Chapter 9: Just Calm Down, Man

"Well, he can't beat me."

Wade stopped, turned around, and met Dumbledore's blue eyes.

Dumbledore was slightly taken aback. Wade's answer was quite reasonable.

"We've arrived," Wade added.

It was only then that Dumbledore realized they were standing in front of a wooden door.

Wade pushed open Tom's room door as if he were returning home.

"Tom, this is... Mr. Dumbdore. He has something to discuss with us," Wade walked in.

Wade purposely mispronounced Dumbledore's name because Mrs. Cole had made the same mistake when she introduced him earlier.

Dumbledore helplessly corrected him, "Actually, my name is Dumbledore, Albus Dumbledore. I'm a professor."

Tom was sitting on his blanket, holding a book, looking somewhat warily at the man who claimed to be a professor.

Dumbledore extended his hand. "Hello, Tom."

Tom hesitated for a moment, glanced at Wade, and then extended his hand to shake Dumbledore's.

Dumbledore pulled over a chair and sat down, while Wade directly sat on Tom's bed.

"Professor? Is it something like 'Doctor'? What are you doing here?" Tom asked, eyeing Wade cautiously again.

"I am Professor Dumbledore, and I work at a school called Hogwarts. I'm here to take you to my school... or rather, your new school, if you're willing," Dumbledore explained.

After hearing Dumbledore's words, Tom reacted strongly. He jumped up from the carpet, quickly distancing himself from Dumbledore, his face filled with anger.

"Who exactly are you?! What are you doing here? Tell me the truth!" He emphasized the last three words with force, as if commanding.

He glared at Dumbledore with wide eyes, but Dumbledore simply smiled pleasantly without answering.

"Who exactly are you?" Tom repeated, speaking slowly and deliberately.

Dumbledore patiently replied, "I already told you, I am Professor Dumbledore..."

"No! Don't try to deceive me! You're from a mental hospital, aren't you? 'Professor', yes, of course! I'm not going, do you understand?" 

Tom said this with agitation. Suddenly, his gaze fell on Wade, and his face instantly changed.

Remembering Wade's unusual behavior of telling him to return early and rest today, Tom instantly understood the "truth"!

"...You called him here, didn't you? You're finally going to make your move on me, aren't you? Yes, you're going to send me to the mental hospital! You... you're so cruel!"

Dumbledore looked at Wade with a strange expression.

Wade shrugged, "You know, we've fought before."

Recalling what Wade had said earlier, that Tom couldn't beat him, Dumbledore's expression became even more peculiar.

Clearly, the relationship between Wade and Tom was far more complicated than just having a fight.

Judging by Tom's reactive behavior, he had definitely been heavily pressured by Wade...

"I'm not from a mental hospital," Dumbledore turned to Tom and said patiently again. "I'm a teacher. If you sit quietly, I will tell you what Hogwarts is. Of course, if you don't want to go there, no one will force you..."

"And..." Dumbledore glanced at Wade, "besides you, Wade is also on my invitation."

"So, he... he's going too?" Tom looked at Dumbledore with suspicion, then glanced at Wade.

"Tom, can you calm down, straighten up, and not embarrass yourself?"

Wade's words made Tom's face turn red. His previous behavior, all startled and flustered, was indeed a bit embarrassing...

After seeing that Tom had finally calmed down, Dumbledore continued, "Hogwarts is a school that accepts students with special abilities..."

This description sounded too much like a mental hospital to Tom!

"I'm not crazy..." Tom started to speak, but once again met Wade's calm gaze.

In the end, he closed his mouth, swallowing the rest of his words and allowing Dumbledore to continue.

"...It's a school for magic."

"Magic?" Tom whispered the word.

"Yes."

"So the things I can do are actually magic..." Tom looked at his hands with excitement.

"What can you do?" Dumbledore asked with great interest.

"I can do anything," Riddle said, panting, a flush of excitement appearing on his sunken cheek, looking quite fervent.

"I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals obey me without training. I can make those who anger me suffer. If I want, I can make them hurt..."

Before Tom could finish his animated speech, he once again... met Wade's gaze, and his excited emotions immediately calmed down...

'...Except for Wade! That bastard!' Calmed down, Tom slowly sat back down.

Dumbledore also looked at Wade. "Wade, you seem less excited. Did you already know what your abilities were?"

"No, I just found out... Just like Tom, I also know where I'm different. But since this has always been my ability, and now I just know what it is, what's there to be excited about?"

Dumbledore nodded. "You're right, Wade..."

'What a peculiar child... So composed, it's hard to believe he's only 11 years old. What has he gone through in the past?'

"You are both wizards," Dumbledore continued.

"Then, you must be a wizard too?" Wade asked.

"Yes, I am also a wizard. I have the same special abilities as you."

"Prove it to me," Riddle immediately said.

His commanding tone was just like when he had said "tell the truth" earlier.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"If I prove this to you, you'll come with me to Hogwarts..."

"Of course I will!"

"Then you will address me as 'Professor' or 'Sir.'"

Riddle's expression froze for a moment before he spoke. He said, with almost imperceptible politeness, "I'm sorry, sir, what I meant was... may I ask, Professor, could you show me...?"

Dumbledore didn't waste any time. He pulled a slender, jet-black wand from the inner pocket of his suit jacket.

Wade raised an eyebrow, his gaze filled with a hint of anticipation.

Dumbledore pointed his wand at the shabby wardrobe in the corner and casually waved it.

Swoom!

A fierce burst of flames instantly engulfed the shabby wardrobe!

"Ah!" Tom screamed again, jumping up. All his belongings were in that wardrobe!

Just as Tom was about to jump up and demand an explanation from Dumbledore, the flames vanished in an instant, and the wardrobe remained standing there, completely unharmed, as if nothing had happened.