Going in Opposite Directions

After Dumbledore speaking, he sat down and began talking to Professor McGonagall next to him.

The Great Hall was filled with clicking and banging sounds as students stood up and rushed towards a double door, entering the Entrance Hall.

Harry and his friends, on the other hand, went against the flow of people to the teachers' table, where Lupin was.

"Lupin, congratulations." Harry looked at Lupin with delight, and at the person not far from him— Tom Riddle.

He was trying to confirm something.

Moreover, Riddle isn't actually in danger; Dumbledore is right next to him.

"Harry, I don't think now is the time for you to come," Lupin said.

"It's disgusting that we have the same idea." Snape's ashen face contorted as he and Lupin simultaneously stepped in front of Harry, their right hands tucked into their robes, clearly gripping their wands.

Clearly, their concern for Harry made them lose their minds.

"What? I'm a professor at Hogwarts too," Riddle said, feigning vulnerability. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was being ostracized.

His eyes flickered, and he looked in Harry's direction again.

"Stay away from that child!" Snape's ashen face suddenly turned deathly pale, but he still managed to suppress his fear as he spoke.

"Severus, you really sadden me. You know, 'I' also died because of you," Riddle said with a smile, as if there was a hidden meaning in his words.

Riddle spent more of this time learning about the Muggle world and the lessons the Ministry of Magic had taught it, and he also reconnected with his former associates.

Voldemort was actually approaching the Potter family because of Prophecy, though he wasn't entirely aware of it.

Now that he knows Harry is his Horcrux and Dumbledore is backing him, he's completely relaxed—in layman's terms, he's having a good time.

His words just now were merely a sudden outburst of curiosity, a test.

Because of Snape's similarity to him in bloodline, and because of his excellence, it is very likely that this led him to find the Potter family, and ultimately to his demise.

Snape's strange behavior further confirmed Riddle's suspicions.

Little did Snape know that he was only remembering his own mistake of telling Voldemort Trelawney's Prophecy, which led to Lily's death.

His excellent Occlumency, coupled with years of undercover experience, made him suffer greatly but he did not show any specific emotions, which made Riddle see something was wrong with his face and doubt his own judgment.

"Severus, don't worry, he's Harry Potter, Dumbledore's favorite, no matter what."

"I am now Dumbledore," Riddle said with a smile.

"Alright, I won't say any more. There's plenty of time later. Harry, you think more than anyone else!" Riddle narrowed his eyes, put on his friendly smile again, and disappeared into the crowd.

"Alright, you should all go now, Harry. I don't know what you're thinking," Lupin said dryly.

Snape stood there, saying nothing, like a lifeless statue.

On the way to the Ravenclaw Common Room, Ron finally couldn't hold back any longer, "Harry, I don't know what you're thinking, how dare you—"

"Why wouldn't I dare? I just wanted to confirm something." Harry touched his forehead.

To be honest, he wasn't stupid. After his direct encounter with the two Voldemort, he vaguely realized something.

That is, he also has Voldemort's 'heart' inside his body.

This 'heart' might be because the mother's charms have changed to Harry's own side.

This is why, when he was in danger, facing both Voldemort and the Locket Voldemort, the 'heart' that should be on his forehead would suddenly beat and give him strength.

This time, he got up close and personal with the teenage version of Voldemort — Tom Riddle —by greeting Lupin.

Riddle gave Harry a completely different feeling than before. Harry had been a little hesitant to believe it, but through this close contact, he finally confirmed it.

However, Riddle's words also raised more questions for him.

What is the connection between Snape and Voldemort's deaths?

"And what does that phrase, 'There's plenty of time later, and I think more than anyone else,' mean?" Harry pondered unconsciously.

He was so engrossed in his own world that he didn't answer when Ron asked him to confirm something.

Along the way, the young wizards who saw Harry talking to the popular new professor also came forward one by one, but Harry was immersed in his own world, ignored them all.

It's fair to say that Harry didn't wake up until he got back to his dorm.

"Harry, what did you just confirm?" Ron asked again, his voice filled with concern, from his four-poster bed.

Yes, Ron wasn't angry because Harry ignored him.

As Harry's friend, and considering himself the strategist among the Three Musketeers, he clearly remembered Harry's character.

Harry would develop an invincible power when facing Voldemort.

His behavior last year on the fourth floor and this summer when faced with the Locket demonstrates this.

Harry had been wondering what was going on; he must have realized that the power wasn't reacting to Voldemort.

It has to be said, even a blind cat can stumble upon a dead mouse, and that's exactly what happened to Ron this time.

"Harry, it's that power isn't reacting, is it?" Ron said in a low voice.

At this time, the other people in the dormitory were already sleeping like logs—except for Ryan, who had mysteriously disappeared long ago.

"How did you know?" Harry was dumbfounded.

He suddenly felt that Ron might have been faking it all along, or as Ryan once said, he might have been playing dumb to fool others.

Harry now suspects he is the tiger, eaten by Ron, who is disguised as a stupid pig.

Perhaps Draco, Harry's archenemy, was right.

Ron, who was curled up in bed with only his head sticking out, was completely unaware that his friendship with Harry was in jeopardy. On the contrary, he was very excited and convinced that he had guessed correctly.

"Yay! I knew I was the strategist! The mastermind behind the Three Musketeers!"

"I'll talk to Draco tomorrow!" Ron squirmed on the bed like a Mao Mao.

Ron's reaction put Harry's doubts to rest.

How could this idiot in front of him be the way he thought?

Ron was just lucky.

Fools are always lucky, otherwise how would they live to be this old?

Ron's tone was evident from the fact that he drew the rare gold card, the Devil's Passport.

Harry shook his head, silently grumbling to himself.

"Harry, how did that power react to Riddle?" Ron asked finally, recovering from his excitement.

"It's strange, he's like a brother to me, a brother I've never met," Harry murmured to himself.

Just as he was about to say something more to Ron, a familiar snoring suddenly broke the silence.

It's Ron. Ron is asleep.

Harry's memory of occasionally sleeping together with Draco in the Black House's tent confirmed this point once again.