— — — — — —
The carriage didn't look very big from the outside, but inside it was enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm. Easily 50 to 60 square meters, it came with plush sofas, a tea table, and even a few oil paintings hanging on the walls.
A tray of snacks was set out on the table. As soon as they stepped in, Daphne started handing out sweets to both her sister and Tom.
Lady Greengrass smiled warmly. "It's still early—why don't I give you a tour of the estate? It's good to get familiar with your future living environment."
That last bit was telling. She didn't say "the next few days'." She said future.
But what could she do? Her daughter was practically glued to Tom at this point. People say kids don't understand love at eleven or twelve, but let's be honest—everyone starts from somewhere.
And with how much Tom clearly doted on Daphne, it didn't seem like there'd be any unexpected twists. So from Lady Greengrass's perspective, this place was already his home too.
Tom leaned against the carriage window, watching the scenery roll by.
The first thing that struck him was how huge everything was.
There was a lake, a massive lawn stretching out in front of it, and a castle beyond that. Not just a single building either—two auxiliary towers flanked the main castle, and even the two hills behind it were part of the estate.
They passed by farmland and orchards. At one point, Tom saw a house-elf controlling more than a dozen floating watering cans, tending to the fruit trees. When the carriage passed, the elf bowed deeply and didn't rise until they were long gone.
"That's Tupp," Daphne explained. "He's in charge of everything outside the main castle—gardening, growing crops, preparing carriages, buying ingredients. If you ever want to eat something specific or go anywhere, just tell him."
Just then, Astoria's soft voice chimed in. "I know the estate pretty well too. Tom, you can ask me if you need anything."
Tom shrugged. "Then I'll go with Astoria. Looking at house-elves kind of kills the mood."
The others chuckled. No one found that strange.
A proper house-elf was one you barely noticed. Like at Hogwarts—plenty of students spent seven years there without ever realizing the school had over 300 elves working behind the scenes.
Still, some tasks, like tending orchards, had to be done during the day. That's the only reason Tom even saw one.
The carriage rolled leisurely around the lake. A warm breeze drifted in through the window, sunlight danced on the water's surface, and every now and then a fish would leap out of the lake, tempting Tom to pull out a fishing rod.
Eventually, they reached the grounds behind the castle. Lady Greengrass began pointing out some of the estate's facilities.
Tom looked puzzled. This place felt more like an old Muggle noble's manor—with a shooting range, fencing court, and wooden sparring posts.
They all looked unused for years. Other than being spotless—thanks to the elves—there weren't any signs of wear.
Lady Greengrass seemed to catch his expression and smiled. "This castle was purchased by one of our ancestors from the Duke of Norfolk. Back then, wizards and Muggles still interacted quite a bit. Even pure-bloods liked to engage in noble pastimes, so we never got rid of these."
Tom nodded in understanding.
Half an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of the castle's grand entrance.
They stepped out and pushed open the massive oak doors, entering a grand foyer that had to be over 200 square meters. For a moment, Tom had the strange sensation he'd stepped into Hogwarts again.
The Greengrass castle might only be half the size of Hogwarts, but from inside, you wouldn't know the difference.
This time, Lady Greengrass didn't accompany him on the tour. There were just too many rooms—it wasn't something you could finish in a day or two. Instead, she left it to her daughters to show him to the guest suite they'd prepared.
Compared to Daphne, Astoria was much quieter. She barely spoke as they walked, and Tom kept sneaking glances at her, trying to detect any traces of the blood malediction. He even had Andros and Grindelwald pop out mentally to help, but neither of them could find anything.
"I've dealt with blood-cursed beastfolk before," Grindelwald muttered, frowning as he studied Astoria. "But this curse? It's way more sinister. It's not just draining her life force—it's damaging her magic. She'll never be a strong witch like this."
Andros looked visibly angry. He'd always been one to do things the honorable way, and he hated this kind of cursed magic—especially the kind that passed from generation to generation. A clean death was one thing, but this was torture that lasted centuries.
He turned to Grindelwald. "You're the rotting-hearted Dark Lord. You know more about dark magic than I ever will. Any idea who invented this curse?"
Grindelwald had long since grown used to Andros's blunt insults and didn't even flinch. He thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"There are some people from Asia or Africa. But as for Britain... I don't recall any British wizards who specialized in this kind of curse. Can't say for sure."
"Useless," Tom muttered.
Oof. That stung. Right in the pride.
Because... well, yeah. They were being kind of useless right now. Not a single clue between them.
...
"We're here!" Daphne suddenly called, swinging open the double doors.
The guest suite was massive. Bedroom, bath, study, living room, even a private dining area—all furnished with elegant, old-world European pieces that practically screamed money.
"My room's just to the left," Daphne said brightly. "Astoria's across the hall. Pala is going to hang a nameplate for your door later so nobody gets lost."
Tom reached out and tapped her forehead. "I'm not the one with a bad memory."
Daphne stuck her tongue out at him playfully.
Then Tom turned to Astoria. "Hey, Astoria?"
The little girl looked up, curious.
"I want to check on the curse in your body. Would you let me examine you?"
Without hesitation, Astoria walked over quietly and sat down beside him, obedient as a doll. Daphne held her breath, not daring to interrupt.
Tom gently placed Astoria's wand on her shoulder.
There's a branch of Transfiguration known as Deconstruction. It doesn't rely on sight, but on feeling the object's essence with your own magic. This method provides a deeper, more accurate understanding—one that's crucial for advanced transformation spells.
That was the technique Tom used to analyze Astoria.
His magic flowed into her body at his command.
Tom had deconstructed many living beings before—unicorns, owls, bisons. He'd even tried it on a few humans.
And compared to unicorns, the human body was slightly less complex, but far more nuanced than non-magical animals.
What made it really tricky was how drastically one person's magical structure could differ from another's.
"...Oh?"
As his magic continued to seep in, Tom raised an eyebrow.
If most bodies—his own included—resembled a solid, enclosed sphere under magical perception, with complex internal structures like a labyrinth, then Astoria's was more like a sphere that had a chunk cut out. The missing piece exposed her insides, and because of that, her magic and life force were steadily leaking out.
Tom suspected this gap was caused by the blood curse.
But it had only been a short scan, and he couldn't tell whether the gap would be getting worse or had stabilized.
After a minute, he removed his wand and opened his eyes.
"Well?" Daphne asked anxiously, more nervous than Astoria herself.
"I could feel the presence of the blood malediction, but I haven't the slightest idea how to remove it," Tom replied honestly.
He didn't want to give them false hope—sometimes the truth, however disappointing, is kinder in the long run than a lie. If he made empty promises now, how could he face them later when it mattered?
Daphne looked devastated. But Astoria, instead of wallowing, reached out to comfort her sister.
"It's okay, Daphne. We have Tom's potions now. Even if I'm not completely cured, I feel so much better than before. I can live a normal life."
Tom looked at Astoria and was genuinely impressed. That kind of mindset was rare. If he were the one suffering from a blood malediction—even with a cheat-like ability at his disposal—he doubted he could be this calm without a guaranteed solution in sight.
Maybe she'd just been through too much over the years and learned to make peace with it.
"But what about resistance?" Daphne said softly. "The potions might stop working eventually…"
"Lucky you then," Tom said gently, cutting the drama. "I brought something better this time. It's not a complete fix, but it should keep her stable for the next twenty years."
— — —
Half an hour later – The Dining Hall
The Greengrass family stared wide-eyed at the brilliant red stone on the table. Only Tom seemed unfazed, enjoying the meal their house-elf Pala had carefully prepared.
"That… that's the Philosopher's Stone?" Lady Greengrass's voice trembled.
"Dumbledore really gave it to you…" Daphne muttered, clearly stunned. Tom had kept this quiet on purpose—he wanted to surprise her.
"It is the Stone," Tom confirmed, finishing a bite of black truffle-baked escargot. "But not a complete one. Most of its energy has already been used up. At most, it can brew about eighteen years' worth of Elixir of Life."
"That's more than enough," Lady Greengrass said emotionally, cradling the stone as if it were the most precious thing in the world.
This was like giving Astoria eighteen extra years out of nowhere. Combined with Tom's potions and her natural lifespan of about twenty-something years, she now had a solid fifty or sixty years ahead of her.
It still wasn't a particularly long life by wizarding standards—but it meant she could live through every stage of life, from childhood to old age.
And more time meant more chances to find a real solution.
Overwhelmed, Lady Greengrass rose to her feet and bowed deeply to Tom.
Astoria quickly followed suit, and even Daphne stood and gave a respectful bow.
"Mr. Riddle," Lady Greengrass said formally, "I don't even know how to begin thanking you. From this day forward, the Greengrass family is your reliable ally. Whatever you need—if it's within my power—I will see it done."
Tom was usually just "Tom" to them, but this was a serious moment. Calling him "Mr. Riddle" was a sign of deep respect.
"Thank you, Mr. Riddle," Astoria added sincerely.
"Tom, I..."
"Hey, Daphne, you don't need to—" Tom caught the younger witch after she threw herself into his arms.
Blushing, Daphne leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "That's for everything."
"We're allies now," Tom said with a smile. "You only need to thank me once."
Since the mood had lightened, he decided not to hold back either.
"Well, now that we're all so close, I do have a small favor to ask…"
It would be a waste not to take advantage of the Greengrass family's vast resources.
"Usaki has gotten really picky lately," Tom said with a shrug. "It refuses to eat anything that isn't made from meteorite. Could you help me gather some?"
"No problem at all," Lady Greengrass said without hesitation. "There should be some meteorites stored at Castle Whitfort. I'll have them sent over immediately. I'll also reach out to some friends tomorrow and get you a fresh batch."
In the magical world, meteorites could be used as alchemical or potion ingredients—they were far more useful than in the Muggle world.
Lady Greengrass then brought out a gift for Tom.
"I heard you're heading to America soon. This is a registered international Portkey—completely legal. You'll stop over in Canada for customs, and they'll give you the next Portkey for the final leg of the trip."
.
.
.