Of course, a single custom commission from Neville might seem insignificant, but Tom perceived vast commercial potential in this situation!
As a cat capable of communicating with both humans and understanding what animals were saying, he could offer translation services to young wizards who wanted to understand their pets' thoughts!
'Young wizard, surely you wouldn't want your beloved pet to end up disappointed because you can't understand what they're trying to tell you?
(・∀・)'
Well, something felt slightly off about that phrasing, but the general concept held true. In Tom's assessment, this represented an absolutely promising market!
Anyone who didn't actively abuse their pets would welcome the ability to understand what their animal companions were saying especially with Tom, a cat himself, providing professional brand credibility.
'Hmm, what should the pricing be? One Galleon? Would that be too cheap? If too many customers show up, won't I work myself to death... though if there's money involved, he-he (￣▽￣)~'*
Tom had already submerged himself completely in fantasy:
He envisioned countless young wizards crowding around him, competing desperately for his translation services. He imagined himself earning a fortune, purchasing The Quibbler outright and making Xenophilius Lovegood work for him for life, publishing articles declaring "Tom is the most handsome and powerful cat in the entire world"...
"Meow~" (Hehe, Xenophilius, you'll be working for me for the rest of your days!)
"Tom? Tom!"
Just as Tom's fantasy expanded to include employing 365 beautiful maids who would take turns massaging him and feeding him in absolute luxury, urgent calls yanked him back to reality.
"Meow!" (Who's interrupting?! Can't you see my maid is about to trim my claws... (;´д`)ゞ Oh no!)
The words escaped before he fully registered his surroundings. He jolted awake with sudden clarity: there were no maids anywhere nearby. He was aboard the Hogwarts Express, and the only girl present was Hannah!
With that realization, the fantasy shattered instantly. The familiar yet somehow strange antique train compartment appeared around him once more.
"Meow~" (Phew, good thing nobody understood what I just said...)
Watching Hannah's furrowed brow and worried expression, Tom released a relieved breath and patted his chest with one paw.
That had been dangerously close to social death.
Thank Merlin nobody around could understand what he'd been saying, or he'd have had to administer a Memory Charm (physical variety) to the unfortunate witness.
Honestly, Tom's personality did resemble that particular cartoon cat's—he absolutely appreciated attractive females. However, lustful thoughts aside, Tom retained his human memories and therefore had zero interest in other cats.
Similarly, being aware of his current situation, and having no desperate intense desire to become human again anyway, he had no intention of pursuing human girls either. (Though admittedly, he doubted any would welcome such pursuit.)
Still, refraining from action didn't mean he couldn't indulge in fantasies! Given this rare opportunity, Tom wanted to savor the experience a bit longer~
Of course, fantasy remained fantasy. If he actually had to engage in intimate contact with an attractive girl, he'd probably transform instantly into a pure-hearted innocent and become a steam-emitting cat on the spot.
He excelled at flirting—in theory. His theoretical experience was extensive. As for practical application... he still had a long way to go.
In any case, having confirmed his secret remained safe, Tom shot a covert glare at Hannah for interrupting his delightful daydream:
[What's wrong?]
"N-nothing, really. You just had such a strange expression, I was worried something happened..."
Hannah produced an innocent look, but Tom still detected a subtle unnaturalness in the young girl's face.
"?"
He stared pointedly into her eyes until her cheeks flushed faintly pink, then shook his head slightly:
[Don't worry, I'm fine.]
Though Hannah's reaction struck him as vaguely suspicious, since he hadn't caught her doing anything actually "wrong," Tom decided to let the matter drop.
Besides, once his "Tom's Translation Services" opened for business, he might well need Hannah's assistance. So unless she crossed certain lines (like demanding permanent petting privileges or something equally outrageous), he'd let her be!
'(๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧ Of course, it would be ideal to get some leverage on her—free labor is always the best kind~'
Tom calculated silently.
After bidding Neville farewell (the boy needed to find a proper container for Trevor before he accidentally squeezed his pet to death), the pair returned to their original compartment. Hannah promptly unpacked the snacks again.
"Oh, Tom—try this!"
Just as Tom reached for a glass of chilled pumpkin juice, Hannah pressed a small treat into his paw.
Tom accepted it reflexively, then felt the object twitch in his grip.
'Oh, you've got to be kidding me!'
With that thought, he glanced down at his paw. Sure enough—a Chocolate Frog, still wrapped in its enchanted packaging, was hopping energetically against his palm. His expression grew complicated, caught somewhere between annoyance and amusement:
[Thanks, but I can't accept this. Cats aren't supposed to eat chocolate.]
"Really? But Tom, you should be fine, shouldn't you? After all, you're special..."
As she spoke, Hannah's complexion took on a rosy tint. Her voice gradually diminished until it bore no resemblance to her normally cheerful demeanor. Instead, she seemed almost like Neville earlier, which felt oddly like...
'A married couple?'
The phrase surfaced unconsciously in his mind, simultaneously reminding Tom of the original books. Hannah and Neville had ended up married, hadn't they?
Though for Tom, this qualified as trivial information. After all, he had his darling Luna, that was enough. Whatever ultimately happened with Hannah didn't particularly concern him.
However, to prevent similar incidents in the future, he adopted a serious expression and admonished Hannah:
[True, I'm not an ordinary cat—I'm a cat with magical abilities. But a cat is still a cat, and if I actually got poisoned, that would be problematic.
Though once we reach Hogwarts, I suppose I could test whether chocolate affects me? After all, the wizard doctors there should be able to revive me before I actually die, right?]
While Tom wasn't certain whether chocolate would harm him, he remained fundamentally feline. If he genuinely got poisoned, that would create unnecessary complications. Since becoming Tom, he'd avoided chocolate completely.
Though death wouldn't claim him permanently, that didn't mean he wanted to experience dying just for a taste of chocolate! Of course, if it merely involved approaching death's threshold without actually crossing it, that would be acceptable.
'(´-ω-`) Still... chocolate. Such a nostalgic flavor.'
Lost in memories, Tom felt chocolate's silky, creamy texture seemingly resurface on his tongue, as vivid as if he'd just eaten some.
'Wait a moment—something's wrong here!'
Tom's eyes snapped wide open.
He'd been a cat for over a decade. Why would the taste of chocolate suddenly spring to mind so vividly?
Even counting his previous life, his last chocolate consumption had occurred at least fifteen or sixteen years ago! How could he possibly recall chocolate's taste this precisely?