Hogwarts: Hermione and I switched identities!

"Who knows? I think Hermione is probably the first student who's so happy to be back from vacation. I'm really curious what's going on in their heads."

Where is the best place to find Tom?

The first step is to find the cafeteria.

Hermione didn't see Tom in the dining hall, so she headed to the second place.

Tom will only appear in three places.

One is the cafeteria, another is the library, and the last place is the potion lab.

dormitory?

Hermione knew that Tom wouldn't waste his time in the dormitory.

For Tom, the dormitory was just a place to sleep, and he wouldn't be there five minutes before curfew.

Upon arriving at the potions lab, Hermione pressed her ear against the door and listened for a short while.

Hmm... I can't hear Professor Snape's voice. It seems Professor Snape isn't here.

However, Hermione heard the sound of flames burning, which meant that someone was brewing potions inside.

It's only the beginning of the semester, who would come to the potion lab?

There's only one, Tom!

Hermione pushed the door open forcefully, wanting to give Tom a fright.

"Hey, Tom, I'm home!" Hermione opened the door, stretched out her arms, and called out to the person in front of her with a smile.

"Huh...Isabel?"

The shadow was startled and almost spilled the potion in the bottle.

Hearing the voice behind her, Isabel cautiously turned around.

Hermione!

Hermione stepped forward and grabbed Shadow's hand: "You're still at school? I thought you had gone back to the orphanage."

Shadow shook his head: "Professor Snape said I have to stay at school until the next term starts. As for the orphanage... he said it would be a waste of my time to go back, and that I should continue practicing potions here. You're back? Did Tom come back with you?"

The shadow also longs to see Tom.

But the shadow glanced behind Hermione twice and didn't see Tom.

She twitched her nose, silently sniffing Hermione's scent.

It doesn't taste like Tom's...

good, very good!

It seems Hermione hasn't been secretly spending time with Tom these past few days.

With a fake smile on his face, Shadow began to sneakily probe Hermione: "Hermione, did you go out with Tom during the holidays? You two are such good friends, you must have gone out quite a few times during the month-long holiday, right?"

“No.” Hermione pouted. “That bastard Tom, I even had to write the letter myself! I don’t know what he’s doing at the Malfoy’s all day. He has so much free time. I was even thinking of having him come to the Weasleys’s so I could introduce Ginny to him.”

"Ginny?" The shadow heard a sign of danger.

"Yes, Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister... um, I forgot, you don't know Ron, anyway, Ginny is a very lovely girl."

Do not!

Hermione, what are you doing!

Shadow was about to break free of her fake smile.

She couldn't understand why Hermione would introduce other girls to Tom.

Does she think there aren't enough women around Tom right now?

Doesn't she have any sense at all?

They don't know how lucky they are!

"Isabel, have you seen Tom these days?"

“I saw him once…” Shadow’s tone drooped. “That time it was… uh, Draco, I think that’s his name. He came to confess to me, and he brought Tom with him. I only saw him that one time.”

Hermione silently apologized to herself.

She didn't want to tell Shadow that it wasn't actually Tom that time.

"Hermione, tell me, what has Tom been doing all these days? Shouldn't he be at school learning magic during the holidays? But I haven't seen Tom at all."

Hermione shook her head, indicating that she didn't know either.

Tom rarely explains what he does to others.

"Hermione, you'd better hurry up and leave. Professor Snape is coming soon, and he'll scold you if he sees you here."

Upon hearing Snape's name, Hermione's expression changed drastically, and she quickly left the Potions Lab.

After Hermione left, Isabel sat down angrily, seething with impotent rage.

As luck would have it, what was originally just a lie he told actually turned out to be true—Professor Snape really did return.

"Why did you stop?" Snape looked at the shadow with ill intent. "You should be brewing potions right now... Was someone just here?"

Shadow pouted, looking displeased, and changed the subject: "Professor Snape, why didn't Tom go back to school during the month-long Christmas break?"

Isn't he most fond of studying?

Snape didn't steer the conversation back to the topic: "Tom is learning the most basic skills of a wizard right now. You won't see him until next term. He'll stay there until the holidays... and he might not even come back for the holidays, but stay until the start of next term."

Shadow's pupils widened in shock as she stared at Snape in disbelief: "Professor, are you lying to me?"

"I wouldn't stoop to lying."

"But what could possibly require Tom to learn for so long? Think about it, this is Tom, with his talent and hard work, even the most powerful magic wouldn't take him that long, right?"

Snape: "..."

It seems that this is indeed the case.

"In short, you won't see Tom until next semester."

"Where is he? I'm going to find him!"

“If you can become a Potions Master… at least to Tom’s level, I will take you to see him. It all depends on whether you can reach that level before the end of this semester.”

Shadow is still a child, after all, and easy to coax.

Having found its goal, the shadow returned to the crucible and continued its efforts.

"Also, you don't need to attend classes this semester. Although a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor has arrived at the school, you're not officially a Hogwarts student yet, so you just need to stay here. If you run into anyone... just say you're Tom's sister, understand?"

"Understood!" the shadow replied respectfully.

However, she paused for a moment and then asked Snape, "Professor, may I say... that I am Tom's fiancée?"

Snape's cold eyes scrutinized the shadow.

fiancée?

A forced, unpleasant smile appeared on his weathered face: "Sure, but no one will believe you. Everyone thinks Tom's fiancée is Hermione."

"Well, what can you do? Hermione and Tom knew each other so early."

“Tom and I have known each other even longer! We’ve been together since we were very young!”

“Really? Hermione is the best wizard in the first year. People will only think that the strong are paired with the strong, but no one knows your strength. Perhaps…” Snape’s lips curled up by 0.001 pixels, “Perhaps when you enter Hogwarts next semester, you can work hard and try to get the highest grades in all your grades at the end of the first semester. That way, everyone will remember you.”

The shadow slowly clenched its fist: "I will, Professor!"

"Very good, now, continue!"

Seeing the shadow move, Snape nodded to himself and left the laboratory.

"Severus, you're being shameless."

Snape turned his head sharply, saw the other's smiling face, and quickly turned away: "Albus, I never knew you liked to eavesdrop on other people's conversations. I think that's a bad habit."

“But I heard something interesting, so… Severus, who do you think is good enough for Tom?”

“That is of course…” Snape’s words trailed off. “Albus, who sent you to ask me this? Let me tell you, don’t try to trick me into saying anything!”

Who Tom marries is his own business, it has nothing to do with me!

Chapter 108 Quickly, call Tom! Let Tom deal with him! (4k)

"Professor Dumbledore!!!"

Dumbledore was still gesturing with Snape with his fox-like, squinty eyes when he heard the two children calling out, and he turned around.

In an instant, Dumbledore's squinty eyes were replaced by a kind, benevolent, and composed expression.

Snape curled his lip and muttered to himself, "You stinky fox."

That's what he hates most about Dumbledore!

This guy, just because he's the headmaster of Hogwarts... just because he's loved by the students, he always acts one way in public and another way in private!

"Children, what has happened?" Dumbledore pushed up his glasses.

Sue Lee and Terry came to find them.

These two are Tom's roommates.

"Tom's in trouble, Professor Dumbledore!"

Snape, who was about to leave, stopped abruptly and turned back to look at the two of them with some suspicion.

"Calm down, gentlemen, calm down and tell me properly, how did Tom get into this trouble?" Dumbledore patted the two men on the shoulder.

Snape had clenched his fists by this point, and in his mind he had already torn Lucius to pieces.

Lucius, you're supposed to be the head of the Malfoy family, and you can't even take care of Tom?

"Professor Dumbledore, we don't see Tom."

Dumbledore: "Hmm... and then?"

"That's it, Professor. Don't you find that strange? That's Tom, he's Tom! How could he not be back at school by now!"