Time flew by.
At King's Cross Station, on Platform 9¾, the next generation of Death Eaters reunited and boarded the Hogwarts Express together.
"The Dark Lord must be waiting for us, Scarface! Hurry!"
"You should slow down, you'll run into someone."
"Honestly, must you all rush about as if you'll never grow up?"
"Hermione doesn't want to see Tom Riddle?"
"It's not that, it's just…"
Harry and Malfoy raced ahead, while Hermione and Luna followed at a more leisurely pace, chatting idly.
They were headed to the same carriage further down the train, the one almost no one else ever used.
Why did no one else use it? Because everyone assumed it was reserved for a very particular group.
...
Upon boarding the carriage, they found things exactly as they expected.
Tom Riddle was already seated, flipping through a book. It didn't appear to be The Tales of Beedle the Bard from before. Judging by the illustration, it seemed to be another rather mystical storybook.
Cassandra and Nagini sat on either side of him. Cassandra, like Tom Riddle, was reading, while Nagini held a newspaper.
Tom Riddle's face displayed clear frustration.
After all, the Hogwarts Express seats were padded benches usually meant for two people.
Three people wouldn't be too cramped, just a little crowded.
However, Cassandra and Nagini didn't seem to find the arrangement problematic. Tom Riddle was stuck in the middle; even turning the pages was difficult, thankfully, magic helped him.
"Sir!"
A familiar voice came from beside him, but Tom Riddle didn't even bother to look up.
Though there was no response, Malfoy didn't seem to mind; it was simply his boss's personality.
Harry tugged at Malfoy, trying to get past him.
However, Malfoy's head start wasn't negated, even with Harry grabbing at his hand and clothes.
The two shoved each other toward the bench opposite Tom Riddle and collapsed into the seats.
Hermione, who had entered the carriage later, stood next to Harry and Malfoy's seats, coughing softly.
Luna stood behind Hermione, silent, only tilting her head slightly as she curiously eyed the book in front of Tom Riddle.
"What?"
Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "Those are our seats!"
Harry chimed in, "That's right, we were here first. Hermione, you can't do this."
Hermione didn't say much, just looked conflicted. "Homework…"
"Say no more!"
Malfoy jumped up. "Hermione, you sit down. I'll go sit next door."
Harry also quickly scrambled to his feet. "Yeah, yeah, Hermione, you guys sit. We like sitting over there."
Seeing that the seats they hadn't even warmed were now occupied by Hermione and Luna, Harry didn't show a hint of displeasure. "Um, Hermione, this summer's homework…"
"Come get it from me when you get to Hogwarts."
Hermione rested her chin on her hand. "Just remember not to copy it exactly."
"Okay, Hermione! No problem, Hermione!"
Hearing Hermione's words, Malfoy was overjoyed. "Tell me if anyone at school gives you trouble, and Scarface and I will beat them up!"
Hermione simply waved her hand.
Harry and Malfoy obediently sat down in the chairs next to Tom Riddle and the others.
"..."
Cassandra looked up at Hermione.
Hermione shrugged helplessly. "Aren't they embarrassing Tom Riddle by not even finishing their homework?"
Hearing this, Cassandra, who wasn't particularly concerned with such a small matter, withdrew her questioning gaze.
At that moment, Nagini put down her newspaper, and Luna caught a glimpse of an image on it depicting a black mist shrouding a forest.
"Tom?"
Nagini asked some seemingly innocuous questions. "That fellow seems to be wandering around England or nearby countries. Should we have the remnant soul eliminated?"
Tom Riddle knew what Nagini meant. Voldemort's remnant soul refused to leave, and the places he frequented attracted wizards from all over the world. If this continued, the British Ministry of Magic would find it difficult to control the situation.
Moreover, Voldemort's remnant soul didn't only operate within the wizarding world; he had no qualms about exposing himself to Muggles, which undoubtedly increased the difficulty of the Ministry of Magic's work.
"No need."
Tom Riddle closed his book. "Just send a few more people into the Ministry to keep them on track."
Nagini nodded, not asking why, merely doing as Tom Riddle instructed.
Glancing at Hermione and the others who had overheard the conversation, especially Harry and Malfoy, who were leaning in, Tom Riddle smiled, but with a dangerous edge. "You two…"
"Ah? Sir?"
Tom Riddle's words snapped Harry and the others back to attention.
He lightly tapped the table with his right hand, resting his chin on his left as he looked at Hermione across from him. "Did you read the Daily Prophet from a while ago?"
They all knew which issue Tom Riddle was referring to. "Yes, sir, are you talking about the bounty on Voldemort's remnant soul?"
Tom Riddle wasn't surprised they knew; even Hermione, living in the Muggle world, would know about it through letters to her friends.
The next second, Tom Riddle dropped a bombshell. "So, you want to go catch him?"
"..."
Harry and the others were momentarily stunned, not entirely understanding what they had just heard.
Their first reaction was, Did we hear that right?
Their second reaction was, I think we didn't mishear!
"Go! We have to go! Why wouldn't we!"
"Exactly! One Dark Lord is enough! Scarface and I will definitely take care of Voldemort's remnant soul!"
Harry and Malfoy slammed their fists on the table, yelling that they'd gather a bunch of people and slaughter Voldemort's remnant soul to make sockets.
Unlike their excitement, Luna didn't react much, while Hermione was somewhat worried. "But sir, we might…"
She didn't finish her sentence, but Tom Riddle knew that the more pragmatic Hermione didn't believe they, a few ungraduated wizards, could defeat another Dark Lord.
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