Tom Riddle was undeniably a genius, otherwise, he would never have become the second Dark Lord.
Even before enrolling at Hogwarts, his talent was apparent. During his years at the school, he astonished everyone time and again.
As one of Riddle's classmates once put it: "You might not understand what it means to finish seven years of coursework by third year.
"I can sum it up in two words: academic monster!"
William, however, was no academic monster. While his apparent achievements might seem even more exaggerated, he actually had the advantage of time. Thanks to the ring, he had spent countless years within time loops.
But this also brought its own challenges.
William was well-versed in magical knowledge, had extensive combat experience, and, thanks to Fawkes, his magical reserves had increased significantly.
Even if Riddle was an academic prodigy, could he truly hold his own against William in a fair fight?
If he were facing Voldemort in his prime, William might have already been planning his escape. But against sixteen-year-old Riddle? He wasn't the least bit afraid.
William locked eyes with Riddle, and the two exchanged a look, it was clear this battle was inevitable.
Without a word, Riddle gripped Harry's wand and traced a semicircle in the air.
A crescent-shaped wave of black energy shot toward William.
Riddle wasted no time unleashing a vicious Dark spell.
William remained motionless as the black crescent streaked through the room, cutting toward him.
The chamber was too small for elaborate evasive maneuvers, and with Harry and Ron, still unconscious, lying nearby, dodging wasn't an option.
As for Fawkes... the old phoenix was mainly there to buff William's abilities and sing an inspiring tune. Beyond that, it was mostly useless in combat.
William's robes billowed as magic coursed through his body. With a flick of his wand, an invisible force enveloped the area.
His magic rippled outward like a fish slicing through water, redirecting the black energy to either side.
The black spell struck the walls, buzzing ominously before dissipating.
The ground trembled, dust rose, and the impact sent Harry and Ron sliding across the floor, their bodies slamming into the walls.
Despite the power of the attack, the chamber's walls, made of some unknown stone, only bore a scratch a few centimeters deep.
Riddle frowned, realizing that Harry's wand was resisting him.
You've got to be kidding me, starting a fight only to find out the weapon isn't calibrated?
Muttering under his breath, Riddle released his grip on the wand, letting it hover in midair.
By doing so, he minimized the wand's resistance.
It seemed as though invisible hands were controlling it. The wand tilted slightly, and from the ground, a line of undead figures began to rise.
The undead were clad like medieval knights, exuding an aura of death. They wore heavy armor and rode not horses, but... thestrals!
The undead knights drew massive bone swords from their scabbards and charged toward William in formation.
Fawkes let out a piercing cry, spreading its wings and unleashing a torrent of crimson-gold flames from its beak.
William's wand hummed with energy as he raised it, redirecting the flames toward the knights.
The fire curved downward like a bridge, spilling over the undead knights' massive bone blades.
The intense heat melted one knight's arm clean off. The flames surged upward, consuming most of the knight's body.
The thestral beneath it continued galloping but disintegrated into wisps of blue smoke before it could reach William.
With a flick of his wand, William wielded the flames like a whip, spinning them into a vortex that coiled around Riddle.
Riddle's wand vibrated, and a shimmering layer of water enveloped his body, shielding him from the fire's searing heat.
The water expanded, cascading over him in torrents. Fawkes's flames hissed and sputtered as they met the deluge.
The room began to flood, the water surging toward William like a ravenous serpent.
"Finite Incantatem!"
William's wand flared with fiery light, creating a fan-shaped shield of flames that collided with the rushing water. The resulting explosion sent droplets spraying in all directions.
"Aqua Severitas!"
William narrowed his eyes, twisting his wand with two fingers. The scattered droplets coalesced into a massive water tornado, which hurtled toward Riddle like a descending galaxy.
Sensing the spell's immense power, Riddle conjured a gleaming silver shield out of thin air to block the attack.
The effort drained him visibly, his face turning pale.
The water tornado smashed against the shield, shattering instantly. The scattered droplets struck the walls, leaving countless tiny craters in their wake.
The silver shield trembled but showed no significant damage, even as the spell collided with it, resonating like a low, echoing gong.
William chuckled softly. With a flick of his left hand, a second wand appeared.
While his right-hand wand maintained the water tornado, his left-hand wand waved deftly, gathering the scattered water droplets into a second wave of attack.
This second assault, however, also failed to cause any noticeable damage to the shield.
But William's right-hand wand moved again, orchestrating a third wave of attacks.
An endless cycle of vicious attacks—what's more terrifying than that?
Riddle's eyes flashed with a hint of alarm.
Not only was William utilizing a seamless duelling techniques, but his strength far exceeded Riddle's expectations, especially his magical reserves, which, by normal standards, should have been depleted long ago!
No matter what Riddle thought, William didn't pause for a moment.
The water tornado, like a relentless serpent under William's control, repeatedly slammed into the shield, producing a rhythmic pounding sound, reminiscent of a pile driver.
Sprays of water scattered like dazzling fireworks, a chaotic yet strangely beautiful sight.
Though it seemed futile, water could pierce through anything with persistence.
The shield was sturdy, but it couldn't withstand the cumulative force of countless droplets.
In just a blink, the center of the silver shield began to blur. Water droplets, sharp as daggers, pierced through and struck Riddle.
He glanced at his left shoulder, where blood began to seep through his robes. The crimson stain spread, dark and thick. Riddle licked his lips, and suddenly, a hissing sound escaped his mouth.
William paid no attention, his focus entirely on Riddle.
But behind him, Fawkes let out a piercing screech, a warning cry.
Before William could react, an unseen force struck him, sending him flying and crashing hard onto the ground.
Backstabbing? William thought as he hit the floor, the realization dawning.
Indeed, there was a traitor, Harry had landed on top of William and was grappling for his wand with both hands.
With the water tornado dispelled, Riddle burst into maniacal laughter and seized Harry's wand.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A streak of green light shot from the wand, aimed directly at William.
Fawkes dove in front of William, its beak wide open, swallowing the green light whole. Flames engulfed the phoenix as it collapsed to the floor, now a small, shriveled form incapable of flight.
At the same time, William waved his right hand, wandless, and flung Harry across the room. Harry's body slammed into the wall with a thud.
From Harry's mouth slithered a small, emerald-green serpent, which darted toward William like lightning.
With a flick of his left hand, William summoned a silver sword, hurling it with precision. The blade pinned the snake to the wall, killing it instantly.
"If it weren't for that damn phoenix, I'd have killed you by now!" Riddle snarled, wiping the blood from his shoulder.
"True," William admitted, gripping his wand tightly.
"You're impressive, Riddle. Even though you're no match for me, you almost managed to trip me up... worthy of the title Dark Lord."
"But unfortunately, you've run out of chances." William glanced at Ron, "Unless... there's another basilisk in his body?"
"No, that was the last one," Riddle explained, shrugging. "There were seven juvenile basilisks. I drained the life force from six of them, and I placed the final one inside Potter to launch this attack against you."
"Then bring out whatever tricks you have left," William said, his gaze fixed on Riddle. "Because otherwise, I'll finish you off right here."
"Oh, I still have one last move," Riddle said, lowering himself. He pointed the wand at Harry's head, his expression twisting with rage.
"Give me the ring, or I'll kill Potter! You don't want him to die, do you?"
William froze for a moment, his expression briefly stunned. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he burst out laughing.
He finally understood why Dumbledore had sent Harry to face Voldemort time and again, seemingly without fear of the outcome.
Fixing his gaze on Riddle, William raised his hand, speaking with utmost seriousness:
"Please, kill Harry. Don't hold back!"
Riddle blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected response. Anger flaring, he raised the wand and bellowed:
"Avada Kedavra!"
Once more, green light filled the chamber, illuminating its dark corners.