"Two!!!"
Deafening thunder shook the chamber, the air thick with acrid smoke and swirling dust.
In mere heartbeats, the wizard chess formation lay in utter ruin. Giant stone pieces crumbled to fragments, debris scattered like a battlefield aftermath.
Venom's pitch-black, monstrous form prowled through the devastation, roaring as he hunted for the final target.
"One!!!"
The king statue's head was torn clean from its shoulders.
Venom spun and hurled it like artillery fire—a sharp whistle cut the air as the stone head rocketed across the entire board, punching straight through the queen's chest...
As the queen statue collapsed in a cascade of rubble, the hidden door behind it finally stood revealed.
"Sweet Merlin's beard..."
"What an absolutely brilliant chess match, wouldn't you say, Harry? Beat the players, not the game, eh..."
Harry and Ron stared at the carnage with blank expressions. Never in their wildest nightmares had they imagined a chess game ending like this.
If they had to choose one word to describe it: efficient.
Venom rolled his massive shoulders as he stepped down from the board.
Dust settled in his wake. The once-magnificent wizard chess formation now resembled a graveyard—nothing but deathly silence and desolation.
"Ha! How was that, chubby? Fun ride?"
The writhing black liquid rapidly withdrew as Venom laughed, flowing back into Tiger's body.
The surging, intoxicating power ebbed like a retreating tide.
The sudden magical emptiness made Neville's legs buckle. He collapsed onto the stone floor, his round face glazed with wonder and shock, mouth hanging open.
That devastating, unstoppable form still raged through his mind, obliterating everything in its path.
"That... that was..." He found himself drowning in this indescribable sensation.
It was the feeling of wielding true power—of smashing through every obstacle with unwavering determination, grinding fear and inadequacy to dust, sweeping away every shadow of doubt with pure, exhilarating release.
By contrast, he was utterly sick of compromise—of trying so hard only to be ignored, misunderstood, dismissed like he didn't matter.
In that moment of unleashed power, Neville had glimpsed his true self. He'd tasted the intoxicating rush of action over empty words.
All those situations that once trapped him now seemed like insignificant specks of dust...
He could finally breathe.
"That was incredible, Venom!"
"How did you do it?!"
Uncontrollable excitement flushed from his neck to his cheeks, completely washing away his usual timid demeanor.
In its place blazed something unprecedented—fierce determination and unshakeable resolve.
Neville asked breathlessly:
"Could I become like that? I never want to wave a stupid wand again!"
If he hadn't forgotten to bring his wand, Neville would have snapped it in half right then and there.
He despised the muffled snickers that followed his pathetic spellcasting attempts. He craved the weight of that baseball bat—longed to smash every mocking laugh to pieces...
"Er..."
Sensing the desperate hope burning in the boy's eyes, Venom glanced uncertainly toward Tiger, his pale, predatory gaze actually looking... pitiful.
Somehow, Hermione had retreated behind Harry and Ron. Apart from crying in her mother's arms, this was the first time she'd broken down in someone else's embrace—mortifying shame flooded her entire being.
Tiger's eyes lowered slightly, his tone carefully neutral:
"Next term."
"You'll shadow Slytherin operations constantly. Be prepared for complete transformation—no going back to who you were."
"If you can handle that..."
Without finishing, he brushed past Neville, striding toward the door beyond the chess ruins.
The truth was, Venom's personality was paradoxical—cowardly in the most infuriating, laughable ways, yet when facing genuine threats, it displayed shocking tenacity and savage courage.
Neville was identical. On ordinary days, he was kind to a fault—or weak, depending on perspective. But when danger threatened his friends, he'd be the first to stand between them and harm.
Perhaps that's why two seemingly incompatible beings could forge such a bond.
Tiger genuinely respected the boy, but more importantly, he refused to disappoint Venom...
[Thank you, brother. Trust me—this kid's going to be your best ally...]
Venom's mental voice carried guilty gratitude.
It understood perfectly that Tiger was doing this purely for Venom's sake. Any notion of Neville repaying the favor had never crossed Tiger's mind.
"Mm."
Tiger hummed noncommittally.
A moment later, Venom hesitated awkwardly:
[Um... what if...]
[After we return... I could record that female prefect's genetic code...]
[Don't worry...]
[I can perfectly simulate human females... if you're interested...]
Tiger's expression turned thunderous.
"Shut your filthy mouth!"
"You degenerate freak! Try that stunt and I'll blend you with love potion, then serve the whole mess to the centaurs!"
(°Д°)(°°)
In the next chamber:
"Urgh..."
The overwhelming stench made Hermione and Neville retch violently while Ron and Harry's faces went corpse-pale.
Seeing the motionless troll sprawled before them, both boys simultaneously recalled Halloween night—Venom devouring the creature whole.
[Oh, what a waste.]
[It's gone off...]
Venom sighed mournfully, lamenting the spoiled meal. Tiger ignored him, quickening his pace toward the far door.
"Ron, take Neville back immediately."
"Oi, let me finish!"
Before either could protest, Hermione's eyes blazed dangerously, her hair practically standing on end like an enraged lioness.
"I need you to fetch a professor now. The troll's dead—someone's already broken through..."
Hermione started to turn back, only to discover the opposite door had erupted in black flames. Harry and Tiger had already vanished through it.
"Oh, bloody brilliant..."
Miss Know-It-All rubbed her temples in exasperation.
They couldn't even reach the next room now.
"Nettle wine? Poison?"
Tiger scowled impatiently, dismissing the precisely arranged potions and the parchment awaiting answers. He had zero interest in riddle games.
Beyond the long table waited the checkpoint's end—a door wreathed in dark purple flames.
"This is..."
Harry lifted the parchment but barely had time to scan it before Venom was already merging with Tiger.
The muscular frame sprouted shimmering scales, joints and spine bristling with dragon-like spikes. Predatory menace radiated from every line.
"Stay put."
"I'll be right back with that bastard's head."
Before the murderous promise finished echoing, Venom had already plunged through the flaming doorway...
"Master, the Philosopher's Stone may not be here..."
"No, it is here!"
"Find it!"
In the vast chamber beyond, Quirrell stumbled about in his tattered robes, desperately searching for the Stone but finding nothing.
Voldemort's cold, terrifying voice hissed from the back of his skull:
"Stop wasting time, fool."
"The key-bearer approaches. The Boy Who Lived... heh heh heh. I should have realized..."
Hearing footsteps from the entrance, Quirrell turned slowly, malicious laughter bubbling from his throat.
"Harry, you finally came—"
Instead, Venom's nightmarish dragon-hybrid form filled his vision.
Quirrell stumbled backward, his voice cracking with disbelief:
"How is it you?!"
"Surprise, motherfucker!"
Sinister laughter echoed between razor fangs, like nails on a chalkboard—the harsh sound made one's chest constrict with nausea.
"Come to daddy's mouth, little chocolate!"
"No, no, no..."
Quirrell frantically scanned left and right, seeking escape routes.
In his panic, he genuinely couldn't tell who the real monster was...
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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