Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Game of Shadows
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18 October 1992, Hogwarts
"I'm not asking you to trust me, all I'm asking for is a chance to change the world. The people petrified aren't in pain, they aren't in danger, they're only a message. And muggleborns would gladly miss a few months of their lives in exchange for getting a better future, wouldn't they? What I am doing is a gift to everyone. Are you so inflexible that you wouldn't risk improving our world, just out of pettiness?"
The Potter scion gave the older boy a warm smile before speaking, "You're full of shit, Riddle."
The stupefied look on the older boy's face almost made Harry burst into laughter. Riddle just froze as if he didn't really consider the fact that Harry could call him out on it and just muttered, "What?"
"You know, you're good. You're very good. I bet you have people eating out of your hand very easily. That charming look, it's just a mask, isn't it? It's just a persona. When you're attractive, when you so easily persuade people that you're actually at their side, they stop considering you to be a threat. It gives you some sort of power, doesn't it? You're there and yet you're not really there. It's like having a cloak of invisibility of sorts. Ambition is a hard road, isn't it? And that's what you're all about, ambition. You're a predator masking yourself to be an ally like a wolf pretending to be a sheep. You like giving people the instruments of their own downfall, it gives you pleasure to see the little people just flailing about with their meaningless lives."
The older Slytherin protested, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do. It's in the eyes, you see. Normal people can't really see it, see you, for what you really are. Do you think I never noticed how you kept changing your arguments for your ambitions fitting my reactions to what you said before? That's how you do it, don't you? In a single conversation, everyone ends up confessing something important, a goal, a dream, even if they don't feel like they've given you their heart and you use that to gain their trust and have them join you. It's so easy, isn't it? How gullible everyone else really is."
The Riddle boy's eyes widened, "Seriously, you got it all wrong…"
"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," Harry responded, "But Voldemort had to come from somewhere, didn't he? Oh, you hate Dumbledore, that's for sure, and you want to discredit him. But that's not the end goal, not really. It's just a stepping stone. You only made it so when you noticed my distaste for the man. Your eyes lit up like a predator having found its prey, a pressure point for you to push. You should be proud, by the way. Not many people can read me so easily and your act was very convincing, but come on, stop pretending, it's getting sad. You might as well continue this conversation as your real self. Why don't you talk to me Riddle, there's no point in hiding anymore. I can see you."
Immediately after Harry finished speaking, the smile on Riddle's face disappeared and his eyes hardened, like that of a snake ready to attack at a moment's notice. The Potter scion grinned, "Hello, Tom Riddle. It's good to finally meet you."
"You're a very irritating boy, Harry Potter," Riddle said with a confident and threatening tone that wasn't there before.
"Just because I can see through you, doesn't mean that I'm irritating," Harry responded.
"And yet no one had ever done it before," the older boy retorted.
"Dumbledore did. There's a reason that he disliked you, and it was because he saw it. This fake persona that you showed the world, he's the same. He's like you, like us. His thirst for power rivals yours, only he has a different mask. He chose the grandfatherly kind man, and you chose the mysterious charming boy. They're all masks to hide your ambition for power," Harry retorted.
"And where's your mask then?"
Harry grinned, "I don't need one. After all, you do all of this to get supporters, to start a movement. I have practically no political aspirations. I don't want to rule the world. I don't want to change the world. My ambition is beautiful in its simplicity. I want to study magic."
Riddle burst into laughter, "What a joke. That's your ambition? That's your goal in life? To study magic. And you call yourself a Slytherin. Magic is a means to an end, a power to use to fulfil your desires, not an ambition in itself. To think that all this potential is being wasted on someone like you."
"What's wrong with studying magic? You want power because you once felt powerless, and you don't want to feel like that anymore. You saw Death and you ran away. I can see it in your eyes. You're terrified. I did the same, but instead, I found serenity. I saw the beauty of life. Your entire life is based on a single ambition, on a single moment, no, a single emotion. Fear. So, how is my ambition that's based on wonder and curiosity any worse than yours?"
"That's not true," the boy protested.
"Do not try to lie to me. I told you before that I can see through you," Harry said, "for all your preaching, this isn't about changing the world. This isn't about saving it or giving muggleborn rights. No, you want power, you want safety, you want immortality."
"And what's wrong with that?" the older boy exclaimed.
"Nothing. I can see the benefits of someone of your intelligence and cunning being in charge. Every politician wants the same. It's not that terrible of a goal. Many have tried before you, and many will try after you. It is the way of the world. But I thought we were being transparent, that you would stop lying. This is a meeting between us, so why don't we just set aside the bullshit and start making this conversation progress. So, here I am first, why are you planning on attacking the students?"
Riddle glared at him but still answered, "I want Dumbledore out of the castle."
Harry nodded, "That's true, but why would you need him out? He will return pretty quickly considering his ties and political position. His replacement will probably be his deputy, McGonagall, which will be the same."
Riddle shook his head, "I am built for this exact purpose. I have no choice in the matter. My older self might need it from me."
"No, you know your other self's fate, and you would never take orders from him. I would believe that you were telling the truth about you not having a choice, but I know your nature. I know what you are. You're not just an enchanted inanimate object with some intelligence, you're a shard of a soul. And that means that you're independent enough to make decisions. No, what you want is more than that. Oh, that's so simple. How did I not think of that? You want to live. Not as a Diary, but as a normal person. You're disappointed with your future self, and you want to be free, to live."
Riddle stayed silent and Harry continued, "But it's not that easy, is it? Getting a body of your own. Your counterpart has been trying to do that for years and you're a soul shard, you don't have enough energy to manifest into a permanent magical construct, and possession is temporary and unreliable at best. You can't rely on Lockhart all the time, and I'm not an expert in soul magic, but you can't just steal his life force or his body. The incompatibility of it would destroy the body. That's what you want Dumbledore out of the castle for. Whatever you're planning, he'll be able to recognize, or maybe he could use the wards to stop it somehow."
The older boy's face was made of stone and Harry couldn't really read him anymore. For all his confidence, Harry was just egging Riddle on, watching his reactions to things that are personal. But the boy had steeled himself entirely when Harry mentioned him getting a new body.
Suddenly, Riddle burst into laughter again, "You're close, I'll admit that. But you're still so far away. You had me worried for a second. I would tell you what I'm planning, but I'm not some story villain that would explain my plans. And well, you're not going to live long enough to see it anyway. After all, you're still inside my wards."
Harry suppressed a grin. Yes, Harry kept talking all the time, but it was mostly a delaying tactic. Staying in enemy wards was just stupid. It was why Harry analyzed the wards thoroughly during his conversation using his Arcane Hearing. The moment he realized that the Diary had control over the wards, he knew that he wasn't going to get out of Lockhart's office without a fight.
And so, the moment Riddle started shifting the wards and activating harmful attacks, Harry waved his wand and sent that pulse of magic that deactivated the entire array. It would take over half an hour for the wards to recharge and it was definitely noticeable, but it was better than being in a fight.
Harry winked at the flabbergasted expression on the older boy, "Come on, you can't say that you didn't see that coming."
The Potter scion then slowly walked towards the Diary to pick it up, happy with his victory, only for the book to turn into ash the moment he touched it. He turned around and saw Riddle's projection that had an infuriating smile on his face and realized something, "Lockhart never had the Diary, did he?"
The boy's previous smirking expression turned into a full-on grin, "No, he didn't. There are other ways to take control of people. Lockhart was weak enough and stupid enough that it wouldn't really notice my voice whispering in the back of his head. You're a remarkable student, Harry Potter, and you're very observant, but you have a long way to go to challenge someone like me."
Harry understood then what had happened, "You were always planning on using Lockhart as a decoy. You knew that someone was going after you, and the moment you realized how I was tracking you, you took control of him and made him stand near the entrance of the chamber while possessing him to fake my results. You wanted me to break in here and get the Diary. Why?"
"I didn't know who was coming after me. This was to reveal yourself, for me to trap you, find out what you know using Legilimency before finally obliviating you. I expected a seer with little sense, but you, you're a lot more interested than I thought you were going to be."
"And yet here we are. I can't touch you, because I don't know where you are, and you can't touch me because I cancelled your connection to the wards. A stalemate."
"Perhaps, but it will have to break sometime soon. And I found my original goal, while you're still floundering trying to find my diary," the older boy answered with a smug grin.
At his sour expression, Riddle continued, "Oh, don't be so sad. You were very close. And I'm doing everyone a favour by getting rid of Dumbledore. I'm even only petrifying people. I have no plan to kill anyone."
Harry gritted his teeth. He didn't like losing, but it was undeniable that Harry lost this encounter, "You could be bluffing about the Diary not being here. You could be lying about killing people."
Riddle's smirk was infuriating, "Come on, don't be a sore loser. Why would I even lie, when there's nothing you can do about it either way? You know what, you're free to look around. Hell, you're free to even break into the fool's mind. But be quick about it; you only have a few minutes before the wards reset. I have to say that I was going to kill you, at first. Or at least petrify you. But now that we spoke up, I have to say that I'm fascinated. I look forwards to our next encounter, Potter."
As the projection was starting to disappear, Harry muttered, "Catch you later."
His answer was a chuckle, "No, you won't."
With Riddle gone, Harry ended up taking a quick look into Lockhart's mind while focusing on a diary. There was nothing. Riddle had played him and had won this round.
Harry returned to his common room feeling both disappointed and excited for some reason. He knew it was wrong, but there was just something about having a worthy opponent to spar against. He only hoped that no one would suffer because of his mistake.
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