I'll Be Back
The power of the Patronus, combined with the protective magic on Harry, tormented Quirrell and Voldemort, causing them to scream in agony.
Just as Quirrell concentrated and raised his wand, an invisible blade slashed through, severing his right hand at the root.
Quirrell's body rotted at a visible speed, Voldemort emerged from the back of Quirrell's head like a ghost.
He spoke through gritted teeth, uttering a harsh threat. "Tom Riddle! I'll be back!"
The wandering spirit released a cloud of black smoke, propelling itself away in its escape.
As Tom flung Harry away, he also unleashed a large amount of Patronus Mist in an attempt to stop him, though he knew it was unlikely to succeed.
As expected, Voldemort encountered no hindrance; only the black smoke was mostly dissolved, and he himself disappeared into the wall.
As for Quirrell, his entire body was already rotting and he had long since fallen silent; his death was incredibly gruesome.
There was only one half-breathing person left in the room. Tom felt irritated and bored, so he casually put the half-dead Harry on the ground.
Suddenly, he saw the huge floor-to-ceiling mirror in the center of the room and walked up to it.
This is the Mirror of Erised, which allows one to see their most urgent and intense desires, and it is also the final barrier for Albus Dumbledore to protect the Philosopher's Stone.
Only those who desperately want the Philosopher's Stone and simply wish to protect it can obtain it.
By this standard, Tom is also not qualified to obtain the Philosopher's Stone.
He just wanted to know what he truly desired deep down. He had asked himself this question before, but even he didn't have a fixed answer.
Standing before the Magic Mirror, Tom's hazy reflection began to show an image. His eyelids twitched wildly—it was Albus Dumbledore!
The scene reflected in the mirror was in the Great Hall. Albus Dumbledore was no longer the calm and wise man he usually was; his face was full of excitement, and his beard twitched.
He announced loudly, "Mr. Riddle saved Hogwarts, and I'm adding 50,000 points to his name!"
Tom: "???"
Oh no, has he gone crazy from studying too much? Why does he need 50,000 points?
But thinking about it carefully, it actually makes a lot of sense. 50,000 House Points is 50,000 credits, 10,000 achievement points, and two legendary teachers.
With these conditions, he could quickly become the strongest in the world, completely free, and have the right to say "I don't eat beef" to anyone.
Damn it, this mirror really understands him.
What did you see?
A familiar, gentle voice came from behind him, and Tom answered without turning his head:
"I saw that you, Professor, added 50,000 House Points and were very grateful that I saved the school. Even you in the mirror were moved to tears, with snot and tears streaming down your face!"
Albus Dumbledore didn't know how to react to Tom's answer. Fifty thousand points? You really dare to dream of that!
"You really value the honor of the college," Albus Dumbledore chuckled dryly, stepping forward to stand beside Tom.
"Fifty thousand points is an exaggeration; that score would burst the hourglass. However, your heroic performance today will certainly earn you some points for Slytherin."
"The more the better," Tom reminded him, then asked curiously, "Professor, what did you see in the Mirror of Erised?"
As they were talking, Tom quietly activated his Study Space.
Gellert Grindelwald stared intently at Albus Dumbledore.
"Wool socks." Albus Dumbledore chuckled easily. "Many people think my favorite thing is books, so I receive a huge pile of them every winter."
"Mr. Riddle, your gift is the one I'm most delighted with; I was still wearing it until last month."
Tom's expression was strange; after all, he had given her a woolen one.
In May, Hogwarts is generally in the twenties Celsius. Wearing wool socks in that temperature, isn't Albus Dumbledore worried about getting heat rash?
"He's lying," Gellert Grindelwald said with absolute certainty within the space.
"When Albus Dumbledore lies, he subconsciously increases his blinking frequency, puts his hands behind his back, and puffs out his chest to reassure himself."
Andros stared at Gellert Grindelwald in horror. "No, Gomen, is it my problem or yours? How do you know so much about your mortal enemy?!"
"Alright, we have a lot more to talk about later, but Harry's condition isn't good right now, let's get him to the Hospital Wing first."
Tom nodded, tapped his wand, and the unconscious Harry floated up again.
Logically, if they were in a hurry, Albus Dumbledore should have had Fawkes take them directly to the Hospital Wing.
Instead, he chose to walk and was the first to enter the Potions trial room.
Tom had no choice but to follow, and the two of them passed through the Potions and the Troll room, arriving at the card room and the flying room.
Seeing this chaotic scene, Albus Dumbledore's eyelids twitched involuntarily.
The berserk potion's effects had worn off, and Tom realized he might have gone a bit too far.
"It's a good thing Minerva isn't here, or she would be very upset. This chessboard took her all summer to make," Albus Dumbledore remarked.
Tom, thick-skinned and showing no embarrassment whatsoever, casually restrained the unconscious Ron as well, and floated alongside Harry.
Upon entering the Devil's Snare room, a blue flame ignited on Tom's wand. He looked at Albus Dumbledore, then at the Trapdoor open on the roof.
Could Albus Dumbledore actually fly? We might soon have the answer.
However, Albus Dumbledore disappointed Tom.
As expected of the King of Wizarding World Items, under his control, the ruins of the two rooms in front flew over and assembled into a staircase along the stone corridor, extending from the Trapdoor to the feet of the two people.
Tom exclaimed, "So you don't actually not know how to fly, you just like playing with Lego, huh!"
"Mr. Riddle?" Albus Dumbledore looked at Tom, who was standing still, with some confusion.
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just wondering how you got here, Professor."
Fawkes dropped me off at the door.
How long have you been here?
"Just a little bit later than you."
"That's truly brilliant invisibility magic! I didn't even notice it. Professor, could you teach me?"
"With utmost pleasure."
The two completely ignored Fluffy, who was huddled in the corner trembling, and pushed open the door and walked out.
Seeing them leave, Fluffy returned to normal, though he was filled with resentment.
This job is absolutely not for a dog; he never wants to be a watchdog again!
When Albus Dumbledore and Tom came down to the third floor, Neville and Professor McGonagall appeared in a hurry.
"Albus Dumbledore? Good heavens, Potter, Weasley, what happened?!" Professor McGonagall nearly fainted upon seeing Harry unconscious and pale.
"Minerva, please calm down. Harry is alright, but Madam Pomfrey still needs to conduct tests to determine the exact situation," Albus Dumbledore reassured her.