章 55: Chapter 53 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (2)
On the following day, after the end of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, the students left the room relieved. It seemed to be a class none of them enjoyed, partly because of the professor, partly due to the content itself.
Quirinus wasn't exactly the most beloved professor at Hogwarts. That was a unanimous opinion among the students, from first to seventh year.
"M-Mr. Black, please, stay a moment," Quirinus suddenly stuttered, surprising everyone. Without asking questions, the students exited the room. Before leaving, Daphne shot a look of confusion at Quirinus. She always felt that this professor wasn't as simple as he appeared. Sometimes, an especially sinister aura emanated from him.
"Any problem, professor?" asked Asterion, his voice cold and indifferent, fixing his red eyes on the purple turban atop the man's head.
'Here we go…' thought Asterion. He never thought of speaking amicably against Voldemort; he would have a showdown today with the dark lord who most terrorized the British wizarding community.
When Rose had spoken to him the day before, Asterion had predicted that Voldemort would also make his move against him. Therefore, the Black heir wasn't surprised by the current situation. It was expected.
"S-Mr. Black..." Before Quirinus could finish speaking, his face contorted in pain, turning pale and sickly.
Asterion knew that Voldemort was assuming control of Professor Quirinus's body. It wasn't a pleasant process, but the major consequence was that Voldemort was draining Quirinus's vitality to fully manifest himself.
Even if he wasn't killed by Harry Potter in the original world, Quirinus's fate wouldn't be much different. He would die by his master's hand. There was no other option for him. He was already a dead man, he just didn't know when he would die.
Suddenly, Quirinus's body turned away from Asterion, and the turban on his head unraveled, revealing not just a bald head, but a terrifying face in place of the hair.
A face full of sharp, pointed teeth, with bright crimson eyes shining like a menacing and eerie light.
"I believe this is the first time we've met, Heir Black," the head spoke, and for a moment, Asterion thought he heard a hiss like that of a snake.
Asterion placed his hand over his chest and gracefully bowed, looking directly into the crimson eyes.
"Yes, what an honor. I see you're in great condition, parasite," Asterion replied sarcastically, displaying the most ironic smile he could muster. His red eyes gained a supernatural gleam.
Voldemort's face contorted in anger for a moment but soon returned to normal.
"Sarcastic words won't save you in the end, Heir Black," Voldemort threatened with his cold, hissing voice.
"I really want to see how you plan to kill me, being... well, a parasite in this body," Asterion retorted, veiled contempt on his face. He truly wished to test the patience of this arrogant shard of soul.
As if sensing the provocative intent in his words, Voldemort flashed a chilling smile and spoke coldly, "You'll have to try harder to provoke my wrath."
"Oh, for someone who was afraid of a baby overthrowing his rule, you have a very loud tone, Great Dark Lord," Asterion shot back, his disdain almost overflowing from his gaze.
Voldemort's face contorted briefly. He had to admit, the boy had a venomous tongue capable of irritating anyone.
Ignoring his furious gaze, Asterion proceeded coldly, "Stop with empty words and say what you want."
"What do I want?" Voldemort looked at Asterion and grinned maliciously. "The correct question is: do you want the location of the Chamber of Secrets?"
Asterion remained indifferent to the tempting words of the man, or rather, the monster he was. He wouldn't let Voldemort read his emotions and use them against him.
Unperturbed by his indifference, Voldemort continued, "Do you think I haven't noticed your cursed spirits checking every corner of Hogwarts? You want the Chamber of Secrets, Asterion Black."
"The Inborn Technique of Salazar Slytherin, a temptation for a wizard." The Dark Lord spoke, his voice full of temptation and infinite glory.
Showing a cold smile, Asterion toyed with his wand in his hands and spoke, looking at Voldemort with an amused gaze. "Interesting... you speak as if you don't have it. Does that mean you weren't worthy to inherit Salazar's legacy?"
Asterion wanted to irritate Voldemort with another word, hinting at his probable failure to receive Salazar Slytherin's inheritance by using the Horcruxes, but that would reveal that Asterion knew one of Voldemort's most important secrets - the Horcruxes!
This was something Asterion couldn't allow!
On the other hand, Voldemort had decided something at that moment: he would kill Asterion in the most painful way possible. He would dismember him, tear out his heart, and eat it while the boy was still alive.
Asterion's failure to inherit Salazar Slytherin's Inborn Technique was an eternal wound in his soul, and he wouldn't allow anyone to speak of it.
Feeling Voldemort's malicious gaze like a snake ready to strike its prey, Asterion smiled inwardly. Voldemort's reaction more than confirmed his words. The Dark Lord had failed to awaken Salazar Slytherin's Inborn Technique!
This was great news for Asterion. At least the Chamber of Secrets wouldn't be empty when he found it.
Looking at Voldemort in silence, Asterion had a clear advantage over the Dark Lord, and that was comforting.
"So, how do you intend to seduce me to your side? But I'll tell you now, it's better not to waste my time. Otherwise..." Asterion didn't need to finish for Voldemort to understand the nuances in his words. A curtain of shadows unfolded behind him, and the gigantic eyes of Nidhogg stared at Voldemort.
In Asterion's shadow, Baskerville opened its hundreds of red eyes, staring at Voldemort with an eager and sadistic gaze.
Both Cursed Spirits were ready for a battle to the death.
The Dark Lord showed a look of disgust towards the two special-grade cursed spirits. The Black Family's Inborn Technique was truly irritating to any Special-grade Wizard. It was like fighting against an army of one man.
Especially for Voldemort's current state, he could only use magic, as his Inborn Technique, the Corruption of Malevolent Gods, couldn't be used without a physical body.
Looking at the arrogant boy, Voldemort hissed and spoke coldly, "I want Rose Potter, you want the Chamber of Secrets."
Asterion couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. He truly didn't know where Voldemort's confidence in dealing with Rose came from. Rose wasn't just any Special-grade Wizard; she was a monster among monsters.
"You seem very confident in dealing with Rose," Asterion said coldly, trying to gather some information.
"Stop trying to glean information from me, arrogant boy."
Asterion simply shrugged and remained indifferent. He wasn't surprised to have been found out.
Revealing a murderous intent, Asterion spoke, "Yes, you're right, I want the Chamber of Secrets, but why do you think I would work together with my father's killer?"
"In the face of power, what are fathers," Voldemort sneered coldly, his eyes not hiding the disgust and contempt he felt for his parents.
"Well, my father was killed by you, your father on the other hand, thought he was ugly enough to go buy cigarettes and never come back", said Asterion intensifying his bloodlust, speaking without caring if he would make Voldemort furious.
He counted on it; killing a man driven by fury was much easier than killing him when calm.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA."
Voldemort laughed. He let out a loud, powerful, and chilling laughter.
"I'm going to kill you," he said, looking at Asterion with a growing bloodlust, much greater than Asterion's own.
Asterion showed no fear and raised his hand, pretending to tremble it as if he were afraid.
"See, I'm shaking in my boots," he said sarcastically.
As Asterion finished his sentence, a bolt of red energy shot towards him, the crackling sound reverberating through the classroom.
Asterion, still holding his wand, didn't hesitate and retaliated with the same lightning spell, but his bolt was of a vibrant blue.
The two bolts collided in the air, generating plasma that dispersed in all directions.
Asterion intensified the output of magical energy, causing the blue bolt to gain the upper hand over the red bolt in the tug-of-war. Voldemort attempted the same, but he was merely a fragment of a soul parasitizing a body that wasn't his own.
The more Voldemort used Quirinus's magic, the closer the man was to death.
This weakened the dark lord's magic to the bare minimum.
Realizing his advantage, Asterion didn't hesitate, continuing to cast smaller bolts while maintaining the main bolt. The blue bolts struck the walls, leaving charred trails and partially melting them.
Asterion showed no mercy; he commanded Baskerville to attack alongside Nidhogg.
With a sadistic laugh, Baskerville emerged beside Voldemort, using the Dark Lord's own shadow to move and opened its huge mouth, filled with sharp teeth, ready to devour him with a single strike.
Realizing the imminent danger, Voldemort used his other hand to cast a wandless and silent spell.
Like an invisible magical blade, the spell sliced through the air and collided with the enormous demonic dog, and to the Dark Lord's surprise, the dog swallowed the spell as if it were a tasty snack.
Baskerville, mocking Voldemort, laughed sadistically as it continued its attack, always aiming for the opponent's blind spots.
Voldemort was forced to transform into a black mist and hover in the air to avoid the creature's relentless attacks from a hundred eyes.
Nidhogg, wreathed in lightning, quickly occupied a large part of the classroom and attacked from all sides with its powerful electric discharge.
Asterion, protected by his armor, remained unscathed by the cursed spirit's red bolts, while Voldemort was assailed by bolts capable of melting steel.
Asterion raised his wand, following Voldemort's movements, and waved it while chanting the spell: "Lacarnum Inflamari."
An explosion of high-temperature flames blocked Voldemort's advance.
To Asterion's surprise, Voldemort manipulated the flames to his advantage, creating an immense serpent of fire that collided with Nidhogg, spreading fire and lightning throughout the classroom, which was on the verge of ruin.
If it weren't for Hogwarts' magical resilience, this part of the castle might have been destroyed long ago.
Feeling the heat of the flames emanating from the fire serpent, Asterion began to float in the air, closely following Voldemort, using his flying cloak. He attacked alongside Baskerville, casting numerous attack spells and causing the two serpents to entwine with each other.
If it weren't for holding back, Asterion would have allowed Nidhogg to unleash its full force, easily defeating the fire serpent. However, he didn't want to destroy Hogwarts and kill thousands of people in the process.
The three flew around the classroom, causing it to shake. The chairs where the students sat had long been destroyed, turning to dust on the floor.
Voldemort, realizing he had no more time and sensing the collapse of Quirinus's makeshift body, began to prepare to use his own Inborn Technique, using Quirinus's body as a vessel. This would likely result in Quirinus's death, but the Dark Lord cared little for a mere puppet.
At the same time, Voldemort couldn't help but notice that his encounter with Asterion didn't go as planned. He wanted to manipulate the boy to be his pawn for a while, but from the outset, Asterion showed no interest in working with him.
Bringing his hands together, one facing in the opposite direction of the other, Voldemort spoke coldly.
"Inborn Spell Manipulation – Corruption of Malevolent Gods – Universal Decay."
A decadent black glow bloomed around him, causing everything that came near to decompose into a pool of putrid liquid.
At the same time, using Reverse Technique, Voldemort prevented the decomposition of the body he was parasitizing.
Asterion, sensing the danger, didn't hesitate to use Baskerville as a shield and continued to move away from the reach of the attack, looking shocked at Voldemort. What had just happened reduced everything he understood about Inborn Technique to nothing.
Even Baskerville's high magic resistance was not enough to fully block the Inborn Technique, melting a third of the demonic dog.
Voldemort seized the chance as Asterion retreated and disappeared behind a pillar, likely one of the numerous secret passages.
Asterion didn't prevent the escape and landed on the ground, the fire serpent fighting against Nidhogg lost its magic supply and dissipated into an explosion of flames.
"It wasn't all bad; I discovered a lot of important information, but..." Looking at the ruined classroom. "Dumbledore will surely want me to pay for this."
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Author's Thoughts: What did you think of the first fight between the characters? I know Asterion didn't defeat weakened Voldemort, but understand that he didn't have the advantage of the location since he couldn't use all his strength or he would destroy Hogwarts. But don't worry, he won't be nerfed or anything. I hope you enjoyed it.
Support me to write more and read chapters ahead of all regular readers!
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Next Chapter: Chapter 54 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (3), Chapter 55 - A Treacherous Game of Chess (4), Chapter 56 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (1), Chapter 57 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (2), Chapter 58 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (3), Chapter 59 - Magical Self-Defense Tactical Training Class (4), Chapter 60 - School Council, Chapter 61 - Mission (1), Chapter 62 - Mission (2), Chapter 63 - Mission (3), Chapter 64 - Mission (4), Chapter 65 - Mission (5), Chapter 66 - Consequences of the Attack (1), Chapter 67 - Consequences of the Attack (2), Chapter 68 - Invasion of Hogwarts (1), Chapter 69 - Invasion of Hogwarts (2), Chapter 70 - Invasion of Hogwarts (3), Chapter 71 - Invasion of Hogwarts (4), Chapter 72 - Invasion of Hogwarts (5), Chapter 73 - Invasion of Hogwarts (6), Chapter 74 - Invasion of Hogwarts (7), Chapter 75 - Invasion of Hogwarts (8), Chapter 76 - Invasion of Hogwarts (9), Chapter 77 - Invasion of Hogwarts (10).
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