"Protego—"
Lord Voldemort raised his hand to block, but unexpectedly, his eyes felt as if they had been slashed by a sharp blade. Amidst the blood-red, his vision went completely black.
Wizards Hand — Visual Deprivation · Physical
Watching the bloodstains on Lord Voldemort's eyes, carved by the invisible Wizards Hand, Harry's longsword fell without hesitation.
However, the reappearing restraints suddenly tightened around his throat.
Just above Lord Voldemort's slashed eyes, two fine lines abruptly appeared, then suddenly opened into a new pair of green eyes, filled with malice.
"You truly astound me! But this is where it ends!!!"
Harry's wrist was twisted by the restraints, his bones seemingly snapped, and the second longsword fell to the ground.
Thinking quickly, he immediately let go, dropping his wand as well. This hand absolutely could not be broken again.
He gasped, his extremely hot breath turning into white mist in the air.
Was it… still too far off?
His gaze continued to scan his surroundings, intending to find an opportunity.
Then, he saw the back of Lord Voldemort's right hand, the scar that seemed to be a burn.
When was that… burned by fire?!
Impossible… the mark of that scar… the palm… Lord Voldemort's restraints dangled Harry, placing him before the giant mirror.
Harry didn't know what connection this mirror had to the Philosopher's Stone, and clearly, the current Lord Voldemort wouldn't answer him like before.
His head was forcibly twisted, making him look into the mirror.
His reflection in the mirror was flushed red, his face filled with fury.
Everything was just like an ordinary mirror.
However, the next moment, his reflection in the mirror suddenly smiled. It looked incredibly eerie. The him in the mirror reached into his pocket, pulled out a blood-red stone, then blinked and put the stone back into his pocket.
Instantly, Harry's pocket felt heavy; the Philosopher's Stone had indeed fallen into his corresponding pocket!
"This…"
"Hand it over. I've already sensed the fluctuations in your mind; you already know where the Philosopher's Stone is," Lord Voldemort's cold voice rang in Harry's ear.
"Why don't you just look in my head yourself?" Harry sneered.
It seems Lord Voldemort can't even do that anymore… "Untie my hand, and I'll give it to you," Harry said.
The restraints loosened his left hand.
"The other hand; this one has already been twisted off by you and can't do anything," Harry said.
The restraints re-bound his left hand, then released his right hand.
Harry reached into his pocket, pulled out a blood-red stone, and handed it over.
Seeing this, Lord Voldemort's eyes immediately lit up, and he raised his hand to take it.
However, the next moment, a massive dragon head appeared on Harry's hand and bit down.
Lord Voldemort tried to transform back into his black mist form, but Harry's hand swept across, and an invisible Wizards Hand struck Quirrell's face, which was Lord Voldemort's back.
He stumbled uncontrollably towards Harry, but his body was already on the verge of turning into black mist!!
At this moment, Harry's index finger and thumb crossed.
Click—
"Petrificus Totalus!!"
"Wandless magic? How is that possible!!"
Lord Voldemort's body, transforming into black mist, instantly froze for a moment. In that instant, Harry's hand fiercely grabbed his face.
A sizzling sound, like a red-hot branding iron on flesh, erupted. Scorched smoke and various blisters burst open on Lord Voldemort's face.
Lord Voldemort's wails and Quirrell's screams immediately echoed throughout the empty classroom.
Norbert, the little dragon, was completely unleashed, biting down hard on Lord Voldemort's hand, which he had just extended to take the Philosopher's Stone, preventing him from breaking free.
Indeed, the burn on Lord Voldemort's right hand originated from the first time he grabbed his hand and drew his sword while turning around!!
This direct palm strike to the face caused even greater damage, reaching deep into his soul.
At the same time, the stinging pain in his forehead intensified, almost causing him to lose his mind. Various images flashed through his mind.
The green light that flashed, the red-haired woman who stood in front of him, her hair fluttering, then falling to the ground.
That hideous smile, that unrestrained, echoing laughter… Harry's other hand had already broken free. He lunged directly onto Quirrell, disregarding the bone-deep pain, and pressed his broken hand onto Lord Voldemort's face as well.
For a moment, various sensations continuously assaulted his mind. Gradually, his consciousness began to blur, and Lord Voldemort's wails in his ears faded.
In a daze, he saw Lord Voldemort's face beginning to detach from the back of Quirrell's head.
"No!!!"
He roared, letting out a furious cry. However, when he regained some clarity, he only saw a shadow, dragging the black mist, fleeing.
As for Quirrell, whom he had pressed his palm against, he was already unconscious.
Beside him, an old man in grey robes appeared. He first extended a hand and helped Harry up.
"Astounding," he praised, his gentle voice seemingly imbued with some magic, like a spring breeze, quickly invigorating Harry's fragile spirit somewhat.
"Sir… Lord Voldemort!!"
"Don't worry," Dumbledore spread one hand, and the Philosopher's Stone, lying on the ground, automatically floated into his hand.
Harry also slightly raised his hand, and Norbert rapidly shrank, turning back into a ring.
Then, he also raised his hand, and the ring on his index finger shimmered slightly.
"Accio wand—Accio Longsword—" His voice was weak, but the spells were very practiced.
Soon, he quickly retrieved everything.
Dumbledore watched all of this, his eyes shining. Suddenly, he looked up.
"Howl!"
"What's wrong?!" Harry immediately tensed up.
Dumbledore's hand rested on Harry's shoulder. Outside the door, a flash of scarlet shadow passed by.
The next moment, the two disappeared from this place.
In another blink of an eye, they had appeared in the Castle office. Harry looked puzzled, but saw Dumbledore, with a solemn expression, go to the window.
Harry also quickly followed, and soon, he spotted a black shadow the size of a sesame seed.
"It's Lord Voldemort, sir!" Harry quickly said.
But Dumbledore said nothing.
Harry looked puzzled, but the next moment, the clouds in the sky churned, forming a large hand, and clouds also inexplicably rose from the ground, condensing into claws!
In mid-air, a figure appeared.
Howl's hands moved, one up and one down, gradually closing, enveloping the black shadow within them.
"Howl Jenkins!!!" Lord Voldemort's soul cried out, "How is this possible? You have such power, yet you're willing to work for that fellow Dumbledore?!"
"Work?!" Howl's face broke into a smile, his hair flying, as he drew closer to Riddle's soul.
"I just have some scores to settle with you!"
"I've never had any animosity with you!" Riddle said, "With such power, we could completely create a new world!
We are fundamentally different from them; you know what I mean!!"
Riddle struggled, but couldn't escape the invisible large hand. He was too weak.
"We are all just humans," Howl laughed, "Riddle, I think you're a bit extreme!"
"Let me go! Howl Jenkins, don't force me!!!" Riddle roared.
Howl said no more. His hands closed tighter and tighter, and the celestial phenomena gradually disappeared. By now, Riddle had been gathered together by him.
"Then no one will have an easy time!!!" Riddle also said no more, and his soul suddenly began to churn.
The next moment, a violent explosion suddenly erupted.
Dumbledore stood at the window, then suddenly moved like lightning. The elder wand waved, a shimmering silver light flashed, instantly covering the entire Castle. The violent shockwave was blocked by him outside the Castle.
The entire Forbidden Forest was knocked to one side, tiles flew off Hagrid's hut, and windows exploded!!
A moment later, the impact dissipated.
A skull stood in place, golden runes rapidly flashing within its bones. In the blink of an eye, flesh regrew.
Howl spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling somewhat bored.
Then he touched his head again… Hmm, still a cat head.
The next moment, his figure disappeared, appearing in Dumbledore's office.
Dumbledore looked at Howl's figure. In his eyes, it was still that skeleton from before.
"Human Transmutation…" he marveled.
He was still marveling at the unique, extremely twisted beauty of magic within it.
"He self-destructed," Howl ignored Dumbledore's abnormal gaze, lay back in the chair, and said faintly.
"To dare to detonate his remaining soul like that…" Dumbledore's face showed deep thought.
"That means he has more than just this one soul," Howl said, "Horcrux!"
Dumbledore's eyes were sharp. He indeed knew that Riddle was not dead, yet he still didn't know why he could survive the rebounding Killing Curse.
Now it seemed there was an answer.
Horcruxes were not seeds, but anchors.
As long as a Horcrux existed in the world, even if the main body faced death, it would be pulled back.
But at the same time, it brought a problem.
No one knew how long it would be until Lord Voldemort's next return.
"At least you have time to find his Horcruxes, don't you?" Howl seemed to already know what he was thinking, and said with a lazy shrug.
Dumbledore turned around and nodded, "That's true."
Then the two looked at Harry, who stood beside them. He too looked wretched, his hair disheveled, his spirit low, and one hand broken and dangling.
Seeing their gaze fall upon him, Harry immediately said, "Uncle Howl, Sir, Quirrell is still in the basement. And the Ministry of Magic—"
"Well done, kid," Howl nodded.
Harry's words were interrupted. His eyes slightly lit up, a little moist.
This was the first time Uncle Howl had praised him so seriously and earnestly!
"Perhaps you should get some rest," Howl said, "A good night's sleep is the most correct choice right now."
"Yes," Harry nodded, his voice trembling slightly. After bidding farewell to the two, countless fatigue assailed him upon hearing those words.
He had forgotten how he left the Headmaster's Office, and how he walked to the second-floor infirmary amidst his classmates' fervent discussions about the strange phenomena outside the window.
He only knew that when he woke up again, it was already three days later.
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