— — — — — —
An angry Daphne was cute, sure—but when she actually bit him, she wasn't merciful at all.
Of course, it did zero damage to Tom. He even had to deactivate his Freak Body trait just to make sure his tough skin didn't hurt her teeth.
In the end, he decided to unleash the ultimate weapon:
"Astoria, hold your sister down before she transforms into Fluffy!"
With a yelp of surprise, Tom scooped up the petite silver-haired girl and held her between himself and her sister like a living shield.
"..."
Daphne froze for a second, trying to remember who this "Fluffy" was—then it hit her.
That three-headed dog?!!!!
"Grrr! Tom, I swear I'll bite you to death!" Her two little fangs gleamed as she lunged for his shoulder.
"Daph!" Astoria laughed helplessly, caught between them like a human sandwich. "Fleur Delacour might not even come, why are you mad now? Even if she does, that's next year!"
"But if she really comes, I won't even have time to settle the score with Tom. Astoria, let me go. I'll just bite him once, believe me."
Daphne didn't dare struggle too hard for fear of hurting her sister, so she resorted to pinching and squishing Astoria's cheeks instead.
"Hang in there, Astoria. Calm her down for me and I'll take you to Hogsmeade, just the two of us."
Tom gave Astoria a wink, then slipped away before Daphne could turn her temper back on him. Right now, nothing he said would calm her down — and even if it did, she'd just drag things out to make him squirm. Best to let her cool off first, then make it up to her later.
Of course, that approach only worked when you were confident enough in her affection to get away with it.
If the feelings weren't strong, pulling a stunt like that would just blow things up and end in a breakup.
Love's hardest task isn't finding it — it's keeping it.
(Singles, jot this down — survival tips for not dying alone...)
"Ugh! Astoria, let me go!" Daphne's golden hair practically bristled with frustration.
"Daph, everyone's watching. Don't make it harder on Tom."
Astoria buried her face in Daphne's chest and rubbed against her like a kitten. Daphne's big-sister instincts kicked in instantly, and she found herself absentmindedly smoothing her sister's hair.
What she didn't see was the sparkle in Astoria's eyes.
A private trip to Hogsmeade with Tom? That sounded way too fun to pass up.
Sorry, sis.. It's for the greater good.
---
The next morning
Tom woke up early — only to find plenty of people had beaten him to it. The Quidditch pitch was already crowded, everyone waiting for him to bring out Megatron.
And it wasn't just Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch keeping order this time. Several other Professors had shown up too.
Not because they cared about Megatron, of course — but because too many students had been pestering them about the dueling tournament, with quite a few wanting to sign up.
The official tournament was next year, but in just two months Ilvermorny and Castelobruxo would be visiting. There was a good chance there'd be an informal exhibition duel or two.
Embarrassing yourself in front of your own school was one thing. Embarrassing Hogwarts in front of other schools? No fuckin way.
Even Sprout and Flitwick — normally the most patient of professors — wouldn't let that slide.
After handing Megatron off to McGonagall, Tom made his quiet exit.
But with all of Hogwarts focused on the upcoming Wizarding Duel Championship, this was the perfect time for a little trip to Nurmengard — to visit a certain lonely old man.
If he flaked again, Grindelwald might actually explode. And it was the weekend, so no excuses.
...
"Pala."
After feeding his magical pets, Tom summoned the house-elf.
"Is the food and wine I asked for ready?"
"Yes, Master Riddle," Pala squeaked.
Tom handed over a dragonhide pouch. "Pack it all in here and bring it to me."
Pala disappeared instantly and reappeared five minutes later.
The pouch now held a hundred heaping platters of food and dozens of bottles of fine wine, all magically preserved inside floating bubbles.
"Good work, Pala. Take the rest of the day off."
Tom was pleased — he'd only given the order two days ago, and having everything ready this morning must have been a lot of work. Pala's big eyes welled up at the praise, then gave a deep bow before vanishing.
Tom patted his unicorn companion, then began Apparating toward his destination.
Snowflakes swirled around him as he stood atop a mountain peak, looking westward.
Several kilometers away, built into the sheer face of a cliff, stood a cold, pitch-black fortress. Its walls were nearly featureless, save for a handful of narrow windows.
Nurmengard Castle.
Perched on an unremarkable Austrian cliff, it had once been the most feared place in the wizarding world — a hell that made even seasoned witches and wizards shiver.
It wasn't just Grindelwald's stronghold during the war. It was also where he kept his prisoners. As he had once claimed, wizards were never his true enemies, so early in the war, both he and his followers had actually been very restrained in their killing.
But as casualties mounted, the war changed, as all wars do.
Even Grindelwald couldn't erase the hatred that bloodshed left behind.
"Do I really have to walk up there?"
Tom had opened his study space, letting Grindelwald see what he saw.
For the first time in decades, the old man was viewing his prison from the outside.
Grindelwald chuckled at Tom's question. "You could just force your way in if you like. With your strength, you might barely break through the defenses. But be ready — within ten minutes, you'd have a hundred Aurors on your back."
Tom curled his lip. "What do you think I am, crazy? I'm not picking a fight with a hundred Aurors for fun."
"You could probably take them," Andros said from the side, egging him on. "Might even be good exercise."
Tom hesitated.
A hundred Aurors against him, alone? That actually sounded… crazy fun.
But in the end, he held himself back.
"If I did that, I'd just be alerting the enemy. The Acolytes' movements would get exposed."
"There'll be other chances," he muttered, taking a deep breath.
The next instant, he Apparated to the base of the tower.
Following Grindelwald's instructions, he began weaving through the layered wards — Confundus Charms, Sealing spells, anti-Apparition barriers — step by step dismantling them as he went.
"You seem awfully familiar with these enchantments," Tom said as he worked. "Weren't you locked up here?"
"They only modified my original protections," Grindelwald replied evenly. "Even the ones added later couldn't touch the core pathways."
Tom groaned. "That's so damn lazy."
Once again, he was speechless at how slapdash this prison really was.
After nearly two hours of walking, climbing, and bypassing wards, he finally reached the castle gates.
"Huh?" Inside the guardhouse, an old Squib rubbed his eyes, sure he was hallucinating.
How could a little kid make it to this cursed place alone?
"Sorry, old man... It's nap time."
Tom gave him a polite nod, then the Squib's vision spun, and he collapsed in a faint.
Tom stepped past the guardhouse and reached the main entrance.
The words "For the Greater Good" were still carved above the gate, the sign mottled with decades of rust that looked almost blood-red.
No traps now, just the long climb up from the bottom to the top of the tower.
"Old G, what were you thinking? Why didn't you put in a lift?"
"I Apparated straight up back then," Grindelwald said matter-of-factly. "Why bother with a lift?"
"You really don't know how to enjoy life," Tom muttered, rolling his eyes.
Finally, he stood before the iron door at the very top. He raised his wand, and a flash of sparks split the heavy chain in two.
For the first time in forty-eight years, someone entered the cell of Gellert Grindelwald.
It was a cramped, dim space. The window was so small even the thinnest man couldn't squeeze through.
Inside were only a hard cot, a wobbly-legged table, and a paper-thin blanket.
Grindelwald sat on the bed, dressed in tattered prison robes. His face was deeply lined, his frame frail — just as Tom and Andros had first seen him in the study space (before the system had restored his body to the peak there).
But those mismatched eyes were still sharp and bright, smiling faintly as they met Tom's silent gaze.
Tom wasn't the only one who stayed quiet. Andros and Ariana fell silent too.
No matter how confident and witty Grindelwald seemed inside the study space, here he was just… a prisoner.
Tom's consciousness exchanged a glance with Andros's, and they both saw it — the same shame, the same simmering anger.
Whatever Grindelwald had done, he was Tom's teacher, Andros's colleague.
Seeing him living in such conditions made them both furious.
The King of the Century should never be humiliated.
"It feels strange," Grindelwald said slowly, standing up and moving closer. "Like having two bodies at once. Hard to control."
Tom forced himself to calm down, rolled his eyes, and forcibly kicked the version of Grindelwald from the study space.
"Better now?"
Several Galleons leapt from his pocket, arranging themselves into two chairs.
"I still prefer the feeling of being over there," Grindelwald said wistfully as he sat. "Look at me — I'm basically a cripple."
"As the most powerful Dark Wizard alive, if you really wanted, there are plenty of ways to fix that."
If Voldemort could resurrect himself, Grindelwald could definitely get himself a younger body.
"Body can be swapped, but the soul… my soul is already worn down."
"Ever think about making a Horcrux?" Tom asked bluntly.
Grindelwald shook his head without hesitation. "Horcruxes have their perks, but splitting the soul twists your mind, clouds your judgment. That one flaw is enough for me to refuse."
"Enough talk," he said impatiently, waving a hand. "Even like this, no one but Dumbledore can touch me. Now get the food out — it's been too long since I had a decent meal."
Tom ignored him for a moment, pulling out several wands instead.
"A little gift. If you want to leave, you can do it yourself."
Grindelwald stared at the wands for a long moment, then took them quietly.
"Thank you, Tom."
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