My Name Is Michael. Michael

Phoebe didn't speak, but lowered her head to drink her soup. Gabrielle held the little silver bird in her hands, protecting it carefully, as if afraid it would fly away.

After seeing Phoebe and Gabrielle off from the cabin, Tom looked at Phoebe; the dim light shone on her face, turning her silver hair golden.

"I have to leave tomorrow," Tom said.

Phoebe didn't speak, but walked up to Tom and hugged him gently, as if afraid of breaking something. Her arms encircled his waist, and her face pressed against his chest.

Tom paused for a moment, then hugged her back. Her hair was soft, and she had a faint fragrance, like a mix of flowers and fruit.

"Write to me when you get to Britain," Phoebe's voice was muffled.

"Good."

"Two-way Mirror will also work."

"Good."

Don't lie to me.

"I'm not lying."

Phoebe released him, took a step back, and her eyes reddened.

The next morning, Phoebe's parents, the Delacour couple, also arrived.

Mr. Delacour was a bald, middle-aged man, not very tall, with a slightly protruding belly, wearing a dark gray wizard's robe with a Ministry of Magic badge pinned to his collar.

He had a kind, simple smile, like a baker, and upon seeing Tom, he excitedly exclaimed, "Mr. Riddle, thank you so much for saving my daughter! I'm from the Emergency Response Department of the French Ministry of Magic, and I'm swamped with work this Christmas!"

Madame Delacour was completely different. She had the same silver hair as Phoebe, the same blue eyes, and the same delicate features, but with a more mature charm.

"You're Tom?" Madame Delacour's voice was gentle, like a spring breeze.

"Yes, madam."

Madame Delacour looked him up and down, her gaze sweeping from his face to his feet and back again. She turned to Phoebe and said, "Good taste."

Phoebe's face flushed bright red. "Mom!"

Tom pretended not to hear.

Madame Delacour took a package from her handbag and handed it to Tom. "This is for you, just a small token of my appreciation."

Tom took the package, opened it, and found a box of handmade chocolates, sprinkled with gold leaf, packaged as exquisitely as a work of art.

He thanked them and put the chocolate into his bag.

Gabrielle tugged at Tom's sleeve. "Brother Tom, when will you come next time?"

"I'll definitely come if I have time during the summer vacation."

"Pinky promise."

Tom squatted down, extended his little finger, and hooked it with Gabrielle's pinky. Gabrielle's hand was small, and her fingers were cold, but she pulled very hard.

"Pinky promise, a hundred years from now."

Gabrielle nodded in satisfaction.

Tom stood up, glanced at Phoebe, waved, and turned to leave.

Tom Apparition, the wind howled, snowflakes exploded before his eyes, and then everything returned to calm.

Tom Apparition back to Britain, but instead of going straight to London, he crashed into an invisible wall at the Anglo-French border.

The Anti-Apparition Jinx array ejected his body from high-speed flight, causing him to land on the snow and roll several times.

He got up, brushed the snow off himself, and four wizards in black robes emerged from the woods, wands in hand, the tips of which were pointed at him.

Who is it?

"Just passing by."

"Where did you come from?"

"France."

Where to?

"Britain."

The leading wizard frowned. "Are you aware that Apparition is prohibited at the English-French border?"

"I don't know, this is my first time walking this road."

The wizard stared at him for a few seconds. "Give me your wand."

Tom reached into his pocket and felt for the wizard's wand. His own wand, hidden in his bag, was Trace and unusable. He handed the wizard's wand over.

The wizard took it and examined it closely. "This isn't your wand."

"I borrowed it."

"Borrowed?"

"Yes, my wand broke, so I borrowed a friend's."

The wizard stared at him for a few seconds, then handed the wand back to him. "You can go now, but you can no longer Apparition, take the train, or the ship."

Tom turned and walked away, but after a couple of steps, he heard someone call out behind him, "Stop!"

He stopped, and the four wizards had multiplied into eight. The leader of the wizards walked over, holding a piece of parchment in his hand.

"Your name".

Michael.

What's your last name?

"Michael Michael."

The wizard's lips twitched. "Are you kidding me?"

No, that's my name.

The wizard stared at him for three seconds. "Come with us, Ministry of Magic."

Tom sighed. He didn't want trouble, but trouble seemed determined to find him.

He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the ground.

"Hand of Hell"

A giant hand of fire emerged from the snow, grabbed the ankles of the four wizards, and before they could react, they were pulled into the snow.

The remaining four raised their wands, but Tom's spells had already flown past them: the Impediment Jinx, the Stunning Spell, and the Disarming Charm —three spells, and the three men fell.

He turned to run one last time, but tripped over Tom's rope and fell face down in the snow.

Tom walked over, squatted down, and looked at his face. "Where did you say you were taking me?"

The wizard's lips trembled. "Ministry of Magic."

"I'm not going."

Tom stood up, picked up their wands, threw them into his bag, and then Apparition and disappeared into the snow.

When he returned to London, it was already 2 p. m., and the Hogwarts Express had long since left.

He stood on Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station, looking at the empty tracks, and sighed.

"Mr. Grindelwald, is there any other way to get to Hogwarts?"

Yes, there Knight Bus.

Tom walked out of the station and into a deserted alley. He raised his wand, and a purple light shot from the tip of the wand into the sky.

A few seconds later, a purple three-decker bus appeared out of thin air and stopped in front of him.

The train doors opened, and the ticket seller poked her head out. "Where to?"

"Hogwarts."

"Eleven Sickle."

The Christmas holidays are over, Hogwarts Express departs from Platform 9 3/4.

Inside the box, Hermione paced anxiously, "Daphne, have you seen Tom?"

"No!" Daphne exclaimed angrily. "I've searched every carriage, but there's no one here!"

"Use Two-way Mirror!"

"I already tried, but no one answered!"

The two were extremely anxious, and just as they were about to get off the bus, the Two-way Mirror finally went through.

"Tom! Where are you?"

"On the Knight Bus, there's a small problem; I'll be a little late."

The bus weaved through the streets of London, with streetlights, trash cans, and telephone booths all automatically making way.

A sumptuous feast was laid out in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, and the Slytherin were all wondering: Where is Tom?

Daphne could only wave her hand. "He said he'd be there in a bit."

At the High Table, Albus Dumbledore watched everyone eat with a smile, his eyes sweeping over them. Not seeing Tom, he looked at Snape.

Snape shook his head with a straight face: How would I know where that kid went?