Hogwarts: Chill, I’m Not That Tom Riddle

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"It's a phoenix!"

After a brief moment of confusion, one of the young wizards finally recognized the bird bursting out of the flames—it was Fawkes.

"No way, is that the Headmaster's phoenix?"

"Has to be. There are only two phoenixes in the whole world, right? I've heard for ages that the Headmaster owned one, but I'd never seen it with my own eyes. Guess today's the day."

"Look at those gorgeous feathers… I just want to pet it."

The sight of something rarer than a fire dragon had the students completely captivated. They abandoned their meals, craning their necks toward the enchanted ceiling for a better look.

Even the professors left in the Great Hall looked puzzled. Fawkes never came here—he usually stayed in Dumbledore's office, and even they rarely saw him. So why was he suddenly making such an unusual appearance?

The answer came soon enough.

After circling overhead a few times, Fawkes descended. The young wizards nearly burst with excitement, thinking they'd get to see a phoenix up close… only to watch in shock as the bird landed squarely on Tom's shoulder.

All eyes snapped to him.

Those nearest to him even held their breath, afraid any sudden movement might disturb the majestic creature.

But Fawkes didn't spare the others a glance. He tilted his head slightly, his bright, clear eyes full of curiosity.

He had followed the trail of a familiar aura all the way here—but why was it coming from Tom? The last time they'd met, he hadn't sensed it at all.

Tom, however, knew exactly why. It had to be related to the Thunderbird bloodline he'd gained.

The rewards from the Twelve Trials were always top-tier. His fire-dragon bloodline was purer than any dragon alive today, and his Thunderbird bloodline surpassed even the Thunderbird King's.

And given the close connection between thunderbirds and phoenixes, the purer the lineage, the stronger the affinity.

Of course, they were still different species, with their own paths.

"Chirp-chirp!"

Fawkes let out a bright trill, as if asking the boy what the fuck was going on.

Tom understood perfectly. He reached up, gave the phoenix a stroke, plucked two feathers in the process, and shrugged. "Guess I just awakened it all of a sudden. So… I guess that makes us family now. And when I call for help, you're not allowed to say no."

Phoenixes were clever, but also guileless. Whatever Tom said, Fawkes believed it. The bird even nuzzled his cheek, promising not to forget his "little brother."

The students around them were dumbfounded. Was this Dumbledore's bird or Tom's bird?

Had Tom somehow stolen the Headmaster's phoenix?

Daphne and Astoria's eyes were practically sparkling. They were the closest to the phoenix now and could clearly see the flickering flames running along its feathers.

As Tom was just about to let them have a go at petting it, a certain little troublemaker decided otherwise.

"ROAR!"

The sudden dragon's roar hit like a psychic shockwave, knocking several students unconscious on the spot. The rest weren't faring much better, clutching their heads and chests as dizziness set in.

From Tom's pocket, Usaki emerged, her golden pupils blazing with indignation as she glared at Fawkes.

("That's my spot on his shoulder, you scruffy bird. Move it!")

Fawkes understood perfectly, but only gave a dismissive glance before going back to preening, refusing to budge.

"RYYAAAHHH!" Usaki's roar was louder this time, and before anyone could blink, she rammed headfirst into the phoenix.

"Skreeee!" Fawkes hadn't expected her to skip the argument stage entirely and go straight to violence. Knocked off Tom's shoulder, he retaliated with a sharp peck.

To the wide-eyed shock of the entire Great Hall, the two magical creatures broke into a full-on brawl.

Tom quickly waved his hand, summoning a gust of wind that blasted them both upward, away from the tables—thankfully saving the feast from total destruction.

Up at the staff table, Professor Kettleburn's eyes went wide. Whether it was the phoenix or this strange little dragon-thing he'd never seen before, both were worth studying.

"...."

The hall was silent now. Every gaze was locked on the aerial battle above. Tom, for his part, was just… stunned. He hadn't expected this to happen.

As the fight grew more intense, he realized he had to intervene. Striding to the heavy oak doors, he flung them open.

"Usaki, go play outside!"

Usaki obeyed him. She lashed Fawkes once across the face with her tail before darting out the door.

Fawkes, seething at the insult, shot after her without hesitation. The moment they were outside, both stopped holding back.

— — —

Out on the lawn, after dealing with Harry and Ron, Dumbledore and a few professors were inspecting the Whomping Willow.

The tree had not had a good day. It had taken a direct hit and now its once-proud trunk was bent at nearly a thirty-degree angle. Several branches had snapped, and the whole thing looked droopy and miserable.

Professor Sprout's heart ached for the ancient tree. She tried to approach, but the Willow, still in a panic from the earlier impact, lashed out wildly at anyone who came close.

Snape, of course, wasn't about to miss an opportunity to make Harry's life difficult. Leaning toward Dumbledore, he said, "According to the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery—and considering they've damaged a valuable ancient tree—this is appalling behavior, Albus."

"It tarnishes the school's reputation. I strongly recommend expelling them."

Snape didn't put much stock in prophecies, but he knew his old boss Voldy did. And so in Snape's mind, the best way to protect Harry, Lily's son, was to get him expelled and send him back to the Muggle world to live out his days in peace.

But clearly his new boss Dumbles also believed in the prophecy—so expelling Harry was not on the table.

"Severus," Dumbledore said calmly, eyes still on the battered tree, "the whole point of a school is to teach children what they can and cannot do. If we expel them the moment there's trouble, then the school serves no purpose. Leave the punishment to Minerva—they're her students."

Professor McGonagall's face didn't soften one bit.

"Her students?" She understood perfectly that Dumbledore was defending Potter and Weasley, but the way he phrased it still stung.

Snape just curled his lip, realizing he'd hit another dead end.

"How bad is it, Pomona?"

"Still manageable," Sprout replied, circling the tree with her wand lit, inspecting the damaged areas. "Severus, I'll need you to brew me a batch of special nutrient solution. And I'll need medical bandages—the branches can be repaired."

"No problem. And anything that can't be saved, give it to me. I'm short on Whomping Willow wood."

Snape's eyes gleamed. This was the only Whomping Willow in all of Britain, and normally Sprout guarded it like a treasure.

Come to think of it… Harry might have just done him a favor.

Maybe he should treat Harry better—haha, like hell he would. He'd make Harry's life even worse, he swore.

"All of it?"

Sprout frowned, clearly annoyed at him trying to profit off the situation, and was about to haggle when they were interrupted by the piercing cry of a phoenix and the roar of a dragon.

The Phoenix burst out of the castle like a blazing fireball, lighting up the dark night sky. Not to be outdone, Rayquaza's strange golden markings shone brilliantly as the two legendary creatures clashed in midair, leaving even Dumbledore momentarily dumbstruck.

Bloody hell… Another problem out of nowhere? And what is that strange magical beast, holding its own against Fawkes?

Just then, a flood of students poured out of the castle.

Who would bother eating dinner when there was a phoenix battle outside?

Tom was at the very front, worried that Usaki might be in trouble. She'd eaten plenty of meteors, sure, but she was still only two and a half months old—practically a hatchling.

Fortunately, the situation wasn't as bad as he feared. Usaki was clever enough to stack multiple Dragon Dances* on her way out, and now her speed and strength had skyrocketed, letting her trade blows evenly with Fawkes.

(*Dragon Dance: A Dragon Poke move that raises the user's Attack and Speed by one stage each.)

The phoenix beat his wings, gathering a searing orb of flame in front of his chest. It grew larger and larger until it was bigger than he was—then he hurled it forward.

"Usaki-chan, Hyper Beam!" Tom called out before he could stop himself.

Forget being a wizard—right now he was a full-fledged Pokémon Master, Dragon Tamer Tom.

"Rrraaa!"

Usaki opened her jaws and fired a devastating purple beam, the air vibrating with destructive energy. The beam tore through the fireball and forced Fawkes to drop lower to dodge.

After narrowly avoiding the attack, Fawkes shot Tom a glare.

("Really, little brother? You're actually telling that ugly lizard to hit me?")

Tom gave him an awkward grin. "Couldn't help it, couldn't help it. You two carry on—I'll stay out of it."

Usaki took the opportunity to stack two more Dragon Dances before charging again.

"Mr. Riddle… is that your pet?" Dumbledore had arrived with several professors, all watching the young dragon growing fiercer with every pass. There was a glint of curiosity in the Headmaster's eyes.

Usaki didn't look much like a purebred fire dragon, but her sheer dragon's might outclassed any fire dragon alive—and certainly any lesser drake.

"Yeah. Her name's Usaki. I found her by accident over the summer," Tom admitted.

"It seems she and Fawkes aren't getting along."

"She's a bit possessive. Saw Fawkes standing on my shoulder and took offense. It's nothing serious."

Truthfully, Tom was using this as a chance to let Usaki stretch her wings. Since hatching, she'd never had a proper fight. All she did was eat, sleep, and pester him for attention. At this rate, she'd turn into a spoiled, lazy dragon.

Dumbledore's lips twitched, but he didn't step in. He was just as curious about this strange magical beast.

Snape, on the other hand, stared at Tom like he'd swallowed a lemon.

How did this brat keep running into incredible luck? He didn't care much for magical beasts in general, but one strong enough to match a phoenix? Where was Tom finding these—and could Snape go there himself?

"Skreee!"

With more and more Dragon Dances stacked, Fawkes finally realized playtime was over. The flames engulfing his body flared higher, and his aura surged.

Even Dumbledore was surprised to see Fawkes taking the fight this seriously.

To be pushed this far… nice.

The air itself seemed to burn. Fawkes became a blazing sun against the night sky. Usaki roared back, firing an energy ball straight upward. It punched through the clouds before exploding, sending dozens of meteor-like fireballs raining down.

Fawkes smashed through several with his body, but others hit the ground, blasting craters into the earth. A few crashed into the Black Lake, sending huge waves surging toward the shore and startling the watching students.

It was one thing to watch glowing balls in the sky—it was another to see them hit the ground and explode.

Boom!

Fawkes slammed into Usaki, knocking her away. The searing flames drew another roar from her as she shot higher into the sky, her spinning body churning the clouds. A massive tornado began to form, and Dumbledore's face tightened.

"Mr. Riddle, this has to stop. The students could get caught in the crossfire."

Tom only smiled and shook his head. "Professor, Usaki just took a hit—if I call it now, she'll sulk at me all night. As for safety, you don't have to worry."

With a flourish of his wand, a pale white shield flared to life and expanded outward, quickly enclosing all the students behind him.

After another year of Strengthening Potions and frightening raw power growth, his magic was on another level entirely.

He shot a glance at Snape.

Snape caught the look, and while he didn't fully get the meaning, it was enough to make his temper spike.

"Riddle! What are you staring at?"

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PS: For those asking about the bonuses—I'll be doing one bonus chapter for every 300 stones. We've already hit the first milestone and are just shy of the second (600).

That's how bonuses will work from now on.