Albus Dumbledore fell silent for a few seconds, then shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Not every House is like Slytherin. They value freedom more and may not accept a system like that."
He glanced at the clock on the wall and promptly began ushering him out. "It's getting late. Miss Greengrass may be waiting for you to have lunch. This old man won't keep you any longer."
Dumbledore had figured it out: if he kept talking to Tom, who knew what outrageous request the boy would make next? Better to get him out as soon as possible.
Now it was Tom who was in no hurry. He blinked and flashed an innocent yet sly smile. "Professor, you have so many books here. Could I borrow a couple? I'm simply desperate for knowledge."
Dumbledore froze for a moment, then nodded readily. "Of course. I would never refuse a student eager for knowledge."
"Thank you, Professor!" Tom rose without hesitation and swiftly climbed the ladder beside the bookshelf to pick out some books.
He had no idea whether the books were protected by magic, so he did not dare wave his wand around carelessly. He could only search through them the old-fashioned way.
Before long, he had selected two books and handed them to Dumbledore. "These two."
Dumbledore glanced at the first book, <The Development and Overview of Advanced Magic in the Sixteenth Century>, without paying it much attention. But when he saw the second, <From Knowing Nothing to Equivalent Exchange: The Mysteries of Alchemy>, he could not help smiling.
"You're interested in alchemy too? This was written by an old friend of mine. It was never sold publicly and only circulated within a small circle."
"Out of all these books, you happened to choose this one. It seems the two