Even as she spoke, McGonagall could not help blaming Rouse inwardly. If you were going to run, you could have run earlier or later. Why pick this exact moment and disrupt the students' mindset?
For the next few days, Frank was nowhere to be seen in the castle.
It was not until the day after exams ended that he finally appeared again, his face dark and expressionless. Looking almost like Snape, he said nothing as he led the Ilvermorny students away from Hogwarts.
"I thought he'd go hunt down Professor Wilkinson," Daphne muttered softly as she stood with Tom on the Astronomy Tower, watching Ilvermorny's procession depart.
Tom smiled and shook his head. "Wilkinson could be anywhere by now. Graves doesn't know the place, even if he wanted revenge he wouldn't know where to start. And even if he did find him, he wouldn't stand a chance in a real fight between professors."
"That's true." Daphne nodded, then suddenly changed the subject. "What was Voray pulling you aside to talk about earlier?"
Tom answered honestly. "She said if I ever go to North America, I can contact her. She'll treat me to a meal."
"Don't believe her, Tom." The little witch seized the chance to plant a seed. "She's been putting on an act lately. If you really went to see her, she'd definitely bring a whole group to get revenge on you."
Tom laughed and nodded without arguing.
In truth, Cassandra had only given him a mailing address, saying he could contact her if he went to North America. Visiting her home was out of the question. Even she knew what her family was like. If Tom showed up, there were only two possible outcomes. Either he would be beaten out the door, or the Voray family would be wiped out.
"She's gone now. Forget about her." Tom smiled. "Come on, walk with me."
"Okay. Let's go see the Whomping Willow." Daphne happily linked her arm through his.
…
The days after exams dragged by longer than any others for Tom, because the award ceremony for the First Class Order of Merlin had been scheduled for the end-of-year feast.
He could not be bothered to study anymore. During the day, he drifted between the girls. At night, he spent time in the learning space chatting with the two old men and Ariana.
At present, both Grindelwald's and Ariana's approval ratings had reached ninety-nine percent. Just one final step remained.
Tom already knew what the bottleneck was. The day Ariana truly accepted the Obscurial within her, learned to use it, and defeated Grindelwald would be the day both of their approval ratings reached full marks.
Judging by her recent behavior, secretly practicing with the Obscurial more and more often, that day was probably not far off.
At last, after Slytherin crushed Hufflepuff by a huge margin and went undefeated to claim this year's Quidditch Cup, the final day of the term arrived.
The Great Hall was once again draped in silver and green. Annoying to the other three Houses, but comforting to Slytherin. Unlike last year, when Dumbledore had nearly turned the tables by awarding Gryffindor points at the last moment, this year Slytherin's score was so overwhelming it bordered on despair. You could practically fill the scoreboard to the brim.
Dumbledore entered the hall wearing a brand-new silver robe. Lavish food appeared at once.
"Eat, my children. Please enjoy this wonderful evening," he said warmly, before sitting down and speaking quietly with Professor McGonagall.
"Do we really have to say it at a time like this?" McGonagall asked seriously. "Wouldn't sending letters during the holidays be better?"
"Albus, believe me," she continued. "Students will always say they missed the letter over summer. They will always find excuses. This has to be announced while everyone is present, in person."
"All right," Dumbledore said with a sigh.
He swept a pitying gaze across the hall. Many students were happily making plans with friends for the summer, sharing their hopes and schedules for the next two months.
Happy?
They might be crying in a moment.
When the plates finally vanished and everyone assumed Dumbledore was about to announce the House Cup winner, he instead said calmly, "Please be patient. We have some special guests arriving today. They'll be here shortly."
Special guests?
Before the murmurs could spread, the heavy oak doors swung open. A carefully dressed Cornelius Fudge entered, followed by more than a dozen wizards. As he frequently appeared in newspapers, many students recognized him instantly.
Dumbledore stepped forward with a smile. The two men embraced warmly as accompanying reporters snapped photos in rapid succession.
Standing below the High Table, Dumbledore's voice rang through the hall.
"Allow me to introduce our guest. This is our Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge!"
Fudge wore the affable smile unique to politicians, waving to the four long tables.
Today's true protagonist was Tom, but that did not stop Fudge from taking the opportunity to bask in the spotlight before the awards.
"I'm very pleased to return to Hogwarts," Fudge said cheerfully, "especially for such an inspiring occasion. Those who accompany me today are all members of the Order of Merlin. Each of them is a pillar of the British wizarding world. We have gathered here to recognize Tom Riddle for his contributions to the wizarding world, and to award him the First Class Order of Merlin!"
In an instant, all attention shifted from Fudge to Tom.
Under countless gazes, Tom stepped toward the High Table.
Solenne's role had always been that of a plot catalyst. One purpose was to draw the North American storyline into play. The other was to maintain the curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. As long as Voldemort was not truly dead, no one in that role could leave unscathed. There had to be a reason.
No need to worry about me discarding female characters. The main cast, and even the original characters I've put real effort into writing, are not getting thrown away.
Professor McGonagall doesn't count.