When Tom opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was an unfamiliar ceiling.
For a brief moment, his mind was blank. Then awareness returned in waves, and he realized that he had finally come back to reality. The strange, distant place he had been trapped in was gone, replaced by the solid, unmistakable feeling of a physical body.
Almost immediately, he became aware of a heavy weight pressing down on him.
Lowering his gaze—or rather, attempting to—Tom discovered the source of that weight. Just as he had expected, Hannah was sprawled across him, her arms wrapped tightly around his small body. Her face was filled with worry, eyes slightly red, as though she had been crying for quite some time.
"Meow~"
(Don't worry. I'm fine, see?~)
Tom spoke out of habit, only to realize the moment the sound left his mouth that his ability to speak human language had once again vanished. What came out was nothing more than an ordinary cat's meow.
'So I really can't speak here…'
It seemed that his ability to talk in that other place had either been due to the environment itself or some peculiarity of the soul.
Feeling mildly helpless, Tom extended one paw, trying to retrieve the whiteboard he usually used to communicate.
Before he could find it, an old yet gentle voice sounded from behind Hannah.
"Your friend says he's fine and tells you not to worry."
Tom froze.
Before he could react, he felt the sack resting on his body suddenly shift and stir, as if something inside had become restless.
"S-sorry, Headmaster Dumbledore!"
At the sound of that name, Hannah's body stiffened. She scrambled off Tom in a panic, her movements clumsy as she hastily climbed down from the bed. Her head dropped, shoulders trembling as she bowed deeply.
"It's all my fault that Tom ended up like this. Please punish me… (╥﹏╥)"
Her voice shook, thick with guilt and fear.
"Whether you should be punished, and how, is not for me to decide."
Dumbledore stepped forward, his expression calm and kind, the corners of his eyes creasing slightly as he smiled.
"Only the student who was harmed by you can decide that. Only he has the right to choose your punishment."
As he spoke, Dumbledore leaned closer to the bed, his gaze settling on Tom with clear interest. He seemed genuinely curious about what decision this unusual student would make.
Suppressing the movement of the restless sack for the moment, Tom looked at Hannah. She stood there with her head bowed, hands clenched tightly at her sides, waiting for judgment.
After a moment of thought, Tom finally pulled out his whiteboard and wrote:
[Of course there must be a punishment—and a severe one!]
Hannah's shoulders trembled even more. Guilt, fear, and resignation all flickered across her face.
Then Tom added another line.
[As for the details… I'll punish you by making you work for me for free from now on! At the very least, don't expect to earn a single penny from me before graduation~]
"Eh?!"
Hannah froze completely, her expression blank with shock.
She had fully expected expulsion. After all, she had nearly killed a classmate. She had prepared herself mentally for the worst outcome. Yet this… this was all?
She glanced nervously at Dumbledore, only to find that the Headmaster showed no sign of objection. In fact, he looked rather amused.
Then what had all that emotional preparation been for?!
"Y-you don't want the school to expel me?" Hannah asked hesitantly.
Tom shook his head and wrote again.
[You're my friend. Why would I want the school to expel you? Besides, I'm alive and well, aren't I? It's no big deal. I'm not heartless enough to force you to leave Hogwarts.]
[And honestly, if it weren't for you, I might never have known what chocolate tastes like in this life. So really, it's fine~]
He even lifted a paw and patted her shoulder, doing his best to look magnanimous.
Truthfully, if not for this accident, he would never have met Ariana, nor learned about the complicated and romantic entanglement between Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
Thinking of that, Tom's gaze drifted unconsciously toward Dumbledore.
The kindly old man stood there with a gentle smile and a long white beard, radiating wisdom and warmth. And yet, an entirely inappropriate thought crossed Tom's mind.
'I wonder if this old man is actually the top or the bottom~ (￣ω￣)'
Perhaps sensing Tom's strange stare—or perhaps worried that Tom might suddenly change his mind—Dumbledore cleared his throat.
"Alright, Miss Abbott," he said gently. "You've been keeping watch here for quite some time. Since Tom has woken up, you should return to your dormitory and get some rest."
He smiled wryly. "I wouldn't want Madam Pomfrey to throw me out along with you."
"O-okay! Thank you, Professor! And thank you too, Tom!"
Hannah nodded repeatedly, relief and gratitude written all over her face. She turned back to Tom one last time.
"I'll come see you tomorrow, Tom!"
With that, she hurried out of the Hospital Wing.
Once she was gone, Dumbledore turned back to Tom.
"Thank you for forgiving that child," he said sincerely. "This was indeed her fault, but she's worked very hard to make up for it."
"For the past few days, she's stayed by your bedside whenever she wasn't in class. She even argued with Madam Pomfrey several times over it."
He chuckled softly. "Honestly, I wouldn't dare argue with Madam Pomfrey myself. If there were another Sorting Ceremony now, perhaps she might even have a chance to be sorted into Gryffindor."
"Meow~"
(I may hold a grudge about the chocolate, but I never blamed her.)
Knowing that Dumbledore understood cat language, Tom didn't bother with the whiteboard this time. He simply stretched lazily, extending all four limbs.
As he lifted his paws over his head, a sudden realization struck him.
"Meow?!"
(Wait—another Sorting? You mean the Sorting Ceremony is already over?!)
"Of course," Dumbledore replied calmly. "You've been unconscious for over a week. The ceremony couldn't exactly wait for you."
Tom froze.
The Sorting Ceremony was over?
Then what about his house?
Did that mean he'd become a student without a house?
'…Actually, that doesn't sound entirely terrible.'
Just as Tom began contemplating how he might freely mingle among all four houses, Dumbledore spoke again.
"Well," he said lightly, "you could always consider re-enrolling next year."
He even gave Tom a playful wink.
"Meow—ow!!!"
(I absolutely do not want that!!!)
Before Tom could protest further, the door to the Hospital Wing swung open.
"Enough, Professor Dumbledore."
A stern yet kind-looking witch in a nurse's uniform entered the room, hands on her hips. Her sharp gaze immediately locked onto Dumbledore.
"If you intend to continue disturbing the patient's rest, please leave."
Then she turned toward Tom, and her expression softened instantly.
"How are you feeling, child? To be honest, when you were first brought in, I didn't think you'd make it."
"At the time, your heartbeat was so faint it was nearly undetectable. If it weren't for the Professor and your friends insisting, I was almost ready to issue a death certificate."
Tom quickly grabbed his whiteboard.
[Thank you for taking care of me. I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused.]
She was right. To be precise, he had actually died once. His revival had nothing to do with medical treatment—it was entirely due to his own peculiar nature.
Still, her efforts and care were genuine.
"I only did my duty," Madam Pomfrey said, though the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. "Your recovery wasn't because of me."
Despite her words, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of candy.
"Would you like one to celebrate your narrow escape? Don't worry—it's ordinary candy. The kind you can eat."
"Meow~"
Tom accepted it happily and ate it without hesitation.
"Good boy."
She patted his head gently, then shot Dumbledore a warning glare.
"This child has just recovered. He needs rest. If you don't have official business, Professor, please do not disturb him."
She emphasized "official business" pointedly.
Dumbledore sighed with a helpless smile.
"Very well, Madam Pomfrey. I'll finish explaining things shortly and take my leave."
She nodded once, gave Tom one last affectionate pat, and exited the room.
If she hadn't known Dumbledore truly had something important to discuss, she would have thrown him out long ago.
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