Harry potter:Dark lord

He can't beat me."

Robert stopped and turned to meet Dumbledore's blue eyes.

Dumbledore, momentarily surprised by the bold statement, observed Robert carefully. His confidence was striking, and his posture suggested that he truly believed what he was saying.

"We're here," Robert said again, his voice steady.

Only then did Dumbledore realize that they had stopped in front of a wooden door.

Without hesitation, Robert pushed open the door to Tom's room, as if he were returning to a familiar place. He stepped inside, his presence commanding yet casual.

"Tom, this... Mr. Dumbledore, wants to talk to us about something," Robert announced as he walked in.

He deliberately mispronounced Dumbledore's name, likely because Mrs. Cole had introduced him incorrectly earlier.

Dumbledore sighed and corrected him, "Actually, my name is Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore. I'm a professor."

Tom sat cross-legged on his bed, a book in his hands. His dark eyes flicked toward the older man, analyzing him with the wariness of someone who had learned to trust no one.

Dumbledore extended a hand. "Hello, Tom."

Tom hesitated. His gaze darted toward Robert as if searching for reassurance or perhaps an explanation. Then, after a moment's pause, he reached out and shook Dumbledore's hand.

Dumbledore pulled over a chair and sat down while Robert, completely at ease, plopped down on Tom's bed as if it were his own.

"Professor?" Tom echoed skeptically. "Is that like a doctor?" His tone was sharp, probing. He cast another wary glance at Robert.

"I'm a professor at a school called Hogwarts," Dumbledore explained patiently. "I've come here to offer you a place at my school—your new school, if you choose to accept."

At Dumbledore's words, Tom tensed. His entire demeanor changed in an instant. He sprang to his feet, his book slipping from his fingers onto the bed. His face twisted in suspicion, his breathing sharp and uneven.

"Who are you? What do you want? Tell the truth!" His voice rose, filled with anger and distrust, his last words coming out almost like a command.

Dumbledore remained calm. He had seen this reaction before.

"As I said, I am Professor Dumbledore..."

"No!" Tom interrupted, stepping back further. "Don't try to fool me! You're from the mental hospital, aren't you? 'Professor'—what a clever title! But I'm not going. Do you hear me? I'm not going!"

His voice grew more desperate. Then, as if something clicked in his mind, his eyes widened in realization. He turned to Robert, his expression shifting to one of betrayal.

"You called him here, didn't you? This was your plan all along! You—you're finally going to get rid of me! You're sending me to a mental hospital!"

His voice cracked slightly, though whether from anger or fear, it was hard to tell.

Dumbledore turned toward Robert, his expression unreadable.

Robert simply shrugged. "You know, we fought."

Dumbledore arched an eyebrow at him. Considering what Robert had said earlier—He can't beat me—Dumbledore suspected their "fight" had been something far more intense than a simple scuffle.

Judging by Tom's extreme reaction, he had likely been on the receiving end of something more than just a schoolyard brawl. It was clear that Robert had a firm grip on the situation, and Tom knew it.

Dumbledore sighed and turned back to Tom, his voice once again gentle but firm.

"I'm not from a mental hospital," he reassured him. "I'm a teacher. If you sit down and listen, I'll tell you what Hogwarts is and why I'm here. And, if you don't want to go, no one will force you."

Tom hesitated, eyeing him warily.

"And..." Dumbledore added, shifting his gaze to Robert, "Robert is also on my list of students."

Tom's eyes darted back to Robert.

"He's going too?" Tom asked skeptically, his fingers curling slightly.

"That's right," Dumbledore confirmed.

Tom's lips pressed into a thin line. He hated not having control over a situation.

Robert smirked slightly and said, "Tom, could you calm down and stand up straight? Don't lose face."

Tom clenched his jaw. He was embarrassed. He knew he had reacted too strongly, too emotionally, and Robert had noticed. Slowly, he sat down, though his eyes still burned with suspicion.

Satisfied, Dumbledore continued, "Hogwarts is a school that accepts students with special abilities."

Tom's muscles tensed again.

That sounds too much like a mental institution!

"I'm not crazy..." he started, but then he caught Robert's calm gaze.

Something in Robert's expression made him stop.

He swallowed his words and remained silent.

Dumbledore nodded. "No, you're not. You have a gift. You both do."

He leaned forward slightly. "It's called magic."

Tom blinked. "Magic?" He repeated the word, testing it on his tongue.

"Yes," Dumbledore said simply.

Tom looked at his hands, his mind racing. "So... everything I can do... it's magic?"

"That's correct," Dumbledore confirmed.

Tom's breathing quickened slightly. A flush of excitement appeared on his normally pale cheeks. "I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals obey me without training them. I can make people suffer if they annoy me." His voice grew eager, filled with suppressed energy.

Dumbledore listened intently, but before Tom could continue, Robert's calm, steady gaze landed on him once again.

Tom faltered.

"...Except for Robert," he muttered begrudgingly.

Dumbledore turned his attention to Robert. "And you?"

Robert shrugged. "I didn't know what it was before, but I always knew I was different. Now I understand why."

Dumbledore nodded approvingly. "You are both wizards."

Tom narrowed his eyes. "So, that means you're a wizard too?" he asked, eyeing Dumbledore suspiciously.

"Yes, I am," Dumbledore said with a small smile.

"Prove it."

Dumbledore arched an eyebrow. "If I do, will you come to Hogwarts?"

Tom hesitated for a fraction of a second before replying, "Of course."

Dumbledore folded his hands. "Then you will address me as 'Professor' or 'Sir'."

Tom's lips thinned. After a pause, he spoke with forced politeness. "Excuse me, Professor, can you show me?"

Dumbledore nodded and reached into his suit jacket, pulling out a long, slender wand.

Robert's eyes sharpened slightly, as if anticipating something interesting.

Dumbledore flicked his wand toward the broken wardrobe in the corner.

A sudden, fierce blaze erupted, engulfing the wardrobe in brilliant orange flames.

Tom gasped, stumbling backward.

All his belongings were inside!

Just as he was about to shout in protest, the flames disappeared in an instant, vanishing as if they had never been there.

The wardrobe remained completely intact. Not a single mark of fire could be seen.

Tom stared, his mouth slightly open.

Dumbledore smiled. "At Hogwarts, you'll learn how to control magic like this."

Tom's expression shifted from shock to something else—something darker.

Hunger.

Ambition.

Power.

"I want to learn," Tom said quietly, his fingers curling slightly.

Robert, who had been watching the exchange with interest, placed a hand on Tom's shoulder. "We'll do it together."

Dumbledore nodded, pleased with their responses.

"Welcome to Hogwarts."

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