Chapter 635: Encouraging Tom Riddle
Chapter 635: Encouraging Tom Riddle
"Could it be the Basilisk?" Ginny asked, her voice trembling.
"No, that thing has legs", Harry said firmly. The group raised their wands as the sound grew louder, then suddenly stopped. Before Harry could figure out what was happening, they heard a retching noise.
"Chewp!"
"Is that Valen?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide. They exchanged puzzled glances. Luna, intrigued, asked, "Did any of you invite her?" Hermione jogged over, with Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Luna following closely behind.
They crossed the round iron gate and, at the end of the long tunnel, Harry saw Valen leaning against the damp wall, her head shaking vigorously, her flat mouth making a gurgling sound, looking dazed.
"Nifflers have a keen sense of smell, oh... she must have suffered a lot", Hermione said sympathetically. She knelt down and patted Valen's small shoulder, then cast a Bubble-Head Charm. It was as if a glass fishbowl had been placed over Niffler's head, making her pink snout look even wider and giving her a comical appearance.
Valen blinked her eyes. Phew, she had survived, almost suffocated by the stench.
Hermione straightened her arm and carefully picked up Valen (trying not to let her wet, dirty hands grab onto her) and returned to the Chamber's main hall, where the smell had lessened. Hermione lifted the Bubble-Head Charm and asked with concern, "How do you feel?" Valen hopped on the ground a couple of times, bringing her hand close to her nose and quickly moving it away.
"Yuck! You stink", Hermione said, laughing heartily.
"Aqua Eructo", she incanted, and a stream of water gushed from the tip of her wand. Valen obediently washed her hands and feet, then rummaged through her pocket, pulling out a pair of pretty little shoes and putting them on.
Ginny and Luna came over, examining Valen with great interest. Ginny reached out and poked Valen's belly, "Chewp!" Valen swatted her hand away. She put on her shoes and strutted around, her footsteps echoing through the vast Chamber.
Harry, who was standing nearby, asked anxiously, "Valen, is the professor following us?" Ginny, who was about to say something, felt her throat go dry.
Valen thought for a moment and shook her head.
"But the professor must know, right?" Ron said immediately, "He could show up at any moment—should we keep looking?" He directed his last question to the group. Seeing that Valen didn't object, Harry guessed the professor might have known and could be waiting at the Chamber's entrance.
The realization that they might be caught dampened their adventurous spirit, and they prepared to leave. Suddenly, Harry looked up at the Slytherin stone statue, which loomed as tall as the ceiling. Under the white light from the glowing orb above, the old, monkey-like face and sparse, long beard were clearly visible.
"There's one more place we haven't checked", he said, feeling a special pull.
"What?" Ron asked, eyeing the bulging pockets of Ginny and Luna.
"Four years ago, when we fought the Basilisk, the statue's mouth was open", Harry pointed to the statue's now-closed mouth. "I bet there's something behind it, maybe a... nest or a room." Ron looked uneasily at Hermione, who glanced at Valen and hesitated before saying, "Harry, even if it was open, the professor closed it later, which means he didn't want anyone to go in, right, Valen?"
Valen immediately stiffened.
She looked at Harry, then at Hermione, unsure whether to tell them about the Dark Lord's sinister plan... but remembering the Dark Lord's words, "Don't damage the lab", Valen puffed out her small chest, made up her mind, and firmly stood in front of them.
Harry was at a loss. He stared at the massive stone statue, the inexplicable desire growing stronger.
"Did the professor forbid us from going in?" he asked tentatively.
Valen thought for a moment. There was no such prohibition, so she shook her head and used her unique wand to write a few words in the air, "You can go in, but it might be dangerous." After writing, Valen felt her message was incomplete and quickly added, "It has something to do with the bald, ugly guy."
"Who's that?" Luna asked curiously, "Did someone get the Balding Curse?"
But Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged deep, meaningful glances. The statue was connected to Voldemort. They knew Voldemort was locked in Classroom 7, his consciousness unclear.
The decision seemed to be in Harry's hands.
"We can go back and ask the professor", Hermione said slowly, seeing the excitement in Harry's eyes.
"No, the professor gave me the decision", Harry said calmly, "Valen is here, which means he knows where we are, but he hasn't shown up yet. This means he's also conflicted..."
Hermione opened her mouth but had to admit he had a point.
Is that so? Valen wondered.
Harry carefully examined the Slytherin stone statue. He had been happy recently, but there was always an underlying worry—he didn't know how well the professor and the headmaster had prepared or how far the plan had progressed. As time passed, his anxiety grew. Now, with the opportunity to uncover the truth and the professor's implicit consent, he didn't want to back down.
Harry approached the statue and spoke in Parseltongue, "Open." The door didn't budge. As he spoke, he could sense Ron and Hermione standing on either side of him. He took a deep breath but said nothing. However, when Ginny moved closer, he couldn't help but protest.
"Go back, Ginny."
"You only know how to shoo people away now?" Ginny huffed, her tone slightly bitter. "You don't think there's still danger here at school, do you?"
Harry was speechless. He could only try again in Parseltongue, "Open for me, Slytherin." This time, the massive stone face of Slytherin moved. Its mouth opened wider and wider, eventually forming a large, dark void. The light from Luminos couldn't reach inside, but something shiny flashed past.
"What kind of monster is that?" Ron whispered nervously.
"A Horned Snorer", Luna said, her eyes lighting up.
"Luna, don't make things worse", Hermione snapped.
"No, it's definitely a Horned Snorer", Luna said confidently. "It looks exactly like the reference drawing in my essay, except the color is a bit off... but everything else matches."
Harry didn't want to admit that he and Luna were seeing the same illusion, but he said, "I see it too. The one with the long snout, right?"
"Right", Luna said, pleased.
Hermione glared at the two of them as if they had both been hit with a Confundus Charm. They climbed onto the statue's knee and approached the open mouth, carefully peering into the dark opening. The closer they got, the clearer it became that something was glowing and moving inside.
"I think I saw a colorful doe", Ginny said.
"I saw a big dog", Ron said.
Hermione pursed her lips and said, "Those are Runic Creatures."
"Runic Creatures... what?" Harry asked, confused, still staring at the opening. The Enhanced Perception Spell let him hear some noises, like the combined sounds of various creatures.
"Runic Creatures", Hermione explained. "You remember what the professor showed us in class, right?" Harry and Ron immediately recalled the Magical Automata and golden eagles made of dark golden smoke.
"Actually, the professor has had this idea for a while", she continued. "During my first private lesson, he was very curious about the Sorting Hat's state of existence. It's almost a completely different form of magical life."
"So—these are—alive?" Ron asked, wide-eyed, pointing at the various strange creatures passing by.
"They're not quite alive—what I mean is—I'm not sure", Hermione said, frustrated. "At least last year, the professor couldn't make them last permanently. But at the end of the term, he combined Ancient Runes and Memory Magic to create a very realistic Hogwarts corridor."
"Just a corridor?" Harry couldn't help but ask. It didn't sound like much.
"If the professor can create a corridor, he can use the same principle to create creatures that only exist in imagination", Hermione emphasized the words "in imagination", glancing at Luna, but Luna didn't notice. She was already eager to go inside.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed her into Salazar Slytherin's mouth.
Suddenly, their vision blurred, and they found themselves in a strange place surrounded by rows of bookshelves, the lighting dim. The three of them held their breath and listened intently.
"Library", Hermione mouthed.
Harry realized it, but a new question arose: Why were they in a library? Shouldn't they be inside the statue?
"Tom, Tom. You shouldn't have followed me", a low, restrained voice said. Harry recognized the voice, and Hermione frowned.
"Sir?" a timid voice replied.
"You followed me to find out what I was doing?" the voice asked softly, but the coldness in his words grew stronger. "You were very interested in the half-sheet of paper you found in my office? You want to know... what a Horcrux is?"
Harry's eyes widened.
"Sir—"
"Sorry, Tom. This might be the last time I call you that. Fortunately, it's a holiday, and as long as I act quickly, no one will notice. Dippet, the Headmaster, trusts me. He always believes in me—"
Vacation? Harry thought, did he mean the weekend? No, he immediately realized the issue—they weren’t in the ‘real’ world anymore.
“Armor of Steel!” the young student suddenly shouted.
What was he doing?
Ron’s scream was stifled in his throat. Their vision was suddenly filled with golden flames, and a dark shadow flashed by. The windows shattered, and the subsequent flames burned a large hole in the Library’s wall. Another figure flew out through the hole.
Harry was stunned. The silent Shield Charm he had instinctively cast was barely holding on, the golden flames clinging to the magical barrier, sizzling. At any moment, they might break through and turn them to ashes. Finally, Hermione snapped out of her shock. She extended her hand, and runes glowed at her fingertips. The golden flames, like weary birds returning to their nests, came under her control.
The flames in the Library were extinguished.
Bright moonlight streamed through the large hole, and a firebird hovered a few feet above Hermione’s head, chirping softly. Hermione guided the firebird to land on her shoulder. The bird’s eyes were sharp, and it was covered in flames, yet it didn’t harm her at all, showcasing her incredible control.
“Is that… Professor Hup?” Ron finally managed to speak, his eyes nearly popping out. “But who’s the other one?”
“Tom Riddle,” Harry said with a complex expression. “I think we’ve fallen into a—” He suddenly hesitated. Fallen into what? A memory? When did Professor Hup ever have dealings with Voldemort in his school days?
“D-Dark Lord?” Ron was so surprised he nearly bit his tongue.
“It’s the young Dark Lord,” Hermione corrected. “I know what we should do. Follow me!” She ran out from behind the bookshelf, standing by the wall and looking into the distance. They could see the arcs of spells flashing outside, two figures battling back and forth.
“…What should we do?” Ron asked.
“Fight, and then ask the professor for answers,” Hermione said angrily.
They passed through the scorched, sizzling wall, using spells to land lightly, and ran toward the source of the flames. Harry panted as he caught up to Hermione. “Should we save the young Tom Riddle?” He was beginning to understand.
“I think so,” Hermione said, biting her lip.
The battlefield was in sight. Harry’s mind flashed back to the brief glimpse of Riddle—tall, pale, with black, shiny hair and dark eyes. He had seen this appearance in Headmaster Dumbledore’s Pensieve, through the memories provided by Professor Slughorn.
“Tom, all your magic was taught to you by me.”
Felix’s voice was low, and powerful spells silently plowed deep grooves into the ground, cutting shrubs and cotton trees into countless sharp, gleaming daggers that covered half the sky. Tom Riddle watched in awe.
He hadn’t expected Dumbledore to be hiding so deeply! He had created Horcruxes! Riddle had only found out by chance, but he had searched the Library in vain for detailed records. Dumbledore must have taken them, he thought, clenching his teeth.
He needed to buy time. There were other professors in the school, and Headmaster Dippet. If he could just delay long enough for them to notice, he could survive. Riddle was furious. Damn it, why did they have to start fighting immediately? Couldn’t they talk?
He could have joined the professor’s side.
But from the cold, murderous expression on that face, Riddle dared not hope. He summoned a shield from the thin air, barely blocking the onslaught of thousands of daggers, but the immense force sent him flying. His right wrist loosened, and his wand flew out of his hand.
He lay on the ground, looking up at the man’s cold, cruel smile.
“Avada Kedavra—”
A firebird descended from the sky, using its body to block the Killing Curse. The golden bird let out a mournful cry, turned green, and quickly disappeared into the air. Riddle gasped for breath. He had never felt death so close. He didn’t want to die. He had never realized this so clearly. Horcruxes… Damn it, he wanted to create Horcruxes, not just one, but many.
But did he still have a chance? Riddle felt a sudden sense of despair. Dumbledore had clearly destroyed all the knowledge. At that moment, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had surrounded Felix. “Professor, I’m angry,” Hermione said, pouting.
Felix barely flinched, then smiled politely, though it seemed sinister.
“Could you tell me where you’re from? By your age, you must be students here, but I’ve never seen you before…”
"What about you, what’s your name?" Harry asked, feeling like he must have lost his mind to ask such a stupid question.
"Albus Dumbledore", Felix whispered.
"You’re Dumbledore?" Ron’s eyes bulged as he shouted. Fortunately, he was facing away from Riddle, or Riddle might have seen through the facade from his expression. But just from the sound of his voice, it seemed like an accusation.
Harry was also stunned. "Professor Hup, do you really think you can impersonate someone like Headmaster Dumbledore?" Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "We’ve been looking for you! T-Tom, run!" she stammered.
Riddle was completely bewildered. Having just experienced a major turning point in his life, his mind wasn’t as clear as usual. But he could tell that these three seemed to be after him, or perhaps after Dumbledore?
What was going on?
No one was giving him any answers. The battle had begun. Harry, Ron, and Hermione worked in perfect harmony, displaying a level of skill and combat readiness far beyond that of a fifth-year Voldemort, who, though exceptional, had not yet been tested by war.
During the fight, Felix’s lips moved slightly. Hermione looked at him, and he nodded almost imperceptibly. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, Felix shouted, "Time-Turner! You came from the future using a Time-Turner!"
"You’re right!" Hermione declared sternly, "Your plans won’t succeed, D-Dumbledore! You can’t kill Tom; in the future, he will be the leader of our resistance against your evil rule."
Harry found this all too absurd. Even if it were a dream—no, he didn’t have that kind of imagination.
"Harry, quickly use the Patronus charm Mr. Riddle taught you!" Hermione called out again.
Ron nearly fell over, completely numb. But he knew one thing: Hermione was the most aware of the situation among the three. Harry only had a vague understanding, and as for himself—well, it was better not to speak at all.
Harry took a long moment to suppress the awkward feeling, then recited the spell he knew by heart.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A creature that seemed almost real emerged from the tip of his wand, a massive silver light beam shooting straight into the sky, brighter than the moon. Half of Hogwarts Castle was bathed in a silvery-blue glow, rippling out like waves in the sea. Everyone, including Tom Riddle, felt an incredible surge of energy and determination.
Harry’s Patronus was so powerful that lights started flickering on in rooms throughout the castle.
Riddle, still seated on the ground, looked utterly astonished. This was a Patronus? How could it be so powerful? And—did he teach this to someone in the future? Suddenly, he became intensely interested in this ancient magic.
"Who dares to harm Hogwarts students?" a booming voice, like thunder, rang out from the Headmaster’s Office.
"Headmaster Dippet!" Riddle shouted in genuine surprise.
An elderly man with a white beard flew out of the tower window. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and then Felix, as if enraged, his voice icy cold, shouted, "You’ve ruined my plans—Avada Kedavra!"
A blinding green light froze Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s faces.
Over the next three days, major news kept pouring in—
Dumbledore, who was expected to succeed as Headmaster, was confirmed to be a Dark Wizard and had fled the school. He then boldly stormed the Ministry of Magic’s Department of Mysteries, stealing all the Time-Turners. It was said his actions were related to his youth, as he intended to resurrect someone who had been dead for over forty years. Four students were involved in the incident, and only one survived. However, Headmaster Dippet refused to disclose any more information to the public.
In someone’s mind, the war had begun.
...
Harry’s eyes snapped open, and he was breathing heavily. In his line of sight, Luna was happily holding a creature about a foot tall. It had a pair of curved horns that took up a third of its body, a long nose that was somewhat like an elephant’s but much shorter, as if it had been cut in half. Its body was short and stocky, covered in thick silver-brown fur that looked like a heavy coat. It wriggled around angrily.
In Classroom Seven.
Felix opened his eyes and slowly stood up. "Almost forgot, I’m not exactly a good guy", he muttered, savoring the experience. After adding some more magical bindings to Voldemort, he leisurely returned to his office.
As he pushed open the door to his bedroom, he heard a frantic knocking from outside his office.
"Professor—professor—open the door—"
Felix suddenly felt a headache coming on.
Had he overplayed his role? Were his students worried he had gone astray?
(End of Chapter)
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