My partner at Hogwarts is Tom

Just as Voldemort was blinded by rage...

Tom successfully brought their IQs down to the same level.

Wearing that ridiculous crown and a shiny Mediterranean head, it rumbled after Tom, who was tumbling around with his two "propeller legs," and plunged headfirst into the small mountain of tattered textbooks, rickety bookshelves, and moldy scrolls.

On the open ground near the door of the storage room, two "things" that were close to the ground and almost blended into the dust and shadows of the clutter began to move extremely slowly and stealthily.

Those were Fred and George.

After the initial shock and instinctive reaction were easily neutralized, the twins' survival instincts, honed by countless pranks and nighttime outings, instantly took over.

To fight head-on? That's for fools!

Taking advantage of the chaos to slip away and call for reinforcements is the kind of Wesleyan wisdom!

They almost simultaneously dropped to the ground, using the scattered debris as cover, like two experienced caterpillars, and began to "pupa" towards the doorway.

With arms close to the body, relying only on the slight twisting of the shoulders and waist, combined with the extremely slow alternating rubbing of the knees, the whole body slowly crawls forward.

The movements were incredibly slow, but this minimized noise and dust.

Their eyes were fixed on the increasingly distant roar of pursuit and the angry meows and curses coming from behind the hill, their ears perked up.

The final, deafening crash of the bookshelf collapsing and Voldemort's furious roar were muffled by the layers of clutter.

The two looked at each other and saw the "now is the time!" light in each other's eyes.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Almost simultaneously, the two "caterpillars" sprang up and transformed into two agile red-haired figures, silently rushing towards the scratched wooden door of the House of Requirement like startled vixens.

Fred's hand was already on the doorknob, and George turned back warily for one last glance into the depths of the storage area.

Dust swirled there, and faint blue-gray afterimages and black shadows could be seen flitting across the higher piles of debris.

The skill he had developed over the years in dodging Filch at night was put to the ultimate use at this moment.

Open the door, slip away, close the door.

It was done in one smooth, swift motion, without making a single unnecessary sound.

The heavy wooden door closed silently behind them, shutting out the bizarre and dangerous magical space.

The dim lighting in the corridor made the two feel uncomfortable for a moment, but more than that, they felt a sense of exhaustion from surviving a disaster and a surge of adrenaline.

"Huff...huff..." The two leaned against the cold wall, panting heavily, their faces flushed with a mixture of excitement and lingering fear.

"Fred," George wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his eyes bright, "we need to find Professor Victor."

"That's right," Fred took a deep breath, nodded, his voice slightly off-key.

"Although I think that bald, grumpy ghost that popped out of the broken crown is probably no match for Boss Tom."

"But this evil alchemical artifact that sucks the life out of cats is hidden in the school's junkyard—it's too dangerous! We must report it to the professor!"

Having reached an agreement, the twins didn't hesitate at all. They turned around and ran towards the end of the third-floor corridor—the office of the professor of the Fantastic Beasts Protection Class!

Red hair fluttered behind him, and footsteps echoed in the empty corridor.

At that moment, they had only one thought in their minds: Hurry, hurry up! Boss Tom is still dealing with things inside!

…………

Third floor, the office of the professor of the Magical Creatures Protection class.

Victor has just archived the last set of observational data on the magical coordination of the tail feathers during the Golden Flying Man's transformation.

The quill pen tip drew a final, elegant period on the parchment. He let out a soft sigh and rubbed his slightly sore eyes.

The fire in the fireplace burned quietly, emitting the warm scent of pine.

The office is filled with all sorts of strange animal specimens, magical plants, and alchemical instruments that shimmer with a faint light. Everything is in perfect order, exuding a tranquil atmosphere born from focused academic work.

However, this tranquility was soon shattered.

"Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang!"

A rapid, almost banging knock suddenly sounded, sounding particularly jarring in the quiet corridor and office.

Viktor frowned slightly, put down his quill, and got up to walk towards the door.

Who could be in such a panic at this hour?

Could it be that Tom pulled some trick again, causing the young wizards to come and complain?

He pulled open the heavy oak door.

Outside the door were two almost identical faces, flushed red and covered in sweat and dust, and four eyes that shone brightly with urgency and running.

They are the Weasley twins, Fred and George.

Their chests heaved violently, and they were so breathless they could barely utter a complete sentence.

"Professor! Huff... Eighth floor... Room of Requirement!" Fred blurted out, his voice hoarse.

"The Crown! A ghost that ran out of the Crown! Black hair, handsome but scary, it sucks life! It's chasing Tom!" George added rapidly, gesturing wildly.

"Boss Tom's spirit left his body to fight him! But that ghost was really powerful! He was bald but still wore a crown!" Fred finally caught his breath and gave a detailed description.

A crown? A ghost? Life drain? Out-of-body experience? Baldness?

Viktor instantly extracted the key words from the twins' somewhat chaotic string of words.

In an instant, Viktor's eyes became incredibly sharp.

That crown, whether it's a dark magic item or a dark creature that could fight Tom to a standstill, is no ordinary object.

His face darkened, all his ease and fatigue vanished, replaced by a solemnity and decisiveness.

"Stay here and don't wander off," he said quickly to the twins, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable authority.

At the same time, he waved the wand that he had somehow gotten into his hand.

"Protect the Gods!"

Silvery-white light burst forth from the tip of the staff like a gushing spring, quickly condensing and stretching.

Ultimately, it transformed into a guardian deity completely enveloped in a dense, almost tangible, silvery-white smoke.

Its form was hidden in the smoke and could not be clearly seen, but the only thing that was clear was its surging and warm positive emotions and its powerful will to protect.

Victor whispered quickly to the unique, silvery-white guardian spirit.

"Headmaster, there seems to be a powerful dark magic artifact causing disturbance in the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor. They are currently engaged in battle with Tom. I have already gone there. Please come quickly."

As soon as he finished speaking, the silver-white guardian emitted a silent, clear, and melodious sound that seemed to resonate directly at the soul level.

It then transformed into a condensed silver streak, passing through the wall at an astonishing speed and disappearing into the direction of the ceiling—heading straight for the principal's office on the eighth floor of the castle!

Meanwhile, under the shocked gazes of the twins, Victor himself grabbed the seemingly old but complexly structured briefcase that had always been placed next to the desk.

He didn't even glance at the twins again before his entire figure began to twist, shrink, and change rapidly!

The robes blended into the skin, the body structure was reorganized in the glow of magic, and the human outline disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"call out!"

A golden streak, like pure sunlight condensed, took his place!

It was a bird, small in size, with feathers that shimmered with a dazzling golden luster, its round body containing explosive speed and agility.

It is none other than the rarest bird in the magical world, known for its unparalleled speed—Golden Flying Man!

Victor, in his Golden Flying Man form, did not pause for a moment.

With a flap of its wings, it shot out of the open office window, leaving a dazzling golden trail behind it, like an arrow tearing through space!

Instead of choosing the corridor, he moved along the outer wall of the castle at an almost vertical angle, transforming into a straight golden lightning bolt and rushing towards the eighth floor!

From the moment the twins knocked on the door to Victor disappearing as the Golden Flying Man, the entire process took only a dozen seconds.

Inside the office, only Fred and George remained, standing there dumbfounded.

Staring wide-eyed in shock at the window that was still swaying slightly, and at the lingering, dissipating golden light and warm, life-giving energy in the air.

silence.

Then--

"That's...that's so cool!!!" Fred jumped up suddenly, his eyes wide open, his face filled with indescribable excitement and admiration.

"Merlin's beard! Did you see it, Fred! Patronus! And... Animagus! Is that Animagus?"

"I don't know, but that's Golden Flying Man! The professor just turned into a magical creature!"

George was equally excited and incoherent, grabbing Fred's arm and shaking it violently.

"I knew Professor Victor wasn't an ordinary person! He's a million times cooler than that good-for-nothing Lockhart!" Fred exclaimed, pumping his fist in excitement.

"Wait, George!" Fred suddenly thought of something, and his eyes lit up even more.

"Tell me, wouldn't you say we did a great job this time? We delivered the message in time, helping the professor and Boss Tom fight against the evil dark magic artifacts?"

George instantly understood his brother's meaning, and a smile that was exactly the same as his brother's, a smile that was a mixture of expectation and cunning, appeared on his face.

"Oh, Fred, your ideas are always so wonderful! Perhaps... we can take this opportunity to ask the professor about... the Patronus Charm? Or, um, the... basic techniques for Animagus transformation?"

"Even just learning how to temporarily make my hair look golden and shiny would be great!"

Fred added that the two brothers looked at each other and chuckled.

It's as if I can already see the bright future of mastering cool magic and taking my prank career to the next level.

As for Tom, the boss of the House of Requirement, and that bald ghost?

Hey, with Professor Victor on the case, in that cool Golden Flying Man form, there shouldn't be any problems!

Not to mention that the professor just sent a message to Dumbledore.

By the time they get back, the professor might already be lecturing that bald ghost by the collar!

…………

On the eighth floor, opposite the tapestry of the giant stick beating up Banaba.

The golden-haired hero that Victor had transformed into stopped precisely in front of the smooth wall.

The golden light receded, and the figure rapidly expanded and stretched amidst the distortion, instantly returning to human form.

His face was calm, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, and his wand was already raised.

A solid, thick, metallic-lustered armor-protecting spell instantly covered the entire body like the strongest armor, with even faint, complex ancient magical runes flowing across the light membrane.

At the same time, the Extrasensory Charm had already been cast upon him.

Without a moment's hesitation, he silently and firmly recited it in his mind.

"Tom is in one of those rooms, the one where he needs help."

He walked back and forth in front of that wall three times.

What they wanted was clear and urgent.

Familiar patterns appeared and spread on the wall, and a smooth, shiny wooden door quickly took shape and opened.

The moment the door opened, Victor's senses and magical perception were heightened to their peak as he stepped inside!

Even with his extensive experience and calm demeanor, the sight before him caused his pupils to contract slightly.

The storage room was more chaotic than he had imagined, filled with dust, gunpowder smoke, and a cold, malevolent remnant of magic.

What's most eye-catching is the tall stack of books on the right side of the center of the room.

At this moment, Tom is lying there wearing a shiny crown.

However, what is most eye-catching is the outline of a translucent cat spirit above Tom's body, radiating a soft pearly white light.

When Victor looked over, Tom's soul was kicking its legs and trying to crawl into its mouth.

In the end, only a furry soul tail remained sticking out of Tom's slightly open mouth.

Then, under Victor's gaze, the cat's spirit seemed to grow impatient, or perhaps it felt uncomfortable with its tail sticking out.

It stretched out a claw of its soul, grabbed the tip of its exposed tail, and pulled hard.

"Pfft."

A soft sound, like a cork being pulled out.

The entire tail of the soul was completely pulled in and perfectly stuffed back into Tom's body.

At the same time, Tom's physical mouth closed with a "smack," he unconsciously smacked his lips, and rolled over.

As Victor stepped into the Room of Requirement, he saw Tom's soul finish "finishing up," his body sitting up, looking completely bewildered.

His heart tightened, and his figure almost became a blur, instantly crossing the distance of the storage room and appearing on top of the tall stack of books, next to Tom.

"Tom! How are you?" Victor's voice was steady, but with a hint of barely perceptible urgency.

His sharp gaze swept over Tom's entire body, his magical perception acting like the most sophisticated instrument, checking for any signs of dark magic corruption, soul damage, or depletion of life force.

Tom was brought back to his senses by Victor's voice. He blinked his blue eyes, and the dazed feeling of his soul returning to its place quickly faded away.

Immediately afterwards, a familiar feeling of smug satisfaction, typical of "trophy display time," welled up inside.

Meow~

Tom raised his head, puffed out his chest, and pointed his paw at the top of his head.

The Ravenclaw tiara, whose exquisite beauty could not be concealed even in dim light, especially the large sapphire in the center reflecting a faint glow.

His face was filled with pride and boastfulness, as if to say, "Look, look! I won! And I even captured this shiny, precious treasure! Aren't you amazing?"

His little mustache stood proudly up, and the tip of his tail swayed gently with pleasure.

However, just as Tom was preparing to use more expressive body language to describe in detail how he bravely fought against the "bald villain" and achieved final victory.

The smug expression on his face suddenly froze!

Like a cheerful movie that was halfway through being paused, the liveliness, cunning, and a little arrogance that belonged to Tom in those deep blue cat eyes froze instantly, and then receded like the tide.

Instead, there was a strange, sinister, and cold demeanor filled with a desire for control and ecstasy.

Tom's lips slowly curved upwards in a smile that was completely unlike a cat's, almost human-like.

That smile was arrogant and triumphant, carrying a cruel and smug satisfaction that the prey had finally fallen into the palm of his hand.

"Ha...hahahaha!"

A low, hoarse laugh, mixed with the characteristics of a cat's meow yet clearly in a human male tone, squeezed out of Tom's throat.

"Damn cat... now you're mine!"

Tom's voice was distorted, filled with the cold and arrogant tone characteristic of Voldemort.

"What a perfect shell... such tenacious vitality, such intriguing soul qualities... I will make good use of you, uncover all your secrets, and make you the cornerstone of my greatest work! Hahahaha—uh?!"

Voldemort's maniacal laughter and declaration came to an abrupt end.

Because the very next second, he had just adapted to this body and was immersed in the immense joy of his success.

He felt Tom's body suddenly tense up! He looked down.

A rope, shimmering with pure silver-white light and woven from some extraordinary, flexible material, appeared out of thin air at an astonishing speed, as if it possessed a life of its own.

Then, with a few quick movements, it tightly wrapped around his body from his neck to his hind legs more than a dozen times!

A warm and holy magical energy emanated from the rope; it was a sacred binding rope woven from unicorn tail hair, possessing an extremely strong suppressive and purifying effect on dark souls.

Tom's mouth opened involuntarily, as if he wanted to chant a spell or shout angrily.

"puff!"

A pitch-black peach wood plug, its surface covered with ancient and mysterious oracle bone script inscriptions and emitting a faint peach wood fragrance, was precisely inserted into his mouth, sealing it perfectly and instantly stripping him of his ability to "speak".

Immediately afterwards, a Shangqing Soul-Suppressing Talisman, drawn with bright red cinnabar, with vigorous strokes and containing powerful sealing power, was affixed to Tom's forehead with a "snap".

The talisman moved on its own without wind, trembling slightly, and emanating a righteous aura that made the dark souls extremely uncomfortable.

This is not over yet!

Several thick, heavy, dark metallic chains, each engraved with complex alchemical runes, specially made by Nicolas Flamel, emerged from the void with a whooshing sound, like several ferocious giant pythons.

Then, without any hesitation, it wrapped itself around Tom, intertwining with the unicorn's rope, binding him into a metal "cocoon" from which only the cat's head was visible, almost completely concealing his body.

The runes on the chains glowed faintly, not only locking away physical movement but also suppressing the flow of magic and the fluctuations of the soul.

And this is just the beginning.

Viktor's movements were so fast that they left only a blur and a faint glow of magic.

A small silver cross was clipped into the gap of the chain.

A golden scarab amulet in the style of ancient Egypt was pressed against Tom's chest.

A voodoo straw doll, which looked somewhat rough but exuded an eerie herbal smell and aroma, was hung on a chain.

A vajra, inscribed with Sanskrit and humming with Buddhist chants, floated above Tom's head, showering him with golden light and the sound of Sanskrit chants...

All sorts of items, a motley collection, from all over the world, or gifts from elders, from various magical systems and religions, used for suppression, sealing, exorcism, and purification. Viktor, with astonishing skill and precision, "arranged" them all on Tom, who was bound like a dumpling.

The whole process was smooth and seamless, happening in the blink of an eye.

This is a set of combos that Victor compiled during his years of global travels, which is the most effective against black magic items or strange creatures.

Basically, if the East doesn't work, try the West; if physics doesn't work, try magic; if magic doesn't work, try theology! There's bound to be one that suits you!

When Voldemort, in his crown, sees through Tom's eyes, he goes from initial shock, anger, and attempts to struggle and resist, to being shaken to his soul, his magic stagnant, and almost questioning his very existence by the successive, highly targeted sealing forces of different attributes...

At this moment, Viktor had completed the final step.

With utmost care and caution, he used specially made magic tweezers to gently remove the Ravenclaw tiara, still worn on Tom's head, its sapphire shimmering slightly as if unwilling to accept its fate.

Then, it was quickly placed into a pre-prepared sealed coffin, its inner walls inscribed with purification and isolation runes, and its entire body made of pure magic crystal.

"Click".

The coffin lid slammed shut, several magical locks snapped shut simultaneously, and a soft, sealing light instantly enveloped the entire crystal coffin.

Only then did Viktor finally let out a long, deep sigh of relief, and his tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

He wiped away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead and looked back at "Tom," who was completely wrapped in various suppression tools, with only his aggrieved cat face showing, a yellow talisman on his forehead, a cork in his mouth, and his eyes wide open, filled with humiliation, anger, and disbelief.

Victor crouched down, looking directly into Tom Riddle's now pitch-black cat eyes, which had been burning with fury. His tone returned to calm, even carrying a hint of a researcher's inquiry.

"So... this person who 'borrowed' my Tom's body... well, let's call you 'Mr. Crown' for now?"

"Now, we can have a proper 'talk.' About who you are, what you want to do to my cat, and..."

His gaze swept over the "luxurious" sedation suit.

"How do you plan to compensate me for these very precious and rare collectibles that I used to 'entertain' you?"