In Godric's Hollow, after Grindelwald accidentally shattered the nearby live-streaming orb, the fiercely escalating battle between the two inexplicably came to a halt.
Dumbledore's magnificent wizard robes were scorched black with several large holes burnt through, while Grindelwald's trench coat was severed in half—neither could mock the other.
With no outsiders to disturb them, the two old fellows dropped all pretences.
Grindelwald pointed at Dumbledore and swore, "Albus, we agreed to put on a show, but you actually went all out, damn it!"
"A show?" Dumbledore sneered. "You started with your own high-powered spells right away—that's what you call a show?"
Grindelwald's face flushed. "Aren't you the same? Wielding the Elder Wand and going all out—do you really want me dead here?"
The old headmaster sighed. "Gellert, I have my reasons, too. Ariana asked me to teach you a lesson—how could I hold back? Who knows, she might be watching this duel with Aberforth right now?"
Grindelwald stared at Dumbledore with a look that said 'you must be joking'.
"I know you don't believe it," Dumbledore explained. "But it's true. Wayne used the Holy Grail's wish-granting ability to enhance the Resurrection Stone, summoning Ariana's soul back from the unknown realm."
Grindelwald's eyes widened suddenly, trembling as he asked, "She's truly resurrected?"
"Truly," Dumbledore nodded emphatically. "Once Voldemort is completely destroyed, I'll beg Wayne to restore her physical body so she can be truly revived."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go together and finish him off right now." Grindelwald immediately became even more agitated than Dumbledore.
Their relationship had deteriorated precisely because of Ariana's death. Given this chance at redemption, he naturally wanted to make amends.
"Let's assess the situation first," Dumbledore said, as a viewing screen floated from his sleeve and unfolded, displaying the scene between Wayne and Voldemort.
Watching Wayne maintain complete control of the situation, both felt considerably reassured and began chatting idly.
"Gellert, why did you go all out from the start anyway?"
"Wayne showed me the letter you wrote to him," Grindelwald replied offhandedly, his eyes never leaving the screen.
Letter?
Dumbledore froze momentarily before quickly realising what he meant, his face darkening.
Was he trying to make sure they killed each other?
He now strongly suspected that Wayne had put Ariana up to asking him to teach Grindelwald a lesson—otherwise, given his sister's gentle and obedient nature, she would never have made such a request.
The more Dumbledore thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
What a dog!
But Dumbledore had no time to dwell on Wayne's behind-the-scenes scheming. On the screen, Voldemort had manifested his 'Horcrux True Form', making his expression turn grave.
Later, when Wayne assumed his 'Black-Winged Demon' form, both were utterly stunned.
Just who was the real Dark Lord here?
It was only when Harry and Ho-Oh arrived that Dumbledore finally breathed a complete sigh of relief.
The final Horcrux had finally been found!
Yet when he heard Wayne's final words, Dumbledore clenched his fists in shock.
"Does Tom still count as a Horcrux?"
He had always viewed Tom as an independent entity—the diary that served as the original Horcrux had been destroyed, and Tom's behaviour differed drastically from Voldemort's.
But Wayne's statement had now made him doubt his own judgement.
Grindelwald let out a cold laugh. "Dumbledore, when it comes to understanding Dark Magic, you still fall short of me."
"The most crucial aspect of a Horcrux isn't the object storing the soul, but the fragment of soul itself. What difference is there between Tom's condition and Harry Potter's?"
"One merely became a living Horcrux passively, while the other did so actively."
Dumbledore grew suspicious. "Why have you suddenly gained such understanding of Horcruxes?"
"Because I've created one myself."
"What?" Dumbledore stared at him in shock.
"Do you think I wanted to?" Grindelwald curled his lip. "That boy Wayne came begging to me, wanting to determine whether Tom possessed the ability to create Horcruxes. I became somewhat curious myself, so I reluctantly agreed to help him."
Though Grindelwald spoke grudgingly, Dumbledore easily guessed his primary motivation had been personal concern.
For a moment, he felt genuinely touched.
"Thank you, Gellert."
"I wasn't helping you." Grindelwald lifted his chin even higher.
A glint shone in Dumbledore's half-moon spectacles as he said softly, "Gellert... could you help me with one more thing?"
"What?" Grindelwald became interested when he discovered that Dumbledore would actively seek his assistance.
Was this an olive branch?
He might reluctantly consider it.
The scheming White Demon finally bared his fangs: "Wayne asked me to disguise myself as you and steal several buildings from Mahoutokoro. I couldn't bring myself to do it, but you know Ariana is in his hands - I couldn't refuse him."
"Gellert, perhaps you could go in person?"
Grindelwald stared blankly at Dumbledore for a long moment before throwing his head back with a roar.
"Lawrence! I'll never forgive you!"
...
"I have no connection with him whatsoever."
"Voldemort, while your schemes are adequate, you're truly terrible at lying."
Wayne looked down at him calmly and instantly cast the Imperius Curse.
"Imperio!"
Voldemort, already in mental turmoil from his recent torment, fell easily under Wayne's control. Simultaneously, Wayne ended the live broadcast—what followed wasn't suitable for public viewing.
"Harry, give your wand to Voldemort."
Without the slightest hesitation, Harry tossed it over.
"Voldemort, use the Killing Curse on Harry Potter with minimal power!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
With a dull thud, Harry's eyes widened before he collapsed to the ground.
Wayne quickly shifted to his magical perspective and observed Harry's soul remaining stable while Voldemort's soul fragment steadily diminished. Only then did he relax.
The saying Ollivander often repeated - 'The wand chooses the wizard' - had proven true once again.
Harry's wand had served him for five years, and they had developed perfect synchronisation. Under normal circumstances, Voldemort's willpower and power would have been sufficient to override the wand's resistance.
But now?
Voldemort was covered in injuries, controlled by the Imperius Curse, and at his weakest.
Combined with his resurrection using Harry's blood and Lily's protective magic, these overlapping factors gave Wayne confidence to let Voldemort use the Killing Curse on Harry.
Even if it couldn't destroy the Horcrux, it wouldn't kill Harry.
If his calculations had proven wrong...Then he could only visit Harry's grave on this day each year.
As Harry collapsed, Voldemort also seemed to suffer a heavy blow, falling completely unconscious.
Wayne summoned a handful of clear water and splashed it on Harry's face, quickly rousing him to sit up dazedly.
"Congratulations, the procedure was successful. From now on, you have no connection to Voldemort."
Harry's eyes widened. "I'm not a Horcrux anymore?"
"Yes, you're now just yourself, Harry Potter."
As Wayne spoke, Ho-Oh had already grabbed Harry's hair.
"Go find Dumbledore, then return to Hogwarts. I'll deal with the final threat."
After saying this, Wayne flew up into the sky, transforming into a streak of starlight that vanished into the night.
...
At Koldovstoretz, after Wayne exposed the schemes between him and Voldemort, Tom had quickly gathered all the forces he could mobilise through the Floo Network.
Ten minutes later, a light beam several metres thick descended from the sky, utterly destroying the protective and concealment enchantments of this thousand-year-old school.
The connected Eastern Orthodox-style buildings were revealed in their true form. Wayne slowly landed on the square before the complex, where hundreds of people were already gathered around Tom, watching him warily.
"Did you come out specifically to await death, knowing I was coming?"
With hundreds of wands pointed at him, Wayne still smiled easily, ignoring everyone as he looked only at Tom.
"Lawrence, you defeated the Dark Lord and saved the wizarding world. I deeply respect you, but Mr Riddle is the Headmaster appointed by the Ministry of Magic. Would you violate international law by attacking wizards of our country?" Katerina stepped forward, sternly threatening him.
Wayne looked at her in surprise. "What gave you the illusion that I care about such things?"
"Those I wish to kill - even if they're the Headmaster, or even the Minister for Magic like you - will die here today."
"You!"
Katerina's face alternated between pale and flushed as she waved her hand grandly.
"Attack!"
A torrent of spells came raining down. These hundreds of people were the absolute elite of the Russian wizarding community. Last time, just several dozen Aurors had forced Dumbledore to retreat, and Katerina believed this time would be no different.
Yet she was wrong.
Wayne spread his hands flat, pulling forth a wall of light that blocked all the spells and reflected them back. Many couldn't dodge in time and, without Shield Charms for protection, were immediately struck.
Three days apart, one should view with new eyes. During the World Cup, facing attacks from hundreds, Wayne had needed to respond cautiously, but now these people were merely cannon fodder in his eyes.
The youth blasted out a ball of flame, directly burning several wizards who had used Unforgivable Curses.
The sky flashed with lightning and thunder, dark red bolts brewing within the clouds.
"Katerina, you and I have known each other for some time. This is between Tom and me. If he dies, you can still carry out your reforms - it makes no difference."
"Leave now, and you can keep your lives to continue pursuing your ideals."
Just as Katerina was about to retort, Tom raised his hand to stop her. "Young Master Lawrence, can't you give me one chance?"
Tom's grave eyes watched the youth—this was the nightmare that had haunted him since his rebirth.
"The crimes Voldemort committed have nothing to do with me. I'm merely who he once was. Why can't you just let me be!"
"Everything I've done, isn't this exactly what you wanted?!"
"Correct, I quite approve of some of your actions." Wayne nodded approvingly. "But destroying you - what concern is that of yours?"
"Tom, your very existence was a mistake from the beginning, an accident."
"Now that you've completed your purpose, it's time for you to depart."
"You created this mistake!" Tom's veins bulged as he roared in fury.
"I was so young back then..." Wayne shook his head in 'self-reproach'. "I was merely a twelve-year-old child at the time. Now that I've grown up, I must correct the errors of my youth."
Many people watched them with doubtful expressions, completely bewildered by their exchange.
"You're just fucking bored with playing games!" Tom fired a Killing Curse in agitation, yet it couldn't even penetrate the light barrier.
Wayne looked at him with pity. This was precisely why he had never considered Tom worth his attention.
Time, it always came down to time. What could Voldemort, having developed to merely nineteen or twenty years old, possibly amount to?
Tom understood his gaze, and his pride was deeply wounded. He took a deep breath.
"Attack! Hold him off! I have a way to drive him away."
Some hesitated, but over a hundred people still obeyed Tom's command, continuously firing spells to buy him time.
Cracks began to appear in the light barrier. Wayne watched as Tom drew his wand across his own arm, murmuring incantations under his breath.
The blood was eerily absorbed by the snakewood wand, emitting an emerald-green glow so crystalline that it seemed a small serpent swam within its depths.
Wayne calmly extended his palm.
A powerful shockwave erupted, the force blast sending countless people flying. Tom abruptly looked up, his wand tracing an elegant arc as golden magical power intercepted the shockwave, shooting skyward and forming a massive mushroom cloud.
"Hmm?"
Wayne keenly detected something amiss.
Tom's eyes had changed.
"You're not Tom. Who are you?" Wayne demanded.
A hoarse, ancient voice emerged from Tom's mouth.
"This old man is Salazar Slytherin, young one. Quite novel magic, and such exaggerated magical power. Are you certain you're not some ancient monster pretending to be young?"
Wayne's mind went blank for an instant.
He suddenly remembered the prophecy Trelawney had made years ago.
We shall eventually witness the true... legend!