A World for Two

While Albus Dumbledore was still pondering, Fawkes impatiently called out, rubbing his head against Dumbledore's hand.

Its little brother is still waiting in the Great Hall, can you hurry up?

"You..." Albus Dumbledore distracted by the noise that he lost his train of thought, feeling both annoyed and amused.

Has this phoenix's wings completely flared outwards?

He picked up his quill and quickly wrote a note, "Tell Mr. Riddle that he can only go to Hogsmeade."

"You are not allowed to leave the village and school grounds, otherwise you can forget about applying again next time."

Tom gave him plenty of face, so he wouldn't make Tom feel bad over such a trivial matter.

This Tom bears many similarities to Voldemort from back then, but there are also obvious differences.

His greatest advantage is his sense of propriety; he knows how to restrain himself, even better than Voldemort back in the day.

Of course, it can't be considered complete restraint; Voldemort back then wouldn't have dared to beat the professor in public.

Even so, Albus Dumbledore felt that Tom was more reassuring now than Voldemort was back then.

Soon, Fawkes flew back to the Great Hall with the approval slip.

Daphne looked on with envy. She didn't want to go to Hogsmeade; she wanted to go with Tom!

If we could go to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop together, wouldn't that be a date?

The little witch had heard a lot of gossip about the teahouse from her senior and was already very curious.

I wish she could be in third grade soon, so she could legitimately go to Hogsmeade with Tom!

Astoria tilted her little head back, watching Fawkes preen his feathers with eyes full of longing.

Tom noticed her gaze and handed the phoenix over directly. "Fawkes, it's too much trouble to groom yourself, let Astoria help you comb it."

"Chirp--!"

Phoenixes are proud creatures, and even cute little girls may not catch their eye.

But for Tom's sake, it reluctantly moved closer and allowed Astoria to touch its feathers.

The girl's face lit up with surprise as she carefully hugged Fawkes, gently stroking its golden feathers, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter.

Just then, Daphne suddenly lowered her voice and leaned close to Tom's ear.

A soft breath brushed against his face, carrying a sweet, milky scent. "Tom."

"Hmm?" Tom turned his head, looking at her mysterious expression with a puzzled look.

"I want to hear a story tonight," the little witch said softly, tugging at his sleeve, her voice sweet and affectionate.

"Tonight..." Tom hesitated.

"You can't expect me to sneak into the girls' dorm to tell you, can you? If we get caught, we'll both be punished."

"We can go to the Study Space!" Daphne's eyes lit up, finally revealing her true purpose.

She not only wanted to hear stories, but also wanted Tom to be her human-shaped body pillow, demonstrating at a young age that she had already grasped the principle of "wanting it all".

Tom has never been able to resist Daphne's coquettishness.

"Alright, then cast a Stunning Spell on your roommate tonight, and we'll meet in the common room at midnight. I'll take you there."

"Okay." Daphne smiled, her eyes crinkling, and lowered her voice even further.

Even Astoria didn't hear their whispered conversation.

It wasn't until Tom took Daphne to the Study Space to tell stories that evening that Astoria belatedly realized what was happening.

Good heavens, my sister actually sneaked out and didn't take her to play?!

At midnight, a few people were still chatting in the Slytherin Common Room by the dim light of the fireplace.

Tom leaned back on the sofa, finally waiting for Daphne to arrive.

"All done? My roommates are all fast asleep?" Tom asked, raising an eyebrow.

Daphne's eyes narrowed into slits with a smug grin. "Absolutely! It's the first time I've used Stunning Spell."

"If we don't control the intensity well, they might sleep until noon tomorrow."

"It's alright, I'll just cast a revival spell on them when I get back in the morning. I'm an expert at this." Tom waved his hand, his experience was invaluable.

A few students by the fireplace caught sight of them, and one of the girls laughed and teased them.

"Tom, Daphne, are you two going for a candlelit stroll in the castle? How romantic!"

Ever since Lockhart's incident, the Slytherin students' attitude towards Tom has changed.

I used to be afraid of his fists, but now I feel genuine kindness towards him.

After all, it was Tom who led them to confront Albus Dumbledore head-on and quell the resentment of the snakes that had been suppressed for decades (along with the pent-up anger of their fathers).

Cohesion is something that has never been exclusive to Gryffindor.

As long as you can win time and time again and maintain your reputation, you will naturally accumulate wealth.

Let alone now, back when Tom was in power, weren't Slytherin also incredibly united?

As long as Tom's authority remains intact, most of the little snakes will have to give him face.

"Hey, I'm bored on Friday night, so I'm going out for a stroll," Tom replied with a laugh.

Daphne, hands on her hips, retorted to the girl, "Cynthia, if you're envious, go ahead and call Shafiq yourself. Don't be so sour about us."

"Never mind, I wouldn't dare," Cynthia said with a wave of her hand and a laugh.

"That guy's sleeping like a log; waking him up is harder than learning Animagus!"

This made everyone laugh. Daphne pointed at her and said, "Then you can stay here and be a complaining woman. I'm going to play with Tom!"

After saying that, she grabbed Tom's arm and skipped out of the lounge.

The two went to the kitchen first, where Parla had already prepared a late-night snack: Daphne had a dish of breaded shrimp with Provençal fish soup.

Tom's was extravagant: roast beef, fried sausages, honey chicken wings, and a huge plate of Italian pasta with double cheese, piled up like a small mountain.

Unfortunately, Tom's main exertion was at night. Learning magic from Gellert Grindelwald required more brain cells and energy than attending a week of classes at school.

Grindelwald believed in cramming education. As long as Tom could handle it, he would stuff him with as much as he could. And Tom, this "duck," just happened to have an incredibly strong tolerance for it.

Daphne envied Tom more than once. "He can eat so much and he doesn't gain weight."

On the other hand, she indulged herself for a few days recently, having Parla make her late-night snacks every night, or going to dessert shops outside the school to stock up on treats in advance.

A week later, when I looked in the mirror, my face was visibly rounder.

Startled, she quickly asked Tom for a potion to boost her vitality and burn off the excess energy.

Good heavens, this precious Potions for enhancing life essence has been wasted by this little witch as a weight-loss drug.

After finishing their late-night snack, the two of them, under the influence of the Disillusionment Charm, slipped away to the Room of Requirement on the Seventh Floor, their own private Study Space.

As soon as she entered, Daphne was overjoyed; this was a private world for just the two of them.

It instantly reminded her of the summer vacation when Tom stayed at her house, and she happily shook Tom's arm.

Despite her current excitement, once Tom lay down to tell her a story, she was fast asleep, hugging Tom waist, after less than ten minutes.