Disclaimer: This story includes characters and situations that are part of the Harry Potter universe, which is copyright J.K.Rowling, Scholastic, Warner Brothers, Bloomsbury, etc. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made in the production of this FANFICTION. Not many outside resources were needed this time, but I (as always) made extensive use of the Harry Potter Lexicon, when writing this chapter.
Author's Note: Finally you get to meet Tom, or rather, re-meet him. (I'm sure most of you will be thrilled, and were of the opinion that there was a severe lack of Tom in the last few chapters. Don't worry – no more Tomless chapters.) Thanks go to all my reviewers! Err.... reviewer. Thanks, Pixie, for your review. I'm glad that someone who pays attention to Luna's character (as an H/L shipper) you like the way I've portrayed her. Although I don't know about much Harry/Luna - I'm not much of a shipper myself. We'll see.
Expectations of Grandeur: Chapter 8: The Disruption in the Great Hall
Several moments had passed, but Malfoy was just standing there, with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. Harry sighed, grateful for the interruption but not sure he really wanted to take on Malfoy at this point. "What is it, Malfoy?"
Ginny laughed. "Planning on saying anything deep or meaningful? Or maybe you were just thinking you could intimidate us by standing there."
Malfoy smirked and cut back, "The presence of someone so much higher than yourself should intimidate you, Weaslette. But I wouldn't expect anyone as dense as you to understand respect."
Ginny snorted. "I understand a Bat Bogey Hex a lot better than respect for the likes of you," she said, standing and pulling out her wand menacingly. Malfoy stepped back, visibly pale. Apparently he had not forgotten Ginny's hex from the end of the previous term.
Hermione made a vague noise in protest of fighting on the train. Harry stood and grabbed Ginny's arm. "He's not worth it, Ginny," he remonstrated.
Malfoy regained his bearings and peered into the room. "Saving your girlfriend's neck, eh, Potter? Afraid she'll bust up her pretty little face? Although, I can't account for what you Gryffindors call taste, she's disgusting if you ask me," he snapped, "Just like the rest of those Weasley pigs – not enough money to even keep themselves clean, the lot."
Ron jumped up at this and made to pummel Draco, and Harry grabbed his wand hand as well, sending a panicked look to Hermione for help. But before she could do anything, Malfoy turned his attention to her and called out, "You have to go a long way to keep yourself clean, especially when you hang out with Mudbloods."
Harry lost control as Ron ripped through Harry's grip and sent a shocked Malfoy flying with a punch directly in his left eye. Malfoy's head knocked against the wall of the compartment across the way and he stood, dazed, for a moment. "Don't you ever call Hermione that again, Malfoy. The only thing that needs cleaning here is your mouth," Ron muttered and he shut the doors to the compartment, Crabbe and Goyle absentmindedly prodding at their wealthier friend.
"You'd think," Ginny commented absently, as they all calmed down from the encounter, "That Crabbe and Goyle would be useful in a fight, with all that brawn."
At that, everyone laughed.
It wasn't long until the snack trolley came by, and soon the six were well stocked with treats to tide them over until they reached Hogwarts, chattering happily through mouthfuls of chocolate frog and every-flavour beans.
"What was it we were talking about before Malfoy and the others came in?" Luna asked, absentmindedly.
"The new Slytherin," answered Harry quickly, omitting any reference to the Chamber of Secrets or Ginny's first year but keeping as close to the truth as he could.
"And?"
"As far as I know," Ginny said slowly, "And I've heard a lot about him through dad and the Order and all, he's as bad as they come – but charming, too. So don't trust him, even if he seems trustworthy."
Luna nodded, "A Death Eater?"
"Of course," answered Ginny, "Deeper than the Malfoys, I daresay."
They were silent for a while, trying to imagine a Death Eater that was more deeply entrenched in Voldemort's plans than Lucius Malfoy and his family. "Do they even exist?" Neville asked at length, "Death Eaters higher ranked than Malfoy, that is."
Harry laughed. "Well, I would say You-Know-Who is one of them," he said grimly, trying to diffuse the situation and not realising the implication of his statement.
"Other than You-Know-Who, of course," Luna conceded.
Ginny paled, and Harry wasn't entirely sure what to say. Hermione spoke up, "Well I guess there is; after all, he's coming to Hogwarts."
She said it with such a decisive tone that even Luna stopped wondering. There was an awkward silence for what seemed like an eternity, and they all took turns looking out the window at the scenery passing by and clearing their throats uncomfortably. Finally, Hermione spoke up. "I think it's about time to change into robes. We'll be arriving shortly," and she promptly left the compartment.
"I agree," choked Ron and he hurried after Hermione. "Wait up!" he shouted down the corridor.
In the silence that followed, Harry caught a glance at Ginny and had trouble not laughing. "Maybe he thought she needed help…" she muttered, and he cracked up. Luna and Neville gazed confusedly at them, oblivious to anything that might be going on.
Harry only shook his head and sighed.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before they reached Hogsmeade and climbed into the Thestral-led chariots that would carry them the final few kilometres to Hogwarts. Upon seeing them, Ginny had gasped. "So… so that's what they look like. Those are Thestrals?" she whispered, not necessarily to Harry, but he happened to be standing nearest, and nodded.
"Yeah. Those are Thestrals," he said, quietly, just as they climbed into the carriage. He hadn't thought before this about the implications of the experience in the Department of Mysteries on other people, having principally pushed it out of his mind over the summer. But surely Ginny saw some Death Eater – or maybe even Sirius – fall in battle that day, and it suddenly dawned on him that she, or Hermione or Ron or Luna or Neville, was probably just as troubled and haunted by the events of that day as he was. He smiled darkly as the carriage lurched to a start and they began their ascent towards the castle. Mostly it passed in silence, because Harry couldn't think of any way to express his new-found sympathy, and Ginny didn't know anything existed to be expressed.
As they climbed the stairs to the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall pulled Ginny aside and whispered something to her, nodding to Harry and escorting the youngest Weasley down the hall to her office. To Harry it was clear what was going on – their Head of House was alerting Ginny to the presence of Tom, and making sure that she wouldn't be too shocked when the time came and she saw him at the feast. It would have been perfect timing, had Harry not already told her. But Professor McGonagall hardly knew that.
And so Harry made his way into the Great Hall and sat down beside his best friends of five years now, smiling to Hermione and Ron. "Where's Ginny?" asked Ron, only slightly concerned.
"McGonagall pulled her aside. Probably to talk about Tom."
Hermione nodded and Ron moved on to the subject of the missing food. "I wish they'd get on with this, after all, I'm starving." Harry and Hermione just shook their heads in acceptance.
There was a loud series of shouts from the Slytherin table, and when Harry looked over, the entire side of the hall was a frenzy of green and silver and black movement, faces looking, shocked, towards Professor Snape at the high table, who wouldn't even deign to look down on his students. Dumbledore leaned over to the greasy Potions Professor and muttered a few words, after which Snape turned his attention to the Slytherin students and silenced them all with a withering glance.
No words had been said, but it didn't take a genius to know what the fuss had been about. The Slytherins had found their new classmate. Harry laughed. Perhaps Riddle would wreak havoc on Malfoy's time at school as well as his own.
As soon as the Slytherins quieted down, Dumbledore nodded to the doors and they opened, allowing Flitwick to escort the first years through the hall to the front and bring forward the stool with the sorting hat on it. McGonagall was still nowhere to be seen. As the Ravenclaw head of house stepped back to pick up a scroll with the first years' names on it, the hat cleared its throat, opened the ripped seam that served for a mouth, and began to sing, just like in all the previous years.
When I was young and not so frayed,
And when I'd just been bought
Our warty school was just a dream
In four bright wizard's thoughts.
These four who built our school, you know,
Have garnered lasting fame
And each of them is so well known
You'll recognise their names.
Brave Gryffindor, the bold and proud
Fair Ravenclaw, the wise
Sweet Hufflepuff, the loyal mage
And Slytherin, the sly
They shared one goal; to build a school
It was their wished-for end
And though they differed otherwise
For Hogwarts, they were friends.
But once the school was built and done,
Their labour near complete
They argued then on who to teach,
And started to compete
For Gryffindor would rant and rave
That bravest should be students
While Ravenclaw wanted only those
Who understood the rudiments
And Hufflepuff proclaimed that all
Should be granted admission
While Slytherin decried, "Just those
Who show a strong ambition!"
But even for this, they had a plan
And when they passed away
They left me here, to speak their choice,
And so I'll do today
So don't be scared, for I have seen
A few more years than you
Just let me peep inside your head
And tell you what to do!
"Abel, Douglas," squeaked the small professor, and the sorting was underway. Ron muttered to Harry about the aching in his stomach through "Wiseman, Jonas," and then just grumbled to himself for a while. Throughout this, neither Ginny nor Professor McGonagall entered the hall, and Flitwick had reached "Zogel, Harriet," and the end of the list, without any sign of them. Dumbledore stood to speak.
"There are many things to say to you," he said grimly, "But now is not the time. Please, enjoy the feast." With that greeting he sat down and the golden plates on the many tables filled with food. Not much was left by the time Ginny arrived, the doors of the Great Hall once again opening to let only the small Gryffindor in. She walked confidently to her table, but saw that all the seats around her brother and Harry had been filled by first years, and awkwardly paused, looking for a space. All the eyes in the hall were on her.
Somewhere down the Gryffindor table, there was a rustling, as several fifth years pushed and shoved the first years to make room for their friend and classmate, and Ginny haltingly walked towards them, but must have taken too long in doing so, because in a far corner of the room, someone stood up at the Slytherin table.
Suddenly, no one paid any attention to little Ginny Weasley, because there was a Slytherin no one had ever seen before – or rather, no one except Harry Potter had seen before – standing up and taking a step across the room towards the Gryffindor table.
As soon as the rest of the school stopped watching her, the red head disappeared into the surroundings of her friends, and the new Slytherin, having lost sight of his prey, halted suddenly. Silence reigned in the Great Hall. Everyone watched this newcomer as he cleared his throat and proudly strode to the centre of the room, where just a few minutes before the Sorting Hat had sat on its stool. "My name," he began, "Is Ophicus Serpens Marvolo. I am a Slytherin, entering into this school as a Sixth year. Prior to this, I have been homeschooled. I…" he trailed off for a second, and in his pause, Dumbledore picked up where he left off.
"Young Ophicus here has been accepted with my warmest recommendation as an exemplary student. Mr. Marvolo, you may return to your seat." As Tom – or rather, Ophicus – walked back to his seat at the Slytherin table, Dumbledore continued. "As we have gotten off to introductions, there are several more people I'd like to introduce to you. Not all of you recognise Firenze from his brief time as a professor here last year, but he shall continue to teach Divination, along with Professor Trelawney. Those taking the course will receive details about this arrangement with their schedules." There was a warm round of applause for the Centaur. "Also, I'd like to welcome Professor Aleta Quinn to our school, she will be filling the Defence Against the Dark Arts post." There was another warm, but altogether bland, round of applause for the professor – she appeared to be altogether normal, wearing plain black robes and thick-rimmed glasses. She stood for the applause, but sat down quickly and let the students get on with their conversations, and their meal.
Ron grinned through his food and smiled before saying, "She looks decent – let's hope it's not another Lockhart, or Moody, or something."
Hermione laughed. "We'll see. She certainly doesn't look dangerous. Just like any other professor, I'd say."
Harry nodded. "Although with all of this, I'm beginning to think the post actually is cursed. We haven't had a single teacher for more than a year, and we're already in our sixth years."
Ron nodded, and Hermione sighed. "That's no reason to say the post is cursed – mostly they were incompetent, or secretly Death Eaters."
"And that's not anyone's fault," Harry chimed in sarcastically.
"All right, Harry," Hermione conceded, and the three went back to eating quietly.
At the other end of the Gryffindor Table, Ginny laughed shrilly. "He was not!" she whispered to Jeannette, her best friend in her year. She didn't want the rest of the table to hear Jeannette's allegations that the rather attractive new Slytherin had been heading towards Ginny before she sat down.
"He was too, and he had a reason – he had something to say to you, Ginevra Molly Weasley," Jeannette whispered back fiercely.
Ginny glared at her friend. "You know I hate it when you call me by my full name," she said. "And Ophicus Marvolo, or whatever his name is, certainly wouldn't want to have anything to do with a Muggle-loving Gryffindor like me."
"It's not a question of whether he wanted to have anything to do with you – he clearly did, I saw his face and he was headed right here," Jeannette whispered adamantly. "The question is, why has Ginny Weasley been spending time with anonymous Slytherins?"
"I haven't been. You can get my brother to vouch for that. Trust me, there is only animosity between the new Slytherin and myself."
Behind her, Amelia O'Connor, the brightest girl in their year and the newest Gryffindor prefect, prodded her shoulder. "Ginny, dear, there have to be relations before there can be animosity. Are you saying that you've met this Marvolo fellow?"
Ginny gulped. "No. I'm just saying that I hate him much in the same way I hate every Slytherin – they're a good for nothing lot, and I'm standing by that assertion."
Amelia nodded. "Well, I can't say I'm complaining. Less competition – he certainly is handsome," she murmured into Ginny's ear.
Ginny flushed bright red and whirled around to stare at her friend. "What?" she yelped, "He looks just like Harry – only with blue eyes and no scar!"
Amelia laughed. "Just because your Harry's off limits to us doesn't mean we don't admit the truth – and Marvolo is much more attractive than Harry, he carries himself with more confidence. Besides, he's a few inches taller and he doesn't have that horrible unruly hair. Harry can't compare. You'll see."
Ginny just shook her head angrily and poked at her food. Suddenly she didn't want to eat. This was certainly not the reaction she wanted her friends to be having to Tom Riddle. "Well, let me just say what my parents told me – we're close to Dumbledore so we'd heard about him. Mr. Marvolo is as deep in the Death Eater ranks as they come, worse even than Malfoy himself." She hoped that no one would question that piece of knowledge – because once again, she couldn't name another example of a higher-ranking Death Eater than Malfoy, unless she pointed out the Dark Lord. But her friends took this with mutual fascination, although they certainly didn't stop staring.
"Why'd he stand up to talk to you, then, Ginny?" Jeannette mumbled, but Ginny didn't bother gracing that with a response.