Darkness is my ally

Knowledge Is Power

"Don't," he mouthed as Hadrian left the dorm; lifting his tone slightly, Blaise added, "He doesn't make idle threats, Nott."

The cold tension in the air would have needed a knife as sharp as dragon's teeth to cut through as Blaise then left the dorm, leaving Theo to glance once again to the trunk.

'What are your secrets, Potter?' he thought to himself, 'And how can I exploit them?'

Chapter 4: Knowledge Is Power

After the meeting with Severus and delivering his warning to the Slytherin Head, Hadrian went back to his dorm to rest before it was time for the Slytherin first-years to explore the school in depth. Though he wasn't yet sure about the man's true allegiances – after all, there weren't many reformed Death Eaters at Hogwarts answering to Albus Dumbledore – Hadrian knew that he could play a little game with Severus and, in the end, he would see where the man's true loyalties lied and make sure that, when asked, the man answered with one word, "Yours."

"Hebenon," muttered the raven-haired snake when he reached the dorm entrance.

Stepping inside the Common Room, an unusual sight greeted Hadrian: in front of him, the first years of the dorm seemed to be divided down the middle. On one side, Hadrian noticed Blaise, Pansy, Daphne Greengrass, Millicent Bulstrode and Draco Malfoy while on the other, there were Theo Nott, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle as well as the Carrow twins.

And, just from looking at the expressions on the faces of the two in the centre of this West Side Story-like scenario – which, in this case, were Blaise and Nott – Hadrian could wager a guess that they were arguing and another guess that he could wager on what…or make that…whom.

"You lot are an insult to Slytherin," Nott was saying, none of the group having noticed Hadrian stepping into the room, "Zabini, given you seem to likebeing led astray by the highest bidder, I'll let you slide, but you, Parkinson, Malfoy and you, Greengrass. Your families are all genuine Slytherins and yet you seem ready and willing to bend your knee to this half-blooded freak."

'Looks like I was right,' Hadrian thought to himself, listening as Blaise picked up the conversation.

"Hadrian may be a half-blood, Nott, but I'd like to see any of you doing what he's done on the first day alone," There were a few murmurs of agreement before Blaise continued, "Standing up to Snape, pinning trouble on a Mudblood who seems to think that if she reads it in a book, it mustbe right and, let's not forget, he's also made a mockery of Gryffindor so well that none of them have said a word against us all day. Face facts, it may have only been one day, but yes, I admit that I am willing to spend the next seven years bending my knee for that wizard…as our King."

"Bull-crap," Flora Carrow argued, her voice as sharp as her icy appearance, "We will never accept some half-blood wannabe like that as our King: the mantle of the Slytherin King is destined for one whom shows an exceptionally commanding presence and has supported our house for generations…like you, Malfoy. A Scion of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black like you deserves only to rule as a Black should."

Draco seemed hesitant to speak, but, thankfully, having heard enough, Hadrian cleared his throat before he mused, "If you lot talked about me any louder, my whole head would probably burn."

'Uh oh,' Blaise thought as he watched his friend move towards the two-sided factions, 'Hadrian just made a joke…that's not good.'

"Now…" Hadrian then asked, standing in front of Blaise with Pansy on his left-hand side before he asked, "If you've got a problem with me and my place here, Nott, then why not step up and stake your claim? I mean, it's not like a…how did you put it?"