Tom Riddle eventually located a post office. From the directory there, he confirmed that St. Redelia Orphanage existed in this world, too.
In other words, there was a very real possibility that Hermione was currently piloting his body and causing absolute chaos at the orphanage.
Thinking about Hermione's... intense personality, Tom rubbed his temples.
He could easily picture her making the other orphans cry.
Especially Misha.
Since her parents abandoned her, Misha stuck to his side like glue. He was basically a big brother to her. If Hermione snapped at her... Misha would absolutely burst into tears.
I really hope that letter gets there fast.
Also... he had no idea if this body-swapping situation was a one-time deal, or if he and Hermione would eventually swap back.
Tom wrote down the address and the recipient's name, slapping down extra cash for expedited delivery.
Once he got back to the Granger house, Tom grabbed his wand and immediately went back to practicing magic.
If this world was the magical world of Hogwarts, that meant a whole lot of other things existed here, too.
Voldemort, Death Eaters, werewolves, magical beasts!
Sure, the movies made it look relatively easy. Harry Potter casually dealt with the first-year villain, Quirrell. In his second year, Harry pulled a big sword out of a hat and chopped up a snake. Third year...
But wait!
The villain Quirrell was literally a two-faced man possessed by the Dark Lord Voldemort!
And that second-year snake? That was a Basilisk! If you looked it in the eye, you died instantly! It was the ultimate "do not make eye contact" danger noodle!
And then there was the big boss, Voldemort. In his past life, Tom had seen all the dark humored memes: Voldemort murdered hundreds of people... so what are we doing tomorrow?
Jokes aside, Tom had never actually had to face Voldemort. But if he actually ran into the guy now...
I want to live!
Yes, the Headmaster of Hogwarts was Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful white wizard alive. Dumbledore wanted to protect his students; he wanted to protect everyone. But Tom knew the truth: Dumbledore eventually died. He couldn't protect everyone forever.
The only person who could truly protect you was yourself. The only way to survive was to get strong.
Speaking of which, there was the minor issue of his name.
Tom Riddle... wasn't that Voldemort's real name?!
What if that psycho found out and decided to off him just for sharing the same name?
Tom felt a sudden, massive surge of motivation.
Grind! Hustle!
In his past life, he hustled his whole life until he accidentally died from overworking. Now that he was a wizard in this life, surely he wouldn't die from overworking... right?
He already knew the physical limits of a normal human. But the limits of a wizard? Tom had no idea.
Bring it on. Let's see how far I can push this!
> [Spell Cast. Rating: Normal. Levitation Charm +10]
> [Spell Cast. Rating: Normal. Levitation Charm +10]
> [Spell Cast. Rating: Normal. Transfiguration Charm +10]
> [Spell Cast. Rating: Normal. Transfiguration Charm +10]
...
By nightfall, Tom was completely exhausted.
Prolonged magical practice took a heavy toll on him. By the end of his session, every rating he received had dropped to "Average." The rate he earned experience points had plummeted.
Tom ate some flower pastries he had brought back from the restaurant. He sat in the living room under a perfectly dimmed chandelier, holding a copy of Magical Drafts and Potions.
This was the textbook for Potions class.
At Hogwarts, there was one professor whose reputation was legendary: Severus Snape. Without a doubt, he was the most universally hated professor by the student body.
Snape taught first-year Potions. In his class, Snape would simply tell you to chop up herbs, toss them in a cauldron, and stir.
He wouldn't tell you how finely to chop them. He wouldn't tell you whether to stir clockwise or counterclockwise. He certainly wouldn't tell you how many times to stir.
Only when you inevitably messed up would Professor Snape rip you to shreds verbally, deduct points from your House, and maybe tell you the right answer—though there was a good chance he wouldn't even do that.
Tom needed to study ahead, or he was going to get chewed out in that class.
> [Study Session Complete. Rating: Normal. Potions +10]
It was late into the night. The veins on Tom's forehead were throbbing, a clear sign he had reached his mental limit.
This body was just too weak.
Before showering, Tom did a quick workout. Squats, push-ups, sit-ups, and he tried doing pull-ups on the doorframe.
Naturally, Hermione's body couldn't even manage a single pull-up.
After an hour of struggling, Tom took a hot shower to wash off the sweat, finally crawled into bed, and instantly fell into an exhausted, deep sleep.
---
Meanwhile... London.
Hermione had rejected Mr. Michelangelo's adoption offer.
Seeing Sean Middle today had confirmed one massive, world-altering fact for her:
Hogwarts existed in this world!
She had transmigrated, yes, but she hadn't gone to an entirely different universe.
As long as she could contact a Hogwarts professor and explain what happened to her, there was a chance she could get her body back!
Unfortunately, she had no way to contact them right now. All she could do was use the few pounds she earned today to mail a letter to "herself."
She strongly suspected the other person was currently piloting her body.
After handling that, Hermione returned to St. Redelia Orphanage and went to sleep.
The next day.
London mornings were always draped in a thick fog.
The mist hung heavy in the air as Hermione woke up early.
The children at the orphanage were ecstatic, swarming her the moment they saw her. They had all heard the news: "Tom" had successfully gotten the job as Sean's tutor!
These kids were even happier about it than Hermione was.
Well, all except for one person.
Lawrence was absolutely furious.
He felt like Hermione was trying to steal his adoptive father away from him! In his mind, her refusing Mr. Michelangelo yesterday was just her playing hard to get, artificially inflating her own value!
Starting today, Hermione no longer had to go out and sell those pathetic flowers.
Using what little money they had left, Hermione and Misha bought some fresh flower seeds to replant.
Hermione strictly instructed Misha on how often to water the seeds, what to do on heavily foggy days, and exactly how to manage the fertilizer.
She had learned all this from books. However, theoretical knowledge was very different from practical application. Digging in the dirt was harder than she expected, and her—well, Tom's—body quickly got covered in mud.
"Tom—!!!"
A kid sprinted into the orphanage from the street, waving an envelope. "Tom! You got a letter! Wow, I didn't even know you sent letters to people outside!"
The children were incredibly curious.
Someone was actually writing to them!
These kids didn't have friends outside the orphanage. They had no one to write to. They immediately crowded around. "Tom, open it! Let's see what it says!"
"The sender is... how do you say this name? Herme-one Granger? What a weird name. Sounds like a girl, though."
"It's Hermione Granger! Can you people please read more books?!" Hermione snapped, hating it when people butchered her name.
But as soon as the words left her mouth, she remembered there were hardly any books in the orphanage to begin with. She quickly corrected herself. "I mean... you should try to read more in the future. If you ever want to make it out of here."
"Never mind that, Tom! Hurry up and see what it says!"
Misha pushed the other kids back. "Stop looking! It's a letter from a girl to Tom. You guys—I mean, we—shouldn't look. This is Tom's secret."
Misha felt that Tom was growing up, and adults had secrets. This was Tom's secret, and it wasn't right to pry.
Hermione glanced around. Once she was sure no one was watching, she tore open the envelope.
Just as she suspected, the other guy had transmigrated, too!
Just the thought of this boy living his life in her body made her face flush hotly.
Yesterday, she had tried her absolute hardest to avoid using the bathroom unless it was an absolute emergency.
And taking a shower... obviously, she hadn't done that either.
The main reason was, well, the body.
When she did use the bathroom, she kept her head tilted back, completely terrified to look down. Showering was just too much too soon. She wasn't mentally prepared for anything that exposing.
Taking two deep breaths to steady herself, Hermione found a quiet corner and read the letter.
> Dear Tom Riddle,
> Hello. This is Hermione.
> If you are reading this letter, it means we've experienced the exact same thing.
Tom didn't know for sure if Hermione had transmigrated into his body. If she hadn't, his original body would likely be in a coma, and whoever opened the letter would be someone else. So, he kept it relatively vague.
Hermione nodded in approval. This Tom guy isn't completely brainless. She kept reading.
> I heard about your situation at the orphanage. You have my deepest sympathies.
> Misha is a little angel. Her background is tragic, far worse than the others. I hope you treat her well and don't lose your temper with her... though, someone as gentle and kind as Tom probably wouldn't lose his temper anyway.
> I also heard about Lawrence. I know he once put a dead rat under your pillow, and you beat him up for it, which got you in trouble with the adults at the orphanage. I know you must be furious with him, but please just ignore Lawrence. Treat him like a red-nosed clown at a circus.
> I'm doing well at your house. Your parents went on vacation. The books the school sent you are amazing. I read through them and even tried practicing some of the material. Surprisingly, I'm doing pretty well!
> But seriously, the clothes in your closet are an absolute disaster! You have such smooth skin and big eyes, why do you dress so frumpy?! It's a complete waste of potential!
> I hope you're living well over there. If we ever get the chance, I'd like to meet you in person.
> Sincerely,
> Hermione Granger
> P.S. I bet you haven't showered yet. The minute you read this, go take a shower! I refuse to let Tom's body constantly smell like a wild boar!!!
Reading that last line, Hermione quickly looked away.
She slapped her burning red cheeks, taking a long time to calm down.
Folding the letter tightly three times, she hid it securely under the floorboards beneath her bed.
It was only then that she realized how incredibly tidy Tom's room was.
Even though it was a storage room filled with firewood, Tom kept everything impeccably clean. Compared to her own bed back home, which was currently buried under a mountain of textbooks...
Hermione shook her head, forcing the thoughts away.
She remembered the people Tom mentioned in the letter.
Misha. The little girl who constantly trailed behind her.
Sitting on the bed, Hermione pulled her knees to her chest. She thought about her home, her parents, her brand-new first-year textbooks...
Wait a minute!
Hermione scrambled to pull the letter back out, her eyes locking onto a specific sentence in the middle.
> The books the school sent you are amazing. I read through them and even tried practicing some of the material. Surprisingly, I'm doing pretty well!
What did that mean?! Did Tom use her body to practice magic?!
Hermione had performed a "magic trick" at the Middle house yesterday. At the time, she assumed she was able to use magic because she was still Hermione Granger. Even if she transmigrated, she was still a witch!
But if Tom could use magic too...
Does that mean Tom isn't a Muggle? Is he a wizard, too?!
No!
Hermione shook her head forcefully, untangling her chaotic thoughts.
That's not the priority right now!
The priority was the letter she had received from Professor McGonagall. She had no idea if Tom had told McGonagall what happened to them.
Professor McGonagall was a master of Transfiguration, had previously worked for the Ministry of Magic, and was currently the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. If anyone could help them, it was her!
Hermione paced the room anxiously until Misha knocked on the door, reminding her it was time to go to the Middle house for her tutoring job. Only then did Hermione stash the letter away and hurry out.
On the way there, Misha repeatedly tried to subtly ask about the relationship between "Tom" and "Hermione."
Hermione simply said they were friends.
After a long, exhausting day, Hermione finally gathered the courage to take a cold shower. She was a poor orphan now; she couldn't waste the winter firewood just to heat bathwater, especially since it was still technically summer.
She spent the entire shower blushing furiously.
Finally crawling into bed, Hermione fell into a deep sleep.
---
> [Levitation Charm LV.1: 20/300]
> [Transfiguration Charm LV.1: 10/300]
> [Potions (Novice): 10/100]
> [Close-Quarters Combat LV.1: 224/300]
> [Language Mastery LV.1: 200/300]
> [Animal Affinity LV.1: 110/300]
> [Title: Spellcasting Novice]
To grind his proficiency up to this level in just two days was honestly pretty impressive.
Tom reviewed his stat panel and nodded in satisfaction.
That letter I sent Hermione should have arrived by now, considering how much I tipped for rush delivery.
Lying flat on his bed, Tom's energy was completely tapped out. His breathing grew heavy and steady.