Chapter 105: Acquiring a Tom

"Professor Pente’s class was absolutely fascinating. It’s such a shame I wasn’t the one to win the prize."

"Don’t you think Professor Pente has such a refined air when he speaks? That gentle tone—if I had to rank the professors at Hogwarts, I would definitely choose him."

"Me too. Do you know how old Professor Pente is? If the age gap is less than fifteen years, I might be able to convince my parents..."

In the hallway after class, a group of female students discussed their recent experience, though the conversation soon shifted to Kahn Pente himself. On the other side of the corridor, Hermione cast a sidelong glance at the group, huffed to herself, and prepared to move on.

She hadn’t gone far before Harry and Ron caught up to her.

"Hermione, your performance in class was brilliant! You earned Gryffindor a full seventeen points."

"Yeah, Hermione! The entire Slytherin house only earned twelve. You single-handedly surpassed all of them..."

Hearing their flattery, Hermione took a small breath, her lips curling upward despite her best efforts to remain serious. "But because of your reckless behavior, four points were deducted, leaving only a one-point gap between Gryffindor and Slytherin."

"We’ll make up for it in other classes..."

"Exactly. Trust us, Hermione."

Hermione couldn't help but chuckle. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't be this complimentary—they must have heard about the prize mentioned in class.

"So, you want to borrow the Firebolt?"

Ron and Harry exchanged a look and offered sheepish smiles. They were indeed eager to test out the latest broomstick, which hadn't even been released for general sale yet. It was rumored to be crafted with goblin-wrought techniques and was currently the fastest broom in existence.

The Firebolt was only available through special channels. Harry hadn't expected the prize to be a Firebolt; had he known, he would have certainly put in more effort during the lesson.

"Fine. The Firebolt won’t arrive until next month. I don’t particularly like flying brooms, so I’ll lend it to you both when it does."

Upon hearing this, Harry and Ron’s mouths stretched into wide grins. "Thank you, Hermione!"

"You're truly kind!"

Harry was already imagining testing the Firebolt’s speed during Quidditch; if he could fly that broom, his chances of catching the Golden Snitch would be significantly higher.

Most people knew Hermione disliked flying brooms—aside from mandatory flight lessons, she never touched one. After Harry and Ron’s request, she agreed to let them use the Firebolt long-term, provided they didn't lose any more points. Harry and Ron agreed instantly, though whether they could actually manage that remained to be seen.

...

Kahn’s teaching style spread quickly throughout Hogwarts, but what garnered even more attention was his generosity.

After the first day, many young wizards in the Great Hall were still discussing the new professor. It was rumored that the prize for the first-year students was a custom-tailored outfit from Twilfitt and Tattings. While not as rare as a Firebolt, it was still an unaffordable luxury for most average wizarding families.

A full custom set from Twilfitt and Tattings could cost anywhere from one hundred to several hundred Galleons. Many upperclassmen speculated that, given Professor Pente’s generous nature, it certainly wouldn't be the cheapest option.

The first-year prize had been claimed by a Ravenclaw student who had correctly answered Professor Pente’s questions three times in a row.

As for the upperclassmen, it would likely be much harder to win a reward from Kahn. When George Weasley had curiously asked about it in the corridor, Kahn’s response was that he held higher expectations for the older students.

"Ginny, what’s wrong? Why aren't you eating?"

As Ron was finishing his meal, he noticed his younger sister, who had just started her first year, hadn't touched her food.

"I..."

Ginny hesitated, her expression clouded. After a moment, she spoke up. "I think I found a Dark object... I’m not entirely sure, but after Professor Pente’s class today, I felt like it was very similar to what he described..."

Something that has its own thoughts and is constantly trying to help you must have deeper motives; no one offers help without a reason. After listening to the lecture, Ginny felt the diary was very much like that. She wasn't as accomplished as her brothers at home, and her performance at school was average—why would that diary want to help her?

"A Dark object? That’s extremely dangerous! Even Aurors are cautious when dealing with such things. Ginny, what is it? We must go tell a professor."

Hermione stopped eating mid-bite. She had learned a great deal over the last two holidays—studying under Kettleburn the first year and Lupin the second—giving her a knowledge base comparable to a fourth-year student.

"A Dark object, Ginny? How did you get one?"

Ron finished his sausage before turning to look at his sister with concern. Harry joined in as well: "Let’s go find a professor, Ginny. Let Professor Pente take a look. Even if it turns out to be nothing, it will put your mind at ease."

Ginny nodded. The group quickly returned to the Gryffindor common room, retrieved the tattered diary from her dormitory, and hurried toward Kahn Pente’s office.

"Professor Pente."

After Harry and Ron called out from outside, the door opened. As they stepped in, they were immediately greeted by the spicy, savory aroma of a hot pot.

"Godfather, are you having hot pot?"

Hermione’s brown eyes widened slightly as she looked at Kahn, her cheeks puffing up slightly. She couldn't believe her godfather was secretly enjoying hot pot without inviting her.

This Eastern dish was something Kahn had introduced to her over the holiday. She couldn't handle spicy food, preferring a slightly sweet and sour tomato base. Suddenly smelling it, her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten much at dinner.

Kahn smiled and used magic to clear the scent from the room. "I haven't quite gotten used to the food at Hogwarts. Is there something you need?"

Ron said urgently, "Professor Pente, it’s my sister. She seems to have accidentally come into possession of a Dark object." He nudged Ginny, signaling her to bring out the diary.

Seeing this, Kahn knew his lecture had been effective; all those hints hadn't been in vain.

After taking the diary from Ginny, Kahn examined it carefully and cast a revelation charm, but it yielded no results.

After a moment of thought, he conjured a small flicker of Fiendfyre on his fingertip, dancing like a beautiful, leaping sprite.

When the Fiendfyre appeared, Harry and Ron felt the room’s temperature rise sharply, and the flame at Kahn’s fingertip seemed blindingly bright.

Ordinary people could never handle Fiendfyre the way Kahn did, but with the genes of a Phoenix and a Dragon, his control over fire was arguably the best among all wizards.

Kahn held the tiny flame beneath the diary. Before long, the surface began to char, and a line of text appeared on the open page: *'Please stop, spare me! I mean no harm.'*

"Things that claim to mean no harm usually have malicious intent. This is indeed a Dark object. Ginny, where did you find this?"

Kahn asked as a matter of routine, though he already knew Lucius had slipped it to her.

Ginny, feeling a lingering sense of fear, sobbed softly, "I don't know. By the time I noticed it, I was already talking to it."

"I see. Be more careful in the future. Drink this and go get some sleep."

Kahn naturally tucked the diary away and handed Ginny a vial of Draught of Peace. He would have a chat with the cowardly Tom later; he hoped Tom had mastered plenty of Dark magic by now, or the diary would be worth less than toilet paper to him.

"This is a potion Hermione brewed. It’s very effective."

Hearing this, Hermione straightened her back, though there were few people present to witness it, and Harry and Ron didn't realize the complexity of the draught.

"Thank you, Professor Pente."

After thanking him, Ginny took the potion and headed back to her dormitory. Ron and Harry rose to leave as well—Ron was worried about Ginny, and Harry didn't see a reason to linger.

Outside the door, Hermione said to the boys, "Harry, you two go ahead. I have something to take care of."

The boys didn't think much of it and left. Hermione then used her key to open Kahn’s office door and hurried over to his side.

"Godfather, I want some too."

"Of course."

Kahn had intended to study Tom’s diary, but since Hermione wanted hot pot, he decided to indulge her. Besides, he hadn't eaten his fill either; despite his strength, he wasn't beyond the need for sustenance. Even if he could absorb natural energy, he still required a substantial amount of food every day.

After eating, Hermione patted her stomach contentedly, feeling it was a bit rounder than usual—she might have eaten too much. She then accepted a glass of honeyed milk from Kahn and took a large sip, a look of pure satisfaction on her face.

Sitting on the sofa, Hermione looked like someone who had had a bit too much to drink, though her cup contained only milk.

As she sipped, she asked, "Godfather, so many upperclassmen have been asking me about you today. Should I tell them anything?" Her bright brown eyes reminded him of a squirrel spotting a nut.

"Upperclassmen? How old..."

Before Kahn could ask for details, he caught Hermione’s puffed-cheek expression and realized it wasn't the best topic to discuss in front of his goddaughter. He gave a light cough and said, "There's no need to tell them anything. I won’t be staying at Hogwarts for very long; I might be heading elsewhere next year."

Hermione was a bit happy at the first half of the sentence, but her mood dipped upon hearing the rest. However, she quickly reminded herself that she could communicate with her godfather anytime, unlike the others, and her spirits rebounded like a rollercoaster.

After Hermione rested for a while and headed back, Kahn cast a protective ward around the room and brought out the diary once more.

"My dear Tom, I hope you can provide me with some different kind of value. Otherwise, you might spend the rest of your existence keeping company with mermaid excrement."