When it came to enforcing the rules, Professor McGonagall was Mount Everest.
She had heard about Tom—an early-admit student, polite, gifted, exceptionally talented.
None of that excused breaking curfew.
"Child, perhaps you should spend some time reflecting in detention. Hogwarts has many exceptionally gifted students, but without rules to guide them, their futures… well, you've seen the sort on the streets of London."
Tom knew better than to argue.
In McGonagall's eyes, any explanation became an excuse—and that only made her angrier.
"Yes, Professor McGonagall. I'm sorry."
Her stern expression softened a fraction when she saw he wasn't being defiant. She patted his shoulder. "Every child makes mistakes, dear. I hope Hogwarts hasn't left you with a bad impression on your very first night."
Tom shook his head. "I have the best friends and the best teachers here. No bad impressions at all."
"Cough—cough." Snape cleared his throat loudly. "Professor McGonagall, I asked Tom to come help me with something. Tom, come with me to my quarters first and collect the things you left behind."
Snape didn't even glance at Tom as he continued smoothly, "Minerva, you know the boy stayed with me before term started. Children this age always forget things—their textbooks, for instance."
"Oh, child, you should have said so earlier." McGonagall gave Tom's shoulder another pat. "Severus, it's getting late. You should head back too."
The moment she disappeared around the corner, Tom let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Still here?" Snape shot him an icy look. "Don't think I was defending you. Starting tomorrow, report to the Potions lab every afternoon after classes!"
"Professor Snape, could I… maybe keep staying in the old room?" Tom blinked his big jade-green eyes innocently. "I can see my classmates anytime, but with you—"
"NOW! IMMEDIATELY! GET OUT!" Snape shoved him bodily out of the lab.
Hmph. You totally like me.
Tom rolled his eyes outside the door and strolled back toward the Ravenclaw tower.
Crap—I forgot Terry's drink!
---
He had two roommates. Ravenclaw dorms were usually two- or three-person rooms; four was rare.
Terry Boot and Sue Li.
After downing the sleeping draught Snape had "ruined," Tom slipped back into the dorm.
"Tom!" Terry looked panicked. "Merlin, you broke the rules on day one! Will we even see you tomorrow?"
"Poor lad, we'll come visit you in detention," Sue said solemnly, crossing herself. "May the Lord protect you, child."
"Did they catch you?"
Tom shrugged. "Ran into Professor Sprout, Professor Snape, and Professor McGonagall."
"Done for. You're definitely doing detention tomorrow. Sprout's the kindest, but McGonagall? She's strict even with her own Gryffindors. And Snape… Tom, how many points did he dock?"
Sue glanced at Terry. "Hey, how do you know all this? We're all first-years."
"My brother's in third year—Gryffindor. Every holiday he tells me how terrifying their Head of House is. She doesn't even let her own students off the hook. I was so scared I'd get sorted into Slytherin or Gryffindor."
Tom almost said, You couldn't get into Slytherin if you tried. That house is for rich kids only. Us poor ones just get stepped on—like Draco Malfoy in first year.
"Tom, what do you want to eat?"
"Tom, what's your favourite flower?"
Tom: "?"
"I just broke curfew. I didn't die. Relax, guys. The world is forgiving. One or two rule breaks won't make the sky fall. Life goes on. Now let's sleep."
The sleeping draught kicked in. Tom's eyelids grew heavy.
Lights out. The three of them climbed into bed. Soon the only even breathing in the room was Tom's.
Sue and Terry lay awake, a little homesick.
---
The next morning.
Sue and Terry woke to find Tom already gone. They were almost late themselves and had to sprint to class.
Tom, however, had finished his morning workout and popped by the Potions lab for his daily "hello." Snape seemed to have been waiting; the moment Tom arrived, the rich scent of potion ingredients filled the air.
"What's first period?"
"Charms! We have to hurry!"
When they reached the classroom, Tom was already seated.
Sue and Terry slid in on either side of him.
"Tom, why didn't you wake us?"
Tom shrugged. "If you want to see the sun rise at four a.m. over Hogwarts, I can do that tomorrow. But you'll be exhausted all day."
"Four a.m.?"
"Four a.m."
Sue gave a thumbs-up and dropped it.
Professor Filius Flitwick was a half-goblin wizard with a wild shock of white hair and a height under four feet. To the first-years he looked like a friendly little grandfather their own size.
"Delighted that none of you are late on the very first day!" Flitwick rubbed his hands together, beaming. "Now, please open your textbooks—oh, wonderful, no one forgot theirs! Turn to page one."
Levitation Charm.
After a ten-minute detailed lecture, Flitwick raised his hand. "Wands up, everyone!"
"Try the Levitation Charm on the feather in front of you. Make it float—go on!"
Three minutes later.
"Wingardium Leviosa."
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
"Wingardium Leviosa!!!" Sue was getting visibly frustrated.
Terry already had his feather hovering an inch off the desk. Tom's feather was doing barrel rolls and dives like a tiny fighter jet.
Sue's feather hadn't budged.
"Tom, how are you doing that?"
"Hm?" Tom pulled his focus away from "Feather Fighter Jet Mode."
He gently adjusted Sue's grip on her wand. "Relax, Sue. First, calm yourself. Let your emotions guide the feather.
Magic is wonderful and free. Use your clever mind—imagine, act, simulate. Picture exactly how a feather lifts into the air."
That was straight from Professor McGonagall's advice.
"Thanks, Tom—oh! It worked!"
None of them noticed tiny Professor Flitwick standing right beside them.
Tom Riddle—the boy the Sorting Hat had agonised over for twelve minutes. Flitwick remembered.
"Tom? Child, demonstrate again for the class. Everyone, pause your attempts and watch Tom."
Tom didn't show off. He simply did it again, calm and precise.
"Excellent, child. Now speed up the incantation. In a duel the fastest caster wins. With practice you can even drop parts of the wording."
Tom flicked his wand.
Not a single syllable left his lips.
Levitation Charm.
Flitwick's eyes widened.
No wonder the Hat took twelve minutes!
Merlin, is this even possible for a first-year?
"Wonderful, wonderful! Five points to Ravenclaw!"
Sue and Terry looked at Tom like he'd grown wings.
---
Meanwhile, in another classroom.
"Excellent, Miss Granger! Five points to Gryffindor!" Professor McGonagall nodded approvingly.
Out of all the first-years—and even most second- and third-years—few could match Hermione's precision.
This girl was different. Clearly she had taken her summer letters to McGonagall seriously and studied hard.
Of course, McGonagall had no idea there was another monster in the first-year cohort—Tom Riddle.
By now Tom's skill had already surpassed the previous Tom Riddle at the same age.
In a way, Tom had overtaken Voldemort himself.
The moment class ended, Hermione shoved her books and wand into her bag and practically sprinted out.
"Hermione, wait!" Ron and Harry hurried after her.
"Why are you running so fast?" Ron panted. He couldn't understand why a girl had better stamina than him.
"I'm in a hurry!"
Once outside, Hermione scanned the corridor.
Harry opened his mouth, then closed it again when he realised her attention was elsewhere.
"Tom—!!!" She spotted him and pushed through the crowd.
Harry's eyes dimmed for a second, but he forced himself to follow.
He didn't understand why Hermione and Tom were so close.
They were both just her friends. It shouldn't bother him.
But maybe it was because Hermione was so pretty—she really was. Harry had never seen anyone who sparkled quite like that.
Her hair was always perfectly neat now, her face delicate. Except for the two slightly large front teeth, he couldn't find a single flaw.
Strictly speaking, Harry thought Hermione actually seemed a bit annoyed with Tom. But that tiny bit of "special treatment" still made something in his chest feel strangely tight.
"Tom!"
Hermione grabbed his arm. "Here's my timetable. You know time's tight."
"Oh—wait, what?" Tom's calm expression cracked. "Hermione, did you know we only have five classes a week?"
"Yeah, I know." She nodded. "Let me see yours."
"My timetable doesn't matter. Yours does. Why does yours have twenty classes?"
Ron finally caught up, still breathing hard. "If there were more hours in the day, she'd have signed up for the weekends and nights too."
"Come with me." Hermione pulled Tom aside, away from Ron and Harry.
"I have to see Professor McGonagall on the weekend—don't forget!"
Tom looked genuinely outraged. "You can't just steal a professor's weekend! Weekends are precious!"
"Oh right, I have to see Professor Snape on the weekend too—actually every day. When I get back I'll write out a full schedule and leave it on the bed. Make sure you read it."
"That many?" Hermione's stomach tightened. She already thought she was working hard enough.
But the person in front of her was the competition champion.
"Not that many," Tom shrugged. "I didn't pick any electives. I'm not wasting time on pointless stuff.
The rest of my schedule will be extra Charms, Herbology, Potions, and Care of Magical Creatures. I'll sort out the professors in the next couple of days.
Time-wise… probably about the same as the holidays. Maybe a little busier."
Even busier?
Busier than the holidays???
The chapter ends there.