Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures - H.P.S.T Chapter 1729: Riddle VS Riddle

Guided by the orb of light, Ron climbed the final tier of steps and reached the top of the Centaur Temple. It wasn’t as dark here as below; a strange light from an unknown source made everything clearly visible. But Ron wondered if he was hallucinating; he couldn’t believe it.

Standing in the plaza ahead of him were two boys who looked exactly alike.

From afar, Ron felt a strange familiarity with these two boys. They both had black hair, slender bodies, and wore Hogwarts robes.

No — there were differences.

Compared to the other, one of the boys looked more mature. He was taller, as though he were a year older.

For reasons he couldn’t explain, a strong sense of aversion rose in Ron the moment he saw them.

Yes, aversion!

He had felt this way before.

Digging through memories buried deep in his heart — memories he never wanted to recall — Ron finally realized who they were.

The two figures facing each other were both Tom Riddle!

Ron’s eyes widened in shock as he confirmed he wasn’t mistaken. They were identical to the Tom Riddle he had seen in the diary during his second year. Two Tom Riddles stood before him — Voldemort in his youth.

And they were dueling.

It was a duel unlike any Ron had ever witnessed, astonishing beyond imagination.

Spells shot back and forth between them, flashes of red, blue, and green magic streaking through the air.

Their casting movements and spellcasting speed were almost perfectly identical. The fight fell into a deadlock. Then the shorter Riddle swung his wand, conjuring a mass of black fire. The flames roared, forming a massive blazing barrier that surged toward the other Riddle, radiating searing heat.

The one opposite flicked his wand, and the fiery barrier swiftly transformed into writhing fire serpents. Twisting through the air, they turned back to attack.

The shorter Riddle chanted a spell, raising his wand high before slashing it downward.

A thunderous explosion followed as bursts of compressed air detonated forward, blasting the fire serpents apart and surging towards the taller Riddle — only for his body to vanish from where he stood.

He instantly appeared behind his opponent, deep blue magic emanating from the tip of his wand.

It was a massive sphere of water, trapping the shorter Riddle firmly inside.

Caught off guard, Riddle choked on several mouthfuls of water as the watery prison closed around him. He frantically traced complex magical runes with his wand. Just as Ron thought he was finished, the water prison exploded, shattering into countless droplets that sprayed outward.

This spell seemed to have drained him of a great deal of energy; he sat on the ground, panting heavily.

“Is this all you’ve got?” the taller Riddle asked.

The shorter Riddle gasped, offering no reply.

“How disappointing. Fifteen-year-old me — I had hoped for a better showing,” the taller Riddle said, lifting his chin. “You don’t stand a chance. I know every spell you know… and every thought you have.”

“You don’t understand. We are fundamentally different!”

“Other than you being weaker, I see no difference…”

“The difference lies here.” The shorter Riddle tapped his temple with his left hand as he rose to his feet. “Our souls are fundamentally different. I understand conscience, compassion, gratitude, and love — things you will never understand.”   

The Riddle opposite him burst into loud laughter, laughing so hard it was almost hysterical.

“Conscience, compassion, gratitude, and love? How laughable! I never imagined I’d see myself utter such words. Dumbledore’s brainwashing has clearly been very effective; these weak thoughts have limited you. You know, I’m starting to doubt if you’re even me anymore. I’ve never had the memory of splitting you off; your existence was an accident.”

“What are you being so arrogant about? You’re nothing but a fragment yourself. At the time, the main soul hadn’t even mastered the Horcrux spell or understood what splitting the soul meant. An accident like me appearing isn’t surprising — in fact, I think it’s a good thing.”

“I don’t think so. Since you’re an accident, you should disappear.” The taller Riddle smiled.

“What will disappear is your main soul and yours. I will have a brighter future.”

The tip of the wand in the shorter Riddle’s hand flashed red. He turned to Ron, who was standing to the side, and shouted, “Ron Weasley, how long are you going to stand there like an idiot? Defeat him, and you will be free!”

“You’re actually counting on that weakling for help? How far you’ve fallen!”

The two Riddles clashed once more. Ron stood there, not knowing what to do.

He was beginning to understand what was going on. If he could defeat the taller Riddle, he could break free of his restraints and regain control of his body. The shorter Riddle had come to help him.

But was this level of combat really something he could take part in? He had no experience fighting Voldemort head-on, even if it was just the Voldemort from his student days. There was no more time for him to hesitate. Urged on by the shorter Riddle, Ron raised his wand and joined the fight, firing off several Stunning Spells.

Unsurprisingly, his magic was easily countered by the Riddle opposite him.

Worse still, the vicious curse that came flying back at him nearly caught him off guard. He barely managed to dodge it, scrambling awkwardly out of the way.

“What are you doing? Stunning Spells? Are you joking?” the shorter Riddle shouted as he swung his wand. “This is your soul! You can draw upon all the power of your soul — you are the master here!”

A blue magical shield appeared before them, blocking the attack.

The shield then shattered with a sound like glass breaking, dissipating in all directions.

“Soul… power… master…”

Ron stood frozen, completely bewildered.

Another vicious curse struck him, its ghastly green light sending chills down his spine. Riddle grabbed him, and the two quickly Apparated to a spot some distance away, but their opponent had already anticipated where they would reappear.

The moment they landed, the ground beneath them began to change.

Several hands erupted from the floor, clamping tightly around their ankles. Before Riddle could Apparate again with him, the opposing Riddle appeared right in front of them, his wand slashing upwards.

A flash of silver light, and the shorter Riddle’s wand, along with his arm, flew off.

He let out a low grunt, clutching his severed right arm with his left hand.

“It’s time to end this farce. Go where you belong,” the taller Riddle said sinisterly, his wand pressed against the forehead of the other Riddle. “And I will take over this body. Voldemort is invincible.”

“Ron Weasley — use magic!” the shorter Riddle roared.

Translating_Wizard

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