Tom, whose true thoughts had just been exposed, flushed with embarrassment and anger. He reached up to grab the Sorting Hat.
Sure, he was satisfied with ending up in Hufflepuff, but the whole thing about the kitchens…
He'd already said that remembering Hufflepuff had nothing to do with the kitchen being next door!
"Congratulations, Tom. Hufflepuff will be a wonderful home for you. Loyalty and integrity will be your greatest treasures here at Hogwarts."
Before Tom's paw could touch the hat, the Sorting Hat leapt away and landed neatly in Dumbledore's hand.
This was one of Hogwarts' most important artifacts—he absolutely couldn't let Tom mess with it!
Even though the hat was protected by enchantments placed by the four founders and later headmasters, after seeing Tom's bizarre abilities, Dumbledore wasn't convinced those ordinary spells were enough to keep it safe.
"Of course, considering your… uniqueness, and the fact that all the other dorms are already fully assigned, I can arrange a single room for you if you'd like."
Seeing Tom angrily waving his paws, Dumbledore quickly changed the subject—mostly to avoid next year's students being unable to get Sorted.
(Well, since the Headmaster insists… I won't say no!)
Understanding the cue, Tom shifted the topic as well. He'd only meant to give the hat a little scare—he was never going to actually damage it.
If he did break it, he'd be the one stuck repairing it. Why give himself trouble?
"As for Ariana…"
Dumbledore looked at his sister, who looked rather downcast at not being placed in the same House as Tom.
"What about you? Do you want a single room too, or would you like to share a room with other students?"
As a ghost—and his sister at that—Ariana's status was even more special than Tom's! If Tom could get a private room, Dumbledore naturally didn't mind preparing one for her too.
Of course, unlike other ghosts, Ariana looked completely solid and alive. So if she wanted, she could live with other students.
The only concern was that, until Dumbledore and the Ministry came to an agreement, she needed to be careful not to reveal she was a ghost.
"(★ω★) Can I room with Tom?"
Ariana's eyes lit up at her brother's question.
They weren't in the same House, but if they could share a room, she could live with that~
"???" ×3
Seeing Dumbledore's face instantly darken, Professor McGonagall suddenly regretted everything.
She regretted checking the Book of Admittance today.
She regretted seeing Ariana's name inside it.
She regretted coming to report all of this tonight.
She respected Dumbledore deeply, knew his character well… but somehow, she felt like a giant flashing DANGER sign had appeared above her head.
[Absolutely not! No way! I'm in Hufflepuff and you're in Gryffindor—how could we possibly share a dorm?!]
Tom immediately shut down her wild idea.
"(｡•︿•｡) But…"
Ariana looked at Dumbledore with pleading eyes.
"No."
Seeing his sister look so small and pitiful, Dumbledore almost gave in. He had to close his eyes for a moment to steel himself before forcing out a firm refusal.
School rules didn't forbid cross-House dorms, but there was no way he could set that precedent with his own sister!
Especially when the other party was a cat!
And the moment Ariana opened her mouth to negotiate, Tom cut her off again:
[Alright, Ariana, rules aside—friends still need their own personal space.
And didn't you come to Hogwarts to make new friends? How will you do that if you're with me all the time?
Your roommates will be your first step toward meeting everyone at Hogwarts!]
Tom still didn't understand why someone who came specifically to "make friends" didn't end up in Hufflepuff… but his reasoning worked.
"(´-ω-`) Okay… I get it."
Seeing both of them disagree, Ariana quietly nodded.
Dumbledore let out a breath of relief.
"Well then, Ariana, have you decided? Would you like your own room, or would you prefer to stay with the other girls?"
"Hmm… Brother, which dorm still has a free spot?"
Ariana asked seriously.
Tom had given her friendship tips!
If she wanted to make friends, she needed roommates!
So she needed a room with openings.
"Of course. If you're ready, I can take you there now."
With a glance from Dumbledore, McGonagall stepped forward with a warm smile.
"And by the way, I'm Minerva McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House. You can just call me Professor McGonagall."
"Thank you, Professor."
Ariana bowed politely, then turned to Tom:
"Don't worry, Tom. Even if we're in different Houses, we'll still have classes together. It won't affect our friendship at all!"
"That's right," Dumbledore added softly. "The Houses don't divide you. They're simply your homes here. What they become depends entirely on you—the students living in them.
As long as you believe that, even Gryffindor and Slytherin can be the best of friends."
(Meanwhile, in his office brewing potions, Snape suddenly sneezed.)
"Brother's right! Tom, I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow! You have to tell me all about the secrets of the Hufflepuff common room!"
[Sure—just make sure you tell me Gryffindor's secrets too~]
Seeing his sister's genuine happiness, Dumbledore couldn't help smiling.
"Alright, Minerva. It's getting late. Take Ariana to Gryffindor Tower. I'll take Tom to Hufflepuff.
Kids, get some rest once you're back. You have plenty of classes ahead of you."
Tom and Ariana both nodded. McGonagall gave Dumbledore a small nod and was about to leave with Ariana when—
"Wait, Minerva."
She paused.
"After you drop Ariana off, please come back.
I'll need your help speaking to the Ministry about allowing a ghost student to legally enroll."
McGonagall froze for a second, though her face betrayed nothing.
"Of course, Headmaster."
She knew it. Knowing this many secrets always meant trouble later.
After watching them leave, Dumbledore turned to Tom.
"Come on, Tom. I'll take you to the Hufflepuff dorms."
Tom said nothing, simply followed quietly. But just before they left the office, Dumbledore stopped and spoke softly:
"Tom… thank you. Truly.
For bringing Ariana home, and for helping her untie the knots in her heart.
When I was young and foolish, I ignored her feelings—something I've regretted all my life.
Because of you, I finally have a chance to make things right."
Not just me, he thought silently, but many others can finally correct their past mistakes too.
He did not say this aloud.
(No need to thank me. You've helped me a lot too, Headmaster~)
Tom flicked his tail casually, as if it were nothing.
"Heh."
Dumbledore chuckled.
"I remember you asked that student—Ebbe—to 'take a job'. Do you need anything from the school?"
(Not for now.)
Tom was confident. With himself as the "mascot," Galleons practically earned themselves.
"Well then. At least let me give you a spare room to use. Think of it as a blessing from this old man."
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