— — — — — —
"Ginny is so strong."
Daphne stared blankly at the stage as Ginny's spell sliced clean through Cassandra's Shield Charm, forcing the older girl to roll away in a panic.
That kind of power—forget comparing her to when she was a first-year—even now, Daphne wasn't sure she could beat Ginny.
She wasn't much of a fighter, honestly. Her reflexes were always half a second too slow. But that never really bothered her. Tom said that made her "adorably clumsy."
And if Tom liked it, that was all that mattered.
"Wait a sec." Daphne suddenly turned her head toward Tom, narrowing her eyes. "You didn't… slip her a Strengthening Potion or something, did you?"
Tom chuckled. "Nope. I did give her a few pointers, though—the spell she's using right now, I taught her that. But no potions. Ginny's talent is real."
And how good was that talent?
By Tom's own measure, before he ever gained Andros's magical gift, Ginny's potential was about on par with his back then. And that was saying something.
But what impressed him even more was her mindset. Watching Ginny grow fiercer and more confident as the duel went on—her energy completely overwhelming Cassandra—Tom couldn't help but admire her.
Talent and mentality together decided a wizard's ceiling. And with the right training, Ginny could become a formidable ally.
Though before training her strength, he'd have to train her temperament first. The girl was far too spirited—nothing like obedient little Daphne and Astoria.
Daphne gave a sulky little "oh," not because Tom had helped Ginny, but because she suddenly realized how… useless she felt.
She'd had more guidance and more potions from Tom than anyone else, and somehow she was still the weakest of the bunch.
Hmm?
When she glanced past Tom and saw Astoria sitting on his other side, the younger witch just grinned impishly.
"Really, sis?" Astoria rolled her eyes. "You've sunk to comparing yourself to me now?"
As sisters, Astoria knew exactly what that silly look in Daphne's eyes meant—and she couldn't even be mad about it anymore.
"Hehe, don't mind me," Daphne said quickly. "Just thinking about something."
That earned a laugh from both Tom and Astoria.
Tom reached over and ruffled Astoria's hair. "Don't worry. Maybe one day you'll surpass her."
Astoria giggled sweetly and shook her head. She didn't care about being strong. As long as she could live peacefully by Tom and her sister's side, that was enough for her.
...
On the stage, the duel had reached its boiling point—and its end.
The long, exhausting fight had pushed both girls to their limits. It wasn't about magical reserves anymore, but pure mental endurance. The longer they fought, the more their focus slipped, and their spells began to falter.
The storm clouds had finally cleared. Ginny's left arm had been hit; pain burned across it so sharply that her face twisted.
Across from her, Cassandra, gasping for breath, allowed herself a small, triumphant smile.
That smug look lit a fire in Ginny's eyes. Fueled by sheer will, she raised her wand and unleashed one of her strongest spells.
"Confringo!"
Cassandra countered instantly—but to her horror, the spells collided, and hers shattered on impact. Ginny's kept going, roaring forward with unstoppable force.
There was no time to dodge. Cassandra froze, eyes squeezed shut—
Clang!
A clear metallic ring filled the air. The red light veered off course, deflected by a Shield Charm that wasn't hers.
When Cassandra dared to open her eyes, she saw Professor McGonagall standing between them, wand still raised.
"Miss Vole," McGonagall said firmly, "the duel is over. You've lost."
Cassandra was silent for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Yes, Professor. I lost."
Ginny grinned, flashing her teeth. "Don't hold a grudge later, yeah? I'm just a fragile little student—I get scared easily."
Still grinning, she stepped down from the platform, wincing slightly as she joined Tom.
Without a word, he lifted his wand, a soft green glow flowing from it to mend her arm.
"See?" she said proudly. "Pretty good, huh?"
Tom smiled. "You're still a long way from beating me, but yeah—you did great."
He could tell she'd fought today partly for him. How could he not indulge her a little?
Give people praise, and they'll soar.
Ginny's eyes sparkled. "Then I want a reward."
Tom chuckled. "Come by the Room of Requirement later."
McGonagall, meanwhile, was already reorganizing the students—sending them back to training and instructing Cassandra to visit Madam Pomfrey.
Cassandra glanced back at Tom and Ginny, standing close together, and a sharp pang of humiliation hit her.
Was she really that weak?
A first-year had beaten her.
She knew full well Ginny's raw power wasn't actually greater—she'd just fought harder, with more fire and a lucky burst at the end.
Still, a loss was a loss. Making excuses would only make it worse.
Cassandra felt ashamed and shaken.
Frank, on the other hand, was furious.
They'd been humiliated—one Hogwarts girl had taken on three Ilvermorny students and won.
"You lot," Frank muttered darkly, "go challenge Hogwarts' upper years."
The other Ilvermorny students nodded. One tall, black-haired boy glared across the hall at Tom. "What about Riddle? Should I test him?"
Frank hesitated, unease flickering in his eyes. "No. His Petrification Spell is… unnatural. Leave him be."
The boy frowned, dissatisfied, but under Frank's hard stare, he turned and stalked off to find Avery from Slytherin instead.
Ordinary professors didn't scare him much—but Frank wasn't just a professor. He was also his third uncle.
That alone said plenty about how large and powerful the Graves family had become. For wizards, numbers meant strength.
Laos, standing nearby, saw Solen heading back and decided to slip away. "I need to find Dumbledore for something. Frank, just admit defeat already—your students are pathetic."
"Dammit!"
Frank seethed, and the look in his eyes made the Ilvermorny students swear to give it everything they had. They had to win this time.
...
On the other side
"Hehe~"
After getting Tom's promise, Ginny happily made her way back to the Gryffindor crowd—only to be immediately cornered by several of her brothers.
"Ginny," Percy said sternly, "what's going on between you and Riddle?"
Even Fred and George weren't smiling for once, and Ron, at the back, nodded furiously. "Yeah! You'd better explain what's going on. What's your relationship with him?"
Ginny's cheerful grin faded.
"Oh, so now you care? You never bother with me otherwise, but the second I make a friend you all show up?"
"Ginny, you're a Gryffindor," Percy said in exasperation.
"So what?" Ginny shot back, impatient. "Gryffindors can't be friends with Slytherins now? Tom's taught me loads of spells. I just helped him get some payback—what's wrong with that?"
"Friends?" Percy spluttered, red-faced. "The two of you look like—"
"Shut up!" Ginny snapped, cutting him off so sharply that Percy froze.
"Mind your own business, Percy. You just can't stand Tom because Clearwater turned you down and got close to him, can you? Jealous, much?"
"What?!"
Ron, Fred, and George all turned to stare at Percy, whose face had turned the same color as his hair.
Well, that was an unexpected bonus.
"Don't look at me like that!" Percy barked. "We're talking about Ginny! Not—"
"Fred, George," Ginny interrupted, turning to her twin brothers, "you two are friends with Tom. So why can't I be?"
Fred grimaced. "Being friends is fine, sure."
George groaned, clutching his head. "But Tom is like a Veela, Ginny. Have you seen him? There's always at least two girls hanging around him."
"You're our only sister," Fred sighed. "We just think it's too early for you to be… dating anyone. We're looking out for you."
"I know what's best for me," Ginny said coldly, brushing past Ron and heading off to find Luna.
The Weasley brothers stood staring at each other. Finally, Ron mumbled, "Should we… tell Mum?"
Fred and George exchanged a look and spoke together. "Ronnie, for once, that's actually a good idea."
---
Friday night ended with the echoes of duels still buzzing in the air.
As the last of the students filed out of the Great Hall, McGonagall's expression was grim. There wasn't a trace of joy left from when Ginny had won her third match.
The results were… not great.
Hogwarts' upper-year students had lost far more than they'd won. To be precise, only Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff had managed a victory. Every fourth-year and above had lost their duel.
The mood among the Heads of Houses was bleak. Some even muttered that Dumbledore must have known this would happen—that's why he'd conveniently disappeared ahead of time.
Snape's tone was icy. "This isn't a small gap anymore. We need to take drastic measures."
"It's those useless Defense Against the Dark Arts professors Dumbledore keeps hiring," Snape went on. "Look where that's gotten us. We have one year left—we need to fix this."
"Severus, you know how difficult it is to find a qualified teacher for that post," McGonagall replied, still trying to defend Dumbledore. Then she sighed. "But you're right. We can't keep going like this. And it's not just the DADA professor's problem anymore."
"Actually," she continued, "Mr. Riddle made a suggestion to me earlier…"
She took the chance to explain Tom's proposed change to the school's exam system.
Snape's head tilted slightly, a strange expression flickering across his face.
That boy… Tom Riddle. Always scheming, always meddling. What was he getting out of this?
He didn't even need to think about it to know the students would hate the idea—Quizzes, monthly tests, plus big exams? They'd be ready to riot.
But then again, why should he care? He wasn't the one taking them.
"I think it's a fine idea," Snape said smoothly, seizing the chance to pile on. "These students are far too idle. They need pressure. Although," he added, "there is one flaw."
"What flaw?" McGonagall asked quickly. This was a major reform—she needed to be cautious.
"The first test is too far away," Snape said, folding his arms with a cold smirk. "To keep them on edge, I propose we hold a placement test in the first week of term. See who spent the holidays turning their brains into troll mush. It'll help us teach more effectively afterward."
Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout exchanged looks.
"You disagree?" Snape asked mildly, noting their expressions. "That's fine. I'll just implement it in Slytherin. After all, it's my students who usually save this school's reputation."
That last jab was so sharp even McGonagall winced.
Oh, so Slytherins are heroes now, and the rest of us are what—idiots?
"I have no objection," Sprout said stiffly. "I'll go draft my exam papers right now." She stood up and left in a huff, Flitwick close behind.
McGonagall sighed. "Severus, I know what you mean, but please—try to phrase things a little more tactfully next time. We all want what's best for the students."
Snape gave a curt nod. They parted ways soon after.
---
Midnight.
As the castle's clocks struck twelve, Tom moved like a shadow through the corridors. He slipped out a side door, then soared up to the seventh-floor window and stepped through it silently into the Room of Requirement.
Ginny was lounging in a rocking chair, looking thoroughly bored. The second she heard him, she sprang up and ran over, her eyes bright with anticipation.
"So," she said eagerly, "where's my reward? I don't need anything fancy—just something as good as the Eye of Petrification would do."
Tom rolled his eyes. "That's you not being picky?"
He raised his wand and gave it a lazy flick toward her.
Ginny blinked—and suddenly, her robes shimmered and shifted. Her wizard's uniform melted away, replaced by white thigh-high stockings and a frilly black-and-white maid outfit.
Her face flared crimson. "W-what the hell, Tom!"
"I'm giving you your reward," he said matter-of-factly. "You're my little maid, aren't you? What better gift than a maid uniform?"
Ginny let out a furious squeak and launched herself at him.
Reward me?
Please. He was clearly rewarding himself.
Big bastard!
.
.
.