Hogwarts: Hermione and I switched identities!

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore." Draco thanked Dumbledore sincerely, then left and returned home.

Draco didn't return to the dormitory, thinking that Tom might come to their house, since Tom also knew the seriousness of the situation.

……

The next morning, a rumor appeared at Hogwarts.

"Have you heard? Tom seems to have been taken to Azkaban."

"Is that so? Tom is... such a brilliant genius, it shouldn't be possible, right?"

"It's hard to say, after all, Tom has made enough mistakes before."

The group fell silent.

Indeed, you could say Tom is a genius, that's fine, but it seems unlikely that Tom is particularly rule-abiding.

“I don’t want Tom to be imprisoned in Azkaban for the rest of his life. Does your father know anyone in the wizarding world? Could you ask them to release Tom?”

"Don't rush, we don't know yet whether it's true or not."

"Tom didn't come to class today either, it's very likely true."

"The way you're saying that makes it sound like Tom might come to class someday."

Hermione, who was walking at a distance, overheard their conversation and was startled.

Tom...was he taken to Azkaban?

No, she thought it was impossible. How could someone as capable as Tom be taken away by those curly-haired baboons from Azkaban?

He has brought so much help to the wizarding world, this is impossible, this is impossible!

He started walking faster as he went to find Dumbledore to ask if it was true.

But today, Hermione couldn't find Professor Dumbledore.

Professor Dumbledore also seemed to have vanished into thin air, until Hermione found Professor Snape and learned that Professor Dumbledore had gone to the Ministry of Magic.

Professor Snape had obviously heard that Tom had been taken away by the Ministry of Magic; his expression was tense, but also somewhat composed.

The main reason was that Professor Snape had a noisy Isabel by his side. If Professor Snape hadn't calmly stopped Isabel, that little girl would have already stormed into the Ministry of Magic.

Isabel was angry when she saw Snape blocking her way, but she couldn't do anything about it. Snape had taught her all her magic, and although she had tried to sneak up on him many times, Professor Snape had easily caught them all.

"If you have some free time, you might be able to help me take this little guy away, but you absolutely cannot let him go to the Ministry of Magic."

Snape rubbed his temples; he felt a terrible headache coming on.

It's one thing if someone else goes to the Ministry of Magic, but what are you, Isabel, trying to do by going to the Ministry of Magic?

Do you know that the Ministry of Magic is just waiting for you to make a mistake so they can arrest you? If you go to them now, aren't you just walking into their trap?

"I...I'll do my best." Hermione couldn't guarantee it, so she could only agree for the time being.

He felt that since Professor Snape was so kind to Tom, there must be another reason.

In addition, Professor Snape was a master of potions, so he must have known many people.

Perhaps Professor Snape only needed to say one word to get Tom released from Azkaban.

"That stupid Tom!" Professor Snape couldn't help but curse. "I've told him so many times that evil magic like Avada Kedavra should never be learned, and even if he does learn it, he should never use it."

Even if he were forced to use Avada Kedavra one day, he would have to take the Compound Decoction beforehand.

The monkeys at the Ministry of Magic discovered traces of magic left by Tom in the Chamber of Secrets, confirming that Tom had used magic.

"So Tom has really been taken to Azkaban?" Hermione couldn't help but ask.

Professor Snape did not answer Hermione, but left the office with a cold face.

To be honest, even Snape didn't know whether Tom had been imprisoned in Azkaban.

There was no news from the Ministry of Magic, and the rumor that Tom had been imprisoned in Azkaban was just that—a rumor within Hogwarts.

But in this situation... the rumors are very likely true.

Snape cursed Tom the fool in his heart again, and walked away even faster.

If Tom is indeed captured in Azkaban, then time is of the essence.

Once Tom has been drained too much by the Dementors, his potential as a genius will eventually be limited.

Chapter 149 The Ministry of Magic's Strategy [Part 1]

The basilisk was extremely fond of Tom.

Compared to the terrifying witch, the basilisk preferred Tom in front of him.

After all, Tom looked much kinder than the witch, and Tom was not as powerful as the witch.

The basilisk chose the softest persimmon to squeeze, even though neither of the two persimmons was one that it could squeeze.

“Come up when you wake up,” the witch’s voice rang in Tom’s ear.

Upon hearing the sound, the basilisk quickly curled up, closed its eyes, and pretended to rest.

Since I'm not fully awake, I probably don't need to go up and meet that witch.

The basilisk would do anything to avoid meeting the witch.

When Tom went upstairs, he saw the witch. The witch crossed her arms and looked at Tom's face with great interest: "Perhaps you don't know, Hogwarts has been plunged into great chaos because of you."

Tom shrugged: "What does this have to do with me?"

"And with so many powerful people at Hogwarts, it seems a bit of an exaggeration to think I'd throw everyone into chaos."

"It's no exaggeration. Professor Dumbledore left Hogwarts early this morning, and your Professor Snape also went to seek help from the Ministry of Magic."

They believe you've been imprisoned in Azkaban.

Tom was silent for a moment: "If I don't want to go to Azkaban, I'll run away on my own. Why would I obediently surrender to the Ministry of Magic?"

The witch also expressed her bewilderment: "Indeed, the current Hogwarts is becoming less and less intelligent."

How could they possibly think Azkaban could hold someone like you?

Those Dementors aren't that much of a threat to you.

"I think there's still some threat, more or less," Tom said, not so confidently. "Teacher, Dementors are very scary creatures."

“I know Dementors are terrifying creatures, but I think you are even more terrifying than a Dementor.”

"No, no, no, in the eyes of my classmates and teachers, I am an obedient and well-behaved child."

The witch simply smiled at Tom's words and offered no response.

When did Tom become able to call himself an obedient child?

"Have you started studying the life-or-death situation I mentioned before?"

"Teacher, I only just started to master Avada Kedavra yesterday. How could I possibly learn One Thought of Death so quickly?"

"You're not lying to me like you did to Voldemort, are you?"

“I promise, I definitely won’t.” Tom held up three fingers. “I swear.”

"Then you can learn how to live and die in an instant. As you know, everyone in the wizarding world is looking for you, but as soon as you show your face, the Ministry of Magic will appear in front of you immediately."

They will bring a large number of Dementors, and facing those Dementors, your survival is a question.

So you can stay here during this time until you have completely mastered the art of dealing with life and death in a single thought.”

Tom asked the witch, "Can a matter of life and death work on those Dementors?"

"Of course." The witch's lips curled up slightly as she spoke.

He didn't tell Tom that the ability to kill in one thought wasn't just effective against Dementors, but could even kill them on the spot.

Tom probably didn't know how frantic the monkeys at the Ministry of Magic would become if the Dementors were killed.

In the entire wizarding world, there are only a handful of people who can kill a Dementor.

Once the Dementors are killed, the monkeys at the Ministry of Magic will jump around in a panic, feeling that their safety is no longer guaranteed.

The witch found the whole thing very interesting, and she even began to look forward to what it would be like after Tom killed the Dementors.

"I will study hard!" Tom clenched his fists and glared fiercely at the witch.

"Okay, then I'll teach you step by step."

The witch taught a person with unprecedented patience.

However, when teaching Tom, the witch couldn't help but curl up the corners of her mouth.

Although Tom asked her why she was laughing, the witch always shook her head and brushed it off.

If Tom finds out, it won't be funny anymore. What he really wants to see is Tom's most original and authentic self.

……

Hogwarts.

Several professors gathered together, their faces tense.

Professor Sprout was the first to turn his gaze to Professor Snape, and he asked him, "You, a Potions Master, do you have any news?"

"So what if I'm a Potions Master? Do you have any information?" Professor Snape retorted to Professor Sprout.

"Of course I do, but let me hear yours first."

"Enough!" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, looking at the two of them with some anger.

Do these two even realize what's going on? They're still joking around at this point.

Suddenly, Professor Snape paused, taken aback.

No, Professors Sprout and Snape treated Tom very well; they would never joke around in this situation, unless…

Professor Dumbledore tentatively asked, "Is Tom alright?"

Snape and Professor Sprout both nodded at the same time. Professor Sprout spoke first: "The Ministry of Magic has not found Tom."

They had now identified Tom as the prisoner who used Avada Kedavra, but Tom suddenly disappeared.

And there's more good news: many wizards have united to complain to the Ministry of Magic, arguing that Tom shouldn't have been imprisoned in Azkaban.