Times were changing, and Dumbledore felt it keenly. Once hailed as "the greatest wizard of the century," a true apex of the magical world, he was now constantly being called "old man" by his traitorous apprentice, and even treated like a monster by said apprentice's pet.
My life is truly miserable. Though he knew that only Tom and his snake were exceptional and that he remained among the very few at the pinnacle, he still wanted to say… "Tom, I hate you."
"..."
Tom, about to continue his tirade, fell silent. Abruptly, as if remembering something, his face darkened. "Old man, do not disgust me."
"Hey now, wait! Wait!" Sensing an aura even more dangerous than the World Serpent's, Dumbledore, fearing Tom would kill him, panicked and quickly changed his tune. "Don't be angry, Tom. I was only joking, alright?"
At the same time, I feel a little smug. This traitor still values me, his old professor, quite a bit. Such a strong reaction to being 'hated' by the professor? Still a child at heart.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. If Tom employed Legilimency now, he would grab this old coot and practice his "melon-eating" accuracy. The Dark Lord would pay for it all!
"Speak. Why did you summon me here?"
Tom casually tossed the miniature World Serpent onto the table in front of Dumbledore. If the old man kept babbling, he'd be snake food. Having nearly been killed twice by a pet and its master, Dumbledore was, naturally, the first to change the subject. "Ahem…As you likely already know, Tom, another Tom Riddle has surfaced in France. He's been quite active, seemingly in a hurry to do something."
"Is that so?" The surprise in Tom's eyes seemed genuine.
The remnant soul has gone abroad… Are the local gangs really that unreasonable? Tom imagined the desperate Horcrux leading a group of dwarves away from England with a mournful face.
"Eh? You didn't know?" Dumbledore was incredulous. "Maybe the Death Eaters scattered across the globe didn't have as many connections as this half-buried old man? Didn't your subordinates tell you?"
"..."
I don't get involved.
However, Nagini had contacted him before about news of Voldemort's remnant soul. But Tom hadn't paid attention then, and hadn't bothered to listen.
The same was true now. If Dumbledore hadn't specifically called him over to make him think it was essential, he still wouldn't have bothered listening. After all, no matter how much Voldemort's remnant soul jumped around, it was useless; everything he did was a futile struggle.
Tom planned to wait for the fellow to be ready, then crush his hopes with one hand. Unless Voldemort's remnant soul somehow found an old man named Merlin hiding in a cave somewhere, it was impossible for him to bridge the enormous gap between himself and the God of Magic in his current state.
As for whether Voldemort's remnant soul could possibly have a cheat code…Are you kidding me? Do I look like the protagonist?
He wasn't even a boss; what chance did a supporting character have of finding a cheat code? Frankly, even after Harry Potter, the "Son of the World," had used his cheat codes, it would be a long time before anyone saw Voldemort's remnant soul.
"So, what do you want this time?" Tom cut to the chase. Dumbledore wouldn't have called him over for no reason.
I bet he is worried the remnant soul will cause trouble, but wants to spend his time with his kept boy. The old man, not wanting to get involved, can only try to trick me into dealing with the remnant soul.
Sure enough, after hearing Tom's words, Dumbledore stopped worrying about the Death Eaters' intelligence capabilities and turned serious. "Tom, you know how good you are at causing trouble…"
"I am leaving."
"Wait!" Seeing Tom casually summon back the Little World Serpent and get up to leave the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore quickly stood to stop him.
Tom sat back down in the chair opposite Dumbledore. "Get to the point. No more foolishness."
Dumbledore thought for a moment, organizing his thoughts. "Ahem…Basically, could you please stop that other you?"
"Do you even know what he plans that I have to stop him?"
"Hey~ You'll find out when you get there, won't you? One question: are you going, or not?"
"No."
"..."
Dumbledore mentally grumbled about how difficult this rebellious disciple was.
"I can hear you."
"..."
How did he suddenly learn to use Legilimency? Didn't he say he disliked it?
"Because I suspect you are attempting to trick me."
"..."
Dumbledore composed himself and continued the previous topic. "Tom, a company-funded trip! You probably didn't see many sights on your last trip to France, right?"
"Hogwarts' funding comes from the Board of Governors, and the Board of Governors…is mine. You are using my money to do things for you?"
"…"
Damn it! I forgot about that!
Fortunately, Dumbledore, ever the shrewd old man, quickly concocted another reason. "Two half-Veela girls are writing to me daily, saying they miss you. Are you sure you don't want to see them?"
Tom raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you go yourself?"
Hearing this, Dumbledore sighed. "Ah~ You know, while I'm not too old to move, while I can still do some things…I have my own mission to complete, so…"
"Your mission is to go on a honeymoon with Gellert Grindelwald?"
"How did you know? I wasn't thinking about that…Wait!"
He let it slip! Realizing his mistake, Dumbledore looked into Tom's emerald green eyes, which seemed to see right through him, and suddenly felt his dignity was tarnished.
"It is not about your thoughts…" Tom shook his head. "I see your future."
"I can foresee what I want without preparation." Dumbledore's lips twitched. "You're truly a freak…"
With a sigh, Dumbledore resigned himself to his fate. "Fine, Gellert Grindelwald and I will go to France for our honeymoon. Hopefully, he won't set off fireworks in Paris this time."
"No, I will go." With that, Tom got up to leave.
"Hey? You…why are you going again?" Dumbledore couldn't understand Tom's thinking, but he didn't dwell on it. Besides, Tom going was best; he and Gellert Grindelwald wouldn't have to cancel their tickets.
Tom didn't answer; he simply left the headmaster's office.
So, Dumbledore would never know that Tom's sudden willingness stemmed from the knowledge that Voldemort's remnant soul no longer had any Horcruxes, and the worry that those two old men would kill him off beforehand.
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