Cho returned to the Ravenclaw common room with no appetite left, dragging along a growling-stomached Marietta who mourned the loss of a perfectly good midnight snack. Morale was low. Hunger was high.
By the next morning, however, the news of the basilisk incident exploded far beyond teenage romance. The Daily Prophet published a full front-page spread: a photo of Tom Riddle, Cornelius Fudge, and Albus Dumbledore standing beside the colossal basilisk head, accompanied by a rare, solemn letter of apology from Dumbledore.
It worked like a charm.
Most citizens didn't need detailed explanations, they needed acknowledgment. An apology. Responsibility taken. And since the crisis was already resolved, public fury immediately began to cool.
The Ministry seized the moment to redirect attention.
In the same issue, Fudge publicly affirmed that he would personally nominate Tom Riddle for the Order of Merlin, First Class, calling the proposal "a bold and forward-thinking initiative" and "a product of the Ministry's new reform era."
If the nomination succeeded, Tom would become the youngest First-Class Merlin recipient in history. The rarest version of the award. The same honor held by legends, war heroes, and magical innovators.
He instantly became a national sensation.
At Hogwarts, students stared at him as though a Nobel Prize winner were casually attending their math class. Tom paid them no mind. Between meals and lessons, he spent nearly all his time working.
He stripped the basilisk apart piece by piece: organs, flesh, hide, and most importantly, venom, sorted with almost obsessive precision. House-elves brought selected parts to Nicolas Flamel to aid in research. With the basilisk and Salazar's spellwork as ammunition, Tom expected breakthroughs in blood magic, alchemy, and enhancement rituals.
Then, he took advantage of the current hype and published the newest volume of The History of the Magical World: Heroic Annals.
The first "Heroic Chronicle", The Annals of Salazar Slytherin.
"Salazar Slytherin, medieval wizard and one of the Four Founders of Hogwarts…
Contrary to popular belief, the author did not select him out of allegiance to the house of Slytherin, but because his influence on magical civilization spans centuries and continents.
His country of birth remains uncertain. However, evidence suggests he was not native to Britain. Britain lacked serpentine fauna during his era, and Parselmouths, the rare language of serpents, would have been useless here before the 9th century…"
Tom's article continued, citing magical history and zoological timelines. He connected the founding of Hogwarts to the eventual founding of Ilvermorny. Then he detonated the final payload:
"The Gaunt family, direct descendants of Slytherin. A once-respected bloodline, degraded by centuries of inbreeding. Among them, the strongest Parselmouth of our era fell to darkness. A man so notorious that even his name is forbidden."
Tom did not reveal the last piece, that the Dark Lord Voldemort had once been named Tom Riddle. That would benefit nobody, least of all himself.
The article shook Britain to its core.
Only elite circles had known Voldemort's bloodline, and even fewer knew it accurately. Now the truth was printed for every household to read. Owls carried shock with the morning mail.
...
Later that day after Potions, Harry rushed through the halls, still smelling faintly of ingredients after being berated by Snape. He practically skidded into Tom's path.
"Tom! Hagrid, he's cleared! They restored his right to use a wand again! He wanted me to ask if you're free this weekend. He wants to thank you for proving he was innocent!"
Tom paused, considering.
"This weekend? Saturday afternoon works."
He had wanted to visit Hagrid anyway. One of his trial missions remained incomplete, and the half-giant had been away in London these past weeks fighting for his name.
Harry's face lit up.
"Great! I'll tell him, he'll be thrilled! See you at his hut tomorrow!"
"See you then," Tom answered.
Another step accomplished. Another piece in place. And the weekend promised to be… productive.