Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Room of Requirement. Behind them, Nyx trotted in like she owned the place, tail high, and rubbed herself against my leg with a purr.
"You have a very adventurous cat," Hermione said. "She's more than just adventurous," I said, stroking Nyx's fur. "She's stubborn. Now then, Harry, are you ready?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, I am." He didn't draw his wand. Instead, a faint pulse of magic flared around his hands.
"Good," I said. "But we follow rules."
"Same as your mom's rules?" Harry asked.
"Exactly," I confirmed.
Ron looked confused. "What does that mean?" "I don't know," Hermione said. "I've never actually seen them duel."
"Everyone step to the side," I said, pointing to the protective barrier I'd etched into the stone floor with an enchantment. "It'll keep stray spells from hitting you." Hermione scooped up Nyx and joined the others behind the warded line.
I stepped to the center of the room with Harry. The air grew tense. Magic rippled faintly between us. I hated the thought of fighting Harry after looking up to him as a kid. Especially as I grew up with him like a brother. I wish I could tell him everything but for now I'm just gonna have to do what the adult's failed to do and protect him, even from himself.
Then in that brief moment it began. Harry moved first drawing his wand. A burst of power surged from him. "Expelliarmus!" The red flash flew through the room towards me just to hit my Invisible Wall and dissolved instantly, the impact barely making it flicker. I stood still, arms crossed.
"Was that it?"
"Not even close." Harry followed up with a swarm of small glowing orbs, bright as fireflies, fired from his wand. I raised an eyebrow.
" Is that Lumos?"
Harry grinned. "With a twist." One of the light orbs darted forward, touched my barrier—and exploded. The shockwave rattled the room.
"Lumos Bombus," Harry said. "And that's not all."
He closed his hand into a fist. The front row of orbs flared, blinding bright. I had to close my eyes for a split second.
The rest of the orbs moved to flank me.
I pulled Harry toward me with telekinesis, throwing him off-balance. He slammed into the far edge of the Invisible Wall, landed on his back, then scrambled up.
"What was that?" he asked, panting.
"I told you, I can form more than one wall. And I do have telekinesis, remember?" Harry narrowed his eyes. "You're not taking this seriously. You haven't even drawn your wand."
"Because I don't need to. We were trained to fight without them. If I used it… you'd be hurt." Harry's hands trembled slightly. "Then hurt me. If I can't stop the man who killed my parents, then what everyone says about me is wrong. I'm not a hero. My mom's love saved me. Not me."
Tears slid from his eyes. Then he roared "ignis verberare" and, launched fireballs from his wand. Fast, dense, the size of baseballs. My barrier cracked on impact, shimmering with stress lines as his emerald-glowing eyes fixed on me.
"Fine," I whispered. "You want me to take this seriously…"
I waited as a barrage of fireballs hit my barrier as it's started to fill with more cracks. Then the barrier broke. I raised my hand and released a Darkness Spell "Umbra Noctis." A black mist consumed the dueling field, cutting off all sight and sound from the others.
Hermione called out, "What's happening?!"
But no one could see inside. I activated Mind's Eye, cutting through the black fog like nothing. I saw Harry's green aura glowing inside the cloud, magic pulsing. He tried a wandless Lumos, searching, unsure where I was.
He never saw me coming.
I punched him in the ribs. He gasped and stumbled back, flinging a Stupefy in the same direction. I dodged, redirected his wand hand, and stepped in with two clean punches—left, then right to the jaw. He reeled, blood in his mouth.
"Fight me fair!" he shouted. I slipped behind him. "Harry," I said calmly, "what did Mom always say? Don't go easy. Use every advantage you have."
He turned, wand raised again. I hit him with a clean uppercut, followed by a spinning kick to the temple. He dropped his wand. One last punch to the gut. I realized too late I didn't hold back. He hit the floor, curling up and gasping.
I dispersed the darkness and within a instant everyone stared in silence. Harry lay on the ground, pale, clutching his stomach, looking ready to vomit.
Hermione rushed forward. "What was that?!"
"Our duel," I said. I stood over Harry. "Do you give up?" He looked up at me, breath shaky. "Never."
I smiled. "Good staying strong to the end."
"Sorry about this, bro."
"What—" Harry began. I kneed him in the face. If he'd still worn glasses, they'd be shards. " That's too far!" Hermione yelled. "He dropped his wand!"
"Mom's rule," I said. "Victory only counts when your opponent is disarmed and unconscious." His nose was broken. I flicked my fingers, and a sharp crack echoed as it reset with healing magic.
" Take him to the nurse. Say it was a training accident." Ron and Draco moved forward to lift Harry.
"You're brutal, mate," Ron said. "You should've seen what he did to the upper years," Nikita said. "This was soft."
Hermione asked, "Why not use your white flame to heal him?"
"Because that would wake him up. And I want him out cold tonight."
"Nikita, go with them."
"Of course. What about you?"
"I have… business to handle."
They left. Nyx stayed behind. I knelt and scratched behind her ears. "Wish me luck, girl."
She meowed and walked beside me. "No, Nyx—it's too dangerous." She didn't stop following. "Fine you stubborn girl." We walked the empty halls, reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts office. The door was open. Professor Quirrell was reading at his desk.
I knocked and Quirrell jumped. "M-M-Mr. D-Dawn. H-How can I help y-you?"
"I need to speak privately. Are you available?"
"O-Of course. I—I always have time for a bright mind such as y-yours." I raised my hand. The door slammed shut and sealed behind me.
Quirrell stood up suddenly. "W-What's going on?" I stepped forward. "Drop the stutter act It's annoying."
He froze. "Tell Tom I want to speak. Your little puppet act is getting on my nerves."
His eyes widened. "I-I don't—"
"To hell with this," I said coldly. "Tom Marvolo Riddle."
The name cracked like thunder. "I want to speak to you and if you're not willing to speak to me, my flames will just do the talking for us."
I let my magic pulse. Just enough for him to feel it. Quirrell shivered then slowly, he turned around, unwrapping the turban. The face revealed itself. Pale, waxy, inhuman. Eyes green and soulless.
"You petulant child," the voice rasped. "You insult me with that name. And you came here alone, knowing who I am? Why shouldn't I end you where you stand?"
I just smiled.
tood with my arms crossed as Voldemort's red eyes locked onto me through Quirrell's body.
"It would be an honor to meet you… but that would be a lie," I said casually. "I came here for a purpose. One that could benefit you."
His voice rasped with suspicion. "What could you possibly offer me, boy?"
I summoned the red Philosopher's Stone from my inventory. The moment it appeared in my hand, Voldemort's voice hissed with greed.
"The Stone…"
Quirrell lunged forward instinctively, but his body slammed into a hidden Invisible Wall, trapping him within a shimmering box. He struggled against it, hands pushing uselessly against the air.
"You will hand it over if you value your life," Voldemort snarled.
I sat on a desk and leaned back. "No… you'll listen to my terms and make an Unbreakable Vow. Then, maybe, you get to walk away alive."
Voldemort snarled, raising Quirrell's wand, trying to blast the barrier. The spell rebounded, cracking against his form. Quirrell winced and dropped to his knees.
"P-please, Master… listen—he might be useful—"
"Silence!" Voldemort snapped.
I waited, calm, tapping my fingers on the desk.
Voldemort's breathing steadied. "What are these… terms?"
He tried again, offering his delusional promises. "I could grant you power… position in the new world order I will build… serve at my right hand… you are young, powerful… full of potential."
I snapped my fingers and a white flame appeared beside him, licking at the edge of his presence. He screamed in pain as the magic singed his essence. I dismissed it before it could do real damage.
"Tom," I said coldly. "Shut up and listen. You have nothing I want." Voldemort hissed but was cut off as another white flame scorched the edge of his body. His fury boiled, but he was helpless inside the barrier.
"I don't need you," I said firmly. "But killing you would be an inconvenience. Chasing down every Horcrux just to make sure you stayed dead is more effort than you're worth."
His eyes narrowed. "How… do you know of those?"
"Let's not waste time," I said. "I'll give you a deal."
I gestured to the Philosopher's Stone. "I can use this along with my Golden Flame to give you back a fully healed, human body. Like when you were in school. Healthy, whole."
His expression twitched with disbelief.
"But," I continued, "I can't guarantee stability because your soul is fractured. Six times."
"Six?" Voldemort said quickly. "No… I only made five." I smiled. "Incorrect. You made six Horcruxes."
I listed them off. "The Gaunt Ring beneath the ruins of your ancestral home, cursed to ward off anyone who dared approach. The Diary you gave Lucius Malfoy, which I'm guessing is sitting in his Gringotts vault untouched. Hufflepuff's Cup, locked away with Bellatrix Lestrange in Gringotts."
I casually summoned the Ravenclaw Diadem and Slytherin Locket into my hands. Voldemort's expression shifted from fury to shock.
"How, how did you?" I placed them back into my inventory. "Don't worry about how but, you should ask yourself… what is the sixth?"
I saw the exact moment his mind pieced it together. His stare focused. "Potter…" he hissed. "Congratulations," I said. "Took you long enough. You didn't mean to, but you made him a Horcrux."
My sudden silence was his confirmation. " I know you want answers to how I know what I know and how I have your horcruxes, but I'm not giving them. I'm here for a deal I don't have to make it but I'm choosing to do so out of connivence for myself."
His expression darkened. "What deal?" I stood. "I will give you back your body using the Stone and Golden Flame, but in return, you will swear an Unbreakable Vow."
"State your demands," Voldemort said, voice tight. I began writing golden light into the air, each line shining with authority.
"One: You will not contact, recruit, or build your movement in any form.
Two: You will not interact with any of your old Death Eaters or allies.
Three: You will not kill, torture, or experiment on anyone—no proxies, no creatures, no cursed items doing it for you."
"Absurd!" Voldemort spat.
I continued.
"Four: You will not harm Harry Potter, his friends, family… and that includes me.
Five: You will not make any more Horcruxes.
Six: You will leave Europe entirely and remain outside the continent until I reach my fourth year at Hogwarts."
Voldemort hissed louder. "Insanity!"
"I'll give you ten thousand Galleons," I said, summoning a large enchanted bag. "You're resourceful. Survive with this."
He grimaced, but the hunger for life was obvious. "And the Stone?" he asked. "Stays with me."
Quirrell spoke nervously. "And… me?"
"You're free," I said simply. "If I were you, I'd leave this position before the curse on the DADA post kills you."
Quirrell paled and Voldemort spoke after a moment. "I accept your terms… begrudgingly."
"You'd better," I said, summoning the red Philosopher's Stone and channeling Golden Flame through it. The Stone shifted color, swirling gold and crimson.
I began reciting the contract aloud, binding each line of golden vow-light to Voldemort's cursed form. With every agreed term, the magic tethered itself to him, engraving itself in bright glowing runes across the pale flesh of his ghostly figure.
At the final word, the binding pulsed and locked. His form stiffened.
I released the barrier. "Touch it," I said extending my hand with the glowing stone. Quirrell pressed a shaky hand to the Philosopher's Stone.
A blinding golden-red light exploded through the room, shaking the walls. When it faded, a figure stood there—whole, young, and human.
Tom Riddle in the flesh.
Jet black hair, emerald-green eyes, striking, youthful features, slim but healthy build. Mid-twenties appearance, his eyes wide in shock at the return of his body.
I summoned a robe from my inventory and tossed it to him. "Cover yourself, pervert. I'm eleven."
Quirrell ran to the door and ran out of the room, desperate to get away. Tom slowly dressed, still stunned. He flexed his hands, marveling at the pulse of life now running through his veins.
"I will leave immediately," Voldemort said coldly.
"You will," I said firmly. "And you'll remember this deal."
As he reached the door, he asked without turning back, "Why until your fourth year? Why not… forever?" I leaned back against the desk. "Because you still serve a purpose in my plans. When that purpose ends… so will you. Alone, unloved, and cold is how you will die."
His eyes narrowed, but a smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth. "We shall see… Mr. Dawn."
"I guess we shall" I replied. He left, robes swirling behind him.
I leaned back, exhaled, and scratched Nyx behind the ears. "Well I didn't die and I bought us some time." Nyx purred, tail flicking contently. As soon as I sat back at the desk, system notifications popped up in front of me. The first one was clear:
Incoming Message: M
I sat straighter. "Melesse?" I asked aloud.
No response.
Then the next line appeared.
Why did you let Tom Riddle live?
I tilted my head, wondering which M I was dealing with. It wasn't Melesse. I tapped the desk.
"Alright then," I muttered, "let's see if this works."
I spoke to the screen, voice steady. "I hate one-sided conversations with strangers. You want answers? Then give me your real name… or bribe me with something good."
There was a pause then more text appeared
What do you want?
I blinked, mildly surprised. " I Didn't think that would work…"
My mind was racing If they wouldn't give me a name, I'd push for something worthwhile, without getting greedy. I thought for a moment.
"I want my Shadow Flame unsealed," I said confidently.
An immediate response appeared. Denied. I will not override Melesse's decision.
"Figures," I muttered, "had to at least try." I thought again, tilting my head. "Fine. I want a spell that allows me to manipulate a soul."
A pause. Then another notification popped up.
Vote initiated: Soul Manipulation Spell – pending.
My eyebrow twitched. " A vote?"
More notifications followed:
Vote Result: Request denied by majority vote.
I groaned. "This is ridiculous. Are you all just watching me like some toy for your entertainment?" No answer. I was about to close the system window when another line appeared: Melesse: Pick something simple you can exploit.
I snapped my fingers. "Passive Trait: Death Touched… maybe I can evolve that." My thoughts shifted. "I want a spell to manipulate the shadow of darkness itself. Shadows, not souls."
Silence. Then:
System Notification: Spell upgrade approved. Spell Update: Darkness → Shadow Manipulation: Novice (0%).
I smirked. "I can work with this."
Another line flashed.
Why did you let Tom Riddle live?
I didn't hesitate. "That's easy to maintain world order."
Explain and why heal him?
"Simple logic," I answered. "Some events seem to happen no matter how much I meddle. This world… it corrects itself. I'm only eleven. No matter my skills or abilities, I'm still not at a level to rewrite the fundamental flow this world especially when people like you exist. Not to mention if I actually kill him to early a new big bag could take his place and I'm not strong enough to say I would win no problem."
The response was instant.
> Elaborate.
"I healed him because now I know what he looks like in his prime. I have tracking runes on him through my mirror spell. I know his aura. I can feel him. When I'm stronger… if I need to erase him, I will. The unbreakable vow makes him harmless for the next three years which is plenty of time."
Another pause.
What is your end goal?
"To turn this ugly world into something beautiful," I said calmly. "That's all you get for now."
> …
I continued before another question appeared. "You want more answers? Pay me more next time. Or shut up and enjoy the show."
I closed the window, opened the system prompt.
"A.I.A," I ordered, "silence all notifications for tonight."
Acknowledged. Notifications disabled.
I stood up, stretching. "Time to test this out…"
I extended my hand, activating the Shadow Manipulation spell. A soft puff of dense, lightless shadow swirled on the floor of the classroom, it felt heavier than any darkness spell, void of all light.
I took out the Soul Anchor Fragment I received when I absorbed the Bloody Baron, and placed it into the shadow mass.
The shadow pulsed violently. It twitched and morphed. Slowly, the smoke condensed into a humanoid form. Black armor formed from the void, edged in crimson streaks. Its facial features were vague, but it was humanoid, resembling a man, head slightly bowed. Its eye sockets were hollow, empty.
"Guess the Baron's essence influenced it," I muttered. The form stood tall. No eyes, no mouth. Just emptiness. I muttered under my breath, "Feels like I'm recreating a Sung Jin-Woo moment."
I studied it, circling the figure. "Alright… I guess you need a name." I thought for a second. "Blood."
The moment the name left my mouth, the figure's hollow eye sockets flared blue—a clear reaction to being named.
"Interesting," I muttered. "Can you speak?"
Silence. The shadow knight stood motionless.
I sighed. "Guess I'm figuring out the commands later. For now—hide."
Blood's form dissolved into mist and vanished, retreating into my shadow, but I could still sense it, coiled beneath my feet like a silent sentinel.
"Good enough for tonight," I said. I turned on my heel, Nyx following silently, and headed for my dorm.
"Sleep first," I muttered, "experiments later."