I do not own Hogwarts, Dumbledore or any other Harry Potter things. JK Rowling does. Not me. Her, not me. Get it? Good.
This chapter was supposed to be about Tom's first day in classes, but it got to long so it's just what happens before lunch. The point of the chapter is to properly introduce Tom's mortal enemy. (Is any Harry Potter story complete without a mortal enemy? I think not!) I'll make the next chapter about the rest of the day, including his first class with Dumbledore!!! Enjoy!!!
Chapter 7
Pretty-Boy Biggs
The next morning Tom awoke quite early. He hesitated to open his eyes for fear that the previous day had all just been a dream. He ordered himself to stop being foolish and cowardly, and then forced his eyes opened. He turned quickly on his side and sitting up, he opened the curtain that surrounded his bed to get a glimpse of the room he was in. Had Tom not been overly nervous, he would have realized that the orphanage's beds did not have curtains around them, and at that moment would have known he was not there. But Tom was nervous and he looked out at the room, fear and anxious doubt swirling inside him. When he looked, he saw no small dumpy room covered in aging white paint. There were not four tattered beds arranged so closely together that one could barely walk around the room. There was no snoring Benny coming from the bed directly next to him. There weren't two empty beds that at one time held Tom's ex-roommates who were both currently in a "special" hospital, both probably dead to the world but still alive. Instead of all these things, Tom saw only two other beds, both with the curtains pulled closed. He saw his trunk lying by the foot of his comfortable bed. Tom leaned back in his bed and smiled. So it had not been a dream; it was all real. Today was to be Tom Riddle's first day at Hogwarts.
When Tom went down to breakfast he saw that he was the first of the Slytherin first years to come down. He sat several seats from a talkative group of second years and began to eat his breakfast. Nearly five minutes later, he decided to get out his schedule to see how the day was to go. He had just taken the piece of paper out of his bag when the Slytherin first year girls arrived in the Great Hall. Despite Tom's urge to not care, he found himself looking up at them curiously. They were all chatting, except for Samirah. She came in just behind the other four girls, her face frozen in a pained stare. The girls sat farther down the table and Samirah sat next to Tom. As she did, Tom immediately looked back down at his schedule.
"I can't take anymore of their chatter." Samirah hissed to Tom when she had seated. Tom sideways glanced at her.
"What's wrong with them?" He asked, putting little feeling into the question.
"That; only their sick little minds can know." She spat. "I'm mean they're just...talking. No, not talking. Chattering. No. Chirping. Yes! They're chirping like annoying little birds with no purpose. They chirp about the stupidest things imaginable! It's been about different colors of robes, and different hair styles and what makes a boy attractive!"
"Isn't that what girls talk about?" Tom asked her before biting into a roll.
"Stupid mindless girls without any brains."
"You know, if someone is mindless, then it's a given that they are 'without any brains'. You don't have to say them both." Samirah glared at him and opened her mouth, then laughed.
"I guess you're right Tom. You know, you're a pretty unusual kid."
"Well you're not exactly wreaking of normality." Tom retorted. She laughed again.
"Normality? Is that an actual word?"
"Of course it is." Samirah shook her head. She glanced at Tom's hands and noticed he held the schedule.
"So what classes do we have?"
"Defense against the dark arts, potions, and charms before lunch. Then herbology, history of magic, and transfiguration after. Then there's astrology after dinner." He answered looking down at the small pieced of paper in his hands.
"Great." Samirah muttered rolling her eyes.
"Aren't you looking forward to classes?" Tom asked her surprised. Samirah shrugged.
"No, not really."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. I'm just not."
"What's the point in coming to Hogwarts if you don't want to go to the classes?" Tom asked her, thoroughly shocked to discover that Samirah had not been eagerly waiting to attend Hogwarts.
"Well it's just school Tom. I mean you have to go to school. That's just what you do. First you learn your basic knowledge things like you arithmetic, and your basic writing skills. Then you go to wizarding school. Then you leave wizarding school and get a job in the wizarding world. It's just something you have to do. That doesn't mean I have to like it. I've heard you get all kinds of homework at Hogwarts and that the finals are brutal! That doesn't sound like fun to me. Why, do you want to go to classes?" She added the last part when she saw the surprised look on Tom's face.
"Of course. I've wanted to go to Hogwarts ever since I learned how to read."
"What do you mean?"
"Well that's when I first read my mo..." Tom stopped speaking, utterly horrified that he was about to reveal his mother's diary to this person. "Never mind." He muttered and began to eat again.
"What? Go on, finish what you were saying." She persisted, suddenly very curious as to why Tom wanted to be in classes and why had stopped his thought so abruptly.
"No thanks." Tom picked up the remainder of his roll and stood up. "See you in class." He exited the Great Hall without looking at Samirah or anyone else. Tom scolded himself the entire way up to the dormitory. What was he thinking? Nearly sharing important and personal information like his mother's journal to someone he didn't even know? Well anyone for that matter. Tom promised himself he wouldn't slip up like that again. When he reached the dormitory, he gave the password that he learned last night and stepped through the portrait hole and into the common room of the Slytherin house. Two young boys were running down the steps from the dormitories as Tom stepped in.
"Would you come on you idiot!" One of the boys yelled, looking back at the other one as he spoke. He pulled up sharply when he saw Tom. " Oh, hi. Do you know if they've stopped serving breakfast?"
"No, they still are." Tom responded.
"Good." The boy said. He jerked his thumb over at the other boy. "We slept in because of that moron over there. My name's Luke Delmaur by the way."
"Tom Riddle." Tom muttered.
"Oh sure, I remember you from yesterday. I'm a first year too, well obviously. Anyway that's Joseph Piddly."
"Hi." The boy squeaked. Joseph was very short and mousy looking. He had stringy light brown hair that fell in front of his eyes. Luke was tall and good-looking. He had short chestnut hair that was neatly parted and combed. His brown eyes breezed over Tom.
"Well we've got to get to breakfast. See you in class Tom." Luke said.
"Right." Tom said with little enthusiasm. Luke and Joseph hurried out of the portrait hole. As they did, Piddly tripped and nearly fell on the other side. Tom heard Luke scoff at the boy as the portrait closed. Tom shook his head. Piddly was hopeless, that much was painfully obvious. Hogwarts really should be more selective about their students. If Tom had his way, Piddly and Doug Williams would be the first ones scratched off the list, for good.
Tom was immensely disappointed in his first class at Hogwarts. The class was Defense Against the Dark Arts and was taught by a professor named Raymond Eckleson. He was also the head of the Gryffindor house and the Slytherins happen to have class with the Gryffindors. Raymond Eckleson was a tall, green-eyed, red headed, gangly looking teacher. His face was covered with freckles including his unusually wide nose. The man was very oafish and not very serious about the class. All the other students loved him, because it looked like a very easy workload, and he was continually making jokes. He had them purchase books about various different witches and wizards who had defeated dragons or werewolves or other such evil creatures. It looked as if all the class would consist of would be reading from the books, being familiar with the stories, and occasionally have to summarize them for papers or presentations. It didn't look like he was going to teach them any spells, curses, anti-curses, or anything actually to do with the dark arts. After all, dragons and werewolves weren't of the dark arts; they were just beasts. This upset Tom very much, but no one else seemed to mind. Tom went against his better judgment to ask Samirah what she thought of the class and all she said was that she was glad it was going to be easy. Tom was not pleased.
Potions was, of course, taught by Professor Dellian, who seemed to be very nice. She also seemed very knowledgeable in the art of potion making. The class made their first potion that day, and it was a minor disaster. Most people's potions were to runny or to thick and many kept bubbling over the top of their cauldrons. Tom's potion however was not runny or thick or to bubbly. It in fact, was perfect. Professor Dellian even said so.
"My Mr. Riddle this is fantastic." She praised looking over his cauldron and mixed his potion. "It's the exact consistency and perfect color."
"But Professor we don't even know if it'll work." Someone from the Ravenclaw portion of the class put in. Tom looked over at the boy and he immediately seemed familiar. Then Tom realized it was the pretty-boy from the sorting, the one who thought he could handle anything, Hayden something.
"Correct you are Mr. Biggs. So let us see." She walked across the room and picked up one of Hayden's books. "May I borrow this?" She asked him. He looked uneasy, but nodded anyway. Professor Dellian walked back to Tom's desk and set Hayden's book down. "Now everyone watch carefully." She lifted a spoonful of Tom's potion out of the cauldron and poured it over the book. The book immediately began to burn and sizzle. Soon a large whole was made and the potion continued to eat right through the desk.
"My book!" Hayden yelled jumping quickly off of his stool. "It's ruined! He ruined it!" Some Slytherins chuckled at Haydens overexcited reaction. "That book was expensive!" He continued. "Professor, I demand that Riddle buy me a new book!"
"There is no need Mr. Biggs." Professor Dellian said calmly. Hayden was about to protest but the Professor gestured toward his book. "You see." She said with a smile. The book, along with table, was sealing itself up. In moments, both objects were just as they were before coming in contact with Tom's potion. Everyone applauded, except for Hayden and the dark headed boy that sat next to him. "It's a very fascinating potion. Good for getting somewhere when you don't want anyone to know you've been there. But I don't suggest you use it around the school." She said with a smile. "That'll be ten points to Slytherin. Well done Tom." She set the book down by Hayden's cauldron, which held a potion that was much to thick and was a murky brown color instead of a bright forest green as Tom's was.
"It's a simple potion anyway. Anyone can do it." Hayden mumbled as Professor Dellian walked back to the front of the room.
"Really? Then why don't we try yours on your book?" Samriah asked leaning over Tom with a smirk. Hayden turned red and glared daggers at her. "That's what I thought you'd say." She laughed and Hayden tried to fix his poorly done potion until class ended. He did not succeed. Tom liked that class much better then the previous one.
Charms, was the last lesson before lunch. Professor Amanda Rizar, the head of Slytherin House, taught it. She was a short woman with squared glasses and curly brown hair. It hung just above her shoulders and clashed with her brilliantly blue eyes. She was strict, but a good teacher. They didn't do any magic in class that day, but just went over the basic hand movements for waving a wand. The class was boring, but looked promising for the future. As Tom was leaving Charms to go to lunch someone called to him from behind. Tom turned to see Hayden Biggs standing a few feet away, glaring at him.
"You think you're pretty smart don't you? You think you'll be the best student here huh? You think that everyone is going to like you and think you are just the greatest guy in the world. Well guess what Riddle? I wouldn't count on it." Tom stepped forward and gave Hayden a thin smile.
"I certainly hope you're not challenging me."
"Oh I am." Hayden said standing as tall as he could.
"Well I don't except. See Biggs, I only except challenges that are actually…challenging. Sorry." Tom turned but Hayden took several quick steps forward and grabbed Tom's arm.
"You aren't smarter then me just because you got one stupid potion right in class. I've been pre-studying for every subject since I was eight." Apparently this statement was supposed to be impressive. Tom however was not impressed. He scoffed at Hayden.
"Well I haven't so much as read an entire chapter of a book before I entered a class." Tom said, and it was true. "And that stupid potion doesn't make me smarter, I just am. Why don't you leave me alone and go bother someone in your own league Biggs."
"Why you stupid little…" Biggs squeezed Tom's arm harder.
"You know, the last person that grabbed my arm like that is currently in a hospital trying to recover from unrecoverable mental injuries." The comment surprised Biggs so much that he loosened his grip, which allowed Tom to jerk his arm away. "Listen pretty-boy, you're to much of a wanna-be to play with me. Maybe when you're older." With that, Tom walked off to go to lunch, leaving Hayden Biggs gawking after him.