Although the underground passage remained cold and damp, Tom's heart was warm, filled with joy.
After being summoned to the office by the Professor, he hadn't just avoided a scolding—he'd earned the privilege of being exempt from Potion Class homework. More importantly, that 'rich tycoon' Snape had actually promised to cover all his expenses!
Of course, Snape emphasized that "all purchases must be used for Ariana's resurrection," but what counted as a necessity and what didn't was still up to Tom himself, wasn't it? Encountering such fortune, anyone would be so happy their tail would wag uncontrollably!
However, just as Tom walked into the Great Hall with light, catlike steps, tail wagging happily as he planned how many favors to request from Snape, his joy was instantly halved.
In the Great Hall, he saw Ariana—but beside her was a girl he did not expect. A girl with thick, bushy brown hair and prominent front teeth.
It was none other than one of the original Golden Trio, widely joked about by netizens as "the future Minister for Magic and her two useless sidekicks"—Hermione Granger.
To be fair, Tom didn't harbor any ill will toward Hermione. Although in Rowling's canon, his little mistress Luna is portrayed as the antithesis of Hermione, that was ultimately just a setting. In the original story, the relationship between Hermione and Luna wasn't bad at all.
At this moment, the reason for Tom's mixed feelings was simple: there was only one plausible reason Hermione would appear next to Ariana and become her friend:
"Has that old geezer Dumbledore really schemed against his own sister?!"
In Tom's mind, that was the only possibility. Hermione's personality—stubborn, arrogant, and somewhat cold, especially in her early years—wasn't the type to quickly befriend a new girl. The only way Ariana and Hermione could have become close this fast was… Ariana was now Hermione's roommate.
Regardless of whether Dumbledore had intervened in the original formation of the Golden Trio, Ariana being the same age and closest to Harry Potter meant that housing her with Hermione effectively pushed her toward the savior.
Once Harry ran into trouble, Hermione would inevitably get involved—and seeing a new friend in danger, Ariana could not stand idly by. She would be thrown directly into the fire of "the savior" scenario.
As Dumbledore's most important sister and his long-standing concern, Tom felt he couldn't protect her enough—and now, she was being exposed to danger. This time, Dumbledore was truly taking the blame for something he hadn't caused.
There were only so many first-year young wizards, and even fewer female Gryffindors. Hermione's dormitory had the only vacancy. So, when Professor McGonagall learned Ariana's thoughts, she went with the flow and arranged for Ariana to move in.
Ariana, of course, knew nothing of this. At that moment, she chatted idly with Hermione, her gaze drifting toward the Great Hall entrance from time to time.
When that familiar blue figure appeared with a catlike gait, her eyes instantly lit up:
"Tom! Over here, over here!"
She was so excited she nearly floated up—but fortunately, she remembered her secret identity and quickly dropped back onto the bench. To an outsider, it looked like no more than a small jump.
'Forget it, tomorrow's me will worry about tomorrow's problems,' Tom thought, shaking his head and dispelling the small gloom in his heart.
"Anyway, that Voldemort fellow is nothing more than a stray dog to me. If I hadn't forgotten his backup resurrection plan, I could deal with him instantly!"
Thinking this, Tom's mood lightened considerably. He pulled out his whiteboard and waved it:
[Good afternoon~]
Then he strolled over and sat down beside Ariana.
To be honest, this action drew the attention of many young lions, but none expressed dissatisfaction. On the contrary, their eyes were filled with curiosity and friendliness.
Although Tom hadn't stayed long in Snape's office, his "feat" in Potion Class had already spread throughout Hogwarts: winning house points from Snape as a non-Slytherin and challenging Snape's authority while leaving him speechless—these stories were everywhere.
For Gryffindors, who loved opposing Slytherin, Tom's status was second only to Harry Potter, the true savior. Even if he simply came to sit at the long table, they would not object!
"Tom, this is Hermione Granger, my roommate, and the first friend I've made in Gryffindor! And Hermione, this is Tom! He's amazing—he knows spells even my brother doesn't!" Ariana introduced them enthusiastically.
Hearing this, Hermione closed the thick volume of History of Magic in her hands. A flash of irrepressible excitement lit her eyes:
"Hello, classmate Lovegood. I'm Hermione Granger."
She spoke faster than usual, barely containing her excitement:
"Ariana told me so much about you. Is it all true? Like taking her into the World of Paintings and stuff?"
[Nice to meet you, classmate Granger. Just call me Tom~ As for what Ariana said… if you want to believe it, it's true.]
Feeling Hermione's intense gaze, Tom muttered to himself:
'Why does this girl look so strange? It's like she's about to eat me alive!'
"You too, just call me Hermione."
Saying this, Hermione reached out her hand to Tom. Tom instinctively extended his paw—but then felt something strange: Hermione was blushing and avoiding his eyes, while her small hand gently squeezed his soft paw pads.
'She's taking advantage of the situation, she definitely is!'
Startled, Tom quickly pulled back and looked at her with a wary expression.
"(⁄⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄⁄) Sorry, I lost my composure a bit…"
Hermione realized she had gone a little too far; her cheeks flushed as she tried to suppress her excitement. She had loved cats since childhood, especially those unique and mysterious. Now, a cat that could communicate, use magic, and be her classmate had sparked her curiosity beyond limits.
She cleared her throat, trying to regain composure:
"Um, Tom… Ariana said you can freely travel through paintings. Is that an innate ability as a Magical Creature? Also, can you tell me what race you are? I've read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them multiple times and never seen anything like you! And… this morning's Potion Class… I heard your brewing technique…"
Questions poured out like a machine gun, so Tom quickly raised his paw in a pause gesture.
[(;ﾟДﾟ) Stop, stop, stop! You have too many questions! I'm not some Magical Creature; I'm just an ordinary little cat, okay!]
Hermione blinked, slightly embarrassed, but her curiosity remained insatiable. Ariana laughed softly at the interaction, clearly delighted to see her two new friends getting along… even if in a slightly chaotic way.
And as Tom settled beside Ariana, tail curling with contentment, he realized: no matter the schemes, the dangers, or the hidden plans swirling around Hogwarts, having Ariana happy and safe was worth any complication.
Even if it meant dealing with Hermione's boundless curiosity.
After all, Tom was confident he could handle just about anything.
FOR MORE CHAPTERS
patreon.com/Tonystarc961