My partner at Hogwarts is Tom

Faced with Viktor's calm yet seemingly weightless "questioning".

Tom, bound hand and foot, gagged with talismans, could only stare blankly.

Or rather, the only reaction that the remnant soul of the Crowned Voldemort trapped inside Tom's body could make was...

He stared even wider and bigger into those eyes that had turned pitch black and were burning with boundless rage and humiliation!

So round they almost bulge out of their eye sockets!

In his dark pupils, the flames of anger almost materialized and burst forth.

Mixed within it was disbelief, offensive rage, and a touch of bewilderment at being overwhelmed by this overwhelming and unreasonable "deluxe repression package."

He, Tom Marvolo Riddle, heir to Slytherin, the future Dark Lord, a part of the fearsome Voldemort…!

Just as he had seized a perfect body and was planning to make great strides and envision the future...

They were tied up like crabs!

He was gagged!

A talisman has been stuck to it!

They were also adorned with crosses, scarabs, voodoo dolls, vajras...

These were all jumbled messes, some he recognized and some he didn't, but they all exuded an unpleasant aura!

This is... this is a million times more humiliating than having my mouth ripped out by that stupid cat's soul and being shot until I have a bald patch!

What frustrated him even more was that he could no longer cast spells or break free from his restraints, and he couldn't even curse anyone!

That damned peach wood stopper, which seemed to be sealed with some strange Eastern seal, not only blocked his mouth but also suppressed and blurred his soul-level roars, leaving only silent rage raging wildly in his chest.

All he could do was stare!

Using all his remaining soul power and willpower, he glared fiercely at the man before him, who looked on with an inquisitive expression, as if he were studying some rare and magical creature.

If looks could kill, then Viktor would already be chopped into mincemeat by Voldemort.

However, under the "care" of the purifying power of the unicorn hair rope, the suppressing light of the soul-suppressing talisman, the binding runes of the magic-suppressing chains, and various props that were all over her body but seemed to be forming a kind of complex suppression field, she was able to escape.

His angry glare was much less effective.

Tom's furry cat face and wide, round eyes even gave off a somewhat... eerie and comical feel.

Ignoring the fiery glare, Viktor stroked his chin and thoughtfully commented.

"Hmm... the union of soul and body is still unstable, and the signs of forced possession are obvious. The essence of the dark soul is strong, full of aggression and predatory desire..."

"The purification reaction to the unicorn hair was intense, and the suppression by the Eastern talismans showed strong maladjustment... Interesting, this doesn't seem to be just a simple possession by an evil spirit or a dark magic creation... This state looks somewhat familiar?"

As he analyzed to himself, he pulled out a small, alchemical compass inlaid with various testing gems from somewhere and brought it close to Tom, who was bound into a ball, as if he wanted to measure something more precisely.

Voldemort, the Crowned Demon: "..." (eyes widening, intensity +10086)

Just as Victor's alchemical compass was about to touch Tom's nose.

Just as Voldemort felt his soul was about to explode from the constant humiliation and research, the Crowned Voldemort...

"Oh my goodness……"

A familiar and gentle voice, now tinged with obvious surprise, came from the doorway of the Room of Requirement.

Victor paused, and Voldemort's glare subconsciously shifted for a moment.

At the entrance, a white-bearded old wizard, dressed in star and moon pajamas and wearing a morning robe embroidered with phoenix patterns, was standing.

It was Albus Dumbledore.

He had clearly arrived in a hurry; his long, silvery-white hair and beard were still somewhat disheveled.

Behind the crescent-shaped glasses, deep blue eyes were now gazing at the scene in the room with astonishment through the lenses.

His gaze first fell on "Tom," who was tightly bound by various props that shimmered with different lights, with only a talisman plug sticking out of his mouth and his cat head glaring angrily. He paused for a full three seconds.

Then, his gaze slowly swept over the Ravenclaw tiara, which was encased in a crystal coffin and floated quietly to the side.

Finally, the focus shifted to Victor, who was squatting next to "Tom" and holding the alchemical compass.

Dumbledore's expression was somewhat subtle, a mixture of "It was Tom again, as expected" and exhaustion.

And a complex expression that said, "This is the first time I've ever seen anything like this in all my years of life."

He cleared his throat, his voice still gentle, but with a hint of an odd tone that was barely perceptible.

"Good evening, Viktor. Hmm... it seems I was right to come immediately after receiving your message from your guardian spirit. But... may I ask what exactly happened here? And...?"

He pointed to the large "thing" on the ground.

"Our Tom... this is... the latest... uh... 'look'?"

Through Tom's eyes, Voldemort saw the familiar figure at the door.

Silver-white beard and hair, crescent-shaped glasses, and those deep blue eyes that seemed to see through everything.

Albus Dumbledore!

In an instant, the cat's dark pupils suddenly contracted, becoming as sharp as needles!

Deep-seated fear, long-standing anger, and shock and fury at having his plans thwarted intertwined into a chilling current that nearly froze the thoughts of his remaining soul.

He wanted to roar, to mock, to unleash the most vicious black magic, and even more, he wanted to escape immediately!

however……

The unicorn's warm yet resilient purifying power acted like invisible shackles, imprisoning the restlessness of his soul.

The damned yellow talisman on his forehead emanated a righteous energy that stung even the very core of his soul, suppressing his will.

The cork stuffed in his mouth not only blocked the possibility of making a sound, but also seemed like a silent mountain, suppressing the transmission of his thoughts.

The chaotic array of things around him, each with different attributes, yet cleverly forming a complex suppression field, made it extremely difficult for him to even mobilize a single spare bit of magic power.

Not to mention those heavy, magic-suppressing chains, which practically nailed him to that damned cat body!

Unable to move! Unable to speak out!

Even the murderous intent and anger in his eyes seemed to be weakened and distorted by the various lights flashing around him, making him appear... somewhat powerless.

Just as alarm bells were ringing in Voldemort's mind, and he was frantically calculating any possible chance to escape, even at the cost of abandoning this precious body to preserve this remnant soul and return it to the Crown,

"Bang! Bang!"

Two dull, heavy blows, as if striking directly at the soul, came from inside Tom's body without warning!

The feeling was as if someone had hit the back of his "consciousness" hard with a small hammer wrapped in cotton cloth!

It wasn't fatal, or even very painful, but it was full of insulting interference and... pure rage.

Voldemort's consciousness was momentarily stunned by the two blows.

Immediately afterwards, he "senses" a familiar, vibrant soul fluctuation, now burning with raging anger, erupting from the depths he had forcibly suppressed, like an enraged swarm of bees!

It's that cat! The soul of that damned cat! It wasn't completely devoured or suppressed; it's still resisting?!

Before he could react further, Tom's soul, which had been trapped inside his body and feeling stifled for half a day, was like a firecracker that had been lit.

With a perfect fit to his own body and a fierce anger that seemed to say "Dare to take over Tom's territory?"

Despite the suppression of the remnant soul of the crowned Voldemort and the "indiscriminate" influence of the pile of suppression props outside, it suddenly leaped upwards!

"Pop~"

A very faint sound, like a bubble breaking off from the water.

On the top of Tom's physical head, amidst the thick, fluffy blue-gray fur, was the outline of a translucent, pearly-white cat's soul.

Then, as if breaking free from some kind of sticky restraint, he struggled but was extremely determined... and crawled out!

First came the round ears, then the entire fluffy head, followed by the front paws, torso, and hind legs...

Finally, Tom's complete, softly glowing soul detached from his physical body and floated lightly in the air.

His physical body was tightly bound by various props.

At the moment the soul leaves the body, the eyes suddenly become empty.

The dark color and furious emotions receded like the tide, restoring the cat's pupils to their original vertical lines, though they looked somewhat lifeless, drooping limply among the pile of "sealing packages".

Tom's spirit shook its head in the air, as if to shake off the bad luck of being forcibly kicked offline and having its nest occupied by "dirty things".

Then, his sapphire-blue soul eyes locked onto Dumbledore at the door.

"!!!"

Tom's soul lit up instantly!

It wasn't an adjective; his entire soul seemed to brighten slightly from excitement and the realization that he had "found a backer"!

He recognized that white-bearded old man! He was the most formidable headmaster at Hogwarts! A ruthless man who dared to eat cockroaches!

More importantly, this old man is in cahoots with Viktor! He's someone who can get things done!

"Whoosh—!"

Tom's soul transformed into a white streak of light and instantly appeared before Victor and Dumbledore.

He didn't even bother to get intimate with Victor first, and turned straight to Dumbledore, gesturing excitedly with his little paws in spirit form.

First he pointed to his still-bound body, then to the crown in the crystal coffin.

Then it uses its two front paws to make a fierce pouncing and snatching motion.

Then he covered his head and stomach, making a painful and nauseous expression.

Finally, pointing to the crown, it forcefully clenched its claws downwards, making a resolute gesture of "kill it."

The entire set of movements was fluid and expressive, conveying meaning perfectly even though it was silent.

This nasty thing! It tried to steal my treasure! It even tried to steal my body! It's cold and disgusting to be in here! Quick! Let's teach it a lesson! Let's give it a good beating!

After gesturing, Tom's spirit sidled up to Victor's leg, pitifully nuzzling his head against him. His blue eyes held a mixture of grievance and lingering fear, yet also a hint of self-satisfaction as he looked at Victor, as if to say...

"Look, I trapped the bad thing inside my body! Although it moved to the side, I crawled out again! I even brought you a powerful old man as reinforcements!"

As Victor watched Tom's vivid "complaint," a hint of amusement and heartache flashed in his eyes.

He reached out and gently stroked Tom's soul's head, then turned to Dumbledore, his expression turning serious again.

"Principal, this is what happened..."

Victor used concise and clear language to quickly inform the twins that he had arrived and seen Tom's soul return to its place.

Then the remnant soul of the crown suddenly took over Tom's body, forcing him to use an emergency plan to control it.

And the characteristics of this remnant soul as initially observed.

The powerful dark soul nature, the obvious predatory parasitism, and the intense interest in Tom's special physique—all were described.

As Victor recounted the story, the slightly strange expression that initially appeared on Dumbledore's face upon seeing the "Tom lookalike" gradually disappeared.

As he listened to Victor's description, especially about the remnant soul's attempt to possess Tom's body and the characteristics it exhibited, his azure eyes sharpened.

When his gaze returned to the bound cat on the ground and the crown in the crystal coffin, it was filled with a deep scrutiny.

After Victor finished speaking, Dumbledore slowly nodded.

He took a few steps forward, ignoring Tom's physical body, and went straight to the floating crystal coffin.

He raised the scarred wand but did not immediately cast a spell.

Instead, he first gazed carefully, with an almost sighing look, at the beautiful crown that once belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw in the coffin.

At this moment, the sapphire in its center appeared even darker, as if shrouded in an ominous shadow.

"The true form is revealed... Soul detection... Tracing the source of darkness..."

Dumbledore muttered several complex and ancient detection spells in a low voice.

The tip of the Elder Wand emanated a soft yet penetrating magical light, which, like a gentle stream, seeped into the sealing membrane of the crystal coffin and lightly brushed over every inch of the crown's metal and gemstones.

As the incantation continued, Dumbledore's brow furrowed more and more deeply.

He saw more details: the subtle cracks and traces of black magic modification inside the crown, which were cleverly concealed but revealed by the previous turmoil.

That lingering, icy magic, imbued with the cruel and chilling aura of Tom Riddle's youth.

And most importantly, the traces of the dark soul fragments that were almost integrated with the crown itself, yet fundamentally different, filled with division and obsession.

After a while, Dumbledore put away his wand, and the magical glow that had been probing the surroundings slowly dissipated.

He turned to face Viktor, the gentle smile on his face vanished, replaced by an extremely solemn and even deeply worried seriousness.

His long, silvery-white eyebrows were furrowed, and his blue eyes behind his crescent-shaped glasses were fixed heavily on the crystal coffin.

Then he slowly opened his mouth, his voice not loud, but it seemed to carry a thousand pounds of weight, echoing clearly in the messy storage room.

"Victor..."

"I think I've found... the source of Voldemort's ability to make a comeback and evade death."

He paused, as if he needed to carefully choose his words to explain this astonishing discovery.

"What's in this crown isn't just a simple evil spirit or a creation of dark magic. It's a... Horcrux."

"Moreover, the person who made it had an extremely profound mastery of the dark magic of splitting souls, so the 'quality' of this Horcrux is... very high."

"It retains a significant portion of its creator's intelligence, memories, magical knowledge, and... ambition. Judging from its magical characteristics, Tom Riddle was quite young when he created it, but the evil concept and execution of this work are already chilling."

Dumbledore's gaze swept over Tom's sealed body on the ground.

Then he looked at Tom's soul, which looked tense, seemingly understanding but knowing the matter was serious, before finally returning to Victor's face.

"What's more troublesome is that, judging from its attempt to possess Tom, this level of Horcrux seems to be more than just a 'anchor'."

"It possesses a certain degree of initiative and agency, and is able to find a suitable vessel to attempt to... 'resurrect,' or at least, to re-enter the world in some form."

"This explains why Riddle, or Voldemort, even after his main body was weakened or even thought to be dead, still had the power to operate in secret, seeking a way to return."

"Hogwarts actually harbors such a dangerous thing..." Dumbledore's voice carried a hint of lingering fear and self-reproach.

"If it weren't for Tom's...special abilities and your timely reaction, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

He looked at Viktor, his eyes filled with an unprecedented solemnity.

"Victor, we must seal it completely immediately. Conventional methods may not be enough; we need the strongest and most secure seal, and we must research how to destroy it safely. Destroying a Horcrux requires specific, extreme methods. Meanwhile..."

His gaze once again fell upon Tom's soul and body.

"We need to ensure Tom hasn't suffered irreversible damage, either to his soul or body. The parasitism and acquisition of Horcruxes could very well leave behind hidden dangers."

Upon hearing the words "Voldemort," "Hordeal," and "source of resurrection," Victor's face darkened completely.

"Hordeal..." he repeated softly, his voice carrying a certain understanding that was not new to him, but rather confirmed a heavy suspicion.

"I have seen similar traces in the ancient ruins of Egypt."

Viktor's thoughts seemed to drift away. His voice was steady, yet carried a cold tone, the kind that came from someone who had witnessed too much of the dark history.

"In pursuit of eternal rule, the pharaohs of ancient Egypt used rituals to forcibly tear their souls apart and place them into meticulously crafted containers that held their internal organs."

"That kind of magic... desecrates life, distorts nature, and is filled with an extreme fear of death and a morbid possessiveness."

"I was invited by Gringotts to participate in the excavation of a cursed tomb. The remnant soul of the pharaoh inside, due to a thousand years of solitude and the damage to the vessel, had long since become a pathetic monster that could only roar and devour the life force of the living."

"The goblins of Gringotts used the sacred fire of Ra, the sun god, to deal with it, and almost burned down half of the tomb before they could completely purify it."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crown in the crystal coffin, his eyes becoming even sharper.

"Deep in the rainforests of Africa, some isolated tribes have also used bloody voodoo rituals to seal fragments of the souls of enemies or powerful warriors into specially made dolls or totems."

"Those things... are full of resentment and curses, which can not only slowly erode the mind of those who get close, but can even be 'activated' under certain conditions to carry out revenge or destruction."

"Dealing with them often requires combining specific herbs, dances, and ancestral spirit invocations passed down through generations of the tribe; the process is dangerous and complex."

He took a deep breath and finally turned his gaze back to Tom's body, which was bound hand and foot, and the remnant soul trapped inside.

"Headmaster, based on what I've seen, all magic involving soul tearing, alienation, or possession to avoid death or gain extra power..."

"Whether it takes the form of mummies, artificial monsters, cursed dolls, or Horcruxes, without exception, its roots are built on extreme selfishness, the trampling of the cycle of life, and... usually large-scale, brutal murder."

"The production process inevitably involves unimaginable pain and death, and its very existence is a continuous desecration of the laws of nature. They are often unstable, full of unpredictable dangers, and have an extremely strong corrosive and destructive nature towards their host or surrounding environment."

"And this..." Victor pointed to the crystal coffin.

"It was crafted so exquisitely, retaining such complete intelligence and mobility, that it even knew how to find and seize 'high-quality' carriers..."

"This probably means that the 'sacrifices' used in its production, and the completeness of its evil rituals, far surpass those of the crude or out-of-control imitations I have seen before."

"And Voldemort certainly couldn't have achieved this level of completion with just one attempt!"

He looked at Dumbledore, and in their exchanged glances, they shared the same heavy understanding.

"Voldemort... Tom Riddle, he didn't just create Horcruxes, he probably created more than one. And he pushed this evil magic to a rather 'sophisticated' and dangerous level."

Dumbledore nodded slowly; Victor's account confirmed and supplemented his judgment.

"Yes, that's probably the case. Such an 'active' and highly autonomous Horcrux means that the degree of fragmentation of the main soul and the 'cost' invested are extremely astonishing."

"This explains why his power is so twisted and strong, and why he was able to continue to 'live' in some form after that night."

When Dumbledore mentioned "that night," his eyes dimmed for a moment, but were quickly replaced by a more determined light.

"There must be more than one such Horcrux. The crown was a creation from his student days, but what happened after that? As his power increased and his ambition grew..."

He didn't finish speaking, but the meaning was already self-evident.