Tales of Damien Riddle

Chapter 9: Luna Lovegood & Weasel Confrontation?

It was the first day of classes, and Damien's circle all gathered in the Great Hall for breakfast. It was silent amongst the teens as they ate their breakfast. Damien's mind was planning a strategy to get Luna Lovegood alone and recruit her for his cause.

He was watching her as she ate at the Ravenclaw table and flipped through what seemed to be a newspaper. She looked up at him and flashed him one of those far off smiles of hers before rising to her feet and leaving the Great Hall.

She was giving him his chance.

He looked at his friends, "I'll be back," he stated simply before rising to his feet and hurrying out of the Great Hall himself.

"What do you think that's about?" Blaise asked with a mouth full of bacon.

"Honestly, Blaise, can't you ever eat like a normal human being and not an animal," Morgana scolded as she rolled her eyes at the dark skinned Italian.

"What do you mean?" He asked after swallowing his food.

"She means to stop speaking with your mouth full, you bloody idiot," Draco rolled his eyes as he slapped his friend upside the head.

"Oi! I was just asking a simple question! No need to get violent, you wanker," Blaise growled in annoyance as he rubbed the back of his head.

"There's always a need to get violent when it comes to you, Zabini," Pansy stated, and Blaise's eyes narrowed on the Slytherin girl.

"Just because you like it rough doesn't mean I do, Parkinson," Blaise snapped back, and this caused Morgana to choke on the pumpkin juice she had been sipping on. Pansy glared at Blaise as she slapped Morgana on the back, and Blaise just smirked at the girl. Draco groaned and shook his head.

"What am I going to do with you two?" He questioned aloud to no one in particular as he handed Morgana a napkin to wipe the pumpkin juice from the corners of her mouth.

"Love of us? Adore us? Shower us with gifts?" Blaise suggested, and this time Morgana, Draco, and Pansy all rolled their eyes in unison at their friend's words.

•••••••••••••

Meanwhile, Damien had followed Luna through the corridors of Hogwarts and straight to the staircase that led up to the Astronomy tower. He stopped walking only when Luna turned around to face him, "Hello, Damien," she said as she looked at him with a soft smile, "I hear you have something you wanted to ask me."

"Yes, there is. You see...Albus Dumbledore is-,"

"Evil, yes I know. And you were wondering if I would join your cause and help you take him down."

"Well, yes," Damien knew he shouldn't have been surprised, Luna was a confirmed seer after all, but he was slightly taken aback when Luna took the words right out of his mouth.

"I would love to. Albus has treated my father and I terribly, and I would like to get him back for what he's done. Would you mind if Neville joined us as well? His father and mother were killed the night that James and Lily tried to return you to your father, and we have reason to believe that it was Albus's doing as well."

"Well, I mean. I suppose I don't see why not. If you trust him, then so shall I. Neville's never given me a reason to believe he was untrustworthy," Damien said simply, and Luna grinned at this.

"Excellent!"

"Right then. We'll be meeting in the Room of Requirement after classes today, and you and Neville are expected to be there," Damien spoke firmly.

"We will be. Do not worry," Luna then moved to walk past Damien, but before she got far she turned around to look at him, "Watch out for Ronald Weasley in your potions class. He is very upset with you. His temperament is worse than that of a nargle. Goodbye, Damien," then she skipped off down the hall leaving Damien to himself.

Damien frowned a bit at her words, only having understood half of them. Luna was genuinely a strange one, but Damien also found her intriguing. She was a good friend, and good to have on his side. He made sure to lock away the small bit of information she fed him and walked off down the corridor to return to the Great Hall.

As he was making his way down the corridor, he was suddenly stopped by a certain redheaded male. Ron Weasley was trailed by Edward Henry and Ginny Weasley.

"Riddle," Ron sneered, and Damien proceeded to roll his eyes as he crossed his arms against his chest.

"Weasel," he said, it was obvious from his tone of voice that he was bored already. Ron had barely said a word, and Damien was already thinking of ways to jinx the blood traitor and be on his way.

"I do not appreciate what you last evening on the train," Ron said firmly as his eyes narrowed on Damien, "To turn away my friendship and choose to be friends with those...Slytherins. It seems you do not know how evil they are. You should not be hanging out with them. You're a powerful wizard, I can tell. You should not associate with the wrong sort."

Damien huffed as he rolled his eyes, "As I've said, I believe I can figure out the wrong sort for myself," he said simply, "Now if you would excuse me. I have a class to get to," he tried to move past Ron, but Edward and Ginny blocked his path. He huffed again.

This would be a problem.

"Is there a problem here?" said the familiar drawl of his favorite potions master. Damien glanced behind him to see Snape traveling down the hall. Blaise, Draco, Pansy, and Morgana trailing behind him. Blaise looked at Damien in concern, but the young prince just waved his hand dismissively.

When they came to a stop behind Damien, Draco and Morgana took up either side of him, all of the Slytherins eyes narrowed on the three Gryffindors that had tried to gang up on their leader.

"N-no, Professor. I was just talking to Riddle here," Ron stuttered, trying to defend himself, "Wanted to see if he needed any help trying to find his classes."

Snape sneered at Ron and then turned his attention to Damien, "Is that true, Mr. Riddle?" Snape questioned, and Damien shrugged casually.

"More or less," he said simply, "He was also trying to convince me that I should be friends with Draco, Blaise, and Pansy."

"I see," Snape nodded his head once as he looked at Ron and the other two Gryffindors, "Why don't you three find your way to class before I take 50 points each from Gryffindor house."

"What?! You can't do that! The school year just started! We'd be put in the negatives!" Ron shouted in outrage.

"Then I suggest you three scurry off before you put your house behind," Snape said simply. Just like that, the three Gryffindors scurried off with their tails between their legs. Once they disappeared behind a corner, the facade of the Slytherins broke and they all burst out laughing.

"Did you see that?" Blaise laughed hysterically as he doubled over clutching his sides.

"I've never seen Weasley run so fast," Draco joined in as he pat a choking Damien on the back.

"You scared then shitless, Professor," Pansy smirked up at Snape, who just waved his hand dismissively.

"All in a day's work, I suppose," he said simply, "Now you five go on off to class as well. I would hate to have points deducted from our house because you all arrived to class late."

And just like that, the five young Slytherins straightened up and plastered on their proud Slytherin looks of confidence.

"Thank you, Professor," Damien said politely before turning to lead his group to their first lesson, Transfiguration.

The first day of classes have officially begun.