When Tom opened his eyes and saw a strange ceiling above him, he immediately realized he was back in the real world. Then he felt the "heavy weight" on his body. Just as he expected, the one who had been lying on top of him was Hannah, worry written all over her face.
"Meow~"
(Relax, see? I'm totally fine.)
Tom spoke out of habit, then quickly realized his voice had reverted back to normal cat sounds.
Looks like the reason I could talk over there was either something special about that place… or about my soul itself.
With a helpless sigh, he lifted a paw, reaching for the little whiteboard he kept with him.
"Your friend says he's okay, and you don't need to worry about him."
While Tom fumbled around for the whiteboard, an old but warm voice spoke from behind Hannah. Before Tom could react, the burlap bag on his body suddenly started squirming.
"S-Sorry, Headmaster Dumbledore!"
The moment Hannah heard that voice, she froze. She quickly climbed off Tom, looking miserable.
"It's all my fault Tom ended up like this… Please punish me!"
(╥﹏╥)
"Whether you should be punished—and what the punishment should be—isn't for me to decide."
Dumbledore walked over with a gentle smile.
"The only one who can decide how to punish you… is the student you harmed. He is the only one with that right."
He bent down to look at Tom, clearly curious about what this special student would choose.
Tom managed to pin down the squirming bag on him, then looked at Hannah, who stood with her head down. After thinking for a moment, he wrote:
[Of course you should be punished. Severely, in fact!]
Hannah's face twisted—guilt, sadness, relief, shame… all mixing together. Meanwhile, Tom flashed a mischievous grin and kept writing:
[As for the punishment… you're gonna work for me for free from now on! At least until we graduate. Don't even think about earning a single penny from me~]
"H-Huh?!"
Hannah froze. She thought she'd be expelled for almost killing a classmate… but Tom only asked this?
And judging by Dumbledore's expression… he approved of this punishment too?
So what was all the emotional preparation she'd done for?!
"Are you sure you don't want the school to expel me?"
[Why would I want that? You're my friend. I'm standing here alive, aren't I? I'm not heartless enough to kick you out of Hogwarts.
Besides, without you, I might've gone my whole life without knowing what chocolate tastes like. So really, it's not a big deal.]
Tom patted Hannah on the shoulder, acting all magnanimous.
And honestly—if that accident hadn't happened, he never would've met Ariana or learned about Dumbledore and Grindelwald's messy relationship story.
Thinking that, he couldn't help sneaking a look at Dumbledore—the kind, gentle, white-bearded old man.
I wonder if this old guy is the "top" or the "bottom"~ (￣ω￣)
Whether it was to prevent Tom from changing his mind, or because Hannah was getting too emotional, or maybe because Dumbledore felt Tom's stare was… suspicious… he finally said:
"All right, Ms. Abbott, you've been here long enough. Since Tom is awake, go get some rest. I'd rather not have Madam Pomfrey chase both of us out."
"Yes, thank you, Professor! And you too, Tom!"
Hannah nodded hard, then smiled at Tom.
"I'll come see you tomorrow!"
And she hurried out of the infirmary.
"Thank you for forgiving her," Dumbledore said, turning back to Tom. "She really did make a mistake, but she's been trying her hardest to make up for it. She's been staying by your bedside every moment she wasn't in class, and she even argued with Madam Pomfrey several times.
Honestly, even I wouldn't dare argue with Madam Pomfrey. If we did a resorting right now… she might very well end up in Gryffindor."
"Meow~"
(I mean, sure, I'm salty she fed me chocolate, but I never blamed her.)
Since Dumbledore understood cat-speech, Tom didn't bother pulling out the whiteboard again. He stretched lazily—
But the moment he raised his paws over his head, he froze.
"Meow?!"
(Wait—'resorting'? Are you saying… the Sorting Ceremony is already over?!)
"Of course. You've been asleep for more than a week. The ceremony won't wait forever."
Dumbledore nodded matter-of-factly.
"…Meow?"
(So… my Sorting…?)
Tom's mind went blank.
The Sorting Ceremony was over? Then what now? Was he supposed to be a student with no house?
…Well… I guess that wouldn't be impossible?
Just as he was wondering how he'd survive drifting between four different houses, Dumbledore added:
"Well… you might consider re-enrolling next year."
He even winked playfully.
"MEOW!!"
(ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!)
Before Tom could argue, the door was shoved open. A woman in a nurse's uniform strode in—kind face, but intimidating presence.
"If you plan on disturbing my patient's recovery any further, Professor Dumbledore, I will have to ask you to leave."
She shot Dumbledore a glare, then turned to Tom, and her whole expression softened.
"How are you feeling, dear? To be honest, when they first brought you in, I didn't think you'd make it. Your heartbeat was so faint we could barely detect it. If the professor and your friends hadn't insisted, I was this close to signing a death certificate."
Tom wrote:
[Thank you for treating me and taking care of me. I really appreciate it.]
He knew she wasn't exaggerating—technically, he had died once after being brought in. His revival was due entirely to his unusual nature. But she'd tried her best, so he offered sincere gratitude.
"I only did my job. Your recovery wasn't because of me."
Even so, Madam Pomfrey couldn't hide the tiny smile tugging at her lips. She pulled a small candy from her pocket and gave it to Tom.
"How about a piece of candy to celebrate surviving all that? Don't worry, it's just a regular one—you can eat it."
"Meow~"
Tom accepted it happily. Even if he wasn't traumatized, a gift was a gift.
"Good boy."
She patted his head lovingly—then immediately glared back at Dumbledore.
"Professor, this child just recovered. He needs rest. If you don't have any official business, then please stop bothering him."
She put extra emphasis on "official business."
Dumbledore chuckled helplessly.
"Don't worry, Madam Pomfrey. I'll only take a moment."
"For your sake, I hope so."
She ruffled Tom's fur one last time, sent Dumbledore another warning stare, and left the room.
If she didn't know he truly had important matters to discuss, she would've thrown him out already.
---