Chapter Four:

Tom watched the other boy hungrily, devouring the flickering nature of his personas, the shining glimmers of Evans' true character buried beneath projections of weakness and docility.

He didn't know why it churned his gut to see the submissiveness - he preferred to see people submit to his own power and authority, he always had.

Oh, he understood why the snatches of defiance interested him; it was a challenge to be torn apart and shredded. What he didn't understand was why, when Harrison was already acting as if he were willing to allow him to be dominant when the other remained unprovoked, he was so eager to tease that defiance out.

Maybe it was because the compliance felt like a mockery, as well as something beautiful wasted.

Harry had power, something he'd always respected even in his enemies - especially in his enemies - and maybe it galled him to see such power and potential go neglected.

That was probably it.

It was no fun when Harry submitted to him on such a surface level, in bland interaction, because he could practically taste the fire beneath.

He didn't want to tame a candle, he wanted to tame the absolute, raging, seemingly unyielding blaze that he knew was there, taunting him.

Anything less, was a failure.

Besides, the boy was intriguing, a puzzle and an enigma he had yet to work out. It offered something to occupy him, and he hadn't been bored once since the new Slytherin had arrived.

His followers were probably relieved at that, the fools.

He was distracted, and they didn't view Evans as any threat to their own position. To them, Harrison was a perfect little sacrifice to amuse him. A smirk curled in his lips.

The next step to victory was to coax the boy into the open, onto the board.

He just needed to find the right strings.
A weakness to exploit.

He'd planted some seeds already, noting the books Harrison was reading (advanced duelling, how had this gem managed to convince people he was incompetent!) and noting the dislike the other held for him, (and why was that? He would find out) combining the two.

Know thy enemy.

Harry craved knowledge. Harry viewed him as an enemy. Harry needed to be persuaded that it was essential to his life to find out more about Tom.

To find out more, Harry would have to play.

It wouldn't be enough on its own, he suspected, but it was a starting hook.

By the time he was done, Harrison Evans would not be able to live without him.

Mission accepted.

Harry couldn't believe his luck!

He, Roger and Imogen stopped warily at the group of Slytherins blocking their path.

Malfoy, Prince, Black, Avery, Dolohov, Mulciber, Nott, Rosier.

He swallowed, getting a bad feeling in his gut.

He may not have been in Slytherin for long, but he had never seen this group together before! In fact, they seemed to dislike each other. Of course, there seemed to be a lot of dislike and factions within the house, but…that made this unity even worse.

This was not going to be pretty.

Where was Lestrange? Probably with Tom, as otherwise he'd have no reason not to be here.

"Harrison," Malfoy greeted, with an icy smile.

"Malfoy," he gave Prince and Black quiet greetings too, taking care not to look at Alphard too closely. It was unnerving seeing such hate and contempt in a Sirius look alike.

He noted they didn't acknowledge either Roger or Imogen, who'd both turned silent, and a little pale, gripping their wands tightly.

The corridor around them was emptying - he'd even see people who began to enter it quickly turning and hurrying away! The cowards.

"I see you still insist on associating yourself with mudbloods, despite my advice," Abraxas continued, sneering at him.

"Well," Prince said calmly. "You can't blame him…after all, he's almost with his own kind now."

"Of course we can't! Alphard exclaimed, sounding comically shocked at the idea. "It's not his fault he's never been properly…educated on the right sort and the wrong sort."

Harry's mouth felt dry. He had a horrible feeling where this was going.

Their wands were out now, and Harry pulled his out too, ignoring their laughter. It echoed in his ears, swimming across the red haze descending upon his vision at the sight of Roger and Imogen's terrified faces.

Mulciber, Avery, Nott, Dolohov and Rosier were all nodding along, a terrible anticipation on their faces.

His mind flashed to the Graveyard, the ring of Death Eaters.

"Do you know what I'm thinking - Avery, do you know what I'm thinking?" Abraxas questioned, as the eight of them began to span into a circle around them.

Harry could feel his muscles jumping, on edge. He was certain he could put up a decent fight, he spent almost all of his free time training in some capacity or another, but he was also certain that he was nowhere good enough yet to get out of this unscathed.

"Well, I'm thinking that you're thinking this is a school," Avery said, menace in his eyes. Abraxas smiled, almost proudly.

"Exactly! And…what do we do in a school…Rosier?"

"We teach lessons," Rosier smirked.

Oh no.

The first curse was cast a second later.

Zevi Prince almost lost the composure he esteemed so highly as he watched as Nott…Dolohov….Avery all began falling under Evan's wands as he twirled through them, his spells rolling into one with a sheer, tangible angry power radiating from him, strong enough not to make him feel like the hair on the back of his neck would singe.

Harrison's technique was clumsy, his spells all light, but there was a grace about the newest Slytherin, and he was fast, with a deadly aim…and he attacked viciously.

That was what was giving Evans an edge; his attack was relentless and vicious, and he seemed hardly to feel the cutting curses and pain curses or anything they threw at him.

Icy fear began to prickle up his spine.

Abraxas had mentioned that the boy was more powerful than he seemed, and he'd assumed some hidden talent in Evans if their lord was interested, but he hadn't expected - this!
Watkins and Pierce seemed just as shocked.

He was incredulous as to how the incompetent, weak, occasionally feisty wizard they thought they'd assessed reconciled with this jaded warrior.

Because Evans seemed like a warrior now, more than a meek school boy.

There was true anger and hate in his eyes, and he wondered what on earth had happened in the boy's to glaze his gaze with such shadow. He defended, fiercely, adjusting to the new opponent, adapting, searching for flaws.

Evans wouldn't win, he was too outnumbered, but there was definite potential there.

Zevi had the awful feeling that one day, Evans would be able to obliterate them all in such a confrontation without effort.

It was an unnerving, chilling realisation.

He never misjudged people like this!

He wondered how he could ever have underestimated Harrison Evans, and, more importantly…why the boy would take such an unassuming, derogatory act upon himself.

Watkins and Pierce were fighting too, but he barely acknowledged them - they were fighting Rosier and Mulciber, trying to avoid the swift art of curses slicing at their skin.

The battle continued.

Tom stopped with surprised delight at the scene in front of him.

He didn't know what his knights had done, but it seemed they'd coaxed his challenge out to play.

For a moment, he was fascinated, transfixed, just for a moment at the fluidity of Harrison's attacks, the sheer rage and lack of masks upon him. Then, he darted forwards, wand out, leaping into the fray, grabbing hold of the other's boy arm, knowing all his knights (those still conscious) would stop immediately.

Harry whipped around, a snarl on his lips, before freezing.

Wariness drained into his eyes, defiance immediately restrained as if tauntingly denied from him. He wanted to smash Harrison's head against a wall and hurt him, just to bring it back.

It was bitterly unfair if they got to play with his new toy, and he didn't. He'd discovered the other's talent first, finders keepers, and his followers should know better than to touch what belonged to him.

His grip tightened, hard enough to cause Harry to suppress a wince.

He surveyed his knights of Walpurgis- and right now, they weren't even worthy of that title! - with threats or torture in his eyes.

He was gratified to see them cower, all bravado gone from their countenances.
Pierce and Watkins were frozen, Pierce holding up a rather battered badger. His smirk nearly broadened.
Pathetic.

"Now that," he drawled, with a glance and smirk for Harry, pushing such sentiments aside, "was impressive, darling."

Evans was staring at him in something like shock, certainly confusion, though he made a valiant effort to conceal both emotions.

His own followers were gaping at the nickname, uncertain, while Pierce and Watkins were looking wildly between he two of them, before back at Evans with almost accusing eyes.

He shifted to a more casual demeanour, withholding the pleasure of punishment, knowing full well that his followers knew it was coming to them for - even if they weren't, stupidly, aware of why - and fearing him even more for it. It was delicious.

"Thank you," the boy said after a moment, head dipping with 'humility.'

"No need to be shy," he tutted, circling the scene. "Your secrets out, there's not much you can do to hide your talents now."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't you?" he questioned flatly, only marginally amused now. He pointed his wand at Evans. "Torqueo."

As he'd suspected, Harrison blocked his curse on instinct, head snapping up to glare at him.

"Good boy," Tom murmured.

"Don't patronise me you bastard."

Watkins and Pierce seemed about to faint from incredulity. Harrison stepped towards him, his entire posture screaming defiance.

"It appears you don't have a very good leash on your followers," he stated, with a goading grin.
Tom immediately noted the certainty in the other's tone at "follower."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he returned, eyes glittering at the frustration that appeared in Harry's own irises, as he manipulated his features to innocent bewilderment.

"Don't you?" Harrison questioned flatly, studying him.

He knew.

Somehow, this boy knew things about him.

He didn't like it.

Knowledge was power, and Harrison had far more knowledge on him, it seemed, than he was comfortable with.
In turn, he knew next to nothing about his enigma, but that he did know made sure he thirsted for more.

He took a step forward, closing the gap between them further.

"Why don't you fill me in?" he murmured.

"Fill you in on what?" the other questioned, mirroring his expression, though unable to quench that everpresent defiance from his gaze.

Eyes revealed the truth of this stranger.

He would have to ensure he could always see the boy's eyes in future conversation, if he could, for while Evans appeared a talented liar with his tongue and posture, those eyes gave him away. "That would suggest that there's something going on," the boy continued.

His attention sharpened, enchanted. None of his followers dared trade jabs with him anymore, knowing he could decimate them in seconds.

"Or that you believe something is going on," he returned.
Like how he somehow knew him.

"Of course," Harry admitted easily, momentarily jarring him with the unexpectedness of the response. "Most people believe you're up to something, I dare say there are entire rumour mills and betting pools focussed on the subject of what exactly is going on."

Was it just him, or had the boy's voice turned almost…insinuating on the last part? He tilted his head to one side. "

"And you," he ran a finger down the side of the other's face, testing if the flinch had been an act or not. "You're a regular man of mystery yourself."

The flinch was still there, though Harrison appeared to be getting better at repressing it.

His new snake was probably realising that having such an obvious weakness in aversion to touch within their house was inviting people to increase physical contact with him as a means of power play.

"Curious?" Harrison raised his brows, locking gazes with him.

It was the first time somewhat had met his gaze so fearlessly since first year. He'd almost forgotten the sensation.

"Immensely," he breathed.

A flash of disconcertion crossed the other's face, as if he hadn't expected such a response.

There was an over all confused, guarded look hidden deep in the boy, actually, as if he expected something different from entirely.

Preconceptions? But to have preconceptions, you must have previous knowledge of a person, and he was certain he and Harrison Evans had never met before. He'd remember it vividly.

"Killed the cat."

"I'm a snake," he replied.

Something else flashed in those too open eyes, and this time, he couldn't place the emotion, the shift of the boy's lips. Had…had he been about to laugh?

Nonetheless, he could hear students beginning to approach their corridor, and stepped back, slipping seamlessly into another capacity.

"You should be more careful, Harry," he warned with a smile. "The world's a dangerous place."

"With dangerous people," Harrison replied, not shifting his gaze from him.

Something disturbingly like a genuine smile nearly fleeted across his lips.

"Indeed."

He turned and walked away.

Stage two: learn his secrets.
Commence.

But, for now, he had incompetents to punish.

A/N: Gosh, this is actually really hard to write. I'm so used to the FF variants of Tom and Harry...

Speaking of Tom and Harry...I have some new fic ideas I've been mentally toying with to throw at you (feel free to lob ideas at me in return by the way, they're helpful, even if I don't always use them)

Okay...

Idea 1: One of those fics where Tom Riddle is a teacher/ruler of the world, and Harry comes to Hogwarts for the first time etc/is a student. Those mentor style fics. Though I have to try and somehow make it original from the other awesome, similar stories out there. :/

Idea 2: Harry and Diary Tom centric fic. Again, must make original. Hmmm.

Idea 3: Harry and Draco oneshot.

Idea 4...taking a cautious poke at another fandom entirely. So far I have considered Merlin or Sherlock. Hum.

But yeah, just thought I'd test the waters to see if there's interest for any of those, before I let my mind drift towards mentally writing scenes stages. Er, yeah.

Thanks for all the reviews! :)

PS: FREAKING DAMN IT! I keep accidently clicking on Fate's Favourite to upload onto :(

PPS: Sorry about the oddities in this chapter when I posted, it appeared to have cut out some of the text. I think i've fixed it now, sorry!