Chapter 638: Chapter 638: The Scar (Edited)
Dumbledore still wore his starry robe and his characteristic pointed wizard hat, looking like he had stepped straight out of a fantasy novel, fitting perfectly with the stereotypical image of a wizard. Hermione, by his side, wore a gray wool coat, a simple black skirt, and a dark gray scarf. Perhaps due to the winter cold, her face seemed a bit pale.
"Hey, I'm back!" Tom greeted enthusiastically as he waved to Hermione. Both Dumbledore and Hermione returned his smile. However, Tom didn't notice the slight melancholy in Dumbledore's smile.
"Professor Dumbledore, today has been quite a productive day!" Tom pulled Hufflepuff's chalice, wrapped in dragonhide, out of his pocket and handed it to Dumbledore.
Returning from the mission and seeing Hermione cheered him up even more. Along with the victory over the Death Eaters and the sweep at Gringotts, successfully recovering one of Voldemort's Horcruxes was cause for celebration, and his mood improved significantly.
"This is..." Dumbledore unwrapped the dragonhide covering and was surprised by what he saw.
"The chalice of Hufflepuff, retrieved from the Lestrange's treasure. Make sure to return me the remnants of the chalice after destroying it, as it's a memento of Mrs. Hufflepuff; though, if you can repair it, that would be even better!" Tom spoke animatedly, fearing Dumbledore might want to keep the chalice.
"Understood," Dumbledore replied with a slight smile on his elderly face.
"It's late; let's have dinner first." Seeing Dumbledore still examining the chalice, Tom didn't feel like staying outside with him in the cold, so he took Hermione's hand and led her back to Hogwarts Castle.
However, upon taking her hand, Tom immediately felt something strange. Hermione's hand was colder than usual.
"What's wrong, your hand is so cold?" Tom asked with a smile.
Hermione responded with a smile, "It's very cold outside."
"Yes, you're frozen; you look pale." Tom held Hermione's hand and blew on it with his warm breath.
"Dumbledore isn't very reasonable either. He didn't need to wait outside. It would be much better to stay inside the castle," Tom remarked.
Hermione: ...
Finally, all color drained from her face.
She felt a bit uneasy and withdrew her hand from Tom's, quickening her pace toward the castle.
"Come on, let's hurry, or we'll miss the main course."
"Agreed." Tom followed Hermione, and both quickly entered the castle, feeling the warm embrace of the environment. The house-elves had lit the fires in the castle, warming it excessively, as if they could burn down an entire small forest in a single night.
Feeling the warmth, Hermione recalled the hundreds of house-elves in Hogwarts and intended to say something, but she restrained herself.
There was no need to do so; saying those things would only add a burden to Tom. Couldn't they enjoy their last moments together?
Hermione decided to be selfish for once. She smiled as she removed her scarf and handed it to Tom.
"I have a new bath soap; do you like its scent?"
"Ooh..." Tom exhaled a breath of cold air upon entering the warm hall. Hearing Hermione's words, for a moment he thought of saying, "How would I know?"
However, right after, he was handed a warm scarf with a pleasant scent.
So, that's what it was. Tom sniffed the scent on the scarf and found it pleasant for no apparent reason.
"It smells really nice!"
"That's good." After handing the scarf to Tom, Hermione led him directly to the Great Hall.
[Should I expect you to remember my scent, or should I expect you to forget my scent? Perhaps only Merlin knows the answer.]
Compared to when Tom left, the atmosphere in the Great Hall was much more harmonious. Mainly because the Ministry of Magic responded with tremendous fury, attacking the place where the Azkaban escapees were hiding and giving them the "punishment they deserved." The details of the punishment were omitted in the Daily Prophet.
Upon hearing the Ministry of Magic's words, everyone felt that the situation seemed to stabilize and improve, and their concerns and anxieties naturally disappeared.
As for the issue of Gringotts, it was mentioned in passing: the wizards in line withdrew all their assets, not leaving behind a single Knut. While one or two wizards might have had doubts, when hundreds or thousands of people acted the same way, the wizards in line began to waver.
Had they waited in line for hours just to look at a few coins?
People's hearts are the most fickle.
Minister Bones took the opportunity to announce a series of banking reforms by the Ministry of Magic. Although wizards still checked the vault out of habit, all their doubts instantly vanished.
The changes at Gringotts didn't stir up any storms.
Since there was nothing important to discuss, why not talk about the Christmas Ball?
When Tom and Hermione entered the Great Hall, they felt the Christmas festive atmosphere. The girls grouped together in flocks, whispering and observing passing boys as if they were hunting prey. In this regard, the boys were at a disadvantage, clustering together like mice trying to attach a bell to a cat, discreetly discussing how to "hunt" a girl and invite her to the Christmas Ball.
Experienced hunters often refrain from dressing up as prey.
When Tom entered the Great Hall, he felt countless fiery gazes directed at him. Many girls didn't hide their interest in Tom; after all, in a certain sense, he was more dazzling than the champions of the Triwizard Tournament.
While there were three champions, only Tom was the student who earned Merlin's Medal. Moreover, in the first challenge, anyone could see that the main goal was to gain Tom Yodel's assistance.
How could the girls not be attracted to such a dazzling guy? Even if it seemed like he already had an owner, the girls felt they could still court him.
After all, in their eyes, there wasn't much difference between them and Hermione. After discussing it with their best friends, they even believed they had an "edge," and that they would have a sure victory if they asked Tom to be their partner.
So, why not go for it?
Many young witches were secretly planning how to act.
In comparison to Tom, Harry and Ron were in quite a difficult situation. At this moment, the two of them were secretly strategizing at the Gryffindor table.
"Oh my God, are they united?" Harry couldn't help but tease. Since the Azkaban crisis was resolved, Harry and Ron had been planning to find an opportunity to resolve the issue of having a partner for the Christmas Ball. However, they were surprised to see that the relationships among the girls at Hogwarts had quickly heated up. All the girls were in groups, and there wasn't a single girl alone.
This greatly frustrated Harry and Ron.
"Maybe we can lure one with a string," Ron joked while being somewhat serious. "Do you already have a target?"
Not far away, Ginny stopped her spoon, and her ears perked up.
Harry fell silent. Of course, he had a target! He knew very well whom he wanted to invite as his partner to the Christmas Ball, but he couldn't muster the courage to do it.
Cho Chang of Ravenclaw was a year older than Harry, extremely pretty, an excellent Quidditch player, and very popular. If only he could invite her to be his partner...
Ron, who was by his side, noticed that Harry already had a target. As a friend, he advised him, "Listen, if you have a target, invite her! I dare say there aren't many girls who would reject you, not like me..."
Ron spoke bitterly. Ginny, who was nearby, also wore a bitter expression and lowered her head to deal with her steak.
He wasn't wrong. Harry was also a very popular choice. Although he didn't become the Hogwarts Champion, he had another identity: the Boy Who Lived, the one who survived the great tragedy. That was enough to attract many witches.
Listening to Ron's advice, Harry looked towards the Ravenclaw table and saw Cho Chang laughing with her friends. His determination gradually strengthened. But just as he was about to regain his gaze, he saw Tom sitting at the edge of the table, focused on his food. A brilliant plan appeared in his mind.
"It's too embarrassing to do it directly. What if I ask Yodel to speak for me? He used to be a member of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, so he should know Cho Chang well..."
"It might be a good idea, but..." Ron began discussing the feasibility of this strategy with Harry, but at that moment, a stabbing pain like a sword pierced Harry's head. His scar started burning again, the delicious food on the golden plate vanished, and Ron's voice became blurry...
Now, he was standing on a desolate hill with a few scattered figures around him.
"Are these the only ones left?!" His voice was loud and cold, his anger burning in his heart. He was angry and confused, why did his power vanish in an instant?
Harry could also feel intense pain in his left arm, as if someone were cutting his flesh with a small knife.
A female voice spoke, "I'm so sorry, Master... Members of the Order of the Phoenix followed us, they followed us to the Lestrange Mansion, and the Dementors followed us too... We couldn't resist, but if we give them some time, they'll definitely catch up to us... Now, they're probably scheming with the Ministry of Magic..."
"This is treason!" Voldemort roared, "After summoning them, they dare not to come? They're all traitors!"
"Seeing that I suffered defeat at Dumbledore's hands, they dared to have thoughts they shouldn't have. Those traitors!" His anger and fear mixed in his heart. He was angry about his followers' "betrayal" and afraid of feeling abandoned.
After venting for a while, his fury began to subside.
"I can understand their difficulties." Voldemort suppressed his dissatisfaction with his followers. Although he couldn't understand love, he knew very well that he was currently at a disadvantage and shouldn't be too hard on his followers. Sometimes, it was better to learn to forgive.
"It's not a big deal if some of them didn't come this time. There are always things to resolve." He said indifferently.
Seeing that the master forgave the Death Eater "deserters," Bellatrix breathed a sigh of relief. She also understood that it was now the best choice to be more tolerant with the remaining Death Eaters. But if the master insisted on questioning them, she wouldn't let them off either. Seeing that the master wasn't going to dwell on it, she also felt relieved.
"Alright, let's go look for our 'friends' and see if we can find a place to take refuge." Voldemort made arrangements for the next steps. As he spoke, his right hand rested on his extremely dry left arm.
The pain in his left arm made him regret a bit. It was such a good opportunity, and he failed to kill the old man! Damn that brown-haired girl! But when he remembered the scene where the curse hit her, a smile appeared on his face. Being a hero wasn't so easy...
The arm started hurting again, and Voldemort knew it was time to deal with that hidden wound.
After injuring himself, he had sought many ways to heal, but had little success. Finally, he could only opt for the worst solution.
Horcruxes.
He needed to extract a fragment of his soul and let that fragment take his place to be "corroded" by Dumbledore's curse. This way, he could transfer the curse to a Horcrux, thus eliminating the curse Dumbledore had cast on him.
He walked on the desolate hill, while his mind boiled with blurry images: a lake, a cabin, Gringotts, Hogwarts...
Before the next image appeared, the vision in front of Harry's eyes suddenly became blurry again. He opened his eyes and returned to reality. He was sitting in the bustling Great Hall, delicious food in front of him, and all around him, his classmates were chatting and laughing.
"Harry, are you okay?" Ron's voice echoed in his ears. Harry turned his head and saw his good friend looking at him with concern. Only then did he realize that his back was soaked in cold sweat.
"You just... all of a sudden..." Ron searched for the right words to describe Harry's state.
"It was him." Harry lowered his voice to ensure only Ron could hear him. "He was furious because many of his followers were captured, and some seem to have chosen to betray him. He was injured in the battle with Dumbledore and is looking for a way to heal..."
Ron frowned. "By Merlin, can you...?"
He stopped his sentence, and his eyes widened.
"Yes, I suspect this scar connects me to him; I can see things when his emotions are highly agitated." Harry looked serious. "The dream I had during the holidays, I believe it wasn't just a dream."
Ron shrank back in his seat a bit. "So, he really has returned?"
Harry nodded. "I'm afraid so."
Ron pondered for a while but was no longer as nervous. According to Harry's description, Voldemort seemed to have suffered greatly at Dumbledore's hands.
"The situation is improving, isn't it?"
Harry looked at Tom and Hermione but didn't answer Ron's question.
Chapter 639: Chapter 639: The Library (Edited)
When Harry looked at both of them, Tom was helping Hermione to take a portion of Mexican tacos from afar. They were both laughing and chatting animatedly, seemingly enjoying their conversation.
Was Hermione not affected by the curse? Harry frowned, unsure whether he should tell Tom about this. Maybe Dumbledore had already healed her. In that case, would it be unnecessary to worry Tom about her?
Harry was indecisive but eventually made a decision. He decided that he would meet with Tom another day to ask for his help in inviting Cho Chang to the party and mention the visions he had recently. As for Hermione's situation, he would casually bring it up in the conversation.
After clearing his thoughts, Harry responded to Ron, "Of course, Voldemort's followers have suffered a lot, he himself was injured by Dumbledore. Victory will be ours sooner or later."
Ron nodded. "Yeah, we can always rely on Dumbledore."
However, after that incident, both Ron and Harry no longer had the mood to continue talking about finding dates. Instead, they began to discuss the situation in the wizarding world. But what could two young wizards with little experience analyze? In the end, they stuck to repeating the same words: everything would get better when Dumbledore launched an attack, Hogwarts could only win a little, or a little more, or a lot, etc.
...
Tom noticed that since their encounter with the Death Eaters, Hermione seemed to have changed her attitude towards him. The girl became more affectionate, always wanting to be close to him and showing more affection.
Well, it was very likely because of the crazy girls from the other three schools.
Since the headmasters announced the Christmas Ball, Tom had constantly received invitations from girls in different ways and on different occasions. Some would approach him in the hallways, others would send letters with owls, and some even passed notes during classes!
The idea of passing notes was probably learned from Fred, Tom thought. Fred had also asked Angelina to the dance during the Potions class. Of course, he did it through gestures, as he wasn't crazy enough to ask out loud in front of Snape. If he dared to do that, Snape would surely punish him until the end of the Christmas holidays.
Perhaps only in the library, Tom and Hermione could enjoy a bit of tranquility.
Christmas was approaching, and both of them had lost interest in studying. Instead, in the library, they were no longer reading textbooks but old books that Hogwarts had accumulated for centuries.
"It is said that there was a creepy case of demonic possession in Ludan, France, in the 16th century, known as the Ludan Possession Case," Hermione found something interesting, raising her eyebrows as she read the information and then read it to Tom, "The convent's prioress, Jenny, had a very extravagant dream in which a man with a small mustache oppressed her, constantly demanding something..."
Tom: ...
"Aren't you interested in how the demon oppressed her?" Hermione leaned on one elbow, taking the book and changing her position on the bench, leaning against Tom and looking at him with playful eyes.
Looking at Hermione with her back against him, Tom couldn't help but rub his cheek against her ear.
Today, Hermione had changed her outfit again. For the top, she chose a gray knit shirt, and for the bottom, she tucked it into A-line leather shorts. These emphasized Hermione's slim waist and showcased her slimmer, more graceful legs. If you looked closely, you could even notice the Mickey Mouse print on them! It was a combination of sexy and playful.
Unconsciously, Tom's hand brushed against the shorts, feeling their softness and delicacy, and his fingers seemed to sense the warmth of the girl's body.
Hermione noticed Tom's slight movement, smiled faintly, and closed the book. Then, she turned to him, burying her face in Tom's chest. At the same time, she stretched her long legs directly over the bench. After all, it was already December, and Hermione respected winter a bit, so she was wearing flesh-colored stockings and black and white boots.
The moment their faces and hair touched, Tom only perceived an intoxicating and enchanting fragrance. Seeing the young girl collapsed in his arms, he felt his heart racing, as if a demon had possessed him, and a phrase slipped out of his mouth without warning: "How did he oppress her?"
"I'll show you..." Hermione said as she settled into Tom's lap, appearing as flexible as a nymph. Sliding under the table, they found a discreet position thanks to the unique structure of the tables in the Hogwarts Library. The table had a flat surface, with solid boards on both sides and bookshelves behind, wrapping around three sides and securely blocking the space under the table.
With the table hiding their movements, Hermione became much bolder.
Her delicate hands landed on Tom's belt, fastened it, and slid it open. Immediately, Tom felt a tingling sensation, caused by Hermione's hair teasing. Then, he experienced a warm and wet sensation.
She really is a girl with formidable skills in the art of tongue! Hermione, with her sharp tongue and skillful lips, left Tom completely flushed, speechless, and stammering.
Suddenly, footsteps approached. Tom hurriedly moved forward and completely hid his legs under the table. From the outside, not a hint of suspicion could be seen. But this put Hermione in a predicament, feeling as if someone had slapped her on the back while eating a banana, she almost choked.
"Yodel, have you seen Granger?" Krum appeared.
Tom: ...
Of course, he knew where Hermione was, and he also knew what she was doing! But could he say it?
"Um, uh..." The young witch who was mentioned was surprised and unconsciously squeezed harder, making Tom unable to answer Krumb's question.
Seeing Tom's hesitant appearance, Krum realized that Tom didn't want to answer that question. However, he didn't back down and stared at Tom, saying seriously, "She's not here right now. I hope you can deliver a message for me. Ask her if she wants to be my partner at the Christmas Ball. I trust you will faithfully convey my words."
Tom nodded. This declaration from Krum made little Tom feel inflated.
[You don't need me to deliver your message; she has already heard it, but...]
Krum left.
Tom's hands slid downward.
"Ugh... mmm!"
After a few seconds, Tom sighed deeply. "Now I know how a demon takes what it wants... he really is a demon, a genuine demon!"
Hermione emerged from under the table, with her hair slightly disheveled. Upon hearing this, she rolled her eyes but didn't say anything in response.
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