You Chat A Bit Longer

Tom rushed into the Great Hall just as the banquet ended. Albus Dumbledore stood up, raised his wand, and golden fireworks exploded in the air.

As soon as he sat down at the Slytherin table, the food vanished. The golden plates returned to their original color, spotless, without a single crumb left.

The Slytherin snakes burst out laughing.

Seeing Tom's changing expressions, Albus Dumbledore couldn't help but laugh.

Zabini looked at him, his lips twitching slightly. "Brother, you're late."

Tom stared at the empty plate and fell silent.

Nott handed over a piece of bread. "Brother, this is my hidden ration."

Tom took it, took a bite, and mumbled a thank you.

Albus Dumbledore's voice came from the High Table. "Mr. Riddle, please come to my office."

Tom stood up and followed Albus Dumbledore out of the Great Hall, with Snape silently following behind.

Tom silently activated the Study Space and summoned Gellert Grindelwald.

In the Headmaster's Office, Albus Dumbledore looked at Tom, Tom looked at Albus Dumbledore, and Gellert Grindelwald looked at Albus Dumbledore from the space above. The atmosphere was quite subtle.

Fawkes was dozing on a perch, while Snape stood by the window with his arms crossed.

"Mr. Riddle, why are you late?" Albus Dumbledore's voice was gentle.

"I was late for my train, so I took the Knight Bus," Tom shrugged.

Snape frowned immediately. "That car isn't safe."

"Next time you can ask Fawkes," Albus Dumbledore a smile. "You have its tail feathers; just light them and you'll be able to call it."

Snape's eyes were bloodshot, his mind screaming, "Phoenix Feather? I've been begging for them for years, and this dead bird won't give them to me, but he got them as soon as he arrived?"

Tom completely ignored Snape's gaze and obediently nodded. "Okay, I'll trouble Fawkes next time."

"It's 'Don't be late next time,'" Albus Dumbledore corrected.

"Yes, Professor. Thank you for your notebooks, the three alchemy books."

Albus Dumbledore popped the candy into his mouth and chewed it twice. "You're welcome."

Tom turned and ran off, while Gellert Grindelwald called out anxiously from inside the room, "Let's chat a little longer!"

As soon as he stepped outside, Snape exploded. "What's with the Phoenix Feather?"

Albus Dumbledore shrugged. "Fawkes himself sent me this Christmas present, along with his tears. What can I do?"

Snape, panting heavily, exclaimed in anger, "Tears?! What's the difference between me and that brat?"

Albus Dumbledore changed the subject. "Let's get down to business. Riddle has changed a lot."

"He's too outspoken," Snape said in a deep voice. "I will test him."

Snape was determined to fight Tom again to see if he had used any underhanded tactics to win.

Snape left Albus Dumbledore's office, still bothered by the tail feather and the tears, wondering why he didn't have them, and how that bastard Tom had them.

Albus Dumbledore sat in his chair, gazing at the moonlight outside the window, when Fawkes flew down from a branch and landed on his shoulder.

"Fawkes, what do you think of Mr. Riddle's vacation?"

The phoenix cried out.

Albus Dumbledore smiled. "You're right, that's very interesting."

In the Slytherin Common Room, Daphne held Two-way Mirror in her hand, looking at herself over and over.

Seeing Tom return, Daphne immediately pulled him aside. "What's wrong with you today?"

Tom recounted how he was intercepted by the Anti-Apparition Jinx array and fought with eight Hit Wizard, which terrified her.

"It's all that Phoebe's fault!" she said angrily. Tom had been in contact with Daphne while he was abroad looking for the dragon.

Tom was both amused and exasperated. "Whether she leaves early or late, she'll still have to touch that thing. It's not her fault."

Phoebe once thought she would have to beg her parents to go to Azkaban to bail Tom out.

That night, the Ministry of Magic was in an uproar.

Eight Hit Wizard were taken down by the You-Know-Who, prompting a nationwide manhunt for You-Know-Who. Knockturn Alley was thoroughly searched.

The next day, Tom almost choked on his drink when he saw the newspaper. What the hell was that?!

<Mysterious Powerful Figure Invades Britain, His Strength is Terrifying>

Tom and Daphne exchanged a glance and burst out laughing. Hermione leaned over to listen and was dumbfounded. "All this commotion, all because of you?"

Tom gestured for silence. "This is a mysterious intruder, it has nothing to do with me, Tom Riddle."

Hermione blushed and whispered, "Could you put a Confundus Charm on me too?"

Tom teased her, "Oh, so our rule-abiding Miss Granger dares to break the rules now?"

"Hey, stop laughing at me!" Hermione pinched Tom.

Tom smiled and agreed, "I'll get it for you after class."

At that moment, Professor McGonagall walked into the classroom, put her bag on the podium, and said, "Bring all your holiday homework up here!"

The whole class fell silent instantly. The students obediently spread their homework on the table. Even Longbottom handed in his paper without hesitation. His grandmother had already packed his luggage perfectly.

Tom, however, remained frozen in his seat as if struck by lightning, not moving an inch. He had spent the entire holiday killing dragons, chasing Veela, and learning Dark Magic from Gellert Grindelwald, without doing a single word of his homework.

To make Hermione's holiday easier, he volunteered to do all his homework. But once he got to France, he spent all his time watching Veela dance, and nobody even remembered his homework.

Transfiguration essay, 12 inches. Charms Class report, 10 inches. History of Magic assignment, 8 inches. Potions Class analysis, 15 inches.

Defense Against the Dark Arts... Forget it, Quirrell doesn't deserve to do his homework.

Professor McGonagall collected the papers and walked over to his desk. Looking at the empty surface, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "Mr. Riddle, where's your homework?"

The first lesson was Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall stood on the podium, holding a stack of parchment, flipping through it one by one. When she got to Tom, her fingers paused.

"Mr. Riddle, where's your homework?"

Tom stood up, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace, "Professor, I haven't quite recovered from my vacation. Could you give me two more days? I can hand it in when I'm fully awake?"

Professor McGonagall returned a friendly smile that said, "I don't believe you for a second." "Forgot about it, Mr. Riddle? Thank you for giving me yet another brand new excuse."

The top student in the entire grade doesn't hand in homework?

It's hard to say about other courses, but in the Transfiguration Class, all beings are equal.

Tom was unsurprisingly punished: five points were deducted from Slytherin, to be turned in tomorrow, with an additional five points deducted for each day he was late.

Tom honestly admitted his mistake, and Professor McGonagall calmed down a bit, then began the lesson.

Today's task is to turn the stone into a wooden pipe and carve beautiful patterns on it.

Hogwarts' most difficult course is no exaggeration; after a semester, most people still haven't grasped the basics, and the things they conjure up are all sorts of bizarre and outlandish.

Dean turned the stone into an elephant's trunk and flung it all over the place, scaring the whole class into screaming.

Neville went even further, transforming one stone into another without changing its material.

Professor McGonagall shook her head as she looked at Tom and Hermione's work, which finally calmed her blood pressure.