"I… I'm sorry!"
Faced with the faint green light from Tom's wand, Mr. Borgin finally succumbed to the intimidation of his forceful debt collection.
"So, my Lord, do you think this money is enough?"
Watching Mr. Borgin fumbling a bag of Galleons from the counter and handing it over with trembling hands, Tom's outstretched hand suddenly paused, not taking it immediately.
He felt as if something was wrong; this didn't feel right. How did he suddenly lose all his prestige, going from a Dark Lord to a street thug collecting protection fees? This wasn't the outcome he wanted.
Seeing Tom not reaching out to take it, Mr. Borgin's greasy face visibly tensed, fearing Tom might just blast him with a curse if he was unhappy. He quickly shoved the money bag into Tom's hand.
The force was so strong, the speed so fast, as if to say, 'If you don't accept it, I'll die right here for you,' which made Tom's face darken with exasperation.
He had brewed this bitter fruit himself, and there was nothing he could do but swallow it.
Tom, reluctantly accepting the money bag with tears in his eyes, slowly ambled among the shop shelves, with Mr. Borgin following closely, bending at the waist carefully.
"What is this?"
"A Hand of Glory. Just light a candle, and the candlelight will only illuminate for the person holding it."
"Not bad, wrap it up."
"Yes, my Lord."
"What about this one?"
"An Opal Necklace, cursed. It has caused the death of 19 Muggles."
"I'll take it."
"Alright, my Lord."
Tom, like a protagonist from a wealthy patron novel, swept through the shop's goods, returning with large and small bags, fully loaded.
"How much is it all?"
Just as Mr. Borgin was about to send this plague god, Tom, out the door, he heard Tom say something incredible.
"Excuse me, my Lord, could you please say that again?"
Mr. Borgin suspected he hadn't heard clearly and asked again.
"How much is it all?"
This time, Mr. Borgin finally heard clearly, and an incredulous expression appeared on his face. He simply couldn't believe that the Dark Lord would pay; shouldn't he just use a curse?
"No, no need, my Lord. You take these; consider it my offering to you. No money needed."
Mr. Borgin waved his hands repeatedly. Please, how many lives did he have to dare to accept money from the Dark Lord?
Even if the Dark Lord didn't care, who knew when some crazy Death Eater might find out and ambush him, an old man? He was just an 'ordinary' merchant, after all.
Tom frowned unhappily at Mr. Borgin. Was this old fellow trying to ruin his reputation?
"Fair trade is one of the most important virtues in the world."
Saying that, Tom unceremoniously threw a bag of Galleons to Mr. Borgin and then walked straight out of the shop.
As a result, the money bag that had just been shoved into Tom's hand a few minutes ago, still warm, was now back in his own hands. Mr. Borgin couldn't help but feel like crying.
The Dark Lord, he was actually quite nice.
Tom, laden with his gains, left the gloomy Knockturn Alley. When he returned to the sunny Diagon Alley, he couldn't adapt to the contrast at once, feeling as if a lifetime had passed.
It was just that—
"Why are there so few people in Diagon Alley today?"
Tom muttered to himself in confusion, looking at the empty street before him.
After purchasing a complete set of Lockhart's books at Flourish and Blotts, Tom, who had lost a large sum of Galleons, once again drew a circle to curse that big good-for-nothing.
And when Tom was having clothes custom-made at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, he noticed Madam Malkin was distracted and sighing throughout.
Seeing this, Tom kindly asked, "What's wrong, Madam? Are you troubled?"
Perhaps it was Tom's charming looks, but Madam Malkin started rambling to Tom about her worries.
"There's been hardly anyone all day. They say someone has sealed off the entrance to Diagon Alley."
"I don't know which scoundrel did such a wicked thing. Now many Wizards, especially Young Wizards of Muggle birth, can neither enter nor leave. How will business fare during this time?"
Upon hearing this, Tom immediately felt guilty and dared not meet Madam Malkin's gaze.
After receiving his finished robes, Tom secretly peeked at the entrance to Diagon Alley.
The entrance was already crowded with a throng of people.
"Which scoundrel did this? Come out!"
","
"Haven't the Ministry of Magic people arrived yet? When can we get out?"
All sorts of curses and pleas rose and fell, a true tableau of human life.
Tom watched for a while and then quietly slipped away. The situation had escalated, and his small frame couldn't handle it.
'Raising Voldemort for a thousand days, using Voldemort for a moment.' Now was the time for Voldemort to play his part.
He secretly returned to the junction of Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, confirmed no one was paying attention, and pulled out his wand, pointing it at the sky.
"Morsmordre!"
After uttering the spell, Tom immediately turned and ran without looking back.
A colossal green skull, spitting a giant snake-like tongue from its enormous mouth, hung high in the air, visible to everyone in Diagon Alley.
The entire Diagon Alley seemed to have been put on pause, instantly becoming silent, and fear spread through the crowd, followed by an even greater commotion.
Terrified screams, pushing crowds, helpless cries—the entire street became like the apocalypse, noisy and chaotic.
Some Muggle parents were so frightened that they lost faith in the safety of the magic world, shouting,
"Withdraw!"
"Withdraw!"
"Withdraw!"
While Diagon Alley was in chaos, Tom, the instigator, had already returned to the orphanage, leisurely lying on his bed and entering sweet dreams.
The next day, Tom, who had slept like a log, reluctantly dragged himself out of bed.
At this time, Voldemort had already brought Tom's copy of The Daily Prophet for the day.
"Black Magic Mark Appears in Diagon Alley Yesterday, Death Eater Remnants Suspected of Sealing Diagon Alley Entrance. This Incident Caused Large-Scale Riots, Resulting in Huge Economic Losses for Diagon Alley, and Several Hogwarts Muggle Student Parents Express Deep Concern for the Safety of the magic world, Demanding Withdrawal."
"Headmaster Dumbledore Visited the Families of These Students Overnight and Has Now Obtained the Understanding of Most Parents, Who Agree to Return to School."
"However, According to Unnamed Sources, Headmaster Dumbledore Allegedly Used Illegal Means During This Process. We Call on the Ministry of Magic to Intervene and Investigate, Clearing Headmaster Dumbledore's Name."
"The Ministry of Magic, as the Responsible Authority, Performed Terribly in This Incident, Causing Public Dissatisfaction. Minister Cornelius Fudge Stated That the Ministry of Magic Will Investigate This Incident Thoroughly and Will Never Let the Instigator Go Unpunished."
"And According to Informed Sources, Mr. Barty Crouch, Former Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Has Internally Initiated an Impeachment Against Minister Cornelius Fudge for Dereliction of Duty. Our Reporter Will Continue to Follow the Subsequent Developments of the Situation. — Rita Skeeter"
Tom put down the newspaper in his hand with satisfaction.
Yes, that's right, this incident was the work of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and it had nothing to do with Tom Riddle. Even if Dumbledore himself came, he would still say the same thing.
No longer concerned with the turmoil in the magic world, Tom packed his mood and luggage, called on Voldemort, said goodbye to Anna, and used the remaining summer vacation to embark on another journey.
"This time, the destination is Egypt!"