What if He had a Choice?

Theoretical

Tom Riddle decided that he was going to start by teaching mostly the theoretical application of the curses. After all, it is rather the safer way of dealing with things. He did not want to overwhelm the boy, at the very least not yet. It would not do to freak him out and turn him off from learning the dark side. It would be rather important continuing forwards. He had to go slowly so that he did not accidentally scare him. It was something that would likely be rather easy to do. The main issue was that the boy already seemed to know those things. 

When he had tried to inform the boy of what they were going to do, Tom had seen it in his eyes. He already knew. He did not want to bore him, but he also could not rush things either. It would be detrimental. So, instead of focusing on the books, he wondered if there was another way he could ease the boy into the unforgiveables. While he could not really think of something at the current moment. 

"So what do you think is the most important thing about the darker curses?" Tom asked, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly. Draco furrowed his brows. He did not understand why they were merely going over the curses, but he figured it was probably something to help him perform the curses later.

He did not think that Tom would shirk responsibility. He knew that the other would not have offered so sincerely if there was no reason for it. Besides, he wanted to learn the curses. He wanted to understand them and to be able to perform them. Sure, perhaps it was not the best thing in the world, and his father would likely be absolutely furious with him because he was under no delusions that he would be able to hide it from his father forever. However, the other would be less likely to freak out when he realized that Tom was the one who had offered to teach him. 

Now the fact that he had been researching the curses on his own...perhaps he would be given a little less leeway for that. However, as long as Draco had the agreement of the Dark Lord, his father would not be able to do much, which was something that he was grateful for. He had to take advantage of this. At the very least as best as he could. 

"Would it be the application?" 

"No," Tom said with a sigh. Draco deflated slightly but his eyes gained a gleam to them. He was determined to get the right answer, and Tom, having noticed this, stayed silent, however, he knew that should the boy not guess the correct answer the second time, he would intervene. He did not have enough time to be dealing with wrong answers all day.

Or rather he did, but he was not going to. It was annoying enough having to deal with Lucius messing things up, and having to treat the other as a child. Although, Lucius was not the type of person that was hard to deal with. 

"Then it must be the emotions that you are channeling into the curse?" Draco hummed softly. "I am wondering....if perhaps the weight of the emotions that you are channeling is able to strengthen the spell or not." Tom gave a small smirk, he was rather impressed.

He knew that Draco had researched the unforgiveables, and that he had done his own studying after Tom had offered his teaching on the subject, the other was just extremely excited for it, and he knew that he probably knew a lot more then what he was letting on. Tom had the distinct feeling that he was being tested. Perhaps Draco was trying to see how Tom would react to an obviously wrong answer. In reality, Tom was not entirely certain what was being tested, or how he was being tested, but he was well aware that somehow, he was. 

"Precisely." Tom stood from the table that they were seated at. 

Tom had done quite a bit of wondering about where they should start their sessions. Given the fact that they had not started the active production of the curses the library was likely the most effective area. Not only would they not be disturbed as nobody really came into the library, but considering that Draco had continuously been within the library, and so had Tom, there would be nothing suspicious about it. 

Later, when the lessons continued and they began to practice the curses themselves, he would move them, but for now they would deal with the library. It was honestly the most practical at the moment. Not to mention the library was vast, it would be hard to overhear them if someone did try to come in impromptly. 

"The emotions that one uses, at least at the beginning, when they are first learning of the curses, is incredibly important. The more you desire to use the spell upon that person, especially with the cruciatus curse, the stronger the curse will be. That means that your emotions do have quite a bit to do with the strength of the spell." Tom stopped, beginning to walk towards Draco. "In the same vein, however, eventually it does actually have more complications then that. It is also important that you are able to have enough of the skill and innate power in order to cast he unforgiveables. Other dark curses are incredibly difficult, the unforgiveables are unique." Tom said gently. Draco nodded. 

"I know, they are easy to cast, and therefore considered against the law to cast them."

"Or so the government wants you to think." Tom muttered under his breath, but looking once more at Draco he continued. "The reality is that the curses are not nearly as easy as the government implies. Not everyone can cast the curses. Not only do you have to have an emotion that is strong enough to cast them, but also the ability and skill level in order to cast them. Both must be used in order to cast a successful unforgivable."

Draco paused. "So once again the wizarding world is being deceived by Hogwarts staff." He said softly. Tom stopped his pacing back and forth in front of Draco and turned slightly to look at him. 

"What do you mean?" Tom said harshly, and Draco slightly cowered back. 

"Hogwarts teaches that the unforgiveables are easily used, and that is why they are an instant sentence to Azkaban." Tom blinked uncomprehending the words that Draco had spoken.  

"Well, Professor Dumbledore has certainly changed a lot about the school's curriculum. Hopefully, things will be set right in the future."