Lockhart made hissing sounds and summoned the snakes that brought Harry here.
Harry felt his headache intensify. He could tell this was Parseltongue—Lockhart planned to make these snakes sacrifice themselves.
Lockhart grabbed snake after snake, cut each into two sections, and tossed them into the cauldron.
Harry kept gasping and clenched his jaw tight, forcing words through his teeth. "What are you... What are you... Planning!"
He seemed to hallucinate—heard men's and women's voices. A green light seemed to flash before his eyes, then a woman began screaming and kept pleading for something...
Another green light...
"Didn't I say? Replace my future self..." Tom Riddle smiled. "I am Voldemort! That pathetic future... Doesn't deserve the name Voldemort!"
His mood seemed excellent, willing to explain more. "I'll break through original constraints and possess a true body—a perfect body!"
"Look! I have a body now..." He raised his arm and waved. "A simple resurrection magic that lets me cast spells and act!"
"The Parkinson family actually possessed such magic and my future self didn't know! I don't even know how to condemn him—resources must be utilized!"
"Two Voldemorts—what about the other Voldemort?" Harry said through clenched teeth. Pain from the scar made thinking difficult. He could only force himself to keep talking and avoid losing consciousness.
He wanted to stay conscious, ask more secrets, see through that green light, and see the screaming woman's face clearly.
"My future self?" Tom Riddle spoke softly. "Interesting question. Probably while he's still lurking, find a way to devour him..."
"Without light, shadow cannot be born. Devouring him will certainly be difficult but must try, right? Actually I'm already ahead of him... Holding you in my grasp..."
After tossing all snakes into the cauldron, Lockhart ignored blood on his hands, took Runespoor eggs from the bundle, and threw them all into the cauldron.
While adding Runespoor eggs, he spoke the second incantation. "Innocent one's flesh, deliberately severed, can preserve the soul..."
Liquid in the cauldron calmed, no longer shot sparks outward, like an orange-red smooth mirror—like Runespoor egg color.
"Ugh..." Harry groaned in pain, body arched like a shrimp. Pain from the scar like electric shock instantly penetrated his entire body and made his breathing nearly stop.
"Finally the bone..." Tom Riddle smiled satisfied. "I remember... You recently experienced this once. Shouldn't hurt too much. Just endure."
But Lockhart didn't leave the cauldron and still searched the bundle, took out a glass bottle with a silver thread inside.
Tom Riddle grabbed Harry's collar and planned to drag him before the cauldron.
Just then, Lockhart's incantation sounded. "Thread tracing origins, waiting to be cast, can make the soul whole again..."
Tom Riddle's expression changed, suddenly turned and shouted. "Lockhart! What are you doing!"
Lockhart didn't speak and threw the silver thread into the cauldron.
But a cold voice seemed to come from his body and said dully. "Become whole again—didn't I already say? My... Past self!"
"Confringo!" Tom Riddle thrust his wand toward Lockhart. Dazzling orange-red light burst from the tip and shot straight toward the cauldron.
Lockhart made no attempt to block. Tom Riddle seemed to realize something and glided around behind Harry.
Harry understood almost instantly what Tom Riddle wanted, endured severe pain from the scar, and like a fish leaping to shore, struggled desperately.
Just as Tom Riddle finally lifted Harry and planned to use him as a shield—the cauldron exploded. Countless liquid flew out and splashed in all directions.
This liquid moved extremely fast, became thread-like in the air, and all pierced into Tom Riddle's body.
The other ends of these silver threads all connected to Lockhart's body.
Lockhart took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
In this breath, his appearance changed—nose bridge collapsed, eyeballs glowed red, looked like a snake face.
The moment he saw this face, Harry recognized it. "Vol... Voldemort!"
When Voldemort revealed his true face, pain from the scar reached its peak. Harry couldn't resist at all—eyes rolled back and passed out.
Tom Riddle seemed incredulous, his body became more illusory. "Lockhart, you..."
"Why do you think he knows Parseltongue?" Voldemort showed a sinister smile. "Someone like him—could he really learn Parseltongue in such short time?"
"You possessed him..." Tom Riddle asked through clenched teeth. "Why wasn't it discovered by Dumbledore?"
"Because I chose another method—possession within the soul... Didn't you see?" Voldemort asked back. "Lockhart's soul was too broken..."
"Memories not belonging to him pried open too many soul-level gaps. Very suitable for me to mix in and let everyone remain unaware..."
"The price was only sleep, also convenient for gathering strength... Even if Dumbledore was careful, he couldn't discover me. Moreover, there was you..."
"What you did at Hogwarts diverted Dumbledore's attention from me. If I wanted to hide, it became even simpler!"
"Your target is me?" Tom Riddle realized. "Waiting for this day all along!"
"Correct! I was waiting for this day!" Voldemort nodded. "You tried to usurp the host but forgot what you said... Without light, shadow cannot be born! I am the main body!"
"Of course this isn't your fault. Student-era me was somewhat naive—otherwise you wouldn't exist. Perhaps I should thank Wizette. If not for him, I wouldn't have detected your existence!"
"Truly unexpected..." Tom Riddle narrowed his eyes slightly. "You were already planning to deal with me... That early?"
"Wizette! Wizette!" Voldemort sighed several times, like savoring something. "I really want to devour his soul... His soul is exceptionally delicious... You should have felt it too!"
"Even through that disgusting Patronus Charm, I could... Taste unique soul flavor—flavor enough to strengthen me! I think there will be an opportunity soon!"
He walked step by step toward Tom Riddle. With each step, the glow around Tom Riddle increased and illusory feeling intensified...
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