Chapter 333: A Show of Force! I'm Not, I Didn't, Don't Talk Nonsense!
In the end, Cassandra decided to be filial.
"Tom, please be gentle. My dad has a bad temper and when he talks..."
"Is he talking more than you?" Tom added on behalf of the girl.
"You can understand that, but after all, he needs your help, so he shouldn't be asking for anything too much. Cassandra is also in a bad mood, both sides have bad tempers, and she can't control either of them, so what else can she do?
She has already advised Tom to be gentler. Isn't that filial piety?
"Then I'll tell my dad. When do you plan to go?"
"Tomorrow, tomorrow afternoon, if he's free, I'll come. If he's not free, I'll just disappear. My schedule is very full these days, so I won't wait for him.
Cassandra nodded. "Then I'll ask him."
After saying that, he took out his mobile phone and sent a message. When the two of them left the restaurant and headed to Gringotts, they received a reply and agreed on a time for tomorrow afternoon.
"He said it was okay, he'd be home all afternoon, should I pick you up?" Cassandra asked.
Tom thought about it and decided to meet at Gringotts. Gringotts also had a Floo network, but it was only for exiting but not entering. Otherwise, the robbers could come in directly through the Floo network.
At the same time, in a dilapidated hut in Flushing.
"Ross, you haven't made up your mind yet?"
Soran looked down at his round belly, gently stroking it with his palm, feeling the rhythm of life, but his expression was not very good. He questioned Ross who was sitting on the bed:
"You want your child to be homeless from the moment he's born, constantly hiding from Graves? You want me and the child to have to hide with you from place to place. What will happen to the child's education then?"
"You must give me a 23 answer today. Either we leave, or we both go back to Caruso and you continue to tangle with them."
Ross looked very unhappy. He walked out the door without saying a word, lit a cigar and started smoking.
He and Soran had been hiding in New York for half a year, but just last month when they were out buying daily necessities, they were unexpectedly spotted by Graves's men. After a fight, they managed to escape, but also moved to a new hiding place.
Ross is not a fool. He can see that it is likely that Sauron leaked the information.
The purpose of deliberately luring him here was to force him to leave New York and go to Germany to find his mother's family, so as to get on the path of the saints.
He was not disappointed, but angry. He was angry that Sauron didn't care about the child in her belly at all.
After finishing a cigar, Ross strode back and said to Soran, "We'll set off tomorrow, Doctor Bailin."
The woman's face was filled with joy, and her eyes softened. "My dear, it's good that you've figured it out. New York is simply too dangerous. Although Berlin is controlled by Grindelwald, isn't your mother's family also a descendant of a saint?"
"Sauron, do you want to join the Saints?" Royce asked in surprise.
"Of course not." Soran shook his head repeatedly, "I just want to live a quiet life and not hide from place to place anymore.
Ross smiled and watched the woman turn around to pack her things, the warmth in his eyes gradually disappearing.
It's better to go to Berlin. Once the baby is born, I won't have to pretend anymore.
Gringotts.
After Tom received Cassandra's dividend, the two parted ways. Cassandra went home, and Tom went upstairs to meet the fairy Farmul, with whom he had discussed cooperation.
"Mr. Riddle, long time no see.
Farmul's smile was much more sincere than the previous times they met. For Gringotts now, Tom was their God of Wealth.
It's not that they make a lot of money in fees from card payments, but because the convenience of card payments makes transactions simpler, wizards are more willing to spend money, and many industries invested by Gringotts have benefited from it.
"To make a long story short, Farmur."
Tom sat down under the fairy's warm hospitality: "I came here to upgrade the switchboard and launch two new cards."
"Upgrade?" Farmer was startled. "The current switchboard is running normally. Is there anything that needs to be upgraded?"
"Previously, bank cards didn't support cross-border payments. My communication magic has made a breakthrough, and can now connect to Gringotts machines in various countries to complete data exchange. Do you think we need to upgrade?"
"Yes, of course." Famul was overjoyed.
It can make cross-border payments, which takes versatility to a new level.
"What about the new card?"
"It's like this..."
Tom took out two new cards, one of which was an additional card with a fixed credit limit for use by relatives and family members other than the vault owner.
The other one...is a credit card.
Even though there was no money in the vault, he still had a certain credit line. Tom couldn't help but bring his financial skills into the wizarding world.
Pressure makes people progress. Without a mortgage or a broom loan, how could anyone work hard and develop the wizarding world?
He would not compete with Gringotts for interest income. Gringotts could actually do this business without him, but it would be more convenient to use a credit card.
He has to pay a certain amount of handling fee for each loan.
Soon, the goblins who were in charge of the negotiations last time came to Famul's office one after another. It was not until the evening that the two sides reached a preliminary agreement.
The main reason was that these goblins were too greedy, and asking for a share of the handling fee was like asking for their lives. Tom got angry, and not only did he not lower the handling fee, he actually raised it.
Tom's biggest trump card is the credit card payment system. Now that the goblins have tasted the sweetness, they will never dare to offend him until they find an alternative solution, so the negotiation finally ends with goblin negotiations.
After leaving Gringotts, Tom went straight back to Newt's home.
The small garden that once existed was gone. Newt had blown the soil into the small world along with it. The house was covered in dust because no one had lived in it for a while. Tom simply cleaned it up and then went into the small world.
The little Lubans were working so hard that they didn't even notice his presence. It was only when Tom called out to them that they came over chattering.
"Have you been working till now?" asked Tom.
"Yes, yes." Luban No. 7 answered most enthusiastically. With four hands, he pulled Tom to the pile of address books and showed them the results of their work for the whole day.
"Well done, but don't work too hard." Tom touched No. 7's head.
"It's not hard at all."
All activities of alchemical creatures rely entirely on magic power.
At present, there are already quite a few magical plants and magical animals in the small world.
Absorbing free and dissipated magic power is enough to support their continuous activities, making them like perpetual motion machines.
But Tom shook his head and said, "From now on, you can only work a maximum of sixteen hours a day. The rest of the time, you can read, play, or sleep, but you cannot work.
"But..." Number One blinked, "Didn't the Master create us just to work?"
"Indeed, I need you to help me complete a lot of work." Tom explained patiently, "But that doesn't mean you can't have your own life. You can do what you want in your free time."
"When I make more Little Lubans in the future, you'll have more time to rest."
"Things I want to do..."
The seven little Lubans were all confused. Although they possessed wisdom and considerable abilities, their intelligence had just been born. They had no idea about their interests, hobbies, and personalities.
"Since you don't have any, just think about it slowly. You can also get the answer from the book. I'll help you prepare the TV in a couple of days."
The little Lubans nodded as if they understood, and Tom was not in a hurry to make them understand.
He just coaxed them to the library and told them to read whatever books they wanted.
If they didn't want to read, they could go out and have fun, but they had to wait until eight o'clock tomorrow morning before they could continue working.
In Tom's mind, what he created was not a mere tool, but a race that could compete with the entire wizarding world in the future, so he would naturally not exploit them to death.
He needs a few little Lubans to adapt to normal life, and then teach the alchemical creatures later, and gradually get them on the right track.
The next day, Tom came to Gringotts headquarters again to help Gringotts improve the switchboard.
Originally, he thought he could easily finish it in yesterday afternoon and this morning, so he made an appointment with Cassandra to meet in the afternoon.
Who would have thought that the money-grubbing goblins would waste half a day of his time? Today, he had no choice but to speed up.
He didn't even bother to remove the surveillance equipment the goblins had secretly installed.
He even activated the extraordinary mode twice.
His hands moved so fast that afterimages appeared, leaving the alchemists and goblins who were hiding and peeping scratching their heads.
I can't even see it clearly, isn't this stealing?
At 1:50, Tom finally got the machine working. He took out a test card and swiped it a few times. After making sure there was no problem, he hurried to the lobby on the first floor. Cassandra had been waiting there for a while.
"If you don't come out, I'll suspect that the goblins have kidnapped you." The girl complained.
Tom glanced at her. "What would you do if they really kidnapped me?"
Cassandra asked uncertainly, "Let's celebrate with a bunch of magical fireworks?"
"Women are such vicious people." Tom shook his head. "Let's go now. Don't keep your dad waiting."
Cassandra handed Tom a box of special Floo powder, walked into the fireplace first, clearly called out "Worley Manor", and then disappeared with green flames.
Tom followed suit and used the Floo Network to reach his destination.
What comes into view is a luxurious entrance hall, supported by four marble pillars that look like white jade. The decoration style of the whole house is luxurious palace style, but it looks... a bit like a nouveau riche feeling, not as solemn as Hogwarts.
As soon as she got home, Cassandra suddenly became nervous. She pursed her lips and took Tom to the main living room. A man was already sitting on the main sofa with a big sword. When he saw the two of them come in, his eyes instantly became sharp. He stared at Tom straight, exerting pressure.
Just as Cassandra was about to introduce herself, Tom had already quickened his pace and passed her, walking towards Andrew Worley at a leisurely pace.
Every step the boy took was on the heartbeat nodes of the two people. His heart was beating violently, and the air in the room froze, as if an invisible big hand was strangling Andrew's throat, making him unable to make a sound.
What was even more terrifying was that as Tom approached, his pressure became more and more terrifying. Although he was a boy who was a head shorter than him, in Andrew's eyes, he was like a mountain and as high as the sky.
A rumbling sound exploded in my ears.
"I heard from Cassandra that you wanted to teach me a lesson?"
Andrew almost fell off the sofa and almost yelled, "I didn't do that, I didn't do that, don't talk nonsense!"
Chapter 334: Graves and the Dog Are Not Allowed to Enter or Leave!
"...719..."
Cassandra expected a tense situation between the two, perhaps even a physical confrontation, and was ready to dig her old father out of the wall.
But she never expected that before she could say a word, Tom started to increase the intensity and pressured her father like a rabbit with its fur blown off.
Cassandra had never seen Andrew so desperately deny something.
"Don't talk." Tom turned around coldly, but his expression changed instantly. He blinked at Cassandra, and when he turned back, he returned to his expressionless face, his black eyes emitting coldness.
"Mr. Worley, what you're saying is...your daughter lied to me?"
"No...no..." Andrew said with all his might, "It has nothing to do with Cassandra. She just told me what happened at Hogwarts. Riddle, you hung my daughter on the wall. As a father, why shouldn't I be angry and ask you for an explanation?"
Tom nodded secretly.
He had cast a small spell of mental pressure on himself while walking. Cassandra couldn't feel it, but Andrew was within the range of influence. In this case, he could still take everything on himself.
Although he was overbearing and had misled Cassandra, at least his love for his daughter was genuine.
If he really had a cold and heartless personality, he would have passed the blame on others by now.
But Tom also felt regretful. If Andrew had passed the blame just now, he could have dealt with Old Deng with peace of mind. But now it was difficult to do so.
Cassandra also felt Andrew's protectiveness, and her eyes suddenly felt sore.
She had always believed that her father was training her as a piece of work, striving for perfection in every aspect, but it turned out... that was not the case.
Tom's mind raced as he lowered his gaze. "Mr. Wally, I think this position is more suitable for me. What do you think?"
A minute later, someone else was sitting in the main seat, and Tom was leisurely sipping his black tea.
Taking the initiative is a very useful method, especially for dealing with people like Andrew who think highly of themselves.
He will not tolerate it just because he is Cassandra's father.
Not to mention that they have no relationship now, even if they have a child, Tom will not let himself be wronged.
So when he entered the room today, he didn't wait for Andrew to make a move, but gave him a warning first. If mental pressure didn't work, he still had physical means. In short, he had to defeat Andrew first before he could talk to him.
Although the atmosphere is a bit awkward now, at least no one took action, which can be regarded as saving his face.
Putting down his teacup, Tom went straight to the point: "Mr. Worley, I can't give you the franchise.
"Why?" Andrew looked up suddenly. "We haven't even discussed the terms yet. Isn't Mr. Riddle being too arbitrary?"
It's not that he can't keep his cool, but the benefits are simply too great.
The Wally family's businesses spread across the Americas, and they knew very well how big the market was. What Cassandra had developed with her small efforts was less than one-tenth of North America's, not to mention South America, where the wizarding population was much larger.
As long as they can obtain the agency rights, the Wo Lei family will receive stable and generous returns in the next hundred years.
Tom shook his head: "No matter what your conditions are, I will not change my mind. From now on, my products in North America will be managed by Cassandra, and she will also be in charge of the production.
Andrew was stunned: "Isn't this the same idea?"
"Of course it's different," Tom emphasized. "She represents herself, and you represent the Volley family. How can it be the same?"
"But Cassandra is my only daughter, and the future family will also be hers."
Tom curled his lips and said, "Old Deng, by then you will have taken away both me and my money."
"That's a matter for the future. I won't change my mind now."
Cassandra was touched, but Andrew frowned. "Mr. Riddle, Cassandra is a student after all. She still has studies to complete, and many things are inconvenient at school. It's impossible for all guests to come to school to see her, right?"
"Then shouldn't you, as a father, help?"
Tom flashed a foxy grin, which made Andrew feel uneasy. "I just gave all the power to Cassandra. As for how she arranges it, whether she will find a secondary dealer, that's her choice. I won't interfere. After all, she won't let me lose money, right?"
"Don't worry, Tom."
The girl felt Tom's trust and completely forgot about Andrew's action of standing up to protect her just now. She patted her chest and promised: "I will definitely not let you earn less than before."
Andrew's eyelids twitched and his fists clenched.
I am your father!
How dare you talk to this kid!
The young man spread his hands and said, "Look, the problem has been solved perfectly."
Is this perfect?
Andrew felt aggrieved, but at least he did not gain nothing today. In his opinion, the money earned by Cassandra was also the money of the Volley family, but part of the profit was due to the girl's extroversion.
Just give it to Tom.
It was this thought that made Andrew beat his chest and stamp his feet when he thought about it even decades later.
I know you wanted to take advantage of the Volley family, but I didn't expect you to not only eat and take, but also take the blame!
After finishing their business, Cassandra invited Tom to stay for dinner, but he declined: "Next time, I have something important to take care of."
Tom smiled and said, "The next time we meet will probably be next summer vacation. I hope you can give me a surprise."
Although Cassandra was reluctant to let Tom go, she nodded sensibly. "I promise I'll surprise you."
"Waiting for your good news."
The young man waved his hand, and disappeared along with the green flames. Cassandra stared at the fireplace in a daze for a long time, and suddenly thought of a question.
Why are we meeting next summer? Isn't there an underage wizard dueling tournament?
Did Tom think she couldn't go?
Thunderbird Sanctuary, Arizona.
Tom did not return to New York, but came to the reserve to visit the ptarmigans.
This time he was not only visiting, he also planned to take a few back with him. There happened to be a rarely visited canyon near Uncle Newt's home, so raising a few thunderbirds would not be a problem.
After he returned, he also planned to build a house there so that he would have company during the holidays. Then he could trick Nico over there, and it would be even more lively.
When the adult ptarmigans in the tribe heard that Tom was going to take the little ptarmigan away, they had no objection at all. They even hoped that he would take a few more away, or pack up the entire tribe if that didn't work.
Unfortunately, Tom can't do anything too extreme now.
If he takes all the thunderbirds away, the North American Magical Congress will definitely be furious.
Thunderbirds are the iconic creatures of the entire region.
When talking about thunderbirds, wizards from other countries will think of North America.
Late at night, Tom lay on the back of a thunderbird, looking up at the stars, and surrounded me to talk about the notebook.
Tom: Do you have the address of the Graves family?
Soon, he received a reply.
[West Coast Wizard: Boss, are you going to cause trouble for Graves?]
Tom told Rouse about the recent conflict.
[West Coast Wizard: I'm really asking for trouble... I actually offended you... I have the address of Robert's house, but the Graves family is very large and has several branches, and they live very scattered.
Robert is the head of this generation's family and lives in the ancestral land, but I don't know exactly how many people there are.
Tom: It's okay. Three or five is not too few, and dozens is not too many. Just tell me.
Soon, Rolls sent the address.
"... Nebraska?" Tom closed his notebook and muttered softly, "It's not on the coast... Is there a special reason?"
Due to the terrain, although this country has fifty continents, 90% of the population is distributed in the two major bay areas of the east and west.
The same is true for wizards.
Unless there is a special existence like the Thunderbird Sanctuary, there are very few wizard gathering places in the central part.
Why would Graves, an immigrant, place his ancestral land in such a place?
Tom kept the doubt in his mind and planned to find the answer on his own tomorrow.
It is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge, but Riddle felt that ten days was too slow and he felt like ants were crawling all over his body.
He was too low-key in the past, and anyone dared to come up and provoke him, so this time Tom would not borrow the power of Grindelwald and the saints to retaliate against Graves, but would do it himself.
He took on whatever storms were ahead.
At worst, he could be a third-year transfer student at Durmstrang. Isn't Grindelwald planning to take action against Durmstrang?
The next day, Tom loaded the two little Thunderbirds and set off for Nebraska, the ancestral home of the Graves family.
Around noon, we arrived at the address given by Ross. It was just a barren mountain. There was not a single person in sight, let alone any buildings.
The young man held the box in his hand, opened the magic vision, and soon saw streams of magic moving in a regular pattern (from Li), and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Fortunately, it's not the Fidelius Curse."
If the Graves family used the Fidelius Charm to protect their address, he really wouldn't be able to break it. This spell was indeed very troublesome.
But big families like the Graves usually wouldn't be so secretive, because they have strong social needs, need to manage relationships, and greet guests, so it's impossible for them to hide their nest completely.
Just like the dozen or so families he had destroyed before.
After observing for a while, Tom finally found the flaw in the protective magic. It was indeed much stronger than other pure-bloods, but it could still be easily defeated.
Tom did not rush to act, but instead placed a sign not far from the magic circle with a message written in blood-red letters: "Grayvis and the dog must not
"
After fixing the sign, Tom's eyes glowed with a deep blue light, and a diamond-shaped mark flickered faintly between his eyebrows. Suddenly, snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
The snow got heavier and heavier, and finally, the entire area was covered in white, and the temperature dropped rapidly.
A circle of blue protective shield emerged, continuously resisting the invasion of cold air. After only a stalemate of dozens of seconds, the protective shield made a crackling sound under the heavy burden.
Tom walked forward and blew gently, and the entire protective shield shattered into pieces, turning into crystal starlight and disappearing.
A huge manor appeared before his eyes.
Chapter 335: Riddle, Who Is a Bit Skilled in Boxing and Kicking, Has a Terrifying Defense of Iron and Steel.
The Graves family's defense system wasn't very intelligent either. The entire process was a celestial attack, which was judged to be a natural change, with no warning at all.
It was not until the protective shield was completely broken that the people in the manor received the alarm and people ran out of the manor one after another.
After coming out, they all shivered first, then took a breath of cold air, and almost froze their teeth off.
Why is it so cold?!
Only after completing this set of standard procedures did they see the figure standing in the snow.
"Who are you?"
A wizard drew out his wand and asked cautiously. He originally thought that there was something unusual with the family's magic circle, but the abnormal weather and the sudden appearance of the stranger made him realize that things were not that simple.
When Tom walked out of the snowstorm, Grevy's family members discovered that the person who invaded their manor was actually a teenager.
Tom looked around and saw only about a dozen people present, but none of them had his primary target. So he asked, "Where's Robert Graves?"
"I am Benjamin Graves, Robert's younger brother," the wizard who had just questioned him asked, "Who are you? If you don't reveal your identity, I will take action."
"That's Tom Riddle!"
An angry voice came from behind the crowd. Frank stood beside Benjamin and said through gritted teeth, "That's Riddle, the man who hit me and attacked my uncle!"
Riddle?
In an instant, all the Graves members looked at Tom with unfriendly eyes, which was quite consistent with the rule that the villain forces must be very united.
"Riddle, Robert is out on a mission. If you want to find him, you can leave your contact information. I will notify you as soon as he returns."
Benjamin stopped the restless clansmen. He was not a fool, but the most astute person in the Graves family. He also knew that Tom was not a fool. He dared to attack his house so brazenly, and he must have his own 883 to rely on.
Either it's their own strength, or there's someone hiding in the dark.
He kept searching the area, trying to find some traces, but unfortunately he found nothing. The ground was covered with snow and there was nothing unusual.
"It's okay." Tom shook his head. "It doesn't matter if Robert is not here. You guys are fine here."
After saying this, he casually threw the sign on the door back, and it grew several times larger, allowing everyone in the Graves family to clearly read the words on it.
"What?!"
"Speak nonsense!"
"This b*****d insulted the Graves family, arrest him!"
All of Graves's people became extremely angry and took out their wands. As long as Benjamin gave the order, they would cast the most vicious curse they knew on Tom.
"I'm here to mess things up today. Don't worry, you can come one by one or all at once. I don't mind."
Tom opened the box in his hand and threw a large number of white gloves at the members of the Graves family. His strength was so great that they hit people in the face and hurt them.
Everyone at Graves was stunned. Was this guy a wholesaler of white gloves? Why did he carry so many with him?
Benjamin's eyes flashed with ferocity, and the rationality he had managed to maintain almost disappeared in the face of Tom's unscrupulous provocation.
"Riddle, you just used magic, right? You violated the Statute of Secrecy. Even though you are a British wizard, this is North American territory. I will send you to the North American Congress for trial."
"Falling unconscious!"
Since he had decided to take action, he didn't care about bullying the weak. Without even saying hello, he fired the spell he had been secretly accumulating at the fastest speed.
Tom reached out and caught the arc of the spell steadily in his palm, then clenched his palm into a fist, and the light suddenly disappeared.
"How is this possible!" Benjamin stared at the scene with wide eyes, wondering if he had failed in casting the spell. But this was the simplest Stunning Spell, and even a third-year student couldn't fail, right?
"Second uncle, what's wrong with you? Let me do it!"
Frank glared at Benjamin in frustration. He couldn't even use a stunning spell properly. His second uncle only had a good brain.
"Shattered to pieces!"
Frank was definitely the one who hated Tom the most in the Graves family.
His image as a favored child and an elite wizard was completely destroyed after it was hung on the wall that day.
But before that, with Dumbledore and other professors at Hogwarts, even if he wanted to kill Tom, he didn't dare to do it.
Now he finally found the opportunity. He didn't need to kill Tom. As long as he caught him and sent him to jail, he could kill Tom quietly.
However, the scene just now was repeated, with the same hand and the same crushing spell.
Graves and his men finally realized something was wrong. Tom also moved. With a light step of his foot, he disappeared from the spot and rushed to Benjamin with a long afterimage. A brick appeared in his hand and he hit him on the head.
Bang!
The bricks shattered, Benjamin's head started bleeding, his eyes rolled up, and he passed out.
"Uncle!" Frank was horrified. Tom turned around and kicked him again - crack! Frank's legs were twisted in a strange shape, and he fell to the ground with a scream, and his wand was dislocated.
Tom took the wand, broke it into two pieces with a little force, and threw it on the ground casually.
"This kid is acting strangely. Let's work together to break his defense!"
At the reminder of an old woman, the other members of the Graves family woke up as if from a dream, and released magic at Tom one after another. The light of the spell flew in the sky, and Tom had no intention of dodging. He rushed towards the person closest to him under the rain of spells.
Among all the twelve trials that have been completed, the Iron Skin Talent given by the three-headed dog Lu Wei seems to be the most mediocre and useless one, but in fact the upper limit of this talent is very high.
It not only has a passive defense effect, but can also actively provide magic power to enhance defense, and gradually became Tom's trump card.
Tom had previously tested the Copper Skin and Iron Bones' ultimate defense in the learning space. Without him actively using (ceee) magic, Ariana would not be able to break through his defense unless she used the power of the Obscurus.
After exerting all his strength to bless the magic, even the King of the Century was like facing a turtle shell. A few spells hit Tom without any pain, unless it was an extremely evil black magic [the domainer simply used the killing curse.
Anyway, Grindelwald helped him test it several times and then shook his head.
Even though he and Dumbledore could easily change the terrain and celestial phenomena, they could not change the reality that they were fragile, but Tom became the "tank" among wizards.
How come all good things happen to this kid?
But now, these people from the Graves family don't even need to waste magic power. He can remain unscathed by relying solely on the passive effects.
Screams rang out one after another, and Tom called out their names one by one, either knocking them unconscious or breaking their arms and legs with kicks.
But what remains unchanged is the final finishing touch – breaking their wands.
The wizard's wand is almost their external organ. The longer they keep it, the better they will get used to it. Many people find that their spellcasting ability is not as good as before after changing their wands.
Tom didn't kill anyone, but he did kill their heart.
This was inspired by Grindelwald. It can only be said that when two demons get together, they really learn from each other and praise each other.
After losing half of their men, the remaining Graves finally couldn't hold on any longer and wanted to Apparate to the nearest MACUSA liaison office for help.
"Usagi."
Tom just kicked lightly and crushed the old woman's hand bones. [shouted to the sky.
Yin———!
After the earth-shattering dragon roar, the black Splinter Cell poked its head out from behind the clouds and blew a dragon's breath towards the ground. The two wizards who had just started the Apparition were stopped and their spells failed.
He fell to the ground in a mess.
"Didn't you see the sign? Graves and dogs are not allowed in or out."
Tom rushed to a wizard and used a Kun-style Iron Mountain Backstroke, causing him to spit blood.
With Usagi's suppression, Graves's people were really helpless and could only watch as Tom withstood their attack spells, knocked people down one by one, and then destroyed the magic wands.
"Riddle! Robert will never let you go! MACUSA will not let you go either!"
"AvadaKedavra!"
When only the last wizard was left standing, the man finally used the Unforgivable Curse. Tom also dodged for the first time and dodged the spell sideways, but the green light hit a member of the Graves directly, and the person who cast the spell was furious.
"No!"
He was about to collapse. Not only did he not kill Tom, he also killed his aunt.
"Ah, seeing how miserable you are, I'd better help you get rid of it.
Tom sighed, walked up to him step by step, and pinched his throat slightly.
Snap!
He was a man of principles. If Graves hadn't used the Unforgivable Curse before, he wouldn't have killed him. But as long as someone dared to use the Unforgivable Curse, he would naturally show no mercy.
thump---!
Throwing the dead wizard on the ground like garbage, Tom raised his head and looked towards the fourth floor of the castle, where stood a white-haired old man.
The old man was hunched over and also looking at him.
Their eyes met in mid-air, and Tom suddenly smiled and walked into the castle, all the way to the door of the room and pushed it open.
This is a bedroom of more than 200 square meters. In the room there is not only a white-haired old man, but also three shivering little wizards.
Tom just glanced at the three young wizards hiding behind the side door and ignored them. His eyes were fixed on the old man. With a gentle smile, he politely introduced himself: "Hello, I am Tom Tom Riddle."
The old man looked calm, showing no sign of anger at the recent loss of two family members.
After Tom introduced himself, he also said softly: "I am Percival Graves.
Tom's smile grew wider.
Oh, or is it.
Chapter 336: The Cowardly Old Dog, Usagi Blocks the Spring
Tom thought about it and pulled Grindelwald's consciousness into the learning space, and also enabled vision sharing.
"Look who this is?"
Just when Old Ge was confused, he heard Tom's reminder and looked at Percival. After looking at him for a while, his brows gradually relaxed and he asked with some guesswork:
"Percival Graves?"
"Yes, that's him."
"Why did you go to find him? Oh, yes, his grandson offended you." Grindelwald only remembered halfway through his words. This was really too petty, but he didn't expect that Tom's mind was even smaller than this, and he traveled thousands of miles to North America for revenge.
However, he still reminded: "This old guy is not simple, you better be careful, don't let him trick you."
The fact that Grindelwald said it was not easy was enough to prove that Percival was quite capable.
At least, none of the four professors at Gwarts had received such praise from him. Even Professor McGonagall's most outstanding Transfiguration skills were barely acceptable to Grindelwald.
The others are not worth mentioning.
Tom once argued for his headmaster, saying that Snape's potion skills were praised by both Dumbledore and Snape, but Grindelwald scoffed at his words.
"I'll point my wand at his head. Do you think he'll help me make the potion?"
This guy is a complete power-oriented person. In his eyes, all abilities that cannot be used in combat and killing enemies are unorthodox. Even his own ability to predict the future is not something he cares about.
Why did Grindelwald choose Percival as his target?
The first reason, of course, was that Percival had a high enough status.
At the time, Percival was only in his thirties, but he was already the Minister of Security (Head of the Auror Office) and Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
He was equivalent to a combination of the powers of Bones and Scrimgeour.
Even President Picquery had to respect him.
So how can he reach such a high position in his thirties?
Because Percival was strong enough, Grindelwald had told Tom before that it took him a lot of effort to subdue Percival, and it was a wonderful duel.
By disguising himself as a powerful and influential person, Grindelwald has much less to consider and can act boldly without worrying about being suspected.
At that time, he easily subdued Newt and Tina with a single-handed, wandless spell.
No one present was surprised.
Even when he was besieged by dozens of Aurors and finally captured, if Newt hadn't suspected his identity and used magic to force out Grindelwald's prototype, no one else would have speculated about this.
It was because they thought Percival's strength was enough to do this.
Decades have passed, and even if this old thing has not made any progress, it deserves to be treated seriously.
Tom would never look down on anyone who was his enemy, even Ronald he would treat seriously, so after entering the room, his magic vision was not closed.
Once Percival made any unusual movements, even if he didn't use his wand or chant any spells, but the changes in magic could not be faked, he would be able to detect it at the first time and strike back.
In the field of vision, Percival's magic power not only surpassed that of the four deans, but was even inferior to Grindelwald's strongest subordinate, Gunnar Grimsson.
Only Aberforth was on a similar level to him.
After a brief silence, Tom found a sofa chair and moved it over. He sat down opposite Percival and said with a smile, "I've heard a lot about you, Mr. Percival Graves. You were really a big name back then."
Percival chuckled to himself, "Popularity? Indeed, among those whose identities Grindelwald had impersonated, I'm probably the most prominent."
"That's also a kind of affirmation." Tom played with the armrest. "Want to have a thrilling duel? If you can't beat the younger one, the older one will do."
"Forget it," Percival said, shaking his head cheerfully. "My old bones are no longer able to move, and I don't want to die today. I still have unfinished business."
Tom tilted his head and asked curiously, "Old man, I killed all your descendants. Don't you want to avenge them?"
Percival still had a smile on his face. "I saw it clearly. You didn't kill anyone from the beginning to the end. It was Kahn who used the Killing Curse on you first and accidentally killed Tracy. Then you killed him. You can't blame anyone else."
"Do you see that sign?" Tom pointed out the window.
Percival remained unmoved. "I was humiliated by Grindelwald and was even worse than a dog. What does this mean?"
"Young man, your grudge with Robert will naturally be resolved by him. Now think about how to face the storm ahead."
The old man was like a turtle shell. No matter how Tom provoked him, he remained unmoved. Finally, he simply closed his eyes and said nothing.
"Well then, I'll wait for the day when you go find Grindelwald and die."
Now Percival's expression finally changed, his eyes opened slightly, and a cold light overflowed in his eyes.
Tom smiled and suddenly lost interest in the old man. He got up and left the bedroom, but did not leave Graves Manor directly. Instead, he found the library and started to search.
It was not until he had left the room for a long time that the little wizard who had been hiding had the courage to come out from the side door and asked cautiously: "Great-great-grandfather, I will go to the Ministry of Magic for help."
Percival shook his head. "Don't go yet. Write to your father and the rest of the tribe and ask them to come back. Graves has been doing well these past few years. It's time to use a humiliation to calm you down."
"In this world, power is always just a carrier and reflection of strength. Without strength, no matter how high your reputation is, it is nothing but a castle in the air. It will be vulnerable when facing a truly powerful person."
Percival returned to the balcony, but instead of looking at his miserable offspring, he looked up at the sky, where Usagi's figure was looming.
A flicker of desire flashed in Percival's eyes.
If he had such a powerful pet...his chances of successful revenge would definitely increase greatly.
Tom was right. After Grindelwald escaped from prison, Percival's only motivation to survive was revenge, even if it meant dying together with his partner.
The reason why he had not shown up before Grindelwald caused trouble in North America was because he knew that he was no match for his opponent now and had to wait until the day when he was sure of victory before launching a thundering attack.
But he didn't know that Grindelwald had seen all his reactions and didn't take it to heart at all.
With Andros as the best example, Grindelwald now understands how much influence a person's state of mind can have on a city.
A person whose courage has been shattered, who claims to be accumulating strength and waiting for the opportunity for revenge, is ultimately not just afraid? It's the same as his conservative offensive when facing Dumbledore.
If he doesn't change his mentality, he will never be able to defeat him in his life.
In the library, Tom used magic to control the books to flash in front of him one after another and be projected into the study space.
When Tom came across a copy of the Graves Family Chronicle, he stopped, took the book and began to read it quickly.
After reading it, Tom was greatly disappointed.
I originally thought that Graves chose such a remote place as his ancestral home for some secret purpose, but it turned out... Song was actually home to ten gold mines.
Grindelwald observed Tom's actions throughout the whole process. Seeing his depressed and disappointed look, he couldn't help but smile and explained:
"Tom, what are you thinking about? Who were the people who came to North America back then? They were all losers, most of them were destitute.
For Graves at the time, money was more important than anything else.
A gold mine was enough to ensure they had a foothold on this continent, and it was understandable that they built their ancestral home there.
"Nothing at all." Tom threw the thick family history aside and asked, "Did you get anything?"
"It's not that simple," Grindelwald snorted. "Do you know why the Albanian forests are so beloved by Dark wizards? Do you run there when you commit a crime?"
"There is a strange aura in that forest. Not only is it difficult to survive, it also affects the effectiveness of magic and erases all traces of magic. Even if it's me, it will take me ten minutes to find it.
Tom understood what Grindelwald meant. His so-called mysterious aura, also known as 'healing energy' in the East, was indeed a nuisance. He brought it up just to change the subject and prevent Grindelwald from mocking him further.
"I do have a way to help."
A gentle female voice interrupted the conversation between the two. Ravenclaw hadn't spoken at some point. "I invented a tracking spell. [It was this spell that helped us find Helena.]"
"That's great. Thank you for your help, Ms. Ravenclaw." Grindelwald's eyes lit up. This was a spell invented by a legendary wizard.
Tom stared at him with disdain: "Look at Rowena, and then look at you, you can't even handle such a small thing."
Grindelwald was completely confused. If Voldemort was so easy to find, why would Dumbledore have waited until now? Even if he couldn't catch him, he would still make him suffer.
After scanning all the books in the library, Tom picked a room at random and destroyed the entire manor's Floo network. Graves had already woken up one after another in the snow, but he didn't care.
Everyone's wand was destroyed. They weren't even toothless tigers, but toothless cats at best.
Tom walked through their midst in such a brazen manner, and there were only resentful looks at him, but no one dared to attack him.
Arriving at the perimeter of the iron fence, Tom bent it and put up a sign next to it that said "Dog Hole." He then crossed out the dog on the big sign. "Sui Miao said to Graves who was standing there:
"I thought about it, dogs are good friends of humans, how can we bully them?"
"Of course, you can also come in and out from here. After all, I'm not a devil."
The boy smiled brightly, but in the eyes of everyone, it was a smile scarier than the devil. If they really walked out of that hole, "wouldn't that mean they were admitting they were dogs?"
How will Graves survive in North America in the future?
"I'm leaving now. No need to see me off."
As if saying goodbye to good friends, Tom waved enthusiastically before leaving [and disappeared step by step in the wind and snow.
Several hours passed after he left before some members of the Graves family returned. They had originally intended to use the Floo Network to return directly to the manor, but that didn't work. They could only teleport to a nearby public fireplace and then Apparate to the manor.
Dragon's breath descended from the sky, forcing several people out of the state of spatial movement in advance and forcing them to land outside the manor. Then a shocking dragon roar and explosions sounded one after another.
Percival sighed as he looked at the two tribesmen who had fainted at the gate.
"Contact the Magical Congress for help."
He didn't expect Tom to be so cruel and even leave his pets behind to block the door. He really wanted to trample on the face of their family.
I found that many readers were really impatient. They didn't say they wouldn't kill anyone. Their goal this time was to improve their reputation. If they killed everyone right away, how would they let others know who did it? Would they just come out and say it themselves?
Killing people has to be done step by step. Since they are designed to be villains, they will die in the end. I won't drag it out for too long. Can you be patient?
Chapter 337:' It's' Warning, A Lively Christmas
The first reaction of the Magical Congress after receiving the message for help was that Grindelwald had called again, and they immediately sent several Auror teams to provide support. At the same time, other Graves also rushed in from all over the country.
After arriving at the manor, everyone's first glance was at the huge sign at the door.
Several of them had angry faces, and they were obviously members of the Graves family. Just as they drew their wands and prepared to blow the sign to pieces, Usagi immediately sent a dragon star cluster, and a golden meteor shower fell from the sky with terrifying energy.
The order she received was to block all Graves. Anyone who wanted to enter or leave the manor had to go through a dog hole. No matter who attacked her, she could fight back without restraint, regardless of life or death.
The wizards who came to the rescue reacted quickly and worked together to hold up a protective shield to block the falling meteor. Only then did they discover Usagi hiding in the clouds and launched a counterattack.
However, the Aurors' soft spells could not leave any mark on the hard scales.
Usagi dived down rapidly, and his body was covered by a huge dragon-shaped phantom.
The shaky protective shield shattered, and a Graves was unable to dodge and was smashed into a pulp.
He turned around and sprayed a purple light cannon, melting another wizard.
The thick and powerful tail swept through, forcing the Aurors to roll and dodge. The tail whipped the ground, causing the earth to tremble violently "two five seven". The crackling cracks extended for hundreds of meters, which was terrifying to watch.
"What the hell is this monster?" an Auror looked at Usagi in horror. "It's scarier than a dragon!"
In the end, the Aurors fled in a panic, leaving behind three corpses, and the Graves in the manor were dumbfounded.
The reinforcements they called in were driven away so easily?
And it wasn't Riddle who did it, it was just a pet he left behind.
Many of Graves's people have already lost hope. Is there any hope for them?
Fortunately, the means of communication within the castle were not cut off, and owls kept coming in and out. Because Robert was humiliated in England, the "I Chat" address book in the manor had been thrown away, so they had to use this primitive method.
The North American Magical Congress headquarters finally understood the whole story. After listening to his subordinates' reports, President Samuel Kohaug was silent for a long time before asking:
"So you're saying that Tom Riddle, not only did he humiliate Robert at Hogwarts, but he also came to kill him?"
The Auror who came to report hesitated for a moment, but nodded. "President, five members of the Graves family have been killed, and two Aurors have also died.
This is no longer a personal feud between the two sides.
Tom Riddle is provoking the North American wizarding community.
He is declaring war on us."
"What are you waiting for? Arrest him! Even if he runs back to England, we have to bring him back!" Kou Haoge slammed the table, his face flushed.
"Do you think North America is a pushover? You're going to step on every one of them! I can tolerate Grindelwald, but why is he, a young man who hasn't even graduated yet, so arrogant? Send a letter to the British Ministry of Magic, asking them to cooperate in capturing Riddle, or the two countries will sever all cooperation and diplomatic ties completely!"
Colehaug was furious. Ever since Grindelwald escaped from prison, the MACUSA had been plagued by bad luck. First, the Picquery family was slaughtered, and now it was Graves' turn. If this continued, would it be his turn?
If Tom Riddle is not brought to justice this time, his authority as the president will be destroyed, and North American wizards will be ridiculed and looked down upon by wizards from other countries, becoming an international laughing stock.
"Several Auror teams can't even subdue a magical beast? What are you doing? If a dozen people don't work, then use dozens. If dozens don't work, then use hundreds! Where's Leopold (Head of the Auror Office)? Tell him to take all the men and tear Riddle's pet into pieces!"
"Samuel, I'm afraid things aren't as simple as you think. Human wave tactics won't be very effective against that magical creature called Usagi.
Before the reporting Auror could reply, the door was pushed open.
There are only a handful of people in North America who dare to barge into the president's office so rudely, and the one coming today is Albert Fontana, the current headmaster of Ilvermorny.
"Albert, what do you mean?" Kohauge frowned and looked at the newcomer and asked.
"I'm just giving my assessment."
Facing the furious Kohaug, Albert von Natta remained calm and explained, "Riddle's pet is incredibly powerful, even he's wary of it.
Coupled with the air superiority, even with a full force of elite troops, it would be difficult to stop him, unless... you're prepared for an all-out war and reveal your cards."
"What do you mean it..." Kohaug said nonchalantly, then suddenly his eyes widened. "You said 'it'... is also afraid of Riddle's pet? How is that possible?!"
"You go out first." Cole Haug pointed to the door, and the reporting Auror strode out of the office without looking back as if he had been pardoned.
"It's not fear, but dread. 'It' sensed the presence of divinity from Usaqi." Feng Nata corrected Samuel Kohaug's words.
"But doesn't it say..." Kou Haoge hesitated, "Doesn't this world have gods?"
"Perhaps, like 'it', it is also a survivor from a previous era."
Kou Haoge's expression suddenly became excited: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's catch it quickly. Wouldn't that give us a better chance of success?"
Albert shook his head. "Samuel, Usagi and 'it' don't exist in the same system. We don't have the energy to pursue new research right now."
"I'm here just to tell you not to confront Tom Riddle and his pets head-on. That will definitely not be worth the effort. You must defeat him through the rules and try to lock him up in our prison. That way, no matter what secrets he has, we will eventually get them.
Kouhaug nodded, and he also felt that what Albert said made sense.
At present, none of the ruins have been fully excavated, and there really is no more people to sort them out.
He also knew that person's strength. 'It' is the foundation of all the ambitions of the Magic Congress.
Even Usagi, who is feared by it, must be difficult to deal with.
But there is still a problem, that is how the Graves family should respond.
"By the way, with such a big thing happening, where did Robert go?"
Kou Haoge suddenly thought of the key person. The conflict between the two sides was caused by Robert. He also knew Robert's plan and wanted to use this as an excuse to supervise Tom's alchemy tools.
Finally, everything became Graves's property.
As a result, the game collapsed right from the start.
"He and Babajid are in Paris," Albert said. "I will be responsible for comforting Robert. You need to contact Babajid. Both sides should put pressure on him so that even Dumbledore will not dare to protect him.
Colehaug said viciously, "Murdering wizards and casting spells outside the school. Not to mention Dumbledore, even if Merlin were alive again, Riddle would never be able to escape the charges. I say that!"
Overnight, the news spread like wildfire throughout the small circle of North American upper-level teachers...
Everyone knows that the Graves family was defeated by a thirteen-year-old boy. More than ten people were defeated and none of them could defeat him. Even their wands were broken, and in the end, someone was killed.
When they first heard about it, they thought it was a pre-release version of the April Fool's Day digest, but rumors from all sides confirmed the authenticity of the news.
Someone went to visit the Graves family and saw the warning sign at the door. The thoughtful Mr. Riddle even cast a fluorescent spell on the sign, so that it could be seen even in the dark.
See.
At the Waller household, after Andrew told Cassandra the news, the girl was stunned for several minutes before she quickly took out her address book and contacted Tom who had already returned to the UK.
[Potential Golden Retriever Masochist: Tom, are you crazy? The Graves family is dying to have you cut into pieces, and the president of Congress has sent people to arrest you. Why are you so impulsive?]
If she had known that Tom was going to do something earth-shattering like this after leaving New York, she would have used super glue to stick Tom to herself.
Tom: Is the news just spreading now? It's much slower than I thought.
[Tom: Don't worry, I'm not a fool. I wouldn't go and die if I didn't have a solution.]
[Potential Golden Haired Masochist: What can you do? So many people have died!]
Tom: What do you think of me going to Grindelwald? If you have the guts, get the Congress and the International Federation of Witches to come to Berlin and arrest me.
Cassandra:
You know what, this method is really... quite effective. If Tom went to Berlin, even if the North American wizards were worried to death, Grindelwald would not pay any attention to him.
[Potential Golden Haired Masochist: You...you really want to join Grindelwald? What are you going to do with the Greengrass sisters and Granger? Are you going to take them with you?]
Tom: Just kidding. I'm doing pretty well at Hogwarts. Okay, stop worrying about my 1.4 and think about how to promote your product. Or are you planning to ban my products across North America because of Graves's situation?
[Potential Golden Haired Masochist: Impossible, they don't have that much face. As long as they can make money, my dad will stab them in the back right now.]
Very good, it fits the style of that country, where money is more important than people.
Closing the notebook, the boy had a smile on his face, and his goal had been half achieved.
The Graves family is now a banner. When you see them, you will understand that Tom Riddle is not someone to be trifled with. Anyone who dares to have any ill intentions towards him will have to pay the price.
The reason why it was only half was that he was completely successful only after he had safely dealt with the questioning of the Magical Congress of North America.
But that was after Christmas, and Tom was not affected at all. He directed the little Lubans to decorate the house with a more festive atmosphere, and he flew to Paris to bring Nicole and his wife to the UK to celebrate the holiday.
The house is very lively this year, with the Newt family, the Greengrass family, and the Nicol couple.
Tom even considered asking Dumbledore, but decided against it.
Hasn't Old Deng lived alone for so many years? He should have gotten used to it by now.
Chapter 338: The Inevitable Shura Field, Nico Warns Dumbledore
"Hello, Mr. Nico, I'm Luban No. 7. You can call me Xiaoqi. That's what my master taught me.
Paris, Nicolas Flamel's manor, Luban No. 7 introduced himself to Nicolas Flamel obediently.
The little Lubans all put up holiday decorations at home, but Xiaoqi is the only exception.
This little girl is clumsy and often daydreams and distracted. The other little Lubans are afraid that she will make things worse, so Tom simply takes Xiaoqi away to prevent her sisters from causing trouble.
Of course, this is only a secondary reason. The main reason is... of course, it's to show off!
What is the concept of alchemical creatures?
He, Tom Riddle, is on par with God in some aspects. He is the creator and the god of creation.
Tom had not revealed the news to anyone after the little Lubans were created. He felt no sense of accomplishment in showing off to ordinary people because they did not understand the difficulty and significance of the process.
But it was completely different when facing the number one person in the history of alchemy. Shocking Nico alone was equivalent to shocking 100,000 small wizards.
Seeing Nico's expression change from indifference at first, to shock and disbelief, and finally his eyes lit up, he squatted down and talked seriously with Xiao Qi [Tom said he wanted to fly I.
"She is 'alive'... Yes, she is 'alive'..."
The old man muttered like a madman... watching Xiaoqi curiously tinkering with various props in the room, and not even getting angry when she broke the cabinet clock that he had treasured for four hundred years. His eyes were kind as if he was looking at his own daughter.
When his gaze turned to Tom, Miere was as if he wanted to eat him.
"How on earth did you do it? I've tried countless times, but every time I created 26, I was just a tool. And Xiao Qi... she's a living being you created. What's wrong with me?"
Tom gave Nico a general account of the existence and characteristics of spirituality. He was not hiding anything, but because there were too many theories and knowledge points involved, and if he finished talking about it, he would not be able to celebrate Christmas.
"Spirituality...it's something that can be overlooked. No, I'm confusing it with the soul. They're not the same concept."
"But how do you attach spirituality to the material?"
"Using magic as a carrier, transforming abstract concepts into concrete substances, isn't this the function of magic?"
Nicolas Flamel nodded repeatedly after hearing this. Tom's words sounded simple, but in fact, they were words that countless wizards could not understand at all. He wanted to go back to the laboratory immediately to start studying the extraction and attachment of spiritual power.
No...the first thing to do should be to find some materials.
"Tom, how about Xiaoqi stay with me?" Nico looked at the energetic Luban No. 7 with a kind look in his eyes. "Let me teach her alchemy. I promise to give you a capable assistant in a few months."
"That won't do." Tom shook his head. "I have several sisters. They're preparing things at home now. You'll see when you go there.
"How many alchemical creatures have you created?"
"There are only seven... no, eight. That's all we have. The critical materials are too scarce."
Of course, Nico knew what the key material Tom was talking about, and he had no intention of dissuading or reminding him.
How could a man who studied alchemy in the Middle Ages, and alchemy related to the human body and life span, be a good person?
In other words, when it does not involve his own interests, Nicolas Flamel may be a kind and loving person, but once it touches his favorite field, hehe... certain bottom lines and morals, then it really doesn't matter.
Seeing that the old man was still asking questions, Tom couldn't stand it anymore. He didn't want to talk about study and work during the holidays, so he called in reinforcements, Perenal.
With the old lady's help, Nico's eyes suddenly became clearer, and his thirst for knowledge was suppressed.
He obediently instructed the house-elves to pack up.
He had originally planned to bring only some daily necessities this time, but now he had changed his mind and had to bring laboratory equipment and materials as well.
While they were packing up, Tom came to Delacour's house. As soon as they met, he gave her a big hug, and after holding her for a while, he started to bite her, fully feeling the enthusiasm of the half-blood veela.
Gabrielle covered her eyes, leaving a gap between her fingers wider than the door, and stared at the two of them without blinking, like a seal looking at two grapes.
Only when she could barely breathe did Furong powerlessly push the boy away, her beautiful eyes filled with resentment: "You still remembered to come look for me? I thought you had forgotten me."
"Gabrielle has been forgotten too." The little girl pouted in grievance and tugged at Tom's pants.
Tom smiled awkwardly and rubbed her head. "I'm busy, right? There's been so much chaos lately, and I've only just finished dealing with it."
The news from North America had not yet reached here, and Furong had no idea what Tom was doing recently. She thought he was talking about business, so she snorted and stopped complaining.
She actually knew Tom's hard work. In just one semester, 'I Chat' had changed the way many wizards communicated, which must have required a lot of effort.
"You said so. I won't be busy later. Then you must be a good guide when I get to Hogwarts."
"Huh?" Tom asked, a question mark on his forehead. "When are you going to Hogwarts?"
Two hours later, a luxurious carriage pulled by two Pegasus horses rushed into the sky from Nicolae Flamel's manor.
Tom slumped in the sofa, looking miserable.
Miscalculated... miscalculated.
He had completely forgotten about the Underage Wizards Duel Tournament, but today, Fleur gave him a wake-up call. This rubbish tournament was actually being held so frequently?!
A big part of the reason he released Grindelwald was to avoid the Shura field.
It's almost a world war, who has the energy to care about children playing around? Aren't you afraid that your house will be robbed if you go out?
Unfortunately, Tom was wrong.
With Dumbledore's presence, the saying that Hogwarts was the safest place in the world was becoming more and more widely accepted, especially after he really forced Grindelwald to retreat.
Allowing outstanding students to come and participate in the competition would not only help them grow, but also be safe.
Naturally, the competition would not be cancelled.
"What happened to you, kid?" Nicolas Flamel looked at Tom's listless appearance and asked curiously: "Did you have a quarrel with the little girl from the Delacour family?"
"THE..."
Tom sighed and told Nico about his troubles, which made Nico laugh.
"You guys are afraid sometimes? If you were afraid, you shouldn't have messed with so many girls in the first place."
Tom rolled his eyes and said, "What do you know, old fogey? Troubles are only temporary, but a happy life is a lifelong thing."
"Who are you calling an old-fashioned?"
The old man pointed at the young man and was about to say something mean, but he couldn't help laughing: "Forget it, I won't kick you when you're down. You'll have a headache later.
"But... Veela blood is very magical. If they choose someone, they will basically not change their mind. You don't have to worry too much.
Is this what he's worried about?
Tom raised his glass and took a sip of orange juice. He was worried about what Daphne would do to him. If she started a fight with Fleur, wouldn't everyone else be laughing at them?
Nico wanted to share some of his romantic experiences in the past, but at this moment, the notebook that Tom had placed on the table suddenly trembled. The boy waved his hand casually, and the notebook automatically opened to a blank page. Soon, the image of Dumbledore appeared on the paper.
"That's strange." Tom recovered a lot and said jokingly, "Professor, this seems to be your first time video chatting with me.
Normally, Dumbledore would at least smile back, but today he looked extremely serious and only nodded slightly: "Merry Christmas, Tom.
"I didn't expect you to get yourself into so much trouble just by going to North America."
"Trouble?" The young man raised his eyebrows. "I don't think it's a trouble. It's just a small thing."
"North America?" Nico came closer curiously. "What were you doing in North America?"
Dumbledore was also taken aback when he saw the old man suddenly appear. "Nicol? Are you with Tom?"
"This guy has some conscience," the old man said with a smile. "He invited Perenelle and me to come to England for Christmas. We're still on our way, and I think the 280 newts have already arrived."
Dumbledore was very tired. The problem had already been brought to his head, but the person involved was still thinking about celebrating the holiday. They really didn't regard the Magical Congress as a human being at all.
"What trouble did you say Tom got into?" Nico asked again.
Dumbledore had no choice but to speak out, and Tom listened quietly to see how the North American forces were going to put the blame on him.
Dumbledore finished speaking quickly, and the difference between it and the truth was not that big. After all, wizards have the means to extract memories, and there are so many people involved, so a random fabrication would be easily exposed.
"You really are restless."
Nicolas Flamel glared at the boy who looked calm and said, "You want to attack a prosperous family alone? Why don't you make more preparations? What if the enemy predicts that you will go?"
How about preparing manpower for an ambush and attack in advance?"
"A duel is the stupidest way to go. Why not poison them instead of using medicine? Just a little bit of Dragon Charm potion will razed that manor to the ground by a mad fire dragon. Isn't that better than doing it yourself?"
Tom lowered his head shyly. "Isn't this just to establish my authority... Or is it better to use simple and crude methods to make a lasting impression? Otherwise, who would know it was me?"
Dumbledore listened to the conversation between the two and his beard twitched: "...How could you teach Tom like this? He's still a child..."
"Albus!"
Nico interrupted him and said, "I know your character. You are humble, reserved, and restrained. You often choose to give in and sacrifice your own interests to maintain stability.
"But that's what you think."
The old alchemist's expression was unprecedentedly cold, and there was even a hint of warning in his tone: "Don't impose your ideas on Tom. He has his own way of doing things and his own way of thinking. Also, don't tell me you don't understand what Graves is planning. Is Tom going too far?"
"Either you help him deal with these small matters, or let me handle them. Don't let them affect the child's life and study."
"Tom's energy should not be involved in these trivial matters."