— — — — — —
After Dumbledore finished giving a few reminders, he dismissed everyone, leaving the students free to chat in their common rooms.
Because of Laos and the history of wizarding world, most of the talk ended up revolving around Ilvermorny.
No one really knew much about Castelobruxo, so there wasn't much to say about it anyway.
"How many Ilvermorny students do you think will come? Their total number's like four times ours."
"It's just a normal exchange program, right? Probably not many will come."
"How about Castelobruxo? Do people in South America even speak English? How are we supposed to talk to them?"
"Use hand signs, I guess. Worst case, we just don't talk. Who even knows what kind of bloodlines they've got?"
"That makes sense."
"Buuut I heard Castelobruxo has the best girls~ hehe~"
"Oh, say more."
"..."
---
Tom didn't join in the gossip. He stayed with Daphne in the common room for a bit, then went back to his dorm.
As soon as he took out his Codex, Ginny had already launched a text bombardment.
『Ginny Weasley』: Where's my gift?
『Ginny Weasley』: Tom, come out, you coward
『Ginny Weasley』: If you dare go back on your word, I'll fight you to the end.
『Tom Riddle』: Fight me how? With the spells I taught you?
『Ginny Weasley』: Hehe~
『Ginny Weasley』: I could just tell Greengrass that you and Hermione Granger spent two hours alone in the Astronomy Tower a week before the holidays.
『Tom Riddle』: ???
『Tom Riddle』: How do you even know that?
『Ginny Weasley』: The Marauder's Map.
『Tom Riddle』: Impossible. The Map doesn't show my name.
『Ginny Weasley』: True, it doesn't. But Hermione would have to be out of her mind to go to the Astronomy Tower alone at night. If it wasn't with you, then who else?
Tom drew in a sharp breath.
This version of Ginny was terrifyingly sharp. Who needed Divination when she could've majored in Detective Arts?
『Tom Riddle』: Fine, fine, you win. Your reward's been ready for a while. Come to the Great Hall early tomorrow morning—I'll give it to you then.
『Ginny Weasley』: Not tonight?
『Tom Riddle』: Too lazy to go out tonight.
『Ginny Weasley』: …Fine.
Ginny reluctantly put away her Codex. If they'd met tonight, they probably would've gone to the Room of Requirement again. Would Tom have tied her up again?
Her cheeks flushed at the thought.
It was embarrassing just remembering it—so why did it feel… not so bad anymore? Maybe even a little exciting?
Tom, of course, had no idea what sort of thoughts were spinning in Ginny's head. After agreeing on tomorrow morning, he took out the Marauder's Map and zoomed in on Gryffindor Tower.
He could clearly see Ron's name overlapping almost perfectly with Peter Pettigrew's.
A chill ran down his spine.
He actually felt kinda sorry for Ron. Scabbers—Peter Pettigrew—used to be Percy's pet. When Percy made prefect in fifth year, his parents bought him an owl, and the rat got passed down to Ron.
Poor Ron. Everything he owned was secondhand, even his traitorous pet.
As for why Pettigrew didn't bother hiding his name, Tom figured either the rat assumed no one used the Map anymore since all the Marauders were gone—or he simply didn't know the spell to conceal his true identity.
How to catch him, though—that would take more thought.
...
The next morning, Tom left the common room before seven—but Ginny had beaten him to it.
She was waiting near the stairs, eyes bright. The moment she saw him, she ran over, practically bouncing.
"Where's my gift? Hand it over!"
"Not here," Tom said. "Come with me."
He led her into an empty classroom, then pulled out the gift she'd been pestering him about—a golden pocket watch.
"A watch?" Ginny frowned, then shrugged. "Eh, looks fancy enough. If I ever run out of money, I'll just sell it."
Tom rolled his eyes. "If you dare sell it, I'll lock you in a room and hang you up forever."
She almost said 'Like hell you can', but caught herself. Instead, she huffed, "It's just a watch. No need to get all scary about it."
"You've got no eye for quality," Tom sighed.
With a soft click, the lid of the watch popped open. Ginny peered at it—it looked perfectly ordinary.
Then Tom pressed the top button.
The face of the watch began to spin, and the time markings vanished—replaced by a pale yellow vertical pupil.
Then, a yellow beam shot out from the watch, striking Ginny before she could react. She froze in place instantly.
"This," Tom said calmly, "is the Eye of Petrification. Made from a basilisk's eye. You just saw what it does. I was planning to upgrade it to a true Deadly Gaze effect, but even if I could, giving you something that dangerous…"
He trailed off, smirking faintly as he tilted her chin up with his wand. "So? Still thinking about selling it?"
He pressed the button again. The snake's pupil spun away, turning back into a regular clock face, and Ginny's body loosened as the spell lifted.
She immediately dove at him—not for affection, but to snatch the watch.
"You didn't say it was that powerful! I take it back, I was wrong. Give me that!"
She clutched the pocket watch lovingly, unable to take her eyes off it. She'd thought it was just jewelry—but it was actually a unique magical artifact.
"Don't let Snape see that thing," Tom warned, watching her grin from ear to ear.
"Huh?" Ginny blinked. "Wait… did you steal this from him?"
"Hey!"
Tom gave her a sharp flick on the head—hard enough to make her eyes water.
"I told you I made it myself," he said irritably. "Snape did ask me for a basilisk eye once, but I told him it was destroyed. If he sees this, he'll know it's made from the same thing."
Ginny winced, rubbing her head. "And knowing how petty he is, he'll definitely go after you—wait, no, he'll also go after me. He'll bully me just like he does Harry and Ron."
"Exactly," Tom said dryly.
Ginny shuddered. "You really do understand your Head of House."
Tom rolled his eyes. "Obviously."
---
Ever since the news that Ilvermorny and Castelobruxo would be visiting, the entire school had basically stopped caring about classes—and the professors weren't much better.
Transfiguration turned into a "manners and etiquette" lecture. McGonagall spent the whole class warning students to behave.
"If anyone embarrasses Hogwarts," she said coolly, "I'll make sure you can't show your face—or your smile—around here again."
Rumor had it that after one fourth-year class, she called Fred and George into her office. No one knew what she said, but they came out looking like deflated balloons and stayed unusually quiet for the rest of the day.
...
In Charms, Professor Flitwick went completely off-topic, excitedly talking about some of his South American friends.
"They told me Castelobruxo is built on ancient ruins," he said, eyes sparkling. "Muggle archaeologists tried to explore once, but the wards drove them away. The place is guarded by spirits called Caipora. I've never met one myself, but apparently they're rather cute."
He hopped up onto his desk for emphasis. "The witches and wizards from there are especially skilled in nature magic. Their school's deep inside the Amazon rainforest, so it makes sense. They're also quite good at transformation magic—they can take animal forms."
"Animagi?" Hermione blurted.
"Similar, but not quite," said Flitwick, chuckling. "An Animagus can transform wandlessly and instantly. Castelobruxo's method requires a wand and a special potion made from rare ingredients."
He shook his head, smiling at the memory. "It's cheaper on the magical effort but pricier on the wallet. I once duelled a wizard from there—he turned into a bear halfway through the match and still lost. Poor fellow looked heartbroken at the cost of that potion."
"Wait, you're allowed to use potions in duels?" Seamus asked, astonished.
"As long as you brewed them yourself," Flitwick said with a mischievous twinkle. "I'm sure Professor Snape could teach you a recipe or two—if you asked very politely."
"..."
...
In Herbology, the students had been turned into full-time gardeners. Under Professor Sprout's supervision, they trimmed and pruned their way through the greenhouses. Terry Boot overdid it and snipped off half a Mandrake leaf. Sprout's glare could've killed him on the spot, and he was immediately reassigned to shovel dirt for the rest of the period.
It was obvious: the professors were even more nervous than the students.
The Heads of Houses were all masters in their fields, but their greatest weakness was the same—the students. One act of stupidity and their professional reputations could crumble overnight.
And Filch? He'd gone completely manic. For two straight days, he could be heard stomping up and down the castle corridors, polishing every inch of stone until it gleamed. He wanted the floor tiles to reflect faces and the portraits to hang straighter than rulers.
Most students didn't like Filch, but no one could deny how much he loved the castle.
And finally, the big day came.
At five o'clock sharp, every student was called to the Great Hall. The moment they walked in, they noticed the long tables had been magically extended, and four extra chairs had appeared at the staff table.
That was all it took for the clever ones to realize—this wasn't going to be a massive delegation.
"I wonder if I'll recognize any of the professors," Laos murmured to Dumbledore. "It's been ages since I've been back to Ilvermorny."
"You'll find out soon enough," Dumbledore said with his usual twinkle. "Minerva went to greet them. She should be back any minute."
"Hmm. Let's see who they've sent," Laos said, leaning forward eagerly.
Since this was just an informal exchange visit, Dumbledore wasn't about to lead the entire school out for a grand welcome. McGonagall alone was plenty of ceremony.
Creak... creak...
After about fifteen minutes, the Great Hall's huge main doors—almost never used—swung open. Every head turned toward the sound.
Professor McGonagall entered, leading two groups of visitors. Each group had two adult wizards at the front—a man and a woman—and seven students behind them.
Dumbledore rose, smiling warmly, and the Hogwarts students followed suit, applauding their guests.
Tom's curiosity was instantly piqued. He scanned the two schools. The Castelobruxo students wore long, leopard-patterned robes so bright they practically hurt to look at. Ilvermorny's group, by contrast, looked far more traditional—regular wizard robes with high collars and embroidered emblems on the chest and cuffs to mark their houses.
One girl in particular caught his eye. Blonde, strikingly beautiful, with a haughty expression that screamed Malfoy energy. She looked down her nose at everyone like she owned the place.
Tom frowned. 'Why does she look familiar…?'
He wasn't the only one staring—half the boys in the room were captivated. The girl didn't seem to care. She let out a soft, dismissive hum, perfectly composed, as if being admired was just her natural state.
The Ilvermorny female professor drew plenty of attention too—not for her face, but her figure. Curvy in all the right ways, she had more than a few students gulping down their pumpkin juice.
Laos' applause slowed. His expression shifted from polite curiosity to faint alarm. When the guests reached the front and Dumbledore began shaking hands with the visiting professors, Laos suddenly blurted out: "Frank?!"
The Ilvermorny male professor, who had just finished shaking Dumbledore's hand, smiled slyly and turned to face him.
"Laos Wilkinson. I was starting to think you wouldn't recognize me. Glad to see your eyesight hasn't failed you yet."
Dumbledore's smile faltered for the first time all evening.
"Oh no," he thought. "This is going to be trouble."
Laos' jaw dropped. "They actually let someone like you become a professor?"
The room instantly perked up.
Professors and students alike leaned in with bright, eager eyes. The tension in the air was practically sizzling.
There was definitely some juicy history here.
.
.
.