NOVEL NEXT Chapter 129: A New Home in Chelsea
"This doesn't count as a magical artifact—just a material," Tom said, neatly shifting the definition. The wordplay eased Hermione's mind a little.
After fiddling with the dragon fang for a bit, Mr. Granger solemnly placed it in the most prominent spot in his display cabinet. Then, as if it were some sacred ritual, he went to wash his hands again before beginning Tom's dental check-up.
Tom, who wasn't fond of sweets, had a perfectly healthy set of teeth. Mr. Granger even took the opportunity to give Hermione a small lecture, which gave Tom the rare experience of what it felt like to be "the kid from someone else's family" in such situations.
The young witch's lips jutted high in a pout. The thing she disliked most about herself was her large front teeth.
But Tom didn't see the problem. In his eyes, they were no flaw—rather, paired with her youthful, delicate features, they were endearing. Besides, she could always get them fixed when she was older.
Just as Mr. Granger was carefully focused on Tom's examination, Usagi woke up and wriggled out from Tom's trouser pocket.
"Rawr!!"
The sudden, sharp cry startled Mr. Granger—and Tom, too. Worse, the dental tool was still in Tom's mouth. If Mr. Granger's grip had slipped, wouldn't that have been an accidental deep-throat?
Fortunately, Mr. Granger was a seasoned professional, holding the tool steady as a rock. He steadied himself, gently removed the instrument from Tom's mouth, and then glanced toward Tom's trousers.
Usagi poked out her tiny head, tilting it left and right with lively curiosity.
Hermione's attention was instantly hooked. "Where did this little one come from? Is she your pet? How come I've never seen her before?"
Tom sat up, took the paper cup from the side, rinsed his mouth, and spat before answering, "This little one's called Usagi. Last night in the park, I came across an egg—and the moment I picked it up, it hatched right in my hands."
The time, place, and process were all true… except for one tiny "unimportant" detail he skipped.
Usagi crawled completely out of Tom's pocket. She looked vaguely serpentine, but with horns and small hands—an odd and rather striking combination.
Hermione wracked her brain but could not match her to any magical creature she knew.
Mr. Granger also leaned closer for a better look, but suddenly Usagi's eyes snapped wide, and an invisible pressure radiated outward. The sheer force of it made both of them instinctively stumble back several steps, hearts pounding.
"Don't be fooled by her size—she's got quite the temper," Tom said with a smile, scooping Usagi into his arms and signaling for her to calm down. He then turned to Hermione. "Don't bother guessing. Usagi's species is called Rayquaza—a magical creature no one has discovered yet."
"And how do you know that?" Hermione asked, suspicion in her eyes.
Tom replied with perfect confidence, "We have a special telepathic bond. Usagi told me herself."
"That's amazing."
Hermione's interest in Usagi only deepened.
Mr. Granger reminded them, "You can continue your chat later. The check-up isn't finished yet."
Tom obediently lay back down.
Since Hermione carried Tom's scent, Usagi didn't reject her presence. In fact, she nimbly flew onto Hermione's shoulder to watch her master be prodded and inspected.
If not for Tom's mental instruction telling her not to cause trouble, Usagi would've already started a Dragon Dance, ready to give Mr. Granger a real scare.
An hour later, Tom was finally freed.
Mr. Granger prescribed him a few specialized toothpaste formulas. Supplies in hand, Hermione promptly pulled him along to her house.
That evening, after dinner with the Granger family, Tom planned to head home—only for Hermione to flatly refuse to let him leave. She even took him to a guest room she'd deliberately prepared, all the furnishings brand new and unused.
Her little scheme was laid bare. Just as Daphne wanted to bring Tom to stay with her, Hermione clearly had the same thought—only her method was to act first and explain later.
Hermione rarely acted spoiled, unlike Daphne who did it almost daily. Precisely because it was rare, Tom found it much harder to resist.
After all, it made no real difference where he stayed. The Grangers already knew about magic, and living here would be more convenient in some ways.
So, he agreed.
And so Tom began temporarily living at the Granger home. Mornings were spent doing homework with Hermione, afternoons in his study space's Meditation Room, and evenings for leisure—sometimes trips to Diagon Alley, sometimes strolling through Muggle shopping districts.
When Daphne learned that Tom was living with Hermione, she was so furious she stormed from the Greengrass estate straight to Diagon Alley to have it out with Hermione.
Shameless! Snatching him first!
Daphne then began pestering Tom relentlessly, hoping he'd come over sooner. But at that time, Tom was busy house-hunting, thanks to a trustworthy estate agent Mr. Granger had introduced.
When Hermione found out Tom was planning to buy a house, she strongly recommended he get one nearby.
Tom agreed the area was ideal—Hermione's home was in Chelsea, a portside district not far from King's Cross Station. The surroundings were quiet, and the neighbors were mostly upper-middle-class professionals and small business owners. No risk of vagrants or troublemakers here.
After all, the police's top priority was always protecting these tax-paying "lords."
Tom eventually set his sights on a detached villa just a kilometer from Hermione's house, priced at £1.5 million. With only £200,000 on hand, he didn't even have enough for a down payment.
There was no choice—he used the Philosopher's Stone to transmute a few gold bars.
On his third day at Hermione's, a letter from Dumbledore arrived—Nicolas Flamel's reply. It included detailed instructions for brewing the Elixir of Life, the gold transmutation process, and an invitation to meet in Paris in August to discuss the Greengrass family curse.
According to Flamel's letter, the remaining energy in the Stone could produce either twenty years' worth of Elixir or one metric ton of pure gold.
Tom used one-tenth of that power to create 100 kilograms of gold. Adding his £200,000, he paid off the villa in full.
Only then did Hermione realize that the "most precious treasure" Dumbledore had spoken of was the Philosopher's Stone itself.
Though the house was bought, renovations and furniture replacements would take time—he wouldn't be moving in this summer.
On the last day of June, Tom was packing in his room when an owl delivered a letter from Newt:
I'll be back in New York after July 10th. You're welcome anytime, Mr. Riddle — Yours sincerely, Newt Scamander.
July 10th, huh?
Tom calculated silently—he'd spend half a month at Daphne's, then head to New York, and afterward to Paris.
At that moment, a request for mental contact came through from Grindelwald. Tom's expression shifted as he entered the study space.
Inside, Andros and Grindelwald greeted him with uncontained excitement.
"Tom, we've succeeded in the research on the Flying Charm you wanted!"
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