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371 Galleons. Tom didn't keep a single Knut for himself.
The Galleons he had withdrawn from Gringotts were his entire life savings. He was now officially broke.
He had purchased two sets of back-to-school supplies, a massive pile of magical textbooks, and a wand for each of the girls.
Of course, normally, kids Misha and Isabelle's age wouldn't be allowed to buy wands or official school supplies. But Tom, having anticipated this, had sent a letter ahead of time to Professor Dumbledore.
With Dumbledore's personal guarantee backing them, the shopkeepers had happily sold the goods to Misha and the shadow.
"Why did you buy two of everything?" Hermione whispered, leaning in close to Tom's ear.
She was standing so close that her brown curls naturally brushed against his neck.
It tickled.
Scratching his neck, Tom thoughtfully tucked Hermione's long hair behind her ear. "Of course I had to buy two sets. Think about it, Hermione. If I only bought one set, who should I give it to? Misha? Or Isabelle? Giving it to either of them would be unfair to the other, right? Besides, it's just Galleons. I'm not that broke."
"But you don't have any money left now, do you? What are you going to do for the rest of the holidays?"
This time, Tom didn't answer right away. He just slowly shifted his gaze over to Hermione.
"What are you looking at me for?!" Hermione gasped, clutching her chest defensively. "Tom, you expect me to pay for you?!"
"Well, who else? As long as I can survive this week, I'll consider it a victory. Starting next week, I'm going to spend money like water."
"You bastard!!!"
Meanwhile, Misha and the shadow were absolutely thrilled, clutching their new magical textbooks to their chests.
They finally had their very own spellbooks and wands!
"Check your piles," Tom called out to them. "Do you both have a copy of One Thousand and One Magical Herbs and Fungi?"
"Yes!"
"Good. The ingredients are all bought, too. For the rest of the holidays—right up until school starts—you two are going to be sticking with me."
That's exactly what we wanted! Misha and the shadow exchanged a sharp look, neither willing to back down.
"..." Hermione, suddenly connecting the dots, glared at Tom. "So that's why you snuck those cauldrons into my luggage beforehand!"
You cunning, wicked scoundrel!
Why didn't you just carry the cauldrons yourself?! You made me drag them all the way here! My shoulders bore a weight no eleven-year-old should have to endure!
"Hermione, I'll be counting on you, too," Tom added smoothly.
Hermione: "? No! Absolutely not! This is my beautiful winter holiday! I still have to go visit the Weasleys' house! Ron's sister really wants to meet me!"
The shadow chimed in from the side. "Sister Hermione, you can just take Misha with you to the Weasleys'! I'll stay here with Tom. When you get back from your trip, Misha and I can have a duel to see who learned more!"
"I am not dueling you," Misha muttered, turning her head away. She had already been tricked by the shadow once today; she knew the shadow had some ulterior motive.
Besides... as much as she liked Hermione, she still preferred staying with Tom.
"Alright, time to head back," Tom announced. "Diagon Alley isn't safe at night. Over there is Knockturn Alley." He pointed down a dark, sketchy side street. "You are absolutely not allowed to go down there, understand?"
"Understood."
When Tom gave an order, Misha and the shadow listened. No arguments, no backtalk.
Taking care of them was so easy. It was miles better than dealing with a certain stubborn, occasionally disobedient know-it-all who liked to punch him in the arm whenever she got annoyed.
Thinking of that, Tom shot a sideways glance at Hermione.
Yeah, I'm talking about you!
---
Back at the house.
Tom spread a massive pile of potion ingredients out on the table.
"Can you identify these?"
The shadow and Misha looked at the ingredients, then down at their textbooks.
"Oh, Misha is absolutely terrible at this kind of stuff," the shadow said in a mocking, high-pitched voice. "Don't these all look exactly the same? Why do they have different names and different effects? This one is clearly a—"
"You've crossed a line!" Misha yelled at the shadow. "Can you stop doing voiceovers for me?! It's really annoying!"
The shadow ignored her. "Hmph."
Misha ignored her right back. "Hmph!"
The two of them simultaneously turned their heads in opposite directions, refusing to interact.
"Are you sure they're going to be okay?" Hermione asked, looking concerned.
Looking at the two of them, she genuinely worried a fight might break out. That was the last thing she wanted to see. They looked practically identical; if they walked outside, everyone would think they were twins. Twins shouldn't fight like this.
"What's the problem? They're fine," Tom waved her off dismissively. "Just let them be."
Suddenly, a tap sounded against the glass. An owl was pecking at the window.
The bird seemed incredibly anxious, its dark green feathers ruffling wildly as it flapped its wings.
"Is that Professor Snape's owl?" Tom asked, confused. He walked over and opened the window.
The owl landed on his shoulder, a letter tied securely to its leg.
---
Hogwarts.
"Minerva, have the letters been sent to all of them?"
"They are already on their way," Professor McGonagall said breathlessly. She was more frantic than anyone had ever seen her, walking so fast she was practically a blur. "No matter what, we must ensure the students' safety. There are still a few children remaining in the castle, yes? Gather them all in one place. We must keep them under strict guard. Where is Rubeus?"
Hagrid rushed down the corridor, stepping ahead of everyone to push open the heavy wooden door.
Inside the room, the three-headed dog was covered in deep gashes, blood pooling across the stone floor.
Seeing the state of the beast, Hagrid's heart clenched in pain.
"My friend, my poor friend. For someone to hurt you like this... it's unforgivable!"
Dumbledore looked around at the gathered professors, coughing softly to draw their attention.
"As you all likely know by now, the Dark Lord has returned. During the Christmas ball, no one noticed him slip in. But the good news is, he has not yet acquired the Sorcerer's Stone. He is not fully resurrected. We still have a chance."
The professors' expressions turned grim.
This was not a drill. Thank Merlin the Dark Lord hadn't managed to get his hands on the Stone.
"There are a few children we need to focus on immediately. We must either ensure they are in a safe location or bring them back to the castle," Dumbledore stated. "First is Harry Potter. The Dark Lord's primary target is likely him. Hagrid, I need you to go personally and bring Harry back."
"Then there is Hermione Granger. However, I have received word that she will be staying with the Weasley family for a portion of the holidays. She should be safe there; we need not worry about her."
"Next is Cho Chang. When Tom and Hermione sneaked into Hogsmeade earlier this year, they used Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves as her. We must ensure her safety as well."
"And finally..."
At those words, a single name flashed through the minds of every professor present.
Tom Riddle.
"Severus, can you go and bring him back? He is the child I worry about the most. He is brave, brilliant, and possesses a strong sense of justice. But I fear his sense of justice is too strong. When faced with the Dark Lord, his first instinct will be to fight, not to run. And that is incredibly dangerous."
Professor Sprout's hand shot into the air instantly. "I'll go! Albus, let me go! I will bring Tom back."
"Pomona? Very well."
Snape cleared his throat loudly. "I have already sent an owl to Tom."