— — — — — —
Out of habit, Tom swung the stick first—and then instinctively offered sweets.
"You're just worried your embarrassing moment will spread back to Ilvermorny and ruin your reputation, right? I've got two ways to help you with that."
As expected, Cassandra's attention was immediately hooked. "What ways?"
"First one—use Obliviate, the Memory Charm, on the other Ilvermorny students. Once you deal with them, I'll handle your two professors. I'll make sure nothing gets back to your school."
Cassandra had pretty much built up immunity to Tom's outrageous suggestions by now—but even so, her expression still cracked.
"Do you seriously not have a normal solution?"
"Of course I do. You just don't have the strength for it," Tom shot her a sideways look and snatched the macaroni sitting in front of her. "If anyone dares to laugh at you, just do what I do—shove them into a wall. Do it enough times, and no one will dare say anything to your face ever again."
This time, Cassandra didn't snap back. She lowered her head, thinking in silence. Only after a long moment did she huff lightly and say, "You'll see what I'm capable of at next year's finals."
Tom ignored her and focused on his food.
Half an hour later, the two left the dorm and went their separate ways.
With that, Tom considered Dumbledore's task completed. The rest wasn't really his concern.
...
Cassandra's appearance hadn't actually drawn that much attention—after all... just like Tom said, he had "disciplined" so many people that she didn't stand out except for being a transfer from another school.
The Slytherins were even looking at her like she was one of their own. Cassandra was speechless—did getting beaten up by Tom actually make them feel closer to her?
The only one truly living through a nightmare was Professor Frank from Ilvermorny—just showing his face here felt like torture.
That let Cassandra secretly breathe a sigh of relief. Maybe Tom was right after all—things weren't as catastrophic as she'd imagined.
But soon after, another rumor made her seethe with humiliation.
No one knew how the students found out, but somehow the entire school heard that Tom Riddle was the one who "calmed down" Cassandra Vole, and that the two of them had stayed in the dorm together for half the day.
And so... a dozen different versions of the story started spreading through the castle. Some even wondered if Cassandra would be pregnant.
Tom was speechless when he heard that nonsense. He already knew Hogwarts gossip was ridiculous, full of bored teenagers with nothing better to do than invent drama.
Just the stories about Malfoy and Potter—he'd heard at least eight versions.
But he never thought the gossip mill would turn on him one day. Seriously, do these people have nothing better to do?
Totally McGonagall's fault for postponing the new exam system until next term. If they were drowning in homework, they wouldn't have time to gossip about him.
Good thing Daphne didn't buy into it, or that would've been another headache.
...
The castle finally quieted down over the next few days.
With Cassandra settled, the only remaining issue was Frank. He'd originally planned to escalate the situation into a diplomatic incident, pressure Dumbledore through the Ministry, and use that to punish Tom.
That's when Laos' talent for stirring the pot really shined—he managed to pull most of the fire onto himself.
To this day, Frank hated Laos the most, and had no energy left to deal with Tom. So... that technically saved Tom?
And in the blink of an eye, it was Friday again.
Tom made it just in time for the last Potions class of the week. Snape had dragged a chair to the very back of the classroom, sitting like some sort of warden. The actual class, however, was being led by Isabella Camado, the special potions professor from Castelobruxo.
Harry couldn't hide the grin on his face, which only made Snape's expression grow darker—until Neville, who had the highest sensitivity to murderous energy directed his way, nudged him hard. Only then did Harry realize he was being death-glared by Snape and hurriedly wiped the smile off his face.
Tom was also a little curious about what this South American professor would bring to the table.
Soon enough, Isabella strode into the classroom with brisk steps. The Castelobruxo visitors really loved their warmth—on top of her leopard-print robe, even her boots and gloves were leopard-patterned.
"Hello, everyone." Isabella's greeting was bright and bold, matching her untamed aura.
"This class might be listed as Potions, but I'd say it's closer to Herbology. After all, herbs are the foundation of all potions. Without understanding their properties, you'll never grasp what makes South American and Castelobruxo potions unique."
She smiled slightly as she continued.
"Let's start with the most iconic example—Transformation of the Body. Professor Flitwick told me he mentioned to you that Castelobruxo has a potion that assists in transfiguration."
The students nodded.
"That's right, it's real. And the magic performed with that potion—we call it Druidic Transfiguration.
"Skilled Druid wizards can even transform into magical creatures."
"That's impossible!" Hermione blurted out instinctively. "Animagi can only transform into ordinary animals—that's a foundational law of Transfiguration!"
"That's only a law in the British wizarding world," Isabella said with a calm smile, not bothered by the challenge at all. "Because this is no longer just pure transfiguration. Potioncraft is full of wonders. Isn't that right, Professor Snape?"
Snape nodded stiffly, face cold. "Professor Camado, very few truly understand the wonder and glory of Potions. I don't recommend you give them too much knowledge at once—lest their already overloaded brains finally burst."
The young wizards collectively winced, Tom included. Even he felt the splash damage from that bat's AOE.
Isabella laughed. "Relax, it's just a brief introduction. You don't need to memorize it. Just think of it as a story. None of this will be on your exam anyway."
A ripple of relieved laughter went through the class, and Isabella officially began her lecture.
"Our school sits deep in the Amazon rainforest—a place with the highest known density of magical creatures in the world, and a natural cradle for herbs and plants. From that foundation, Castelobruxo developed a huge range of potions and spellwork specialized for jungle environments."
"The core of Druidic Transfiguration is actually a herb."
A piece of parchment, magnified dozens of times, unfurled across the blackboard.
"Emerald Vine—known as the King of the Jungle. Its leaves shine like emeralds. It climbs trees in the dampest parts of the forest, always guarded by powerful magical beasts. This herb not only reduces inflammation and fights infection, but can also temporarily boost a wizard's magical activity and adaptability to spellcasting. That's the prerequisite for Druidic Transformation..."
Isabella spoke with enthusiasm, just like she promised—most of the class ended up being an introduction to herbs.
The students listened easily, and before they realized it, the dismissal bell rang.
"As your professor, I still have to assign a bit of homework."
A chorus of groans rippled through the room. No one had expected homework.
"Just pick one of the plants I mentioned and write a paper on it. Anything over eight inches is fine."
After saying that, Isabella turned and added, "Mr. Riddle, may I borrow a bit of your precious free time?"
Tom didn't know what she wanted, but he nodded anyway and handed his bag to Daphne.
Snape gave Tom a look, followed by a simple hand gesture. Tom understood instantly.
Basilisk?
...
Once all the students had left, Isabella smiled.
"Mr. Riddle, your feat of slaying a basilisk single-handedly caused quite a stir at Castelobruxo too."
"Was it a stir or was it mockery?" Tom chuckled like he couldn't care less. "Didn't Miss Vole already accuse me of showing off for attention? That's why she picked a fight with me in the first place."
"To be honest, I didn't believe it either at first," Isabella admitted. "According to our records, every basilisk incident in history required a heavy price to put the creature down. Their skin is basically a living Shield Charm, and their eyes... well, you know. Your achievement sounded too unbelievable."
"But after coming to Hogwarts and hearing both professors and students speak from firsthand experience, I have no reason to doubt it. Wizards are, after all, miracles in human form."
Tom almost wanted to drag Cassandra in and make her take notes on what actual social grace looked like.
Still, as flattering as it was, he didn't let it go to his head. "Professor Camado, I'm guessing you didn't bring up the basilisk just to compliment me?"
"You're very perceptive." Isabella's lips curled. "To be frank, I—well, Castelobruxo—needs basilisk flesh and blood."
"And what for?" Tom asked.
"To brew a Druidic potion specifically for basilisk transformation," Isabella said without hesitation. "Castelobruxo discovered a ruin filled with dangerous serpent-type creatures and snake-related traps."
"If we had Druidic basilisk-form wizards, it would make exploration much easier."
"What's inside the ruins?"
Isabella gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry. The expedition is currently stalled. I don't know the details myself."
"Alright." Tom nodded—he'd treat it as truth for now. "So what exactly are you offering in return?"
"Galleons? Potions? Rare herbs?" Isabella spoke quickly. "As long as it's within our ability, we'll meet your terms."
"Then what if I want the knowledge of Druidic Transfiguration and the potion formula that goes with it?"
Isabella froze for a moment, then nodded. "That's fine."
She agreed so quickly that Tom couldn't help but suspect she was planning to fob him off with fakes.
Seeing his doubt, Isabella laughed and explained, "Castelobruxo graduates many students every year. There are quite a few who master Druidic Transfiguration. The rare part isn't actually the spell or the formula. It's the materials."
"Then I want ten full sets of materials," Tom said immediately.
Isabella still agreed without hesitation. They arranged to meet after lunch tomorrow at the Astronomy Tower—Tom would provide five hundred pounds of basilisk flesh and blood in exchange for ten sets of materials and the corresponding knowledge.
Leaving the Potions office, Tom was still thinking about the ruins Isabella mentioned.
She was definitely holding something back. Even if Druidic Transfiguration and the formula weren't considered top-secret, they were still a Castelobruxo specialty. For her to hand them over so easily meant that ruin must be extremely important to them.
Should he check it out himself?
The thought flickered in his mind and died just as quickly.
He didn't have nearly enough information. The Amazon rainforest was thirty times the size of Britain—like searching for a needle in an ocean.
Then again... why not just wait until Castelobruxo does all the work, figure out the value, and then swoop in with a casual "fate has brought me here"?
Much easier.
...
Tom entered the Great Hall and dropped into his usual seat—only to hear a small huff from across the table.
He looked up. Cassandra sat opposite him, eyebrows slightly furrowed.
"Why are you sitting here?"
She turned her head away. "Are the seats at this table assigned now? Your friends took the spot I was using. Where else am I supposed to sit?"
Tom glanced toward the far end of the table, where Nott and Zabini were chatting with two Ilvermorny girls. He didn't bother arguing with Cassandra and went back to his own thoughts.
He didn't notice the subtle shift in the Great Hall's atmosphere.
Today was another public dueling session, and both the Ilvermorny and Castelobruxo students had received word early. They were already itching to test themselves against Hogwarts.
Even the high table felt charged with tension.
Frank shot Laos a provocative look. "Wilkinson, I hope you've actually taught the Hogwarts students something useful. If they lose too badly, it'll be Ilvermorny's reputation that suffers for having wasted our time."
Laos snorted. "With you as their professor, it's literally impossible for Ilvermorny to win."
"And even if I didn't teach anything, at least I'm better than the last two Defense Against the Dark Arts professors. Isn't that right, Dumbledore?"
Dumbledore: "..."
.
.
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