I'M FINALLY BACK! And, boy, does it feel good to be back, school just got really hectic for me, and I had to work more on top of it. I mean, technically I still have a lot going on in school, but... meh! Thank you, everyone, who has reviewed so far, keep em' coming!
After that the two houses focused on their work and each other, completely ignoring their rivals. The Slytherins definitely seemed on edge, but I like this better, I wasn't concerned with what house won, or who was better. I was here to learn and monitor my following, everything else seemed so childish. Draco and I had just finished stirring in the ground scarab beetles, and I was monitoring the concoction began to turn red. So far everything was going well, I had crushed the beetles to the perfect consistency and Draco had done well to keep the pot at the perfect stir speed from the beginning. Most of the Slytherins were doing just fine, and a good amount of Gryffindors weren't struggling either. Except for Potter, Weasley, Thomas, and the girl Weasley. I was curious to see who would receive the best potion, I had predicted it would be mine and Draco's, however, the mudblood girl's wasn't looking terrible either.
"Alright Draco, I think we're ready to add the second round of armadillo bile," I called to him, he was currently preparing the next bit of ingredients. While there were certainly other ways to ensure a perfect potion, this was my and Malfoy's method. The advantages of preparing your ingredients as you brew the potion means that if at any point something seems off, you can attempt to remedy the problem by adjusting the recipe itself. Something that Severus saw as sacrilege, but couldn't argue because I always came out with glowing results.
He leaned over and slowly poured the bile into the cuoldron while I stirred it in. The potion began to turn from a red to a bright yellow. "Careful, it's getting a green hue, don't over do it." Malfoy advised. He was right, so I slowed the speed of my wand. "I jsut want to warn you that some of the Slytherines are going to resent your relationship with Proffessor Snape." I sighed, it was like the boy could read my mind. "While you can ignore the rest of your school, you'll have to be sure to keep them in check." Oh, I was supposed to keep them in check, just me? I gave the blond a look that conveyed percisely that. "Of course, I will help you!" He rushed out. I nodded.
"I can handle it Draco, if you don't trust and respect my abilities, no one else will. Oh, the potions yellow." I said, my attention going back to the task at hand. Draco and I continued to chat as we alternated between the two ingredients. I was beginning to worry about the capability of the other students, how Albus thought that Harry, or any Gryffindore was a threat was beyond me! Ron Weasley had just added toad mucus to his pot, and their potion was a strange sort of blue color. How he had gotten this far was beyond, it's a shock that those three hadn't ended up killing themselves. Finally class time was up, and Snape started to walk around the room checking the potions. To Gryffindor's relief, he wasn't grading them, simply repremanding or giving praise.
He made to ours, and I felt my heart beat rise, knowing him he'd be harder on us than any other pair. "Malfoy, Riddle." He said and peered into our culdron. It was the perfect shade of deep orange, however I was a little worried about the consistancy of the potion itself. The proffessor waved his wand over it, and sighed. "It is adeqaute, although I did expect an absolute perfect potion from you two." I sighed in relief. Perfect he was sastified and that was about as good as it gets with him. After continuing through the classroom he stood up at his desk again, eyeing each and every one of us. "While none of you prepared a potion to the level that I had hoped the best potion brewed today belongs to Draco and Riddle!" Immediately mumbles ran through the room about biased opinions. I felt my blood boil, we earned that simply becuase we were the best, not because he like us the best. "You all may be dismissed, where you sat today is where you will sit all through term." He said we gathered our things and left.
"No one can accept that we actually brewed that fair and square." Malfoy grumbled as he, Pansy, and Blaize were all walking through the halls, headed up out of the dungeons. "It so frustrating." He said, Blaise chuckled as the veins in Draco's neck began to pop out noticibly.
"Bloody hell, Draco, calm down!" Pansy repremanded. I gave my friend a strict look and you could tell he was trying to get his anger under control. "So, Riddle, when are you going to call the first meeting?" The girl asked excitedly, she was the newest member to swear her loyalty to me, although she had yet to swear it to my father, and was very eager. Her family hadn't been terribly active during the first war so she was hesistant to join. After meeting with me, and seeing me when I was completing a task for my father half a year ago, she pledged almost immediately. "You'll want to organize everything early on in the year, so no one steps out of line. The Slytherins tend to be hot headed, and let their arrogance control them."
"You better be referring to yourself also, Parkinson." Blaise said giving her a nasty look.
"Both of you idiots shut up." I said under my breath, losing my patience. "I want everyone to get settled in, plus Dumbledore is surely keeping a close eye on me. If we don't want to get caught and carted off to azkaban than we need to get him to trust me first." Morons, Draco was the only capable follower that I had at the moment, well Blaise wasn't too bad, but he wasn't a loyal to the cuase, so I couldn't trust him like I did Malfoy. "Right now I have to get to my next class, go about your normal routine for now, until I say otherwise act as normal students, but please stay out of trouble."
The rest of the days classes went on fairly similiarly. No one aside from the Slytherin students, and a few Hufflepuffs, really seemed to like me. Although, everyone seemed interested in me. As I predicted was far more advanced than any of the classes that I was taking, and anticipated a rather boring year, coming. At the end of the day, me and Malfoy were a lone on a couch in the Slytherin common room. "I know you think it's better to take some time before calling a meeting, and while I agree, I'm just not sure that it's going to work out well with the students." I put my Transfiguration text book down and sighed. We had been having such a good time sitting quietly together.
"I suppose I could try to consult my father about it, but I do see what you are saying." I bit my lip, thinking over the different options and the pros and cons. "Alright, I'll call a meeting here, after dinner, it will be inconspicuous, I'll just make my presence known and instruct them to stay under the radar."
"I hope they listen." Draco said absentmindedly.
My head snapped towards him and I gave him a dark look. "Do you want me to cruciatus you to use as an example?" I asked, he looked up bug eyed and shook his head. "Well you seem to doubt my leadership capabilities, and I garuntee using you as an example in front of them will be hightly effective." I snarled.
"You're right, I'm sure that they'll listen to you. I nodded my head and leaned back against the couch, closing my eyes for a moment. "I suggest you not talk to your father, I think that you can figure this out on your own." he said softly, sincerely.
"Thank you Draco, I'd be lost without your friendship." I replied. "Now, let's spread the word." I instructed.
Soon enough there was a message, only able to be seen by those we chose, plastered on the common room wall. It would disapeear within a few hours to ensure no proffessor could find it. Blaise, walked in just as we finished and expressed worry that some of the students wouldn't comply but I had faith. THey all knew what exactly their fate would be if the failed to follow mhy instruction. I had more control over the house that Snape did, and everyone connected to Slytherin to it. Even though a large chunk of my followers haven't commited loyalty to the Dark Lord, they had to the Dark Heir. I was the sucessor, at this point loyalty to me was far more valuable than loyalty to my father, they would cross him if I instructed, not that I ever would. All of this was by design, me and Tom intended for me to start taking control away from him. He was getting tired, and though he feared death, it was coming soon, and he needed someone to pick up the torch.
Sorry for the short chapter, but this was the best stopping point, for some reason I'm not able to fit everything I want in a decently sized chapter, they would all end up being insanely long. Anyways, I hope you all are liking it so far, whoever reviewed about the potion contest, you got your wish. Also, poor Draco getting friend zoned by the ever beautiful Successor.