87: Reentering the Forbidden Forest and The Demiguise

"What - wait - how..?"

John was stunned. Where could Daphne go?

In his memory, the most notable thing about this beautiful Slytherin girl, besides occasionally sitting next to him, was her arrogance.

Except for John, Daphne didn't even bother to glance at Malfoy or the others.

Malfoy, feeling guilty, said, "She.. She ran off with the diary."

"...Draco, what should I even say to you?"

John sighed heavily. It wasn't Malfoy's fault; he kept hearing faint whispers from the book, almost like someone was speaking directly into his ear.

A few times, he almost opened the diary, as if compelled by some unseen force. But after Snape heard about what happened with Harry and John, he didn't have time to help.

Daphne noticed something was off with Malfoy, so she took the diary from him.

Unexpectedly, Daphne's will was even weaker than his, and now she was missing.

Malfoy deeply regretted it; he wished he had just dealt with it himself.

John still had the highness—ehm*—effects of Felix Felicis, so he carefully recalled what Harry had said about Riddle.

"A way to deal with me? I've already killed the basilisk, and there's nothing left in Hogwarts that can threaten me."

His mind raced, piecing everything together.

"Use all your knowledge, and try."

Remembering what Pansy had said, a spark of realization lit up in John's mind.

He anxiously asked, "Where's Pansy's bottle of poison?"

Malfoy was taken aback, unable to understand what poison had to do with anything. After thinking carefully, he said, "Professor Snape took it."

Upon hearing this, John hurriedly went to find Professor Snape, realizing that the poison was the final clue.

Riddle knew the basilisk was already severely wounded, so he didn't hesitate to use it as a pawn to stall him.

Indeed, killing Harry was tempting, but for Riddle in his current state, resurrection was the top priority.

He must be hiding somewhere, preparing for his revival.

"From the moment he started controlling Ginny, he gradually grew stronger. He must have some method."

Recalling the state of the previous diary holders, John noted that Ginny became weak, Pansy acted strangely, Harry was secretly hypnotized, and even Malfoy was affected by the voices.

Without exception, all of them experienced physical decline, while Riddle's influence grew. Initially, he could only communicate through written words, but later, he could hypnotize and possess them.

This was likely because the diary absorbed the magic and life force of its holders, causing Riddle to change.

In other words, Riddle's growth came from the deterioration of the young wizards' bodies.

He originally planned to find his next victim in the Trophy Room, but instead, John found him through Tom.

With John's strong magic and mental fortitude, he wasn't easily affected, so Riddle deliberately let John discover that Harry had gone to the Chamber of Secrets.

"Damn it, I underestimated the Dark Lord's intelligence."

In the previous life, the many foolish actions of Voldemort in the *Harry Potter* series made John once think that Voldemort wasn't too bright when he was young.

But now, thinking it over carefully, this is Voldemort, the second Dark Lord, a figure who nearly ruled the magical world.

In his youth, he was also highly talented and cunning; it couldn't be as simple as just a basilisk.

John found Snape's office and pushed open the door, seeing him analyzing the bottle of poison.

"John Wick, I hope you've learned some manners," Professor Snape said, his face showing undisguised disdain. John quickly stepped forward and asked urgently, "Professor, do you know the ingredients in this?"

Hearing this, Professor Snape replied sarcastically, "Perhaps you should study harder. A potion's ingredients are complex and cannot be identified with the naked eye."

He thought John was there to ask about an antidote and dismissed him casually, saying, "If you're really worried, you can go to the hospital wing and check on Miss Parkinson."

"There's no time," John said.

Seeing that Snape hadn't yet figured out the composition, John did something that caught Professor Snape off guard.

Just as Snape set down the bottle, John picked it up, carefully sniffed it, and before Snape could ridicule him, John took a small sip.

"John Wick, I've already told you... Oh!?" 

This scene shocked Professor Snape. Indeed, the quickest way to identify the components of a poison is to experience it firsthand, but he didn't expect John to go to such lengths.

As the various toxins passed over his tongue, John carefully discerned each one. After smacking his lips, he felt a slight numbness in his body, and the frown on his face relaxed.

"Acromantula venom."

John, with his dragon-like constitution, had a high resistance to poisons. Although he was poisoned, it wasn't too severe.

Having identified the main ingredient, John quickly pulled out an antidote and drank it as if it were water.

Professor Snape's face turned ashen. He never imagined he would be so worried about John. His usually cold and drawn-out tone became furious. "Twenty points from Slytherin!"

"Alright," John replied, unfazed, and immediately rushed out of the office.

On his way, he encountered Harry being surrounded by Ron and Hermione. Seeing John's hurried steps, Harry didn't think twice and followed him.

"John! Harry!" 

Hermione stomped her foot in frustration as she watched them go. Ron wanted to follow as well, but seeing how angry Hermione was, he didn't dare move.

...

"John, where are you going?" 

Harry called out from behind as John ran ahead.

Hearing Harry's voice, John glanced back but didn't slow down. With a serious expression, he said, "Daphne is in trouble. I suspect Riddle has taken her to the Forbidden Forest."

"Why would Riddle do that? Who is he, anyway?"

Even now, Harry still didn't fully understand who Riddle was.

Seeing Harry's innocent expression, John stopped in his tracks. He stared at the scar on Harry's forehead and said seriously, "Riddle is just his surname. His full name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. Not many people know that name, but he has another name that shook the wizarding world."

Harry, still confused, asked, "What is it?"

John looked deeply at the scar and, with a slight parting of his lips, uttered a name.

"Voldemort."

"Voldemort!"

Harry's body froze, and for a moment, he saw a flash of green light before his eyes, accompanied by a woman's scream.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Harry, Riddle is definitely after you. He's planning to resurrect himself. This is extremely dangerous."

John wanted Harry to go back, but Harry had made up his mind. He couldn't let John face this danger alone.

"I'm going with you, John. You know there's something between Voldemort and me."

Seeing Harry's resolve, John nodded and said, "I respect your choice, Harry. Now, there is no time!"

The two of them ran towards the Forbidden Forest. As they passed by Hagrid's hut, John shouted inside.

"Fang."

Hagrid's dog, Fang, came trotting out, wagging his tail. John pulled out Daphne's handkerchief and let Fang sniff it.

"Fang, I need you to find this cloth's owner."

Fang barked once and started charging into the Forbidden Forest. This confirmed John's suspicions, and they quickly followed behind.

The sky began to darken, and the path through the Forbidden Forest was treacherous. One misstep could lead to tripping over a fallen branch.

John had no trouble, but Harry, lacking night vision, had to light his wand to barely keep up with John and Fang.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, Fang began to lose the scent.

"W..Woof! Woof!"

Suddenly, Fang stopped and barked in a specific direction.

"Who's there?"

John signaled Fang to be quiet. He drew his wand and cautiously moved toward the direction Fang indicated.

It was a humanoid creature, resembling an ape, with black eyes and long hair.

The black eyes stared at John, showing no signs of aggression.

John realized that this creature had just appeared from invisibility.

"An Invisibility Beast? The Demiguise?" John, who was well-versed in *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them*, was momentarily stunned.

The Demiguise, known for its gentle nature, was urgently pointing in a direction.

"Are you telling me to go that way?"

John understood its meaning, and under the influence of Felix Felicis, he felt that the creature could be trusted.

John exchanged a glance with Harry, and the two of them headed in the direction indicated.

After passing through a path surrounded by thorny bushes, they arrived at a silver lake. The moonlight shimmered on the surface, casting a radiant glow.

A boy wearing Hogwarts robes stood by the lake. At his feet lay a girl with beautiful golden hair.

The boy had pitch-black eyes, was tall, and had a pale, handsome face.

He was the young Voldemort, holding Daphne's laurel wand in his hand, a smile playing on his lips.

"Ah~ You finally arrived."

Young Riddle's lips curved confidently as he held the wand, not considering the two of them a threat in the slightest.

"That useless old snake... it seems he's dead. But it doesn't matter; I will handle this myself."

Riddle had every reason to be arrogant. He pointed his wand at Harry and said haughtily, "Draw your wand, Harry. I know you've learned to duel. I will personally take your life."

He had heard the story of Harry Potter from Ginny, the boy who had taken everything from the Dark Lord who once terrorized the wizarding world.

This was a grudge he intended to settle personally.

Even John was sidelined.

Harry picked up his wand, mustering the courage to step forward.

A smile appeared on Riddle's face.

________

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