(Rayny (): Tom Riddle's grandfather's name is Marvolo. Vorlost would make no sense because there is no S in 'I AM LORD VOLDEMORT,' which uses all letters of all three of Tom's names. I thought that was really neat how JK Rowling did that :-D…About the dirt thing, just because he had to eat dirt, doesn't mean he has to like it. He's eaten more than his fair share, and I wouldn't be surprised if he never wanted to look at dirt for the rest of his life. About the friend thing. Aine Malfoy was very, very stubborn about talking to Tom, even though he was reluctant. The fact that she understood why he didn't want anyone to know that he had tied up her brother had granted her his respect, which is very rarely given. As we see in the third chapter, Aine's more than just a girl who needs a friend…obsessive about rules, a short temper…No wonder she hasn't got any friends! Harry would have been more open to her…until he found out she was a Malfoy, but you weren't referring to that. You'll see how Tom develops into the power-hungry immortal as time progresses.
Moo Cow4 and Lady Riddle: Here it is!! :-D)
"Welcome to defense against the dark arts. I am Professor Christy. I am here to show you how to deal with the Dark Arts." She was short, and large, with a pleasant face and silver-y curls under her hat. Her eyes were piercing amber, and her face would have been cherubic if she smiled.
As they took notes, Professor Christy would tell the class random sayings, like "Realize trouble before it happens," and "Constant vigilance." Tom looked to the side of him to see a Gryffindor glance at Christy with admiration. Of all the sayings, one stuck out beyond them all for Tom. "Know thine enemy."
After Defense against the Dark Arts, classes were over for the day. Tom quickly made his way to the library to research his enemy, Dark Arts. He immersed himself in the few books he found.
"Tom!" Aine called. He didn't hear her. "Riddle!" Aine walked right up to him and shut the book.
"Sorry," he mumbled, mind reeling with everything it had learned.
"What are you doing here? Dinner's being served. Aren't you hungry?" she asked.
"Not really. Something Christy said stuck in my head. I figured I should learn about it." He opened the book, again.
"Dark Arts? Are you sure that's safe?" Aine questioned curiously.
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"Tom, have you ever heard of Grindelwald?"
Tom shook his head.
"Well, he's a very bad, dark wizard. You know how he spies on Hogwarts?"
He shook his head again.
"He's charmed the Dark Arts books." A loud, thumping noise was heard as Tom slammed the book closed.
"Best not mention that to the professors, Aine," he said. He remembered losing house points because Aine got chatty with one of the teachers, and she told that teacher that Tom had woken up late and almost missed class.
"I won't," she denied.
They got up and exited the library, the ominous book laying where they left it.
That night, Tom dreamed. He saw himself facing off Grindelwald, wand in his hand. Aine had told him about Wizard Duels, and she was standing beside him, telling him that she was going to be his second whether he liked it or not. He weakened Grindelwald considerably, but then was hit with a horrible curse. At the time, he'd heard the words, but when he woke up, he couldn't remember what they were exactly. All he knew was that he felt immense pain, even in the dream.
Professor Christy's class proved to be the most unusual. Tom had vaguely recalled the muggle game, "Murder Mystery," but this was much more complicated. It looked real, too. When they played, Tom actually thought the boy, Alaster Moody, was dead. They found him in the Defense Classroom, a suspicious red, dripping line on his throat.
"What is this?" Aine asked disgustedly as she was given her conditions.
"I have no idea," Tom replied.
After awhile, there were only five students that hadn't died. Aine had been 'killed' two days into the game. Tom looked around and, judging by the smirks of one of his fellow Slytherins, he realized who had done it. He, thinking he was really playing for his life, contacted Professor Christy immediately.
"Did you confront the murderer?" the professor asked.
Tom was caught off guard by this question. "N-no. I didn't think I'd have to."
Christy nodded and followed Tom to the classroom. Tom asked to see the Slytherin boy and tell the Professor how he'd known.
"Congratulations, Riddle," said Christy. "You've done it. 15 points to Slytherin." She went to another classroom, and when she came back, all the students who had been 'dead' were reunited with those that were still 'living.'
"Good job, Tom. I didn't think you'd solve it," said Aine, not realizing that this had a belittling effect on him.
Appalled by her lack of confidence in him, he didn't speak to her for the rest of the day. The next morning, Aine didn't wake him up. He had an owl land on him before he woke up. "What the devil?" he asked as he looked at the bird. He took the letter and opened it.
'Dear Mr. T. Riddle,
You have missed all your classes and lunch. You are not in the infirmary. Report to Professor Arboc's classroom immediately for punishment.
Professor Dumbledore,
Deputy Headmaster'
Tom let out an angry breath as he shot out of bed. He dressed quickly and ran to Arboc's classroom. He knocked gingerly on the door.
"Mr. Riddle, how nice of you to join us. I am in the middle of a class, so will you sit in the back silently," she said calmly. Her voice had a steel edge to it that Tom hadn't heard before. Her eyes flashed, but no other signs of anger were evident. He saw the seventh year class. One Gryffindor female looked at him with a stern, withering glare that quickly told him that she was going to be a teacher, and an intimidating one at that.
He sat down and read the board. Completely enthralled, he listened to the lecture and would have taken notes had he taken his parchment and quill. The potion they were studying was able to bring back the dead, or more accurately, give bodies to spirits. Sure, after the class, Tom had been screamed at, and even had several points taken away, but nothing could dampen his spirits. As soon as he got some parchment and his quill, he began noting everything he wanted to research. He stayed in the Common Room the rest of the day.
"Are you still mad at me?" Aine asked Tom timidly.
Tom, with his entire attention turned to his notes, didn't notice her.
Aine was not used to being ignored. Good attention, bad attention, whatever it was, she got it. She never had to vie for it before. Being the youngest child, and the only daughter of the prodigious Malfoy family, she was doted upon by the servants, and given everything she wanted by her parents.
She grabbed the parchment from under his quill, creating a line down the middle.
"Excuse me," Tom snapped as he tried to get the paper back.
"No. I want to know if you're still mad at me," Aine demanded.
"I will be if you don't give that parchment back."
"I meant about yesterday!" She rolled her eyes.
"Of course I'm not still mad. I was only planning on not talking to your for twenty-four hours."
Aine sighed in relief. She gave his parchment back with a smile. Tom explained everything he'd learned to her.
Over the weeks Tom drew up charts for gaining house points. There was a list of teachers, and their likes and dislikes. He quickly learned how to get the most house points by doing things. Professor Arboc liked quietly simmering potions; the Herbology professor admired hands-on testing. Christy liked problems solved, as they hadn't done the murder game, again. There was only one teacher Tom couldn't figure out.
Professor Dumbledore, head of Gryffindor house and deputy Headmaster, was a touch nut to crack. There were certain times he'd reward a complete transfiguration or answered question, other times he wouldn't. The thing that confused Tom the most was that he never was rewarded points in Transfiguration. He always did everything right, and he was always the first to complete the new spell the class learned. Yet he never was granted points. It was as though Dumbledore gave points for accomplishing something a student didn't think he could do. With Tom, Transfiguration was no great feat, and therefore, by Dumbledore's logic, he didn't deserve points. Aine, on the other hand, who wasn't too good with remembering textbook answers, received points for answering questions correctly. Tom couldn't shake off the nasty feeling that Professor Dumbledore knew too much about each individual student than he was supposed to.