Tom's screaming stopped. He stared fixedly at the wardrobe, a renewed light of excitement flashing in his dark eyes.
Clearly, Dumbledore's display had genuinely shaken him.
Livid, too, turned his gaze to the wardrobe. He knew that, barring exceptional circumstances, Dumbledore would never resort to such a dramatic method simply to demonstrate his magic.
As it turned out, that was indeed the case.
Dumbledore said calmly, "I believe something is about to come out of your wardrobe."
Sure enough, a rattling sound immediately came from inside the wardrobe, and Tom suddenly looked somewhat frightened.
"Open the door," Dumbledore said with an air of absolute authority.
Tom hesitated for a moment, then finally walked over and opened the wardrobe door.
On the very top shelf, resting on a pile of ragged clothes, was a cardboard box.
"Take it out," Dumbledore said.
At this, Tom looked panicked. His hands even trembled slightly as he lifted the box out.
"Is there anything in that box that you shouldn't have?" Dumbledore asked.
Tom kept his head down, his lips pressed tightly together, his hands hovering hesitatingly over the lid of the box.
Dumbledore noticed his gaze darting toward Livid, who had remained silent off to the side, seemingly very reluctant to open the box in front of him.
"Tom?" Dumbledore prompted again.
"Yes, I suppose so, sir," he finally answered stiffly. He slowly opened the box, then tipped its contents out onto the bed.
It was a messy collection of ordinary trinkets, including a yo-yo, a silver-white thimble, and a tarnished harmonica.
Once the box was emptied, they stopped vibrating and lay quietly on the thin bedsheet.
"You will return these to their respective owners and apologize," Dumbledore said calmly, slipping his wand back into his jacket. "I will know if you haven't. And let me warn you, stealing is not tolerated at Hogwarts."
Tom glanced sideways at Livid, who wore a half-smile, and gripped the lid of the box tightly, his face full of mortification.
He would honestly rather spend a whole month in detention than give that bastard Livid another chance to mock him!
But now...
In the end, he replied in a voice so quiet Dumbledore could barely catch it, "Yes, sir..."
"At Hogwarts," Dumbledore continued, "we teach you not only to use magic, but how to control it."
"You have been using magic inadvertently all along... and I am certain that the way you use it is neither what our school teaches nor what we will tolerate."
"You are neither the first nor the last person to let magic get out of hand in their hands. But you should know that Hogwarts will expel students, and the Ministry of Magic... yes, there is such a department."
"It punishes those who break the law more severely. Every new wizard who enters our world must accept this and abide by our laws."
"Yes, sir," Tom replied, before suddenly asking, "But why are you only talking about me? I'm not the only one who uses magic here."
As he spoke, he looked over at Livid, who had been watching the show for quite some time.
"That is because Livid has never made innocent people the targets of his spells..."
Dumbledore's gaze fell back on Tom, turning sharp. "I am already well aware of your past misdeeds, Tom. Especially what you did to Amy and Dennis in that cave..."
Tom's face turned pale, his lips moving soundlessly, but he said no more. After all, what Dumbledore said was the truth.
Livid had never used magic on the other ordinary people in the orphanage the way he had...
Because Livid considered such behavior childish and boring... Hmph, and right now he must think I'm childish and boring, too!
Recalling Livid's mocking gaze, a sense of humiliation surged in Tom's heart once again.
He had clearly resolved not to give this bastard another chance to laugh at him...
Dumbledore looked at Livid and asked gently, "Livid, would you be willing to help me keep an eye on Tom?"
"Of course, Professor. In fact, he is already beginning to change. These things are probably just items he hasn't had the chance to return yet."
Livid took the box from Tom's hands and began putting the trinkets back inside.
"I will go with him to return these things to their owners."
Tom looked up at Livid in surprise, a strange expression on his face.
"With you looking after him, I am quite at ease, Livid..." Dumbledore said, turning his gaze back to Tom. "Tom, I am very glad to see that you have indeed undergone many changes recently, and I hope you will continue this way and not repeat your past mistakes. Magic is wondrous, but it is also exceptionally easy to lose control of... I do not wish to see it slip out of your control again."
Tom nodded expressionlessly. "I understand, sir."
Livid set the box aside and asked, "Does it cost tuition to go to Hogwarts? As you can see, both Tom and I are completely penniless..."
Hearing Livid ask the crucial question, Tom pushed aside his lingering discomfort and fixed his gaze anxiously on Dumbledore as well.
"Oh, that is easily settled..." Dumbledore pulled two leather money pouches from his pocket. "Hogwarts has a fund set up to assist students in need of help to purchase books and robes. You will need to buy some second-hand spellbooks and the like, though..."
"Where do we buy spellbooks?" Riddle interrupted, taking the heavy money pouch from Dumbledore without a word of thanks, then pulling out a fat gold Galleon to examine it closely.
Right now, Tom was more desperately eager to grow stronger than ever before! And acquiring spellbooks, then learning magic, was the simplest path!
"In Diagon Alley. I can take you to buy every single item you need..."
"You're coming with us?" Tom asked.
"Of course, if you wish."
"No, I..." Tom saw that Livid wasn't stopping him, so he continued, "We don't need you, we can manage on our own. You just need to give us the address of this... Diagon Alley thing."
Tom was now desperate for Dumbledore to leave immediately; how could he possibly want Dumbledore tagging along to go shopping with them?
Dumbledore did not press the matter. Instead, he handed the two envelopes containing the acceptance letters and shopping lists to Livid and Tom respectively.
After giving them detailed directions to the Leaky Cauldron and other precautions, Dumbledore stood up and left the room.
A short while after Dumbledore departed, Tom weighed the leather money pouch in his hand and couldn't help asking, "When do you plan to go to that... Diagon Alley place to buy our things?"
Livid picked up the box resting on the bed, a trace of a smile playing on his lips. "Why, right after we return these little trinkets of yours to their owners, of course."
At those words, the pale flush returned to Tom's face, burning bright red...