Aboard the Hogwarts Express, Tom gazed out the window, lost in thought.
"What are you looking at, Teacher?" Cassandra asked, peering up at him.
"A car," Tom replied, not bothering to turn his head.
"A car? Isn't that a Muggle thing? And shouldn't it be on the ground?" Cassandra frowned, craning her neck to see past him, then fell silent.
"Harry and the others are up there," Tom pointed out dryly.
Cassandra gritted her teeth. "Those two idiots... they're dead if they lose any House points!"
Tom gently patted her arm. "Don't worry, I'm here. As long as Dumbledore has any sense of shame, the House Cup is ours. And if he doesn't… I'll simply take it."
They weren't the only ones to spot the flying Ford Anglia.
"Hey! Isn't that our car?" George exclaimed, pointing.
"Who took it without asking?" Fred grumbled before feigning malicious glee. "Oh, this is going to be brilliant."
"No need to guess – it's Ron. He wasn't on the train when I did the head count," Percy said, sounding deeply displeased. I'll have to teach that foolish brother of mine a lesson.
...
The flying car kept pace with the train until they reached Hogwarts.
"Hogwarts! Time to land!"
"Uh... which button do I press?"
"Have you ever even driven a car before?"
"No."
"..."
We really shouldn't have trusted him. This thought echoed in Harry's mind as the car began its rapid descent.
"Ah!!!"
The car plummeted downwards, crashing headfirst into the Whomping Willow. Both car and tree sustained heavy damage, but miraculously, all four occupants survived.
...
Meanwhile, in Dumbledore's office on the eighth floor, Severus Snape slammed a newspaper onto the desk, his chest heaving. "Outrageous! They nearly exposed the wizarding world! What reckless stunt will they pull next?"
Dumbledore appeared unfazed. "Severus, care for a Cockroach Cluster?" He offered Snape a box of the loathsome-looking sweets.
"..."
Snape fixed Dumbledore with a long, silent stare before saying slowly, "Perhaps I should rejoin the Death Eaters." Damn it all! Why is my boss so different from everyone else's?
Dumbledore remained unmoved by the threat. As if your being a Death Eater or not would make any difference in a fight against Tom. I just need to play my cards right and shift the blame to Tom, then I can enjoy my retirement in peace.
Minerva McGonagall strode into the office. "Harry Potter and the others crashed into the Whomping Willow with a flying car. Madam Pomfrey is tending to them as we speak. Let's hope they are not seriously hurt." Her face darkened. "Otherwise, it will interfere with their punishment."
...
Outside, beneath the Whomping Willow, the wrecked Ford Anglia sputtered and finally ejected its passengers before limping away.
"..."
Harry stared after the departing car, a shiver running down his spine as he turned to face Snape. "Uh... hello." If I pretend to be Harry, maybe I can escape this.
Ron stood petrified as Professor McGonagall approached him. "Mr. Weasley, what do you think I should do with you?" Her tone was glacial, and Ron felt like he was facing his own mortality.
Malfoy was the luckiest of the bunch as Madam Pomfrey bandaged his minor injuries.
Snape rubbed his temples in exasperation. "Expel them!"
"Absolutely not!" Tom interjected, appearing as if from nowhere. He turned to Dumbledore with a knowing look. "You agree, don't you, Albus Dumbledore?"
"I do agree with Tom's assessment," Dumbledore said smoothly.
"Even if they aren't expelled, they will still receive a fitting punishment," Professor McGonagall said firmly, drawing a line in the sand.
Snape remained silent, but his stance made his support for McGonagall clear.
"Fine, punish them as you see fit." Tom only cared that they weren't expelled; the rest was irrelevant. Those two are resilient. They can handle a little punishment.
Snape turned back to Harry. "Whose idea was this?"
Before Harry could answer, a familiar voice rang out. "Thanks to me, Gilderoy Lockhart! I successfully brought those young wizards who missed the train safely to Hogwarts!" The flamboyant professor strode over, slightly dishevelled. "Ah, I must write a book about this! Even more people will admire me!" Spotting the grim faces around him, he added without missing a beat, "You needn't thank me; it's what I do... Just like when I saved the villagers from the vampire attack."
"So, it was all your idea?" Snape fixed Lockhart with a thoughtful stare.
"Of course! Isn't it brilliant?" Lockhart stopped, noticing the change in everyone's expressions. "What's wrong?"
No one answered. Harry, on the other hand, looked smug. "Now you know who's to blame, right?"
Snape smiled coldly. "Heh… you're not getting away that easily. All of you, in detention! For a month!"
...
In the Slytherin boys' dormitory, a languid student with vacant eyes and a sinister smile sat on his bed, staring at a black diary. The diary was signed: Tom Riddle.
"Heh heh...hahaha... The Dark Lord is powerful, isn't he? I admit you're strong, but what if I use you against yourself?"
"Point your wand at me? Try to scare me with a Killing Curse? Just you wait..."
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