Dumbledore shouldn't accept right away; that would be suspicious. He's a cautious person.
Now, Tom and Dumbledore resemble Wei Yan and Zhuge Liang. One is willing to take risks, while the other is more careful and conservative.
It's hard to say who is right and who is wrong.
"Are you concerned that, once you leave, Riddle might seize the opportunity to attack Hogwarts?"
Dumbledore nodded.
Tom tilted his head and looked at Dumbledore, "Why don't we find someone to impersonate you?"
When Dumbledore heard this, he lowered his head and began to seriously consider the feasibility of this idea.
"Tom Riddle fears you, he wouldn't dare to invade Hogwarts while you're there. But here's the problem, if you don't confront him, how will we distinguish the real from the fake?"
Dumbledore interlocked his hands, fingers intertwined, and after pondering for a bit, he found that Yodel's proposal seemed to make sense.
But perhaps due to his age and tendency to be conservative, he instinctively didn't want to support Tom's plan.
"Ahem, the perfect disguise would be a Polyjuice Potion, but it's hard to prepare, and there may not be enough time..."
Tom: ???
Are you kidding me? I know about that "little" plan of yours! How can you not have a stock of Polyjuice Potion to carry out that plan?
"You can ask Professor Snape, I believe he must have supplies of Polyjuice Potion," Tom suggested.
Dumbledore: ...
"The person impersonating me must be quite familiar with me to avoid being discovered..." he found another excuse.
"Professor McGonagall would be willing to serve you. Besides, you don't frequently appear in public, so there wouldn't be many flaws to reveal," Tom responded to Dumbledore's objections twice.
Dumbledore was left speechless by Tom's two responses.
"It's the right decision for you to go to Azkaban because even if you don't go, I will go there... I can't allow Voldemort to rescue his followers from Azkaban." Tom's statement was the last straw that tested Dumbledore's patience.
He finally nodded.
Tom didn't deceive Dumbledore either. Even if Dumbledore doesn't go, he will go to Azkaban to summon the Dementors and directly confront Voldemort.
He can't stand idly by while Voldemort rescues a large number of Death Eaters from Azkaban.
"Actually, we don't necessarily have to go to Azkaban. If you can..." Tom hinted.
Dumbledore's gaze suddenly became sharp, and he shook his head firmly.
"Yodel, once a person lowers their baseline, there's no turning back. Their baseline will only plummet and eventually be corrupted completely. I can't allow you to do that."
"Alright," Tom shrugged.
His meaning was simple: Dumbledore could authorize him to clean out the prisoners in Azkaban. If they kill all the Death Eaters before Voldemort arrives, then they wouldn't have to worry about Voldemort's assault on the prison.
Clearly, this proposal touched Dumbledore's limits and was rejected without hesitation.
"By the way, perhaps we should also set in motion the plan to confiscate Riddle's Horcruxes. Searching his parents' old house and the belongings of his followers might be a good idea. For example, Lucius Malfoy already possesses one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, which shows that he has the habit of entrusting his Horcruxes to his followers. So, it's very possible that there's a second Horcrux in the hands of a trusted Death Eater like Lucius."
"As for Voldemort's diadem, it has always been hidden in Hogwarts, where he grew up, and it makes some sense... There might also be a Horcrux in his 'home'."
Tom presented several possibilities, trying to give Dumbledore some clues.
Although Tom knew the whereabouts of several Horcruxes, it would be difficult to gain Dumbledore's trust if he told him directly. Furthermore, the places where Horcruxes are hidden are not so easily approachable. It would take time and effort to verify them. When Dumbledore asks for evidence, he couldn't say they were revealed through divination. Divination can't solve this kind of problem. It would be better to inspire Dumbledore to discover the Horcrux locations himself.
For example, following the first clue, Dumbledore could investigate Bellatrix Lestrange, who was Voldemort's most trusted follower at the time. By checking her vault at Gringotts, Dumbledore is highly likely to find the cup hidden there.
As for the second clue, it suggests that Dumbledore go to the old Gaunt mansion, but this time Tom must accompany him to stop an almost obsessed Dumbledore.
After indirectly expressing his opinion, Tom felt exhausted. He hoped his suggestions and hints would have an effect.
Dumbledore stroked his beard and considered that what Tom said made sense, but he was still more inclined to find out how many Horcruxes Tom Riddle had created.
The conversation between Tom and Dumbledore came to an end.
However, when Tom stood up to leave, Dumbledore called him again.
"Wait, there's one more thing."
Tom: ???
Are you getting old and forgetful?
"There will be an award ceremony for you in a moment, so dress appropriately and tidy up."
Tom frowned and then realized that the Ministry of Magic still owed him a medal.
"Alright." Tom felt a bit better at the thought of receiving a shiny medal. Who could resist that?
When he left the headmaster's office, he saw Hermione anxiously pacing outside.
"Tom, are you okay? What did Professor Dumbledore say?"
"We mainly talked about Azkaban."
Hermione: !!!
"It can't be like that! We're already old enough, and I volunteered for this! I'll go talk to him and explain-"
Tom stopped Hermione with a smile and told her the whole story.
Hermione: o(////▽////)q
Smack!
Hermione, full of embarrassment and indignation, gave Tom a strong pinch, leaving him hunched over like a cooked shrimp. It took him a while to recover.
After learning about the award ceremony, Hermione didn't stay with Tom for long and quickly took him to change clothes.
Of course, she also removed what was tied to Tom.
The award ceremony was a solemn event, and Hermione didn't want Tom's crucial moment to be marred by anything inappropriate.
When they arrived in the Great Hall, they immediately noticed the changes. The Great Hall was meticulously decorated and looked very solemn and majestic, with blue Ravenclaw banners hanging everywhere. At first glance, it seemed as if Ravenclaw had won the House Cup.
The young wizards were puzzled until breakfast began.