Who Are You?

Ross sighed. "Britain is better, but it's not absolutely safe either."

"When teaching other classes, Potter once said that his uncle had pointed a shotgun at Hagrid."

"So, are you going to learn this specialized Iron Armor Charm designed specifically for Muggle firearms?"

The young wizards nodded frantically, their heads bobbing like they were pounding garlic. For their lives, they were willing to bite through this spell, even if it meant suffering!

"Very good!" Ross smiled with satisfaction and began to explain in detail the key points of casting the Specialized Iron Armor Charm.

This was definitely the most attentive Defense Against the Dark Magic class the students had ever attended; the sound of quills scraping against parchment never stopped.

Everyone wanted to memorize every word Ross said. After everyone had memorized all the key points, Ross let them practice freely.

He held his teacup and leisurely drank his water, but his eyes were constantly glancing at Tom out of the corner of his eye.

The next second, Ross ' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and he almost spat out the tea in his mouth.

Tom softly uttered "Ballistic Deflection," and a faint brass-colored light flashed across his body, so fast it was like an illusion, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Actually, the light didn't disappear; it was just hidden on the surface of the skin, somewhat like the trap-triggering magic that Andros taught him.

Once a bullet is fired, it will automatically trigger, changing the direction of the force and Ballistic Deflection.

However, this spell is more effective against kinetic attacks, and its defensive power is much weaker compared to magical attacks such as the Iron Armor Charm and the Stunning Spell.

This spell is indeed useful. Many wizards can't react as fast as a bullet, but with this buffer, they can have time to retaliate.

To put it bluntly, as long as you're not ambushed and instantly killed, even the best soldier in the Muggle ranks is no match for a prepared wizard.

"This... this is really a beginner?" Ross couldn't sit still any longer and almost dropped his teacup.

To make a specialized Iron Armor Charm invisible and attached to one's body requires a certain level of skill.

He started learning this spell in first grade, but it wasn't until fifth grade that he could barely manage to do it.

Thus, among Ilvermorny's students, he was considered to have top-tier speed.

Tom mastered it on his first try? Did he learn it before?

Ross was wrong; Tom was indeed encountering the Specialized Iron Armor Charm for the first time.

Gellert Grindelwald's teachings are now beginning to show results.

Magic of the same type, though different in approach, ultimately lead to the same goal. Once you understand the differences, you can apply them to other situations and quickly reach a decent level.

This is the understanding of magic. In the later stages, the speed at which you learn spells will become faster and faster. The difficulty lies in mastering them and reaching a level that others cannot reach.

Soon, the bell rang, and the students, still reluctant to Ross, spoke up.

"Next lesson, we'll return to our normal teaching pace. I'll teach you how to deal with the Cornish Pixies."

"But the Iron Armor Charm training can't stop. I'll set aside one class each month to check on your progress."

After saying that, he looked at Tom and said, "Mr. Riddle, Albus Dumbledore said you have a lot of your own insights into the Defense Against the Dark Arts course. Would you like to come to my office to talk?"

Tom knew that Ross was just looking for an excuse to see him alone, so he nodded and agreed, "Sure, I also have something I want to tell you."

The other students clamored as they ran downstairs to go to the Great Hall for lunch, while Tom followed Ross into the professor's office next to the classroom.

As soon as the door closed, Tom's figure and face instantly changed, reverting to the appearance he had when he saved Ross.

"Holy crap!" Ross had just turned around when he was so startled that he fell to the ground with a thud.

Pointing at Tom, he was so shocked he could barely speak, "Michael?!"

Tom smiled slightly, his tone slightly teasing. "Mr. Ross, long time no see."

"Compared to how pathetic you looked that day in the grove, being chased like a dog by four Auror, you look much more energetic now, Professor."

"You... are you Michael or Riddle?"

Ross scrambled backward on all fours, his face pale with fright, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest. He looked even more pathetic than when he was chased by Auror back in the day.

Tom changed back to his original appearance, shrugged, and said, "When I saved you, I was Michael."

"I am Tom Riddle at Hogwarts now."

"I was short on cash back then, so I borrowed Michael's identity to earn some pocket money from old Borgin. The Galleon you gave me before helped me out of that tight spot."

Hearing this secret known only to him, Tom, and Borgin, Ross finally came to his senses.

Having confirmed that the boy in front of him was the one who had saved him, he was still confused, scratching his head and asking, "Then, how old are you this year?"

Is it Tom turning into Michael, or Michael turning into Tom? He couldn't quite figure it out.

"Hogwarts isn't so bad that it allows over-aged wizards to sneak in." Tom walked behind his desk and sat down.

With a casual gesture, the single sofa in the corner seemed to grow legs, sliding over and "scooping" Ross up from the ground, placing him steadily opposite him.

"I'm genuinely twelve years old; I just turned eleven when I last saw you. But I'm exceptionally talented, and I have a powerful mentor, so isn't it reasonable for me to progress quickly?"

"Makes sense! Makes perfect sense!" Ross nodded repeatedly, instinctively assuming that the teacher Tom was referring to was Gellert Grindelwald.

When I thought about the incredible power of the Dark Lord that the Acolyte had described, I suddenly realized that this story wasn't far-fetched at all.

The Dark Lord's disciple was destined to be this extraordinary.

Ross' attitude instantly did a 180-degree turn, and he called out respectfully.

"Young Master Riddle! Ms. Rosier asked me to give you her regards, and this is a gift she asked me to give you."

As he spoke, he took out an exquisite gift box from his wizard robe and carefully placed it on the table.

The box flew automatically into Tom's hands. When he opened it, he found a brooch inside, inlaid with a Big Treasure a pigeon's egg, so dazzling it was almost blinding.

"Please Ms. Rosier for me." Tom put the box away and then took out a IChat Notebook.

I added Ross as a friend first, and then taught him how to use it step by step.

"From now on, we'll use this to communicate. Apart from your own magic, no one else can see anything when they activate it, so it's perfectly safe."

Ross held the novel gadget, fiddling with it for a while before finally getting the hang of it. Then, remembering his business, he sat up straight.

"Master Riddle, what is my mission at Hogwarts?"

"Albus Dumbledore now. My identity is fine, and I have access to quite a few things."

"The task? It's simple, just pay attention in class." Tom waved his hand.

"Don't try to be clever and cause trouble, and don't act rashly. If you can stay peacefully at Hogwarts and see Albus Dumbledore regularly, that's a success."

"Huh?" Ross was stunned. He never expected the mission to be so simple, without even the slightest danger.

Then all those escape routes and contingency plans he'd spent the last two nights figuring out would have been for nothing.