For Hagrid, the feeding instructions were simple enough. The half giant agreed readily.
Just as Tom turned to leave, Hagrid shifted awkwardly and called him back.
"Tom... tomorrow is my first class. Got any advice?"
Beneath the excitement of finally becoming a professor lurked genuine anxiety. What if he failed? What if his lesson went poorly? It would not only embarrass him but reflect badly on Dumbledore for trusting him.
"What year?"
Tom took a bite of an apple. "And what have you planned? Let me hear it."
"Sixth year," Hagrid said eagerly, standing up straighter. "I picked kelpies. By the Black Lake. Students can enjoy the scenery while observing them. I will prepare fish for feeding, and afterward they can help clear the water weeds."
"No," Tom replied at once, shaking his head. "Too dangerous."
"Kelpies? Dangerous?" Hagrid looked baffled. "I think they are quite gentle."
"Do not measure students by your standards. Follow the curriculum."
Tom tossed the finished apple core into a nearby bin with perfect accuracy and dusted off his hands.
"Tell me. What are sixth years supposed to study?"
Hagrid scratched his beard. "Tree frogs, fairies, fire crabs, puffskeins..."
"Stop. Puffskeins."
Tom cut him off decisively.
"They are harmless. Round. Soft. Girls adore them. Perfect for building goodwill during your first lesson."
"But... I do not find them particularly cute..." Hagrid muttered, sounding aggrieved.
"Do not tell me what you think. I am telling you what works."
Tom's tone sharpened.
"You asked for advice. Do not argue with it. Try one lesson my way. If it fails, you can return to kelpies later."
Reasoning with Hagrid rarely succeeded. First, he lacked the subtlety. Second, he was a Gryffindor.
A firm push was more effective.
Sure enough, Hagrid nodded obediently, no longer objecting. It was only one class. The risk was minimal.
They parted outside the hut. Tom headed toward the castle. Hagrid plunged into the Forest to collect puffskeins.
...
[ Ding. ]
As Tom passed the Quidditch pitch, a notification rang out in his mind.
[ Major Task: "Architect of a New World" has reached 10% completion. Phase reward issued. ]
[ Reward: 300 Achievement Points, 1500 Credits, 1 Mid Tier Draw. ]
A flash of excitement crossed Tom's eyes.
His pace quickened instantly.
He had intended to visit the Headmaster's office to reinstall the stone gargoyle.
Now?
Dumbledore could wait.
There were more important matters.
He wanted his new Legendary Teacher.
Returning to the dormitory at top speed, he found it empty. Perfect.
Tom lay back on his bed, closed his eyes, and entered the learning space, summoning the other three.
"Come on," he said eagerly. "Time to welcome our new teacher. I have saved enough energy at last."
Andros' eyes gleamed. "Finally."
Grindelwald and Ariana exchanged curious glances. Both century kings were visibly intrigued.
Tom had already told them that this next summon would bring forth an Immortal Legend stronger than any of them.
To find someone who could command their respect, someone clearly a tier above them, was no small claim. Across all of magical history, such figures were exceedingly rare.
In Andros' view, perhaps nonexistent.
Even the four founders of Hogwarts, he believed, would not surpass him by much.
That was the confidence of a life unbeaten.
When Tom first made the claim, Andros had bristled slightly. Now he stood ready, eager to test this so called superior.
"I hope I can fight without restraint this time," Andros said, aura flaring with anticipation.
Ariana clasped her hands together. "I hope it is a woman. Then I will finally have company."
"I do not mind either way," Grindelwald said lightly, nodding toward Andros. "As long as it is not another battle obsessed brute."
"Oi! That is insulting!"
Under the expectant gazes of four powerful souls, Tom pressed the summon button for Immortal Legend.
Achievement Points drained away like water.
Then the space trembled violently.
The mist at its edges churned and receded more rapidly than ever before. The expansion was dramatic.
Twice the size.
Three times.
Four.
The ground stretched outward until the boundaries were barely visible to the eye. The final area exceeded even Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest combined, resembling a desolate, newborn world.
And then,
Nothing.
No figure.
No presence.
Tom and the others cast enhanced vision spells, scanning the horizon.
A notification flickered.
[ Unknown error detected. Summoned soul memory incomplete. System repairing. ]
[ Residual soul fragment erased. Restoring target memory... restoration complete. Re summoning. ]
Tom blinked.
Wait.
He asked for a teacher.
Did the system just... execute someone mid process?
What exactly had it done?