Chapter 56 Chapter 56
"What are your questions?" exclaimed Harry, his fists still clenched tightly.
"There are many, for example..."
There was an ironic smile on Riddle's face, "How is it that a baby, without powerful magic, defeats the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape unscathed, leaving only a scar and killing Voldemort?"
His eyes were like those of a hungry wolf with a strange red gleam.
"It's funny that you were defeated by Harry but don't know how you failed. Voldemort, is this your so-called powerful magic?" Evan smiled.
Evan was searching for the diary.
Now Riddle is just a formless memory, absorbing Ron's vitality and forming a body, attacking him would lead nowhere.
Only if we find the Horcrux can we solve everything?
"I underestimated you again, mudblood! It seems you already know who I am; I am Voldemort, he is my past, present, and future."
He took Ron's broken wand and wrote in the air: Tom Marvolo Riddle.
"Voldemort is my new name!" whispered Tom, "Do you think I will use my filthy Muggle father's name all my life? In my veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin, I will not keep that repulsive Muggle name. He abandoned me before I was born because his wife was a witch!"
"That's impossible! I will give myself a new name, meaning beginner! I know that one day, when I become the greatest wizard in the world, wizards everywhere will fear to say my name."
Although Harry already knew that Tom was Voldemort, Harry still froze at seeing the name written in the air.
He looked at Riddle, the man who had killed his parents and many others.
"No, you are not," Harry forced himself to speak, his calm voice filled with hatred.
"Not what?" Tom asked sternly.
"You are not the greatest wizard in the world!" said Harry, slightly out of breath, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but the greatest wizard is Albus Dumbledore. They say that even when you were strong, you dare not set foot in Hogwarts. You feared Dumbledore then and still fear him now."
The smile on Riddle's face vanished, replaced by a very ugly expression.
"From the first time we met to the end, Dumbledore never believed in me. When I first saw him at the orphanage, I knew. But it doesn't matter, I know spells he never imagined, I am the most powerful. Now tell me, Harry Potter, how long do you think you and that mudblood next to you can stay alive with your words?"
"Why did you fail once you laid your hands on me? I don't even know," said Harry rigidly, "But I can see why you didn't kill me, as Evan said, because my mother died trying to save me, she stopped you with her love for me!"
Harry trembled with anger, "She stopped you from killing me, I saw the real you, I saw you last year. All that's left of you is a shell, this is the end of the road, you are evil, you are ugly, and you are disgusting."
Riddle turned and looked at the Slytherin statue, his smiling face more visible.
"Now we will see if you and that mudblood can escape from the greatest dark wizard of all time."
Tom spoke in Parseltongue, and the mouth of the huge stone statue opened to form a giant dark hole.
Evan looked at the barely visible face of the Slytherin statue. Then he saw the diary he was looking for on top of the statue.
The basilisk was slowly sliding out of the statue, its body full of scars; Snape's attacks and the crowing of the rooster had injured it.
But for two young wizards, the horned serpent remains deadly even in its weakened state.
"Kill them!" Tom shouted frantically.
The horned serpent slithered towards them, Evan drew his wand and conjured a pink light, it was the Conjunctivitis Curse but was neutralized by a spell from Riddle.
"Are you foolish, do you think I would allow you to do the same thing twice?" Riddle yelled, "Now mudblood, feel the sweet embrace of death..."
Before his words could finish, music filled the Chamber of Secrets.
It was unsettling, chilling, supernatural.
Evan suddenly saw a crimson bird, the size of a crane, descending, playing its eccentric music. It had a brilliant tail as large as a peacock's, a pair of shining talons, and a parcel in its claw.
"It's Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix!"
It flew over them and dropped a tattered hat at the feet of the two men, Evan saw it was the school's Sorting Hat.
"This is hilarious!"
Riddle suddenly burst into laughter, grinning and trembling as if there were ten of him laughing at once. "Is this what Dumbledore sends as his defender, a singing bird and a worn-out hat? Do you feel brave now, Harry Potter? Do you feel safe now?"
As Tom's voice faded, he saw Fawkes flying towards the horned serpent and circling its head.
The horned serpent tried to strike at the Phoenix with its fangs.
But it was futile, Fawkes dove down and plunged his long golden beak into the head of the horned serpent. Fawkes sang a strange song, occasionally pecking at the serpent, soon black blood gushed out, the Phoenix had left it blind.
"No, kill the boys! Leave the bird alone, the boys are behind you!" Riddle shouted forcefully.
"Harry, believe in yourself," Evan pushed the Sorting Hat into Harry's hand, then headed towards the statue of Slytherin and shouted, "I will get the diary, you must destroy it."
Harry stared at the torn hat, then felt something solid in it, he looked down and saw a gleaming silver sword, the hilt embedded with dazzling rubies the size of eggs.
Harry pulled it out, the rubies gleaming softly.
The test of courage, the sword of Gryffindor.