Frederick Vole clearly expected his family to kneel, but Tom gestured for them to remain standing. Under the tense gazes of Frederick and Elara Vole, Tom approached Cassandra. "What is your name?" he asked.
"Cassandra Vole."
The pretty girl wasn't as frightened as Tom had expected; instead, a hint of pride shone in her eyes. Cassandra... a prophetess. Vole... a name of old nobility. An idea sparked in Tom's mind. "Interesting. Would you like to learn magic from me?"
Frederick Vole's eyes widened, a mixture of shock, confusion, surprise, and secret delight warring within them. Was his daughter about to elevate the family's status? "M-Master... you..."
"Why are you being so dramatic?" Tom snapped, rapping Frederick Vole on the head. "I was speaking to your daughter, not you!"
Cassandra, realizing the opportunity before her, quickly thanked him and began calling him "Teacher." She was essentially getting away with daylight robbery. Throughout the wizarding world, Voldemort's name was synonymous with terror, not incompetence. Besides, this Voldemort is rather handsome. A win-win. Furthermore, she wasn't stupid; to refuse would be foolish. With Voldemort's legendary reputation, to embarrass him would be a fatal error.
Having received Cassandra's affirmative answer, Tom, pleased, immediately decided to celebrate by teaching her one of the Unforgivable Curses.
"But Teacher," Cassandra inquired, "who will we practice our spells on?"
Her question gave Tom pause.
After a pregnant moment, both turned to look at Frederick Vole.
Frederick Vole's face paled. Only now did he realize his little cotton-padded jacket was offering him very little protection from the wind.
(Fortunately for Frederick Vole, Cassandra still possessed some filial piety, and he ultimately escaped unscathed; only the chickens, ducks, and geese prepared by the servants suffered. The poultry, however, were not so forgiving.)
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere. The Albanian Forest.
"It's all gone! All gone..."
A balding young man knelt on the ground, his trembling hands slowly gathering fallen strands of hair.
"Do not concern yourself with such trivial matters, Quirrell," a cold, hoarse voice echoed. "When I am resurrected, you shall have supreme power, an inexhaustible supply of Galleons, and even eternal life."
The young man named Quirrell bore a disturbing face on the back of his head. As for his own face... well, his nose did somewhat resemble a power outlet.
...
Elsewhere in the Albanian forest, a thick python seemed to sense something amiss. It raised its head, gazing into the distance, then turned to peer at the sky in the opposite direction. Back and forth it went, flicking its tongue, lost in thought. My Master has become two? One as weak as a candle flame, the other terrifyingly strong. After a moment's hesitation, the python seemed to make a decision and slithered off in a different direction.
...
A clear morning at Vole Manor.
"My student, today I shall teach you the most practical of spells." Tom held up his wand, looking at Cassandra, whose face was alight with anticipation.
"Teacher, are you going to teach me the Killing Curse?" Cassandra was eager to master Tom's signature spell, Avada Kedavra. As for the laws that punished the use of Unforgivable Curses with imprisonment in Azkaban, Cassandra could proudly declare, "My teacher is Voldemort." Yes, proudly.
Over the past few days, Cassandra had come to realize that Tom was genuinely kind to her, not at all the monster the rumors described. Of course, this was likely due to her being his student. Nevertheless, it made Cassandra like Tom even more, especially knowing that he only treated her this way.
Tom, without hesitation, doused Cassandra's expectations with a splash of cold water. "Teaching it to you now would be pointless. With your current magic, killing someone would be quite difficult." This was not mere conjecture; Tom had accessed Cassandra's stats through his system.
[Name: Cassandra Vole]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 11]
[Occupation: Wizard/Student (Hogwarts Freshman)]
[Magic Power: C (equivalent to an upperclassman)]
[Talent (Max level 10)]:
[Charms: 7 (Learning spells is effortless)]
[Transfiguration: 6 (Extremely Good)]
[Dark Magic Defense: 5 (Can Achieve Some Success)]
[Dark Magic: 7 (A Natural-Born Dark Wizard)]
[Potions: 6 (Extremely Good)]
[Alchemy: 3 (Passive)]
[Prophecy: 8 (A Natural Prophet)]
[Special Talent: Charm (Possesses Veela blood, naturally possesses unimaginable attraction to the opposite sex)]
[Spells Mastered: Stun (Level 1), Alohomora (Level 1), Flurry (Level 1)...]
[Item: Holly Wand (Veela Hair) "Quality: Excellent"...]
"Hmm..." Cassandra, clearly disappointed, pursed her lips.
"Do not look so glum." Tom chuckled and patted Cassandra's head. "If you truly desire to learn it, I will teach you later."
Looking at the strikingly handsome Tom, Cassandra blushed, seemingly lost in thought. Then, as if realizing her embarrassment, she haughtily turned her head away. "Hmph."
This brat... Tom gave his student a dark look, quickly replaced by a helpless smile and shrug. After all, she was his student. Had anyone else behaved thus in his presence, Tom would have already cast Avada Kedavra. While he wasn't quite as insane as the Voldemort who led to his own downfall, he certainly didn't consider himself a good person.
"Alright, alright, I shall teach you a spell now. The incantation is 'Expelliarmus,' and you must wave your wand thus..."
Cassandra diligently followed Tom's instructions, even though she had already mastered the spell. Tom's version was clearly modified, simpler, and less taxing on her magical reserves. Most importantly, Cassandra hoped to earn Tom's approval.
Frederick Vole watched this scene from afar, a smile playing on his lips. He already envisioned his future, his status elevated thanks to his daughter. Although he hadn't initially wanted to align himself with Tom, circumstances had changed. This guaranteed his safety and interests while providing him with a powerful backer. For a businessman such as himself, it was a win-win.
[Note: Magical power levels:
D: Newly enrolled wizard
C: Upperclassman wizard
B: Adult wizard
A: Auror
S: Professor/Elite Auror (e.g., Moody)
SS: Legendary wizard (e.g., Dumbledore)
SSS: God of Magic (e.g., Merlin)]
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