Hogwarts: This Dark Lord is Good?

Tom covered his nose, looking at the peculiar creature in front of him with a disgusted expression as it devoured its food.

"Where did you find this thing?"

"This is not some 'thing.' This is a house-elf. His name is Toby, and he is my most loyal servant," Wade said as he added a chicken leg to Toby's plate.

"What kind of thing.. is he?—" Tom looked at Wade, confused.

Tom, being new to the wizarding world, still didn't know what a house-elf actually was.

Before Wade could speak, Toby jumped up, looking a bit neurotic as he shouted.

"Ah! The great young master Wade! Kind-hearted young master Wade! How could I let you add food for Toby? Toby is truly despicable! Toby must punish himself!"

"Stop, I command you to obediently finish your food."

Just as Toby grabbed Tom's new cauldron, preparing to smash it on his own head, Wade calmly gave the order.

Toby had no choice but to put the cauldron down and obediently sit back on the floor, continuing to eat.

But in his tennis ball-sized eyes, there were tears.

"Oh... Young master Wade is truly the best and greatest master in the world!"

"So, what exactly is going on here? Care to tell me what's a house-elf? Has he always been this neurotic?" Tom asked, frowning.

Earlier, unable to sleep, Tom had taken the things he had already packed and was preparing to meet up with Wade. As soon as he entered, he saw Wade commanding Toby to eat.

Having never seen a house-elf before, Tom had no idea what kind of trouble Wade had gotten into in the hours he had been away.

Wade patted Tom on the shoulder and said seriously, "Don't worry, even though your status has gone from my most loyal servant to my second-most loyal servant, I will still treat you just as well as I did before."

Tom's face immediately darkened, and even the veins on his forehead bulged. He asked, each word deliberate, "Did you just say something about me being your servant?"

"Tom... you aren't as respectful to me as you were before. Now you know why you went from being my first servant to my second, right?" Wade said with a regretful look on his face.

"You...!" Tom struggled to suppress the urge to lash out, as he didn't want to be beaten!

"Calm down... you can't beat him yet... calm down..." 

Tom took several deep breaths, and only then did his emotions begin to settle.

"What's wrong? Are you hungry too?" Wade looked at the pot in his hand, then at Tom. "There's still some left here, if you want you can—"

"No! I'm not hungry at all!" Tom, whose emotions had just calmed down, nearly exploded again.

"Alright, if you don't want it, then forget it." Wade put the pot next to Toby, allowing him to continue eating.

"So what exactly is a house-elf?" Tom asked persistently.

"A house-elf is the most loyal servant of wizards. Their race also possesses a lot of interesting magic. Their magic is different from a wizard's, they're quite useful for handling household chores. By the way, I read all of this in a book at the bookstore today."

Then, Wade went on to tell Tom about how he had stumbled upon a house-elf while wandering outside, sharing what he could.

After all, if he was going to have a house-elf following him around, it would be hard to hide it, so he might as well be upfront about it.

"I don't think this filthy creature will be of any help," Tom said, looking at Toby with disdain.

"Don't underestimate any kind of creature, Tom. Otherwise, you'll definitely regret it later," Wade said meaningfully.

At this point, Toby had finished every bit of food in both the plate and the pot.

"Young master Wade, Toby has never been this full before..." Toby said, and once again tears started to fall from his eyes.

"Alright, Toby, find a place to rest for now, and remember to clean yourself up. I don't want to see you looking so filthy next time we meet," Wade ordered again.

Toby sniffled and, bending at the waist, said respectfully, "As you wish, young master Wade."

Snap!

Toby instantly vanished from the spot, leaving behind a sound like a whip striking the ground...

This scene made Tom widen his eyes.

"See, at least you won't have to help me wash the dishes anymore," Wade pointed to the plates and the pot on the floor.

It was only then that Tom noticed the plates and pot, which had been on the floor just a moment ago, were now as clean as new.

I have to admit, Toby is indeed an experienced house-elf.

When it comes to kitchen magic, he's absolutely skilled.

Suddenly, Tom's eyes glimmered, and he said, "Washing dishes is nothing. I could actually cook for you."

"You plan to poison me, don't you?" Wade said, unfazed.

"Tsk... Is it that obvious?"

"..."

...

In the blink of an eye, the sky began to lighten with the faintest hint of dawn.

Wade sat on the bed, engrossed in a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, thoroughly enjoying it.

Meanwhile, Tom occasionally glanced out the window.

"Do you think Dumbledore's people forgot to come pick us up? It's almost daylight," Tom said anxiously.

Wade suddenly closed the book slowly and said, "Haven't they arrived?"

"Arrived? Where?" Just as Tom asked, he heard the faint sound of horses neighing from the sky.

Tom quickly looked up at the sky.

The neighing grew louder, and suddenly, a carriage shot out from the dark clouds! However, to Tom, the carriage had no horses at the front—only a middle-aged man acting as the driver.

Wade also looked out the window, but in his view, at the front of the carriage were three jet-black horses with wings, their bony frames moving with effort as they pulled the carriage down towards them.

Wade recognized them. Those were Thestrals, a magical creature that could only be seen by those who had truly witnessed death.

Before his transmigration, Wade had witnessed death, so he could see the Thestrals.

Tom, however, being new to the world, with his knowledge still at 0/0, couldn't see the Thestrals yet.

Thud!

The carriage landed in front of the orphanage gate with a loud noise.

But the people in the orphanage and the other residents on the street seemed completely unaware, remaining utterly quiet.

At this moment, the carriage door suddenly opened, and a black-skinned witch with curly hair, holding a book, jumped out of the carriage.

She glanced at the orphanage gate in front of her, then looked up directly at the window of Wade's room, making eye contact with both Wade and Tom.

A faint smile appeared on the witch's lips, and then, in the next second, she vanished from the spot.

Tom's eyes widened as he looked out the window. "Where did she go?"

"Are you looking for me?" Suddenly, a woman's voice came from behind the two of them.

Tom jumped in surprise and quickly turned around.

Wade turned his head and saw that the witch had somehow already appeared behind them.

Tom stared at her in shock. "You... who are you? How did you get in?"

One moment she was outside, and the next, she was behind them on the second floor. Just thinking about it was a little scary.

"Hello, my name is Eulalie Hicks. You can call me Professor Hicks," the witch said with a smile, extending her hand to Wade and Tom.

Tom watched her warily, not moving.

Wade, however, extended his hand and shook hers. "Professor Hicks, are you the one Professor Dumbledore sent to pick us up?"

Eulalie Hicks was a character from the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and she was the Charms professor at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She was one of the earliest members of Dumbledore's Army.

___

(Note: Additionally, I plan to follow the movie's setting and have the young Professor McGonagall make an appearance... although according to the original timeline, Professor McGonagall would only be about three or four years old at this time...)