— — — — — —
For Ravenclaw to say something like that, Jeanne really was something else.
Ravenclaw hated idiots. Even Helena back in the day had earned her scorn. But compared to Jeanne, Helena was a genius.
And yet… she couldn't bring herself to feel even the slightest scorn toward Jeanne.
Those innocent, clear eyes laid the girl's thoughts bare. Jeanne truly was studying seriously, harder than anyone else. She tried with everything she had. But…
It was completely useless.
Ravenclaw had even tried memory magic today, several times, forcing knowledge directly into Jeanne's mind. Technically, it worked. The information went in. But then it became jumbled, slipped away, vanished.
That was when Ravenclaw started questioning her entire existence.
She had always believed her memory magic was all-powerful. Turn fools into geniuses. Turn naïve students into world-weary elders.
But now it seemed that when faced with someone like Jeanne, who simply couldn't hold onto memories, she was the real Muggle.
Tom burst out laughing after hearing all this. Ever since Ravenclaw had been summoned, she had always looked like she had everything under control, calm even if the sky fell. Even the nasty problems he'd thrown her way only left her a little disheveled.
But Jeanne?
This time, Ravenclaw had been completely defeated.
"Still laughing?"
Ravenclaw scolded him and kicked out with her leg. Tom caught it, hugging it to himself, and reflexively gave it a squeeze.
Smooth… unbelievably smooth. I must hug these thighs.
Tom didn't want to let go. But when he saw the increasingly dangerous look in Ravenclaw's eyes, he reluctantly released her leg and hurriedly changed the subject.
"Rowena, you're stuck in a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?" Ravenclaw straightened slightly, her attention instantly diverted. "What misunderstanding? You're saying Jeanne isn't stupid?"
Ravenclaw was fiercely competitive. She rarely believed she could be wrong, and almost never admitted it.
Without realizing it, Jeanne had become a chess piece in her silent contest with Tom.
"You think Jeanne can't remember letters or read because her memory is bad?" Tom asked.
"Isn't that the case?" Ravenclaw shot back.
"Then do you know that Jeanne can recite, word for word, multiple versions of the Missal, the Old Testament, and dozens of devotional texts used in sermons?"
With Tom's reminder, Ravenclaw finally saw the blind spot.
"Then why can't she learn when I teach her? I can tell Jeanne isn't someone who half-asses things. She's serious about everything she does."
"She is serious," Tom said, getting to the heart of it. "She's just poured all of her focus into her faith. So in other areas, she ends up looking a bit… slow."
"If you integrate what you teach into religious content, she'll learn incredibly fast."
"Is it really as ridiculous as you're making it sound?" Ravenclaw asked skeptically.
She didn't believe in religion or gods. She believed only in herself and in truth, so she couldn't comprehend Jeanne's mindset at all.
The boy smiled, the kind of smile that said the fish had finally bitten.
"Let's make a bet. Three days. In three days, I'll teach Jeanne the simplest spelling. As for the amount… two hundred words."
"So this was what you were waiting for?" Ravenclaw shot him a sultry glance, instantly seeing through him.
Still, she didn't refuse. Instead, she accepted readily. "Fine. Three days it is. What's the wager?"
The goading was obvious and crude, but whether a trick worked depended entirely on whether it was used on the right person. For Ravenclaw, this kind of provocation worked perfectly.
"The stake…" Tom's gaze drifted beneath the wizard's robes and tested the waters. "The stake is… letting me touch a few times? Ahem, to understand the difference between men and women. Just pure study."
Ravenclaw laughed in anger, then nodded. She agreed.
"Fine. But if you lose, you'll shout 'I am Rowena Ravenclaw's bitch' three times at your school's banquet, in front of all the teachers and students. Not a single one missing."
"Damn," Tom sucked in a sharp breath. "Where did you learn something that vicious?"
If he really did it, he wouldn't just lose his dating prospects. He'd leave an indelible mark in Hogwarts: A History. And as his status rose, the gossip would only spread farther and wider.
The woman waved her hand dismissively. "You were muttering nonsense in your sleep that day. I happened to hear it. You were talking to Little Voldy."
And... the wager was set.
Not only that, someone even raised the stakes by demanding custom outfits. Ravenclaw agreed. At the same time, the punishment escalated. If Tom lost, he'd have to be Ravenclaw's slave for ten hours.
"..."
Tom resolved that once he got back, he would definitely research a spell to stop himself from talking in his sleep.
He was someone who lacked a strong sense of security. When sleeping outside, he subconsciously controlled himself to avoid dreaming. But in the study space, he felt absolutely safe and relaxed his guard. He hadn't expected Ravenclaw to catch him like that.
With such a brutal wager on the line, Tom didn't dare be careless. He didn't sleep at all that night, instead starting to compile teaching materials specifically for Jeanne.
---
The next day in class, he devoted most of his attention to the study space, patiently guiding Jeanne step by step.
If Jeanne's seriousness level when facing Ravenclaw and Ariana was one hundred, then when she faced Tom, it was one thousand.
Bit by bit, Tom pointed at the words in his "Riddle Edition Bible," teaching the girl to read. Every single character was slowly burned into Jeanne's heart.
---
Headmaster's Office
The Codex on the desk kept vibrating nonstop, making it impossible for Dumbledore to focus. He sighed and picked up.
At this point, the only person who would bombard him like this was Grindelwald.
Sure enough, when he opened the notebook, several more pages had been wasted, all filled with Grindelwald's meaningless chatter.
『Gellert Grindelwald』: Albus, I've recently recruited a new subordinate. Care to guess who it is?
Dumbledore's face remained calm, but alarm bells rang in his mind. He didn't reply for a long while.
Far away at Durmstrang, Grindelwald wasn't worried at all. He waited leisurely. He knew Dumbledore well. On the surface, Dumbledore looked composed and steady, but in truth, his curiosity was relentless. He wouldn't be able to resist.
As expected, faint words slowly appeared on the page.
『Albus Dumbledore』: No matter how many helpers you gain, the pact is already signed. The overall situation won't change.
Grindelwald chuckled softly and wrote back at an unhurried pace.
『Gellert Grindelwald』: I'm quite satisfied with the current situation. Why would I want to change it? I just have something interesting to share with you.
『Gellert Grindelwald』: Robert Graves. You haven't forgotten him, have you? He was like a homeless stray dog. I felt sorry for him, so I took him in.
Dumbledore's gaze sharpened, his heart sinking bit by bit.
Robert Graves had defected to Grindelwald?
That was like Scrimgeour joining Voldemort. Once exposed, the shock and panic would far outweigh most wizards. The symbolism alone mattered far more than Robert's actual strength.
And thinking about it without even needing socks on one's feet, Robert definitely harbored deep hatred toward Tom, and likely toward Dumbledore as well. Revenge must be on his mind at all times. Who knew how much trouble he could cause down the line?
After a moment of thought, an idea struck Dumbledore.
『Albus Dumbledore』: Gellert, you admire my student so much. You know the grudge between Tom and Robert. Aren't you afraid Tom will take issue with you over this?
『Gellert Grindelwald』: Everything for the greater good. If Robert can bring me more value, why would I refuse him?
『Albus Dumbledore』: Forgive my bluntness, but I don't think he can be compared to Tom Riddle.
『Gellert Grindelwald』: Then you're truly out of the loop. What North America is doing right now is rather extraordinary…
Having seized control of the conversation, Grindelwald calmly laid out what he knew, tossing out details about Aztec ruins and fragments of information Robert had provided.
Just like Tom's provocation, this was an open move. Everything he said was true. There was no fabrication, no manipulation.
Even if Dumbledore wasn't moved now, the seed would be planted. He would start paying attention to North America without realizing it. And once the disturbances there grew larger and more obvious, he wouldn't be able to sit still.
With that, Grindelwald decisively ended the conversation, leaving Dumbledore alone, frowning in thought.
"Prehistoric civilizations… unknown sacrificial rituals…"
The old man sighed softly. "Why can't people just live peacefully?"
Pull one thread and everything moved. He had only just managed to placate Grindelwald, and now Robert had reignited his interest. To prevent Grindelwald from obtaining power that could shift the balance, Dumbledore would be forced to step in himself.
What a headache.
---
Two days later, inside the study space.
In Jeanne's room, Tom was in charge of dictation. Ariana and Ravenclaw acted as proctors, the three of them hovering around a visibly nervous Jeanne.
"Abandon!"
Tom cleared his throat. Each time he spoke a word, Jeanne obediently wrote it down. With every correct answer, Ravenclaw's heart sank a little further.
…What?! How?!!
That ridiculous-sounding religious theory actually worked?
Ravenclaw's curiosity was on fire. She desperately wanted to know exactly how this had been done. But Tom didn't care about that at all. His gaze kept drifting toward the wager. When Jeanne successfully wrote the two hundredth word, his look seemed to carry intent, almost solidifying into a hand reaching out.
Ravenclaw shot him a glare. She said nothing, yet somehow said everything.
[Ding! Ravenclaw approval has reached 50%…]
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