After midnight struck, Tom arrived at the hospital wing and led Cassandra out of the castle.
She had already changed out of the patient gown and back into her Ilvermorny wizarding robes. As she walked, a constant clinking and clattering echoed through the empty corridors. Even separated by two or three floors, the noise could still be faintly heard.
Tom had no choice but to cast a Silencing Charm on her to avoid attracting Filch and Mrs. Norris.
Only after they left the castle did Tom finally complain, "Are you here to duel, or to show off your wealth? All these magical items cost money, you know."
Cassandra had not worn all those ornaments for decoration. The silverware, gold pieces, and gemstone-inlaid jewelry were all precious magical artifacts. Tom only gave them a rough scan and already counted more than a dozen.
"The Voray family isn't short on money. Besides, if I fought you without preparing properly, that would just be arrogance mixed with stupidity."
Despite having fainted just that afternoon, Cassandra was in unexpectedly high spirits. The corners of her mouth were lifted as she spoke.
"Even if I can't beat you, I still have to cause you some trouble and figure out what you're really capable of."
Tom laughed. "That's a pretty naive idea. If all this stuff gets destroyed later, don't blame me."
Cassandra snorted softly. "Then let's try."
The two of them arrived at the Quidditch pitch. There was actually a better option, the Room of Requirement, but Tom did not want to take anyone else there, so he chose to walk the longer route.
"No need for warm-ups. Just attack."
Tom drew his wand and flicked it casually at Cassandra. She looked momentarily distracted, froze for two seconds, then immediately fired off a silent Dark Curse.
"Oh? A sneak attack too? You've improved," Tom said lightly.
He sidestepped the spell, his wand hanging loosely at his side. The grass beneath them began to grow wildly. More than a dozen thin green snakes were transfigured, hissing as they flicked their tongues toward Cassandra.
A ring of blazing fire erupted. Heat waves swept through, blasting the charging snakes away. Cassandra rapidly activated several artifacts in succession. In an instant, she went from wizard to lighting technician, dazzling beams flashing everywhere. Mixed into the chaos were spells of her own, creating an impressive spectacle.
Tom calmly raised his left hand.
Wisps of pale white mist surged outward. It looked soft and harmless, yet it stood like an unbreakable wall, steadily rejecting every incoming attack.
An energy storm erupted across the Quidditch pitch. It looked terrifying.
But all of it…
Was burning money.
Alchemy artifacts with combat functions were never cheap. In Borgin and Burkes, even one could sell for hundreds of Galleons. Cassandra, however, was activating them like sprinkling water.
Tom genuinely could not understand what this woman was thinking. He simply maintained his defenses, calm and unhurried, and when he felt the force of the attacks weaken, he pushed forward slightly.
Crack.
The first layer of the protective barrier fractured. Cassandra was knocked back two steps by the shockwave, yet she still maintained her casting stance. Thunder descended from the sky. The earth beneath transformed into two massive hands, shielding the boy from wind and rain.
Step by step, Tom advanced.
Every spell that flew toward him was flicked aside one by one, until Cassandra was finally forced into a corner. Their eyes met again, but this time she was not petrified. A necklace around her neck floated up, emitting a faint golden glow.
"You really do have everything," Tom muttered.
With a sharp glare, the necklace finally reached its limit. The chain shattered inch by inch, the gemstone at the bottom cracking apart along with it.
"You're really strange…"
Cassandra no longer resisted. She leaned against the wall, panting heavily. She had just unleashed every spell she knew in one breath. Now her mind was muddled, her body drained of strength.
"Rest for a bit."
Two chairs flew down from the stands. Cassandra lay back and rested for a while before finally recovering enough to open her eyes again.
"Riddle, do you think I'm useless?"
"If you're useless, then there are a lot of people in this world who don't deserve to live."
Tom lay back in his chair as well, gazing up at the night sky. Hogwarts was far from modern cities. On clear nights, countless stars were visible. This was one of Tom's favorite ways to relax. Sometimes, he would even call Ariana out to watch the stars with him.
"That said, Voray… why are you so obsessed with becoming strong?"
"Why…"
Cassandra fell into thought.
Tom was in no hurry. He enjoyed the cool night breeze and leisurely identified constellations overhead.
After an unknown amount of time, her voice drifted over softly.
"Maybe… it has something to do with my father."
Tom replied lazily, "Sounds like your dad isn't exactly a great guy."
"Don't talk nonsense," Cassandra shot him an annoyed glare. "He's just very strict with me. He thinks I have the best conditions and the most privileged background, so it's only natural that I should be better than everyone else."
"After I started school, I was always the top student. Over time, I guess I just became like this… until I met you and Ginny Weasley. That's when I realized I'm actually just a clown."
"You're impure in your motives," Tom said, sitting up slightly. "Voray, becoming strong never needs a reason, and it's not about comparing yourself to others. It's about satisfying your own desires."
Cassandra frowned delicately. "Isn't comparing myself to others also a kind of desire?"
"But that desire is too narrow. It traps you within your own limits."
Tom pointed at himself, then toward the highest point of Hogwarts.
"I also want to surpass Dumbledore. But that isn't what drives me forward. I just want to keep improving, to pursue the essence of magic itself. That's why I won't stop for the sake of any single person."
"Your American wizarding world has decent overall strength, but it lacks truly great wizards. You can't even imagine what the peak of magic looks like. You have to admit that, right?"
Cassandra nodded silently.
Looking through modern history, there was not a single world-renowned great wizard from North America.
"In the future, stop chasing being 'the best' at everything. Your father never achieved that himself, so what right does he have to demand it of you? As long as you're stronger than you were yesterday, that's enough."
The breeze stirred the girl's golden hair.
Cassandra looked at Tom, who had already lain back down and closed his eyes, and softly replied,
"Mm."