Defence and Mayhem

First lesson, first impression

Had a writing block, wrote this thrice, fell behind schedule...

Tom Marvolo Riddle was sitting at the Slytherin table in his usual spot while watching the first year's sorting, uninterested. His group of 'friends' was placed around him, mindlessly talking nonsense about silly rumors and generally irritating him, but he had appearances to keep, and he couldn't lose his temper, not here. Thankfully, the sorting was finished, so Headmaster Dippet got up from his seat to give his 'start of the year speech', and the hall went silent.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! As for the usual reminders, the Forbidden Forest, is, as the name implies, forbidden. No magic usage is allowed in the corridors. Now, I want to speak of the change of staff this year. As you may have heard, Professor Merrythought quit her job as the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. "

At those words, A very young man, almost a teen stood up from the staff table. He didn't have a very noticeable appearance, so Tom hadn't noticed him before, But now that he looked at him, he really was young, seemingly as young as the older students.

"Good evening, I am Harrison Peverell, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. I know I may be young, younger than all your other teachers, but I assure you, I have many things to teach you all." The last sentence was said in an odd tone. Tom wasn't sure whether he heard it correctly or not, but he thought he heard a sadistic streak to those words.

But, sadistic streak or not, he doubted this new professor's words. Tom was way ahead of fifth-year material, as well as some of the sixth-year DADA class material. In no school year, first-year being the sole exception, did he learn something new. He made sure to be ahead of his year in everything he could. But that was the obvious thing to do, as he didn't accept anything other than perfection. Well, he sure did hope this teacher was at least competent enough to see he was ahead and leave him alone, like most teachers, who admired his work and let him be, complimenting him once in a while, but not bothering him too much.

The feast started, and so did the constant noise that always came from the Gryffindor table, which, unlike Slytherin, wasn't civilized enough to stop blabbering while eating and keeping to themselves. When that unpleasant experience ended, Professor Slughorn gave them their timetables, and after receiving his, he did his prefect duties (Obviously he was the Slytherin fifth year prefect), and went to his dorm room.

Looking at his timetable, he almost had to look twice, because surprisingly, the Slytherin DADA classes were with Ravenclaw this year. This has never happened before, with the 'inter-house unity' nonsense that pushed Slytherin and Gryffindor together at every opportunity.  He had defense thrice a week, on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, so that was a nice Gryffindor- free addition to his school week.

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It was now Monday, specifically the second period of the school day, meaning it was time for the first fifth-year DADA lesson. Tom got to the classroom five minutes before the time for the lesson, seeing only Professor Peverell himself present in the classroom. If the man noticed him, he did nothing to indicate that.

Not feeling the want to strike a conversation as well, Tom sat down and watched the professor organizing sets of parchment paper in total silence. Now that he had a closer look at the new professor, his opinion hasn't changed. He had slightly messy black hair, a pale complexion, although not nearly as pale as his own, and as the man stood up to set the parchment aside at a little cabinet beside the table, he could see that the man had a somewhat small stature, even if sturdy. All in all, nothing special.

Or that would be what he would say, if he didn't get a good look at the man's eyes. Striking green eyes, the same shade of the curse he had just begun experimenting with the year before, seemingly glowing. But as he took a closer look, those eyes seemed distant. Distant and filled with an emotion he couldn't recognize.