How Did He Do It?
"Tom Riddle." The boy was a sixth year, like Riddle, and he stood straight and tall despite the fact that he was significantly shorter than the rest of the boys his age. He radiated confidence.
"That's me." Riddle smiled at the boy. It was the introductory smile he gave everyone; it wasn't genuine or sharp or menacing, it was just a smile. "I go by Riddle, though. Don't call me by my first name."
The new boy made a face, his green eyes narrowing as his lips thinned, and Riddle seemed to inspect the boy a little closer because of the reaction. The Slytherins didn't know what to make of that.
"I'd like to talk to you." The boy said firmly, "In private."
"Of course." Riddle replied, still smiling, "If you'd come with me, I'm sure we can discuss whatever it is that's bothering you before it's time to go to our dorms for bed."
Green eyes flashed with a darkness that the Common Room occupants had seen often in Riddle himself, and they collectively blinked in shock. Riddle, however, seemed even more interested. He looked at the new boy in much the same way he looked at people he intended to pick apart and then destroy. This time, however, the new sixth year Slytherin seemed to know it.
When the two left the room, the returning Slytherin students who knew about Riddle and his reputation felt a pang of rueful guilt about the boy. No doubt Riddle would destroy that firm confidence he carried himself with and degrade that dark spark in his eyes.
No one asked why Riddle came back without the boy, but they shuddered at the massive grin that covered his face. Something had happened in there, with that boy. Something good for Riddle, which meant it was very very bad for that new kid.
That night the sixth years did not see the new boy in their dorm, and Riddle kept sliding his eyes towards the boy's closed curtains with a sly and excited expression. It made his Knights exchange significant looks, and they all prayed their new housemate wasn't dead behind those curtains.
When morning came they still did not see the boy. Riddle was still grinning, and even the younger years with less experience with Riddle looked terrified. It was not a good sign.
They went down to breakfast, and Riddle kept flicking his eyes towards the doors as though he were waiting for something. The Knights all sat in suspense, wondering what in the world their Lord might be waiting for with such anticipation, and even the other Slytherins noticed Riddle's preoccupation.
Then the green eyed boy waltzed in, smiling and healthy and completely whole, and every Slytherin froze as they saw him. His eyes still held that darkness and his posture was still confident firmness; in fact, it now looked rejuvenated and smug.
"Tom." Every Slytherin tensed or paled at the boy's single word, whipping their heads towards Riddle. The last time someone called him that after being warned not to spent two months in the Hospital Wing.
"Harry." Riddle smiled at the new boy, and it was a menacing sort of smile that his Knights knew meant something worse than the Cruciatus Curse. Despite that, the boy called Harry laughed in delight as if it was perfectly normal.
The Slytherins watched in sheer disbelief as Riddle slid his seat out a little and allowed Harry to perch on the arm of his chair. Riddle continued eating, and Harry would occasionally steal food off his plate and then whisper in Riddle's ear as he sat daintily on the Dark Lord's armrest.
None of them knew how the boy was alive, let alone being allowed to share food with Riddle, sit on his armrest, and make Riddle laugh out loud. It was terrifying, and every one of them was wondering what possibly could have happened while they were alone together.
They got their answer when they all retreated to the Common Rooms. It was Saturday, and so when Tom ran his eyes down the table and subtly cued his Knights, they immediately steered all the younger students back to the Commons. They waited on baited breath as they crowded around Riddle and Harry, who were silhouetted as they stood in front of the fireplace where all could see them.
"Everyone, this is Harry Potter." Riddle announced, and then Potter smirked at all of them as Riddle hugged the boy from behind and wrapped his arms possessively around Potter's shoulders. "Say hello."
A chorus of quiet greetings rang through the room, and the Knights noticed the flash of satisfaction that filled bright green eyes. Nobody moved as Riddle stared them down, remaining contently in place as Potter placed a hand on Riddle's fingers that were tracing his collarbone.
"My Lord…" Abraxos Malfoy was the first to speak, "Forgive me… have you met Potter before, perhaps? You seem… close."
"No, I haven't." A smile played on Riddle's face, and all of his Knights stiffened at the sight of it.
They'd never seen him smile like that before.
"If I may, my Lord, is there something special about Potter?" Nott asked, as reasonable and even toned as he ever was, "He seems important to you."
"Harry is the most important thing in this room." Riddle whispered, and the Knights felt cold terror fill their veins. "The purpose of having this little gathering was to introduce Harry Potter to all of you, and to warn you. An attack on him is a direct attack on me. If any harm comes to Harry, any at all, I will personally kill whoever dared touch him."
There was a stunned silence, and Potter's smirk widened. He turned his head to look up at Tom, who smiled at him; then Riddle bent down and pressed his lips to Potter's temple. He kissed a spot above Potter's right eye, softly and possessively.
Gasps rang through the room, and every Knight felt unstable. What had happened? How had Potter accomplished this in one night? Was their Lord under some kind of spell? Was Harry Potter going to replace them and turn their Lord away from their destined path to greatness?
"Harry Potter is mine." Riddle said, raising his eyes and pinning everyone in place with cold malice radiating outwards from him. "Remember that."
There was a silence, and Potter's eyes slid across them in scrutiny. After a moment, he nodded to himself, looked back up at Riddle, and hissed.
Several people took multiple steps backwards as Potter spoke in Parseltongue, and as Riddle responded with a sly grin and bright eyes they finally understood. Suddenly dots connected and pieces fell into place. Potter was a Parselmouth.
"I have a feeling we're going to get along." Potter said to the terrified students once he and Riddle were done hissing. "After all, you all understand power. Slytherins respect power, correct?" Nobody even dared breathe as Potter stared them down, and then the shadows started moving.
The shadows dancing from the flames slowly solidified, crawling forward and swarming towards the students to create a thick barrier of shadow that covered the floor up to everyone's ankles. People cried out, but they couldn't move as shadows climbed up them, solidifying from around the room and crawling up their bodies.
The coldness on their skin felt like Death; a suffocating sort of darkness that made it hard to breathe as it smothered their magic. None of them had encountered Dementors before, but with shadows clinging to them and stealing their very magic and every movement, suddenly they felt as though they had.
When the room had calmed enough to be full of terrified whimpers and quiet sobs, in place of their original screams, Potter exhaled as though he heaved a great sigh and the shadows melted away. Several people collapsed, gasping for breath and sobbing into the carpet. The Knights, who'd been through the Cruciatus Curse, who'd felt Riddle's power thrumming through them, and had witnessed the snakes decorating Slytherin's Common Room come to life, were trembling. Their hands shook and they barely remained standing.
"Power… a concept Slytherins respect." Potter said. It wasn't full of menacing softness, as Riddle's would have been in the same situation, it simply held a smug sort of confidence. "Tom has spent years showing you what he's capable of and earning your support and respect. The younger years have no doubt been warned by the older students of his power, but no one is around to warn you all about me, and I don't have time to beat around the bush."
His green eyes pierced every person who stood, and he seemed to completely disregard the kids on the ground. The Knights did not even try to hide their terror. It was futile anyway.
"Let this be that warning." Potter grinned, and it was a sharp sort of grin that spoke volumes. He wasn't threatening them, not really, and yet his grin radiated power in the same way Riddle's glare did. "I'm willing to hurt anybody who dares question or challenge Tom, and I don't believe in leniency."
"Harry is a ruthless little thing, isn't he?" Riddle murmured, and the Knights damn near passed out as Riddle laughed softly. "I am your Lord. And Harry…"
The Knights inhaled sharply as Riddle's eyes flashed the crimson red they knew meant trouble, and watched Riddle's hands tighten around Potter. Potter looked smug, and a dark little smirk slid across his face as Riddle finished his sentence.
"Harry is to be your Queen."