Chapter 5
Tom was sitting in his room and torturing a mouse. He asked some snake to bring it to him. Alive and untouched. Tom concentrated his magic and destroyed the mouse from the inside... He felt its bones being magically ground.. By the way, the mouse was already barely alive, he destroyed its internal organs. The mouse was drowning in its own blood. He was furious. Minky told him that she would take care of the shop today and he should go back to his room and wait for Lady Sigyn. Minky informed her about the accident. Tom felt fear and uncertainty. What if he gets kicked out... it reminded him of the terrible lessons his teachers taught at the orphanage. They couldn't throw him out, the procedures didn't allow it. However, they made his life miserable. Lady Sigyn could have thrown him out. What will he do then... She can't, she can't abandon him... He's the best, but she likes kindness and all the finesse of good manners. She might think Tom was a monster... He remembered the look of the children at the orphanage, Mrs. Cole, even Dumbledore...
Suddenly he heard a knock on the door. He hurriedly hid the mouse behind one of his books...he didn't like it, but he had no choice. He couldn't have it on top of his desk.
''Please come in,'' he said in a steely voice.
Lady Sigyn wore a red dress with bare shoulders - it seemed so strange to Tom, he had never seen a woman in such a dress, with her arms exposed, sometimes washerwomen rolled up their sleeves... but such a dress - she had a red scarf wrapped around her elbows, her hair was in an elaborate bun with a red shiny ribbon on her forehead.
''Tom...How are you?'' she asked quietly and sat down across from him.
''Fine,'' he lied.
She grimaced. He waited for the disgust on her face, the words about the devil/demon. All he saw was peace.
''Minky told me what happened...can you tell your side'' she looked at him and her eyes were the same as usual. He saw no anger or disgust in them.
This somehow convinced him to give an abbreviated account of what he felt at that moment.
''You are a powerful wizard...Your talent is extraordinary,'' she said quietly.
Tom was surprised why she didn't start her reprimand, but he remained silent. Maybe all was not lost.
''In the orphanage you were taught this... To be ruthless in punishment,'' she said to him.
He nodded.
''It doesn't work in the world. The orphanage is based on contempt, Tom. Contempt born of poverty... We are not poor, Tom.'' She pointed to the safe in the corner of the room.
''I don't understand what you're getting at,'' he said, surprised.
''The orphanage doesn't have the means to feed, clothe and educate the children, which is why they have contempt for orphans and punish them severely. We are not in this situation,'' she explained to him.
Tom looked towards the safe, a few bills, a calendar, and plans for the new facility in Hogsmeade. They weren't poor. He looked at his silk outfit and thought about the large breakfast he had eaten.
''He should respect the logo,'' Tom replied quietly.
''I understand, but pain is a condition that people don't like and run away from, they won't want to work if they feel pain... I just got a notice from Ed to leave this job,'' Lady Sigyn said.
'Am I in trouble?' Tom asked. Would they call the Aurors... or... he didn't want to think about the word Azkaban.
''The Wizarding World believes that magic without a wand and before Hogwarts is accidental, so it's not your fault. Even though we both know you're in control,' she said.
''What should I do?'' Tom asked, not wanting to feel like a child, but that's exactly how he felt.
''We're going to the opera together, Minky has prepared an outfit for you. And Tom...if you want to punish employees, threaten to reduce their hourly wages...that's more effective and incites terror'' she winked at him.
''Why are you doing this...I...I did wrong...why are you rewarding me'' asked Tom.
''Tom, you are my apprentice with a troubled past. You don't understand much about people and interpersonal relationships. That's why we will talk more and go to the theater and opera regularly so that you understand people better. After all, you want to be better at your craft... and to be that way, you have to understand people. You have an hour to get ready,'' she said and left the room.
Tom nodded as he went to quickly wash up. He had never been to the opera, but sometimes he saw ladies and gentlemen in elegant outfits, in cars going to the opera. Sometimes he wished that one of them would become his parents. He wanted to go to the opera, eat with silver cutlery and wear the best clothes.
Lady Sigyn opened this world to him. She's right, what does he know about high social class, the workings of elegant people and the subtleties of etiquette. It's quite disturbing how much he doesn't know.
After washing himself, he combed his hair to the side to look elegant. Minky brought him some clothes and was about to leave when Tom quietly said, "I'm sorry."
Minky pricked up her ears and her big eyes looked up at him.
''Master Tom is good, Minky knows...Master Tom had a bad past, Lady Sigyn said...oh my poor Master Tom...muggles were bad...'' Minky said.
Tom smiled slightly. The little house elf walked up to him and lightly tapped his leg with her small, long fingers.
''Master Tom is better...Minky knows, but Master Tom needs to learn to be calmer,'' she said matter-of-factly.
Another thing to learn. However, Tom was the best at studies. He will learn everything about people and their behavior, and then he will be the best... Thousands of stores scattered around the world. Every wizard and witch knows this store and buys toys... And he stands on a huge pyramid of galleons and the crowds cheer...