Grindelwald's Emo

"I..." Ariana opened her mouth, hesitated, and all her words were ultimately uttered as she moved her lips slightly.

Tom reached out and gently ruffled her soft hair, his smile tender, "You've resisted magic your whole life, but in the end, you haven't gotten any worse."

"Why not try to accept it? The worst that can happen is this; there's nothing to lose."

"Besides, you said you wanted to be my teacher, but you're always holed up here watching ' Tom and Jerry.' Are you going to teach me how to catch mice?"

Ariana was instantly amused, her eyes crinkling into a smile, "Tom definitely can't catch Jerry, he's too smart!"

"That's not necessarily true. I, Tom, am incredibly talented; I can succeed at anything."

As soon as he finished speaking, several basic spellbooks appeared out of thin air and landed on the coffee table.

Tom's figure gradually blurred and completely disappeared into his private space.

Ariana stared blankly at the books on the table, sitting quietly for a long time.

Finally, she reached out and picked up a beginner's spellbook, conjuring a replica of Tom's wand from her fingertips.

The next morning, Tom learned about this from Andros as soon as he woke up.

Even Andros, who was used to seeing all sorts of things, was surprised. It was truly unprecedented for Ariana to take the initiative to ask him for advice on magic.

"Tom, if there's a level to flattering people, you're absolutely a legendary figure at the very top level; even the King of the Century can't compare to you."

"Is that a compliment?" Tom raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

He slowly walked out of the bedroom, and as soon as he went downstairs, he heard incantations coming from the lounge.

The Slytherin Common Room had now become a training ground for real combat.

Three groups of students were practicing Iron Armor Charm like crazy, with Malfoy and Zabini having the most intense match.

Zabini was truly ruthless, deliberately choosing to hurl torturous but harmless curses at Malfoy.

In just a few minutes, Malfoy's lips swelled up like sausage lips, and his front teeth suddenly protruded half an inch.

One moment, the senses are confused, the hands and feet become uncoordinated, and even standing is difficult.

The purifying agent was poured into his stomach bottle after bottle, just like plain water.

Tom watched the drama unfold silently, inwardly marveling: Harry really has some influence; it's truly rare to see the proud Malfoy suffer like this.

He couldn't bear to watch this scene of someone being beaten so badly and spoke up to remind him, "Draco, I made myself very clear yesterday."

"Taking hits is to force you to instantly cast Iron Armor Charm, not to let you stand still and just take a beating!"

Malfoy, who had just been freed from the Big Head Hex and was feeling dizzy and disoriented, froze instantly.

That's right! He was so focused on being tortured by Zabini the whole time that he completely forgot to chant the incantation for defense.

So all that beating I just endured was for nothing?

The next second, Malfoy's heart-wrenching screams echoed through the lounge, accompanied by Zabini's unrestrained laughter, creating an unbelievably noisy scene.

Tom shook his head helplessly and decisively fled this joyous scene.

"Tom!"

Gellert Grindelwald's voice suddenly rang out, tinged with inquiry, "You mentioned me to Ariana?"

"I mentioned it," Tom casually replied to the students who greeted him along the way.

"I encouraged her to take you as her role model, cultivate diligently, and one day personally seek revenge on you."

"Revenge?"

Gellert Grindelwald was taken aback for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter. "Interesting! I'll be waiting for her!"

"I'll suppress my strength to the level of a fourteen-year-old and play with her. Let me think, what level of strength would I be at when I was fourteen?"

"How do you compare to me now?" Tom asked casually.

Gellert Grindelwald's laughter stopped abruptly, followed by complete silence.

He really wanted to swear.

Who would compare their own normal developmental stage to Tom, this unreasonable and twisted individual?

Let's not even talk about the incredible boost from the dual bloodlines of Fire Dragon and Thunderbird.

Tom's soul quality and life essence alone far surpass those of these veteran powerhouses.

He had previously discussed Tom's level of strength with Andros privately.

In Andros's evaluation system, Tom has now caught up with his peak performance when he first rose to fame in Greece and embarked on his long and arduous journey of battles.

It took him five years to finally reach the pinnacle and earn the title of King of the Century.

If we consider Gellert Grindelwald himself, Tom now is comparable to the culmination of his ten years of traveling the world and absorbing the essence of magic from all over.

Let alone competing with those of the same age, even mature wizards who are ten or twenty years older than them.

Compared to Tom at this stage, he would only be crushed; there is absolutely no comparison.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Tom pressed.

"There's nothing to say," Gellert Grindelwald said, his voice strained. "Back then, we were considered oddities, born monsters."

Compared to you, I'm utterly worthless. What can I say?

Tom offered words of comfort, his tone sincere yet poignant. "Don't be so self-conscious. At least you still have something to teach me."

"You can be emotional when I've emptied your pockets."

Gellert Grindelwald completely shut himself off, severing the connection to his consciousness and retreating back into the Tower of Nurmengard to reflect on his actions.

But Andros can't slack off and go into hibernation.

Tom opened his Study Space early in the morning, not to chat or gossip, but to tackle the challenges of cultivating Ancient Magic.

In the simulated environment of the Study Space, Tom's success rate in casting Ancient Magic is only 30%.

Its power was indeed exaggerated enough, capable of shattering a thick door panel with a single blow, but it could never consistently cast spells.

The core problem is clear: he can't grasp that ancient, primordial aura of heaven and earth hidden deep within the magic.

Only by perfectly harnessing this energy can Ancient Magic be released smoothly and at its full power.

Since we've hit a bottleneck in simulated training, let's just go for real-world cheating.

Tom stepped out of Hogwarts Castle, took off, and flew at high speed for over a hundred kilometers before finally landing in a deserted valley.

The Supernatural Mode of Physical Practice is officially launched!

In an instant, control of the body was handed over to Andros.

"Ancient Magic and conventional magic are fundamentally different in their logic." Andros's voice was calm and clear, carrying a sense of systematic teaching.

"Ordinary magic consumes one's own magic power to achieve its effect."

"But Ancient Magic is a primal, mysterious power that uses one's own magical energy as a medium to communicate with the origin of heaven and earth."

"To successfully cast this spell, the key is to activate your own magical power, allowing the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth to sense your presence and respond to your call."

Andros had repeated these theories countless times, but Tom could only understand them on paper and had no clue how to apply them in practice.

But today, personally experiencing Andros's ultimate physique and perception is a completely different experience.

With the Supernatural Mode fully activated, the five senses and magical perception are doubled once again.

Andros deliberately slowed down his movements, outlining the patterns of the Ancient Magic circle bit by bit, so that Tom could immerse himself in observing and comprehending it.

The next moment, Tom clearly sensed a dramatic change in the magic power within his body.