Two hours later, a luxurious carriage drawn by two Abraxan horses launched itself from the Flamel Estate and climbed into the sky.
Tom was slumped deep into the sofa, wearing an expression of genuine suffering.
Miscalculated. He had miscalculated badly.
He had forgotten entirely about the Underage Wizards Dueling Championship. And then Fleur had delivered the news today like a plank to the back of the head. That wretched tournament was still going ahead as scheduled.
One of his major reasons for releasing Grindelwald had been to avoid exactly this kind of situation.
There was a war building. Who had the composure to care about children dueling each other? Weren't they worried about coming home to find the furniture gone?
Unfortunately, Tom had misjudged the situation entirely. With Dumbledore's presence, Hogwarts had become increasingly recognized as the safest location in the entire world, a reputation cemented further after Dumbledore genuinely drove Grindelwald back. Sending exceptional students to compete there offered growth without danger. The tournament wasn't going to be cancelled. Of course it wasn't.
"What's wrong with you now?" Nicolas Flamel peered at Tom's deflated posture from across the carriage, genuinely puzzled. "Did you have an argument with the Delacour girl?"
"No..."
Tom exhaled and explained his predicament. Nicolas listened to the whole thing and burst out laughing.
"So you do have things that frighten you. If you were frightened of this, you shouldn't have gotten involved with so many girls in the first place."
Tom rolled his eyes. "What would an old fossil like you understand? The complications are temporary. The good life afterward is forever."
"Who are you calling an old fossil."
Nicolas pointed at him, ready to deliver a retort, and then couldn't stop himself from laughing again. "Fine, I won't twist the knife. You've got enough headaches ahead of you."
"That said... Veela blood is a remarkable thing. Once they choose someone, they very rarely change their minds. You don't need to worry too much on that count."
Was that what he was worried about?
Tom raised his glass and took a long drink of orange juice. What he was actually worried about was what Daphne was going to put him through when the time came. If she and Fleur ended up at each other's throats, that would be an absolutely spectacular piece of entertainment for everyone watching, and none of it would be directed at them.
Nicolas was just working up to sharing some personal history from his rather eventful youth when the WhatsApp notebook sitting on the table began to vibrate. Tom gave it a casual wave of his hand. The notebook flipped itself open to a blank page, and within moments, Dumbledore's image resolved itself across the paper.
"Well, that's unexpected." Tom's mood had lifted considerably. He smiled. "Professor, I believe this is actually the first time you've ever called me on video."
On any other occasion, Dumbledore would have returned that with at least a smile. Today, the old man's expression was unusually grave. He gave a brief nod.
"Happy Christmas, Tom."
"I hadn't expected that a single trip to North America would be enough to land you in this much trouble."
"Trouble?" Tom raised an eyebrow. "I don't see it as trouble. More of a minor inconvenience, and even that's an exaggeration."
"North America?" Nicolas had already leaned over with great interest. "What did you do in North America?"
Dumbledore noticed the old man appearing in the frame and blinked. "Nicolas? You're with Tom?"
"The boy has some conscience after all." Nicolas smiled. "He invited me and Perenelle to England for Christmas. We're still on the way. Newt has probably already arrived by now."
Dumbledore felt deeply tired. MACUSA had come to him with the matter, and the person responsible was sitting in a flying carriage thinking about the holidays, apparently unbothered by the existence of the Magical Congress of the United States of America.
"You said Tom was in trouble?" Nicolas asked again.
Dumbledore recounted what he had been told. Tom listened quietly, curious to hear what North America's version of events looked like once it had been formally compiled.
Dumbledore finished quickly. The account matched the reality fairly closely. Not surprising, really. Wizards had memory extraction at their disposal, and with that many witnesses, fabricating details would be easy to disprove.
"You really cannot sit still for five minutes."
Nicolas fixed Tom with a look that the boy was somehow able to meet with complete serenity, and delivered his critique in a tone that managed to be both scolding and impressed.
"You went after an established family alone? Why not more preparation? What if they had anticipated your visit and arranged an ambush?"
"And dueling is the most inefficient method possible. Why not poison? Why not a potion? A small amount of the right dragon-induced compound, and that entire manor burns to the ground without you ever having to show your face. Why do it with your own hands?"
Tom lowered his head with a mildly sheepish expression. "I needed to establish a reputation. Something simple and direct makes a stronger impression. If I did it quietly, who would know it was me?"
Dumbledore listened to the exchange between the two of them, his mustache working up and down.
"Nicolas... you can't teach Tom this way. He's still a child..."
"Albus."
Nicolas cut him off.
"I know your character. Humble. Restrained. You choose to yield more often than not, accepting losses to yourself in order to preserve stability. Those are your values."
The old alchemist's expression became something colder than Tom had ever seen from him, and something unmistakably close to a warning entered his voice.
"Do not impose them on Tom. He has his own way of moving through the world, and his own capacity for judgment. And don't tell me you failed to understand what the Graves family was attempting. Was what Tom did truly excessive?"
"Either handle these small matters yourself, or let me handle them. Don't let them interfere with the boy's life and studies."
"Tom's energy should not be spent on things like this."