Chapter 190: Make a Friend

The questions of who he is and what happened to his lost memories have been bothering Tom for a long time.

He had previously asked the Headmaster, but received no useful information.

But this is a world of magic; with the power of the Guide Book, if he can accelerate his magical development, perhaps he will eventually find a way to restore his memories and figure out his identity.

He is feeling confident, and his notes are updated again.

"Side Quest: Make a Friend. On the road of life and magic, you don't want to be a loner, do you? Go make a few young wizard friends and cure your reclusive habit."

"Mission Objective: Befriend two people. Current progress: 0/2."

"Mission Reward: Love Potion recipe. (In case you want to go beyond friendship, it might come in handy.)"

Tom frowned; what a messy quest this is.

And a Love Potion?

It doesn't sound like a good thing.

He returned to the carriage and found that everyone had already changed into their school uniforms.

"Tom, Hogwarts is approaching; you should change your clothes quickly."

Only Hermione was a girl among those seated; after stepping out briefly, Tom took clothes from his suitcase to change, and heard Ron say, "I'm definitely going to Gryffindor; several of my brothers are there—Bill, Charlie, Percy, and also George and Fred. I don't know why our family always ends up in Gryffindor. What about you, Harry?"

"I don't know yet; Sirius didn't tell me much. He said every house is fine, but I also want to go to Gryffindor. Sirius is actually there; he said my father was originally in Gryffindor. But Sirius wouldn't tell me how they sorted houses, so I'm not sure if I can go."

"Any house is fine as long as I'm not placed in Slytherin. That house is full of Black Wizards; even the mysterious person is in Slytherin," Ron said.

Tom finished changing, "The mysterious person you keep mentioning—who exactly is he? Doesn't he have a name?"

Harry now lives with Sirius, and has an elder from the Wizarding World; the Wizarding World no longer feels as foreign to him as before. Hermione spent the summer reading a stack of books, whereas Tom only visited Diagon Alley today and truly knows nothing about the Wizarding World.

"The mysterious person is the great dark lord who almost destroyed the British wizarding community," Ron said. Compared with Harry, having grown up in a wizarding family, he is something of a walking encyclopedia of the Wizarding World: "He's extremely terrifying, killed many people, but Harry ultimately defeated him! That's why Harry is so famous."

Tom looked at Harry, "That sounds like a mighty wizard; how did you do it?"

Harry rubbed the scar on his forehead, "I don't know. I was only one year old then. Sirius said— I mean, the mysterious person killed my parents, but something went wrong when he tried to kill me. I guess his wand misfired or something."

"Vold? You know the mysterious person's name? What is it?" Tom asked.

For some reason, he was extremely curious about this dark lord.

"Don't say it," Ron said with a terrified expression.

"It's Voldemort," Hermione suddenly entered. "His name appears in *The Rise and Fall of Black Magic. *"

"Oh! How did you get in here!" Ron shouted.

"I saw Tom finish changing," Hermione ignored him. "I heard you talking about the houses; I want to go to Gryffindor—it's said to be the best house. Ravenclaw wouldn't be unacceptable either…"

"No one asked your opinion…" Ron muttered.

"Tom, what about you?"

Tom was a bit dazed; when he heard Hermione mention the name Voldemort, a very strange feeling rose in him, as if the name were oddly familiar.

But how could that be?

"I haven't decided yet…" Tom said.

Four houses floated into his mind.

Impulsive Gryffindor, self‑proclaimed clever Ravenclaw, the worthless Hufflepuff, and the glorious Slytherin.

Slytherin…

He felt an instinctive fondness for that house.

But he also recalled the Guide Book's quest; if he wanted to be friends with Harry and the others, wouldn't Gryffindor be better?

Suddenly, the compartment door was pushed open again, and three boys appeared in the doorway, one of them pale‑faced and clearly the leader.

"Everyone on the train has been gossiping, saying Harry Potter is in this compartment," he said, looking at Harry. "So that means you?"

"Yes, it's me," Harry nodded.

"I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," the boy said, glancing at the others in the carriage. "Who are all these people? Potter, you should meet some real friends; they all come from ancient families and are preparing to enter Slytherin. Honestly, Potter, come on, I'll introduce you to them."

He extended a hand in an inviting gesture.

But Harry ignored him; the boy's attitude seemed too arrogant. "I know who my real friends are, thank you."

Malfoy's pale face flushed slightly; he withdrew his hand. "Be careful, Potter. If I were you, I wouldn't mingle with shady people—you'll be affected."

Ron sprang to his feet, but Tom suddenly reached out and placed a hand on Ron's shoulder.

"Draco Malfoy?" he said.

"And who are you?" Draco asked warily.

"Lukas Tom Brightson. You can call me Tom," Tom said, extending a hand; Malfoy hesitated, then shook it.

Tom suddenly pulled with force, drawing the other closer, embraced him, and patted his back like an old friend. Malfoy was stunned, his body rigid; he tried to push Tom away, but Tom's strength was too great to break free.

"Let me give you some advice, my friend," Tom whispered in his ear. "Staying calm makes you appear strong, while anger only makes you look like a loser."

When he finished, the force binding Malfoy vanished, and the latter immediately broke free, his heart pounding as he stared at Tom in shock and fear.

"You, you…"

Tom still smiled, "Goodbye, my friend. We'll meet again."

After speaking, he closed the compartment door, leaving Malfoy outside.

"I don't know what you did, but you seem to have terrified him," Ron said in amazement, "And you actually hugged that guy—ugh, just thinking about it makes me want to vomit."

"He was only trying to make a friend," Tom said. "I know which house I want now. I'm going to Slytherin."

"What?" Ron's mouth gaped. "You don't actually like that kind of guy, do you?"

"I can't say I like him, but I don't particularly dislike him either," Tom said. "Others are always different from us, right? Besides, I don't like just echoing others' judgments—that's not my style. I find Slytherin interesting."

Guys like Malfoy are so naive; they look easy to use.

From him, Tom sensed a familiar scent: survival of the fittest, the strong prevailing. As long as he's strong enough, he could do quite well in Slytherin.

And he also wanted to know what exactly Voldemort was, why that name felt so familiar to him.

"You won't hate me just because I became Slytherin, will you?" Tom asked.

Harry shook his head; he found that this friend's Magic Power and wand shared many similarities with his, yet they seemed to have major differences in some respects.

However, this actually made him feel relieved.

"If you go to Slytherin, I think I won't find it so hateful."

Meanwhile, Henmi Gelanjie fell into contemplation.

She hadn't really thought seriously about the houses before, only felt Gryffindor seemed a bit better.

But now, in her view, Tom, who is far smarter than Harry and Ron, didn't choose the best house Gryffindor but intends to go to Slytherin, which makes the young lady begin to doubt her own decision.

When uncertain, she first reads; she remembered she still had a book titled "Famous Wizards of the Modern Era" in her trunk, and decided to, before reaching school, flip through it and reconsider the house issue seriously.

(End of Chapter)