Harry, astride his broom, followed the trail of blood deeper into the Forbidden Forest. After a short flight, he spotted Malfoy, pale and bleeding, leaning against a tree. Malfoy was wounded, but the blood trail continued further into the woods. Harry's heart sank; it really was Voldemort. He knew how tough Hagrid's hide was, but even Hagrid was injured.
Malfoy caught sight of Harry flying overhead and immediately yelled, "Potter! Help me!"
Harry didn't approach rashly. Instead, he pointed his wand at Malfoy. "Malfoy? What are you doing—Stupefy!"
Harry stunned Malfoy by surprise. After a moment's hesitation, he left Humphrey to guard him, then continued flying in the direction of the blood. He flew a bit further, and then the sounds of a struggle reached him. Harry dismounted, creeping forward stealthily.
Hagrid was leaning against a tree, gasping for breath, with Norbert shielding him. The cloaked figure merely flicked his wand dismissively, and a deep gash appeared on the Norwegian Ridgeback's hide, as if its dragon skin offered no magical resistance at all.
"No! Don't hurt him! Come after me instead!" Hagrid wailed, trying to rush forward, but he was swiftly hit by a Binding Charm. Norbert roared, spewing flames, but was soon struck by a Severing Charm and collapsed to the ground.
Just then, the cloaked figure spoke. "I've played with you long enough. The main event has finally arrived. Harry Potter, come out. I've been wanting to meet you for a long time."
"No! Harry, don't come out!" The cloaked figure impatiently flicked his hand, and Hagrid was thrown heavily to the ground, falling unconscious.
"Harry Potter, come out. Otherwise, the next spell won't be so gentle."
Harry slowly emerged, his gaze fixed on the cloaked figure. "So you—Confringo!"
Harry tried his old trick, but the cloaked figure seemed prepared, effortlessly blocking the spell, then burst into laughter.
"Hahahahaha! You're exactly as you were in that memory!"
"Dumbledore must be furious. His precious Boy Who Lived is just like me!" The cloaked figure pulled down his hood. His eyes were red, and his face looked melted, yet Harry could still vaguely recognise Quirrell.
"Harry Potter, look at me now. Barely clinging to life, without a proper form. I can only speak to you through this worthless body."
"But I am the great Voldemort! I have conquered death! So Dumbledore can't kill me, and neither could Lily Potter!"
Before Harry could say anything, Voldemort continued to ramble. "How excited I was when I saw that memory! Your childhood was almost identical to mine: Parseltongue, parentless... We are both geniuses hated by ordinary folk... We should join forces and create a better world."
"Come, Potter, I grant you permission to stand by my side." Voldemort finished, extending a hand as if offering a great gift.
"And then walk around with a face that looks like it's been set on fire? Can't you afford a decent potion?" Harry couldn't resist mocking him.
Voldemort retracted his outstretched hand, saying coldly, "It seems you are just like your mother. Crucio!"
Though Harry had been prepared, Voldemort's casting was too fast. He instantly felt every bone in his body burning, his head surely splitting along his scar, his eyeballs wildly spinning in his skull. Harry hadn't realised Voldemort was so powerful; he couldn't even withstand a single curse.
Soon, Harry screamed in agony, as if every nerve in his body was on fire, yet a warm glow emanated from his chest. Shortly after, Voldemort coughed up a mouthful of blood, and then the Cruciatus Curse stopped.
Voldemort stared at Harry in shock. Although this pain was nothing to him, his magic had been repelled! Voldemort seemed to see the red-haired witch through Harry. No, this wasn't an illusion; he truly felt Lily's magic. He immediately raised his wand in a furious rage.
"Avada Kedavra!"
But no green light appeared. Nothing happened. Voldemort, undeterred, pointed his wand at Harry on the ground again and chanted, "Avada Kedavra!" Still, nothing happened.
Harry burst into laughter at the sight.
The enraged Voldemort, surprisingly, calmed down. He said softly, "Very funny, Potter. If Quirrell weren't resisting my control, refusing me more of his magic, my Killing Curse wouldn't have failed."
This time, Voldemort cautiously used a Severing Charm, but it was still repelled. Voldemort paid no attention to the wounds on his face, standing there, muttering to himself. "This shouldn't be... Could it be that day... That cursed Lily Potter."
Harry seized the opportunity to fire a Petrificus Totalus, but it was effortlessly blocked by Voldemort. Then, unexpectedly, Harry found himself floating into the air. Voldemort hadn't anticipated Harry's wandless, nonverbal Levitation Charm, and was caught off guard.
By the time Voldemort dispelled the Levitation Charm and landed, Harry had already taken the chance to hide in the trees.
...
Voldemort fired another spell, which Harry agilely dodged, and a wave of irritation washed over him. "If that worthless Quirrell didn't have so little magic, I would have caught the cursed Potter by now... I can't drag this out any longer. Dumbledore will soon realise it was a trap and rush back. No, perhaps he's already on his way."
At this thought, Voldemort pulled out a flask of unicorn blood and drank it, beginning to channel a vast amount of magical energy.
Harry, panting, hid behind a large tree when suddenly a black light flashed, and Harry fell into unconsciousness. Voldemort ruthlessly transferred the rebounded magical effects to Quirrell's soul. Enduring Quirrell's wails in his mind, he pulled Harry towards him with a Levitation Charm.
"Well, no matter. A living Potter is more useful than a dead one. With you, Dumbledore will have no choice but to give me the Philosopher's Stone."
"Let go of Harry, Tom."
Hermione ran desperately towards the castle. She didn't head for the Headmaster's office in the tower, but instead went to the older students' classrooms, where exams were still underway.
With a crash, the door was rudely pushed open. Snape was almost amused, his anger bubbling into a cold smile. He wanted to see who dared to be so reckless.
"Professor Snape, he's back! In the Forbidden Forest! Harry's there too!" Hermione gasped, out of breath.
Snape was first bewildered, then instantly realised who she was talking about. He strode out of the classroom, waving his wand to summon a doe Patronus to inform Dumbledore, then questioned Hermione for details.
"..."
"That idiotic Potter! Falling for such an obvious trap! Is his brain stuffed with Gurdyroots? Granger, you'd better pray Potter is still alive. Now get out of my way immediately, don't hold me back," Snape snarled furiously.
Suddenly, Snape halted. Hermione nearly crashed into him. But soon, a reassuring voice came from ahead. "Severus, take Hermione to the Hospital Wing. I will bring Harry back safely."
Watching the expressionless Dumbledore grip his phoenix and depart, Hermione felt a wave of relief.
"Professor Snape, do we really not need to go and help?" Hermione asked hesitantly.
"Have you been spending too much time with Potter? Are Gurdyroots growing in your brain too? If Dumbledore himself can't bring Potter back, then our following them would be utterly pointless." Although Snape spoke like this, his grip on his wand remained firm.
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