— — — — — —
At the Slytherin table, Daphne and Fleur—who usually couldn't stand each other—were unusually sitting together.
After hearing Hermione's theory, Daphne relayed it, and Fleur's expression turned uneasy.
"Where's Tom?"
"No idea. He left right after class. He's not in Hogwarts right now."
"Is he avoiding us?" Fleur guessed.
They exchanged a look and both came to the same conclusion.
Very likely.
...
Up at the staff table, the seats belonging to Grindelwald and Dumbledore were empty.
At that moment, the two men stood on the Astronomy Tower.
"You're going back to Berlin?" Dumbledore looked at the white-haired man, his robes whipping in the wind. His mood wasn't great.
It wasn't that he was reluctant to see Grindelwald go.
It was that Grindelwald never did anything without a reason. If he was leaving now, there was no telling what kind of trouble he'd stir up once he got back.
"Hogwarts is too well protected under you," Grindelwald said without turning around, his tone calm and measured. "Maybe you enjoy this safe, almost childish atmosphere. I don't."
"And staying here under your watch isn't exactly appealing. I'd rather go back and have some freedom."
Dumbledore frowned slightly. "If you didn't have dangerous intentions, there'd be no need for me to watch you."
Grindelwald let out a quiet laugh, laced with mockery."Albus, after all these years, you still can't shake that habit? Don't forget, in their eyes, you're just as dangerous as I am now. Neither of us has the right to judge the other."
Dumbledore fell silent.
Grindelwald wasn't wrong. After everything that had happened, his own reputation was far from spotless.
"I'll be back before the tournament ends," Grindelwald said, already stepping into the night sky.
As he flew off, Dumbledore's voice drifted after him.
"Gellert, don't go too far. I'd like to keep the British Isles as peaceful as they are."
Grindelwald paused midair for a brief moment. A knowing smile curved his lips before he accelerated into the darkness.
Words like that sounded like a warning.
But in truth, they meant something else entirely.
Dumbledore had finally let go of something.
In the past, he would have sent someone like Newt halfway across the world just to interfere. Now, he didn't.
"...."
Long after Grindelwald vanished into the darkness, Dumbledore remained where he was, gazing up at the star-filled sky. He let out a soft sigh before turning and making his way slowly back to the castle.
What Dumbledore didn't know was that this time, Grindelwald really wasn't planning to stir up trouble.
He had simply been given a few tasks by Tom. Tasks that required gathering a large amount of rare materials.
And… he felt pressure.
When Ariana was resurrected, the shackles in Grindelwald's heart had broken, and his strength had risen along with it.
Even as an outsider, he had benefited from it. Which meant the impact on Dumbledore was far greater.
Ariana's death had always been Dumbledore's nightmare. Now that it was gone, his state of mind had changed completely. It was as if he'd grown decades younger, his desire to live rekindled.
On top of that, there was the influence of the phoenix bloodline potion.
So mentally and physically, Dumbledore had reached the absolute peak of his life.
Over the past few days, Tom had noticed something alarming. Dumbledore's magic was growing at an incredible rate. It was obvious his overall strength was about to take a massive leap.
That was what truly unsettled Grindelwald.
If he stayed here any longer just watching, the gap between them would only widen. He needed to go back, upgrade his magical circuits, and finish the spells Tom had designed with him.
Otherwise, when facing Dumbledore again… even he wouldn't feel confident.
---
Diagon Alley
Under the cover of night, shops began hanging up their "closed" signs one after another, and the streets quickly grew quiet.
But two buildings remained brightly lit, standing out like twin stars in the dark.
The Astra Abyssum Guild headquarters. And Gringotts Wizarding Bank.
Tom stopped by Astra Abyssum first. He had dinner with Lupin and Sirius while catching up on recent operations.
The British branch had settled into a stable rhythm. There wasn't much expansion happening right now. Most of their focus was on building a prison and constructing a new headquarters.
Sirius complained that he'd practically become a foreman lately, spending all his time inspecting construction sites and tracking progress. He and Lupin hadn't gone on an adventure in ages.
Tom just smiled. "If you want to go out and have some fun, no problem. Finish building my headquarters first. I've got something for you afterward. It'll be exciting."
"And Lupin, start gathering intel on vampires. We'll need it later."
Lupin nodded thoughtfully. He already had some connections with darker circles and had picked up a few rumors.
...
Half an hour later, Tom arrived at Gringotts.
The manager, Doug, hurried out to greet him. Ever since the incident at the Egyptian branch, the goblins had fully realized what it meant to have a top-tier powerhouse backing them.
All their little schemes had vanished.
Now, they served Tom with absolute loyalty.
But when Doug heard what Tom wanted this time, his face changed instantly.
"Mr. Riddle… that's impossible."
"Doug," Tom said with a pleasant smile, looking down at him, "this is not optional."
Their eyes met.
Cold sweat immediately formed on Doug's forehead.
Tom's request was outrageous. He was asking Gringotts to dig up its own foundations.
He wanted access to a client's vault.
Gringotts prided itself as the safest place in the world. Sure, it had been breached before, but those were external attacks.
They had never stolen from their own clients.
What Tom was asking would trample their entire code of conduct.
"Mr. Riddle, personal property is sacred," Doug said, dabbing at his sweat with a handkerchief. "If you need funds, I can apply to headquarters immediately. Any treasure you want, Gringotts will do its best to acquire it for you. But taking something directly from a client's vault… that would destroy our reputation."
"Doug, Bellatrix is a criminal," Tom said patiently. "She's a top follower of Voldemort. Her husband is rotting in Azkaban. Legally, she's already lost the right to inherit any property."
"I'm collecting evidence of Voldemort's crimes for the good of the wizarding world. Don't forget, just a few months ago, Gringotts itself was invaded by him. Don't you want revenge?"
Tom's words sank in like a whisper from a devil.
Conflict flashed across the old goblin's face.
He knew the truth behind the Egyptian incident. It was a humiliation for Gringotts. Of course he hated Voldemort for it.
"Mr. Riddle… are you certain what you're looking for is something Voldemort left behind?"
"Of course." Tom waved a hand dismissively. "If it weren't, do you really think the Lestrange vault has anything worth my interest?"
"If I find what I'm looking for, I'll pay you fifty thousand Galleons."
"Then Mr. Riddle, this way please."
At the mention of fifty thousand Galleons, Doug's straight posture finally bent. A flattering smile spread across his face as he hurried ahead, eagerly leading Tom deeper into the vaults.
.
.
.