Once their footsteps faded away, Harry and the others finally stepped out from the shadows.
"Maybe it really was Lucius..." Harry swallowed hard. "What do you think he came to the school for? No way it was just about his son."
"Let's talk tomorrow," Ron said. "Unless we want more points deducted, we need to get back now."
"So tomorrow then... Hermione, you free?"
"After 7:00 p.m."
Harry nodded. "Afternoon it is. We'll meet up. Oh, and Hermione—quick question. Why did Professor McGonagall call you by your first name?"
Hermione laughed it off awkwardly. "Just in the heat of the moment."
No way was she admitting she'd already started private lessons with McGonagall—that's why she wasn't free until evening.
...
Snape's office.
Tom was buzzing around like a little fly.
"Professor, that's a lot of blood. And you say you're fine?"
"I don't need your meddling!" Snape glared at Tom. "Go back to your dormitory."
Tom acted like he hadn't heard. "Sure, Professor—just hold still. Let me see..."
Without waiting for permission, Tom rolled up Professor Snape's pant leg. "Good, it's not too bad. Hang on—I've got some potions here that can treat wounds."
"I! Do! Not! Need! It!" Snape bit out each word.
"It might sting a bit. Gotta disinfect first—bear with it."
Tom pulled out a bottle, unscrewed the cap, and carefully dabbed the wound with cotton gauze.
Only after disinfecting did he wrap it up gently. "There, all done. I'll head out now, Professor."
Snape paused, then called after him. "I hear you're close with Hagrid. You often study magical creatures with him, right? Can you tell what kind of wound this is?"
"Three-headed dog bite, sir.
A three-headed dog is—"
"I don't need the lecture. You can go!" Snape said coldly. "And remember—don't breathe a word of this to anyone. Not even that foolish little friend of yours, Hermione!"
"Of course. I won't tell Hermione."
But I do keep a diary. If she happens to read it herself, that's not my problem...
After Tom left, Snape flexed his newly bandaged leg and stared into space for a long while.
Suddenly, he remembered something Tom had once said.
["Professor, it'd be great if you were my godfather. Then no one could call me a Mudblood anymore."]
His deep, dark eyes cleared for a moment. Snape tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
The quiet didn't last long. Soon, someone interrupted.
"What are you doing here?" Snape asked bluntly upon seeing the visitor.
"I heard you gave Draco detention. Care to explain what happened?"
Mentioning it sparked a flash of anger in Snape.
But he quickly suppressed it—his eyes shifted noticeably, returning to their usual depth.
"Maybe you should ask Draco what he said to someone."
Draco was still stubborn about it: "A Mudblood. And anyway, I wasn't aiming the spell at him—Harry was the target."
Lucius narrowed his eyes. "Mudblood—who? Hermione? And what spell did you use?"
"It was Tom, Father. I used the Leg-Locker Curse."
The name "Tom" seemed to carry magic. The moment Lucius heard it, his face grew serious. "This Tom—what's his full name? His surname?"
"Tom Riddle."
Lucius fell silent, staring at Draco. "We're leaving."
"Father, but—"
"I said we're leaving! You've already wasted my time today. I don't want a next time. Draco, I'm warning you—seriously—if there's another incident, you'll see what happens!"
Draco didn't understand.
It was the first time he'd seen that look on his father's face.
Maybe it was his imagination, but when Father heard Tom's name, there was a clear flash of fear—like worry, like a lamb facing a wolf king.
...
The next day.
Early morning, Hermione ran into a familiar face—Cho Chang.
The older girl hugged Hermione tight. "Oh my gosh, Hermione! I heard you took down a troll all by yourself yesterday. That was so dangerous—promise me you won't do anything like that again!"
It was Hermione's first time being hugged by a girl, and she froze, not sure what to do.
Her first thought: Why is she so good at this?!
Does she hug Tom like this all the time too?
What the heck has that jerk Tom been doing in my body?!
"I'm fine, senpai." Hermione squirmed a bit but couldn't break free.
She could if she tried harder, but she felt the strength in Cho's arms—the girl was holding her like she was about to lose something precious.
Soon, though, Hermione realized something was off.
"Senpai... c-can't... breathe... lighter, please..."
Cho snapped out of it, blushing as she let go. "Sorry! I just... got carried away. But you're not hurt, right?"
"Almost died."
"That's not what I meant!" Cho's face turned even redder. "I mean from the troll! You're not injured, are you? Books say those things are terrifying."
Oh, the troll?
Hermione smiled faintly and shook her head. "Of course not. And if a troll touched me, it wouldn't be just an injury."
With that thing's strength, it'd probably squash her flat.
Injury? That'd be getting off easy.
"Good, good—no injuries." Cho patted her chest in relief. "Oh, right—this is what you asked me to get."
Stuff?
Seeing Hermione's confusion, Cho couldn't help laughing. "You asked me to find fifth-year textbooks, remember?"
Fifth-year???
No need to guess—who else but Tom would do that?
But if he wanted fifth-year books... does that mean Tom's already studying at a fifth-year level?
"Last week—you forgot? Hermione, you've been acting a bit weird lately. Um... hard to describe."
Cho just had a feeling—the Hermione from last week seemed more mature, steadier, like a little adult. You couldn't even tell she was just a kid from how she talked and acted.
But the Hermione now felt more... youthful.
Which was pretty nice too.
"Thanks, senpai." Hermione took the books and hugged them to her chest.
"Alright, you have class soon, right? Go on, shoo!"
"Okay."
After leaving, Hermione spotted Harry and Ron.
"Morning, Hermione."
"Hmm, morning." Hermione was a bit distracted.
"Hermione, Halloween's coming up soon. You ready?"
Hermione suddenly remembered.
Right—it's almost November.
"Halloween's a great holiday! The school gets decorated like a wonderland. You'll love it, Hermione!"
"Maybe."
Hermione chatted with them briefly before heading to class—her electives had packed her schedule solid.
"Tom!" Hermione spotted him in the crowd. Those eyes stood out—no one else at Hogwarts had that bright emerald glow.
"Oh?" Tom saw her and smirked a little. "Looks like you slept well last night. Haven't been running around with Harry and the gang lately?"
"I never run around! Anyway, Halloween's almost here. Remember—not to hole up in the lab all day. Come out and join everyone... Hey, Tom, you listening?"
Halloween's coming?
Halloween?!!
The troll got into the school yesterday—the timeline shifted!
Tom's breathing quickened. He had no idea why it happened early. If he remembered right, the troll was supposed to show up on Halloween.
But now it was days ahead.
"Yeah, I'm listening. Just thinking." Tom snapped back. "Oh, the fifth-year books—senpai got them for me already? Hand 'em over."
Hermione pulled them back, smirking proudly. "Nope. She gave them to me—specifically to 'Hermione,' not 'Tom Riddle.'"
"Petty."
"Thanks for the compliment." Hermione fired back in Tom's style. "Wait—why are you here at this time anyway?"
Tom's lips curved as he leaned in close, whispering in her ear. "Remember that egg Hagrid gave me? The Rainbow-Scaled Giant Chicken!
Yesterday, Hagrid told me—it's about to hatch."
Hermione went from calm to covering her mouth with both hands. "Tom, I wanna see too! W-we're friends—let's go together!"
Tom didn't say anything—just eyed the books in her arms.
"Fine, I get it! Here, take them all, you petty Tom!"
"Before that, I've got big news. Come with me, Hermione." Tom naturally grabbed her wrist—Hermione was used to it by now.
At first, she'd been uncomfortable—but Tom had said something that changed that.
"I already helped bathe you once. What's a little hand-holding?"
After that, she let it go.
But just because Hermione was okay with it didn't mean Harry and Ron, trailing from afar, were.
"Ron, they're just friends, right?"
"Huh? What'd you say, Harry?" Ron had been looking elsewhere, missing Harry's expression.
"Nothing."
...
Tom and Hermione entered a room.
Secret chamber, alone together!
Tom's cheeks were flushed with excitement.
"Hermione, quick—come here!" Tom waved her over eagerly.
Hermione felt like she was facing a wild beast...