Harry and Lars didn't talk anymore after their little disagreement. Harry was far too proud to show that he was dearly affected of Lars withholding information from him. As petty as it may seem, he retaliated by withholding information as well, an information that he knew to be vital yet did not care, an information that only he and Theo were aware of at the moment since Theo was the one to actually discover it.
Two days after the said discovery, the teachers instructed their students to go straight to their respective common rooms after having their dinner. Even the Prefects who would normally patrol the halls at night were tasked to stay put in the common room. Unlike the previous days, they have been sent back to their respective common rooms by the acting Headmistress earlier than usual, about an hour earlier when Mr. Filch barged in the Great Hall to tell the Headmistress something of importance. When everyone had finished their meals, the Professor didn't have the desert get served instead they were told to go to their respective rooms.
"Whatever's happening, it can't be good." Theo commented as they walked along with their classmates to the Slytherin dungeons.
"Yes, not good at all." replied Harry.
When they reached the common room, the prefects rounded them all. They instructed them to pack their things and first thing in the morning, they would be leaving Hogwarts.
"Why?!" Harry asked, louder than he intended.
"That we do not know, Evandrus," answered the female prefect. "We were only told to lead you all here and tell you to pack. Nothing more, nothing less. Get on with it, you lot." His housemates started making themselves scarce in the common room.
"Harry," Flint approached him as they were headed to their room.
"What?"
"Professor Snape wants you in his office now."
Harry frowned. "I thought we were supposed to stay here," he said to Flint.
"Yes, but-"
"Then we should."
"Oh for Merlin's sake, Harry," exclaimed Flint, handling Harry's wrist. "Professor Snape wants to speak to you. Urgently. Stop being stubborn about it." Harry removed his wrist from Flint's grip. He was actually surprised at the older boy's outburst. Flint had never raised his voice at him.
"Fine."
"Can we come?" asked Draco, hopeful.
"No," Flint answered sternly. "He only asked for Harry. You two keep your backsides in your rooms." Scoffing disappointedly, Draco and Theo left.
"Alright, come on Harry." Harry followed as Flint led the way to Professor Snape's office.
"Do you really not have any idea why?" he questioned, a bit suspicious.
"No, I really don't," said Flint. "We asked but they didn't give us any details."
They stopped by the potions master's door. Before Flint had a chance to knock, it already opened.
"Good evening, Professor Snape," greeted Flint.
"Good evening Mr. Flint, you may leave." Flint looked hesitant but left anyway as Harry entered the office.
"What do you need me here for?" he asked in a less than polite way.
"We are going to use your formula." The professor answered, ignoring his tone.
Harry blinked. "Formula?" he enquired, baffled. "What formula?"
"The Restorative Draught that you presented," clarified the Professor.
Harry raised an eyebrow, disbelieving and sardonic. "The one that is, quoting Professor McGonagall, an ambitious student's unethical work that can cause more harm than good?'" he said bitterly. "Is that the formula you speak of, Sir?"
"Yes, that formula, Mr. Evandrus."
"Why?" he asked suspiciously, crossing his arms. "Why do you need the formula?" The Restorative Draught formula he created was an alternative for the Mandrake Restorative Draught. He had finished the whole theoretical diagram of the formula around two weeks back when he finally discovered the ingredient he was missing. As boldly as he can, he informed the Potions Master about it. He didn't give a lot of details, not exactly sure that he would be allowed to brew it, but his main point was that it was an alternative. Professor Snape was impressed and agreed to supervise its brewing. However, they still needed approval from the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress to brew and administer the potion to the petrified students. Professor Dumbledore kindly declined permission for them to brew it, stating its dangers. Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, outright refused.
Professor Snape wasn't exactly one to follow the rules. The man tried to persuade him to share the whole description of the potion so that he'd brew it. But Harry, deeply insulted and angry at that particular moment, refused to share all of the information about the Restorative Draught to his teacher or to anyone at all for that matter. He didn't give out the information as to how it will be done, even storing part of the information in his mind and part on his notes. Emotional blackmail by the Professor to him didn't exactly go well. He mentioned that he couldn't and wouldn't care less if the muggleborns would get restored at an even later time. Hell, he didn't even create the formula to restore them. He only did so to prove that he could. But, of course, it wasn't yet proven as it was neither brewed nor administered yet.
For some reason, he didn't go against what Professor Dumbledore had instructed and it was to refrain from brewing the potion until further notice. Maybe it was fear that his theory would be proven wrong, maybe he just didn't want to disobey the old man, maybe it was because Midas might get angry at him, or fear that maybe Professor McGonagall was right when she said that it might bring more harm than good.
To be honest, it wasn't like he can actually blame her, if any, he should blame himself. Thinking back, Professor McGonagall only showed her disbelief and lack of faith when he unwittingly said that one of the two main ingredients was very rare and not exactly accepted. That fact might have called for Professor McGonagall criticising his work. Ever since last year, Professor McGonagall had been a very kind albeit stern teacher to him.
Yeah hell, he thought. He probably shouldn't have mentioned at all that the ingredient was Unicorn Blood. After all, it was a curse to drink it.
"Because we have no other choice, Mr. Evandrus." the Professor replied simply. "The adult mandrakes are...unavailable as of the moment."
"I couldn't care less if they be restored at an even later time," he said coldly and very uncaringly and then, all of a sudden, he was face to face with the Potions Master. He made a step back from Professor Snape, acknowledging the fact that the man really made an imposing and threatening figure.
Maintaining his stance, he replied nonchalantly. "If this is another trick for me to reveal more information about what I created then prepare to be disappointed. I am not going to brew this potion."
"This is no trick!" Professor Snape bellowed, sounding rather irate and frustrated despite the icy cool exterior. "There are no available adult mandrake draughts to be used and the restorative draught needs to be administered as soon as possible."
"Why? Are they going to die if it's not administered immediately?" he asked, still relatively calm with the whole situation. Harry knew that he was pushing it with his teacher but his annoyance outweighed the respect he should show. He didn't really appreciate that the man had him called and tasked to brew the potion out of the blue.
"No but it's important that they be restored immediately." Harry raised an eyebrow. If it was that important, why didn't they allow him to brew the potion when he first introduced it to them?
"Tell me what's happening and I'll do it." he bargained, an information for an information. It won't be of the same weight yet it was still a bargain. He'd been dying to know what happened that they were all sent back to their dormitories.
"The school is to be closed." said Professor Snap eoutright.
Harry blinked before narrowing his eyes. "What?" They couldn't have, they wouldn't close the school, would they? Unless...unless someone died.
"Who died?"
"No, none." Professor Snape responded but Harry felt like the word 'yet' was left hanging on the air. "There has been a mishap. The Headmistress has deemed it fit to send everyone back to their respective homes hence why the immediate need for those who have been petrified to be restored, and that cannot be done for the majority of the mandrakes have been destroyed earlier this day."
"You mean this order actually came from Professor McGonagall?" he asked in disbelief.
"Yes, hard as that may be to believe," Professor Snape answered wryly. "Now, it's your turn fulfil your part of the bargain."
"Fine," he said before asking if the Professor has some of the ingredients that they will require. The two main ingredients were going to come Harry himself.
"And where, may I ask, will you get a hold of a phial of unicorn blood?" asked Professor Snape once they've prepared the other ingredients.
"I told you before, Sir, I have one with me," he replied, although in all actuality he has two, reserving the other for another purpose.
"And the Wakeflower?" Professor Snape questioned him. Harry sighed. He can understand the man's questions to him regarding the ingredients. It wasn't every day that some boy like him just happens to have a phial or two of unicorn blood and a couple of Wakeflower, one of the rarest flowers known.
"I have them, alright?" he informed Professor Snape, starting to get irked with all the questions. "Really, Sir, I have them, though I will not divulge how I got into possession of the latter."
"I will not ask you to," Professor Snape replied. Harry very much doubted his teacher's word. The man wouldn't just let something get past him, especially if it had something to do with his art.
"Whatever you say," he muttered very quietly as he fixed all the ingredients in an orderly manner atop the table, the first ingredient needed being placed on the left side and consequently followed by the rest.
"Ok, so, last is mixing the flower –all of it, with a small drop of unicorn blood. Very small. I don't want anyone getting cursed, the other ingredients could only stabilise very little amounts of it. Then, the mixture will be added to that" he gestured at the cauldron where the other ingredients were being heated at a very low heat, "after 3 hours and then 7 stirs clockwise and 1 anti-clockwise."
"How much must be administered to each person?" enquired Professor Snape.
"By my calculations each of them would need just at least one phial, just one." He made it perfectly clear that it should only be one phial. "I don't exactly know what effects it will have when over-dozed though you can probably check it out with Mr. Filch's mangy feline. Try shoving two down its throat."
"Hang on, you're not kicking me out, are you?" he asked abruptly. "I'm not –I can't leave, it's my potion." Really, he can't believe the man would kick him out after partially doing the potion.
"I'm not kicking you out." Professor Snape said, unusually not cold. "I am, however, asking you to leave now for your own safety." Harry just glared at his Professor, crossing his arms at the same time.
"Don't just stand there." Professor Snape snapped. "Go back to your dormitory."
Harry threw his hands up. "But it's my formula!" he argued. "You can't just kick me out in the midst of doing that, there's still more than 2 hours left before the finishing touches, I'm not leaving!"
"I know but I implore you to just do as I say." Harry just stood there.
"No."
"Harold Evandrus," Professor Snape cut off his protest, kneeling and face to face with him and hands firmly on his shoulder. "Hogwarts is going to close. We had instructed the prefects to tell the students to pack their things and first thing in the morning all of you will leave –let me finish."
"Hogwarts is no longer safe," the man continued, "not for you, not for anyone. Everyone has to leave immediately hence the immediate need to have a restorative potion."
"As much as I know that you have a right to be here, I cannot, as a teacher, let you stay." Professor Snape said, standing up once more. "Mr. McGregor will not exactly appreciate that." Harry's eyes widened a bit before returning to its glare. Oh brilliant, he thought sarcastically. Bring Midas in the conversation and surely as hell he would lose any argument regarding his safety.
"Those are the only things that I will say of this matter, Mr. Evandrus."
"Very well." Harry nodded, resigned. He gave a short bow of his head to his head of house before leaving.
Upon his entry to his personal passageway to his quarters, he thought of talking to his brother first. He was going to pull out his two-way mirror when suddenly, Porthos appeared out of nowhere, whilst in a struggle with Seraphim.
"That is quite enough!" he barked at the two. Porthos immediately composed himself whilst Seraphim slithered towards Harry.
"Porthos, go fetch Lawrence for me." Porthos nodded and popped away. Harry then turned his attention to Seraphim. "Where the bloody hell have you been?"
"I wassss on holiday!" answered Seraphim quite flippantly, "And just so you know, I'm hiding from your dogsbody when I got back. He hates me and the feeling really is mutual."
"Fair -" he was cut off immediately when Porthos popped back in the passageway, telling him that not only Lawrence but also Weasley was not present in the Gryffindor tower.
"Find them," he ordered Porthos.
"But," argued Porthos, "master McGregor is calling for me." Harry felt like pulling off his hair. Of all the times his order would coincide with his dad's.
"Fine, fine, fine," he said decidedly, "answer his call but don't you dare tell him anything, Porthos, I forbid it." Porthos nodded and apparated away. Harry then turned to his pet snake.
"Can you smell them?" he asked the snake.
"No bossman...I can't...I can't smell them." Seraphim replied, head shaking negatively.
"Can you even do anything useful?" he asked irritably.
"I'm hurt, master," said the snake.
"I don't care! Do something useful."
Seraphim didn't reply but kept on leaning his head by the wall. Then the snake said, "I can ssssmell another of my kind, a snake. It'sss ssscent is all over the walls." Harry remembered the voice on the walls that he and Lars heard before.
Harry thought for a moment. Lars and Weasley weren't in their tower yet the students have been ordered to go back around 2 to 3 hours ago. There was no other place that the two would even dare go and find.
"Find it!" he ordered. Seraphim slithered to the storage room where Harry had never ventured before.
"Seraphim, be quick!" Harry said impatiently whilst Seraphim's just pushing his head to the walls.
"Bossman through here!" Harry ran his hand to the wall to see if there were any marks of Slytherin present, or just any sign at all. There was none but Harry decided not to give up. He drew his wand and pointed it on the wall, casting a revealing charm. A second later and the crest of Slytherin house appeared on the wall. He decided to try his luck and hissed "open" to the wall. To his surprise, it did open. He passed through it and a green door. Another surprise was when he found himself in the girl's lavatory, the same lavatory that Moaning Myrtle haunted. Harry felt Seraphim slither by his foot towards the sink.
"It's down here!" Seraphim said repeatedly. "And Lawrence's scent…..it'ssss here." Harry swiftly walked to the sink. He ran his hand on the sink, searching if there was any sign of Slytherin's mark. On one of the taps he saw an engraving of a snake. It was enough of a sign for Harry.
Instructing Seraphim to hide for the time being, he repeated what he did earlier. He hissed "Open." by the sink and the sink sank down to reveal a deep hole on the ground at its other side. Not wasting another second, he jumped through and slid his way downwards.
Well this is disgusting, he thought when he landed on a pile of fish bones at the other end of the hole.
Pulling out his wand, he walked on.
"Lumos." he casted and the light from the tip of his wand illuminated the place.
Near a pile of rocks, he saw Weasley and Lockhart, who was on the ground, looking like he was out cold.
"Weasley!" he called out, making a choking noise afterwards with the dust that entered his throat. Weasley turned his head towards him.
"Where's my brother?" he said, still in between coughs.
Weasley coughed likewise. "The other side of those rocks, I was just talking to him before you came."
"I see." He glanced around the place. There was no other way to get through the others side, besides carrying or blasting the boulders in front. Blasting wasn't a very good option, he can't risk having another set of rocks fall from above, and it might just happen should he blast the rocks.
"Weasley, listen to me," he began with an authoritative voice. "I'm going to wake Lockhart, alright? And then I want you to go back where you were before, got it?" Weasley looked like he wanted to argue, but just acquiesced instead, much to Harry's relief. There really was no time to argue with Weasley.
"Thank you," he said to Weasley before pointing his wand at Lockhart. "Rennervate." Lockhart bolted awake, looking dazed.
"Come on you git!" Weasley said to Lockhart. Lockhart looked at Weasley, then him, and then back again before following Weasley.
"Hello, do you live here too?" Lockhart asked him idiotically. He looked at Weasley who just shrugged.
"Take him back," he ordered succinctly.
Once the two were out of sight, Harry felt it safe to do something he'd rather not have other people see. He placed his wand back in its holster then took a deep breath. He began doing elemental manipulations on the rock, disregarding the fact that Midas might kill him for doing such a thing. He can feel his control over the rocks to its very smallest particles. He closed his fist and part of the rocks crumbled to dust, making a passage between the rocks enough for two persons to pass through.
Last year, the elemental manipulation that he did was fire. He knew that he really shouldn't have, moreover he shouldn't have taught it to his brother since less than pleasant things tend to happen if it was not cast correctly. However, seeing that Lars had easily conjured the flame last year, he'd say that Lars had some affinity for fire, as expected.
On the other side of the boulder, there was a gate filled with snake ornaments.
"Open," he hissed. Slowly, one of the snake ornaments slithered around the gate, opening 7 snake shaped locks.
On his way down the ladder, he can hear the echoing of arguing voices.
"Quietus." he murmured for his shoes to avoid making stepping sounds. He hid behind one of the statue of the snakes to listen to what they were talking about. He heard his brother's voice saying that Ginny Weasley wouldn't, not to mention couldn't have done it. Harry's guess was that it was about the opening of the chamber. Another voice replied saying that he never mentioned Ginny Weasley knowing what she was doing, implying that he was controlling her. Assumption was confirmed when the voice said Ginny Weasley 'poured her soul into me.' The voice spoke more about it until the topic changed.
He heard the voice say "How is it that a boy with no extraordinary magical talent was left with nothing but a scar while Lord Voldemort's powers were -" Harry chose that moment to appear to let his presence be known. After cancelling the charm, he slowly walked forwards, footsteps echoing in the chamber, whilst clapping mockingly at the other person's tirade.
"Harry!" Lars exclaimed, looking very much surprised. "How –how did you get here?"
Harry didn't acknowledge his brother who was clearly not expecting him to be present instead he just looked at the teenage boy. Tom Riddle, presumably. He had to say that his brother was right. Riddle and he did look a bit alike with their jet black hair, pale skin and the way they present themselves confidently with a bit of arrogance.
Alright, with admittedly a lot of arrogance.
He chuckled, making Lars and Riddle look at him in confusion. "Such a god complex cousin," he said with a 'tut', "referring to your own self in the third person."
"Cousin?" Riddle repeated with an irked look on his pale face.
"Oh Riddle, I see that my brother hasn't told you that we three are related. Distantly related, thankfully," he said in relief. "I don't quite fancy having Lord Voldemort as my cousin. It doesn't make an excellent family background when you want to have a decent occupation."
"Are you saying that he's Voldemort?" Lars asked and Harry had to refrain from retorting something along the lines of 'how daft could you get?' Instead, he just nodded and brandished his wand, writing 'TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE' on the air. With a wave of his wand, the name respelt into 'I AM LORD VOLDEMORT'
"Smart, changing your name using an anagram," he commended. It was the discovery made two days ago. Theo who figured it out whilst they were playing scrabble. Theo started building Tom Riddle's whole name and managed to, and evidently purposely reworded it into I Am Lord Voldemort.
"I will not bear the name of my filthy muggle father," Riddle said with a lot of disdain in his voice. "It is unworthy of the heir of Slytherin to bear such muggle name."
"How did you know that?" Lars blurted out, ignoring Riddle.
"I didn't," he replied. "Theo did." And then he turned back to look at Riddle and began to laugh. It was pathetic. "Are you sure you just don't have abandonment issues over your father?"
Instead of being taken aback, Riddle just smirked at him. "You are one to talk of having abandonment issues, Harold Evandrus." Riddle heavily emphasised his surname. "Ginny Weasley mentioned you, oh yes she did, telling me how she has a crush on the run away twin of Lawrence Potter which is Harold Evandrus." If the situation wasn't serious, he'd actually let himself gape at what Riddle was saying. "Harry Evandrus, neglected half because he was not the one who destroyed my older self."
"You and I, we are just the same, top of our class, both in Slytherin and both carrying a grudge against our respective fathers." Riddle continued speaking but quite frankly everything that he was saying was just going in Harry's ear then going out afterwards. "A potions genius and genius at just about everything he does. That is you, am I correct? The youngest potions apprentice of the year."
"Yes well, I'm not surprised," he replied coolly. "I am, after all, a genius in about everything I do."
"Excuse me?" Lars said, taking both of their attentions. "Ginny, unconscious, and Voldemort in front!?"
Harry raised an eyebrow at his brother. "What exactly do you want me to do?" he asked pointedly. "If you weren't listening to what he was blathering about earlier, he's connected to the Weasley girl because of her soul."
"He was quite referring to it literally," Harry added at seeing his brother's baffled look.
"Very good Evandrus." Riddle said with a smirk. "You cannot harm me without harming the girl."
"Quite frankly, I wouldn't care much as long as you disappear," he immediately replied in a callous manner. Although it was partly untrue considering that he would care because if he deliberately hurts Riddle with the knowledge that it would hurt the girl as well, his brother might not react very well to it.
"Harry!" Lars exclaimed, sounding appalled. "We have to save her."
He didn't reply, but Riddle did. "Can you save her?" asked Riddle. "What do you pair of miscreants do to match the power of the greatest sorcerer in the world?"
Harry scowled at Riddle. "Don't flatter yourself," he said crisply, letting his anger at Riddle be shown. "Professor Dumbledore is the greatest sorcerer in the world, Riddle." Regaining his cool composure, he added "Well that and you can't really consider yourself great because I'm better than you."
"Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" Riddle insisted. "I, a mere memory preserved inside a diary, drove him out of here!"
"He'll never be gone, Voldemort." he said firmly and with a hell lot of conviction. "As long as a person remains loyal to the Headmaster, he'll never be gone. Remember that Albus Dumbledore will never ever be gone as long as the people here are still loyal to him! Not you or anyone for that matter can remove the Headmaster permanently from this school!" The nerve of that pathetic megalomaniac to claim that he was a greater wizard than the Headmaster truly irked Harry. Whilst he was heavily annoyed at the old man's questionably odd ways and sometimes Machiavellian traits, no one can ever deny that Albus Dumbledore would always be a greater wizard than Voldemort in more ways than one.
"Professor Dumbledore said he'll only truly have left when none are loyal to him." his brother added.
A beautiful song suddenly echoed in the chamber and all of them stopped on their tracks. Fawkes the flaming poultry came in gliding around the chamber with some sort of rug in its claws. Fawkes stopped to drop the rug at him.
My bad, Harry thought drily.It wasn't a rug though rather it was the school sorting hat.
"That is a phoenix and that is the school's old sorting hat." Riddle stated.
"Any more obvious thing you want to add?" Harry questioned sarcastically. "Maybe that the hat is black and raggedy?"
Riddle sneered. "Your humour will not last long, Evandrus." Riddle turned around to face the statue of Salazar Slytherin.
"Speak to me Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four." Harry had to roll his eyes at that command. Oh great, he thought. Clearly their narcissism and arrogance could be traced way back. Not only that, it came from both sides of the family.
The mouth of the statue opened and out came a long, and terrifying snake standing about fifty-foot tall. Its eyes were still closed and before it had a chance to look at them, Harry closed his eyes and shouted for his brother to do likewise.
Harry heard his brother yell. "Shamira stop!" his brother had said.
"Open your eyes, young ones," said the snake in reply. "My eyes will not harm you." Slowly and hesitantly, Harry opened his eyes and he was amazed as he looked at the basilisk eye to eye. He wasn't getting affected by its yellow gaze.
Lars, eyes still closed, said "Uhm...you are Shamira right?" Harry thought it ridiculous if Shamira would turn out to be another snake. It would really make for a mortifying night.
Lars only opened his eyes when the snake responded affirmatively. "Yesss I am, young ssspeaker." The basilisk, Shamira's reply sounded almost….touched. Harry shook the thought away from his mind. It was quite disturbing. He'd had quite enough of animals being emotional.
"Stop this small talk!" Riddle barked. "Kill them! I am your master, kill them!"
Harry smirked in spite of himself. "Go on," he goaded the serpent nonchalantly. "Go on, Shamira, kill us so I can prove my naive and idiotic brother wrong." He was still quite disbelieving of the fact that his brother turned out to be somewhat right.
"Don't, please..." his brother pleaded, sparing a glance just to glare daggers at him. "We are descendants of Edmund, and he's a descendant of -"
"Bartimaeus," Shamira finished for his brother. "I am cognizant of that fact, young master Secundus. I smell…your blood."
"I order you to kill them!" Riddle hissed once more, sounding irked that they were ignoring him.
"I am no longer bound to serve you," Shamira hissed back, this time sounding angry. After thanking them for presenting themselves as also part of Slytherin's bloodline, Shamira was about to lunge at Riddle. But, as quick as a lightning, Riddle casted a spell that made Shamira fall into Riddle's control once more.
"Attack!" Riddle commanded. Harry jumped out of the way and rolled on the floor when the basilisk lunged at his direction, casting aside the hat in the process. Afterwards, Riddle ordered it to go straight for Lawrence.
"You never do get tired of trying to kill my brother." Harry said as he stood up from the ground. "You really should learn by now that some invisible force doesn't allow it so."
"You may or may not be an heir of Slytherin but you, you and your brother are no match for the powers of Lord Voldemort!" said Riddle arrogantly, raising a wand at him. When he'd gotten a good look at the wand, he scowled. How in the nine circles of hell did Riddle get Lawrence's wand?
"Yeah, okay," he said uncaringly before he raised a slab of rock from the ground with his magic and propelled it at Riddle.
"Bombarda!" Riddle exclaimed, blasting the slab into pieces. Harry took that time to draw his own wand and match Riddle's curses with his own.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Avada Kedvra!"
When the connection broke for a moment, he bellowed "Aqua Ignitas!" immediately. A mixture of water and fire engulfed riddle for a very short time as Harry wasn't able to fully control it. It disappointed him that he couldn't control the spell.
"Harry!" he heard Lars call for him. "She's not listening!" Harry glance very briefly at Lawrence who had taken possession of the raggedy hat. The next second, he dodged some spell that destroyed a snake statue that it hit instead of him.
Harry threw a random spell at Riddle before yelling back at his brother. "Then find a way to kill it moron!"
Compelled or not, let's see how he would do now that the snake is trying to kill him, Harry thought ridiculously cruelly as he noticed his brother pulling out a sword from the hat.
"Eating your words Evandrus!?" Riddle taunted with a haughty voice. Harry was far from eating his words. He was still better because he could stand duelling with someone who's older than him, someone like Riddle, whom he had to admit was powerful. He just maintained the connection with the wand that Riddle was using. He wouldn't back down, not until that snake was dealt with. Not even when he was already feeling that his magic was starting to drain, even when he's starting to feel like he was going to explode.
Harry wasn't expecting it at all when Riddle was the one who broke the connection. But the same moment that Riddle broke the connection, he felt pain on his head. It was like someone was ripping his head apart. It was truly, excruciatingly painful. Riddle was screaming in pain as well and there was a blinding light, very, very bright light coming from Riddle that was blurring his vision. After darkness engulfed him the last thing he remembered was Lars screaming his name and the pain slowly leaving his head.