Tom felt a wave of dizziness washing over him.
It was like someone was relentlessly trying to push their way into his mind.
On top of that, Snape had swung his wand with way too much force before casting the spell—and he'd practically shouted it.
It was almost as if he was announcing to Tom, "Hey, I'm coming in!"
[You have successfully cast a spell. Rating: Perfect+. Occlumency +300.]
[You have successfully cast a spell. Rating: Perfect+. Occlumency +300.]
[You have successfully cast a spell. Rating: Perfect+. Occlumency +300.]
Finally, that strange sensation faded as Snape withdrew the dark magic.
Tom had never felt so wrecked. He slumped against the wall, drenched in sweat.
He chugged from the water bottle at his waist, one gulp after another. His black bangs were plastered to his forehead from the sweat.
Tom pushed his hair back. "Professor Snape, I'm still falling short. Sorry."
"Hmph." Snape gave a cold snort. "Keep practicing. If you're still like this next week, don't bother coming back."
"I'll work harder."
After Snape left, Tom checked his panel.
Occlumency: Lv. 6.
It had taken him a full week.
That whole week, whether he was eating, sleeping, or even in the bathroom, Tom had been mentally practicing Occlumency nonstop. He was terrified his secrets would get exposed.
He'd barely scraped his way to Level 6, but it still wasn't enough against Snape.
Tom had felt it—in that final moment, all his defenses had crumbled. If Snape had pushed just a little further, he could've read Tom's memories.
But Snape hadn't. He'd chosen to pull back.
I've got to keep pushing.
Tom stared at the dark ceiling, running through Occlumency drills over and over.
…
"Albus." Snape stepped into Dumbledore's office. "Let me see Tom's file. I'm sure the Ministry investigated him—you've got a copy, right?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Dumbledore's old face. "I never thought you'd take an interest in a student's past. What happened?"
"One week." Snape said the words heavily. "Albus, in just one week, Tom brought his Occlumency to a level that doesn't belong to him!
Even I had to give it everything I had to break through his shields!"
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed.
He knew exactly how strong Snape was—especially when it came to the dark arts.
Snape's Legilimency wasn't just top-tier at Hogwarts; it was among the best in the entire wizarding world.
"One week?"
"Yes. One week."
Dumbledore stood up. "Severus, do you think maybe…"
"Impossible!" Snape cut him off roughly before he could finish. "Tom can't be him. You know it—you've seen Tom's personality. He's genuinely kind. To every classmate, every professor—even to an old codger like you, he never shows a hint of disgust. That's something the Dark Lord could never pull off!"
Dumbledore fell silent. He opened a drawer, pulled out a thick file, and handed it to Snape.
"Page 311."
[Tom Riddle, born December 31, 1980, at Bethlem Royal Hospital, London.]
[Father: William Riddle, graduated from Imperial College London, joined the military afterward, confirmed killed in action.]
[Mother: Lily Riddle, graduated from Cambridge University, joined the military afterward, confirmed killed in action.]
Snape's breathing quickened when he spotted a certain name.
"Why isn't there a date of death?"
"Tom's parents were just Muggles." Dumbledore patted Snape's shoulder. "Just Muggles, my friend. We can't live in the past forever. It's all coincidence."
"Then how could Tom master Occlumency in a single week…" Snape trailed off mid-sentence. "Albus, when his parents died—where was Tom?"
Dumbledore was quiet for a long moment. "Severus, everyone has painful experiences, don't they?
We know Harry watched his parents die, but others have gone through the same thing."
Snape: "…I understand."
Suddenly, Snape remembered what Tom had said to him back then.
Godfather, huh?
"Severus, you can read it here, but you can't take it with you. Also, Tom has a little sister—not a real sister, just a close friend from the orphanage. Her name's Misha. She's got magical talent too. Maybe someday she'll join Tom at Hogwarts. But that's all in the future."
Snape read Tom's file three times from cover to cover.
Only after the third time did he set the book down and leave without a word.
…
Two days later.
Halloween.
Hogwarts was buzzing with excitement, like the whole castle was celebrating a holiday.
Tom noticed a bunch of ghost professors had swapped into fun costumes for the day—some dressed as vampires, others as werewolves. Nobody bothered dressing as witches, since there were already plenty of real ones around the school.
That day, Tom got kicked out of the Potions lab.
Snape seemed to want him to relax for Halloween and not bury himself in magic the whole time.
The other professors agreed—no private lessons today. They basically forced Tom to take a break.
"Hey, Tom! Happy Halloween!" His two dorm mates cheered first thing in the morning, already wearing… Santa hats?
"Su, it's not even Christmas yet."
"Close enough!" Li Su grinned wide. "Tom, how much candy do you think we'll score today?"
The two of them were decked out in weird outfits, each carrying a basket. Clearly, they were heading out to trick-or-treat.
"Ha!" Terry laughed. "Just wait, Tom—by tonight, we're filling the whole dorm with candy!"
Then it hit them. "Wait a sec, Tom—why aren't you heading out?"
"The professors kicked me out. No studying allowed." Tom shrugged. "Can't help it—I'm forced to relax. Hagrid said if I keep going like this, my brain's gonna fry. Professor Sprout thought I didn't have any friends and hugged me while crying, saying she's my best friend. Professor Snape literally locked the classroom door."
The two cracked up.
They'd never heard of someone getting in trouble for studying too hard.
"Tom, why don't you come with us? We even got a costume ready for you."
"Yours won't work. Tom, try mine!" Li Su pulled out an outfit—complete with a huge hammer.
Tom looked confused. "What's this supposed to be? There's barely any fabric. It looks hot!"
"It's Thor—a super cool superhero. Tom, don't hide those abs! Put this on and we'll rake in the candy tonight, no problem!"
"No way—that build doesn't suit him. Try mine."
Terry's option was a little suit, at least somewhat normal.
After changing, the two stared at Tom like they were a little scared.
"Don't forget the cape." Terry draped it over him. "Holy crap—no wonder vampires in books always get the girls so easily. Tom, you look awesome!"
His little braid hung down the back over the cape, and his bangs partly covered his eyebrows. It actually worked really well.
Thanks to all the training Tom did, his muscles filled out the suit perfectly. A grown-up style that shouldn't fit their age looked like it was custom-made for him.
"We're heading to the Great Hall for breakfast like this! We'll hit up everyone for candy. Tom, get pumped!"
As soon as the three sat down in the Great Hall, an owl swooped in.
It flew over everyone's heads, clutching a broomstick in its talons.
Finally, it landed in front of Tom and dropped the broom.
"This is… a Firebolt! Wait, no—the Quidditch shop said the Firebolt's still in testing and won't be out for at least two years. Tom… this is the first—and only—Firebolt in Hogwarts… heck, in the whole wizarding world right now!" Terry covered his mouth. He was a huge Quidditch fan and knew every broom, even the unreleased ones.
"Oh man, my dad's been waiting for the Firebolt since two years ago. If he found out my friend has one, he'd probably rush to the school just to shake your hand."
Tom stared at the Firebolt in his hands.
"Tom, who sent it? Quick, look—there's a letter!"
"Su, that's rude. Let Tom read it himself. We can't peek at someone's private stuff."
Tom opened the letter.
The person who sent him the Firebolt was… the Half-Blood Prince.
Yep, that's exactly how they signed it.
They said it was thanks for Tom finding the notebook and studying it seriously.
Every word carried a familiar vibe—especially the handwriting on a few letters. It matched the labels Tom had seen on bottles in the lab.
Professor Snape, you tsundere.
"Hey, Tom!" Hagrid's massive frame loomed behind him. "Whoa, is that a Firebolt? I heard a few test models got out, but only really important people can get one. Looks like you've got a pretty great friend.
Just be careful—don't fall off."
Tom smiled. "Thanks for the heads-up. Oh, and Hagrid—it's Halloween. Candy?"
"Of course you get some, kid." Hagrid laughed heartily, digging into his pocket and dropping a handful into Tom's palm. "You two as well—haha!"
After Hagrid left, it wasn't long before they ran into more familiar faces.
Second-year Cho Chang—currently walking with Hermione.
"Happy Halloween, senpai."
"Hey, Tom." Cho smiled at his outstretched hand, pulled some candy from her pocket, and placed it in his. "Hope you have a great Halloween."
"You too."
Li Su and Terry didn't have the guts to ask Cho for candy.
But Tom was different. After Cho gave him some, he casually shifted both hands toward Hermione.
"Happy Halloween, Hermione."