All the noise in the area fell into a deathly silence, with everyone affected by our auras kneeling on the ground. The most prominent sensation in the air was fear. I watched with half-closed eyes as Voldemort began to walk toward me, slowly increasing the intensity of his magical aura. I couldn't tell if the idiot thought his magic was greater than mine or if he truly believed he was stronger. From the look of it, he was completely unhinged.
I waited until he was about three meters away before I started to speak.
"Tommy, it's good to see you. How have you been? You know what? Don't answer that. I can see you've reached the pinnacle of madness," I said to him in a relaxed, sarcastic tone—the kind you use when making fun of a friend.
"Harry Potter, today is the day I kill you for good, so let's have a proper wizard duel. The winner takes all," he replied in a serious tone; the usual taunting and craziness were absent. If it had been anyone else, I might have considered that there was a chance that's all he wanted, but not with this guy. I contemplated his words, looking into his eyes in silence. Then it clicked. The way he was behaving, the way he spoke, and the words he used—they were all part of whatever ritual he had performed. So, I smiled at him and said, "Oh, so this is also part of your crazy ritual. I'm very tempted to just say no and watch what you do next. Believe me, the temptation is strong, but I also want to wipe the floor with you. I want you to die knowing that all your hard work and power couldn't save you from me—a teenage boy. So, let me set the stage before I agree. I don't want any interference while I'm playing."
The shifting tone of my voice, moving between serious and playful, must have struck a bigger blow than I anticipated. I could see him gritting his teeth, trying his hardest not to lash out.
I stood up, turned around, and began walking toward the Quidditch field, with Voldemort following close behind. Why not make this an event everyone can see? I asked Hogwarts to project what happened using illusion magic. I could almost hear her groan in frustration—she was starting to develop more character.
As soon as we arrived at the Quidditch field, I began transfiguring the ground into a circular dueling arena. It looked magnificent, with the viewing area illuminated by candles all around. The ambiance was spectacular, caught between sundown and the onset of night, but it still lacked something. Hmmm... oh yeah, I know!
"Protego diabolica!" I chanted loudly for dramatic effect, and light blue fire began to circle the arena. Okay, this completed the setting part.
Returning to the center of the arena, I found Voldemort standing there, clenching his wand in one hand and tucking the other behind his back. The frustration, anger, and hatred radiated from his noseless face. His frown, tightly clenched mouth, and the wild magic erupting from him suggested he was about to explode.
"Oh, don't be mad, Tommy. We are here to ensure everyone gets to see our fate-deciding battle. I want it to look cool," I said with a grin.
I clapped my hands and looked up. I had already confirmed that everyone in and around Hogwarts would witness our duel through the illusion projection, so I began speaking:
"Hello and welcome to everyone watching this. Tonight is the fate-deciding battle between me, Harry Potter, and the noseless bastard known as Tom Marvolo Riddle, aka Voldemort.
And to those who came here tonight with the intention of starting a war in a school full of students, heads up: you have been imprinted with Hogwarts tracking magic. I will come for each of you—not because I want to; believe me, I have better things to do—but magic has judged you guilty, and now I have to hunt you down. So please, spare me the wasted time and just stay in your place. As for everyone else, well, just enjoy the duel.
Now, without further ado, let's start." I turned toward Voldemort and continued, "Let's begin this from the top. You issue the challenge, and I will respond."
He was furious, but he looked at me with eyes full of hate and malice and said:
"I, Lord Voldemort, challenge you, Harry Potter, to a magical duel that decides everything. May the winner take it all, and the loser lose it all." His voice was deep and beastly, with hissing sounds woven between his words. I could feel the magic around us taking notice of his declaration, so I echoed it.
"I, Harry Potter, accept your challenge. May magic be the witness…" I couldn't finish as he bombarded me with spells I desperately did not want to touch me. With a cool gesture of my hand, I deflected them aside. But he was relentless; he kept throwing spell after spell—blood-boiling, bone-crushing, heart-gouging, cutting, and drilling spells were flying everywhere. Casting like the madman he was, his dueling displayed no refinement or etiquette—he was a beast set loose, hurling curses one after another. I dodged, deflected, and blocked the spells with my hand or wand, lacking the time to cast any spells of my own.
You know what? This is enough. I can't enjoy myself if all I do is dodge and deflect.
"Cohortis Tectum!" I chanted quickly, and a series of small, circular, solid energy shields began moving around me, creating five rings starting from my feet and extending above my head. This spell was invented by one of the first headmasters of Hogwarts. He was very fond of dueling, to the point that he died at 95 in a duel against five wizards simultaneously.
The spell is ingenious; it creates shields that move on their own and stop incoming spells. The downside is the amount of magic it requires, which would drain a normal wizard dry, and the fact that you must remain in place while it's active. But after casting this spell, I finally had a moment to myself.
Now, let's start thrashing this guy.
————
Enjoy