Soon, this unusual History of Magic class finally came to an end. However, to everyone's surprise, Professor Binns—who usually vanished promptly by passing straight through the blackboard—stopped in his tracks.
The young wizards, preparing to leave, exchanged confused glances. They couldn't understand why the ghostly professor, indifferent to everything except his History of Magic lectures, chose to linger today.
As the classroom fell silent, Professor Binns finally spoke. His tone remained as calm and flat as ever, but his words were so startling that the young wizards froze in shock.
His gaze scanned the room before landing squarely on Tom.
"A very impressive classroom demonstration. Five points to Hufflepuff. I will also consider applying to the Headmaster to have you serve as my teaching assistant."
Then, without waiting for a reaction, he passed through the wall and left the classroom as usual, leaving behind a room full of dumbfounded students.
Had they truly seen what just happened? Not really. They hadn't seen anything like it before.
If Professor Snape giving Tom points could be somewhat understood—after all, he often rewarded talented Slytherins—Professor Binns awarding points was unheard of. Had they not witnessed it themselves, they wouldn't have believed it.
And the idea of Binns recommending Tom as a teaching assistant? Preposterous! This was the same Professor Binns who ignored everything outside of the History of Magic and hypnotizing students with his monotone lectures. He had actually… praised a student? And considered him for a position? What kind of Merlin's joke was this? Had the sun suddenly risen from the west?
Even after Binns had long gone, the young wizards remained frozen, staring at one another in disbelief.
Tom, for his part, looked at the spot where the professor had disappeared, equally bewildered. He had only wanted a bit of fun in the dull class—but how had it led to him being considered a teaching assistant?
'But… do teaching assistants even get paid?' he thought wryly.
'No, no, now is not the time to worry about that! The bigger problem is…'
Suddenly, Tom snapped out of it. Noticing his classmates gradually recovering from their shock, their eyes sparkling with admiration, he decisively grabbed Hannah and Ariana, curling his tail to scoop Hermione up, and dashed out of the classroom with them in tow.
"Tom, what are you doing?"
The girls, especially Hermione, who was wrapped in his tail, looked bewildered. Tom didn't explain; he simply dragged them away from the crowd, ignoring the chaos behind him.
Almost immediately after they left, the classroom erupted:
"Where's Tom? Where did he go? He's practically our god! I need his autograph!"
"First Snape, now Binns. Allowing Tom to enroll was the wisest decision the Headmaster has made this century, bar none!"
"I remember a magazine claiming that letting Tom in was a sign of Dumbledore's senility. Those unscrupulous media outlets!"
"Brother, it's normal. That magazine is The Quibbler—they're always joking. Nobody takes them seriously."
"I thought they finally started reporting real news, but it seems they're as incorrigible as ever."
"Wait… isn't the editor of The Quibbler named Lovegood? And Tom… seems to have the same surname. Could they be related?"
"I was talking nonsense. The Quibbler is the best magazine in the Wizarding World, bar none!"
Even as Tom and his group ran, the echoes of admiration from the classroom trailed behind them. The girls exchanged subtle looks, realizing Tom's life was more complicated than it seemed.
"So you ran just to avoid the attention. But why hide? Isn't it good to be admired by everyone?" Ariana asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
Tom shook his head with a bitter smile.
[You're still young; you don't understand how troublesome this kind of life is. Trust me, being stared at like a rare creature isn't fun at all.]
If he had known how it would turn out, he might have reconsidered—but honestly, he would probably have made the same choice. The thought of enduring a lifeless classroom atmosphere was far worse than avoiding attention.
"By the way, Ariana…" Tom suddenly remembered something, setting Hermione and Hannah down. "I have some private business with you. Let's go to the side and talk."
"?" Ariana blinked, confused, but nodded and followed him around the corner.
"Hannah," Hermione whispered, watching the two disappear, "don't you think Ariana seems… special? There's something between her and Tom that they haven't told us."
Hannah frowned thoughtfully. "Yeah, it's odd. Back in Herbology, Professor Sprout kept them behind to whisper about something. And in class, Ariana didn't handle the Dittany leaves like the rest of us."
"Exactly. And this morning, I asked her what she wanted for breakfast—she said she already ate, even though she had just woken up!"
The more they discussed, the stranger Ariana seemed, but they agreed not to pry. If she wanted to keep a secret, it was their place to support her quietly.
Meanwhile, behind the corridor corner, Tom and Ariana were alone. Moonlight streamed through the high windows, casting a checkered pattern of light and shadow across the floor.
"Tom, is something wrong?" Ariana asked softly.
[Did you forget? Back in Herbology class, I promised to help you solve your biggest problem.] Tom pulled out a tape measure.
[To solve it properly, I need some of your physical measurements.]
Ariana's face flushed as she held out her hand, palm flat.
[Don't worry—it's just your hand.] Tom carefully measured her palm, ensuring the device he planned to make would fit perfectly.
"Will it really work?" Ariana asked, still uneasy.
"Tomorrow morning is Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class. She knows your situation, but she can't stop the other students from noticing. If something goes wrong, do you want a backup plan?"
[Relax. Trust me, it'll be fine.]
Ariana hesitated. "But Hermione and Hannah are already getting suspicious. I don't want to lie to them."
Tom paused, tilting his head. [That's your choice. I can help with the practical side, but I can't make your decisions for you.]
Ariana fell silent for a moment, then nodded firmly. "I'll ask my brother first—if he says it's okay, then I'll tell them the truth."
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