The Heir of Slytherin

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

The Heir of Slytherin

This story depicts the events at Hogwarts during the period in the early 1940s when the Chamber of Secrets was opened for the first time in a thousand years. What followed was one of the most devastating periods in the school's history.

[Q.Araignee]

I have found it- over four years of searching, and it was in the one place I would never have dreamed. How perfectly clever and fiendish of him.

"No running in the corridors, Lestrange- even if you are late for Professor Slughorn's detention."
As his fellow fifth year muttered apologies around the corridor, Tom could feel the excitement flowing in his veins as he headed towards the Dungeons. He had already decided that he would go tonight, to begin to carry out the task that his ancestor had left for him many centuries ago. With a thin smile and a dark fire in his eyes, he whispered to the air in a peculiar series of hisses: "I am Slytherin's heir, and shall continue his noble work!"

[choki]

"Good luck..."
"Haha, go get her, boy..."
"Best of luck, dude..."
"Tell us more when you're back!"

Those were the words from the 6th year Gryffindor boys. One by one, they patted on the back of Artus Potter as they exited out of the Great Hall together. The rest returned to the Gryffindor tower while Artus slowly, but nervously, made his way towards the garden. Once he reached his destination, he made sure all necessary things were set well in place for his perfect confession plan. Now, he just had to wait for the other party to turn up - a fellow prefect from the Slytherin house, a girl by the name of Lucia Black.

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

People had trouble with Arsenio Parkinson, and Arsenio Parkinson had trouble with people.

They picked on him.

But they didn't do it twice.

[Scarlet Lioness]

Mervanai Hogglestone hated being in Hufflepuff. It was the worst day of his life the day he was sorted. The shame he brought to his "Slytherin Pure-blood" family.

It's pathetic really-Hufflepuff....actually all Hufflepuff's are pathetic. Except a fair few..my acquaintences per-se. Where are they anyway?he thought to himself as he gathered his books.

Mervanai went to find them- he needed someone to push around.

He sighed.

I don't belong in this house he had thought this everyday since first year- he was fourth year.

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

Arsenio noticed a large crowd gathered in the Entrance Hall around a tall, pale boy from his own house.

Tom... he thought to himself. Tom Riddle - what an ordinary name... doesn't fit him at all.

[Q.Araignee]

Becoming gradually more and more irritated, Tom kept trying to get rid of the crowd- but his position of Prefect couldn't distract them from the sight of the Gryffindor girl lying on the floor, staring at them all with lifeless eyes. It was all he could do to hold back a smile.
Eventually, his apparent calm broke.
"Everyone here will return to their Dormitories right now- I am going to find the Headmaster, and any student still down here when I return with him will receive a week's worth of detentions."
Either the chill of his voice, or the threat of detention, seemed to grab their attention as they scurried back to their Common Rooms. Tom was just about to force himself to the Headmaster's office when he noticed a fellow Slytherin still watching the scene. With a perfect imitation of a reluctant grimace, he approached the boy.
"I'm sorry to ask this of you, but would you mind going to inform the Headmaster of this unfortunate incident- I think that a few more students will try to sneak down here to see her before he arrives, and someone will need to enforce some discipline." He waited, admiring his own subtle note of begging- practically unnoticable, like the lightest breeze on a summer's day.

[choki]

Artus waited patiently for his dream girl to appear. But sadly, she did not. Instead, his pals came over rather hurriedly.

"What's with all your faces?" asked Artus as he noticed a rather grim appearance the boys had.

"It's Susie..." said Brandon.
"...she was attacked," John continued.
"...no idea what attacked her though," Jeffrey ended.

With that, Artus headed straight towards the Entrance Hall. He knew Lucia would be there, together with Riddle, trying to handle the situation.

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

Arsenio grumbled to himself.

How on earth was he supposed to know where to find the Headmaster. He still didn't even know where his office was, and why should he?

But, he thought, at least I'm not that girl lying there. Stiff as anything...

Then it occurred to him that something had actually just happened that wasn't a regular daily event. He was later shocked that his reactions had taken so long.

He started panicking - there was a madman on the loose!

[Q.Araignee]

It took a lot of willpower to hide his glee at the panic in the boy's eyes.
"I wouldn't normally ask, but it would be an awful sight for anyone to come upon unawares- a lifeless Gryffindor fifth year, attacked by an unknown person or creature who may still be inside the Castle... I believe the Headmaster was last on the seventh floor- around the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being attacked by trolls, trying to talk to Peeves."

Tom was going to say a short thank you, but a hand on his shoulder made him stop and turn. It was his fellow Slytherin Prefect, Lucia Black, looking even paler than usual but with what looked like a spark of joy in her eyes as she asked what she should do. He smiled thinly, and told her to go find the other Prefects, the Head Boy and Head Girl.

[choki]

Artus walked swiftly towards the scene and accidentally knocked into a student at a corner.

"Sorry! Wasn't looking..." Artus apologised frantically as he held the girl up. When he looked up to see the person, he then realised it was Lucia.

"Artus! Ok good... I was looking for you," Lucia said and she continued to brief him while leading him to the scene.

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

Seventh floor, Barnabas the Barmy - Seventh floor, Barnabas the Barmy - Seventh floor, Barnabas the Barmy... Arsenio thought over and over in his head to remember.

It was on the third floor that he bumped into his transfiguration teacher, Professor Dumbledore.

[Scarlet Lioness]

Apparently there was trouble in the Entrance Hall. That's what the whispers around the Common Room had said.

Susie petrified.

There's a madman in Hogwarts.

Hogwarts is closing

He didn't believe them.

It was his job to cause commotion, not someone elses!

Mervanai stood up suddenly.

"I'm going to see for myself. Who's coming?" he said to his croonies.

A few murmed a repky and followed him out the common room.

[Q.Araignee]

With the Entrance Hall deserted, Tom allowed himself a moment to examine the girl on the floor beside him- filled with an indescribable plerasure. There were no marks on her palely flushed skin, just a look of terror from looking into the eyes of the Basilisk. The simplicity of it thrilled him.

Footsteps were coming down the stairs, causing Tom to stand up immediately and arrange his features to show remorse and the slightest trace of fear.

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

"Oh! hello sir ... Sir! Someone's been atta-"

"It's alright, it's alright," Dumbledore said soothingly. "I've already heard. The headmaster is on his way there now."

He smiled at Arsenio.