This was the truth; his current magic power could only trip someone up at most.
Dumbledore stared at her for a long time, seemingly judging the truth of these words. He didn't feel it necessary to use Legilimency on a child, even if she looked almost exactly like Lord Voldemort.
After a long while, Dumbledore withdrew his gaze.
"Protecting oneself is understandable." Dumbledore's expression softened slightly as he continued.
"But at Hogwarts, we will learn how to control this power. magic is not a tool for venting emotions."
As he spoke, his gaze turned toward the wardrobe again.
"Is there anything special in that wardrobe? I feel like you seem to care about it quite a bit."
Tom sneered in his heart; he really was an old fox—nothing could escape his eyes.
"Nothing." Tom stood up, and this time, he took the initiative to walk toward the wardrobe. "If you don't believe me."
He pulled open the wardrobe door with a jerk.
No flames, no stolen goods.
Inside the wardrobe were only a few neatly folded old clothes.
Dumbledore blinked and then revealed a smile. "It seems you don't have many suitable clothes, but don't worry, we will arrange all the necessary materials before you start school."
He had indeed overreacted a bit.
Just having the same appearance and surname didn't prove that the girl before him was that former Dark Lord.
[Ding! Mission Complete: First Impression.]
[Evaluation Received: S.]
[Reward issued to system inventory: Newbie Gift Pack.]
Tom was ecstatic in his heart. He hadn't expected the system to actually grade his performance. As for the Newbie Gift Pack, he could look at it slowly after Dumbledore left.
At this moment, Tom was still acting out his part opposite Dumbledore.
"But Professor, I don't have any money," he said bluntly. "I can't afford those materials and clothes."
"That is the second reason for my visit." Dumbledore pulled an envelope from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"The school has a Financial Aid Fund for students in special circumstances. These Galleons are enough for you to buy second-hand textbooks and robes, as well as a brand-new wand."
"However, you'll need to go to Gringotts to exchange it first. Don't worry, someone will accompany you when the time comes."
Financial Aid Fund.
Tom looked at the envelope, a sense of humiliation welling up in his heart. The great heir of Slytherin actually had to live on such charity.
"Thank you," he said through gritted teeth.
"You're welcome." Dumbledore stood up to leave. When he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Tom.
"Tamara, if you encounter any difficulties while shopping in Diagon Alley, or if you hear any strange voices talking to you, like the sound of a snake..."
Tom's heart skipped a beat.
"...remember to tell me," Dumbledore said meaningfully. "Hogwarts always extends a helping hand to those who seek it."
After saying that, he closed the door, and the sound of his footsteps gradually faded away.
Only after confirming that the magic fluctuation had completely disappeared outside the Orphanage did Tom collapse heavily onto the bed as if exhausted.
His back was already soaked with cold sweat.
"Damn Old Bee..." he cursed at the ceiling, though his voice was soft and lacked any deterrent power.
This hurdle was finally cleared.
But he knew Dumbledore didn't fully trust him.
The seed of suspicion had been sown, and it only failed to sprout for the time being because of the deceptive nature of this body and that empty wardrobe.
After completely calming down, Tom began to think about this so-called virtue system.
"If I want to use spells, I have to increase these points?" Tom questioned the system while staring at the little girl in the mirror.
[That's right, host. While other Wizards have to work hard to learn spells, you only need to do good deeds to master them quickly.]
[At the same time, there are other attribute points, such as Health Points, Mana Points, Sanity Points, and Charisma Points—but to avoid bothering you, I've simplified these values and will automatically give you rewards when you reach certain standards.]
[Where else could you find such a great system like me?]
Tom took a deep breath and continued politely, "Then as a system, you must know what's going to happen next, right?"
In the first three years of his previous life, Tom had been in a very weak state, even spending most of his time in the forests of Albania. He didn't know much about what happened at Hogwarts.
But with the help of the system in this life, as long as he had enough information, he could thrive at Hogwarts.
[I don't know. This system can only provide the host with missions and rewards. Specific events still need to be explored by the host themselves.]
Tom was silent for half a second, cursing "useless" in his heart, then commanded irritably in his mind, "...System, open that damn Newbie Gift Pack."
[Alright! Opening the Newbie Gift Pack for you—]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: basic mana potion x 1 (It allows you to experience the magic level of a normal Wizard for ten minutes, but please don't hurt anyone).]
[Designated Skill Book x 1 (Allows you to bypass Virtue Point restrictions and forcibly learn a standard first-year spell).]
[Passive Skill: Harmless (Beginner). Effect: When you widen your eyes and look at someone, their alertness toward you decreases by 10%.]
Looking at these three rewards, especially the last one, Tom Riddle fell into a long silence.
"Harmless..."
He walked to the mirror and tried widening his eyes.
The little girl in the mirror looked even more innocent, cute, and pitiable.
"Bang!"
The poor pillow of the Orphanage was thrown violently at the mirror.
"This is my weapon for conquering the world? A pair of clear and stupid eyes??!!"
The Dark Lord's roar echoed in the room; Tom really couldn't accept this pathetic reality.
But he soon felt relieved. Tom stared at himself in the mirror; even if he had turned into a little girl, even if he was bound to the virtue system, his inner self was still that Lord Voldemort.
Everything in the world has a price, so how could rebirth not have one?
As long as he could live, as long as he could start over once more, what did such a small price matter?
Moreover, this system wasn't entirely negative; he still had a great chance of standing at the peak of the wizarding world again.
Taking a deep breath, Tom began to look at the money bag in his hand, a cold sneer curling his lips.
Since he had the money and had passed the inspection, the next step was the world that truly belonged to him.
And this time, he would ensure that the savior called Harry Potter would lose everything in this grand game of his.
"Just you wait, Potter."
Tom picked up the pillow, patted off the dust, and revealed a smile that was a mix of evil and sweetness.
"Big sister is coming for you soon."