If this was about the act, it would have occurred 18 years ago, when they passed it." A murmur of discussion broke out in the circle. "Have any of you considered that he might be fit to be here?" Silence. "The great houses didn't appear out of the air, you know. They were fit, and so they survived. This boy may be one such, fit to equal you. Maybe even me." Timidly, Alexis, the redhead, asked "A new lord, Asriel? Who would wed him? Who would back him?" A cold, velvety, and impossibly deep voice spoke from the shadow of the corner. "If he is fitting, boy, all of us will." The speaker rose. "If he should prove to herald and end to the mudblood domination..I should very much like to prove his ally." As Tom stared stone-faced, a tall, dark-haired boy rose suddenly from his place in the corner. Pausing to answer one of the girls in the circle, he strode purposefully forward. Tom was impressed by the sense of impatience, as though this mudblood was hardly worth his time. THIS was a boy who understood practiced Slytherin contempt. Though the boy could not have surpassed 4th year, his face was absolutely expressionless. Instinctively Tom knew this was not a boy who could easily be shaken. There was no contempt, no welcome, no rejection in his pale face. Tom just had time to realize that this was a boy he could look up to when the boy met his eyes. His eyes were black, without the slightest coloring, their shine matching the black of his hair precisely. Combined with the lack of color in his face, the result was electric, frightening and awe-inspiring. Though the boy wore his hair back in a crisp ponytail, there was a sense that tampering with nature had only served to make him seem more human. Stepping forward into the circle of students, who fell silent and scuttled quickly away from him, the boy walked forward until Tom had to crane his neck to look at him. Then a deep, smooth voice purred "Tom Riddle." The boy did not raise his voice. He did not need to. His voice was entrancing, though it could hardly be heard. Extending a long white hand, he hissed, "I trust you've heard of Asriel Snape." The boy pulled him firmly into a corner. "I have heard a great deal about you, and I should very much like to know hoe you came here."