Tom Riddle's Speech to the First Years

By Lady Lestrange

Disclaimer: Tom Riddle belongs to JK Rowlings. No infringement is meant or implied.

Tom Riddle was supposed to make the Head Boy speech to the First Years. He actually relished the thought. He was good at speaking. He could talk his way out of most any situation, and if he couldn't talk his way out of it, he could certainly hex his way out of it. He stood in the front of the fire in the common room. It was blazing hot against his back, but it was still cold. It was always cold in Slytherin.

Tom cleared his throat and began with a sonorous charm. "You have been sorted into the noble House of Slytherin. Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four." He let the sonorous charm drop as his clear ringing voice had everyone's attention now. Even the older students stopped. to listen. Tom ignored them, his clear green eyes intent upon the younger students who hung on his every word. "Slytherin, the house of the Ambitious. The house, which has produced more Dark Wizards than all the others. Why? The Gryffindors will tell you that it is because we are power hungry evil dark wizards. This garnered a laugh from the youngsters. Gryffindors would tell you that power corrupts us, but although power corrupts the few, stupidity corrupts the masses."

A sprinkling of nervous laughter rippled through the crowd. You don't have to be a Ravenclaw to have a few brains and use them. You don't have to get everything right the first time. Sometimes you try and you still don't succeed. When that happens, you have to go to plan B," He smirked at them. "A slytherin always has a back up plan."

"What's the back up plan?" asked one of the youngsters.

"Cheat." Tom answered and they laughed.

"What if you get caught?" called one of the first years.

"Curse your tongue," replied Tom in a playful voice. "What do you do if you get caught? Why would you get caught? Are you a Gryffindor?"

Tom had always been good at lying: telling them and discerning them. He couldn't understand how something so easy could elude anyone with half a brain.

The house was in uproarious laughter now. Tom held them spellbound. "But what if you do get caught," he whispered conspiratorily. "What then?" He leaned close as if to tell a secret. "Lie," he said seriously. "And be sure you are good at it because if you lose house points, you will answer to the upper classmen, and then you will answer to me. He pulled out his yew wand and tapped it on his hand.

"Above all, remember there are very few things that cannot be solved with a few kind words and a solid curse. For those who don't know how to make wards, I will show your tonight. Tomorrow I will watch you make the ward and the next day you are on your own. You aren't babies. You aren't muggles. You are witches and wizards. You make your own world. You have the power. The Griffs will tell you power is evil, but there is no good or evil: only power and those too weak to claim it." He appraised them for a moment. "None of you look weak to me."

He smiled sweetly at them. "Just remember, I am your Head Boy. I am here to help you. You can come to my room to talk or to ask questions," he smirked at them again.. "Especially if you are a pretty lady."

Some of them laughed and some blushed. Quite a number of the young girls now failed to raise their eyes to his handsome face. They found something quite interesting in the common room floor and their clenched hands. "Just don't bother me during NEWT week," said Tom. "I intend to beat out Oglesby for the highest NEWTS and when I'm cranky I tend to hex first and ask questions later."

A few of the first years laughed, but none of the upper classmen did and the laughter died before it was even born.

"Prefects," said Tom. "Let's get all of the First Years tucked into bed, and Malfoy," Tom called. "That doesn't mean your bed."