Grindelwald's smile was strained; Dumbledore's words had clearly struck a nerve. It was a bizarre expression, forced and unnatural. Had he not grown accustomed to such barbs, tears might have welled in his eyes.
"Of course I shall accompany them." Tom ceased his needling of the professors; after all, this was his design, and his presence was essential.
The professors visibly relaxed upon receiving confirmation. "Very well," Minerva McGonagall said, her gaze sweeping over the young wizards, holding a hint of warmth despite her stern tone. "Absence is no excuse for falling behind. I shall prepare your assignments for the entire year in advance."
At the Slytherin table, Harry and Malfoy both shuddered.
"Someone is plotting against me!" Harry muttered.
"Is some other bastard coveting my position as second-in-command?" Malfoy wondered.
Harry whipped his head around, his jaw tight with tension as he scanned their surroundings. Malfoy, while technically not a second-in-command, felt similarly threatened. Someone must be jealous of his youthful good looks and sought his demise.
"Hmph! This young master fears no one!" Lost in his delusions, Malfoy smirked, picturing himself single-handedly fending off hordes of envious rivals.
Hermione and Cassandra, however, remained unmoved. Homework was mere child's play to Hermione, whilst Cassandra found even NEWT-level assignments trivial compared to Tom's rigorous curriculum.
Back at the teachers' table, Filius Flitwick nodded enthusiastically. "Professor McGonagall is right! I must hasten back and prepare their Charms assignments accordingly."
Pomona Sprout smiled benignly. "It seems I, too, must contribute. Let us hope these children appreciate our… thoughtful preparations."
"I cannot be left out, can I?"
"Indeed! Perhaps we ought to double the workload, given their reduced class time."
The other professors gleefully discussed methods for "motivating" Harry and his friends. Severus Snape, however, remained silent, lost in thought.
"Severus?" Albus Dumbledore glanced at him curiously.
Snape shook his head, still silent. Why would the Dark Lord dispatch Harry and his friends to confront another Dark Lord? And why them specifically? Why not join them himself?
Snape had no intention of merely assigning homework to Harry and his friends; he wanted to relentlessly haunt Potter back in the dungeons. But Tom had explicitly forbade his presence. And if he departed, who would teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts? Gellert Grindelwald? Snape did not trust Grindelwald's teaching for a moment.
Thus, Snape found himself trapped. "Sigh…"
The sigh escaped him, filled with mixed emotions. What good was the position he craved if the person he most desired to torment was absent? Severus Snape had no one to confide in. He was bound by Tom's commands, forced to assign homework like the rest.
Right, he mused, who suggested doubling the assignments? Preposterous! Tenfold it is then. Snape resolved to collect the homework the very day Harry and the others returned.
...
Following the feast, the students dispersed to their dormitories, eager to pack. The professors, equally eager, hurried off to prepare a year's worth of assignments. Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, however, lingered behind.
"Tom," Dumbledore began, seating himself beside Tom. "Tell me honestly, do you truly believe Harry and his friends can defeat the other you?"
"Heh, didn't you once firmly believe Harry would defeat that fellow?" Tom countered. "What caused this change of heart?"
"True enough," Dumbledore conceded. "But since your emergence, I have come to realize that prophecy is not absolute, and the future is truly in flux." He leaned back, surveying the empty hall. "Perhaps Harry might prevail, but it is merely a possibility. The disparity in power is vast, and that Tom is far from careless."
Tom nodded thoughtfully. "That settles it, then."
"So, you never intended for Harry and his friends to defeat the other Voldemort." It was more a statement than a question.
"That Tom is truly unfortunate," Grindelwald sighed. "To be targeted by Tom… tsk, how pitiful."
Tom waved a dismissive hand. "I understand Dumbledore's inquiries, but what about you, Grindelwald? Bored?"
Albus Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, turning to Grindelwald.
"Nothing of consequence, I assure you. I simply wished to know if you might permit me to accompany you."
"Besides, that fellow is terrified of you, Tom. Surely you won't undertake this personally, correct? I may be advanced in years, but I still possess the ability to move. I can still keep those children in check," suggested Grindelwald. Dumbledore shot him a suspicious glance.
"Please, Al, I truly have no nefarious intentions this time." Grindelwald offered a helpless smile; he was merely intrigued by the situation.
Dumbledore remained unconvinced, averting his gaze.
Tom eyed Grindelwald thoughtfully.
...
Elsewhere, in Birmingham, England, a bald man dining in a restaurant abruptly looked up. "It's happening again! That feeling!" The sensation was less intense than before, yet it still caused a ripple of unease.
The remnant soul pondered the sensation, but confusion remained. He cursed in frustration, "Why can't my sixth sense evolve into precognition?!"
Damn it!
He was grateful for his gift. "It has served me well on numerous occasions."
The remnant soul sighed and quickly finished his meal. Then, rising from his seat, he prepared to leave when a voice called from behind.
"Um! S-Sir, you haven't paid yet." The young clerk appeared terrified, understandably so. Anyone would be frightened by a pale, noseless man.
The remnant soul didn't retort, an urge to strike the man down filling his mind.
Pay? Do I look like someone who pays for meals? How dare you ask the Dark Lord for money? You're courting death!
Instead of retorting, the remnant soul instinctively wanted to kill the guy.
Then he thought of how, if he made a fuss, those mad dogs would chase after him. And that wasn't the most important thing. The most important thing was that strange feeling he'd just had.
After thinking it over, he decided to play it safe.
Then, with a Muggle Expulsion Charm and a Disillusionment Charm, he successfully skipped out on the bill and ate a free meal.
---