Harry potter:Dark lord

In the dimly lit corridors of the orphanage, Tom's demeanor had always been one of kindness and introversion, at least in my presence. His reserved nature often led others to underestimate him, but I had always sensed a depth beneath that quiet exterior.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the worn wooden floors, I found Tom diligently scrubbing the hallway. His slight frame moved methodically, each stroke of the rag echoing softly in the silence.

"Tom, leave this to me. Go back to your room and have a rest," I offered, reaching out to take the rag from his hand.

He looked up abruptly, surprise flickering in his eyes. For a moment, he seemed taken aback, as if unaccustomed to such gestures.

To be honest, I didn't know what had gotten into me these days. I had been focusing on doing good deeds, trying to make amends for past mistakes.

It would be one thing if I were acting out of sheer madness, but I was compelling myself to help others, to make a difference.

Tom, despite his age and being a fellow orphan, had rarely engaged in any chores. Even when assigned tasks, he would often persuade other children to "volunteer" in his stead.

But now, here he was, working diligently. Perhaps he had realized that he couldn't always rely on others.

I didn't expect that after enduring days of menial tasks alongside me, this time, I would suggest he rest early.

Something felt amiss. There had to be a reason behind his sudden change in behavior.

"No... I'm not tired at all, really. I can still continue working," Tom replied, reclaiming the rag and offering a practiced smile.

Although he couldn't discern my intentions, he seemed determined not to yield.

"Huh? I was thinking about other things just now, so I didn't hear clearly. What did you say?" I inquired, meeting his gaze.

Facing my seemingly kind expression, Tom's smile gradually faded.

He seemed to realize that defying my suggestion might lead to immediate consequences.

"I mean, I'm a little tired. I'll trouble you with the remaining tasks," he conceded, handing back the rag before quickly retreating around the corner of the stairs.

Of course, I hadn't asked Tom to rest without reason. If Dumbledore wished to see him later, it would be more appropriate in his room.

After all, I was eager to witness the renowned scene where Dumbledore set the wardrobe ablaze.

Setting aside the rag, I hurried to my own room.

To prevent Dumbledore from visiting my quarters first, I needed to relocate the various bottles and jars hidden beneath the carpet. A wizard of his caliber would undoubtedly notice such traces.

The system's store hadn't offered any remarkable items lately, mostly potions and peculiar materials.

These were readily available in the wizarding world, so after selectively purchasing some potions for emergencies, I refrained from acquiring more.

In recent days, I had discovered something else: performing good deeds yielded minimal merit points.

However, if I involved someone like Tom in these acts, the results were markedly different.

I surmised that compelling a more malevolent individual to do good increased the merit points earned.

Perhaps my actions reduced the likelihood of them committing future misdeeds.

After all, when the system awarded me 100 merit points, it hinted that I had altered some of Tom's life trajectories.

Of course, this was merely a hypothesis, and I planned to test it with another wrongdoer later.

Nonetheless, by involving Tom in some "reformative labor," I had successfully accumulated 300 merit points.

Oh... Tom, may Merlin protect him!

After securing the potions, I returned to the stairwell corner and resumed cleaning, feigning nonchalance.

Just then, Mrs. Cole emerged from her office, her cheeks flushed, with Dumbledore trailing behind. It was evident they had concluded their discussion.

"Oh... Robert," Mrs. Cole called out upon seeing me.

As she approached, I detected the scent of gin and realized her rosy complexion was due to alcohol.

"This is Mr. Dumbledore... Sorry, it's Dumbledore... He's here to see you and Tom. He's here to tell you... Never mind, let him explain. Where is Tom?"

Facing Dumbledore's gentle gaze, I replied, "Tom has gone back to his room to rest."

"What's your excuse this time? Oh... Never mind. He has changed a lot since he started spending time with you... What more could I ask for? God, when have I ever seen Tom helping other children? My dear, this must be your doing," Mrs. Cole remarked emotionally.

Since my arrival, the once solitary and peculiar Tom seemed transformed.

Not only had he ceased bullying other children, but he also joined me in assisting them in the yard.

He never shirked any chores in the orphanage.

A troubled boy had undergone such a significant change in just a few days. While Mrs. Cole was puzzled, she felt more at ease.

"Mrs. Cole, actually, I didn't do anything. Tom is a kind person. It's just that in the past, he was a little introverted and didn't know how to communicate with others," I said with a smile.

Well, Tom has always been kind and reserved in front of me.

Kind? Introverted? Was this really about Tom?

FOR MORE CHAPTERS

patreon.com/STEPHENH