After sealing the entire Headmaster's office with layers of advanced containment magic, Dumbledore finally opened the bottle.
The instant the stopper came free, Voldemort's gray soul burst out like a released beast.
Black mist surged through the air.
Voldemort immediately launched himself at Dumbledore.
The old wizard didn't even blink.
A flick of his wand sent glowing white chains shooting forward.
They wrapped around Voldemort instantly.
The Dark Lord crashed to the floor, bound from every direction.
"Heh... hehehe..."
Voldemort laughed despite his imprisonment.
His crimson eyes burned with hatred.
"Dumbledore."
The name dripped with venom.
"I'll be back."
His gaze became even darker.
"And that damned brat."
"I underestimated him."
The humiliation clearly stung more than the capture itself.
"Next time, neither of you will be so lucky."
Dumbledore looked down at him calmly.
"You won't get another opportunity."
Without further warning, he raised his wand.
Powerful Legilimency surged directly into Voldemort's mind.
The invasion was effortless.
There was no resistance.
No Occlumency.
No attempt to fight back.
At first, Dumbledore thought it was a trap.
Then he realized the truth.
There was almost nothing left to read.
Hatred.
Resentment.
A desperate desire for resurrection.
Beyond that, the mind was nearly blank.
Voldemort suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
His face twisted with triumph.
"Dumbledore, did you really think I'd come here unprepared?"
The laughter became even louder.
"Before I attached myself to Quirrell, I erased everything important."
"You'll find nothing."
"Nothing at all."
His eyes gleamed maliciously.
"Doesn't that frustrate you?"
Dumbledore's expression remained calm.
"As expected."
With another casual wave of his wand, the white chains tightened.
Moments later, Voldemort was sealed back inside the containment bottle.
The stopper snapped shut.
Silence returned to the office.
Dumbledore frowned slightly.
Memory Charms could be used on oneself.
A wizard of Voldemort's caliber would certainly have prepared for the possibility of capture.
Even Dumbledore couldn't recover secrets that had already been deliberately erased.
For now, every important clue remained hidden.
...
Meanwhile, Liam was making his way through Hogwarts.
His opinion of Dumbledore had dropped another level.
The old wizard truly deserved his reputation as a master schemer.
Liam had just helped him capture his greatest enemy.
Yet Dumbledore's first instinct had been to examine him with Legilimency.
Normal people didn't behave like that.
Thankfully, Dumbledore had backed down.
Had it escalated into a real confrontation, Liam would have had no choice but to retreat.
The feeling left a bitter taste in his mouth.
It had been a long time since he had felt so powerless.
His magical strength still wasn't sufficient.
Simply training his magic reserves wouldn't solve the problem overnight.
The gap between himself and a wizard like Dumbledore was too large.
If he wanted to compete with monsters of that level, he needed something else.
More advanced magic.
More dangerous magic.
Ancient magic.
Lost magic.
The sort of spells that modern textbooks no longer contained.
Which brought his thoughts back to Borgin's cursed dark grimoire.
If any place still preserved forgotten magical knowledge, it would be there.
Liam was still considering the problem when he reached a staircase.
A familiar figure appeared ahead.
Black robes.
Pale skin.
A permanently irritated expression.
Professor Snape.
The Potions Master strode directly toward him.
His pace was unusually fast.
"You."
Snape stopped in front of him.
His dark eyes locked onto Liam's.
"You found the Dark Lord?"
Liam blinked.
The question was certainly direct.
"Yes."
He nodded.
"He was attached to the back of Professor Quirrell's head."
"I informed Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore."
"They captured him."
Snape stared at him for several seconds.
Then he grabbed Liam's wrist.
"Come with me."
Without waiting for a response, he marched down the corridor.
Liam considered resisting.
In the end, curiosity won.
Even if Snape intended something suspicious, Liam could escape whenever he wanted.
A few minutes later, they entered an empty classroom.
Snape immediately sealed the door.
A locking charm.
Then another.
Afterward, he cast a powerful Silencing Charm around the room.
Only once every precaution had been completed did he lower his wand.
Liam's curiosity increased.
Whatever this was, Snape clearly didn't want anyone overhearing.
The professor turned toward him.
His expression was unusually serious.
"Liam."
The tone alone was enough to command attention.
"You need to listen very carefully."
Liam nodded.
"Capturing the Dark Lord is not the end of this situation."
Snape's voice grew even heavier.
"It's the beginning."
Liam frowned.
"Why?"
"Isn't Voldemort already imprisoned?"
"He's imprisoned now."
Snape's expression darkened.
"But he always comes back."
The certainty in his voice was chilling.
"I don't know how he does it."
"I don't know what magic he uses."
"But somehow he survives."
The professor grabbed Liam's shoulders.
The action surprised him.
Even more surprising was the concern visible in Snape's eyes.
"You must be careful."
"Always."
"If anything suspicious happens, come to me immediately."
His voice became lower.
"And if you ever find yourself trapped with no way out..."
Snape hesitated.
Then continued.
"Pretend to surrender."
Liam blinked.
"...What?"
"Survive first."
Snape's expression didn't change.
"Escape later."
The sincerity behind the advice was unmistakable.
Liam studied him carefully.
Then asked the question that truly mattered.
"So you're saying Voldemort can return through some form of resurrection magic?"
"I believe so."
Snape nodded.
"For nearly twenty years, I've studied potions extensively."
"There is no potion capable of accomplishing what he does."
His voice became thoughtful.
"It must be magic."
"Something exceptionally dark."
"Something he kept secret."
A bitter expression appeared on his face.
"I served him once."
"Even then, I knew very little."
That statement alone carried enormous implications.
"You mustn't become complacent."
Snape's gaze sharpened.
"The glory you're about to receive will attract attention."
"One day, when you least expect it, he may come for you."
Liam absorbed the warning.
Then he asked a different question.
"Professor."
Snape raised an eyebrow.
"Yes?"
"Why are you telling me all this?"
The room became quiet.
Liam continued.
"This isn't information professors normally share with students."
"Especially first-years."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Why do you care so much?"
Snape froze.
For several moments, he didn't answer.
Then he sighed.
A long, tired sigh.
"You're the finest Slytherin student I've ever met."
The answer caught Liam completely off guard.
Snape continued before he could respond.
"You're talented."
"Mature."
"Disciplined."
"And unlike many pure-bloods, you don't look down on Muggles."
Something complicated flickered through the professor's eyes.
Regret.
Perhaps even sadness.
"My life has been filled with failures."
His voice became quieter.
"There are many things I couldn't accomplish."
For the first time since meeting him, Snape looked almost vulnerable.
Then he met Liam's eyes directly.
"I want to take you as my apprentice."
The words hung in the air.
"I'll teach you everything I know."
"Potions."
"Magic."
"Everything."
A faint trace of hope appeared in his expression.
"Liam Hale."
"Are you willing to become my student and inherit my legacy?"
....
Join my P*atreon for 100 premium chapters ahead of the public release.
Link: pa*treon.com/MysticVerse (Remove the *)
Free members also get 2 advanced chapters for free.