Hogwarts: I, Tom, am not the Dark Lord

"Professor, I want to learn this move too."

"Okay, okay, I'll give it to you. I'll give it all to you!"

Snape was sure that Tom was really qualified to compete with him. His blood, which had long cooled, began to boil, and his aura rose again.

Tom can't find a suitable opponent, so why not him?

Fighting Dumbledore? That's asking for trouble.

It would be inappropriate to rashly challenge other professors. Among the Death Eaters, the warmongers have been locked up, and those who are still outside are a bunch of scum.

Unexpectedly, a first-year student would become his best opponent.

Snape no longer held back. A goal post flew up under his control and turned into a thick and big arrow. He also attached flames to the arrow and shot... no, it hit Tom!

Tom's expression changed, and he started cursing, "Old bat, do you still have any shame?"

Chapter 77: Tom's biggest problem, the evil law of confidentiality

Snape was serious.

A huge amount of magic power was released, and Tom realized that he had underestimated Snape.

The power displayed here is completely inconsistent with the descriptions in the original work.

How did Nagini bite him to death?

The thought of complaining flashed through Tom's mind. Now was not the time to think about these messy things, but he had to take this move first.

Snape's magic was still boiling, and he had more attacks in mind than just this one.

The lawn began to surge, and countless tiny weeds turned into hissing little snakes, squeezing Tom's movement space and interfering with his spellcasting.

Tom released a concussive shockwave at his feet, temporarily repelling the venomous snakes, and then tried to transform the giant flaming arrow, but he failed. Snape was always paying attention to the control.

He did not release the magic one by one, but instead divided his attention and used two kinds of magic at the same time.

This can be considered a combination of a Transfiguration spell and a Fire spell.

Since it cannot be transformed, destroy it!

Tom's eyes were sharp and he was muttering something in a low voice. A ball of light jumped out of the wand and ran to the top of his head. A thick beam of magic power shot out from it and crashed into the giant flaming arrow.

There was a loud explosion. Fortunately, Tom had placed a soundproofing spell on the entire Quidditch field beforehand, otherwise the explosion would have been enough to wake up the students and professors of the three colleges.

The Slytherins couldn't wake up, they were buried underground and the sound couldn't reach there.

The giant flaming arrow was blown into countless pieces. Tom took advantage of the situation and turned the pieces into countless tiny arrows, which were all reflected towards Snape.

But Snape jumped around like a slippery loach, and his cloak was also covered with magic, giving it strong defensive power.

Beams of magic spells crisscrossed the Quidditch pitch, radiating brilliant light and creating a swirling storm as they collided.

Tom tried his best, but he found that he was no match for his opponent.

So what if you took the medicine and cheated?

The time for development was too short. He had been learning magic for less than half a year. Snape was not a mediocre person, but a diligent genius who had been devoted to studying.

Whether in terms of the number of spells he controlled or the power of the spells, he was still some distance away from Snape.

As if he had noticed Tom's decline, Snape cast spells a little faster.

Duang——!

An alloy door panel appeared, blocking the attack that was like a gale spell, and Snape was startled.

Did Tom make up the strength of this metal on the spur of the moment?

He thought about it carefully and realized that something was wrong. He looked at Tom's pocket and saw that the door panel was summoned from his pocket.

So... this guy fights with a shield?!

Tom drew a square with his wand, and the door panel transformed into an iron box that completely enveloped him. Tom's muffled voice came from inside: "Professor, no more fighting. Let's stop here today and continue next time."

Snape was so angry that he laughed again.

I'm about to win, and you told me to take a break. Will you definitely win next time?

"Despicable Riddle!" Snape suddenly shouted, "How dare you use such a sinister spell as the Tinnitus Curse!"

After saying that, the offensive, which had been briefly paused, started again. Tom was also stunned by Snape's move.

You actually put the blame on him?

Can you be any more shameless?

Unfortunately, no matter how hard Snape bombarded it, the iron box remained motionless, except that the surface had some burnt brown marks and scratches.

Snape was also completely convinced: "Riddle, where did you find this thing? Why is it so hard!"

"Professor, please don't bother."

Tom's leisurely voice came from inside: "I don't know where its limit is. Unless you use those vicious black magic, you can't open my box."

This door panel was just found in the Room of Requirement. At that time, he needed a prop with the strongest defensive power, so the Room of Requirement moved this thing out.

Now it seems that the Room of Requirement is reliable for once, as it can even make Snape helpless.

dark magic?

Snape looked around. The Quidditch field had been completely destroyed and in ruins because of the fight between the two men. If those powerful dark magics were used here, the situation would really be out of control.

"Come out of your turtle shell." Snape said unhappily, "Next time you use this thing to fight me, there's no need to come looking for me."

"Professor, are you sure you won't continue to do it after I come out?" Tom asked cautiously.

Snape suppressed his anger and said, "I'm a professor. Would I lie to a student like you?"

"You said Slytherins don't lie to Slytherins."

Snape turned and left, "Just hide in there for the night."

Tom quickly restored the door panel to its original shape and put it back in his pocket. "Professor, please don't leave. I can't clean up this mess by myself."

Snape sneered at the scene and said, "If you were not a student of my academy, I would not only deduct your points for using the Untraceable Extension Charm illegally, but also send you to Azkaban."

Tom treated his words as nonsense and started to repair the lawn with a repair spell. He drew a center line in the middle of the field. The meaning was obvious: half for each person, don't try to be lazy.

Snape didn't care and waved his wand, and the two of them started working.

Tom would not miss this good opportunity to ask Snape some questions that had just arisen.

"You're too obsessed with showing off your skills."

Snape's eyes were sharp as he immediately pointed out Tom's biggest problem: "What is the most important thing in a battle between wizards?"

Tom pondered for a moment and replied, "Seize the opponent's wand, or simply make the enemy unable to resist."

"Don't you know that?" Snape glanced at him.

"Then why are you competing with my magic? You have to neutralize every attack I make, and handle it beautifully. What do you think this is? If this isn't a show of skill, then what is it?"

Tom fell into deep thought.

It seems...that's indeed the case.

His attention was focused on Snape's magic more than his own. Apart from the initial attack, he seemed to be struggling with the spell afterwards.

"Fighting is not just a simple exchange of magic." Snape's voice became much calmer. Tom's quick understanding made him feel much more relaxed. If it were that stupid student, he probably wouldn't have realized where his problem lay.

"Many times, you could have used more time-saving and labor-saving methods to deal with my attacks, but you didn't. Instead, you wasted many opportunities to turn defense into offense."

"Your magic power is indeed exaggerated. You don't seem like a student at all. But there are always people in the world who are stronger than you."

Snape said meaningfully, "Until you reach that point, then just keep a low profile and don't always try to be the center of attention. The one who laughs last is the real winner."

Tom nodded, taking the words to heart.

On the way back to the castle, Tom couldn't help but ask a very stupid question.

"Professor, have you ever seen Professor Dumbledore in action? How long can I last in a duel with him at my current level?"

Snape looked at Tom for a long time as if he were a monster, then chuckled, "Nine to one, he can lift you up nine times with one spell."

Tom: “…”

"How does he compare to other wizards?" Tom asked again. The definition of strength in the wizarding world was too vague, and the number of wizards he had seen was pitifully small. He could only rely on Snape to keep things under control.

Snape stopped and stared at Tom for several seconds.

"With your current level of accomplishment, passing the Auror combat test will be no problem, and you'll achieve excellent results. However, those behind-the-scenes tactics and shady dealings are not within the scope of the test. Don't let arrogance ruin your life."

He guessed that Tom might be going to do something dangerous, so he could only warn him.

"I see." Tom nodded.

At breakfast the next day, Tom was still reviewing last night's battle and Snape's criticism.

In the past, whether facing human opponents or magical beast enemies, he was always the one standing on the higher ground, so he used all kinds of gorgeous and clever means to fight against the enemies, which gave him a crushing posture.

This is also why many senior students are afraid of Tom because he looks intimidating.

But if it were Snape, he could fight for one or two rounds and win with an ordinary spell, which would look unremarkable.

But can you say he is better than Snape?

When the opponent is Snape, he is the challenger, and the disadvantage of this approach becomes apparent - flashy and impractical.

So Tom came to the conclusion that fighting style cannot be changed. Being strong is a temporary issue, but being handsome is a lifelong matter.

He won't change, even if he dies. The problem isn't with him, but with his current strength not being strong enough. He just needs to practice more.

If you wait until he surpasses Snape in all aspects and then fight him in this way, it will seem like you are just bullying the weak one.

After figuring this out, Tom felt relieved.

The damn old bat almost ruined his faith.

"Tom, Tom!"

Daphne called Tom back from his distracted state: "We still have to fill this out before we can get on the train."