Ginny didn't pay much attention to the old diary and gave it to Luke as a gift. Luke, who had some knowledge, recognized the diary as a Horcrux created by Tom Riddle, the Dark Lord Voldemort. Tom had been quite knowledgeable as a student and had used the diary as a tool.
As Luke contemplated the diary, the Weasley family arrived. Mr. Arthur, rubbing his eyes, had been struck by Lucius Malfoy's wand with a golden snake head. Fred had already completed their shopping, so they were headed back to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch.
Luke and Hermione decided not to join them, as Hermione wanted to explore Diagon Alley more. "See you at school!" Hermione called out as they parted ways.
Watching the Weasleys, Harry, and Hagrid leave, Luke smiled and waved. It had been a good decision to visit Lihen Bookstore today; he had obtained a valuable notebook from Tom Riddle.
Luke stashed the diary away in a different space and left the bookstore with Hermione. The start of school was approaching, and they still had a lot to do, like buying summer clothes. Hermione, noticing Luke's smile, couldn't shake the feeling that he was up to something.
As evening approached, the dim sunlight cast a pale golden glow on the windows of the bookstore.
After a day of shopping, Luke and Hermione finally returned to the potions shop.
Opposite, the Bookstore appeared deserted since Lockhart's departure.
As they pushed open the delicate wooden door, a pleasant bell chimed.
Upon entering, Hermione swiftly retreated to her bedroom, laden with a sizable bag of purchases, mostly summer attire selected with Luke's discerning eye.
Confident in his taste, Luke indulged in his admiration for Hermione's choices.
"Tom's diary..."
Seated on the soft sofa, he retrieved the journal from another dimension, contemplating its contents.
"Is there something amiss with this diary?"
Just as he pondered whether to rouse Tom, a melodious voice echoed from the staircase.
"No, everything seems fine," Luke dismissed, setting the diary aside. He didn't wish to involve Hermione; after all, anything associated with Voldemort was best kept at arm's length.
"You seem quite absorbed in it," Hermione observed, a hint of amusement dancing in her gaze.
"Not at all."
The pair then settled on the sofa, engaging in lively discussion about alchemy. Eventually, Hermione stifled a yawn, her eyes betraying her fatigue.
"Feeling sleepy?" he inquired softly.
"Mm-hmm," Hermione murmured obediently, her eyelids growing heavy.
As the topic of alchemy often induced drowsiness, a side effect from their studies of Demon History, Luke understood well.
Miss Hermione marveled at Luke's strength.
"Come on, I'll take you back to your room."
Luke nodded, guiding Hermione to her room.
"Good night!"
"Good night."
Hermione responded softly, smiling as Luke exited the room. The lights dimmed, and the door made a crisp sound.
Back in his own bedroom, Luke turned on the bright lights, sat at the table, and placed the diary in front of him. His pale blue eyes gazed out the window at the bright night sky, lost in thought.
Luke dipped a quill into ink and wrote a name on the blank notebook.
Luke Geralt.
The black ink stood out on the white paper, but within a minute, the name's ink began to fade, disappearing entirely.
Soon, different handwriting appeared on the paper.
"Hello, my name is Tom Riddle, and I am the owner of this diary."
"Don't be surprised; I am an alchemy product refined by an outstanding Hogwarts graduate, and I can help you gain knowledge."
Tom, recently graduated from Hogwarts, spoke eloquently, a sign of his loneliness.
"Can you help me gain knowledge?"
Suppressing a chuckle, Luke wrote his response with the quill.
"Luke, may I call you that?"
The diary awaited, and Luke promptly replied.
"Of course, you can, Tom!"
"As far as I know, Geralt doesn't belong to the pure-blood family. May I take the liberty to ask, which house are you from?"
"Slytherin."
The diary remained silent for a while after Luke's response, as if pondering.
"Your life must be difficult, after all, you are in Slytherin, and you are not a pure-blood."
"The person who made me was also a Slytherin student and an orphan."
"I am also an orphan."
"...that's quite a coincidence."
Yes, quite a coincidence...
Luke's eyes gleamed as he contemplated how to exploit Tom.
.....
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