Night had fallen, the castle grounds bathed in moonlight beneath a canopy of stars. With nothing pressing to occupy his time, Tom strolled along the castle perimeter, the cool night air a welcome change. He had just delivered the "gifts" to Ron Weasley and, wary of any attacks on his return, decided to take a walk outside the castle first.
Those mice... a veritable Trojan Horse of hormones, he mused with grim satisfaction. While appearing to be a collection of harmless females only, several strong males were strategically placed amongst them. Let Peter Pettigrew enjoy that particular surprise.
...
Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor Boys' Dormitory, inside a cage on Ron's desk, Peter Pettigrew lay panting: a broken man... or rather, rat. He had survived the initial onslaught of female rodents, but the terrifying, wicked thoughts Tom's chocolate had unleashed still plagued his mind.
The concoction, far surpassing any love potion one might acquire in Knockturn Alley, had turned into an aphrodisiac of hellish potency. Just when Peter thought he could endure no more, the real nightmare began.
From the corners of the cage emerged several enormous, muscular rats. Their size was so terrifying that Peter Pettigrew looked like a helpless child in comparison.
"Squeak... squeak?! (Wait... What are you doing?!)"
Peter Pettigrew screamed in terror, but his exhausted body refused to obey. The muscular giant rats paid no attention to his pleas and, with ruthless efficiency, flipped him over.
Time passed…
"Oh, dear, has it stopped already?" Ron said gleefully. "That won't do."
He tore open the wrappers of several more chocolates and tossed them into the cage.
(Peter Pettigrew, on the verge of tears: You heartless bastard!)
...
Outside the castle, next to a flowerbed, Luna Lovegood sat on a bench, a newspaper in her hands and her slender bare feet swinging. Oddly, she held The Quibbler upside down.
The crunch of approaching footsteps on fallen leaves made Luna look up. Tom approached slowly, stopping beside her to sit.
"Professor Tom?" Luna tilted her head, a puzzled expression on her face.
Instead of answering, Tom glanced at her feet.
Luna followed his gaze and immediately understood. "My shoes? They're playing hide-and-seek with me."
"They're always like that, the rambunctious little blighters. They run off somewhere, and no sooner do I find them, they're off again," Luna's tone was tinged with frustration.
"It's not that your shoes ran away; it's that you were harassed by bullies, correct?" Tom stated bluntly.
"..."
Luna stared at Tom, mouth agape. "Professor, how did you know?"
"Because I have been through it, too." Tom looked up at the sky with a thoughtful expression, a rare vulnerability flickering across his face.
Hearing Tom's words, Luna was even more astonished. "You've had your shoes stolen too?"
"I've bullied others, too."
"..."
Luna did not reply. Silence was the best answer.
She knew it! How could the Dark Lord have been bullied?
"However, I only fought back when they started it. Good children should never bully others." Tom gently patted Luna's head.
The naive Luna genuinely believed that everything Tom did, even becoming the Dark Lord, was forced upon him.
In truth, Tom wasn't a good person in the conventional sense; even his acts of kindness were often born of self-interest.
That being said, his inclination to help Luna could not be denied. Tom had suspected this might happen when Luna enrolled. He even instructed Hermione Granger, another Ravenclaw, to keep an eye on her. But Hermione Granger couldn't protect Luna every minute of every day.
"Since that's the case, I'll have to handle this personally."
Tom stood. "I'll get you a pair of shoes that won't wander off next time. For now... let's go."
"Where to?" Luna asked, confused.
"To find you some shoes."
Tom strode towards the castle without looking back.
Watching him go, Luna smiled softly. Just as she was about to follow, she found herself floating into the air.
She reveled in playing in mid-air for a moment, then glanced at Tom's back before looking down at her bare feet.
"Professor Tom is completely different from the Tom Riddle in the books."
...
On the eighth floor of the castle, in Professor Flitwick's office, the door clicked open. Flitwick, who was grading papers, looked up in surprise. "Professor Tom? What is it?"
"Do you know her?" Tom stepped aside, revealing Luna floating outside the door.
Before Luna could speak, Tom raised a hand to stop her.
"Miss Lovegood, of course." Professor Flitwick smiled warmly at Luna, then noticed her bare feet.
He knew Tom wouldn't visit without reason and quickly pieced together what must have happened.
Tom wasted no time recounting the cause, process, and result of the situation. Because of Luna's unique nature and odd habits, coupled with her introversion and preference for solitude, her classmates ostracized her, labeling her "Loony Lovegood." It began with taunts and exclusion, but had escalated to outright theft.
"Professor Flitwick, this occurred in your house, and I believe you have a right to know. I intend to leave this matter in your hands." Tom's tone was calm, but Professor Flitwick understood the underlying meaning perfectly.
Even without Tom's veiled threat, Flitwick would never condone such conduct. "That is unbelievable! Such a thing happening in my house? Where are those young ladies? I will find them at once!"
Professor Flitwick recalled similar situations during his own time at Hogwarts, and he was outraged that the so-called "school 80s" nonsense happened in his house.
"No need. I already brought them all here."
Tom snapped his fingers, and several young witches, about Luna's age, came floating into the office.
The girls were startled by Professor Flitwick's grim expression. It was the first time they had seen him so angry.
"Uh... Professor, good evening."
"Good evening, ladies."
---