Tom's Gathering

"Nal, where have you been? We were waiting for you." Nelson found the carefully dressed-up Tom at the entrance to the Transfiguration Class classroom. He wore brand-new robes and an emerald-green tie, with a silver tie clip peeking out beneath his collar. His hair was combed perfectly smooth and gleamed under the light; even his eyebrows had been carefully trimmed. He looked exceptionally handsome.

"I went to the tower to send a letter, but Professor Sakes caught me on the way." Nelson spread his hands helplessly.

"Use my owl next time. It's on the windowsill." Tom reached out to straighten Nelson's robes. Seeing the schoolbag in his hand, he frowned and reached for it.

"I'll use yours next time." Since there was nothing in the bag anyway, Nelson took it off and handed it to Tom. "By the way, aren't you going to give your owl a name?"

"Avery, take this!" Tom called over a blond boy and handed him the schoolbag, then patted the wrinkles from Nelson's shoulder. "An owl is an owl. What's wrong with that? Where did your cat go?"

"I don't know. It only comes to me when it's hungry. I haven't seen it in almost a week. I think it might believe I'm an idiot." Nelson stretched, then entered the classroom with Tom. The room was packed messily with first-year students, especially Slytherins. Nearly all of them had come—over the past month, most of them seemed to have become Tom's followers. Seeing so many new students breaking school rules to sneak out at night left Nelson stunned.

The classroom tables had been arranged in a circle, covered with drinks and pastries.

"I think so too." Tom adjusted his collar and walked through a gap in the circle toward the center.

"Students!" Tom stepped into the center of The Round Table and clapped his hands to call for attention. The new students in the classroom all turned toward him and quickly fell silent.

"Students, brothers, sisters!" Tom swept his hand in an elegant salute. "I feel incredibly fortunate, incredibly honored, to gather here with all of you tonight—my fellow Slytherins, the wise ones of Ravenclaw, the Champions of Gryffindor, and... the family of Hufflepuff."

"We are gathered here tonight because each of you possesses the potential to become someone great." Tom spread his arms wide and raised them high. A flush of excitement showed on his pale face. "Knowing how to read the situation, and how to seize opportunities..."

"If you understand, applaud." Nelson muttered sarcastically. He privately marveled at Tom's ability. This teenage boy had already stirred up the enthusiasm of the entire room. It was not merely because of his handsome appearance and passionate speech, nor because of the beautiful vision he painted... Nelson looked around. Everyone present stared intently at Tom in the center, their emotions rising and falling with his words. Wasn't it precisely because of his unparalleled charisma that he had managed to invite so many new students? In Nelson's mind, Tom had either been a spoiled little brat he had grown up with, or a bald, noseless man who only wanted to survive. It was hard to connect either image with the spirited person before him. He seemed to have used a little magic; a breeze centered around him gently lifted the hem of his robes, and his words carried with the wind, especially clear in everyone's ears.

"...But the road to greatness is filled with thorns and hardship. I imagine that after a month at school, all of you have encountered minor yet irritating problems in life or study—problems you could easily solve with your own abilities, but which still trouble you. Especially new students like me, who have no foundation..."

"That guy's eyes are practically glued to Tom's face..." Nelson looked at Avery, who stood by the door carrying his bag. "This might be true love..."

"...So we need to watch out for one another even more! I propose that, starting with me, we help each other like family! Not only in our studies, but in our lives—and even after we leave school, we will still be each other's closest family! I suggest..."

"He's always been good at stirring people up." Looking at the students around him sincerely applauding and listening to the impassioned speech in his ears, Nelson almost wanted to applaud Tom as well. He saw a good comrade who worked tirelessly for his classmates' studies and lives, who spared no effort and expected nothing in return as he helped others... As the speech reached its end, Nelson went with the flow and offered his own applause.

"I suggest we establish a mutual-aid salon. Anyone who wants to join can sign up with Avery." Nelson saw many people already lining up before Avery's little wooden desk by the door. There was an especially noticeable amount of green in the queue, and Nelson noticed that many first-years from the other Houses had already snapped out of the speech.

"How was I just now?" Tom saw Nelson sitting nearby, leaned over, picked up a bottle of Pumpkin Juice in front of him, and drained it in one gulp. "Ugh, that tastes awful."

"Not bad. Very handsome. I bet quite a few people will fall in love with you tonight."

"Of course they will. Look who I am." Tom raised his chin and looked down at Nelson through his nostrils. "Are you joining? Helping a bunch of idiots with their homework and stuff." He lowered his voice for the latter half.

"It's not that I don't want to help you, Tom." Nelson indicated that he could do nothing about it. "I ran into Professor Sakes today. She warned me not to let Alphard copy my homework again."

"Fine..." Tom got up to say goodbye and went off to busy himself with his little first-year club.

A lot of people were excited, and it was nearly one or two in the morning before everyone finally dispersed. Fortunately, they did not encounter any teachers, ghosts, or staff on the way back to their dormitories.

By the time Nelson collapsed onto his bed, it was already half past two in the morning. He checked the time, glanced at the schoolbag Avery had carried back and tossed into the corner, then pulled back the blankets and climbed into bed.

"Meow—!" A sharp, furious howl rang out. Nelson had lain down on the cat he had not seen in a week. The two quickly squared off and fought until deep into the night.

The next morning, there were far fewer people in the dining hall than on a weekday. It seemed that quite a few people had slept in. Strangely, many first-years eating breakfast looked exhausted, yawning repeatedly.

"Slytherin first-years, stay behind after breakfast," said Professor Slughorn, the Head of Slytherin, as he sat at the Slytherin table. Even more strangely, Professor Slughorn looked exhausted too. He yawned from time to time, and with dark circles under his eyes, he told the other students to leave first. Soon, only the Slytherin first-years remained in the dining hall, sitting around the long table and looking at one another.

"How remarkable." Slughorn stood up, walked to the head of the table, and addressed the students beside it with mock surprise. "You're all here!"

"Do you know what happened, Mr. Carrow?" He called on Nelson's roommate. "Could you tell me what remarkable event occurred last night?"

"I don't know, Professor." George Carrow stood up and lowered his head. He had no idea what had happened, but apologizing would do.

"It seems none of you know." Professor Slughorn looked at the blank faces below him. "Last night, someone broke into the castle and slashed a painting at the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room."

"Professor Sakes discovered the situation and summoned whatever teachers she could contact. We went to enormous lengths to place extremely strict protective charms around the Slytherin dormitories, especially outside the first-year dormitories. Later, when we made no progress, we prepared to wake several students to ask about the situation."

"Since the first-year dormitories are closest to the Common Room entrance, we planned to wake some first-years. And then do you know what happened?" Slughorn's listless spirit flared with anger. He called on another student. "Parkinson, tell me. What happened?"

Dwight Parkinson gave the same response as George.

"You don't know either? Then let me tell you!" Slughorn shouted, waving his arms wildly. His voice echoed through the empty dining hall, sounding especially loud. "Our first-year students, our first-year students whom we had protected so carefully with all kinds of magic, were all absent from their dormitories! Since I began studying at Hogwarts! Not even among Gryffindors! Have I ever seen anything this outrageous!"

"A collective school-rule violation!" Professor Slughorn enunciated every word furiously. He pointed at the four House Point Hourglasses behind the staff table. "Look at Slytherin's hourglass! Only half remains! Last night, I had no choice but to deduct ten points from every first-year in my own House! Something like this happened during my teaching career—I almost wanted to deduct points from myself! Can you tell me what happened now?"

Slughorn stopped speaking, and the entire dining hall suddenly fell silent.

Nelson felt Tom move beside him. He turned to look at Tom, glanced at their Head of House, and raised an eyebrow. Tom gave him a warning look, then Nelson watched Tom rise.

"I'm sorry, Professor." Tom suddenly stood up.

"Oh! Tom? What is this?" Slughorn looked at his favorite student. In the first lesson of term, Tom had earned ten points for Slytherin with an outstanding performance. In the second week, he had answered an advanced question correctly and received Slughorn's special reward—a small bottle of Felix Felicis.

Slughorn was somewhat confused. In the eyes of almost every teacher, Tom was a good student who followed school rules, respected teachers, and earned excellent grades. Could he have organized the collective nighttime excursion?

"I'm sorry, Professor," Tom repeated. "The other students aren't to blame. I was the one who organized everyone's nighttime outing."

"Tom." Professor Slughorn froze. He felt a headache coming on, but his fondness for his favorite student made him realize that he could not question Tom in public like this. So he said, "Come to my office with me."

"You may all leave." Professor Slughorn turned and walked away, with Tom following behind him.

When he reached the door, Slughorn turned back and added, "Everyone write an explanation."

After the two left, the dining hall instantly became noisy. The students admired Tom even more and began worrying about him.