After chasing Gryffindor off the field, the Slytherin Quidditch team was naturally brimming with energy.
They zoomed through the air on their brand-new Nimbus brooms, flying at breakneck speed, performing dangerous stunts as a warm-up before diving into their training.
But unlike any other house, Slytherin's practice included something special—physical combat.
Apart from Malfoy, every Slytherin player was tall and broad-shouldered. Tom had given them a new idea.
"Do you know what the Mamba Mentality is? Use those big elbows of yours to strike fear into your opponents.
That single phrase was like unlocking Flint's hidden potential.
An elbow jab—small, subtle, nearly impossible for the referee to notice, yet devastatingly painful if it landed. It was the perfect weapon in Quidditch. From that day, Flint looked at Tom with newfound respect, even inviting him to join the team. Tom, of course, refused without hesitation.
Quidditch was boring. Weekly practice was a waste of time—he'd rather spend those hours telling Daphne stories of Journey to the West.
The sight of a bunch of burly boys grappling together on broomsticks wasn't particularly appealing, so Tom led the girls away from the Quidditch pitch.
They headed for a wide clearing at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Hermione, curious as ever, asked, "Yesterday you said you had something new to show us. Is this it?"
It wasn't something he could demonstrate in the Room of Requirement—it had to be done outside. Besides, it might just make them cry. Hermione had been wondering all night what strange new invention Tom had dreamed up this time.
Daphne and Astoria looked at him expectantly.
"Prepare to be amazed," Tom said proudly, folding his arms across his chest. "This is the masterpiece I worked on the entire holiday. You'll love it."
"Your masterpiece? Shouldn't that be your little chatting program?" Daphne tilted her head.
Tom waved dismissively. "That's just work. This is life. Watch closely."
From the bottomless pockets of his robe, Tom produced a dragonhide-and-bone box. The girls immediately leaned in as he opened it.
Inside was something small, metallic, and sleek.
"Is that… a fighter jet?" Hermione said at once, recognizing it before Daphne or Astoria.
"Oh!" Astoria suddenly understood. "No wonder it looks like the Muggle planes I've seen—but this one looks so much cooler."
"And? Don't tell me this is just a model," Hermione urged, raising a brow.
Tom tossed the miniature plane into the sky. Halfway up, it began to grow, expanding rapidly until it filled the air.
Clank!
Clank!
Clank!
Before the girls' wide, astonished eyes, the fighter jet twisted, shifted, and unfolded with a storm of clattering metal. Within seconds, a towering, two-meter-tall iron giant crashed down to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.
"Opti… Optimus Prime?" Hermione gasped.
She had finally realized what Tom had made. He had built a Transformer.
But Tom looked dissatisfied. "Optimus Prime? Absolutely not. This is Megatron—Optimus Prime's greatest rival."
Hermione blinked, utterly lost. To her, all these hulking metal boxes looked exactly the same.
"Megatron? This is really Megatron!"
Hermione: "…"
The girls turned around and noticed students running toward them. The fastest was Justin Finch-Fletchley from Hufflepuff—he was also the first to recognize Megatron.
He sprinted up, circling the massive robot in awe, before daring to reach out and touch the icy metal surface.
"It's incredible! So realistic! Better than anything in a toy shop. Riddle, I saw it transform in midair. Did you actually make this?"
"That's right," Tom replied coolly. "Getting the transformation mechanism right was the hardest part. Took me half a month to figure it out. But it's worth it, especially if someone can truly appreciate my craftsmanship."
Soon, more Muggle-born students had gathered, their excitement barely containable. The pure-bloods, however, were completely bewildered—why was everyone making such a fuss over a metal man? But once Tom had Megatron transform again, even they couldn't deny the thrill.
"Riddle, apart from transforming, what else can Megatron do?" asked a Ravenclaw student, examining the robot closely. "I saw a lot of magical runes carved into it."
"Transformers are meant for battle," Tom said with a smirk. He tapped his wand against Megatron's chest. Instantly, two crimson lights flared within its hollow eye sockets, making the watching students stumble backward in fright.
Tom raised his voice: "If you want to watch, stand back. Don't get in the way of our training."
The crowd obediently gave space. Tom pulled Astoria further away as well, leaving Hermione and Daphne before the towering figure.
"Hermione, Daphne—cast spells at him. That'll activate Megatron. Don't worry, he's in the lowest-level safety mode. He'll fight back, but if you can't hold on, just lower your wands—he'll recognize it as surrender and stop immediately. Understand?"
"Understood!" Hermione and Daphne replied in unison.
Hermione immediately fired a Stunning Spell to activate him.
The red beam shot forward. Megatron raised his massive arms to block it, sparks flashing as he absorbed the blast. Then, with heavy thudding steps, he charged straight at the girls.
"Split up!" Hermione shouted, darting left. Daphne quickly bolted in the opposite direction.
The watching students held their breath, eager to see what the mechanical giant would do.
Megatron chose to pursue Hermione, the one who had attacked him, while at the same time extending one hand toward Daphne. A scarlet Stunning Spell burst from his palm in a flash—exactly like Hermione's earlier attack.
Luckily, Daphne had spent a year under Tom's relentless training. Casting Protego was practically a reflex for her now. The beam struck her shield, rippling harmlessly across the barrier.
"It can cast spells?!" Hermione exclaimed in shock.
She had fought plenty of enchanted dummies in the Room of Requirement—some stood still like practice targets, some swung swords or spears—but never had she faced one that could use magic.
"Expelliarmus!" she tried, firing a Disarming Charm in hopes that a wand would fly out of the giant. But Megatron was faster than she'd imagined—he twisted his bulky frame to the side with surprising agility, the red light missing him entirely.
"Daphne, stop standing there gawking and do something!" Hermione shouted.