Tom switched the book to his left hand and slipped his right hand into his pocket. He did not take out a Chocolate Frog. He looked at the Stone Guardian, and the Stone Guardian looked back at him. Neither of them spoke.
"Remember what you said," Tom said calmly.
"Otherwise, I'll write about how you broke your word in Hogwarts: A History, so every young wizard in the future will know that the guard watching over the headmaster's office is untrustworthy."
The Stone Guardian's stone eyes shifted.
"What did you say?"
"I'll put it in a book, in black and white. Every young wizard who comes to Hogwarts in the future will read about your glorious deeds."
If the Stone Guardian had been capable of it, cold sweat would have been dripping down its face.
It muttered, "You little brat are really vicious. Just as expected of a rotten Slytherin!"
If this really got written down, its thousand-year reputation would be ruined. A Stone Guardian personally made by the four founders, written into the school history by a first-year student because it had broken its word.
"You! You can't do this."
"I can. The pen is in my hand."
The Stone Guardian fell silent for a long time. Its mouth opened, then closed, then opened again.
"Name every sweet sold at Honeydukes."
Tom raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Name every sweet sold at Honeydukes. If you get them right, I'll tell you the password."
Tom stared at it for two seconds. This was Ravenclaw wisdom? No wonder it was blue.
"Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Pumpkin Pasties, Peppermint Toads, Fizzing Whizzbees, Liquorice Wands, Toffee Fingers..."
"Wrong."
"Peanut Butter Brittle."
"Wrong."
"Jelly Slugs."
The Stone Guardian's mouth fell open. "Correct."
Albus Dumbledore's taste was truly awful. Jelly Slugs were disgusting—second