Chapter 18: Truth Unveiled

Amphisbaena's triumph in establishing contact with Downing Street marked a significant turning point in his quest to surpass his predetermined fate. Even in the face of a united front between dark wizards and White Wizards, he now possessed the means to resist their combined power.

The might of an entire country outweighed that of any individual, including renowned figures like Dumbledore and Voldemort. Immersed in the joys of studying alchemy, Runemancy, and formation, Amphisbaena spent the second year honing his skills, with Voldemort readily assisting him in overcoming any challenges.

However, as Amphisbaena delved deeper into forbidden knowledge, he couldn't ignore the increasingly sinister nature of the subjects, particularly those involving soul and blood sacrifices for gaining power.

Despite being aware of Voldemort's malevolent plan, Amphisbaena held a secret advantage: a precious artifact discovered in the prime minister's library. An image of a black lotus and a magical ink, when tattooed on his forehead using the magical ink, provided unparalleled protection against evil, shielding his soul, spirit, mind, and consciousness.

While ordinary individuals would succumb to the corrupting influence of such perilous knowledge, Amphisbaena possessed the means to shield and fortify himself, thanks to the black lotus adorning his forehead.

During the intense year of study, even Voldemort's fragmented soul found itself overwhelmed. The evil knowledge he imparted had been absorbed by Amphisbaena, but the young wizard's reaction defied Voldemort's expectations.

Amphisbaena, possessing the same cunning and intelligence as Voldemort, confronted a significant dilemma: could he maintain control over himself? As Tom thought to himself.

"Why the sudden silence, Tom?" Amphisbaena questioned Voldemort within the vision created by the dark wizard.

Tom discarded his previous disguise and growled, "You've been deceiving me!"

Amphisbaena calmly organized the books within the illusion and replied, "I expected you to realize it months ago. It seems the process of creating Horcruxes has a major flaw, leading to a paranoid soul."

"Do you know who I am?!" Tom's surprise mingled with anger.

"Of course, respected teacher Voldemort. I must say, Dumbledore made a grave mistake by not appointing you as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Your teaching prowess falls short even compared to Professor McGonagall," Amphisbaena laughed, mocking Voldemort's lackluster abilities.

"You've been using me," Voldemort finally calmed down after hearing Amphisbaena's words. "So, why reveal your true intentions now?"

"I hope to obtain the method of creating Horcruxes," Amphisbaena declared.

"You're delusional!" Voldemort understood that this was his last lifeline and wouldn't easily relinquish it. Sharing the Horcrux creation process would be akin to Grindelwald's fate, the first Dark Lord who perished at Voldemort's hands.

"Are you reminiscing about your predecessors?" Amphisbaena stood up in the illusion, his 14-year-old self towering over the young Tom, emanating a commanding presence.

"In this regard, you pale in comparison to Grindelwald. Remember, he willingly revealed the secret of the Elder Wand to you, even knowing his own demise was imminent. He did it to usher in a new era of magic."

"It's a pity you failed to honor his wish and were instead manipulated by Dumbledore. Now I see that Grindelwald truly misjudged your character. Your temperament is far too narrow," Amphisbaena remarked.

Voldemort had encountered Grindelwald in the past, and even in the face of impending death, Grindelwald entrusted the secret of the Elder Wand to Voldemort. Both Grindelwald and Dumbledore were individuals willing to sacrifice their lives for their beliefs, rendering Voldemort powerless to manipulate them.

"You've delved into my memories!" Voldemort finally realized the truth.

"Naturally, Legilimency works both ways. If you invade someone's mind, they can do the same to you, weakening your Occlumency defenses," Amphisbaena explained, intensifying his hold over Voldemort's fragmented soul.

He extracted a jumbled mess of memories, temporarily placing them in the Pendant Basin—a magical item he had created at great cost, using Dragonheart scales.

"It's futile, Teacher." Taking advantage of Voldemort's agitation, Amphisbaena extracted even more precious knowledge from Tom. "You keep 'inviting' me in. With my current alchemy, the back door you left in this item allows me to enter at will. But you wish for me to leave empty-handed."

"Why don't you release me and offer the method of creating Horcruxes? It's better to endure the mind than to bear it," Amphisbaena proposed.

After half an hour, Amphisbaena withdrew from the illusion of Ravenclaw's diadem. Even as a fragmented soul, contemplating Voldemort had proven to be a challenging and weighty task.

The memories he had extracted today would prove immensely helpful to Amphisbaena, despite not obtaining the desired Horcrux creation method. However, he remained undeterred. Voldemort's incomplete soul had many flaws but also many protection left behind by the original Voldemort, one of them was a protection akin to an Occlumency level of 4. Resisting the soul's intrusion into the mind came with a cost.

As the incomplete soul grew weaker in its confrontation with Amphisbaena, Amphisbaena would gain access to more secrets and profound knowledge and experience.

The Philosopher's Stone had made its appearance during Harry Potter's first year at Hogwarts. By now, Amphisbaena had acquired the method of creating Horcruxes. With a smile, he carefully placed Ravenclaw's diadem into a special alchemical secret box.

The following year marked the arrival of the great savior at Hogwarts—an opportunity eagerly awaited by Amphisbaena. It meant gaining access to the world's greatest alchemical treasure—the Philosopher's Stone.

Amphisbaena had already devised a plan for utilizing the stone's power.

Curious about his current status, Amphisbaena commanded, "AI, display my status," and a stream of data swiftly flowed through his mind.

Name: Amphisbaena Black

Strength: 20

Endurance: 24

Vitality: 29

Agility: 21

Intelligence: 36 (+4)

Charm: 31

Mana: 40

Luck: 15

Innate Talent: Comprehension LV7

Skills: Conjuration LV3, Potions LV4, Alchemy LV4, Occlumency LV5, Legilimency LV4, Runemancy LV4, Formation LV4, Hexcraft LV4, Transfiguration LV3

Amphisbaena's fundamental attributes had significantly improved over the course of a year. The increase in strength, agility, and intelligence was a result of his dedicated study of advanced magical knowledge, physical training, and natural growth. The effects of the wisdom beads had ceased.

As the upcoming school term draws closer, marking Amphisbaena's third year, his research on luck has yielded remarkable results. Notably, his ability to grant lucky bonuses has been a source of great satisfaction. However, despite this achievement, he has yet to discover a method to craft items imbued with such fortuitous properties. Nevertheless, armed with the hidden knowledge of Library No. 0, his luck has soared to extraordinary levels. If he were to participate in the lottery, it's likely he would emerge victorious week after week.