Chapter 423: Merging Into One
Chapter 423: Merging Into One
Harry felt as if he had been in a long dream.
It was pitch black around him, and he could see nothing. All he could feel was the searing pain from the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.
He clutched his head and knelt on the ground, moaning for a long time before he managed to recover. Only then did he realize the dire situation he was in.
Even if he was usually slow to react, a strong sense of unease rose in Harry's chest.
He began to call out into the darkness, his voice echoing far and wide through the seemingly vast space, but there was no response.
Realizing he was alone in this darkness, Harry panicked and started walking in a random direction, taking steps forward without any sense of time.
He felt no passage of time and had no idea how long he had been walking, but it seemed he would never be able to escape this darkness.
Just as Harry was exhausted and sat on the ground in despair, a figure in a green robe appeared silently before him.
Harry raised his head and saw a handsome face.
It was a middle-aged wizard.
Tall and imposing, with a charming face, he wore a cold, sinister smile.
Although Harry had never seen this face before, he had seen the man's younger self three years ago.
The person standing before him was none other than Voldemort, the Dark Lord who had been reported to have been killed by Professor Forrest just half a day ago.
Harry had no idea what had gone wrong to bring the supposedly dead Voldemort back to life and to this place, capturing him.
Upon seeing Voldemort's face, Harry instinctively swallowed a lump in his throat and took two steps back.
"Harry Potter."
The handsome man with thick black hair and a prominent nose called out Harry's name. Unlike the Voldemort who had been resurrected, this one still had his full head of hair and a strong nose.
"In the legendary prophecy, you were supposed to be the one to kill me completely. That night, when my Killing Curse backfired, I felt the terror of that prophecy for the first time."
His voice was soft, his tone calm, like the serene waves of the night sea.
But Harry did not let his guard down for a moment. While others might not understand the kind of person standing before him, Harry, whose family had been brutally murdered by Voldemort, never deluded himself into thinking Voldemort could do anything good.
"Why did you bring me here?"
Harry asked, his breathing heavy.
Voldemort's face twisted into a sly smile at the question.
"I brought you here? Ha ha ha, why do you have such a ridiculous idea!"
He stared into Harry's eyes, his smile gradually turning grim as he spoke, enunciating each word clearly.
"Clearly, it was that night over a decade ago when you pulled me into your body, Harry Potter!"
Harry's pupils dilated in shock.
Although he did not fully understand what Voldemort was saying, he felt an inexplicable fear.
He took another two steps back, his face turning deathly pale.
"What do you want?"
"Your teacher gave me a surprise I did not expect, but at the same time, it gave me a new idea."
Voldemort took a step forward, slowly closing the distance between them.
"Why can't I use my own remaining soul fragment to merge our souls together, when you were able to consume the fragment I left in the Horcrux to complete yourself?"
Harry's fear had reached its peak. As Voldemort advanced, Harry kept retreating, the sharp voice ringing in his ears.
"We are so perfectly matched, Harry! From before your birth, a prophecy bound our lives together. On the night you destroyed my physical form, a part of my soul split uncontrollably and entered your body, turning you into one of my Horcruxes. Even the wand you chose before entering Hogwarts shares the same core as mine!"
"After Sherlock's sudden appearance, I began to doubt the prophecy I once feared. He seems more like my true nemesis compared to you. If I were to die by anyone's hand, it would make more sense for it to be his. But now, I think I understand the meaning of that prophecy."
"As long as we become one, Harry, wouldn't that mean you killed me? Voldemort's name will vanish from this world, but a new Harry Potter will emerge. Then, another Dark Lord will rise, and the entire wizarding world will fear to speak his name. With this chance to start anew, what does yesterday's crushing defeat matter!"
Voldemort continued to advance, and Harry kept retreating.
But before he could take two more steps back, his sweat-soaked back suddenly pressed against a cold wall.
At some point, this dark space had gained boundaries, and Harry had backed himself into a corner.
Without a wand or any means of defense, Harry was easily lifted off the ground by Voldemort, who had him by the throat.
Harry struggled, but Voldemort's large hands were like an unbreakable iron clamp. No matter how he resisted, he couldn't escape.
"I haven't figured out Sherlock's methods, but I don't need such intricate tricks. I've been inside your body for over a decade, Harry. Besides yourself, I know you better than anyone. We can merge perfectly. Meanwhile, your professors are still under the illusion that I will sit and wait for them to find a way to save you!"
"I'm really looking forward to the expressions on our faces when they realize that you have become me, and I am still myself. Do you think they will try to kill you then?"
Harry's struggles grew weaker. An ethereal gray line had formed between him and Voldemort.
Feeling the profound weakness from his soul, Harry's face turned a desperate, ashen gray.
But suddenly, he saw a figure standing behind Voldemort, and his lifeless eyes lit up with a spark of hope!
Voldemort noticed Harry's change and sneered.
"At this point, are you resorting to these petty tricks to show your resistance?"
But as he finished speaking, a hand suddenly grabbed his hair and slammed him to the ground!
(End of Chapter)
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