Planning a Medal

Albus Dumbledore a moment, his face full of helplessness.

All the young wizards present had their eyelids twitching wildly, inwardly cursing.

Dude! This is the scene of a school attack, not Dark Magic seminar! Why are you still studying curse casting?!

Tom's reason for studying this kind of curse magic is simple.

Firstly, Dark Magic is extremely covert and practical, capable of killing without leaving a trace.

Just look at the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor who are constantly targeted, and the Greengrass family, who are in dire straits, and you'll understand.

Secondly, it was also to thoroughly understand the principles of the curse and find a way to completely eradicate the hidden dangers within Astoria's body.

Albus Dumbledore a wry smile. "Mr. Riddle, what we urgently need now is a way to break the curse, not a method to cast it."

"Why not just use a resurrection potion?" Tom asked Snape, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"Our Slytherin's esteemed Headmaster can't even handle such a basic Potions, can he?"

"Riddle!" Snape darkened instantly, his words dripping with icy coldness. "Don't insult my profession with such a basic Potions!"

"I'm not questioning your skill level," Tom explained, shrugging.

"I know where the difficulty lies. The Mandrake cultivated by the school are not mature yet, and the materials are not keeping up, right?"

Before Snape could reply, Tom, with a calm smile, dropped a bombshell.

"What a coincidence, Mr. Scamander just gave me a few fully mature Mandrake a while ago, which is just enough."

As he spoke, his gaze swept quickly across the room, but he didn't see Ginny.

Following the storyline?

It's just a predictable, formulaic plot.

He had already taken action two weeks in advance, getting rid of the flashy Lockhart, and didn't bother to follow the original plot at all.

I was so busy polishing my own diary-making gadget that I didn't have time to investigate the whereabouts of another Voldemort diary.

He still can't be sure whether Lucius actually followed the original storyline and secretly slipped the diary into Ginny's cauldron.

But one thing is certain: the Dark Diary is hidden in Hogwarts Castle, and the sleeping Basilisk has awakened.

Tom had already planned out a new approach.

He had studied the criteria for awarding the Order of Merlin, First Class, and found that the vast majority of recipients were awarded it for their merits in saving large numbers of lives and turning around major crises.

Whether it's a wizard who fights off disasters or a strongman who protects his people, the core principle is to turn the tide and save everyone.

The Basilisk that has awakened before us is a top-tier tool for achieving great merit, delivered right to our doorstep.

Sneaking into the Chamber of Secrets to solo the Basilisk is too stealthy; no one knows or witnesses it, making it a complete waste of resources.

If you're going to play, play big.

He wanted the entire school, and indeed the entire Britain Wizarding World, to witness it firsthand.

It was Tom Riddle who personally ended the Chamber of Secrets crisis and saved the new generation of the entire Wizarding World.

With such undeniable and outstanding achievements, he rightfully deserves the Order of Merlin, First Class.

If the Wizarding World dares to be stingy with rewards, that's easy too.

Once he has accumulated enough power, he can overthrow the Ministry of Magic, seize power himself, and the medal will be within his grasp just as easily.

That was a real lifesaver.

Albus Dumbledore's eyes lit up instantly, and he earnestly proposed, "Mr. Riddle, consider these herbs a loan from you to the school."

"Once Professor Sprout's plants mature, can I have the school return double the amount immediately?"

"It's nothing, Professor," Tom readily agreed.

Filch, standing to the side, looked at Tom with a completely different expression, and his favorability towards Tom skyrocketed.

Filch and Tom had never crossed paths much. This student never engaged in any underhanded tactics or broke the rules, but now he was making a big move.

"He can help break the deadlock on his own right now, so he seems reliable, "Filch thought to himself.

In the future, if you see Tom committing a minor violation, just turn a blind eye.

Harry was so excited that if there hadn't been so many onlookers, he would have rushed up and hugged their legs to express his gratitude.

Although both were Slytherin, Tom's character and moral standing far surpassed those of Snape and Malfoy.

With Tom around, Hogwarts truly has a clear sky.

"Severus, I'm entrusting the matter of the resurrection potion to you," Albus Dumbledore, turning to give his instructions.

"It will take at least three days," Snape said with certainty.

"Can't the length be reduced further?"

Snape hated it most when people questioned his expertise, and immediately scoffed, "Potions are rigorous academic pursuits, not street food."

"Forcing it to accelerate will only render it completely unusable; I won't risk my students' lives."

Albus Dumbledore sighed helplessly, then loudly reassured the students who were watching.

"Don't worry, everyone. Miss Clearwater and Mrs. Norris will recover soon, and the truth will eventually come out. Everyone, please go back to your dormitories and rest."

The crowd reluctantly dispersed, and Harry and Ron also left at Albus Dumbledore's signal.

However, the students around them deliberately kept their distance from the two, as if they wanted to avoid them at all costs.

Tom's gaze fell on the girl who had fallen to the ground.

Penelope Clearwater of Ravenclaw, with her blonde hair and long waves, has always been exceptionally beautiful.

At this moment, his entire body was deathly pale and stiff, devoid of life, and his appearance had plummeted.

No wonder Filch initially mistook the person for dead; they did indeed look exactly like a corpse.

Albus Dumbledore raised his hand and used the Levitation Charm to steadily lift Penelope and Mrs. Norris, preparing to take them to the Hospital Wing.

Before leaving, he specifically instructed Tom to go to the Headmaster's Office for morning tea the next morning.

Tom nodded in agreement.

"Riddle, come with me to my office," Snape said abruptly.

Tom turned and told Daphne and Astoria to go back to the dormitory first, then followed Snape at a leisurely pace.

They remained silent the entire way, until Snape finally spoke first after they entered the office.

"Do you have someone you suspect in mind regarding this matter?"

Tom didn't answer, but instead asked in return, "Professor, you should already have the answer in your heart, shouldn't you?"

Snape leaned back in his chair, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Throughout the entire school, there's only one person whose behavior is strange and whose origins are unknown."

"Who else could it be but Ross Wilkinson?"

Tom was speechless. "Whenever anything happens at Hogwarts that involves the Dark Magic, the Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts is always the one who takes the blame."

This attempt to shift the blame was so well-reasoned and convincing that it was impossible to refute.

Tom thought to himself that if Ross were here right now, after hearing Snape's precise attempt to shift the blame, he would probably be so wronged that he would vomit blood on the spot.

Just because he was assigned the legendary scapegoat role of Defense Against the Dark Arts, does that mean he's the one who does anything wrong?

However, to be fair, Snape's guess was not unreasonable.

Ross did indeed arrive at Hogwarts with a hidden purpose, and in terms of ambition and vision, he was even more troublesome than the threat posed by the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets.

Putting aside his hard power, Gellert Grindelwald is a big shot who has shaken up the world order.

Voldemort was at best a separatist force on the British Isles; the two were simply not on the same level.