— — — — — —
"Another unforgettable school year has come and gone. Over these months we experienced a great deal, far more than one would imagine. I believe all of you have grown because of it."
After announcing the House Cup results, Dumbledore began the final speech of the year.
"First, I must thank our duel tournament competitors for their outstanding performance. You embodied every admirable quality of a Hogwarts student."
The students who'd been singled out shifted awkwardly in their seats. Hermione promptly buried her face in her arms on the table, the tips of her ears turning pink in a way that was painfully cute.
"A single victory or defeat means little," Dumbledore continued with a smile. "What matters is what you learned from it. Your horizons have widened. The world is vast. Britain is your beginning, but it should never be your end."
"I hope you go out and explore, see the world for yourselves. Unfortunately, this is not a good moment to do so. I urge you to be cautious when planning any holiday travel."
He paused, and the students instantly understood.
Gellert Grindelwald.
Even though the Dark Lord had been lounging under their noses for over a month without a single clash, the two sides were still rivals, and everyone knew it.
Grindelwald might be vacationing at Hogwarts, but his Acolytes certainly weren't idle. The news was filled with conflict every few days, and his territory had grown considerably compared to when the Blood Pact was signed.
"If you find yourselves in danger, contact your House head immediately. The school will always be your strongest support. Now, ladies and gentlemen, enjoy your holidays. We will meet again in September."
---
Back in the dorms, as Zabini and the others began packing their belongings, Tom entered the study space and found Grindelwald swollen and bruised.
"Andros really doesn't hold back," Tom whistled.
Grindelwald tried to save face. "I was taking it easy on him."
"Right, sure," Tom replied, nodding with exaggerated sincerity. Then he told him about Dumbledore's change.
"He finally came around?" Grindelwald lit up, grinning from ear to ear. "Of course. 'Death is the next great adventure' my ass. Conquer this world first, then qualify to daydream about the next."
"Old G, you're celebrating too early," Tom warned. "Dumbledore isn't just physically younger. His mentality shifted too. Add the Elder Wand on top of that…"
"Sigh~ Be careful or next time he'll take you alive."
Grindelwald's face went red, then white, then red again. Tom wasn't wrong, which made it sting more.
"I… forget it. I have things to do, I'm leaving."
He fled straight toward the Meditation Room.
Tom's grin turned wicked. He was sure Grindelwald's progress was about to accelerate.
Once a wizard reaches a certain level of talent, the real limit becomes mindset and willpower.
Before, Dumbledore and Grindelwald were so far above everyone else that the world was basically a two-man show. There was no motivation to keep climbing.
But now these two were competing again, Tom was in the mix, Voldemort was about to be resurrected, and there were Andros, Jeanne, and Ravenclaw.
With that kind of future looming, Grindelwald finally felt pressured. Naturally, he'd start pushing himself harder.
---
When the break finally arrived, the train home would leave at eleven, leaving most young witches and wizards plenty of time to sleep in.
Tom was up early. He was headed into the Forbidden Forest.
Acromantula venom needed collecting, and Hagrid had mentioned a nest of Fwoopers had hatched recently. Tom planned to raise a few in his pocket world so he'd never run out of quill feathers again.
He actually liked writing with quills. Sure, they were harder to use than pens or pencils, but they had a good feel. Or to put it simply, they were fun.
Lastly, it was time to bring the unicorns home. They'd been out in the wild too long. According to the centaurs, the three of them (Blaze, Storm, Nova) had basically become the forest warlords. Nobody dared provoke them.
After making his rounds, Tom headed toward the unicorn territory and found someone already there.
A blonde girl with an elven sort of air was brushing Nova's coat with practiced focus. Blaze and Storm stood patiently on the side, waiting their turn like well-trained pets.
Tom didn't interrupt. He leaned against a tree and watched.
The elf-like girl was Luna. Aside from him, she was the only person the unicorns would behave for.
Tom was certain Luna had a natural affinity for magical creatures. The Forbidden Forest felt like home to her. She'd never once run into danger.
That, combined with her love for animals, was exactly why Tom asked her to visit the unicorns when she had time.
Truthfully, his relationship with Luna wasn't at the same level as with some of the other girls. They were good friends. About on par with Cassandra, maybe a bit closer.
So for anything sensitive, like the dinner after the vampire attack on Nicolas, he didn't bring her along.
A sharp whinny cut into his thoughts. Nova had finished getting groomed and trotted straight over to him. Tom wrapped an arm around her neck and gave her a few light pats.
Blaze and Storm panicked at being left out. They abandoned Luna and hurried over as well.
"Tom," Luna greeted in her soft, drifting voice that always made it sound like her soul hadn't quite caught up to her body.
"Looks like they're spotless." Tom nodded approvingly. "You've been doing all this work lately. I genuinely don't know what I'll do from now on."
Luna took it seriously. She tilted her head, brows lightly furrowing as she thought. "I could come to your house. If there's a fireplace."
"Deal," Tom said. "Come once a week. I'll even pay you."
"I don't need money."
"The pay is getting up close with a thunderbird and a phoenix. Still don't want it?"
A rare look of internal conflict crossed her face, and Tom almost laughed. Luna rarely showed emotions. Even when he solved her roommate problem, she'd just thanked him earnestly, without a hint of excitement.
"…Alright," Luna finally conceded. "Thank you, Tom."
"That's just a verbal thank you?" Tom teased, pretending to sound disappointed. "You know how Ginny thanked me, right?"
Luna's eyes widened slightly, making them look even rounder. "Are you going to hang me up?"
"No," Tom shook his head. "That's her little hobby. Not yours."
His tone shifted as he looked her over. "For you… a hug is enough."
She stepped in without hesitation. A soft scent of grass and herbs washed over him as she wrapped her arms around him.
Because her eyes were a little prominent, Luna's face looked somewhat gaunt. It always made Tom think she must be undernourished, that her body didn't absorb nutrients properly, which was why she seemed so thin and fragile.
But once he actually got hands-on, he realized that wasn't the case at all.
Luna's frame was different from most Westerners. She was petite and compact—small-boned. She looked skinny, sure, but to the touch she was actually soft and pleasantly squishy.
Tom experimentally squeezed her cheeks a few times, then nodded to himself.
Not bad.
Eight out of ten.
The full ten still belonged to Daphne and Fleur. Gabrielle earned a solid nine.
Astoria got a six. No helping it—she just didn't put on flesh, and she was a bit bony to the touch. That was on him, not her.
Seeing that Tom showed no sign of stopping, Luna finally put some force into it and pushed him away. Her cheeks puffed out slightly, and she looked genuinely annoyed.
Fortunately, Tom had skin thicker than a dragon's hide. He felt no embarrassment whatsoever. He simply stuck with Luna and helped wash the Pandas until they were both clean, and only then did the two of them head back to the castle for breakfast.
...
The train departed right on time at eleven.
.
.
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