Tom Riddle and the Pure-Blood Prince

An Ensnaring Incentive

Towards the end of the week, Slughorn sent out invitations to all the members of the Slug Club, including Tom Riddle and Eileen Prince, as well as many of the followers who happened to be in the Slug Club. All in all, there was about a dozen young witches and wizards who showed up, which comprised most of the Slug Club.

For the small sociable, as it was not quite a party, Slughorn had managed collecting through the Slug club members, their famous familiy and some of them came. But when Riddle arrived, alone but confident, he could care less to talk with the recluse, named Gabathun Hornby (related to Oliver Hornby), who created magical techniques for house-keeping. Riddle wasn't remotely interested in this cousin of Oliver's or for that matter, the current Captain of the Irish International Quidditch Team.

"Everybody enjoy yourselves," Slughorn announced in a booming voice. "We usually have bigger parties here," he said more to the two famous guests and Gabathun looked like he was quickly turning bored.

Tom Riddle, was also in a torpid mood in a sense. There was an agenda he wanted to accomplish tonight and for now he would have to wait. So, he quickly joined the crowd pretending to listen to the Irish Quidditch team captain, Patrick Connelly regale the group of a so-called "heroic tale" of his last match against Romania.

Tom remained quiet as most of the other people broke off into groups to socialize. He was very used to having people come to him by now and knew within moments there would be a group of his chums accompanying him.

As if magnetically attracted, Avery came forward holding a butterbeer and clapping Hornby around the shoulders. "Hey, Riddle Did you know about Hornby's cousin? He tried to sell his magical cleaning supplies to muggles! Ha! Ha!

Riddle shook his head, as he undetectably to others clenched his teeth, not caring for this lame joke. Avery had some nerve to approach him so casually and to think he cared about the topic of cleaning supplies. Where was his respect?, Riddle seethed to himself.

Avery seemed to be slowly picking up on Riddle's coldness. Oliver just smiled sheepishly at Tom, looking nervous, and then he left. Perhaps he was perceptive enough to see that Tom wanted him to disappear.

"My apologies, Riddle," Avery spoke with an odd reverence for such a casual party. Tom continued to appraise him coldly. Reading into Avery's inner-thoughts, he commented "It is strange that Eileen Prince isn't here."

Riddle started to wonder where she could be and came up with a very likely possibility. Before Riddle had seen into Avery's mind, Eileen had not been on his mind, unless you counted the fact that he was going to corner Rookwood later about the Elixir of Youth for her to take.

Tom then flitted over to where Rookwood was with Lestrange, who were having a conversation, unnoticed by the other surrounding people. Although Slughorn may have intended this Slug Club meeting to be a small, intimate gathering among friends, Riddle did not treat it as such. Instead, he spent the next fifteen minutes cornering some of his followers, dropping hints about how he expected them to act both in the club and outside it.

"Discussing Eileen Prince?" he asked with a cool harshness.

"Yes...we were," said Rabastan languidly, averting his eyes.

Riddle almost guffawed at their stupidity in thinking of him as and her as romantic partners. They had better stop thinking that there is more to the relationship than servant and master, he thought. Riddle was not going to make a remark, when it burst out in spite of himself his true feelings towards Eileen, "She's a very boring, shy little...brat." He paused and said charmingly, "But she simply adores me."

"Most girls fancy you," said Rookwood flatly, and with definitive ease.

Tom unflattered, sighed exasperatedly and frowned slightly. After taking a drink of butterbeer Rookwood said, "But you always manage to scare them away the short time your with...w-" Rookwood caught his breath, realized he may be going too far.

Riddle just inwardly cursed Rookwood for his insatiable curiosity about himself. Really, it was none of his business.

Dictating the terms of the conversation Riddle changed the subject, speaking in a whisper, "Remember I told you I wanted an Elixir of Youth to be brewed, Rookwood? I want you to start it now."

Rookwood looked again, even more curious clearly thinking about how it must be for Eileen, but not daring to continue talking about someone his gang leader did not want to speak of to him. His mind back on the Elixir he gaped, "But-But it will-"

"Yes, take a few weeks, I know," said Tom impatiently. "Come to the library after and I'll...tell you how to go about it," he finished as he glanced at the only two young witches of the party who were watching Tom, suppressing their giggles.

"Okay boys," said Slughorn and he added to the two, "and girls." Slughorn had arranged the chairs in a half-circle, and the remaining half a dozen individuals sat down in front of Slughorn reclined in his velvet pouffe and arm-chair.

"Tom," said Slughorn casually pointing to the chair in the center. Riddle, used to this by now, was already swaggering over to it.

The girls nearby jumped and then pranced to the front as everyone else went to sit down. Silently racing, unnoticed by all but Tom Riddle who was the only who was aware of their competing for him. Riddle just ignored the girls with complete indifference. The girl who was behind at the last second discretely pushed and elbowed her friend and sat down in a huff next to Tom.

In another short moment, Slughorn sat down, disappointment etched in the lines of his face. His party had not gone as wonderfully and entertainingly as he had hoped, especially since the two prominent guests wanted to leave early.

"Well now, Tom. Thanks for sending me, three bottles of the finest elf-made wine. I must wonder how you can afford to spend on an old man like me," he said as he poured himself a drink and then Tom a drink, but nobody else. Riddle of course, had gotten the wine from a follower who went into Hogsmeade, using the money he took from Eileen.

There was nervous titters of laughter throughout the room. The two girls did not laugh, but stared at Tom as if hypnotized by his handsome carved features. Riddle just nodded and did not answer this question of the money, as he saw no purpose.

Of course, Tom Riddle was what some might call the apple of Professor Slughorn's eyes, as he continued like he ususually said, "Yes, you'll go far, Tom." Re-focusing briefly on the other Slug clubbers, Slughorn noticed the girl on Riddle's right, subconsciously picking up on her obvious desire for him he said, "Blood like yours, you could marry into the most prestigious wizarding family of your choice."

Suppressing his aversion towards marriage, Riddle took a sip of the wine and then said with calm lightness, "I'm afraid I'm not the marrying type, professor."

The girls were now blushing. Riddle did not even look at them, yet he knew that they must be doing that. He was not in the mood to play one of his manipulative "games" with them. As to, Tom Riddle relationships with girls he fancied him, was really just a game.

After an awkward silence, the girl across the circle from Tom, who did not get to sit next to him said, "What do you think of the attacks, sir? Is it definitely the heir of Slytherin and his monster?"

Slughorn, eyed everyone, as his expression wilted into a touch of sadness.

Riddle swallowed hard, turning slightly paler. He managed to completely control his wish that people could know it was him. Yet the desire to be held accountable was unbearable, as Riddle was so fiercely proud.

If only he could relieve himself from it. A tinny, bit of him wanted to be apprehended for the crimes, to get some satisfaction. But reason told him that in the far future, gone from Hogwarts it would be known.

"We must go by what Dumbledore says, in my opinion." Slughorn spoke thoughtfully. "He believes the legend of the chamber to be true. The monster of Slytherin is making itself known, as for the heir of Slytherin...I have no idea."

Riddle almost could not bare the suspsense and the storm going on inside every of him. Meanwhile, some of the followers, who long ago had suspected and been told about by their gang leader's about his famous ancestor, determindly suppressed this. Avery faked a coughing fit, from nerves.

Then Slughorn clapped his hands, and yawning, as he wanted to pretend to be fatigued, "Good night! I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. I know I did."

Slowly the group left the room, Tom reluctantly left last. He was feeling irritated at all this romantic attention he seemed to be receiving. His thoughts concerned the affects of the Elixir. If even, the slightest error the results could be devastating. But that was more than okay, with Tom. It could be highly amusing to watch Eileen deteriorate, he considered.

Rookwood was hunched over, waiting at the entrance of the library, Riddle inconspicously signaled him to come with him and they went to the back of the library where he had met Eileen a few weeks ago.

In the corner of the last shelf, Tom swiped a book out that he himself was very familiar with, as he had considered several years ago starting with the Elixir of Life, which took years to make and would require his own laboratory. But now of course, he knew horcruxes were a much better commodity for himself to be immortal.

"Here," Tom said thrusting it in Rookwoods hands. "Read the instructions several times ...then it must be done with total precision, ," said Riddle with rakish toughness.

"Yes...of course," Rookwood whispered, as he started to leaf through it and found the Elixir of Youth.

Rookwood, tried to hide his reluctance towards brewing this extremely dangerous liquid, that even had the power to transform into a black stone to keep it on hand more conveinently.

"Gosh...seventy disparate elements. I'll have to work whenever I can," said Rookwood, trying to hide his feelings to complain, that he must be assigned this most arduous task.

"Yes, you better. The work station will be safest under the statue on the third floor. It can be made within a few weeks Rookwood and that is when...it shall be done," Riddle said speaking with quick-witted acuity.

"Yes, I'll have it...but why make her such a special potion?" he questioned inquisitively.

Riddle said scornfully, "The elixir is for Eileen to to have genuine allegiance."

There was of course, more to Tom's thinking on it than making Eileen loyal, but he did not wish to delve into it with Rookwood. Riddle's mentality was that Augustus's sole duty was to undergo the process of creating it and not to ask questions.

Tom looked Augustus in the eyes, lingering with a serious expression. He saw in Rookwood's mind that he was wondering why Riddle cared to make this potion for Eileen, if he didn't have something important between them.

"I see... those thoughts Augustus...I don't have ties with her in that ridiculous sense," Riddle said, as he inwardly shook off his anger at being reminded how people thought he was doting over Eileen because there was love there.

With indifference Tom shrugged and said, "The affects are dangerous if you make a slight error and if she ever withdraws from it...oh well....guess she'll have to depend on us," he added smiling as he spoke quickly.

Rookwood laughed, deluded in the belief that he shared a two-way friendship with Tom Riddle.

Feeling more comfortable, Augustus confessed his complaints, "I will have to make this once a month. Once she takes this, she can't stop and I'll be-"

Lightning quick on the uptake, Riddle's expression changed into a hint of anger, "Is this a poor excuse to stop complying with my-"

No, my lord!," Augustus answered with terror. "Just why do it when it's not to serve you?"

"I told you it's for allegiance to me. Initially, Side-affects are similar to felix felicis. She'll be elated and more than willing towards me," said Tom, as he laughed lightly.

"But..." Rookwood began again, as he dropped his voice conspiratorally. "But what happens the day that she isn't given it?"

Tom Riddle smiled a large, gloating smile tracing his fingers over his lips and said, "Put it this way...her life will be under great peril from the withdrawal..."

Tom, hearing somebody walk by, saw Eileen carrying a stack of books. Riddle immediately started to head in her direction, and Rookwood decided it would be wise to leave Riddle to speak with Eileen Prince alone.

Undected by Eileen, Tom watched her in the shadows as she marched back over to the desk she was working at. She seemed feverishly interested in something. Her deep brown eyes kept skimming rapidly over the books spread out.

Riddle snaked up right behind her chair without making a sound and surveyed what she was doing.

After a moment Tom said pleasantly, "Ah...glad to see your keeping up on my family history."

Eileen's head snapped up in surprise, with that mixture of fear and awe evident on her plain features.

Eileen had just spent her whole entire evening of lesiure time searching for anything about the Riddle family, until she realized that not a single one of them must have been magic. She did not mind missing the Slug Club party, if only she could learn more about the boy she adored.

She then went plowing through old wizarding records to search for hints about Tom's maternal side. Eileen did not mind at all. She loved to read and had a small library of classics and encyclopedias at Stonewall Estate, as well as being an avid researcher.

Tom Riddle swooped down beside her.

"You won't discover my famous ancestor ...I've kept the evidence ...I may not have much to say on my worthless father or my weakling of a mother, but yes, there is power in my past."

As Tom, spoke over this it was bordering on an obsessive rant. Tom was gaining satisfaction from what he was to reveal to Eileen within the deserted corner of the library tonight. If he couldn't get satisfaction, from telling everyone he was the heir who had opened the Chamber of Secrets he could at least reveal to his newest member the dark glamour of his family's notorius past. He knew his followers, including Eileen would never be tell anyone he could be the heir of Slytherin, nor would there be any evidence while Tom was at Hogwarts.

Riddle plundered ruthlessly on with his monologue, "The blood that runs through my veins is none other than the greatest of the four Hogwarts founders....," Tom paused for dramatic effect. "I'm the last living descendent of the noble, Salazar Slytherin. Slytherin prided himself on pure-bloods of course, seeking the most cunning wizards. Tom Riddle, that is to say I will prove Slytherin's case over mudbloods and the other filth. I-"

"Amazing! You're the last descendent. Who-," Eileen said, speaking fast.

Riddle's dark blue-grey eyes slanted. He said with frustration, "Stop interrupting and listen!"

Eileen knew it was unnatural anger. Like a switch had been turned on and then abruptly off.

He went back to his monologue, composing his passion over what he had unearthed just several months ago about his parentage, "I found through the geneology records that it was the Gaunts, was my mother's maiden name. I have yet to meet them, but plan on learning why she died. I'm going to the Gaunt's to commit to something," he added evasively.

Eileen was staring dreamily at Tom Riddle. Suddenly he averted his eyes and looked away from her, his mind somewhere else. He was thinking of his plans to do that special, first murder to make his first horcrux after the school-year ended.

Eileen, meanwhile was so focused on Tom, when he could care less for her involvement with him in the grand scheme of things.

Her curiosity peaking, she was going to ask Tom what this thing was that he wanted to commit with his family was. Her mind being so innocent in comparison to Riddle's, she imagined Tom would perhaps feel better, and be healed from what she thought was his regret over being an orphan, after seeing his relatives for the first time in his life. But she knew it would be futile to ask what it was, having learned of his penchant for secrets.

"May I ask about the Elixir you said Rookwood would brew for me?," Eileen said politely.

Riddle looked at her slowly, and said in an empty voice, "Yes, it shall be ready in three weeks. You'll take about an ounce daily."

His demeanor flickered into eagerness and charm, "It's very rare for potions to work on such a meager consumption. But it is wonderfully powerful, Eileen. I'm sure you'll feel fulfilled once you have your heart's desire."

Eileen sighed. This potion was very unknown to her, and naturally she feared meddling with something she was ignorant about.

"Are you sure it's safe? It sounds quite the contrary from being wonderful, it seems terribly powerful to me" Eileen replied candidly.

"I don't see how it can be terrible when the only side-effect in the beginning is elation," said Riddle pretending to sound unnerved by Eileen's belief that it could be terrible. "Your very fortunate, Eileen to know me and your getting something that I know you want."

"Well that is true, your right," said Eileen softly, smiling.

A moment later, her smile faltered. "What about when the elixir runs out?"

Riddle laughed and said with an inscrutable expression, hiding what he knew about of it's affects, "You'll never be without it once Rookwood masters alchemical transformation to make it into the stone. Then...Eileen. Then, you can drink of it forever."

Riddle was being completely unrealistic and superficial here. He knew it was unlikely Rookwood would ever create the Elixir of Youth into the perfect form, of the black stone. But he knew it was the best reasoning he could use to pursuade Eileen.

"Oh alright," she said and Riddle noted the tension falling off of her thin silhouette at her shoulders.

Riddle smiled, wide his eyes lit with energy. "Good night, Eileen." He rose and left her there alone.

She slowly started re-shelving the books she had taken out, thinking of all he had told her. She was mixed with fear and anticipation.

Although the library was closing in five minutes, she rushed over to where she knew that book was that contained the instructions and information on the Elixir of Youth.

She felt a desperate sense of dread and fear, when she realized the book had been taken out. Logically, she reasoned it must have been Augustus Rookwood.

But then, Eileen's fear was almost swallowed whole by her desire to see Tom, and for him to see her become beautiful under the Elixir. She was living in anticipation of the day he would perhaps see her as beautful, and she could then, measure up to him in terms of looks. Maybe, then he'll become closer to me she reasoned.