Truth be told, Tom really wanted to shout, "Fleur's invited me to France too, you know! And over there, there's a certain mischievous, adorable Gabrielle—soft, fragrant, and cuddly."

But in the end, Tom chickened out and let the two girls divvy up what was left of his free time.

France could wait. Better to hold off until Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel had their little talk—then he could conveniently drop by to visit the Veela sisters.

"Um… I just want to say, I can't spend every day with you two. I still need to work on new magic." Tom slipped in a weak protest. If he couldn't crack the flying magic, he'd be stuck on the fourth trial forever—and that was his biggest headache lately.

The two little witches waved him off in perfect unison, ignoring his words and continuing to haggle over the schedule.

Finally, they reached a mutually satisfactory arrangement:

Tom could stay in London until July, but Daphne was free to visit him there. After July, he would go as a guest to the Greengrass estate and stay until it was time to head to New York.

If he came back early, he couldn't return again—he'd have to stay in London so they could "compete fairly."

Once the "battle for the man" was over, the two were back to being best friends again, holding hands and chatting about which Muggle clothes were the prettiest.

Tom's mouth twitched. Even at eleven or twelve, little girls can't escape the eternal cycle of clothes and handbags?

Suddenly, the system chimed.

[Year-end settlement complete. Host, please review your annual summary and collect your rewards.]

With a thought, Tom opened the system interface.

[Congratulations to the host for successfully completing your first year after selecting your specialization. This year, through excellent character, diligent effort, and unparalleled academic performance, you have earned the affection and admiration of professors and classmates alike.]

Tom: "…"

Sure, every word was technically true, but the system's blunt praise made even him feel a little embarrassed.

Undeserved praise… well, maybe only a little undeserved.

[Ongoing Mission: "Hogwarts' Most Outstanding Student" – First Stage Complete. Completion: Excellent. Rewards: 300 Achievement Points, 1500 Credits, 1 Draw Chance.

First time obtaining a draw reward detected—draw tier upgraded by one level.]

Tom was used to this by now—whenever he got a first-time reward, the system almost always bumped it up. That's how he'd gotten the Twelve Trials last time—there was no way someone of Andros' level should've been able to snag such an overpowered talent.

Wait… there were draw tiers?

The answer popped up quickly: Draws came in Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and Legendary. The mission should have given him an Advanced draw, but it had been bumped up to Legendary.

He quickly checked his other quest—Snape's commission was completed too, rewarding him with an Advanced draw.

Good thing Dumbledore had decided to boost Harry's profile this year, artificially increasing the mission's difficulty. Otherwise, there was no way that quest would have paid out at the Advanced tier.

[Host: Tom Riddle

Status: Hogwarts (Rising) Second-Year Student

Credits: 3869

Achievement Points: 581

Unclaimed Rewards: 1 Legendary Draw, 1 Advanced Draw]

Two mission settlements later, Tom's pockets were suddenly heavy—nearly four thousand credits, enough for a good spree, and his achievement points were already more than halfway to his next milestone.

He wanted to spin the wheel immediately, but a Legendary draw probably wouldn't be subtle. He forced down his curiosity and instead continued chatting with Daphne and Hermione about summer plans.

Under the lighthearted mood, the Hogwarts Express seemed to speed up. Before they knew it, the train had pulled into London, stopping at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

The young witches and wizards lined up to get off, but the moment the doors opened, order dissolved—everyone was eager to see their parents.

Everyone except Harry, who stepped off with a long sigh.

Leaving the paradise of Hogwarts, he was about to return to the prison that was the Dursleys' home.

"Tom, keep in touch over the summer," Harry called as Tom passed by. Tom didn't turn—just waved a hand.

Lately, Harry had been feeling like a complete failure compared to Tom. If he wanted to improve, he'd have to stick close to excellence. Since he'd be spending most of his summer locked in his room anyway, he might as well study—and ask Hermione or Tom for help when he got stuck.

As for Ron… yeah, maybe not. His exam scores had been worse than Harry's across the board.

….

"Tom, it's so good to see you again."

On the platform, Mrs. Greengrass greeted Tom with a warm hug. Back at Christmas, her friendliness had merely been polite courtesy. Now, Tom wasn't just her elder daughter's close friend—and possible future partner—but also the hope for her younger daughter's survival and the key to breaking the Greengrass family curse.

"Auntie, you look even more beautiful than before," Tom said smoothly, earning a pleased smile.

"I have a suggestion," she said gently. "Why don't you come home with us now? Astoria has been talking about you non-stop."

"Sorry, Auntie. I've already arranged with Daphne to visit in early July."

"I see." Mrs. Greengrass didn't press the matter. She knew Tom's precocious nature—once he had a plan, he rarely changed it.

After a few more words, Tom and Daphne said goodbye with a hug, and he stepped off the platform to find Hermione waiting.

During Christmas break, he hadn't gone with Hermione to meet the Grangers. This time, there was no getting out of it.

In the wizarding world, polygamy wasn't particularly scandalous—many pure-blood families facing heir shortages took multiple wives or lovers to boost their odds.

But the Grangers were firmly rooted in modern values. If they found out he was planning to… well, man multiple ships, Mr. Granger might just "exorcise the demon" in the most literal way possible.

Fortunately, he hadn't said anything yet—and could meet them with a clear conscience.

The Grangers were warm and welcoming, thanking Tom for looking after Hermione at school. Tom figured he'd earned that thanks—not just academically, but in helping her personality soften. Having a strong character wasn't bad, but the sharp edges needed to face outward, not cut into your own side.

And the Granger way of expressing gratitude… was to take him to the dentist.

Under Mr. Granger's insistence, Tom agreed to come to the dental clinic tomorrow afternoon. To make room, Mr. Granger had even cleared his entire schedule, rescheduling all other appointments.

After watching the Grangers' car disappear into the distance, Tom found a quiet corner, spun on the spot, and vanished—reappearing a moment later back at Wool's Orphanage.

Merlin, Apparition without a Trace Charm restriction really is bliss. Normally, the trip from the station to the orphanage took nearly two hours, with a subway ride, a train transfer, and then a bus.