"Confringo!"
Wes once again unleashed the powerful Blasting Curse at incredible speed toward the mysterious figure.
This time, the curse shot forward like a cannonball and hit its target with perfect precision.
The cloaked figure was struck with tremendous force, sent flying backward, and slammed hard into the ground. For a long moment, they couldn't even struggle to get back up.
Just then, two distinctly different voices echoed from the figure's direction.
"I'm sorry, Master."
"Give me control of the body!"
"But Master, your injuries—"
"Silence, fool!!"
"Yes, Master."
Wes's senses immediately picked up on the violent shift in the magical energy coming from the figure.
"Looks like Voldemort just logged in," Wes muttered to himself, fully aware that his next opponent was no longer just the insignificant Quirrell, but the infamous Dark Lord whose very name sent shivers through the British wizarding world.
Without hesitation, Wes cast "Protego Maxima", summoning a sturdy magical shield that surrounded him with a protective barrier.
"Sectumsempra!" Wes shouted, and a razor-sharp invisible slash tore through the air toward Voldemort.
Voldemort reacted swiftly, deflecting the deadly spell with a flick of his wand. The spell veered off and struck several thick trees, slicing them cleanly in half.
The moment the attack failed, Wes didn't hesitate—he pressed the offensive.
"Avada Kedavra!"
He shouted the terrifying Unforgivable Curse, and a flash of green light shot toward Voldemort.
The Dark Lord dodged with ghostlike speed, narrowly avoiding the killing curse.
But in that same moment, the grass and weeds around Voldemort's feet suddenly sprang to life, growing rapidly and twisting around his limbs like powerful arms trying to restrain him.
"Clever little brat," Voldemort snarled through gritted teeth.
"I'm a Hogwarts professor," Wes replied calmly, "There's no way I'd actually use an Unforgivable Curse."
Black mist suddenly billowed from Voldemort's body. It radiated a corrosive energy so strong that the magically animated vines withered and died the moment they touched it.
Wes remained on the move, shifting his position constantly across the battlefield, his wand firing off spell after spell in rapid succession. But Voldemort continued to dodge them all with eerie ease.
"You have talent, young man," Voldemort said, with a trace of admiration in his voice. "Swear allegiance to me, and I shall grant you endless power and glory…"
Wes burst out laughing.
"Swear allegiance? To you? A complete and utter failure?"
A dark, murderous aura surged from Voldemort's body.
"Do you even know who I am?"
"Of course," Wes said coolly, "You were a senior student back in my school days, after all."
Wes's eyes locked on Voldemort's, filled with bold defiance.
"Crucio!"
Voldemort suddenly cast the Cruciatus Curse, and a beam of wicked energy shot toward Wes.
Wes dodged quickly and countered with "Petrificus Totalus!"
But Voldemort was equally nimble, sidestepping to avoid the spell.
"Incendio Maxima!" Wes cast again. A wave of flames surged toward the Dark Lord.
Voldemort responded with a powerful stream of water from his wand, instantly extinguishing the fire.
"Wes!!"
Suddenly, Hagrid's booming voice rang out. He appeared with Harry, both of them running over in haste.
As soon as Hagrid saw the unicorn lying on the ground, he immediately began emergency treatment. With practiced hands, he used medicinal herbs to temporarily stop the bleeding from the unicorn's wound.
"Hagrid, take Harry and Draco and get out of here!" Wes shouted.
Hagrid responded without hesitation. His powerful arms lifted the wounded unicorn with effort, and he called the two children to follow him.
If it weren't for Hagrid's half-giant bloodline, it would've been impossible to carry such a heavy creature.
Draco obediently followed behind Hagrid. The fierce battle he'd just witnessed had completely captivated him—he was even a little excited.
'So this is how wizards fight... It's insanely cool!' he thought.
Once the others were gone, Voldemort's cold voice echoed through the clearing.
"Staying behind to cover your students' retreat? How touching."
Wes's magical energy surged like boiling water. "Now that it's just the two of us, no need to hold back."
"Incendio Maxima."
As Wes cast the spell, a torrent of roaring flames erupted from his wand. Under his precise control, the flames shaped themselves into a dragon, baring its fiery fangs as it lunged toward Voldemort.
Voldemort waved his wand, murmuring a spell. A massive ice shield formed instantly, absorbing the impact of the flaming dragon.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Voldemort didn't hesitate to use the real Unforgivable Curse this time. A streak of deadly green light shot toward Wes like a lightning bolt.
But Wes didn't panic. With a flick of his wand, a curious squirrel that had been watching from a tree branch was suddenly pulled into the path of the green light.
The unfortunate creature was struck instantly and died on the spot.
With no pause, Wes slammed the flaming dragon into Voldemort with full force.
Boom!! The explosion that followed was deafening, rivaling the blast of a C4 charge. Everything within ten meters was incinerated, and smoke curled up from the scorched earth.
Voldemort emerged unscathed—but it was obvious he was starting to run out of energy.
"Master, we should retreat. Dumbledore will be here any moment."
"You dare suggest I run away?!" Voldemort growled.
"Master, your current condition isn't suited for a prolonged battle. What matters most is obtaining the Philosopher's Stone."
A flash of fire burst past Voldemort as Wes launched another spell, narrowly missing him.
"You don't look so good, Senior," Wes said casually, brushing ash off his robes. "No wonder you needed unicorn blood to keep going. Your fragile soul must be on the verge of collapse."
Voldemort narrowed his eyes, radiating a killing intent that sent chills through the air.
"So I was right." Wes flicked his wand sharply.
Expelliarmus
It was a silent spell—something Wes had long mastered—but Voldemort blocked it with Protego Maxima.
"Nice silent casting," Voldemort sneered. "But using Disarming Charm on me? Are you joking?"
Wes began to slowly circle him. "Never underestimate a single spell, Senior. And I've been drooling over those brilliant spells in your brain for a long time now."
"You insolent brat!" Voldemort was so furious he nearly snapped his wand in half. "You dare to try and capture me?!"
The Dark Lord, once feared across the wizarding world, had never been humiliated like this. Had today's young wizards truly forgotten the terror of his name?
"No need to be so angry, Senior. You just finished your hunt. Now it's my turn to hunt you."
Voldemort let out a furious laugh, wild and bitter.
"Die!!"
He raised his wand, and black mist billowed out like a flood. Wherever the mist touched, plants withered, and living things lost all vitality.
Wes immediately cast a Purification Charm, attempting to dispel the dark mist.
"Rapid Barrage!" he called out.
The stones and pebbles on the ground rose up, transformed into deadly projectiles, and fired toward Voldemort like a torrential storm.
Powered by Wes's immense magic, these magical "bullets" carried lethal force.
Suddenly, the black mist recoiled. Wes tensed instantly, all senses sharpened.
The mist condensed into a humanoid form—then vanished in the blink of an eye.
"???" Wes stood there, stunned.
He quickly cast Homenum Revelio, over and over, but Voldemort was nowhere to be found.
"Did he run?" Wes muttered with a dry laugh. "Looks like I overestimated how much pride Voldemort had left."