Tom Riddle is indeed very skilled at perceiving people's thoughts and disguising himself.
After learning that the person who picked up the diary is a young wizard with excellent grades, he has been building a "genius scholar" persona, trying to quickly get close to Kael.
Perhaps it can't even be considered a persona... after all, he is originally a top student.
And because of this, when facing the questions Kael posed, he could always answer them quickly.
Kael even learned quite a few useful little tricks from him.
For example, in Transfiguration Class, when dealing with relatively small insects, drawing circles with a wand can increase accuracy, which is much more convenient than directly poking.
"I just tried it, and your method is indeed very effective."
Kael wrote in the diary with a "swish, swish" sound.
"I used to think that wrist movements would affect the result of Transfiguration."
[In fact, as long as you are skilled enough, wrist movements can actually play a very good auxiliary role.]
[I learned this from a very professional magazine called "Today's Transfiguration Technique."]
"I will definitely read it... Can it be bought in Diagon Alley?" Kael asked.
[No need to buy it, the school library has it, they are placed on the bottom of the fifteenth bookshelf near the right corridor.]
"I will go check it out after school starts."
[But they may have changed places, you may want to ask the librarian first.]
[After all, I was created in 1943, and it's been a long time since then...]
Kael, looking at the words in the diary, paused slightly with his quill in hand, then continued writing as if nothing had happened:
"Heavens, it's been fifty years... I thought you were only a few years older than me!"
[You could say that.]
[I am just a memory that stays at fifteen, time holds no meaning to me, so no matter how many years pass, I am still fifteen.]
"Then you must be very lonely."
[Not at all, because I found you, my friend.]
Soon, a new line of words appeared in the diary. The handwriting was much more sloppy than before, as if Riddle was very nervous when writing this sentence.
[Would you like to be friends with me?]
"Of course!"
Without hesitation, Kael wrote: "I always wanted a friend like you, smart, warmhearted, and studious."
[I am really so happy.]
All morning, Kael continued this way of communicating with Riddle, his writing speed getting faster, and his handwriting more casual.
During this time, aside from asking about charms-related questions, Kael mostly expressed regret about not being able to be true classmates with Riddle.
Meanwhile, while answering those questions, Riddle subtly probed into Kael's situation.
Gradually, from the inadvertent clues the other party revealed, he roughly understood the person who picked up the diary.
A bit clever, but not as much as he is, with good grades more due to rote memorization, knowing only things written in books.
Also, he has few friends, only two, one who likes Wizard Chess, another whose mind is full of Quidditch, all people he wouldn't bother to look at.
And Riddle could see... all of this was true, not lies, which made him extremely excited.
This was practically prey delivered to the door, like a free offering.
Dealing with such a person is too simple.
Because long-term estrangement from people would naturally result in a severe lack of a sense of belonging...
He only needed to play the role of a competent listener and companion, and the other party would definitely open up to him, spilling all their secrets.
...
It was not until the afternoon when Riddle, unable to hold back, began to intentionally or unintentionally mention outside situations that Kael decided not to continue.
"Someone is coming..."
He hastily wrote this sentence, closed the diary, and put it into the box beside him.
Kael stood up and stretched his wrist.
Just as he thought, Diary Riddle indeed knew Legilimency.
Just now, while he was writing, he suddenly felt a faint sense of being watched.
But it was very brief, only a moment. If he hadn't been on guard against Riddle, he might not have noticed this minor change.
Moreover, Riddle wasn't as steady as he imagined.
He thought the other would pretend for a while longer before showing his intentions, but unexpectedly, after just one morning, he couldn't resist probing the outside situation.
Still too young, too impatient.
The current most powerful wizard... Is the headmaster of Hogwarts still Professor Dumbledore... Asking these questions is just to understand his future, right?
If Dumbledore is still alive and well, it proves he failed miserably in the future.
Conversely, if he succeeded, then the most powerful wizard could only be Voldemort... though that is impossible.
From the moment the diary was opened by a young wizard, Riddle should have guessed that Voldemort was already "dead," otherwise, how could such an important Soul Artifact be lost?
So his ultimate questioning motive was likely to find out the reason.
However, just as he started, Kael made an excuse to shut the diary, not giving him a chance to continue questioning.
Kael walked to the windowsill, rubbed Ladon's neck feathers. How to say it, Riddle seemed to be a bit easier to handle than he imagined.
The alias in step one was set, and as long as he took the next steps slowly, he would still be able to ask out a lot of things he wanted to know.
At the very least, the part about "Voldemort's demise in Godric's Hollow" is quite valuable.
Thinking of reaping unwarranted gains? That's not happening, one question for each of us is only fair.
"Kael!"
"Look here!"
At this moment, a voice came from outside the window, it was Fred and George.
At a glance down, Kael saw the twins were waving at him from not far away with their broomsticks, accompanied by Harry, Ron, and Ginny.
They seemed to be preparing to play Quidditch on the hill behind.
"Want to come along?" Fred called out loudly.
After a moment of thought, Kael picked up his Nimbus 2000 and left the room.
"We mentioned you this morning."
Upon meeting, Fred immediately asked, "Why have you been busier than Percy lately?"
"Nothing much," Kael said casually, "I just came across something interesting a few days ago and spent a bit more time on it."
No one else paid it much heed.
"Done with it now?" George asked.
"More or less." Kael replied.
After the initial communication, he could take his time with the rest. After all, he wasn't in a hurry, with plenty of time ahead.
Riddle wanted to know why he failed, right? Then he should think hard about it.
Kael planned to leave him alone for a while; in the next few days, he wasn't planning on touching that diary again.
...