Chapter 624: Young Tom Riddle
The man in the sturdy wooden chair and the boy sitting on the bed observed each other intently. Due to the angle, it appeared as if it was a visitor-patient relationship. Thus, the following conversation unfolded naturally.
"Professor? Are you here as a 'doctor'? What brings you here? Did Mrs. Cole send you to check on me? I don't care about how Amy Benson and Dennis Bishop are doing; you can ask them yourself, they'll tell you!"
Felix Harp looked at Tom Riddle's young, alert face, finding this dialogue quite familiar. After all, he had heard variations of it many times before.
"I've said it—I am Professor Dumbledore, and I work at a school called Hogwarts. Today, I've come to invite you to study there—"
Riddle sprang off the bed, looking angry. Felix lowered his eyelids slightly. "Hogwarts is a magical school, and I am a wizard," he said.
Riddle's words caught in his throat. He initially thought 'Hogwarts' was just another term for a madhouse, and this man was sent by Mrs. Cole to get rid of him. However, the reality presented was vastly different.
A prolonged silence. Riddle stared at Felix with his penetrating gaze, scrutinizing him from head to toe, as if trying to find any flaws. Felix looked back with genuine interest, showing no signs of discomfort.
"Magic?" Riddle repeated softly, "My abilities, are they... magic?"
"Various. I can make things move without touching them. I can command animals without training. If someone angers me, I can make them suffer. I can cause harm if I wish." Riddle spoke with lowered intensity, excitement in his eyes, his face flushed unusually. He lowered his head, staring at his trembling hands. "I've known for a long time that I'm different. I've known that there's something inside me."
From an adult's perspective, Riddle's sunken cheeks twisted into a fanatical arc. Felix decided to deviate from the usual path and make a change from the start.
He reached into his pocket. Riddle's eyes suddenly strained upward, watching the movement of that hand. With his head still bowed, deep wrinkles formed on his forehead, and the whites of his eyes were visible below the raised eyebrows.
Felix pulled out a piece of parchment.
"What's wrong?" he asked gently.
"Nothing," Riddle immediately replied. Felix withdrew his gaze, unfolding the parchment, focusing on its contents. After a moment of hesitation, Riddle spoke, "I thought you would come armed."
"With tools for casting spells."
"Do those really exist?" Riddle's gaze immediately examined the area where Felix had pockets, as if searching for a hidden place. "The orphanage once invited people from the church, and I asked that person, but she knew nothing about the abilities of witches and wizards. She only insisted they were evil."
"Wizards are a secret to ordinary people," Felix explained. He waved his hand, and a black wand appeared out of thin air. Riddle's face immediately lit up with greed, pointing at the wand.
"Where can I get one?"
"You'll have one in due time. Besides, it's not a weapon; it's a tool to aid us in casting spells. You'll learn how to control magic at school."
Felix spoke casually, "Let's get back to the point. As a school professor, I have a responsibility to educate young wizards from Muggle backgrounds—"
"What's a Muggle?" Riddle rudely interrupted.
"—parents who aren't wizards or grew up in non-magical environments, situations where blood lineage can't be determined."
Riddle muttered something.
"I continue. I have a responsibility to educate young wizards from Muggle backgrounds about the knowledge of the magical world and assess their psychology to determine if they qualify for studying at Hogwarts."
Riddle's face suddenly stiffened. The sky outside the window darkened, distant thunder rumbling.
"Assess their psychology?"
"Just a routine process," Felix explained, glancing outside, then hastening his speech, "Although Hogwarts is a magic school, it doesn't mean there are no moral requirements. Anyway, take a look at this." He handed Riddle the makeshift item.
Riddle's gaze shifted from the wand, and he lowered his head to read the contents on the parchment.
"Caring for fellow students, no bullying... no theft, no confiscation of belongings," he muttered something abrupt. "I have no money."
"The school provides financial aid," Felix said, looking at Riddle. "Do you have any questions about the content?"
"What happens if you violate them?"
"Depending on the situation, it could be detention, expulsion, or even imprisonment in Azkaban, the wizarding prison."
Riddle remained expressionless, silent, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.
"What about the wand not being a weapon?" he suddenly changed the topic.
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Felix raised an eyebrow.
"I mean... please," Riddle corrected himself, becoming polite. "Can I call you Professor Dumbledore, sir? Because you mentioned... educating me on magical knowledge, and I grew up in the magical desert, never seeing my kind..."
Oddly, as he spoke, the outside thunder gradually lessened.
Felix stood up, casually waving his wand. The sturdy wooden chair he had just been sitting on immediately transformed into a majestic lion, rolled on the floor, and then turned into a badger. It roamed around the room before climbing the old wardrobe, the highest position in the room. Riddle became tense, but the little badger spread its wings, transforming into a bronze eagle. It stood on top of the wardrobe and swooped down in the last second, turning into a lifelike snake.
Riddle almost immediately showed affection for it.
He spoke in Parseltongue, "Stand up." The snake obediently raised its head. Riddle quietly raised his eyes to examine Felix, whispering, "Can you talk to snakes, Professor Dumbledore? Is that normal for a wizard? Can you talk to snakes?"
"Rarely seen. I've only read about it in books," Felix replied.
Riddle lowered his head, gazing at the small snake. After a while, he spoke in Parseltongue again, and the snake lazily flipped over, hissing in front of them. Felix maintained a calm expression, with a faint smile.
However, the meaning of that Parseltongue phrase was, 'Can you die like a real snake?'
"Where can I buy books, Professor Dumbledore?"
Felix once again took out an envelope and handed it to Riddle. "Inside is a shopping list and a train ticket. Take a look; I'll come back next week to take you shopping for the necessary school supplies."
"I don't need you," Riddle said. "I'm used to doing things on my own. I've always been running around London by myself. So, where do I go—Professor Dumbledore?"
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