Two
Tom was not listening to that awful pink-clad woman droning on at the welcome feast, even if she was a professor. Of course, he was pretending to- but he simply couldn't do it. He would ask for a summary of the speech when it finished, simple as that.
Her shrill voice just went on and on and on, and Tom was feeling the urge to curse something just with hearing her voice in the background.
He decided there were better things to focus on the moment she opened her mouth.
Firstly, Tom's attention was drawn to the look of unbridled disgust on Harry's face. He often hid so much of it behind mild smiles and thinly-veiled insults, and Tom relished in seeing the unmasked hatred on his face.
Of course, he couldn't focus on Harry for too long- he was perceptive enough to notice. He merely committed the expression to memory and moved on, his pale blue eyes darting around the hall.
The staff table was a very good place to focus. Dumbledore's smile was forced, very obviously so. More forced than the one he plastered on any time he had to interact with the Slytherins, particularly himself and Harry. Professor Snape, as usual, did not bother to remotely disguise his sheer hatred for Umbridge. Professor McGonagall's eye was twitching as she tried to maintain an expressionless face, and Professor Flitwick looked as if he was going to turn purple. Professor Sprout was staring at her plate as if she was willing it to fly across the table and hit Umbridge up the back of the head, Professors Vector and Babbling were sharing a very strong and prolonged look with one another, Professor Trelawney was knocking back a goblet of merlin-knows-what (probably sherry), Professor Sinistra was staring at the ceiling as though begging for the roof to collapse and kill her, and Hagrid was wringing his hands together in visible anxiety. It was all together a very interesting picture, and spoke volumes on how Umbridge was perceived by the staff as a whole.
Gazing around briefly at the students, the response wasn't all too different. Tom could tell who had been told to get into her good graces by their parents- they were the only ones masking their disgust and disappointment with a blank look. Slytherins were the most reserved in their displeasure of all the houses by far, yet Draco still looked like he was going to keel over and start hitting his head off the table if the speech went on much longer.
There was one more thing Tom wanted to try, risky as it was.
He needed to make eye contact with Umbridge.
Straightening up as much as he could, adjusting his prefect badge on his robes, and plastering his most convincing fake smile onto his face, Tom tracked Umbridge's eye movements around the room- hoping she would look at him.
Any moment now-
Gotcha.
-the power I will get from this- Fudge will be so pleased- overthrow Dumbledore within the year- really need to sell this to them- barbaric practices of intermixing- much better separated-
Tom looked away.
Ugh.
She wasn't thinking about anything he couldn't have guessed, other than the intermixing one. He didn't think she'd be so bold already. That was something to watch out for. If that demented-sounding woman was going to start splitting them by blood status, he would disembowel her and leave her strung up to the Great Hall's ceiling.
He supposed he had gained a piece of rather valuable knowledge for the future, other than that disturbing thought- Umbridge had never even tried to learn Occlumency. Her thoughts were broadcasted as clearly as could be, perfect for him to read her mind whenever he pleased. Without even a basic understanding of Occlumency, she wouldn't even be able to feel Tom searching some of her deeper thoughts. He was sure Dumbledore would be using this fact to his total advantage as well, laws and basic human decency be damned.
He made eye contact with Harry as he looked away from Umbridge. He raised an eyebrow at Tom, and he knew that Harry had noticed what he was doing. He shrugged, and Harry grinned.
Umbridge went on for another while before abruptly stopping and taking a short bow, clearly expecting applause. There was none.
"I found myself... preoccupied with more important things. What was she saying?" Tom asked, focusing on Draco and Abraxas. Unfortunately, Abraxas wasn’t looking at him. He was sucking up to Adrian Pucey, instead.
"She basically believes that the way we are taught is simply improper and she's here to rectify that. First Defence, and then all the other subjects," Draco said, looking rather uneasy.
"Should we point her in the direction of Binns? Merlin knows he needs exorcised," Harry muttered, darkly.
"No, because the Ministry will just replace him with someone who teaches only what they want us to know, and then we cannot slack off in that class. You’d never get your Arithmancy homework done otherwise," Daphne said, matter-of-factly.
"Ugh, fine. What did you gather from her thoughts then, Tom?" Harry asked.
"You used Legillimency on a teacher?" Draco squawked.
"Ooh, that was a good idea," Abraxas said, before turning back to Pucey.
"She doesn't even have a rudimentary Occlumency barrier," Tom said dismissively, "Anyway, she's doing it all for power and wants to separate us by blood status. I would imagine that would include a decline in teaching quality for any blood status she perceives as lesser, so obviously that must be prevented."
"Never took you as the type to advocate for muggleborns," Pansy quipped, "You only advocate for yourself, Harry and whoever has pissed you off the least that particular week."
"Have you forgotten that, by her definition, I'm a Halfblood? Having a squib parent with pure wizarding lineage doesn't count as making one a Pureblood to most supremacists. Harry would be classed as a Halfblood, too, since a lot of people question the subsequent classification of blood status following a blood adoption."
"Oh for fuck sake," Theo grumbled.
"Therefore," Tom continued, ignoring him, "It is very much a concern for myself and for Harry."
"It'll be a cold day in hell when Tom Riddle takes a visible stance against authority," Pansy said, faking a swoon.
"Then hell has frozen over," Tom said, with a cold smile.
•••
"Remember, all of you, we are a united front. Whatever issues you have with each other, you do not let anyone outside of this house know. We take care of each other here, because no one else will," Professor Snape finishes, sweeping his eyes over everyone gathered in the Slytherin Common Room.
There was a round of applause, which Snape acknowledged with a nod of his head, before holding a hand up to silence it.
"My office hours for student queries are to be posted on the notice board- at the moment, it is likely to be the hours before and after dinner, apart from Friday after dinner as that is the House Meeting. Does anyone have any questions?"
Tom raised his hand.
"Yes, Mr Riddle?"
"Professor, may I ask if there is anything we should be wary about with regards to our new Defence Professor?"
There was several audible gasps at that. Tom Riddle questioning authority was an unheard of phenomenon to everyone but his friends.
Professor Snape looked somewhat relieved that someone had asked, "As I am sure many of you know, Professor Umbridge was placed here by the Ministry as the Headmaster was unable to find a suitable replacement for Professor Moody in time. I am unsure on how her classes will be conducted but, from what knowledge I have of Professor Umbridge, I highly recommend that you all keep your heads down this year in her classes. She may possibly favour students from our House, as she was a Slytherin herself, so I encourage being on your best behaviour. During the House meeting on Friday, I would like each year group to share their experiences in her class. Am I understood?"
There was a chorus of 'Yes, Professor' from around the common room.
"Very well. I will be handing out your class schedules in the common room in the morning, at quarter past seven sharp. Breakfast begins at half past seven and ends at quarter to nine, as usual. Curfew is at half past eight in the evening for first to third years, half past nine on weekdays and ten on weekends for fourth and fifth years, and eleven for sixth and seventh years. Goodnight," Professor Snape said, before turning on his heel and walking through the portrait leading to his office.
Tom turned to his friends with a calculating look in his eyes, "So, Snape is not a fan of Umbridge. I'd say he's a pretty reliable source on the matter."
"Caution it is then," Harry nodded, "Any ominous warnings for Defence this week, Felix?"
Felix's eyes turned milky white for a moment, which was never a good sign.
"Don't talk back to her, Harry," he said, when his eyes had turned back to their usual dark green, "You too, Tom. A simple detention would be wishful thinking."
"Alright then!" Harry said, "No talking back. Got it. Feel free to silence me if I look like I'm going to, Daphne. I know you can do it wandlessly and wordlessly."
"Gladly," Daphne said, with a small smile."
Cassius Warrington, the seventh year Slytherin Head Boy, caught Tom's eye from across room and jerked his head towards the door. Tom nodded.
"Right, then. I'll see you all later on. Daphne, it's time for our Prefect round."
•••
"Ten points from Gryffindor for breaking curfew, Weasley," Tom sighed, looking at Ronald Weasley with thinly-veiled disappointment. Honestly, Tom just couldn't understand why Harry was friendly with some people.
"Fuck you, Riddle. You're a wanker."
"Five points from Gryffindor for obscene language directed towards a Prefect."
"I'll hex your balls-"
"Silencio. Ten points from Gryffindor for threatening bodily harm to a Prefect. Get out of my sight, Weasley."
Being a Prefect was rather entertaining, Tom had to admit.