But things had already come this far, and Dumbledore couldn't bring himself to scold them like Professor McGonagall had. He feared that if he added to the storm, Harry, Ron, and Hagrid might just break down completely. So he swallowed his own frustration.

"Ahhh…"

The old man couldn't help letting out a long, weary sigh.

To the others, that sigh was worse than any reprimand. Shame and guilt clamped down on their chests like iron chains.

"Minerva, what's done is done. More scolding won't help at this point," Dumbledore said gently, speaking up in their defense.

Though Dumbledore was the Headmaster, when Professor McGonagall got angry, even he usually stepped aside. After all, Dumbledore often played more the role of a symbolic figure—a calming presence, the school's pillar. It was McGonagall who ran the day-to-day operations and handled student discipline. Her fairness and integrity were what earned her both the students' respect and fear.

"Those who make mistakes must face consequences," McGonagall said, her voice still trembling with barely suppressed rage. Her chest rose and fell with each indignant breath.

"Punishment is necessary, yes," Dumbledore acknowledged. "But right now, our top priority is containing the fallout."

His tone hardened. "Hagrid, aside from Harry and Ron, who else knows about the dragon?"

Hagrid shuffled awkwardly and muttered, "Uh... Riddle, Hermione, and Greengrass."

"And Malfoy," Harry added quickly.

Dumbledore nodded slightly. "Mr. Riddle isn't the meddling sort, and neither are his friends. Hagrid, from this moment forward, that dragon was a rare egg I came across by chance. You were simply helping me look after it before I sent it to the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary. Do you understand?"

Tears welled in Hagrid's eyes. Dumbledore… he was taking the fall for him!

Professor McGonagall understood too. As much as she seethed with frustration, she also knew Dumbledore was doing this for the school's reputation. A random Hogwarts staff member secretly raising a dragon? That would be a scandal. But if it were Dumbledore… well, even she had to admit, people would barely bat an eye.

"And what about these young troublemakers?" McGonagall pointed toward the lineup of both current and former Gryffindors, her anger flaring again.

"Berta, thank you and your friends for your efforts tonight," Dumbledore said kindly, motioning for Hagrid to hand over the dragon. "Norbert won't be waking up for at least two more days. You'll be safe to transport him."

Charlie's friends nodded frantically, promising to keep everything secret. They practically snatched Norbert from Hagrid's arms and bolted out of the castle, not daring to look back.

At last, only Harry and Ron remained.

Dumbledore turned his piercing gaze on Harry. "Harry, I hope this has taught you a valuable lesson. Whatever you do, be thoroughly prepared. The reason you were caught—wasn't because anyone ratted you out. It was entirely your own mistake."

McGonagall's expression shifted slightly. Something didn't sit right with her. Was Dumbledore... advising Harry to be more careful next time he broke the rules?

"Because your actions disrupted nearly half the school tonight, I have no choice but to deduct one hundred points from Gryffindor. You must understand the gravity of this situation. Starting next week, both of you will also be serving detention."

...

One hundred points?!

Harry kept his head bowed, still looking remorseful—but in his heart, he felt a sliver of relief. With all the chaos they'd caused, losing only one hundred points seemed… merciful.

"One hundred each," Dumbledore added after a pause.

Harry's heart sank. Ron's eyes rolled back so hard he nearly passed out on the spot.

Professor McGonagall stood there in silence, eyes twitching, rage simmering beneath the surface. She didn't even want to speak anymore. All she wanted was to scratch something—anything.

…

The next morning, the hottest topic sweeping through the school was, without question, the dragon.

Down in the dungeons, the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs had just caught wind of what they'd missed out on. The Hufflepuffs, in particular, were practically pounding their chests in regret—so close, and yet so far!

The second hottest topic? Gryffindor's House Points.

Overnight, the great hourglass tracking Gryffindor's points had been all but emptied. They were left with barely over a hundred—an absolutely humiliating low, especially with end-of-year exams just around the corner. How were they ever going to catch up now?

Word spread fast. The culprits? Harry Potter and his loyal sidekick Ron Weasley.

No one knew exactly what they'd done—but it must've been a massive screw-up to cost them that many points.

Well… not everyone was in the dark. Tom Riddle certainly wasn't.

He felt genuine pity—for Voldemort.

How utterly stupid did the Dark Lord have to be to lose to Harry bloody Potter?

Tom had already neutralized the biggest threat—Malfoy—and somehow, the plan still went up in smoke.

"Potter! You're the best Slytherin asset we've ever had!" Malfoy suddenly yelled across the Great Hall, and the room exploded into laughter.

Even the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs turned their annoyed glares toward Harry.

They had all been hoping Gryffindor might finally knock Slytherin off their high horse—but now? Harry had ruined it.

Harry kept his head down, walking silently back to his seat as if he hadn't heard a word.

…

From that day on, Hermione Granger began working harder than ever, answering every single question in class, trying desperately to earn back House Points for Gryffindor.

Except for Snape, Professors Flitwick and Sprout seemed to take pity on Gryffindor's situation. They started calling on Hermione more frequently, giving her every opportunity to win back a little face—and maybe, just maybe, save the House from finishing dead last.

Tom was losing it.

He never imagined that his own clever little plan would boomerang right back into his chest.

The more points Hermione earned, the fewer he did. His carefully balanced academic standing began to crumble under the pressure.

A once proud prodigy—brought low by a fool named Harry Potter.

Was Harry Potter destined to be the nemesis of every Tom Riddle in every timeline?

…

That night, as silence settled over the castle and Tom lay in bed, deep in thought, he was mulling over how to claw back more House Points.

Suddenly, a burning sensation flared across the back of his hand.

A unicorn symbol shimmered into view.

The unicorn was in danger.

Without hesitation, Tom snatched up his wand and sprinted for the common room.

With magic enhancing his speed, he raced like the wind—straight toward the Forbidden Forest...