— — — — — —
After their conversation on Sunday night, Tom didn't see Ravenclaw again for several days.
Yet no matter how many times Tom recalled what he had said, he couldn't find any profound or inspiring meaning in it. He also wanted to grow stronger, so in the end, he went to find Morgan.
"This has nothing to do with you," Morgan said, shaking her head as she studied his eager expression. Her tone grew serious. "Ravenclaw told me about the talent you got from her—Limitless Thoughts."
"Tom, you can turn it off, but she can't."
Tom nodded. This talent made his mind feel like an endless well of inspiration—but most of it was useless clutter. He actually wondered how Ravenclaw's brain managed to survive with it without burning out.
"Anyway, I can't explain it to you in detail. If I did, it would interfere with your judgment and pull you off your own path. Just know this: your words acted as a filter for her thoughts. That's it."
"And everyone walks a different path. If you figure it out, great. If not… there's nothing I can do."
She paused, then added, "Besides, you're thinking about this too early."
At last, Morgan found a bit of satisfaction in playing the teacher. She straightened slightly, her posture carrying a faint, deliberate authority as she continued lecturing.
"At your stage, you should focus on your bloodlines, spells, or your research. Don't let other things distract you, especially Ravenclaw."
There was a hint of exasperation in her voice, like she was scolding someone for wasting their talent. "I've been watching. Ravenclaw's greed for knowledge is… excessive. And greed like that just means splitting your focus across too many unnecessary kinds of 'wealth.'"
Tom shot back, a little annoyed. "But aren't these just different paths to the same destination? And what's the point of me figuring it out on my own? Feels useless."
Morgan sighed. "That's the difference in perspective."
"You have no idea how special your gifts are," she said quietly. "Especially your phoenix bloodline… and that strange power inside you…"
There was the faintest trace of bitterness in her voice.
That was a divine power she herself had never been able to touch, yet it existed in Tom as if it were simply part of him.
People used to call her a genius. A witch favored by fate itself.
But compared to Tom… she could only feel that her own path had been painfully difficult.
Why wasn't she the one getting that thing called System? Why wasn't she the one eating the Golden Apple?
"…Alright," Tom said at last, accepting her advice without much resistance.
After all, Morgan stood at a higher level than anyone. It made sense to listen.
"So what should I be doing right now?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Morgan thought it over for a moment before answering. "Be yourself. Find the fastest way to grow. And push your own power to its absolute limit."
Then she casually changed the subject. "Of course, if you've got time, you can also make me a new wand."
Tom blinked. "Didn't I just conjure the Elder Wand for you? It's basically the real thing, y'know."
Morgan made a face, clear disgust showing. "That thing's ugly. And it has a mind of its own, always trying to influence me. If I erase that will, its power drops so much it's not even worth using. I might as well cast without a wand."
Tom couldn't help but complain, "Don't be so fickle. You should treat your weapons like lovers."
"Exactly," Morgan replied without missing a beat. "It's not a wife. Lovers are meant to be replaced often. What kind of normal person sticks with the same lover for life?"
Tom: "…"
That… actually made an alarming amount of sense.
---
Nothing else happened that night. The next day arrived, bright with possibility.
Tom spent the entire night thinking it through. He even dragged Rayquaza down for a long flight before finally deciding to follow Morgan's approach and focus on dark magic first.
With the Witch's Heart boosting him, learning dark magic felt as easy as breathing. Even ordinary spells warped into something darker in his hands. At this point, it barely felt like studying at all, more like playing around.
Once he let go of all the extra worries, getting stronger suddenly seemed simple.
---
Next Day—
After waiting in the common room for about ten minutes, Astoria and Tom arrived right on time. They headed to the entrance hall for breakfast together. As for Daphne, she'd claimed she was "injured during the Tournament and needed some quiet rest."
In reality, she just wanted to sleep in.
Thankfully, the professors were being unusually lenient with the champions. Missing a class or two wasn't a big deal.
But as soon as they reached the entrance hall, they saw crowds of students rushing upstairs, chattering excitedly. Even the usually food-obsessed Hufflepuffs didn't spare the dining hall a glance, moving faster than anyone else.
"Aren't they going to eat?" Astoria asked, puzzled by the scene.
That was when Tom remembered. "Oh, right. Today's the first day the Star Chamber is open to everyone. They're probably all going to try it out."
By now, plenty of students had already heard the stories from the champions. The vastness of the starry sky. The crushing loneliness. The overwhelming sense of insignificance in the face of something unimaginably immense.
It sounded terrifying.
But that only made it more irresistible.
Tom had never planned to dismantle those rooms that simulated the starfield.
And after Dumbledore experienced it for himself, he personally named it the "Star Chamber" and officially opened it to the whole school.
The old headmaster believed it was a rare chance to temper the mind. After all, on this planet, no one ever had the opportunity to face the vastness of the cosmos so directly. Not even him.
Another important development was when Dumbledore stepped out of the room, he felt like many of his burdens had lifted. His mindset had… evolved.
Tom hadn't gotten around to telling Grindelwald the "bad news" yet. The old man was probably off digging through some ruins somewhere. No need to ruin his mood.
...
After hearing the explanation, Astoria immediately understood.
She cast a sympathetic glance at the excited students rushing upstairs. Spotting a few familiar faces among them, she sighed softly. "I have a feeling Madam Pomfrey is going to be run off her feet today."
She wasn't wrong.
Today, the school nurse was destined to become the busiest person in Hogwarts history. The number of students sent to the infirmary would likely break every record.
Not because of the overwhelming shock of the starry illusion.
But because… of a brawl.
At that very moment, on the third-floor corridor, two groups had already squared off against each other.
.
.
.