Ginny woke up from her bed, not hearing the sound of her alarm clock.
Outside the window, it was already dawn, and Hermione's bed was neatly made.
There was no one else in the room but her.
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Ginny thought to herself, "How could I have slept so soundly? Usually, I'm the first one up." She remembered that today was Friday and she couldn't afford to be late.
But when she looked at the bedside magical calendar, it said Saturday.
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"How is that possible? Did I oversleep?" Ginny wondered. "If today is a holiday, then it's normal for Hermione not to wake me up. But..."
She distinctly remembered that yesterday was Thursday.
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Ginny immediately opened her bag.
Sure enough, Tom was gone.
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She turned it over, emptying out all the contents of her bag.
Except for that old diary, everything was there.
She felt a chill in her heart and took a deep breath.
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What had Tom done now?
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With a pale face, Ginny tidied up her room in deep sorrow.
Feeling famished, she went down to the Great Hall while breakfast was still being served, wearing a disheveled outfit.
Her heart was filled with the lingering fear and sorrow of being left behind.
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"Hey, Ginny!"
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Acting like a zombie during breakfast, Ricky came over to greet her.
He looked full of energy, even more enthusiastic than usual.
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"Are you up for visiting Hagrid today? I still feel like we should go and check on him!"
Ricky looked into her eyes with more anticipation than usual, making Ginny feel a bit uneasy.
But in her current depressing state, she just wanted to do something exciting.
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"Sure," she replied, devoid of any real response.
She felt that if they were to argue about what really happened later, it would be better to lay everything out in the open, including the existence of Tom.
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"Oh, by the way, can we invite Luna too?" Ginny asked.
The three of them had never gone out together before.
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Luna and Ricky had no interest in each other, and between them, only Ginny had the patience to understand and communicate.
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In order to "have" friends.
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Luna was surprised by their invitation, but she couldn't find a reason to refuse. So she nodded and stood up from her chair.
"Wait, where are your shoes?" Ricky's eyes widened.
Ginny immediately glared at the first-year girls from Luna's house.
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The girls noticed and burst into laughter within their group.
Ginny was furious and her eyes turned red. "We'll go tell your House Master right away..."
But Luna interrupted, "Let it go. I don't want to waste this day. Let's go."
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She led the way out of the Great Hall, paying no attention to the people whispering as she passed by.
Ricky and Ginny exchanged a glance and followed her.
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Just as they were about to leave the castle, Ginny said, "Wait!"
Luna stopped.
Ginny took out her wand and shouted at the sky, "Accio, Luna's sports shoes!"
And then they witnessed a miracle.
The spell that was only taught in the fourth year, Ginny had successfully cast in her first year.
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Ginny handed the shoes to Luna.
Luna reluctantly put them on and said, "Well, they might cut it into pieces and throw it into the Black Lake next time."
Ricky angrily said, "Doesn't your House Master do anything about it?"
Luna replied, "He wants me to learn how to interact with others, so I'm learning, aren't I?"
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Ginny said, "Learning my arse! When you're angry, you fight back. Isn't that something we're born knowing?"
Ginny spoke up for her friend, but in practice, she herself had a lot of trouble and concern with it too...
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Luna calmly said, "I am against violence. All violence will rebound on oneself."
Ricky rolled his eyes and said, "I've told my roommates, if they dare touch my things, I don't know which one of my bugs might sneak out at night. They called our House Master, and she punished me to said my apologies and writing lines. But at least now they don't dare touch my things because they know I'm serious. No matter the cost, I'll get back at them."
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In an attempt to ease the tension, Ginny confessed that her roommates had allowed her to quietly switch rooms. She suggested to Luna that she should also consider finding someone from a different year who she got along with better.
But Luna shrugged her shoulders, asserting that she was unique and one-of-a-kind. She waved her hand dismissively and said, "Never mind, let's go." She skipped happily in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.
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As they walked a distance from the castle, enjoying the serene meadow, they could see Hagrid's cabin from the hillside.
"Wait!" Ginny suddenly exclaimed in panic, covering her head and crouching down.
Ricky and Luna were confused. Ahead of them was only the path with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
Didn't Ginny already know them? Why would they have to hide while going to see Hagrid?
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Ginny said, "I don't want to see them. Let's go back."
She anticipated feeling nervous around Harry, and she didn't want to dampen their spirits.
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Considering her feelings, Ricky and Luna both sat down with her.
There were a few large, pillar-shaped stones beside them.
The shadows cast by the stones were quite comfortable.
It was a sunny day, and as the wind blew, the phosphorescence shimmered on the surface of the Black Lake.
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Ricky asked, "Did you have a fight with your brother? Is it because your magic is stronger than his, so..."
Ginny nervously tightened her grip and interrupted, "It's not about Ron. It's... um... about Harry." She spoke with a trembling voice and blush.
Luna and Ricky exchanged incredulous looks.
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Luna directly asked, "Is it just because he's famous so you like him? You don't even know him that well, do you?"
Ginny angrily replied, "That's not it."268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqXoTDR6No
Ricky asked, "Is it about his personality? Or is it about his appearance?" He strangely took it quite seriously.
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Ginny hugged her knees and said, "Um... the first time I saw him, he was even more insecure than me and asked us how to get to the platform. We thought he must have been a lonely orphan from the Muggle world or something.
Later, Ron sent a letter home, boasting about how he was Harry Potter, and they became friends. In the summer, He kept talking about how they solved the crisis of the Philosopher's Stone...
I developed a lot of fantasies about him. Then, one day, I saw him in person when he appeared at my house. My mind went blank... He probably thinks I'm a weirdo, but I couldn't help it."268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7C2fO7rIp4
Ginny hoped that Ricky and Luna wouldn't mock her.
As expected, their focus was completely off.
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Luna asked, "Philosopher's Stone?" and Ricky asked, "What crisis?"
Although this incident was widely circulated among the students, it never made it into the newspapers. The official stance was that Voldemort hadn't returned, and Dumbledore had no evidence.
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Some skeptics even believed that it was too coincidental for a few first-year to pass through all the challenges. They thought these rumours were designed to create a "Harry saviour cult."
But Ginny firmly believed in what had happened. She recounted the events of the previous year to Luna and Ricky.
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Luna and Ricky, who never gossip to others, only now realized why even in Harry's second year, people still stopped around and talked about him.
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Luna expressed regret, saying, "So, Harry killed last year's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, which forced us to face that clown this year? I'd rather be taught by the Dark Lord..."
Ricky's thoughts were, "If the Dark Lord can possess someone, then shouldn't we suspect anyone wearing a hat? We should check if someone is wearing a wig or something..."
They were inclined not to believe.
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Ginny also got into it, saying, "It's the smell of decay that's the sign of being possessed! It has nothing to do with wearing a hat!"
But Luna supported Ricky, saying, "That's not true, you know? The body won't decay no matter how many souls it contains. Quirrell probably had body odour because he had a terminal illness, and that's why he was willing to be possessed, clinging to the last hope of survival."
Ricky frowned at Luna and asked, "How do you know that?"
He couldn't stand Luna always saying things that were seemingly true but couldn't be proven.
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Luna looked into the distance and said, "I've done extensive research on resurrecting the dead and possession. I've read so many books on the subject."
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Ginny remembered Mrs. Lovegood. 268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gWznHDdqH
She had attended her funeral a few years ago as a neighbour.
So before Ricky could question further, Ginny quickly interjected, "Okay, okay. Anyway, it's possible that Quirrell, because of his terminal illness, chose to serve 'you know who'. So he succumbed to his commands, drank the unicorn's blood, and tried to steal the Philosopher's Stone. Agreed?"
Ricky and Luna half-heartedly agreed, saying, "Who knows?" and "Maybe."
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Ricky added, "If that's the case, it's better to stay away from that Harry. He's got too many troublesome things going on."
Ginny, though stubborn, said, "Well, it's too late for our family anyway." They were all loyal followers of Dumbledore.
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Luna asked, "So, is that why you started learning those magic early?"
She stretched her legs out and looked at her lose and be-found shoes.
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Ginny touched the back of her neck and said, "I was bored at home. Dad went to work, and Mom was busy with housework. We didn't have money to buy leisure books, so other than textbooks, what else could I read?"
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Especially after Ron started school last year, she didn't even have a playmate. Ron took the first-year books, the twins took the third-year ones, and Percy took the fifth-year ones. So she ended up reading the second and fourth-year books, and her parents thought she was not seriously studying them.
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Ricky complained, "I didn't want to come at all. I heard that this school won't have a 'Care of Magical Creatures' class until the third year. I begged my parents to let me stay home. But they insisted that I should lay a solid foundation and such. I think they were just too lazy to teach me themselves..."
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Luna also complained, "My dad always sighed and said if he died, he wouldn't know how could I fend for myself. So that's why he kicked me out. I guess if I died at Hogwarts, he wouldn't have to worry about that problem anymore."
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Ginny sighed, "Why can't everyone just get along with us?"
She didn't think that the three of them were really that strange. Weren't the misfits the normal ones in the magical world?
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Ricky confessed, "At the start-of-term feast, they asked me where I've been. I told them my parents change countries on average every few weeks. When I got to the 48th place name... I knew I messed up."
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Luna said indifferently, "I always thought I was quite popular. You know, they say the more people like you, the more they bully you. They were just trying to get my attention, but their methods were so immature. If I fought back, wouldn't that indirectly show that they're affecting me?
On the contrary, even if I cried in front of the teachers, what could they really do? They wouldn't expel all the people I dislike over such a small matter. 268Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYz8E90xEh
So I believe that maybe they'll stop if they find it boring. Trusting in the inherent goodness of human nature is the fundamental solution, don't you think?
In short, I choose to live in the present. Dealing with revenge every day is just so boring."
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Ginny was speechless with both of them, but she had her own quirks and experiences that no one understood.
"This morning, I discovered that my diary was gone..."
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Ginny somberly recalled Tom and explained everything that had happened during this period.
Luna and Ricky listened quietly and exchanged a strange glance.
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In the deep of the night on Friday, Hermione and Ginny were both unconscious.
Tom Riddle woke up.
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He didn't know if Ginny was aware of it, but he had already shared her vision and hearing long ago. Otherwise, how could he have reacted so promptly during the incidents with Eugene and Hagrid?
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Did Ginny hint at his existence to protect herself from unforeseen circumstances?
His original plan was to slowly erode Ginny's soul, gradually replacing her from within.
Until no one could tell the difference between him and Ginny. He would become Ginny, and Ginny would become him, a continuation of memories, emotions, and body.
And then he would smoothly continue living with this identity.
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However, this process of assimilation would take at least a year, and if Ginny resisted all along, it might take several years.
But now that Ginny knew he is a real person, the risk of this plan was too high.
He had thought that it had been fifty years since he graduated, how could anyone still recognize him?
He had underestimated its risk.
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Tom decided to take advantage of the last opportunity to safely use Ginny and visit the Basilisk.
Afterward, he would place the diary back in the library, tempting the next user. Before leaving, he would also erase Ginny's memories of him.
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That way, no one would know he had been here.
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He quietly put on his shoes and left the room.
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He wandered to the second-floor girls' bathroom.
"What are you doing here?" Moaning Myrtle heard Tom's footsteps. Hardly any students would come to her bathroom.
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Tom had never seen Moaning Myrtle before.
Fifty years ago, shortly after her death, she had haunted the girl who had bullied her. The girl had already been scared into leaving school. It was only after Myrtle continued to bother her for half a year that the Ministry of Magic issued a restraining order.
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So when Myrtle returned to this restroom, it was already after Tom had been sealed within the diary.
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Tom looked at her and lied using Ginny's appearance, "I made a bet with my friends, could you prove that I was really here?"
Sensitive as she was, Myrtle countered, "Do you find me amusing? Coming to see me at night is considered brave?"
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Tom pretended to be pitiful and said, "They forced me to play."
Myrtle said, "You better leave quickly, or I'll call the teachers."
Tom quickly cast a spell, and Myrtle was immobilized.
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"Mmm! Mmm!" For the first time as a ghost, her normally unhindered body was restrained. Tom's dark magic had a special effect on souls.
Like dragging a balloon, Tom pulled Myrtle out of the washroom and placed her inside an empty cupboard.
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He still looked pitiful as he said, "If you report me, I'll have no friends left. I hope you can understand and forgive me."
Myrtle stared at him fiercely.
Tom closed the door with a sympathetic and apologetic expression.
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Tom's words to Myrtle were just an excuse to provide a reasonable explanation for Ginny's later "memory denial."
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Finally, in a situation without any disturbance, Tom opened the door to the Chamber of Secrets.
"Basilisk!" Tom called out.
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There was no response at the entrance, so he had to once again endure the stench and jump down.
"Basilisk!"
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Tom reached the center of the Chamber of Secrets and saw Basilisk trapped by layers of old skin. It seemed to have given up struggling.
"Tom... is it really you?" Basilisk's cloudy eyes reflected his image.
Tom hurriedly ran up to it and anxiously said, "Give me some time, I'll..."
He used magic to dissolve the old snake skin.
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Snakes shed their skin twice a year.
Over thousands of years, all the protrusions in the Chamber of Secrets that the Basilisk could rub against had been worn down.
The presence of the water pipe was also a good thing, as the Basilisk could generate friction by moving against the water flow.
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"You're back!" Basilisk's eyes didn't focus.
Tom said with heartache, "I made an oath! What do you doubt about me?"
The weakened Basilisk said, "I tried to find you, but you didn't respond. Afterward, iron bars grew in the pipes. I thought... I would never get out again..."
Its words chilled Tom. What was his other self doing?
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After being separated into the diary, Tom's main soul had written a few words to him, confirming his purpose.
He immediately pleaded with the main soul to merge back with him, as he no longer wanted to live like this.
But the main soul just threw him into the space expansion bag, treating him like an inanimate object.
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A few hours later, Basilisk couldn't hold on any longer.
Seeing Tom return, it had fulfilled its final obsession.
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Years of old skin hadn't shed completely, resulting in its skin becoming ulcerated, scales developing poorly, and flesh-bearing layers of scars.
Tom cast a cremation spell and silently watched it burn down to the bones. The ashes were carried away by the water flow.
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He was free.
Free from the promises he made to friends.
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Tom wiped away his tears.
Before Myrtle's binding spell wore off, he returned to the surface.
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The sky was already beginning to brighten.
Tom returned to the dormitory with Ginny's body, feeling lifeless.
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He took a hot shower, waking Hermione in the process.
"Ginny, don't take too long in there," she said. She also wanted to use the bathroom.
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Tom sat in the bathtub, planning his revenge.
He examined the bars in the pipes, which surrounded the Chamber of Secrets.
Even Basilisk, who could have opened the Chamber from the inside, had been deprived of that ability.
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Was it Dumbledore's doing?
It didn't seem like it.
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Tom still believed in Dumbledore's character. He wouldn't mistreat animals.
That left only his other self as a possibility.
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The question was: Was that other him still human?
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Knock, knock.
Hermione came knocking on the door, "Ginny, are you okay?"
Tom had to stand up and take a deep breath, saying, "I'm fine, sorry, just give me two minutes."
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He needed to go and report this matter to Dumbledore.
Fifty years had passed, and he couldn't seek revenge relying solely on this young girl's body.
He couldn't even grasp his counterpart's shadow.
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When he went downstairs for breakfast, he noticed that the Headmaster's seat was empty.
He had initially wanted to inform Dumbledore right away, not wanting to take up too much of Ginny's time.
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"Professor McGonagall, I need to find the Headmaster. Can you tell me where he is ?"
Tom intercepted her as she passed by.
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Professor McGonagall carefully examined Tom and cautiously said, "I cannot disclose his whereabouts. If it's urgent, you can inform me. However, we're about to have a Transfiguration class. Miss Weasley, where is your backpack?"
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Tom didn't bring a backpack downstairs because he had no intention of attending class.
But now he was compelled to...
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Just in time, Tom entered the classroom with Ginny's backpack and sat next to Ricky.
In this class, they were supposed to conjure leaves on dried twigs, and each student was given one.
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"Be careful," Tom reached out to stop Ricky before he cast the spell, confusing him.
Tom reached out to the dried twig and rescued a trembling little Bowtruckle.
It was smaller than its kind, with an unusual brown colour instead of the usual green.
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Still immersed in the sorrow of losing Basilisk, Tom had become particularly patient with animals. "Here you go," he handed the Bowtruckle to Ricky, who is eagerly hopeful to have it.
Ricky was astonished. "Really?"
These little creatures were quite popular and could fetch a high price on the black market (although officially prohibited by the Ministry of Magic).
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Tom smiled at him. "Of course."
Ricky was left speechless.
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Ginny, today, had looked unusually pale.
She had a melancholic expression and carried herself with delicate elegance.
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Ricky's heart skipped a beat. He had momentarily attracted by her.
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During lunchtime, Tom noticed that Dumbledore still hadn't returned. He considered sending his diary to Dumbledore using an owl, but after much deliberation, he deemed it too unsafe. He hoped that Dumbledore would come back in the evening.
In the afternoon, Tom attended the Charm class on behalf of Ginny and sat next to Luna. Luna glanced at him briefly and then turned her gaze out the window. Throughout the professor's hour-long lecture, she never once turned her head.
The class focused on practicing the Repairing Charm. Tom pretended to struggle with intentionally torn parchment and then successfully repaired it. Professor Flitwick praised, "Ten points to Gryffindor. Miss Weasley, make sure you teach your deskmate before the class ends." He stared meaningfully at Luna's back.
Tom had no choice but to strike up a conversation with Luna. "Would you like to give it a try too?"
Luna turned her head again and asked calmly, "And who are you?"
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"Ha!" A classmate sitting behind them burst into laughter.
The classmates, who had been jealous of Tom's earlier bonus points, now looked at him with sympathy.
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Tom didn't smile or show any panic. "I'm Ginny's twin. Nice to meet you."
Tom then pointed outside and said, "Those are Theatral flying in the Forbidden Forest. You can go see them after class, just remember to inform Hagrid."
He knew that Luna had been observing Theatral and envying their freedom.
Luna asked in surprise, "You can see them too?"
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The classmates who had been eavesdropping on their conversation glanced at the empty view outside, rolled their eyes, and thought, "They're pretending to be crazy together."
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Tom changed the subject and said, "Let's focus on practicing for now."
Luna tilted her head and asked, "What was the spell again?"
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After a long school day, Tom approached the phoenix statue in front of the Headmaster's office and asked, "Is the Headmaster in?"
The statue pondered for a moment and replied that Dumbledore had just returned. He wouldn't be available to meet any visitors until after dinner. The statue asked if there was anything urgent Tom needed to discuss.
Tom sighed and requested that the statue relay the message to the Headmaster that he would come to see him after dinner.
The statue inquired about his name.
"Tom Riddle," he honestly replied, hoping not to be further delayed.
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The time rewinds to Saturday morning.
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Carefully, Luna tells Ginny, "I think Tom is a decent person."
Ginny is taken aback. "Did you... I mean, do you know where Tom went?"
Both Luna and Ricky shake their heads.
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Luna says, "I suppose he must have accomplished his mission, right?"
Ricky rubs his head and says, "But if he's capable of modifying memories, why didn't he erase yours?"
They can't figure it out either.
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Ginny suggests, "If Tom was taken by someone..."
The three of them exchange glances.
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Luna coldly states, "The result of our investigation may lead to death."
Ricky stands up excitedly, "That's great! What are we waiting for?"
They look at him.
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Ginny thinks to herself, "Could it be that I am the most normal one among us?"
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