— — — — — —

Before long, final exams arrived.

In the past, they lasted three days and had no practical component. This time, though, they were on the same level as the year-end assessments: five days long, with practical tests included.

Worse still, the papers were far more difficult than usual. Students could recognize every word on the page, but somehow, none of the words made sense.

That, of course, was intentional. The professors wanted a clearer ranking and a better sense of each student’s limits.

Five days later, whether they were from Hogwarts or the visiting schools, every student looked hollow-eyed, like their souls had been wrung dry.

When the last exam ended, the castle erupted in wails and groans as everyone vented their misery.

The professors knew just how brutal it had been, so they scheduled the feast for that very evening to let everyone unwind.

"Minerva, how about...."

Dumbledore, all smiles, was discussing the evening’s arrangements with McGonagall when Grindelwald approached, a hint of sympathy in his eyes.

Albus... don’t blame me.

If you’re going to blame anyone, blame yourself.

Of all people to provoke, you just had to pick Tom—the most petty, shameless person imaginable

..

...

After the exams ended, there was still some time before the evening feast. The Great Hall had been completely sealed off while the professors hurried inside to set everything up.

Daphne dragged Astoria off to check out the magazine that had arrived the day before.

Hermione headed down to the Black Lake to relax with a bit of fishing, settling behind a wind-sheltered rock.

Ginny and Luna slipped into the Forbidden Forest to play with the unicorns.

As for Cassandra, she sat down with Penelope, the two of them discussing whether to run some Christmas promotions this year.

Honestly, with how well Elaina Magic Workshop products were selling, discounts weren’t necessary at all. But they had both picked up on something: compared to actual profit, Tom seemed to care far more about influence.

The widespread use of the Lume-Lens, the growing dependence of the security department on alchemical tools, the obsession ordinary witches had with their Codex...

Elaina Magic Workshop wasn’t aiming to make money. Its real goal was to surround every wizard, from birth to death, with Riddle’s influence.

"...It’s snowing," Cassandra suddenly said, glancing out the window.

Penelope followed her gaze. Their discussion came to a halt as they watched the snowfall slowly blanket the grounds in white.

Large flakes spiraled down, quickly dusting the windowsill. Penelope took a sip of her hot butterbeer, then suddenly froze, eyes widening.

"Is that Tom?"

The snow was falling hard and fast. Fleur had been planning to step outside, but quickly gave up. She wasn’t about to ruin her new robes and shoes.

In the end, only Tom and little Gabrielle ventured out of the castle, hand in hand. They were heading toward the Whomping Willow to make a swing out of its branches.

Kids really did have endless energy. The moment she stepped outside, Gabrielle started bouncing around, her little boots crunching through the fresh snow with soft squeaks, leaving behind a trail of small, deep footprints.

Tom followed behind her, a faint smile playing at his lips.

After a while, the little girl seemed to grow bored. She slowed down, falling behind him, carefully stepping into each of the large footprints he left behind.

Tom noticed what she was doing and deliberately lengthened his stride.

That made things difficult for her. She stumbled along, trying her best to keep up, until finally she tripped over a gap that was just too wide and fell face-first into the snow.

Tom burst out laughing without a shred of guilt.

Gabrielle lifted her head, her cheeks dusted with snow. She wasn’t upset at all. Instead, she giggled along with him.

"Here," Tom said, crouching down. "If I carry you, it’s like we’re sharing the same pair of feet, right?"

"Mhm!"

He picked her up and settled her onto his shoulders, then quickened his pace. Winter days were short. If they didn’t hurry, it would be dark soon.

Kamio followed behind them with a gentle smile, clearly enjoying the scene.

By the time Gabrielle was already playing on the swing they’d woven from the Whomping Willow’s branches, soaring higher and higher with bright, ringing laughter, she finally stepped up beside Tom.

"You’ve been following me?" Tom asked casually. He had known all along, but didn’t seem bothered.

"I came to bring you good news."

The fox girl clasped her hands behind her back, rising onto her toes to whisper into his ear, sounding a little proud of herself.

"They found the flowers you want in Japan. Both kinds. Someone’s already delivering them. They’ll arrive tomorrow."

Tom’s eyes lit up. "That really is good news."

In the Muggle world, the red spider lily was treated as a single flower.

But in potion-making, the distinction was clear.

Flowers that bloomed at the meeting of dawn and dusk were called Manjushage. Those that bloomed at the shift between day and night were Higanbana.

It sounded like a minor difference, but their effects were worlds apart.

One soothed the soul. The other steadied the mind.

"How are you going to reward me?" Kamio asked, clearly pleased to see Tom in a good mood, pushing her luck a little.

"By having you do one more thing for me."

Kamio: "..."

Yeah... she’d been happy too soon.

She’d forgotten just how shameless Riddle was. No wonder his reputation in high society stank.

---

By the time Tom brought Gabrielle back to the castle and changed her into a pretty frilly dress, it was just about time for the feast to begin.

The entrance hall was already packed. Professors stood around maintaining order, with Professor Sprout loudly reminding everyone to keep the noise down.

When the doors to the Great Hall finally opened, students filed in in neat lines.

The newly decorated hall was a refreshing sight.

The walls shimmered with silvery frost, the ceiling displayed a brilliant starry sky, and hundreds of wreaths made of mistletoe and ivy hung overhead. Tiny enchanted lights dotted the mistletoe, swaying gently whenever a breeze passed through, filling the air with a distinctly magical Christmas atmosphere.

The familiar long house tables and the staff table were gone. In their place stood a massive stage, while hundreds of round tables had been arranged across the hall.

Despite that, the space didn’t feel crowded at all. If anything, it felt even more open than before. No matter where you sat, you could look up and clearly see the stage.

Students found their seats by school and house. In front of each place setting lay a menu. All you had to do was call out a dish, and it would be delivered straight to your plate.

The Hufflepuff students were practically glowing with happiness as they flipped through the menus.

Not only were their favorite dishes listed, but there were also specialties from other magical schools. It felt like a full-blown food festival.

Next to the menu was a small card listing the evening’s program.

"The Weird Sisters are coming?!" a young witch squealed, grabbing her friend’s sleeve, her voice full of excitement.

"And Celestina... oh my god! Did the school dig up some hidden treasure or something? How can they afford all these stars?"

To Tom, their singing sounded like little more than noise, but to the students, they were the biggest names in the British wizarding world.

How long that fame would last was another question. Plenty of people had already noticed the lack of entertainment content on the Lume-Lenses and were starting to experiment with comedy and variety programs.

If something went viral, it could easily replace these so-called stars overnight.

Still, Tom couldn’t help wondering when Dumbledore had become so generous.

What he didn’t know was that the money had come from sponsorship arranged by Crouch on behalf of the Guild.

It was compensation for canceling the Yule Ball.

But Dumbledore wasn’t happy today.

"..."

Tom deliberately chose a table with a clear view of the headmasters’ section so he could watch Dumbledore’s expression.

On such a festive occasion, everyone else was smiling, toasting, and chatting happily. Only Dumbledore’s smile looked more strained than sorrowful.

And yet, he had no choice but to keep smiling.

Tom quickly pulled out his iCodex and recorded the moment, feeling much more at ease.

As for how Dumbledore felt about the feast, Tom didn’t care. He himself had a great time, and so did everyone else. Even after it ended, people were still chatting excitedly about the performances.

Daphne clearly wasn’t done having fun, and neither were the other girls. Left with no choice, Tom brought them all into his pocket world and had the house-elves bring out some drinks. They didn’t call it a night until their cheeks were flushed red.

Daphne absolutely refused to leave, clinging to Astoria like a koala and mumbling about wanting to keep playing.

Tom shot his future sister-in-law a look that clearly said good luck, then headed upstairs to a proper bedroom, his steps light.

He had no intention of sleeping.

Recently, soaking in the sacred spring had brought noticeable benefits. Combined with the rapid growth of his magic, the gate to the Eleventh Trial was just about to open.

With his mood high and his magic at its peak tonight, he intended to see for himself what exactly this Eleventh Trial held.

After all, even triggering it had been ridiculously difficult.

And with that, another legend was about to begin.

.

.

.