章 149: Chapter 149 Forcing the Situation (Edited)

Gold coins have an irregular rounded shape.

When people think of gold and silver coins, they think of coins with beautiful designs like the coins of the modern era, but such fine round coins did not appear until the modern era, when all kinds of stamping machines became widespread. Until then, a large number of gold and silver coins were not regularly rounded. Many looked more like envelopes stamped with more abstract motifs.

The reasons are both technological and human: gold and silver are naturally monetary. Since gold and silver were used as currency, it was natural for people to try to bend the edges of gold and silver a bit. Over time, the edges of many gold and silver coins were completely destroyed.

In both East and West, precious metal coins are coarser than one might expect. The large silver bullion coins of the Ming and Qing dynasties often have many honeycomb holes, and the ancient gold and silver coins of the West, when seen in real life, look nothing like those in the movies.

However, mass minted copper coins were more circular than gold or silver coins.

Tom examined the gold coin that Dumbledore had floated in the air. On the obverse of the coin was an elephant with a python in its front hooves and what appeared to be letters below the elephant, but they were indistinct. On the reverse were four objects: a sacrificial spoon, a feather duster, an axe staff, and a peaked cap.

Dumbledore looked at the gold coin and became serious.

"The strange man, did he tell you where he got this coin?"

Tom shook his head.

But Dumbledore took another look at the leather bag and his doubts were cleared: at the bottom of the bag was a small glass vial containing a silver flocculent deposit.

Evans had left a souvenir tube for Dumbledore.

"It seems Mr. Evans has thought everything through very carefully." Dumbledore put the gold coin back into his leather pouch, "A memory tube is much more reliable than words."

"That gold coin is dangerous, isn't it? Professor Dumbledore?" Tom remembered how the gold coin had made him feel, and if he had to find an analogy, only Riddle's diary gave him a similar feeling: they were both very evil.

He even had the urge to become a unicorn now, to cleanse his heart.

Dumbledore sighed and looked at Tom, "This thing is more evil than you or I can imagine. Let's go back to school, and after reading Evans' memoirs, we'll probably find out where it came from."

The two's trip to Hogsmeade came to an end, and they needed to return to Hogwarts to examine the memory. The moment they stepped onto the stone steps of the castle, Tom said to Dumbledore as if he had suddenly remembered something urgent: "Professor, I have to go make the alchemical puppets, so I won't bother you anymore, I think..."

Tom suddenly reacted: this matter has nothing to do with him! I'm just a messenger, I'll leave the cursed gold coin to Dumbledore; unlike Voldemort, I can stand aside and shout "six-six-six" after the big man, no need to get involved.

If Voldemort is a cockroach and it takes the whole house to get rid of him, then this gold coin is a wake-up call. I've heard of some people sharing a room to get rid of cockroaches, but I've never heard of a housemate being called in for overtime and having to do it himself.

Dumbledore looked at Tom with a very friendly smile, "Are you sure you don't want to take a look? Viewing memories requires the use of the legendary Pansypod, which is a rare treasure, and it would be a shame to lose it."

Tom shuddered and his intuition told him that he should dutifully follow Dumbledore to view Evans' memory, but he still replied counter-intuitively, "No, there will always be opportunities in the future."

"Well then, have a good day," Dumbledore shook his head, he didn't continue to force Tom to go to the office with him, he opened his small money bag and rummaged through it for the sweets Tom had bought.

As if remembering something, he looked up and said to Tom, "By the way, Professor Lockhart, the student who was petrified this year, Tom Yodel, I hope you remember, I'm afraid he's going to lose his entire second year, so I'm processing his repeat over here, which requires the signature of the course teacher, when do you have time to come to my office and sign it?"

"A repeat?" Tom stopped dead in his tracks.

"Well, Mr. Yodel may have to take his second year again."

Tom was silent, like a dead computer. After two seconds, and in those two seconds he thought very, very hard, he completely skipped over the question Dumbledore had just asked and moved on to another topic.

"Professor Dumbledore, do you know anything about alchemy? Actually, there was a problem with making the puppet, and I don't know how to fix it, I mean, could I go over Evans' memories with you? See if there's anything I can do to help, it would save you a bit of effort and give you time to look at the puppet for me..."

"I have a little knowledge of alchemy," Dumbledore agreed to Tom's request, and the two walked together towards the office.

On the way, the two men chatted casually, and soon the conversation turned to Tom, the petrified student.

"Poor boy, Professor Sprout's mandrake is still a long way from maturity, and in the meantime he will be confined to the school hospital." As fresh mandrake leaves were needed to prepare the antidote against petrification, the petrified Tom had to wait for Professor Sprout's mandrake to mature before he could be restored to health.

"The boy, I've heard Miss Granger talk about him, she said that Mr. Yodel was a very studious boy, first year, and that the two of them studied together in second year." Tom spoke as if he were talking about a strange pupil, "I think, if what Miss Granger says is true, there is no need for Mr. Yodel to read second year again."

Dumbledore thought about it for a while, decided that Tom was right, and agreed to change the plan so that Tom Yodel would take a touch test when he woke up and, if he passed, he would be promoted to third year.

Tom was relieved to see that if he had stayed a year behind, Hermione would have become "big sister Granger." It sounded funny, but it was embarrassing-how could he repeat a year when even Crabbe hadn't?

And although second years were still restricted, there were some third year classes that Tom had been looking forward to for a long time.