My Dear Dark Lord

Chapter 31: First Member

And, as much as he did not like it, his own lips twitched many times.

Harry only raised his eyebrow and smiled when he saw the two of them laughing silently in his class, before turning back to the lesson.

The two of them together had caught the attention of many students.

One stupid Ravenclaw even had the gall to say, "Look, Riddle's with a different guy today! That cheating fu*ker!", which earned him two broken bones from an accidental prank.

Finally after the last class, the two of them sat in the common room, near the fireplace.

"So, have you made a decision, Riddle?"

"First tell me about the people you think can make decent Court members."

Nott smiled, like it was a 'yes'.
"There are two categories. One, who you should add immediately, and two, those who you watch first before accepting them."

"Well, name the first ones." He demanded.

"The Greengrass sisters, for one. Though their House is neutral, they are politically strong. Both the girls are highly intelligent, good at dueling and politics. There is a reason the elder sister, Daphne, is called the Ice Queen. But don't underestimate Astoria, the younger one. She is equally terrifying."
He pointed to the two girls reading together on a couch. Both of them were well-known in the House. Daphne was in his year and Astoria a fifth year.

"Second, Graham Montague, the one you dueled with. The best, now the second best, dueler of Hogwarts. Is smart and good at strategies. The Slytherin Chaser and Captain." Graham was a heavily built boy with black hair and sharp eyes. Yes, the boy could be a good asset.

"Third, Adrian Pucey, same year as Montague. Though a pureblood supremacist, he does not entirely believe in it. The only reason he hated Muggleborns is because of their not-knowing out customs. Again, he is a good dueler and can become a good politician. Persuasive too." The boy had sharp features and reminded him a little of Harry, whenever the man wanted something from someone.

"They are the ones you should immediately look for." Nott concluded.

"And the second category ones?" He asked, mind reeling from the information.

"The Lestrange twins, Rudolphus and Rabastan, fifth years, Orion Black, fourth year, Tracey Davis, sixth year, Evan Rosier, third year, Blaise Zabini, sixth year and Barty Crouch, fourth year Ravenclaw."

"Are those students good?"

"The best with a bit more push." Nott said confidently.

"Well then Theodore, it seems that I have to tolerate you." He said and sighed.

Theo only laughed and said, "Call me Theo."

"Call me Tom."

With that, he had the first member in his Court, and what he did not know, a loyal friend.

_________________________________________

From that day, the two of them were always seen together.

At first, Tom thought that the boy would bore him, but the complete opposite happened.

Theo had a wicked sense of humor and an equally sharp tongue. There were many students, from every House, who started questioning his loyalty to Harry when he had started hanging out with his fellow Slytherins.

At first, Tom had tried to ignore the students (old habits), but it had been Theo who had cursed one. Then, it started as a competition who will hex the offender first. Not the most moral challenge, but who cares.

Tom started to enjoy the other boy's company. He understood why people wanted friends. It was fun to joke and fool around, sometimes.

The Slytherin Lord also thought that his friendship with Theo might affect Harry. He had heard many times how couples broke up because one of them got close to someone else. He liked spending time with Theo, but Merlin, he did not like Theo like that. The feeling was mutual.

During their weekend, when Harry and Tom spent almost the whole day together in the Professor's room, he had asked the man about it.

Harry only laughed and said, "I don't mind you making friends, sweet. As for the rumors, I don't care about what those children think. I'm good at reading a person's intentions. Nott does not harbor any romantic feelings for you." He then smiled mischievously and said, "Though I've seen him eyeing the elder Greengrass quite often."

Hah! He finally had something over Theo to tease him about!

"Next year will be your last year at Hogwarts, Tom. Enjoy it while it lasts. I miss my school days too sometimes." The nostalgic expression was replaced with a smirk, "Go make friends, prank people, fool around, party in dorms and get drunk." Then he had a funny expression on his face, like he had eaten something sour, "Just don't kiss someone." There came the possessive man.

Tom started laughing at the statement.