Nearly two weeks into Hogwarts, and I can't say many interesting things have happened since I met Gellert on that hill with the great view of the castle, except for Harry Potter making a fool of himself in class, but also simultaneously proving himself to be a genius at Quidditch (some Wizarding sport. It's apparently the Wizarding World's equivalent of football, so yeah, I guess one could call it popular). Harry had apparently impressed his Head of House pretty good as she apparently caught sight of him, and made him the Seeker of the Gryffindor team. Blaise seemed especially angry about Harry's new appointment. Something about First Years not being allowed to try out for the team. I was actually more angry about Draco negatively affecting Slytherin House's reputation.

Unfortunately, I was just as angry at Draco as I was at myself. I should've forced Draco to stop, but instead, I stood there like an idiot. It was utterly pathetic. But now… now, I have a chance to stop the blond before he does anything else to embarrass this house.

"I stole Longbottom's Remembrall after that fat lard fell off of his broom. His fat, red face was drenched with tears."

A group of older students, 2nd, and 3rd years, I believe, broke out into laughter as Draco told more of his story. I felt my right fist clench not out of sympathy for Neville, but because Draco didn't realize this made all Slytherins look bad.

"Don't do it, Corvus. The Malfoy family has had a strong bond with Slytherin since they first joined. Fighting him will make more enemies than it will friends." Daphne said, but I just shook my head.

"There's a reason why Slytherin is known for breeding thugs." I said. "We've presented ourselves as rabid dogs. Ferals who trample over those who can't defend themselves so they climb higher up the food chain, but there's no honor in that."

"We aren't supposed to be honorable, we're supposed to be clever." she informed, but I scoffed as my eyes found their way to Theodore's.

Silent… provocatively intelligent. But even so, I could tell my words were affecting him more than anyone else here thinks. Part of him wanted to follow me. All I had to do was give him another push.

"Stealing a person's belongings while they're weak isn't clever, it's cowardly. It's time a certain blond realized that."

My feet pushed me up from the couch, and as I turned back to Daphne, I watched her facepalm as if she was punishing herself for not being able to make me turn back from this colossal mistake. Unsurprisingly, I found Theodore blankly looking down at the coffee table in front of him. I frowned at his inaction, but knew I had to go on.

Just as Draco made the older group of students laugh once more, I looked around for Crabbe and Goyle. The first thing you should do in a fight is evaluate your opponents. Crabbe and Goyle were about my height, true, and Draco was unlikely to actually do anything himself, but the odds were still against me. The truth is, I know very little about Draco's two bodyguards. I know they're exceptionally dull-witted, and they like to eat, but other than that, nothing much has come up. Since this is most likely to be a fist-to-fist brawl rather than a wizard's duel, I can't count on their mediocre classroom abilities to give an accurate representation of their fighting capabilities, and I've never seen them wrestle before.

'Whatever,' I thought to myself. 'If I can't beat them with muscle, I'll have to use my greatest weapon - my mind.'

"Draco, don't you think it's time for you to give up your childish antics?" I asked. My eyebrows furled as the older students parted as if they were the red sea to give Draco and I clear views of each other. "After all, isn't it unbecoming for someone of your social status to worry about bullying the helpless?"

"Grow a conscious, Gaunt?" He asked, with emphasis on the 't'. "You seemed to be awfully content watching me 'bully' Longbottom before."

I took in a sharp breath before stating "I admit, it was a moment of weakness. I should have stopped you, but I didn't, and when given the opportunity, I will apologize to Neville, but I won't allow you to embarrass Slytherin any longer."

Draco gave off his signature scowl before he chuckled, and then called for his lackeys.

"Crabbe, Goyle, I want you to teach Gaunt to respect his betters."

The two large, brawny boys walked in front of Draco, and crossed their arms are they tried to intimidate me.

"Teach me manners?" I asked. "The two of them share a single brain cell, and that brain cell turns off as soon as they find food."

I caught some chuckles which admittedly gave me some confidence, not that I necessarily needed it."

"In fact, can someone give the two of them some food? It would bring a quick end to this rather dull event. That and… I'm pretty sure I just heard Crabbe's stomach rumble."

As if on cue, the boy's stomach growled. He looked down out of embarrassment, and then blushed as he looked back up to me. The entire room erupted into laughter, I noticed Draco's head peek out from between the two boys' heads.

"Don't just stand there and let him insult you, you idiots! Get him!" he said, and the two boys charged me.

Things almost slowed to a crawl as I formulated a plan. I looked around with almost superhuman perception, taking note of my immediate surroundings. Fortunately, right next to me was a small table with a lamp, and a hard cover textbook for Defense Against the Dark Arts.

I gave out an inaudible 'sorry' to whomever owned the notebook, but grabbed it nonetheless, and bonked Goyle on his head just as he got close to me.

He reeled back in pain, and put his hand on his head as he cried out in pain, but I could hardly enjoy the result of my handiwork just yet. There's still another brute on his feet.

"Gragh!" Crabbe cried out, and reached out with his hands as if to grab me by the shoulders, but before he could get to me, I kneeled down slightly, and tilted the textbook enough so that the cover had a hard edge, and I thrust the rind into his stomach. I heard the air escape from his lungs with a heavy groan, and he got on all fours to try and regain his breath.

Smiling, my hands dropped to my sides, and I let out a sigh.

'Is that really all there is?' I asked to myself. 'I expected way more of a fight, but it seems these boys are more bark than they are bite.'

Unfortunately, my celebrations were cut short. A taller, stronger boy appeared from behind me, and looped his hands through the gaps in my arms, and around my shoulders thoroughly immobilizing me.

I felt my heart skip a beat as he cried out "Hurry up, and get him, you idiots! I don't think I'll be able to hold him for very long!"

Goyle quickly recovered from my attack, and walked up to me, launching his curled up fist at my stomach.

My teeth clenched just as his fist met my skin, and I winced in pain.

Crabbe was the next to get up. He had a little drool peeking out from the corner of his slightly agape mouth, but I doubted that he realized just how stupid he looked. His fist grazed my face, and I could feel his sharp, unclipped thumbnail pierce my skin, causing a little bit of blood to leak out onto my cheek.

"Not so tough now, are you, Gaunt? It seems your foolish crusade's been cut short." Draco gloated. He gave out a sly smile as if he was expecting people to laugh, but nobody was. They were more focused on the fact that I was getting the snot beaten out of me.

That is, until my silent friend appeared. I heard the sound of a fist flying through air, and meeting with bare flesh, and the arms binding me let go. As I turned, I saw a boy who couldn't have been more than a 3rd, or 4th year on the ground with a ringer already growing around his eye, and standing above him - Theodore Nott, who had the same blank gaze as he's always had, spare for slightly furrowed brows.

"Glad you could join the party," I said, and Theodore nodded with a grunt. "Now let's finish it."

The fight didn't take much longer. With the odds back in my favor, all it took were a few more seconds, maybe a minute at most, and the two boys were back on the ground. Goyle even had a few humiliating tears falling from his face.

"What was it that you said about my 'crusade', Draco? That it was 'cut short'?"

I looked to Draco as I asked the pointed questions, and it gave me satisfaction to see he looked as though he was going to have a panic attack.

I marched over to him, and as he backed into a corner, I put my arm on the wall next to him.

"You think you know power, Draco? You know nothing. Power is more than pointed threats, and sly insults. It's not cowardice in the guise of cleverness. This… this is power. Consider this a lesson, and a threat; if you choose any more targets that are unable to defend themselves, it won't be your cronies lying on the ground, crying, it will be you."

I let my hand fall down to my side once more as I turned around, and walked to the DADA textbook I used before before raising it in the air.

"Who's textbook is this?"

"It's mine, in fact."

A girl approached with a prefect's badge, and authoritatively marched towards Theo and I. "I can't say I was expecting too much when a second year found me and told me that a group of first years were fighting each other, but this, this is unexpected. Two boys against three others, one being a fourth year, and actually winning? Impressive."

I recognized this girl; Gemma Farley, a fifth year prefect. She was the one who took us first years to the common room, and then to our dorms. Rumor was that she's surprisingly flexible when it comes to rules.

"Now, how did this all start?"

"Gaunt and Nott approached me out of nowhere and started harassing me for playing a prank on a Gryffindor!" Draco cried out, and I felt my eyes roll unintentionally from his omission of important details, along with his blatant cowardice.

I shook my head, and said "Not true. I told Draco that I wasn't going to allow him to bully people who couldn't defend themselves. There's nothing to gain, and in the end, it's a sign of spinelessness, and makes the Slytherin House out to be a group of thugs."

She looked between Draco and I, and then at the boys lying on the ground before she finally said. "For God's sake, boys, pull yourselves together. You're Slytherins, not weak-willed Hufflepuffs. And you," she looked at Draco before spitting out "If I hear that you've been harassing people, whether they're in Slytherin or not, I swear that you will be meeting with Dumbledore personally to explain yourself. Do you understand?"

Draco meekly nodded, and Gemma Farley smiled. "Good, then hopefully this shall be the last I hear of this," She then turned to me, and said "You, come with me. And bring my textbook with you."

She then turned, and walked over to the common room door before swinging it open. I snapped out of my trance, and caught up to her. She quickly brought me into the class halls, and I looked around the unfamiliar pathways.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked.

"Professor Quirrell's classroom. You made a very powerful enemy, even if you don't realize it. The Malfoy's hold sway over many of the pure-blood families, especially those in Slytherin. Hopefully, Professor Quirrell will be able to teach you to defend yourself before you kill yourself due to your ignorance of how Slytherin works," she explained. She didn't turn her gaze once towards me. "And don't think me defusing your fight with Draco means I'll always let you off the hook. Because this is an isolated incident, I will let it go, but next time, I'll take you straight to Professor Snape. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Prefect Farley."

Farley was pleasantly surprising, to be honest. She was straight-laced. She wasn't easily distracted by the petty squabbles of others. It made me wonder why so many other Slytherins disliked her. She was obviously a prime example of a good Slytherin.

I looked around once more, and found the halls familiar. We're finally back on a path I know. Although, the way Gemma took me is a fairly good shortcut from the dorms to DADA.

"Here we are," she announced. "Give me my book, and go inside."

I looked at her with confusion, and then gave her the book.

"If you don't need it right now, then why'd you make me bring it here."

"As punishment." she explained. "Any more that that, and well, it's my business. Good day, Gaunt. Try not to get into any more trouble."

I watched as she walked away, and disappeared around a corner, and then knocked on the door.

"C-Coming!"

After a few short minutes, the door opened, and I saw the familiar turbaned head of Professor Quirrell. Truth be told, I don't really know why Farley brought me to him instead of literally any other professor. Rumor has it that even Professor Flitwick was a famous duelist before he was a professor.

"Ah! If-if it isn't young C-Corvus Gaunt. How c-can I help you?" he asked

"Good evening, Professor. Under the recommendation of Prefect Farley, I've come to learn to defend myself. She seems to be under the illusion that I need to learn to defend myself." I said.

"Oh!' he said, making a small 'o' shape with his mouth. "W-Well then, I d-don't know how m-much I will be able to help, b-but I know a trick or t-two that might help. Come in!" he said, turning around.

Strangely enough, as I stared at the back of his head, I could almost feel a pair of beady eyes staring back at me, but that couldn't be true… could it?

"Professor, I know you've stated before that you got your turban from an African prince, but why do you still wear it? Surely it would look better as a decoration, and even on the off-chance that you keep bulbs of garlic in there, I can think of five better ways to conceal it at the top of my head."

For the first time, I heard the professor chuckle. It wasn't a quiet, timid chuckle either… it was wholly confident, as if he was an entirely different person from the ordinarily paranoid Professor Quirrell.

"I will warn you just this once, Mr. Gaunt, be mindful of the questions you ask, for the answers given are often… traumatizing." he said, pulling out numerous textbooks, and flipping pages by the dozen. "Now then, how about this spell. It's not debilitating, but still very effective at your age."

The professor backed off, but kept his finger below a word to highlight it, and I leaned in to read the contents.

"Flipendo - the knockback jinx?" I asked, looking up at the professor. He gave off this goofy smile that was too wide, as if he was trying too hard to look friendly. "No offense, Professor, but I was hoping for something a little more, well, offensive."

His smile quickly faded as he looked down at the book, and his finger faltered just slightly down the page. "I-I see. Well, no matter." He closed the book, and then turned around with renewed confidence. "I have something a little more advanced. Something one of my benefactors taught me. It is quite violent, so if you get in trouble, I-I would appreciate it if you didn't t-tell anyone that I was the one that t-taught you it."

Professor Quirrell waved his wand at the door, which closed at his command, and then at a box, which couldn't have been more than a foot-and-a-half feet long. Out from the box popped a tan training dummy. One more quick swish, and the dummy had transformed into a blank human replica. There were no discerning qualities about the dummy. It was rubbery looking skin, and lacked eyes, ears, hair, and even a belly button.

"This is a lifelike replica of a human body. It has bones, and organs, just like any normal person, which makes it just as durable as a prime human specimen. Now watch," he said.

"Corpus Fractura!"

Just as he incanted the spell, he made a small circle with his wand, and then drew the tip of his wand into the center before drawing his wand out rapidly. A blast of dark red with a black center burst of the tip of his wand, and hit the dummy's arm, and I could hear a disgusting *squelch!*. The arm flew back at the force, and then limply fell to the dummy's side as it it was boneless.

"Corpus Fractura, the Body-Break spell. When properly targeted, it fractures bones into dozens of little pieces. It is quite effective at debilitating enemies, but it requires skill to target specific limbs." Professor Quirrell turned towards me, and gave me another toothy smile. "So, what do you think about it?"

"It's a great spell and all, but what happened to your stutter?" I asked.

I could see the professor's eyes dart around as he panicked at my question, but he finally said "Er, y-you know what they say about st-stutters, they s-sometimes go away on t-their own."

'Yeah," that's a cop out if I've ever seen one.' I thought to myself, but I merely shrugged, and accepted his obvious lie. 'It's none of my business. I'll just pretend I believed him."

"That makes sense. Anyways, do you mind showing me how to do the spell again?"

Professor Quirrell's eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded his head. "Oh, of course, M-Mr. G-Gaunt! Now, p-point your wand o-outwards, and follow my m-movements. I'll go sl-slowly the first time."

He thrusted his wand outwards, and pointed it at the arms which had already somehow repaired itself. "The first s-step is to point your wand at your t-target. I w-will go for the r-right arm, so you go for the left."

As he commanded, I got into my fighting stance, and pointed my wand at the left arm of the dummy.

"Now, the second st-step is to make a t-tight circle around the point of your wand, and then d-draw your wand back into the center before quickly d-drawing it out. At the final m-moment, incant the spell. Watch."

He guided his wand outwards, and then drew a circle maybe an inch in diameter, and then brought his wand outwards.

"Corpus Fractura!"

And another blast of dark red shot out from his wand as if it was a bullet from a gun. It hit the arm once again, and this time, the arms was barely hanging on by a tether.

Just as my eyes bulged from astonishment, Professor Quirrell cried out"Oops! I m-may have overdone it that time! I hope I haven't f-frightened you."

I immediately shook my head 'no'. "Of course not, Professor! That was amazing! Who could come up with such a destructive spell?"

Professor Quirrell nervously laughed. "Y-You wouldn't believe me if I t-told you." His eyes shifted around again, and he abruptly changed the subject. "A-Anyways, it's your turn!"

I nodded, and then held my wand back up. 'Start from the center, and draw a line about half an inch long,' I told myself, forcing myself to make the movements. 'The next step is to make a tight circle, and then,' I exhaled sharply as I thought 'draw it out!'

"Corpus Fractura!"

Just as Professor Quirrell's wand had, a blast of blood red shot out from my wand, albeit smaller than his, and hit the arm. It hit the arm, and it bent back in a sickly manner before falling slightly.

Frankly, I was disappointed. I guess I convinced myself that I was going to get this perfectly on the first try.

"Well done, M-Mr. Gaunt!"

Fortunately, the Professor saw it differently.

"You've c-caught onto it even f-faster than I did, even with my l-lackluster directions."

"Nonsense," I disagreed, "Your directions were more than sufficient, although I was expecting more of an effect. I'll have to practice it more."

"I e-envy your devotion, Mr. Gaunt. Y-You remind me a lot of your f-father."

I nearly dropped my wand at the abrupt chance to learn more about one of my parents. "You knew my father?"

"Y-Yes, although I never q-quite got the chance to meet your m-mother," he responded "From w-what I hear, though, she was q-quite devoted to you father."

"Can you tell me about them?" I asked, to which the Professor broke into a cold sweat.

"I-I suppose. What do you w-want to know?"

"Anything, I suppose," I answered truthfully. "Nobody's told me anything about him. It's like they fear him or something."

"Well, he was a v-very powerful wizard. I c-coveted to be like him, i-if I'm being honest. N-No matter where he w-went, p-people respected him. T-There was a t-time not too long ago w-when every w-wizard around the world knew his name."

"And what happened to him?" I asked.

Professor Quirrell breathed out a long sigh as if to calm himself down, and then he said "He was unfairly bested."

I looked to the professor for more answers, but he revealed none, instead sitting in pause, as if he was thinking about something. "I'm sure he would be very proud of the speed at which you are mastering spells."

"What was his name, Professor?" I asked.

"Tom Riddle."

"Riddle?" I asked, "Not Gaunt?"

"I'm afraid I can speak no more of this tonight. Off you go." he said.

Professor Quirrell began to try ushering me out of the room, much to my surprise. He seemed happy, almost eager to reveal all he knew of my father, but at least I have something; a name.

'Tom Riddle,' I thought to myself. 'If he went to this school, I'll find out everything there is to know about him.'

Just as he pushed me out the door, and began to close it, I stopped him with "Professor?"

"Yes?" He asked.

"Do you think you could meet me after school again? To learn more about the spell, of course."

After a pregnant pause, Professor Quirrell nodded. "We could do that. This day next week, same time. Would that work for you?"

"Of course." I responded.

"Good." And then, he closed the door.

Truth be told, I no longer cared that much about the spell after he revealed that information of my father. I'll stop by the library soon and see if I can't find any books on him before I went back to the Professor, but I had a feeling that next week, the Professor would have more answers for me.

'Tom,' I thought. 'Tom Riddle. Tom Riddle."

I repeated the name in my head as if to keep my mind from forgetting it, although I knew I never would be able to. The name of my father would always stick to the tip of my tongue. It felt weird as I rolled the words off my mouth.

"Tom Riddle, the father of Corvus Gaunt. What happened to you?"

Let's go! Sixth chapter is in the bag. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Hope you guys also caught onto the name of the chapter "Professor of the Dark Arts" instead of "Professor of the DADA". A little play on the title. I also created the curse Corpus Fractura. I wanted something that I could see Tom Riddle realistically using, but not one of the three unforgivables, so I created this one. Still pretty deadly in the right hands, but of course, our friend Tom doesn't have any qualms with cutting someone's life short a few decades, nor would he have any reservations of teaching it to a child. Hope to see you guys (and gals!) again next week! - CStrain