Tom Riddle and the Pure-Blood Prince

Introducing the Dark Arts

By the time Tom had left the Great Hall, several minutes later, the sun was slipping beneath the horizon, and storm-clouds were coming in from the north.

Eileen Prince was not on his mind. Rather, he was thinking about reviewing and planning how he was going to encapsulate the memory of himself, into the diary.

When he entered the Slytherin common room there was only a few people in there. Eileen was sitting in the same seat, she had sat in last night.

She got up when she saw Tom and sprung forward, beaming. "Where have you been all day?" Then Eileen yelled, "Tom!" because he was heading quickly away from her and she wanted to see him.

"Helping professor Slughorn in his office," he lied as fast as he could, careful to give details.

Eileen continued to follow Tom into the tunnel that led to the boy's dormitories. Tom could hear her following until she stopped suddenly, clearly realizing maybe she was bothering him.

"I guess I'll just go and practice my counter-curses for the O.W.L.s."

It was the word "counter-curse" that gave Tom the idea, while he himself had been thinking about going in the restricted section later. "Stop!" he said in a commanding tone turning around.

"Come with me right now Eileen. Then later tonight we'll sneak off to the restricted section to have some...fun," he said, half-smiling and laughing inside his head.

"Great!" Eileen said. Eileen now felt so happy and excited, that Tom actually wanted her. Just moments ago, he was starting to hurt her feelings, but now she was feeling better about their relationship.

In a few minutes, they reached the room that Tom shared with four other boys in his year. He opened the door where a sign was posted that said "fifth years."

Tom entered, with Eileen, smiling behind him. None of the other boys had stayed over the holidays, so Tom had the room all to himself.

Tom went over to his bed, in the far corner, and pulled out his trunk. He took his wand out, and performed the magic to open it. On top of a pile of neatly-folded clothes, were a few books.

"Here you can read this."

Eileen took a heavy and thickly bound book from his hand and read the title, Magic Moste Evile.

Eileen gasped in shock, "You read books on dark magic Tom?"

"I don't just read it, I do dark magic... But there is no sense in telling anybody that. Who would believe that brilliant, wonderful Tom Riddle, so alone yet so brave would meddle in dark magic? Nobody!". The sound of his laughter, echoed in the almost bare room.

Eileen frowned a bit from nerves. Deciding, whether or not she could still trust him, she squinted looking at him hard, "That's alright. I'm not offended." That was true, but Eileen would not admit, how she was now a little worried.

"I'm going to work on what I'm planning with this...notebook," he said taking it from the trunk. "You'll read the introduction to dark magic and I'll test you on it later."

"But why should I-"

"You'll need to know quite a bit about the dark arts, to prove yourself to my group."

Tom then opened his little, black notebook, now sitting on his bed. He was, writing in it, while he consulted several pages of notes on a long scroll of parchment, with strange markings.

Eileen started to read Magic Moste Evile, while sitting on a chair, right next to Riddle's bed:


"The many varied art forms and the exact science of
The most forbidden, yet enigmatic magic of all time.
Encompasses the bewitchment of the body, mind, and spirit.
Infamous for their ability to torture the body, possess
the mind and sap the spirit of it's powers. These are
the Darkest Forces of Nature..."

After a couple of hours, in which Eileen had read a few chapters into Magic Moste Evile, besides the introduction, Tom rose from the bed, took his wand out and performed some complex transfiguration.

Eileen was still diligently reading the book, her lips moving soundlessly, trying her best to learn it all. (Eileen was very intelligent, the sorting hat had briefly considered her for Ravenclaw).

A snap suddenly broke the silence, another second later the lights were extinguished. Eileen looked up sharply, and said, "What happened?"

Eileen screamed. She felt somebody's cold breath, breathing down her neck and a hand close lightly over her arm, "T-Tom? Is that you?"

Enjoying her fear, and her trembles Riddle waited a few seconds. Then said firmly, "Yes. I told you we would go to the library tonight, remember?"

He took her wrist lightly, his hand felt cold to her, and led her out of his room. She stumbled down the tunnel.

He had performed transfiguration to make himself invisible, as well as a charm to muffle the sounds of his movements. Tom had taught himself how to do it in the middle of his first year and found it most convenient. He had never been caught by anybody. With the exception of one time by Dumbledore. Dumbledore had informed Riddle that he can make himself invisible as well. He had also warned Riddle not to roam the school at night anymore, although Dumbledore was aware it was futile to tell him as he knew Tom wouldn't listen. For a while, Tom had stopped roaming the school at night, also wishing Dumbledore could forget his nightly activities. But by the end of the year, Riddle was aware he could detect invisible wizards, as he always had his mind in the legilimency mode. Riddle could use this to detect anybody with a brain, and that must of been how Dumbledore detected him. He learned Dumbledore's presence was particularly powerful, and very easy to detect, as he practiced with his eyes closed in normal circumstances.

"You're in-invisible? That's quite impressive..." Eileen spoke her mind. She was still trying to process what was happening to her. But it was all occuring too fast for her to really understand it.

"Yes. Now don't talk until we get to the library Eileen." Riddle answered in a whisper.

"But- I need to be invisible too. I don't want to get caught. I'm a prefect!"

Eileen gasped again. Riddle was no longer holding her wrist, or at least she could no longer feel it. She felt an unpleasant sensation, like her body was being compressed and then seperated. Riddle had made her invisible.

They left the common room and walked nearly ten minutes up to the library. Riddle knew Eileen was with him, as he walked in front of her, and he could sense that her mind was there.

When they entered the library, Riddle stopped, and stood stock-still, scanning the environment, making sure Dumbledore was not present. He seriously doubted, the transfiguration teacher would be out of his quarters tonight, on Christmas Eve. Thirty seconds later, he released Eileen from being invisible, and then himself.

Eileen went over to a table by the window, next to the restricted section, with it's rows of books all roped off and sat down. Outside, snow was accumulating on the sill rapidly, the wind was howling. The darkness seemed much denser and heavier to Eileen.

Riddle calmly walked over to where she was, and sat down across from her at the table. With his wand, he lit the lantern he had found, magically.

"Have you ever looked in the restricted section before?" Riddle asked her, his voice sounding polite and the false, innocent curiosity evident.

"No. it's only opened to sixth years and above."

"I hope you're aware, then, that you're missing a whole side to your magical education."

Riddle was playing with Eileen's mind in just the right way. He understood her personality. He knew that she was an intellectual, thirsty for knowledge, in a way similar to himself.

"How is that so?" Eileen asked slowly.

"The dark arts...my kind of magic" he spoke as if he owned the rights to everything to do with the field. "I have a lot to show you Eileen. And you couldn't learn it from anybody else, really."

"But Dumbledore is certainly a great wizard and I don't think he would ever-"

"Dumbledore makes mistakes when it comes to dark magic. The defensive magic they teach us only attempts to stop the dark arts, a force that has already been acted out. You can't stop my magic for it is eternal." He had been speaking again, like he had the other night with a fervor in his voice.

Eileen raised her thick eyebrows, she had never heard such a fresh, interesting perspective. For one thing, Riddle certainly did not voice these opinions in class. Eileen was becoming all the more fascinated and intrigued.

"Please. Tell me more Tom. I can't believe I never realized this" she burst out.

She was beginning to feel passion, like she had never before. Was this feeling a reverence towards dark magic? Or was it to the genius, Tom Riddle?

"I hope you're prepared. I said earlier I would test you on Magic Moste Evile... without knowledge of my kind of magic, it would be dangerous." He said this, to subtly appeal to her basic fears, of survival.

"Yes, I understood the few chapters I got through. Why-"

"Then you'll know how the dark arts evolves. Tell me how it occurs," he ordered in his calm tone of voice.

Eileen practically recited word-for-word from memory, "The dark arts are said to be evolving at a rapid, exponential pace....."

"Yes...The dark arts is omnipotent. Dark magic is always ready, always multiplying itself, and cannot be destroyed," he spoke in a mysterious whisper, emphasizing the word "always." He got up from the table and paced around in front of Eileen, twirling his wand.

"The theory explains that it will continously split itself forever. Do you know why I hold this to the utmost importance?" he suddenly demanded. He bent close into her face, and shot a long look, straight in her eyes, waiting for her to answer.

Eileen was still trying to grasp the more absract interpretation he had given, and she strained to think faster, "b-because you practice it?"

Riddle nodded appraisingly, standing up straight again. "Yes...but what is the essential purpose that I, the greatest wizard uses it for?" he said rather lazily.

"To...to have strength and to use... " she blurted out, rushing.
Intuitively, she sensed that Riddle may act violently if she was wildly off the mark.

"To use whatever means possible to have control. Dark magic is about power. The strong controlling the weak...are you getting it now?," he asked sarcastically.

"Well yes...but why does Dumbledore say the lighter side is better?" Eileen was wondering what was happening to everything she had been taught in Defense against the dark arts. It couldn't possibly be trivial!

"It's a lie," he answered ardently. "The noble fool wants to brainwash us all into the good versus the evil. In reality, there is only power, good and evil are....illusions. You're ambitious aren't you Eileen?"

"Yes, of course. I'm a Slytherin," she said with certainty.

"Well... when you enter my circle officially, you prove your loyalty to me in words and deeds, then I may reward you," he spoke in smooth deliberation.

"What will I be doing?" She was curious, what this would require of her.

"You'll find out soon enough. Now for...a demonstration of my powers," Riddle said with an eagerness present in his demeanor.

He walked over to the end of a row of books nearby that was not the restricted section. "Follow me over here," in a tone, empty of expression.

Eileen rose and walked past the windows, shivering slightly from a draft and stood beside him.

"Go over to the end of this row of shelves."

Eileen nodded and obediantly went about ten yards to where he said. She turned around to face him. Riddle had his wand raised. She couldn't see his expression well in the ghostly-gray shadows of light, but she could tell he was deeply serious about what he was about to do.

"Wait!" she shouted. "You're not going to..hurt me are you?," she said sounding desperately nervous.

Riddle laughed a few seconds and then said in a soothing voice, "No. How could I? When I have no reason for provocation at all?"

His wand cut through the air, so that an instant afterwards, a fiery red serpent erupted. It was hissing and steadily slithering towards her, with flames coming out of it's mouth.

"Now Watch!" he said in the same tone he had used in the orphanage to Dumbledore when he said, "Tell the truth" and "Prove it."

Eileen gulped and put a hand to her mouth, shaking from slight panic. Then she started to compose herself, remembering how snakes can smell fear.

Riddle began to talk in parseltongue and Eileen had no idea what was going on. She watched as the snake abruptly turned it's head and maneuvered itself to face Riddle.

This was one thing, Riddle liked to show off the most and was proudest of in terms of powers, was his ability to talk to snakes. From experience, whomever he decided to tell, was most impressed by this. And it was a very few, select group whom he would show.

Riddle turned his line of vision away from the snake and down the row at Eileen. "I've ordered the serpent not to harm you. Walk back to this end of the row and pass him."

"Why can't you just get rid of it?" she asked with a hint of begging in her voice.

"Because I don't want to," he answered evasively, not telling her his real reason.

Eileen bit her lip, and stared back wide-eyed. Slowly, her legs feeling like lead, she walked towards the serpent, which every time it hissed, drew forth small-flames that disappeared after a few seconds.

After just a few steps, the serpent turned itself around and was peering at her. It reared itself, like it was tempted to strike.

Eileen stopped walking. The snake was looking straight at her, with frightening intensity. She avoided looking at it's eyes, as she knew that would encourage aggression. The snake did not advance, but continued to look like it was planning something terrible.

"I can't go on..." she started to whine.

"Yes you can and you will. I'm a parselmouth just like Slytherin himself. I've been talking to snakes for years, and they obey me."

He was really enjoying Eileen's fear, just like the snake he conjured and he liked telling her how he had powers that Slytherin had, but of course it was not the most ideal time to tell her he was the last descendent of Slytherin.

Eileen glanced at Riddle who had a grim frown on his face, as he was feeling determined to make her do as he asked at the moment. She looked in his eyes, and they somehow got her through the ordeal. She thought she could see in them his confidence and brilliance. They seemed to magnetically draw her forward, and it felt a lot easier to finish the task. She almost forgot the snake was there as she walked, cautiously. She felt blanketed and protected in Riddle's power.

Once she crossed the finish-line, Riddle pointed his wand at the snake and muttered, "epera envanesca." The snake disappeared and it was like it had never been there, especially to Eileen. She looked up into Tom's face, her heart filling with admiration for his skills, his power, his everything.

Riddle saw in Eileen's mind that the task had achieved his purpose. The girl clearly trusted him, as well as being impressed with his parseltongue.

"Sit down and make yourself comfortable Eileen," he said lightly.

Eileen sat down, relieved that she was at ease, unlike a couple of minutes ago.

Unexpectedly, Riddle waved his wand, aiming at her and then slashed at the air, chains appeared and enveloped around Eileen's arm's, tieing them to the arm-rests.