Having finally resolved the emotional knot that had been weighing on him for the past two years after his encounter with Rowena Ravenclaw, Tom returned to Hogwarts in an exceptionally good mood.
He had accelerated time inside the study space, so despite everything that had happened, it was still only around dinnertime at Hogwarts.
As he arrived, he spotted Gabrielle by the edge of the Black Lake, happily playing in the mud with a group of children about her age.
Unlike the older students and professors, who were all weighed down by worries about the growing crisis, these little ones had no idea how dangerous the outside world had become. To them, school was simply on holiday.
That carefree innocence was almost enviable.
The moment Gabrielle saw Tom, she abandoned her friends without a second thought and came running toward him, arms outstretched for a hug.
Tom flicked a finger. The mud covering her clothes and face scattered away on the breeze, leaving her clean and smelling nice again.
Holding Gabrielle in his arms, Tom continued humming his little tune as they walked toward the castle.
Grinning from ear to ear, Gabrielle hummed right along with him.
Along the way, plenty of people greeted him. Some directly asked about the situation outside, but Tom simply shrugged them all off.
"I honestly don't know."
And he wasn't lying. He hadn't bothered keeping up with events. That was the Ministry's job. All he cared about was the final outcome and whether a full-scale war had actually broken out.
When they reached the Great Hall, Tom set Gabrielle down. "Go eat dinner. And don't come back covered in mud again, or your sister's going to spank you."
After giving her a mock warning, he headed for the Room of Requirement.
Not long afterward, the girls except Cassandra had arrived.
"Cassandra's fine now," Tom said. "I've settled her and her parents safely at the manor."
The girls all let out sighs of relief.
"What happens after this?" Penelope asked. "We can't stay away from the Muggle world forever."
"That's not something we need to worry about yet." Tom waved the question away. "The situation's still developing. Right now, safety comes first. You don't need to concern yourselves with anything else."
"There's only one thing you'll need to do. Convince your parents to move to Dalaran."
His expression grew serious. "New York is in complete chaos. Once Muggles become aware that magic exists, a lot of the old concealment charms won't fool them anymore. I think anti-wizard sentiment is going to spread across the world for quite some time."
"We have to take that seriously. I've already prepared Dalaran. It'll be safe there. As for everywhere else... I can't make any promises."
Ginny and the others immediately turned pale.
The Burrow was located in a village where wizarding and Muggle families lived side by side. Once ordinary people became more suspicious, all the strange happenings they'd ignored before would suddenly attract unwanted attention.
Penelope's family and Fleur's lived in the middle of large cities. But they faced the same danger.
Only the Greengrass family was in a somewhat better position. Their estate was hidden behind generations of layered protective enchantments, and its remote mountain location made accidental discovery far less likely.
"Hermione." Tom turned to her. "Your parents need to move too."
Hermione blinked in surprise. "My parents? Into Dalaran? But... they're Muggles."
"That's exactly why." Tom shook his head. "They're the ones who need to move the most. Think about it. If Muggles and wizards end up completely divided, what do you think they'll do?"
"They'll start looking for where Hogwarts gets its students. I remember your mum telling people you were attending a private boarding school for girls, right?"
Hermione nodded.
"A simple lie like that won't survive serious investigation by government authorities. When that happens... Your parents will be in danger."
"I... I understand." Hermione nodded anxiously. "I'll contact them as soon as I get back. Tomorrow, okay?"
"No need to rush." Tom's voice softened. "Have them stay at my house in London for now. And don't forget, I already gave your parents those alchemical items. If they're ever in danger, I'll know immediately, and those items can protect them until I get there."
If war truly broke out between Muggles and wizards, the people caught in the middle would undoubtedly be mixed-blood witches and wizards... or Muggle-born students like Hermione.
No matter which side they chose, neither would fully trust them.
Instead, they'd be met with suspicion and constant scrutiny, with everyone wondering whether they were spies for the other side.
And if someone decided to exploit that distrust... the consequences would be disastrous.
Just imagining it gave Tom a headache.
Still, he kept those thoughts to himself. At least until he came up with a solution, he didn't want Hermione or the others worrying about problems they couldn't solve.
After patiently reassuring each of the girls and finally sending them back to their dorms, Tom at last had a moment to himself.
He didn't return to his dorm.
He was certain Zabini, Nott, and the others would surround him with endless questions.
Only his own private pocket world offered any real peace and quiet.
...
Back inside his personal space, Tom took out the last Golden Apple along with a collection of precious potion ingredients and began creating a new body for Rowena Ravenclaw.
He worked until well past midnight before finally finishing the basic framework and placing it inside its enchanted vessel.
Only then did he collapse onto his bed and open his system interface.
As expected, Ravenclaw's affection had naturally reached one hundred.
And with it came a brand-new talent: [Infinite Insight]
He'd been too busy to check it until now...
A massive torrent of information poured into his mind.
His scalp tingled. Then a cool sensation washed over his thoughts, making his mind feel even sharper than before.
A few moments later, he finally understood the talent's name... and the true extent of its ability.
.
.
.
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