— — — — — —

For the sake of bathing in the spring, the girls exploded with a level of enthusiasm no one had ever seen before. Their hunger for strength shot to an all-time high.

Potions they usually had to be coaxed into drinking, bitter as they were, were now being fought over.

Even Hermione, who had always been resistant to bloodline fusion, finally let go of her reservations and agreed to let Tom help her choose a suitable lineage.

The bloodline potion had been perfected for a long time. Plenty of Grindelwald’s people had already undergone it, and even Dumbledore had fused with phoenix blood.

By all rights, Hermione, Ginny, and the others should have benefited from it much earlier. But the girls had two concerns.

First, it hurt.

Second... they couldn’t shake the feeling that they’d lose something of themselves, that they’d no longer be "pure."

Wizards still carried a bias against mixed blood. Just look at Fleur. Plenty of people judged her for it.

Someone like Tom, who didn’t care in the slightest, was rare in the wizarding world.

Still, concerns like that couldn’t be talked away. You had to work through them yourself. So the whole matter had been put on hold.

Until today.

Turns out, the greatest driving force for men was... well, obvious things. And for women, it was becoming more beautiful. Which, in turn, motivated men even more.

The world really was just one big cycle of that.

Of course, the "standard" Tom had mentioned earlier was complete nonsense.

Tina’s overall strength was already on par with any head of house, and she had even consumed a golden apple. Yet she still wasn’t qualified to use the sacred spring.

In truth, the spring didn’t demand much in terms of magical power.

What mattered more was the essence of one’s life itself.

So if the girls wanted to soak in that spring and come out glowing... they still had a long road ahead.

Except for one exception.

...

Late at night, Kamio quietly came looking for him again.

While Astoria was still fusing with the Yuki-Onna, Tom brought her into the pocket world.

With a soft chirp, the girl transformed into a little fox and leapt into his arms, rubbing against him with half-lidded eyes.

"Tom, is this the legendary NTR? It’s so exciting. I like it."

Tom stared at her, too tired to even comment. "Can you at least turn human before saying things like that?"

"Hehe. It wouldn’t be exciting if I did. Don’t you like my tail?"

She swished her three golden tails, brushing them lightly against his cheek.

They messed around for a bit before the fox finally brought up what she really wanted: to soak in the spring.

She had secretly tried it earlier that day. The pressure from the water was there, but she could barely handle it. That was the advantage of her race.

Of course, she hadn’t dared show it in front of the others. The jealousy alone would’ve drowned her. So she’d come back at night instead.

Tom had no reason to refuse and led her to the sacred spring.

With a cheer, she leapt in, transforming midair into her human form, though her golden tails remained.

The moment she touched the water, a soft, almost involuntary sound slipped from her lips.

"Ah~"

"So comfortable..."

Mist rose thickly from the spring, obscuring most of the view. Tom tried blowing it away, but the fog was too dense. Even magic barely stirred it. He clicked his tongue and gave up.

"Why not just soak in your original form?" he asked. "Why bother turning human?"

"Because fur ruins the experience," she muttered lazily. "Skin works better with the spring. I just need to take extra care of my tails afterward."

The Tamamo lineage had a peculiar form of shapeshifting. Their human appearance wasn’t something they could freely design. It was more like a second form.

Still, foxes rarely turned out ugly.

Tom kept an eye on her condition. When he noticed she was nearing her limit, he reached in, grabbed her by the back of the neck, and pulled her out.

...

The next day

Kamio used magic to suppress the strange fragrance coming off her body, but the glow of her skin was impossible to hide.

Luckily, she had always been naturally beautiful. Her flawless complexion didn’t seem out of place. Daphne, being her usual carefree self, didn’t notice anything and greeted her cheerfully.

"Morning, Kamio."

"Good morning, Daphne."

From the staff table, Dumbledore happened to witness the scene.

The easy, friendly exchange left a faint sour taste in his mouth.

The old man felt... a little jealous.

Why was everything in Tom’s life so smooth? The boy went through each day carefree, nothing like a student under pressure. Meanwhile, Dumbledore couldn’t seem to get even a few peaceful days in a row.

Just last night, he and Gellert argued again over the Obscurus.

To be precise, he’d been the only one getting blasted, since Aberforth was there too.

If he dared to argue back, he was certain his brother would lose his temper and start throwing punches on the spot.

That was what frustrated him most.

Aberforth clearly agreed with his stance. Getting rid of the Obscurus was the best thing for Ariana. And yet, with just a few words, Ariana could make him forget all that and turn right around to attack him instead.

He knew Aberforth loved their sister, but did he have to abandon all reason every time?

Watching Tom laugh and chat with Daphne, Dumbledore’s mood took another hit.

Same world, different lives. Was that really how it worked?

No. He needed a plan.

He had to get Tom on his side. Then, with the boy’s... particular way of handling things, he could leave that mess to him.

...

Old Dumbles lived up to his name. By the end of the day, he had already come up with something.

When the afternoon bell rang, Dumbledore stepped out of his office and "happened" to run into Professor McGonagall, who had just finished teaching Transfiguration to the fourth-years.

As they walked, Dumbledore deliberately kept his pace measured, staying just far enough from the students while chatting with McGonagall about upcoming arrangements.

Then, right on cue, he let out a sigh, raising his voice just a little.

"Minerva, there’s something I feel quite regretful about."

As expected, McGonagall took the bait. "What is it?"

Dumbledore put on a helpless expression. "You know, the Tournament has always had a tradition. During Christmas, there’s a Yule Ball to help the champions relax amid the tension."

Not far away, Tom suddenly slowed.

A bad feeling crept up on him.

What was that old man plotting now? 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Has something gone wrong?" McGonagall asked with concern. "Is there an issue with the ball?"

"Not exactly an issue."

Dumbledore shook his head, quite pleased with how smoothly she was playing along.

"It’s just that Mr. Crouch believes there are too many students participating this time. He feels a ball might not be the most suitable way for everyone to relax and interact, so he suggested changing it to another form of celebration."

"I think he has a point, but I’m reluctant to abandon tradition. I’ve been considering how to persuade him to change his mind."

Oh, no. Not the ball.

Tom’s expression darkened instantly.

So Dumbledore was trying to sabotage him now?

But after a moment, he finally understood what Dumbledore was aiming for.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted students coming down the stairs. An idea flashed across his mind.

"Daphne, go on ahead. I’ve got something to ask the headmaster."

Without waiting, Tom turned and walked straight back.

He stopped in front of Dumbledore, looking excited. "Professor, did you just say there’s going to be a Christmas ball?"

"That’s right, Tom." Dumbledore felt something was off. This wasn’t the reaction he’d expected. He added deliberately, "The traditional ball is a moment of honor for the champions. They open the dance. Quite interesting, don’t you think?"

His plan had been simple. Make Tom feel the pressure, have him beg to cancel the ball, then negotiate terms.

A good plan.

Unfortunately, Tom wasn’t the type to be pressured.

"Ariana, perfect timing."

He grabbed Ariana, who had just come down the stairs, his face lighting up.

"The headmaster just said there’s going to be a ball. Would you be my partner?"

Ariana hadn’t even fully processed what was happening.

But faced with an offer like that, who could refuse?

Her cheeks flushed red as she gave a shy nod, her voice soft but clear enough for both Tom and Dumbledore to hear.

"I’d love to."

Dumbledore felt a little dizzy.

My dear sister, why are you blushing?

He’s asking you to dance, not to marry him!

Actually—no, dancing isn’t fine either!

Tom shot Dumbledore a smug look, raising an eyebrow in open challenge.

Go on then. Let’s see who outplays who.

.

.

.