Harry potter:Dark lord

Robert and Tom hid in a dark corner, their eyes fixed on a small, well-maintained house not far ahead. A charming little garden adorned the front, indicating that its residents were far from struggling financially.

But according to what they'd learned, the other missing children were trapped inside.

Tom pulled his worn-out jacket tighter around himself and muttered, "I still don't understand why we had to postpone going to Diagon Alley just for money!"

"I've already told you—this isn't just about money," Robert replied impatiently.

His real goal was to earn merit points by doing good deeds. The money was just a useful side effect… though there was no way to explain this to Tom.

"If it's not for money, then why are you doing this? Don't tell me you actually care about saving people. I refuse to believe you have such a kind heart."

"Tom, I've been harsh on you, sure. But have I ever been unfair to anyone else?"

Tom fell silent. He hated to admit it, but Robert was right.

The problem was, Robert had always bullied him, which gave him the impression that the guy had never been a good person.

Yet, in the eyes of others, Robert, who had taken down bullies, was actually seen as a righteous figure.

"Fine, I'll be honest with you. You're not entirely wrong. Besides saving people, I am partially motivated by money." Robert turned to look at Tom.

"The money Dumbledore gave us? It's barely enough to get by."

"It means we'll have to buy a lot of second-hand stuff, and even then, there are things we just can't afford."

"Are you really willing to use old textbooks filled with someone else's scribbles? Wear second-hand robes that others have outgrown? Use a wand that's already been worn down by someone else? And those are just the minor inconveniences."

"The real issue is this—Dumbledore said we have to use second-hand textbooks. What does that tell you? That spell books must be expensive in the wizarding world."

"We need knowledge, Tom. Real knowledge. The kind that isn't in school textbooks. Don't you want to become stronger?"

At those last words, Tom's heart pounded.

He could tolerate a rough life—he'd lived like that for years at the orphanage.

But when it came to power, he couldn't afford to be at a disadvantage.

"Besides," Robert continued, "we don't know much about Hogwarts yet. But one thing is clear—it's filled with kids just like us."

"In other words, we won't be special there. And if we look poor on top of that… what do you think will happen?"

Tom stiffened, a chill running through him.

As someone who had spent years bullying others at the orphanage, he understood the predator-prey dynamic better than anyone.

He had never cared about being isolated by ordinary people. They couldn't hurt him anyway.

But this was different.

This was a school for wizards.

His power wasn't unique anymore. Others would have it too.

Robert could see Tom's hesitation and pressed on.

"When you step outside, the identity you project is the one people believe. So before anything else, we need money."

"But… Dumbledore said we can't use magic on ordinary people…"

Tom was still hesitant. Between Robert's manipulation and Dumbledore's influence, he had become much more cautious than before.

Robert raised a finger. "First—those people were planning to kidnap us, right?"

Tom nodded.

"So, we were acting in self-defense. Do you agree?"

Tom nodded again.

Robert held up a second finger. "Second—we heard from them that other kids are trapped inside, right?"

Another nod.

"So we're saving lives. This isn't about money or anything selfish."

Robert smirked. "You're getting quicker at answering now."

"You're right, Robert. And besides, since we can live better, why should we settle for misery?" Tom's expression hardened with conviction.

Robert clapped him on the shoulder. "Now you're really thinking."

A faint red light flickered in Tom's eyes. "If Dumbledore really is a good man, then even if he finds out what we did, he wouldn't blame us. At worst, he'd scold us for taking too many risks."

"Exactly! But we have to take risks. Those traffickers even have corrupt cops covering for them. Calling the police won't help. So…"

"So… we have no choice but to do this ourselves." Tom nodded. "The reasoning checks out. If we rescue the kids, even if the Ministry of Magic gets involved, we'll have a solid justification."

"And," Tom added, his voice turning colder, "they actually planned to sell me for money? They have to pay for that!"

Tom was vengeful by nature. He might not dare go against Robert yet, but against ordinary Muggles?

"What's the plan?" Tom asked.

"First, we need to figure out how many people are inside and whether they have weapons—like guns." Robert's tone was serious.

Even though he could use magic now, he knew that guns were deadly. He wasn't reckless enough to storm in blindly.

After all, he had only been learning magic for a little over a week. He wasn't Dumbledore. He didn't have countless tricks up his sleeve.

"Tom… can't you talk to snakes?" Robert asked with a grin.

Tom's face turned red. He had tried using a snake to spy on Robert before.

"I get it," Tom muttered.

He crouched in a corner and began hissing softly.

Tom was a Parselmouth—he could not only talk to snakes but also command them.

That meant he could get them to do things that humans couldn't.

Soon, Robert noticed something unusual—small green grass snakes began slithering out from cracks in the walls. Among them were some venomous ones, their forked tongues flickering in the air.

The sight of so many snakes made Robert's skin crawl.

But Tom? He looked completely at ease.

"Hiss… hiss…"

Tom whispered something to a tiny snake on the ground. The snake turned, coiled around itself for a moment, then slithered off into the darkness.

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