Chapter 316: Tom, Who Is in Urgent Need of An Agent, And Fudge, Who Is Stubborn and Stuck in Two Directions
"X14..."
Tom hesitated for a moment and didn't answer immediately. Instead, he asked, "You know that Dementors can suck away people's happiness. When happiness disappears, sadness and unhappiness will emerge. ?"
Harry nodded.
He had learned these basics since the beginning of the school year, but he hadn't taken them seriously at the time.
Now he felt that he was really ignorant.
No wonder Ronald shrank in fear when he mentioned Dementors, and Hagrid, a big man, almost cried when he heard that he was going to Azkaban last semester.
"But my reaction was completely different from everyone else's.
Those images... were..."
Harry paused, then said dejectedly, "the scenes when Voldemort killed my parents.
Logically, I was just a baby at the time, so I couldn't possibly remember those things.
Even many of the images outside the room were so clear that it was as if I was back in those horrible ten days."
"First of all... it's not that babies don't have memories. It's just that these memories are sealed deep within their brains and only triggered under certain circumstances. Many people even believe that they are just dreams or hallucinations."
Tom explained the reason to Harry. He had been studying memory recently and was considered an expert in this field. Of course, he couldn't compare with a monster like Ravenclaw.
"And you told me before that the scene from that day had appeared in your dreams before, and...it's also part of your memory."
"That's the difference between you and others. You've endured far more suffering than ordinary people, so naturally your reaction to Dementors will be stronger than others.
"Finally..."
Tom looked at the scar on Harry's forehead, and Harry subconsciously touched it: "Are you saying that Voldemort is influencing me?"
"That's about it." Tom didn't deny it. "The killing curse that hit you contained very strong negative emotions and dark magic. Although you survived, the impact is still there."
Tom felt that it was Voldemort's soul fragment that was affecting Harry. Under normal circumstances, Harry's mind and soul could suppress this fragment and it would not have any effect on him.
But the appearance of the Dementors weakened his spirit and amplified his negative emotions, and his soul fragments naturally became restless.
Harry thought about it carefully and found that the feeling he had before fainting yesterday was really similar to when he first met Voldemort.
"Then...then if I learn the Patronus Charm, can I eliminate this influence?" Harry asked expectantly. He heard from other people what happened after he fainted, and understood that the Patronus was the nemesis of Dementors.
Tom nodded. "That's one way.
If you can't solve the problem, then solve the troublemaker.
However, the Patronus Charm is a difficult, advanced spell that many graduates haven't mastered.
Furthermore, performing it against Dementors is infinitely more difficult than practicing.
You need to be mentally prepared."
"Can you teach me?"
"Me? I don't have the time." Tom immediately refused: "I'll give you a suggestion. Go find Lupin and learn. He's an expert in dealing with dark creatures. Dementors are also dark creatures."
He works like a slave every day and even has to carefully calculate the time he spends with his girlfriend. How can he have time to care about Harry?
As for Harry being able to give him money?
The money he earned in a few minutes was more than Harry's annual pocket money, even though he had a rich godfather now.
Lupin?
Lupin came to visit him yesterday, but why didn't he tell him he could learn the Patronus? Did he think he couldn't learn it?
Taking advantage of Harry's distraction, Tom quietly left the school infirmary and sent a message to Hermione, asking her to help call the twins out.
Fifteen minutes later, Tom met George and Fred in the small garden. Both of them looked a little listless.
Gryffindor still lost the game yesterday. Cedric didn't notice Harry's abnormality and the appearance of the Dementors. He found the Golden Snitch, and when he caught it, Harry fainted.
As an excellent student with Hufflepuff qualities, Cedric applied for a rematch, but this was not in accordance with the rules. Wood refused and was drenched in the rain for a long time before returning to the castle in a daze.
"I have a business that could make me rich, and I need your help.
"Master Riddle, please use us as you please."
This sentence seemed to touch some important button, and the two of them immediately came alive and gathered around Tom eagerly.
Tom twitched his lips and said, "Don't get excited yet. Whether you can earn this money depends on your own ability. I still need to conduct an assessment first.
The twins agreed reluctantly, but felt relieved after Tom asked a few alchemy questions.
I can't say about other aspects, but they are determined to surpass Zonko's Joke Shop and have sufficient knowledge in alchemy and potions.
Tom was also very satisfied.
The level of the two barely met his requirements, and it was normal that they didn't know some core knowledge points. After all, the Geminis were self-taught and had never taken a serious alchemy course.
Before he was taught by Nicolas Flamel, what he learned was very disorganized and not systematic at all.
After the assessment, Tom took out the anti-curse cloak and demonstrated its effect. Then he told the purpose of finding the two people: "The way to make money is very simple. Every time you make an anti-curse cloak, you will get a lot of money.
I will give you a thousand Sickles."
"Ten Sickles?" Fred's eyes lit up as if he was casting a Blink Charm, and George's were no less so.
"Yes, the Ministry of Magic ordered a batch of curse-proof cloaks from me to be used by the Aurors, but I can't handle it alone, so I have to outsource it."
"I'm not afraid to tell you that the purchase price is ten Galleons, but the cost of the materials and my technology means that giving you one Galleon is not a small amount."
The Weasley family, not to mention others, the twins, Charlie, Percy, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are all trustworthy. Tom is not afraid that they will learn the technology to bypass him and cooperate with the Ministry of Magic.
They neither have such low moral bottom line nor are they qualified to negotiate with the Ministry of Magic.
Just as he thought, Gemini didn't seem dissatisfied at all and was still very happy: "No problem, Tom, leave this job to us. How much do you want?"
"There's no limit on the quantity. Just make as many as you can."
Tom reminded him, "But let me be frank. I allow for scrap and defective products, but the number must be kept within 20%. Once you become familiar with it, this number will eventually drop to 5%."
"As I should." Fred nodded. "It just so happens that our recent research funding has almost been used up, and Professor McGonagall is very strict. It has been closed for a long time."
"Then don't waste time. Come on, I'll teach you the production process first."
Tom took the twins to the Potions classroom. The sooner he got them out, the more relaxed he would feel.
But... he lacks people... What he lacks most now is someone who can handle problems and help him deal with trivial matters. He can't always trouble his mother-in-law with every little thing.
The original plan was for him to take charge after Andros was resurrected, but Tom thought about it and felt that considering Andros's style of doing things and the physical body manufacturing technology that was still under development, it was not reliable at all.
*----****...
It would be great if Penelope graduated now, but unfortunately... she has to wait another year.
Outside the castle, Dementors were originally stationed at the various gates of Hogwarts and near the exits of the secret passages that the school had informed them of, but today there was not a single one. Even the Dementors in Hogsmeade disappeared without a trace.
Dementors are not fools, on the contrary they have a certain degree of intelligence, otherwise they would not have been instigated by Voldemort.
After suffering heavy losses yesterday, they will of course complain to the Ministry of Magic, and... they dare not stay near Hogwarts, for fear that the killer will rush out of the school in his Gundam Patronus and crush them to death.
But the Dementors couldn't Apparate, so they could only fly back to the theater panting.
Fudge was extremely worried as he listened to the pale Umbridge convey the Dementor's accusation——He didn't want to get close to those disgusting things, so he sent Umbridge to the excavation site.
Facing more than a hundred Dementors, Umbridge felt like he had fallen into an ice cellar for an hour, but there was also something that made him happy.
"Minister, Tom Riddle is completely lawless.
According to the Dementors' accusations, Tom Riddle killed more than a hundred Dementors yesterday.
Even if they were monsters, they were monsters hired by the Ministry of Magic.
He killed them so recklessly, showing no respect for the Ministry of Magic at all!"
"Besides, why would a student like him master such powerful killing magic? There's clearly something fishy going on. I suggest a thorough investigation."
"That's enough!" Fudge slammed the table. The loud noise made him swallow back all the words he wanted to say.
"Check, check, check! Check your mother's head!"
"Do you think I don't know your little tricks? Wasn't it just last year when Riddle called you a pink toad? No, that wasn't an insult, it was a statement of fact!"
"Minister, I'm also thinking about you." Umbridge hurriedly defended: "Azkaban is already short of guards, and now the Dementors have suffered heavy losses. If there are other escapees, it won't be Riddle who will be blamed, but you and the Ministry of Magic!"
Although Umbridge got to his current position by flattery, he also has certain abilities.
At least what he said was reasonable and based on facts. After hearing this, Fudge's anger subsided a lot. He picked up the teacup and took a sip of strong tea in a depressed mood.
"You said he killed over a hundred Dementors?" Fudge asked uncertainly.
Umbridge said quickly: "Yes, Minister, there were 250 Dementors heading to Hogwarts, but now there are only a little over 100."
"This is really weird..." Fudge rubbed his chin and muttered, more than a hundred Dementors, how many Aurors would be needed to deal with them.
If it was Dumbledore, or even Professor McGonagall doing something like this, Fudge would not be surprised, but Tom was a student. Even if he was a genius, in the eyes of many adults he was just an outstanding child, and few people would take his strength seriously.
Now Fudge is in a difficult situation. Should he punish Tom?
Don't even think about it. After the last negotiation, Tom has already gained a strong network of contacts. Two, no, many kinds of goods in his hands have an impact on the situation of the entire wizarding world.
Fudge would never do such a foolish thing as to make enemies with Riddle just for a group of monsters.
But he had to give an explanation to the Dementors, otherwise the Dementors would be dissatisfied and riot, and Azkaban would be in turmoil again.
He is now so stubborn that he is stuck in two directions. No matter how he handles the matter, one side will be dissatisfied.
Just when Fudge had a headache, there was a hurried knock on the door.
"Minister, Dumbledore is here!"
Chapter 317: Was Grindelwald Released by Dumbledore? Newt Returns to England
In the Minister's office, only Fudge and Dumbledore were present.
Umbridge originally wanted to stay and listen, but he could not bear the pressure under Dumbledore's calm gaze and retreated with a look of unwillingness on his face.
Fudge also saw that Dumbledore had bad intentions, but he didn't understand.
Isn't Harry Potter okay? The other students weren't frightened, but the Dementors suffered heavy losses. Why are you so angry?
But facing the obviously angry Dumbledore, Fudge was also frightened in his heart, and forced a smile: "Albus, how did you come back so quickly? Didn't you find Grindelwald?"
"He's certainly good at hiding." Dumbledore nodded slightly at Fudge and sat down across from him. "I originally planned to stay in North America for a while to search, but who could have imagined that less than twenty-four hours after I left, Hogwarts would be in crisis."
"crisis?"
Fudge was shocked by Dumbledore's description. "No, no, no, it's not that serious, Albus.
The Dementors are just... just a little irritable because they couldn't find Lestrange and Lockhart.
Plus, there are no prisoners to provide them with food during this period, so they mistakenly entered Hogwarts."
"That's a good excuse."
Dumbledore leaned forward slightly. "Cornelly, I can compromise on other matters, and I understand your difficulties. I know it's difficult to manage a huge Ministry of Magic, but when it comes to students, I won't care about your reasons."
"The fact is that a student nearly died from a Dementor."
"Albus, that's just a possibility, not a definite fact."
"I don't want this to happen again." Dumbledore said solemnly, "As long as students are at Hogwarts, no matter who they are, I have an obligation to protect them. This is the last time, okay?"
Fudge only felt an indescribable suffocation.
Why did Dumbledore dare to oppress him with a tone of preaching and even commanding? He is the Minister of Magic!
But no matter how angry he was, Fudge would not choose to break up with Dumbledore at this time.
Grindelwald's escape from prison instantly increased Dumbledore's importance countless times, especially after the incident in Congress, people had a clearer understanding of the power of top network masters.
The statement that only Dumbledore can fight against Grindelwald has been recognized by many people. During this period, countless Ministers of Magic from other countries have tried to get close to Dumbledore and build relationships with him.
Now Fudge is beginning to wonder if Grindelwald was released by Dumbledore, and that the two of them are collaborating to take over the wizarding world.
If he offended Dumbledore now, there would definitely be many people who would stand up and criticize him.
So...be patient!
"Albus, I'm so sorry."
Fudge's face was filled with genuine guilt. "It was the Ministry of Magic's negligence that nearly killed Harry Potter. I can guarantee that if something similar were to happen again, I'd probably be warning them now if you hadn't come."
Dumbledore didn't care whether Fudge was telling the truth or not. He just wanted to achieve his goal: "Cornelly, don't you think the existence of Dementors is a bit redundant? There is no evidence that Lockhart and Lestrange came to Hogwarts."
"It's been over two months since school started, and they haven't been seen around here. Instead, someone spotted someone who looked like them in Yorkshire, the ancestral home of the Lestrange family."
Fudge understood Dumbledore's hint and frowned. "You mean... to let the Dementors leave?"
"That's a very good solution," Dumbledore agreed, smiling for the first time since entering the office: "Azkaban is the best place for Dementors.
Fudge hesitated for a moment and finally agreed.
In fact, many people have proposed the plan to evacuate the Dementors before, especially parents of Ministry of Magic officials whose children attend Hogwarts.
There is also Scrimgeour. He believes that the two fugitives will never dare to fall into the trap. Only when the Ministry of Magic shows laxity or even gives up, they will dare to act, which is the so-called luring the snake out of its hole.
Taking advantage of Dumbledore's proposal, Fudge agreed.
The main reason was that the two fugitives had been inactive for such a long time since they escaped from prison, and the public's panic and resistance had gradually dissipated, so Ji didn't want to keep a close eye on them.
Having achieved his goal, Dumbledore didn't want to provoke Fudge anymore and said goodbye.
Before leaving, he kindly gave a reminder: "Connelly, Mr. Riddle attaches great importance to the safety of his close friends and has expressed his dissatisfaction to me, so... please be prepared, he is more difficult to talk to than me.
After saying that, Dumbledore opened the door and left the office under Fudge's dull gaze.
It was a long time before Fudge came to his senses and slammed the table in anger again.
You Hogwarts people are not done yet, are you? You have to queue up to ask me for an explanation?! I haven't asked you to compensate for the damage caused by the over one hundred Dementors yet!
But Fudge did not take Dumbledore's kind reminder to heart. He had dealt with Riddle several times, and each time was quite pleasant. He thought they had a good relationship, and at most he had only complained to him a few times.
But Fudge was wrong this time.
Tom was like a Slytherin snake, with his mouth wide open. He would not stop until he had torn a piece of flesh off Fudge.
This is not to seek justice for the little witches. In that situation, the Dementors can't hurt them at all. It's purely for profit.
The first-level Order of Merlin can be obtained several times. How could he let go of such a good opportunity?
The Ministry of Magic and Fudge were typical examples of people who treated people differently based on their circumstances.
If a half-blood wizard or a parent from a Muggle family complained, they wouldn't care at all.
But they knew all the Slytherins.
Some were miserable, with their elders in Azkaban.
Of course, there were also those who were doing well, like Malfoy, who was a financial backer of the Ministry of Magic and had great influence.
Tom casually hinted to a few smart classmates, and they immediately understood what he meant. They all patted their chests and said that they would definitely communicate with their families.
How can we allow Dementors to attack students?
Some people saw that Tom wanted to make a profit from this attack, but no one thought there was anything wrong with it. Instead, they admired him. This is the style of Slytherin, shrewd.
Ambitious and never miss any opportunity.
Lone wolves and selfless people are not welcome in Slytherin [because such people are unable to help others become better.
After a pleasant conversation with the senior students, Tom originally planned to go find Malfoy and Rosier again. He couldn't give any hints to these two guys, he had to tell them directly what was going on.
But the message from Newt disrupted his plans.
"Daphne, I'm taking you somewhere."
Daphne, who was chatting gossip with her sisters, was dragged out of the castle by Tom with a confused look on her face.
Bournemouth, Dorset.
This is a famous seaside resort in England, only a two-hour drive from London. Scamander's ancestral home is also near this beautiful town, on a rarely visited cliff.
Tom gently touched the air in front of him with his wand, and ripples spread out. He didn't have to wait too long. With a snap, Newt appeared in a flash, smiled and nodded at Tom.
"You came too quickly."
Tom complained, "I wasn't as quick as you guys. I moved back here so quietly. Oh, and I wanted to bring Rolf back with me, but he's too timid. He wouldn't leave the school no matter what, so I had to take Daphne with me."
Daphne greeted him politely, "Hello, Master Newt."
This was the name Tom taught her. The little witch learned whatever Tom taught her, not caring about whether it would be confusing given her age and social status.
Newt smiled in response and led the two of them through the iron gate that appeared with him.
In fact, he didn't intend to disturb Tom today, but Tina insisted that Tom come over. To be more precise, Daphne had to come over. Tom was just a bonus. Uncle Newt didn't have much status in the family, so he could only do what Tina said.
The area of this manor is much larger than the residence in New York, but it looks a bit desolate because no one has lived there for a long time.
"We just arrived this morning," Newt said as they walked. "As you can see, this house hasn't been occupied for decades. We'll have a lot of work to do next."
"Where's your brother?" Tom asked doubtfully.
(It is highly likely that Theseus will be stabbed, but Warner will not go out any further, and here it is assumed that he is still alive.)
"Theseus?" Newt laughed and shook his head: "He is even crazier than I was back then. I don't know which country he is traveling in now.
"How long do you plan to stay this time?"
"At least until Rove graduates. I'm tired of New York's skyscrapers. I really like the coastal storms of Bournemouth now."
As they were talking, Tina, who was directing various tools for cleaning, appeared in front of everyone. Newt sensibly stepped forward to take over the work in her hands. Tina, who was free, took the two of them into the room.
"Whirlwind sweeps away!"
Tom waved his wand, and a strong small whirlwind appeared in the living room, but no objects were affected. Only the dust was constantly sucked up and finally flew out of the window, forming a small pile of dirt.
Tina helplessly put her hands on her hips and shook her head: "Even your housework magic is better than mine, am I really that stupid?"
Tom laughed dryly, unable to respond.
Tina's talents were all focused on combat, and the two of them had sparred and dueled from time to time. With a 3.7 to 1 rating, he felt he was stronger than Snape.
Fortunately, Tina didn't ask any further questions. She pulled Daphne over and started chatting with the little witch.
With her previous experience with Nicole and his wife, Daphne was experienced in situations like meeting the parents. She was not as nervous as last time and soon coaxed Tina into laughing non-stop.
Why are all the smart kids from other families, and their Rolf is just a dull guy like Newt?
The two chatted animatedly, and Tom wasn't idle either. He entered the study room and pulled Grindelwald out to criticize him: "Old Grindelwald, you're truly a heinous criminal. Look how you scared Uncle Newt. He ran back to England to avoid you."
"Run away?" Grindelwald frowned. "I said I'd go find him before I leave and have some fun."
He glanced at Tom with disdain. "What do you mean I'm guilty of a heinous crime? Tom, you were the one who freed me. You're responsible for eighty percent of the turmoil in the Magic Code right now."
"You're slandering me!" Tom argued plausibly. "I was only helping you recover. That was your teacher's salary. Escape was your own choice. Did I use even a single spell to help you?"
Grindelwald stared at him in astonishment. He now doubted that even his Killing Curse could penetrate Tom's face.
This guy is so shameless!
Chapter 318: The Fidelity Curse, Tom's Unique Bonus Technique
"Dumbledore asked me to track down Grindelwald, but Tina refused.
After the family dinner, Tom followed Newt to the yard to weed. He released a white ball of light into the sky, illuminating the ground just like daytime.
Newt explained their hasty move back: "Honestly, I think Grindelwald is more difficult to deal with now than before. He is alone now, without a large number of followers and a fixed base, and his whereabouts are difficult to predict."
"No one can guess what he wants to do, and it's impossible to mount a targeted defense or ambush him.
Tom feigned innocence: "Maybe I'm just getting old and want to see how the world has changed?"
Newt added self-deprecatingly, "He's also seeking revenge on his former enemies, but does he really hold such a deep hatred for the Picquery family? He actually chose the most brutal way to exact his revenge. I have a feeling there's something else going on."
Tom's heart skipped a beat.
The person who knows you best is your opponent. Although Grindelwald and Newt are not equal in strength, they can be described as sworn enemies.
Newt also understood Grindelwald's style and actually noticed the problem.
"Uncle Newt, since you're retired, don't think too much."
The young man stretched out his hand and pulled out the weeds in the area in front of him. He jokingly said, "You wanted Aunt Tina to retire, but now it's my turn, why can't I let her go?"
"Dumbledore will hold up the sky if it falls, and you are just wasting your time guessing here.
"That's true."
Newt found a stone bench and sat down. "It's better to stop imagining this, Tom. You're better at magic runes and arrays than Tina and I are. Please help me check the protective spells on the house."
Tom thought for a moment and said, "How about using the Fidelius Charm? It's simpler and easier, and I'll be the secret keeper."
"You even learned this spell?" Newt asked in surprise.
The Fidelius Charm is a super advanced spell in contract magic that can hide secrets deep within the soul of the Secret Keeper. It is so powerful that even Voldemort needs the Secret Keeper to reveal the secret voluntarily in order to break it.
Even if the secret keeper is killed, there will be other insiders who will automatically become the next secret keeper.
Tom shrugged. "It's easy. The spell isn't difficult. The biggest problem lies in the character of the secret-keeper."
Newt couldn't help but laugh. He knew Tom was talking about Peter Pettigrew, but he still said jokingly, "Then I really should consider changing the secret keeper."
Tom was not angry, but laughed even more happily. It was an achievement to make a dull person like Newt laugh.
"How about you go find Dumbledore?"
"Um... forget it, you're actually pretty good.
The two looked at each other and laughed.
The woman in the house heard the two people's laughter and looked outside curiously, but she didn't care and continued to talk about her own topic.
Early the next morning, Tom took Daphne out of the manor and returned to Hogwarts.
Before leaving, Tina made an appointment with him to come again in two weeks, and Jacob and Queenie would also come at that time.
Unlike Newt and Tina, they were free from worries. Jacob's bakery was still open, and he needed to deal with the assets before he could come.
The two returned to school and went straight to the auditorium for breakfast. Dumbledore, who had disappeared for a weekend, had returned. The students didn't even know that he had gone to North America but returned empty-handed.
When the hall was almost full, Dumbledore stood up. After a sharp buzzing sound, the young wizards all looked at him with frowns.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your meal," Dumbledore said, "but there are things I must explain now."
"During Saturday's Quidditch match, the Dementors, lacking a source of 'food' for a long time, broke their agreement with me and entered the Quidditch pitch. Minister Fudge has asked me to express my sincere apologies to everyone.
No one reacted. A verbal apology is useless.
Dumbledore's words then caused cheers to resound throughout the hall.
"At the same time, the Dementors have left Hogwarts and Hogsmeade from today. To make it up to everyone, there will be an extra open day this weekend. Everyone can go to the village to relax."
After announcing these two things, Dumbledore sat down with a smile and winked at Tom.
Tom sneered. Was the old man trying to tell him that he still had some ability?
"Riddle, wait a moment."
Just as Tom finished his meal and was about to go to Transfiguration class with Hermione and Daphne, Snape called him to the corner of the hall.
"I need a strengthening potion." Snape whispered, "When can you give it to me as soon as possible?"
Tom blinked and looked at him without saying anything.
But the meaning is very clear.
You think you can get something for nothing from me just by talking?
Snape's face darkened. "Just tell me what you want. I don't know what weird requests you might have."
"Professor, who did you ask for this potion on behalf of?"
Tom immediately guessed that Snape wouldn't be using the potion himself. If he needed it, he would definitely be roundabout, or even set a trap for Snape to fall into, and then take the opportunity to ask for the prison.
It's so urgent now
Tom's eyes suddenly became strange.
Snape was a little annoyed by the look on his face. "Riddle, when you sell things, don't you care what the owner will use them for?"
"Of course not, I'm just curious." Tom smiled playfully and began to search through his pockets, which were full of traceless extension spells. He soon found a bottle of tonic potion, which made Snape eager to try it.
Whoever could kidnap this guy would instantly become one of the richest people in the wizarding world, and would surely have many precious treasures that could not be bought with money.
"What do you want?" Snape withdrew his greedy gaze and asked cautiously.
Although he let Tom name the price, he certainly wouldn't be fooled if the price was too high.
The young man shrugged nonchalantly. "This thing... 8,000 Galleons, I'll make less money from you. Do you want a few more bottles? Buy ten, get one free."
"Swipe the card." Snape pulled out his vault card expressionlessly. Ten bottles? That's eighty thousand Galleons. He wasn't one of those pure-blooded tycoons. Where could he steal the Galleons from all directions?
Tom took out a credit card machine with a smile on his face and quickly collected the money and delivered the goods.
"Professor, come find me if you need anything."
Snape took the medicine and nodded absentmindedly. Tom turned to leave when he suddenly asked, "Harry, have you mastered the matching posture?"
"Use to take..." Snape said halfway before realizing that he had been tricked, and his sallow old face suddenly turned red.
"Ten points off Slytherin!"
Tom had achieved an unprecedented achievement, actually making Snape take the initiative to deduct points from Slytherin. You can imagine how much of a blow his defense had been.
But he couldn't understand why Snape was suddenly concerned about Harry's strength. Could it be because of what happened two days ago?
But don't Dementors already know Azkaban?
Tom, confused, quickly put the problem behind him. He had too many things to worry about every day, and the dispute between Snape and Harry was really insignificant.
After the Arithmancy and Divination class in the afternoon, Tom and Hermione went to the library. Although he had all the books materialized in the study space, sometimes reading in reality could be a way to relax.
Of course, you can also brush some points by the way.
"Riddle, help me turn this book to page 168."
A cold voice suddenly rang out from the quiet library. Madam Pince immediately gave her an unfriendly look, but after seeing who was speaking, her expression became quite interesting.
The ones making the loud noise were not students [but ten ghosts┼Ten Gray Ladies.
Many people were also secretly watching this side. The Ravenclaw students were surprised and didn't understand why Ms. Grey would appear in front of everyone at this time and take the initiative to talk to a Slytherin.
Doesn't the Grey Lady hate Slytherin the most?
As for students from other colleges, many of them simply don't know who this person is because she rarely appears in public.
"My pleasure." Tom followed the direction Ms. Gray pointed, took down a book called "A Complete Collection of Medieval Tanzanian Sacrificial Rituals", and opened it to show her.
Every now and then, Ms. Grey would ask him to turn to the next page, and Tom did so patiently, which Hermione found odd.
In order to read the book more closely, the ghost of Ms. Grey almost overlapped with Tom's body. Fortunately, it was just a ghost. If it was a 747 young girl, wouldn't she be cheated on on the spot?
Fortunately, this strange scene did not last too long. After Ms. Grey finished reading what she wanted to see, she floated back into the air and nodded slightly to Tom.
"Thanks, Riddle, I'll give Slytherin a hundred points."
After saying this, he left.
One hundred points?
Many young wizards heard Ms. Grey's "crazy talk", but they all smiled knowingly, shook their heads and ignored it. They didn't take it seriously at all.
The ghosts at Hogwarts all have some issues.
Nico, who is almost headless, always wants his head to fall off, and likes to perform head windmills in front of the students.
The Bloody Baron has a fierce look on his face, and the Slytherin students dare not talk to him for more than a few words.
Even Peeves is afraid of him.
Myrtle in the girls' bathroom on the second floor keeps crying, and has turned that bathroom into a restricted area.
The fat monk who seems to be the most normal one is actually the most abnormal one.
Wizards and the Church are mortal enemies.
There are still many contents in textbooks that satirize and criticize the Church, but the fat monk actually sneaked into the Church and became a cardinal.
He even died because he was poisoned because he competed with other cardinals for the throne of the Pope.
Some people suspected that he was an undercover wizard who infiltrated the Vatican and wanted to change the attitude towards wizards by becoming Pope, but in fact he was really a devout Catholic. Even after his death, he did not forget to attend church every week.
Even the portrait of Sir Cadogan on the seventh floor of the castle shows him as a madman, and any dog passing by will be called a coward and a wimp by him.
Therefore, the young wizards in the library only regarded Ms. Grey as a "problematic ghost", probably a spoiled young lady who was ignorant of the ways of the world.
Only the students of Ravenclaw had doubts, because they had the impression that Ms. Grey was knowledgeable and talented, not a tyrant.
However, when they passed the entrance hall on their way to the Great Hall that night, they were stunned to see Slytherin's score bar suddenly shot up a lot.
No, we thought you were bragging, but it turns out you can really get extra points!
The news spread quickly at the dinner party, and the students were furious!
Chapter 319: Easy-to-come Silly White Sweet, Another One and the Order of Merlin
This was the first time students knew that ghosts could actually add extra points. Moreover, the points added were too exaggerated and arbitrary. Giving 100 points just for flipping through a book?
Many professors can't even deliver a perfect score in a month.
As expected of Tom Riddle, he can even live off ghosts.
Some clever little ghosts started to have ideas.
Isn't it much easier to cheat points from a ghost than to work hard to earn them from a professor?
George's eyes moved quickly. He and Fred were the most attracted ones. It was because they were always at the top of the Gryffindor penalty list every year. It was not until their stupid brother and Harry entered school that they began to hide their edge a little.
"Fred, go find Nearly Headless Nick," George whispered. "Let's help him turn a few pages of the book and prepare some tribute. Maybe we can get a few tens of pounds of guaranteed profit."
Fred thought about it and shook his head, rejecting the idea. "No, we don't have a good relationship with Nick. If we just approach him rashly, it might not be effective. So we need to find someone he's close to. I remember Harry attended Nick's birthday party last semester. Let Harry go."
George also thought what Fred said made sense, but the two of them searched the Gryffindor table and didn't see Harry, so they had to wait until they returned to the common room to talk about it.
At half past eight, Harry dragged his tired body back to Gryffindor Tower.
He had just finished tutoring with Lupin, and Lupin found another Boggart from somewhere. As expected, what he feared most now was Dementors. The Boggart appeared in the image of a Dementor and even had the ability to influence emotions.
Today was the first time he learned the Patronus Charm, and he hadn't succeeded the whole night. But Harry wasn't in a hurry. With Tom's reminder, he already knew how difficult this spell was.
What made Harry depressed was that he had an appointment with Lupin for tomorrow night, but Snape suddenly used the excuse that he was wandering around the castle to put him in detention for a night.
"Harry, you're finally back. Where have you been for so long?"
As soon as Harry entered the common room, his twins, who had been waiting for him since dinner, pulled him away.
"Nothing." Harry shook his head, not wanting to talk about himself and learning the Patronus: Imp just gave me trouble again.
The twins didn't react at all after hearing this. They would be surprised if Snape didn't cause trouble for Harry one day.
"I'll help you throw shit into his office some other day. Now there's something more important..." Fred told Harry about his discovery that ghosts could add points, as well as their idea, and asked Harry to find Nick and find some excuse to add points.
"This...will it work?" Harry was also very surprised. If ghosts can add points, then can Peeves also do it?
"It's free to try," George urged. "We just lost the last game, and Tom scored two centuries in a row. If we don't work hard, there's no chance of winning the College Cup this year."
Harry immediately felt guilty because he fainted and lost the game, so he nodded without hesitation, "Then I'll go find Nick tomorrow."
The next day, Harry found Nick in the west corridor on the second floor. He knew Nick often came here because there was a portrait of his former friend and they often chatted.
"Harry, what's going on?"
"Nick, can you give me some tasks? Can you give me extra points after I complete them?" Harry's bottom line is still relatively high, and he won't do anything for free.
"Add extra points." Nick looked at him strangely, his head half off in fear. "I don't have the right to give you extra points. Who told you that?"
"Ah? Tom got a perfect score yesterday."
Nick was even more confused: "Who gave him the extra money?"
"Fred said it was the Grey Queen, the ghost of Ravenclaw.
"I thought so." Nick suddenly realized, and half of his head returned to his neck. Looking at Harry who was still confused, he couldn't help laughing.
"Harry, Ms. Grey is quite special. We... all respect her. Of course, I didn't know she could add points to students before, but it's not surprising. After all..." Nick shook his head and didn't say anything else.
As the daughter of the founder, it is not surprising that she would give students extra college points.
"Okay, don't waste your time here with me. If you want extra points, study hard."
With that, Nick floated away, and Harry returned to the Great Hall, confused.
The Grey Lady is the most special ghost.
Many young wizards who had the same idea as Harry knew the news. For a moment, whether or not they got extra points was no longer important. They wanted to find out the secret of Ms. Grey more.
But no matter whether they asked the ghosts or the teachers, they did not get any answers. Most people actually did not know. A few ghosts knew Ms. Grey's true identity, but they could not reveal it to others.
The Ravenclaw students even wanted to ask Ms. Grey directly, which made Helena very annoyed these past two days and she complained to Tom several times.
Tom felt that he was innocent too. He just wanted to earn some credits. Recently, the extraordinary mode and thought leap had consumed a lot of resources, and the stock was about to run out. Who could have thought that it would cause so much trouble.
Fortunately, Helena was a simple-minded person, and she calmed down after a little coaxing. She also said that she could come to her again to get more points when needed.
However, Tom didn't plan to earn more credits recently.
He knew when to stop.
Slytherin was already far ahead before Helena gave the extra points, and Professor McGonagall even gave him 100 points.
So after he gave the extra points, other students and professors had no complaints or complaints.
He could try again before the end of the school year, provided that the House Cup championship was already a sure thing.
Helena had Tom to comfort her, but another troubled person was not so lucky.
Fudge finally understood what Dumbledore's warning meant. Compared to the humiliation brought by Dumbledore's questioning, Pem was a real trouble.
Due to the large-scale purchase of new equipment and the purchase of "I Chat" notebooks and supporting supplies, the Ministry of Magic's funds are already stretched to the limit, and even after a round of raids at Gringotts, there is still a big hole.
At this critical juncture, more than ten families, including the Malfoy, Rosier, Selwyn and other families, sent him letters on the same day, informing him that their donations for the next year would be reduced by 30%.
Isn't this going to kill him?
Not to mention a 30% reduction, even if it remained unchanged, he would have to find a way to persuade the financiers to increase it by another 30%. But before he could even open his mouth, his financial support was cut off.
And these people have one thing in common - their children are all studying at Hogwarts.
Fudge really wanted to remind these people that if your sons and daughters were kidnapped, just tell me [I will bring all the arrogant people from the Ministry of Magic into Hogwarts to arrest them right now.
Unfortunately, he could only imagine it in his mind. After all, there was no evidence. Even the fact that it was Tom's work was just his guess. Both parties knew it tacitly.
After lobbying for a while without any results, Fudge finally realized that the root of the problem was Tom. Unless he gave in, these people would not change their minds.
Fudge couldn't understand why a group of pure-bloods would be so submissive to a Muggle-born student.
In fact, Fudge didn't understand the core of the problem - it was not how terrible Tom was. Well, it was indeed a bit terrible. When his Patronus killed hundreds of Dementors, many people felt uneasy about it.
The crux of the matter lies with him, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who is a soft persimmon compared to Tom. If the minister were replaced by Bones or Scrimgeour, the pure-blood families would not dare to offend them so easily.
Only Fudge's true nature was seen by everyone, so he acted recklessly.
A few nights later, Tom received a message from Fudge and laughed after reading it.
He thought Fudge could hold on for a while longer, but he came to ask for peace in less than a week, and his attitude was very humble.
Tom: Mr. Minister, I have no problem with you, but I just couldn't let this opportunity go.
Fudge, who was far away in London, was overjoyed.
It's good to have needs and desires.
What he feared most was that Tom had a problem with him, or simply disliked him. In that case, he really didn't know what conditions he could use to convince the other party.
[Fat Head and Big Ears Pretending to Be an Adult: Mr. Riddle, if you have any requests, please feel free to ask. I will do my best to meet them.]
Tom: Mr. Minister, I hope my Christmas present is an Order of Merlin, First Class. What do you think?
Order of Merlin?
Why is Riddle so obsessed with this useless fame?
Fudge didn't expect that Tom would incite so many people to attack him just for the Order of Merlin. Even if it was only the first level, it was unreasonable to him.
One of these is enough. If Dumbledore really wanted to calculate it based on merit, he would only need five as a starting point, with no upper limit. But why only one?
It's meaningless if there are too many.
[Fathead and Big Ears Pretending to Be an Adult: Just for the Order of Merlin, no other requests?]
Tom: Of course, Mr. Minister, my biggest hobby now is collecting all kinds of top honors.
[Fat Head and Big Ears Pretending to Be an Adult: But don't you already have one?]
Tom: The more the better. I hope to get a First Class Order of Merit every year I'm at Hogwarts.
Fudge:
He really didn't understand Tom's strange hobby, but for him...the conditions were not difficult. Relying on various inventions, and the fact that Tom had already won the Order of Merlin once, the biggest obstacle was no longer a problem.
This thing is just like the bottom line. Once you break through it, it's as if nothing exists.
So Fudge readily agreed, promising that he would receive a satisfactory gift at Christmas, and Tom also cooperated and expressed his willingness to donate the Ten Square Plus as the activity fund of the Ministry of Magic.
He has so much money now that he has no idea where to spend it. Every day when he opens his eyes, tens of thousands of Galleons come into his account, which he can never spend all. If he could exchange Galleons for achievement points, he would definitely use all his gold to exchange them.
After a pleasant conversation, Tom continued to study.
He has made great progress in the two exercises he is currently focusing on.
First of all, it was mental power cutting.
Now he could easily do three things at once, thinking about three things at the same time without interfering with each other.
However, it put a lot of pressure on his brain and he needed to control his time.
However, this problem did not exist in the learning space.
Here, he could always stay at his peak state, which greatly improved his efficiency.
The other is Ravenclaw's memory magic. The memory seeds he made are no longer a problem, but the difficulty lies in using them on puppets through other methods.
While Tom was busy, Ravenclaw watched from the side.
As she watched, the wise and beautiful woman became distracted.
He had never seen a peer who worked harder than Tom. During the day, when he was in class or spending time with his girlfriend, he would devote some of his energy to studying. At night, he would work hard all night long.
She wasn't so hardworking back then.
"Tom." Ravenclaw suddenly spoke, interrupting Tom's work. The boy looked up at her slave in confusion.
"Why are you working so hard?" Ravenclaw asked a question that even she couldn't understand: "You're already far ahead of your peers, and even most people in the world. You can reach the top if you just follow the steps. So why can you keep studying at this high intensity?"
Tom didn't answer immediately. Instead, he thought for a moment before smiling brightly at Ravenclaw. "Perhaps... it's because I've been mediocre before that I seize opportunities so tightly."
Chapter 320: True Alchemical Creature, Double Surprise Reward
Ravenclaw felt that the word mediocre had nothing to do with Tom. Whether it was his perseverance, wisdom, or clear mind, he was destined to be the exact opposite of mediocre.
But everyone has their own secrets, especially Tom, who possesses an incredibly powerful talent that allows him to summon powerful wizards from ancient times to the present to help him and even obtain their talents. Ravenclaw just left the topic at that and did not ask any further questions.
Seeing that she stopped talking, Tom smiled and continued with his experiment.
The most basic prerequisite for having memory is consciousness, not intelligence. Many animals lack so-called intelligence, but can still instinctively remember how to survive, such as avoiding predators and dangers.
What Tom is doing now is to give consciousness to an unconscious object. In Eastern concepts, this is called spirit possession, and the so-called spirit is actually "thought".
'Thoughts' can only be extracted from the soul, and extraction is very difficult. Depending on the nature of the soul, the quality of the 'spirituality' contained in each thought is also different.
The purebloods he had captured before and who had paid to plot against him became precious experimental materials. Tom killed several of them before he could barely extract some ideas.
Then, something magical happened.
When the wizard's soul is separated from his body, it can actually be manifested in the learning space. This not only saves time, but the biggest advantage is that there are unlimited practice materials and there is no need to worry about loss or waste.
When Ravenclaw found out, he was speechless for a long time, his eyes red with envy.
If she had the conditions back then, she would definitely have been able to further improve her ideas and push them to new heights.
What a pity...he is not the one who is favored.
Half an hour later, a little starlight appeared on the tip of Tom's wand. When viewed from different angles, it was a completely different color.
Under his control, the light of Star 077 was like a firefly, slowly floating into the body of a toy bear.
Tom infused it with magic power, and the golden threads moved within the various magic pattern circuits. About half an hour later, the little bear opened its eyes and uttered a sweet loli voice.
"Owner!"
"What's your name?" asked Tom.
"Tibernie!" the little bear answered crisply.
"Tibernie, do you know what your mission is?"
"Accompany Miss Ariana and kill some boring time!"
Tom asked a few more questions, and after confirming that everything met his expectations, he looked at Ravenclaw with a smile on his face: "Is this considered a success?"
Ravenclaw also smiled and nodded. "Congratulations, Tom. You've created a true alchemical creature."
What is the difference between alchemical creatures and alchemical creations?
The biggest difference lies in development. The functions, abilities, and coping methods of alchemical creations are predetermined. They will remain in the same state as when they first appear until they are destroyed.
Alchemical creatures can learn and develop, and display countless possibilities based on their own memory and thinking abilities.
Tibney now only knows her mission and basic common sense. Even Tom doesn't know how the future will develop.
The system also issued a prompt sound at the right time.
[The host has advanced the development of alchemy, earning 1,000 credits, 200 achievement points, and a chance to participate in a high-level lottery.]
[Ravenclaw's recognition of the host has reached 25, granting a talent extraction opportunity. Talent extraction in progress... Congratulations to the host, you have obtained 'A Thousand Thoughts'.]
[Thoughts galore: Increased mental activity allows you to see through all loopholes and doubts. Being adept at thinking about problems from different angles (bhdb) will lead to more comprehensive and essential answers.]
In an instant, Tom felt like a blue cat had taken up residence in his head. All sorts of useful and useless questions kept popping up in his mind, making him feel very upset.
Yi.
"Tom, what's wrong with you?" Ravenclaw asked in confusion when he saw the boy frowning.
"I..." Tom held his head: "Now I understand why you want to seal your mental power and thinking ability.
Ravenclaw was startled, but soon understood why Tom said that. She said, "Did you gain your talent from me?"
"Well, I'm bursting with inspiration, but I've also been faced with a bunch of meaningless questions. Please teach me how to control it.
"Don't worry, gather your thoughts and focus further..." Ravenclaw was like a gentle older sister, slowly guiding Tom to gather his divergent thoughts and filter out those useless questions.
It was a long time before Tom felt much better. Although he was still distracted every minute, at least he no longer felt irritated and could calm down.
Tom, who had calmed down, looked at Ravenclaw with pity, and Ravenclaw looked at him with sympathy.
The two suddenly smiled at each other again. No one said anything, but they both understood what the other meant.
"Wisdom... can sometimes be a burden," Tom sighed.
Ravenclaw agreed: "The more you know, the more troubles you will have. Therefore, the ignorant and lawful are the happiest."
The reason why she absorbs all kinds of knowledge like a greedy raven is actually a form of self-help.
Only when all her questions are answered can she find a moment of peace.
"You still need time to adapt to this talent. Rest up tonight." Ravenclaw advised.
Tom nodded without trying.
The two returned to the restaurant for a midnight snack, and Tom exited the study space, closed his eyes, and forced himself to sleep. Even the advanced lottery was useless [because he was afraid that his article would come up with many messy questions].
The next morning, Tom returned to the space and gave Tibernie to Ariana.
The cute and soft little bear immediately captured Ariana's heart. The girl hugged the little bear tightly and said in surprise: "Tom, is this for me?"
"Of course it's for you." Tom smiled and patted her head. "It's too lonely in this space. It would be nice to find a little one to talk to you. But Tibney doesn't know anything yet. You have to teach her patiently."
"Yeah." Ariana nodded repeatedly and said happily: "Does this count as me being a teacher?"
Tom was stunned. This was not wrong.
"That's right, you will be Tibney's teacher from now on.
"Tibernie, call the teacher."
"teacher!"
"Chuckle!
Ariana held Tibernia and played with her for a long time, and planned to take Tibernia out with her when she was resurrected, but Tom shook his head regretfully.
Apart from the souls of a few members and perhaps a meditation room, everything else in this space is essentially illusory and cannot be brought into reality.
However, Tom guessed that after the learning space was upgraded a few more times, it might become a real world, and everything would have a chance to become true.
After a brief moment of disappointment, Ariana cheered up again.
Since Tibney can't go out, then don't go out. This is her home anyway. Even if she is resurrected in the future, she will come back often. It doesn't make any difference.
Seeing that the girl was not sad, Tom breathed a sigh of relief and finally had time to use the lottery prize he got yesterday.
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Sun Crown Magic Circuit Transformation Notes.]
Crown of the Burning Sun?
Tom raised his eyebrows, and a thick book that looked to have hundreds of pages appeared in his palm. He opened it impatiently, and then took a deep breath.
"Hiss...it's just as I guessed."
The introduction at the beginning lets Tom know the identity of the owner of the notebook——Antonidas Han, the teacher of Kel'Thuzad, the chairman of the six-member council of the Kirin Tor, the most powerful mage in the history of Dalaran.
In World of Warcraft, on the continent of Azeroth, excluding the super-sized existence of Medivh, Antonidas is undoubtedly the strongest human mage, the pinnacle masterpiece of the academic school, who has mastered the three magics of arcane, ice, and fire to the extreme.
Kel'Thuzad was not a serious man. No serious man would write a diary, let alone write notes as a diary.
Antonidas is mentioned many times in the notes, and Kel'Thuzad's psychological changes can be clearly seen. When he first became Antonidas' student, he was full of admiration, but later he was terrified when he was discovered doing dangerous undead magic experiments, and he was full of fear.
Later, after transforming into a lich, Kel'Thuzad broke through his own limits and secretly cooperated with Arthas to kill Antonidas, but he was still apprehensive when he mentioned it. "He felt that even if he became a demon, he would not be able to completely capture Antonidas."
However, Tom's notes are incomplete, and there are not many records of Kel'Thuzad becoming a lich. As his strength grows, his attitude is likely to change.
The Ice Crown magic circuit he condensed was actually the knowledge taught to Kel'Thuzad by Antonidas, and the two came from the same source.
What's the purpose of this? Is it to let him use ice and fire to deal a heavy blow to his enemies in the future?
It's a pity that it's only an advanced lottery. If it's a complete lottery, maybe I can get all the notes, then I'll really make a lot of money. This kind of academic wizard pays the most attention to the order and regularity of inheritance. All knowledge is recorded and taught in a systematic way.
Kel'Thuzad follows the same path, which is why he can condense a magic circuit that conforms to the rules of this world in a short period of time.
After getting the notes, Tom also put all his energy into them.
The advantage of his rich thoughts finally showed up.
He could quickly find the key points and tricks for each knowledge point.
Combined with the improvement of the extraordinary mode, his progress was dozens of times faster than last time.
Tom didn't pay any attention to what the professor taught in class the whole day. In the evening, Daphne wanted to listen to a story with him, but Tom gave her a look and Astoria understood what he meant. She dragged her sister away to avoid causing him trouble.
Late at night, Grindelwald, who had been busy recently, showed up.
"Tom, I caught a few small fish, but I didn't get any useful information. They seemed to know I was tracking them, so they hid deeper."
Tom was engrossed in his research. When he heard Grindelwald's words, he absentmindedly said, "Forget it if you can't find it. I don't have any plans right now. Do whatever you want. Just reorganize the Saints."
Grindelwald nodded thoughtfully.
Do whatever you want?
Then he can play freely.