Harry Potter One Shots (Vol. I)

Changing The Dark Lord (Tom Riddle)

After we had finished eating our lunch Mary announced that she needed to go back to Gryffindor tower so that she could get the homework that was due in for the lesson she had after lunch. Naturally I went along with her, listening to her as she talked about the latest horror that her newest boyfriend was subjected to at the hands of her twin older brothers.

There was a call of my name and we both stopped walking. Mary's voice trailed off and I furrowed my eyebrows at the unfamiliar masculine voice. Glancing over my shoulder, I turned around and let my eyes sweep over the boy. He was very handsome; tall with pale skin, dark eyes and even darker hair. Tom Riddle. The embodiment of a gentlemen if the rumours were to be believed.

"Can I speak to you for a moment?" He asked as he approached the two of us.

Mary looked between the two of us, a smile tugging at her lips. "I'll just leave the two of you alone."

Before she could take even a step away from me, my hand went to clutch her wrist and stopped her. I didn't do well around strangers on my own.

"I won't keep you long," Riddle said politely, glancing pointedly down at my hand on Mary's wrist and then back up to my eyes. There was a hint of amusement in his voice. "I promise."

"Of course," Mary answered for me as she pulled her wrist out of my hold. She glanced at me, "I'll be in our dorm, come and find me in the common room when the two of you have finished with your talk."

With that she walked away and left me alone with Riddle. I chewed on the inside of my cheek slightly before straightening up my posture.

"What can I help you with?" I asked, resisting the huge urge to turn back and look for Mary.

"It's about the Transfiguration work," he began as he closed the distance between us and now stood less than a metre away from me. He looked down at me as he talked, his eyes set on mine with a small gentle smile on his face "I was hoping that you would be so kind as to help me with it."

"Wait a minute." I glanced up at him in confusion. "I thought that you were at the top of the class? You consecutively get the highest grades?"

"I was at the top of the class," He answered as he reached into his bag. He pulled out a folded piece of parchment and handed it to me. Opening the parchment up, I read the letters, EE, scrawled across the top. "You were always a close second and with this essay you've managed to overtake my position."

"Oh," I said refolding the essay in half and fiddling with it between my fingers before returning it to him, "It is just one essay that you didn't do as well on, I'm sure that you will have reclaimed your position in no time whatsoever."

"Please?" He closed the remaining space between us, his hand coming up to take a hold of my elbow. I looked up at him curiously only to find him looking at me from beneath his eyelashes, his head tilted towards mine. An attractive half smirk grew at the corner of his mouth as he gave my elbow a gentle squeeze. Was this the infamous Riddle charm that I had heard so much about? I could see the appeal of it but I didn't take kindly to him trying to manipulate me into doing as he wanted.

"Alright," I said quietly, pulling my elbow away from him, "I'll help you so long as you do one thing."

"Anything," he said encouragingly.

"Stop trying to charm me." He looked completely shocked at my statement. His expression might have been guarded but his eyes gave away his obvious shock. "It's insulting that you think I will give in because of a smoulder that is thrown my way."

"Then why did you give in?" He enquired.

"Because I believe that you'll provide sufficient intellectual stimulation." With that I turned and headed towards the common room, internally preparing to give Mary an earful when I saw her.