88: Back handed and Riddle’s Collapse

"What have you done to her?"

Harry looked at Daphne, who was lying there, her pale face now showing an unhealthy hue, her once cherry-colored lips now frighteningly white.

He didn't understand why the Heir of Slytherin would attack a pureblood.

"Her?"

Riddle spoke softly, almost lazily, "Killing Mudbloods is no longer important to me. My new goal has always been resurrection."

Harry stared at him in shock, which Riddle relished. He sneered, "Did you know? She's just like Ginny—a poor little girl caught up in infatuation. What a laughable love."

"John Wick, she likes you. Driven by love, she foolishly followed me because I told her you were in the Forbidden Forest and she needed to help you~"

As John listened to Riddle's words, his expression slowly shifted from calm to anger.

"Since the day I released the basilisk, you've been opposing me. This school should have been engulfed in fear, but because of you, they all recovered."

"John, it wasn't supposed to be this way. You ruined everything—ruined my basilisk."

Riddle's tone grew darker as he spoke. He had planned everything, using the basilisk to kill Muggle-borns and plunge the school into chaos.

But John, alone, had changed everything.

Fortunately, Riddle had still managed to resurrect himself. He pointed to the unconscious Daphne, a slight smile on his lips, "She will die here. When she does, I will be fully revived. And! Before that happens, I'm going to kill you both."

His wand was pointed at them, confident that even together, they posed no threat to him.

Because he was Tom Riddle, the most outstanding student at Hogwarts and the future Dark Lord of the wizarding world.

"Harry, stop hesitating and duel me. I can't wait to see you die painfully before me."

Riddle's taunting words provoked Harry. Even if he wasn't a match for Riddle, he was determined to face him in a duel.

"Come on, Riddle!"

Harry gripped his wand tightly, and Riddle, unhurriedly, bowed with elegance.

"One should bow before a duel. Didn't your teachers teach you that?"

Not wanting to appear inferior, Harry mimicked Riddle's gesture and began to bow as well.

As they both lowered their heads, a sudden sound shattered the silence.

Bang.

Startled, Harry looked up.

Riddle's face showed the same surprise as a blood hole appeared in his body, black smoke rising from it.

John stood there calmly, the barrel of his gun still smoking in his right hand.

Seeing Harry's confused expression, John said coolly, "Against scum like him, why bother with honor?"

He couldn't understand Harry's thinking. With a two-on-one advantage, why would Harry want to duel Riddle one-on-one?

John was full of energy, starting with the classic move: "Times have changed."

He then waved his wand, sending beams of white light flying towards Riddle.

Riddle countered with his own wand, casting a Shield Charm against the Blasting Curse. However, it lasted less than a second before shattering.

"How is this possible?"

Riddle's eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn't accept that a second-year wizard could surpass his own magical prowess.

Could the wizards of this era be so powerful?

What he didn't know was that John was no ordinary second-year student.

Even though his body was smaller, his mind remained sharp. No matter what happened, he believed that the range of his wand was the ultimate truth.

Outwardly, he looked like a child, but in reality, John Wick was a second-year at Hogwarts with strength far beyond the norm.

Due to John starting off with a level four Blasting Curse, Riddle was forced to retreat.

As John advanced, he continuously fired white beams, occasionally punctuated by the subtle sound of a gunshot.

All fourteen bullets were aimed at Riddle.

Forced into a defensive stance, Riddle cursed angrily, "John Wick, do you dare to duel me?"

"Duel? You kidnapped my friend, and you still have the nerve to talk about a duel?"

John was full of contempt.

He took back what he had said before—Riddle really didn't seem to have a good head on his shoulders.

Riddle's behavior was like a group of kidnappers challenging the police to a duel. Just show your head, and the sniper will take care of you.

Fooling a kid like Harry might work, but to John, this was just ridiculous.

Riddle was gradually forced into the lake behind him. John raised his hand, casting a Transfiguration spell to gather the water into a large mass and drop it on Riddle, drenching him thoroughly.

Harry learned his first lesson from John: when facing Death Eaters or the Dark Lord, never bother with reasoning.

Once he realized what was happening, Harry joined the fight as well.

With one on the left and the other on the right, they forced Riddle into retreat.

"How dare you?!"

Riddle's eyes practically blazed with anger. Once he got his bearings, he deflected a Blasting Curse, causing an explosion at Harry's feet that sent him flying.

Riddle was beginning to fight back.

John started to feel the pressure, but his experience of dueling Gryffindor paid off. He moved skillfully, dodging and countering Riddle's attacks.

Green, white, and red lights clashed in the air, spells flying back and forth.

One of the spells hit near Daphne, causing stones to scatter dangerously.

Tsk* 'We need to get him away from Daphne,' John thought.

John narrowed his eyes, seizing an opening in Riddle's defense. He gathered his strength and unleashed a powerful spell.

"Incendio!"

The Level 4 Fire-Making Spell erupted into a wall of flames, separating the two of them. John shouted to Harry, "Get Daphne back!"

As the fire broke open a large hole, Riddle cast the Cruciatus Curse, narrowly missing John.

"Reducto!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

The green and white beams collided in midair, crackling with the intensity of lightning.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Harry quickly moved to carry Daphne away. Riddle, seeing this, tried to stop him, but John remained a constant threat.

"Riddle, are you scared?"

John's voice was laced with contempt as he employed the dragon's taunt. He stared Riddle down, his tone calm as he said, "You should be grateful you didn't encounter me during your school days."

"Utter nonsense!" Riddle's expression twisted with rage, refusing to admit that he was inferior to John.

The two were locked in a battle of magical strength, each trying to outlast the other's power.

But Riddle had forgotten one crucial detail—John had taken Felix Felicis, and his magical energy was in abundant supply.

Riddle's face contorted with anger, completely oblivious to the approaching footsteps behind him.

Green lightning surged forward, pushing the white lightning back. John's expression turned serious as he increased his magical output, bringing the two forces back into balance.

Bang!

"Ugh!" At that moment, Riddle's head suddenly took a hard blow.

He was utterly devastated, not only by John's shameless sneak attack but also by the unexpected hit from behind.

The brief moment of imbalance allowed the white light to overpower the green light, crashing into Riddle's body.

Riddle's form could no longer hold together, shattering like porcelain.

His eyes remained fixed on John as his body finally exploded, dissolving into black smoke that dispersed into the air.

"Is he dead?!"

Harry's eyes widened in disbelief. Despite John's apparent underhanded tactics, this was Voldemort they were dealing with.

As Riddle's body shattered, an alarm went off in John's mind.

He immediately turned to look in Harry's direction, seeing black smoke emerging from the diary on Daphne's body, rushing towards Harry.

"Dodge!"

Harry reacted quickly, dodging to the side, but the black smoke relentlessly pursued him.

John's attacks passed through the smoke without effect, reminding him of the incident with the Philosopher's Stone trial.

Harry tripped over something. He looked down and saw the Sword of Gryffindor.

He clearly remembered leaving it in the Great Hall, yet now it had mysteriously appeared at his feet.

There was no time to ponder. Harry picked up the Sword of Gryffindor and swung it towards the black smoke.

The smoke, impervious to spells, was sliced through by the Sword of Gryffindor as easily as a hot knife through butter.

"No!!!"

As the black smoke was cut apart, it revealed the diary within.

Harry gripped the Sword of Gryffindor with both hands and drove it forcefully into the diary.

A shrill scream emanated from the diary as ink sprayed out through the blade, splattering everywhere, almost causing Harry to faint.

Seeing this, John couldn't help but be impressed. He had been battling intensely, holding his ground, yet Harry had swooped in and finished the job.

"Haah.. Haah.. Is it over?" Harry asked, still in a daze.

He was panting heavily, his face still showing signs of lingering fear.

John walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and smiled, "Nicely done, Harry. Interested in learning swordsmanship from me?"

"Uh... no thanks, I still think wands are more my style," Harry replied, shivering as he recalled Neville's lately zombie-like appearances after training with John.

John felt a bit disappointed, thinking the sword was much more effective than a wand.

He picked up the diary, now with a hole stabbed through it, and stuffed it into his satchel. Then, he moved to check on Daphne.

As the diary was destroyed, color returned to Daphne's face.

"She'll probably need to sleep for a while," John remarked, staring at her beautiful face while pondering something.

'Carrying someone seems like it would be pretty exhausting.'

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then glanced at Harry, realizing there was some free labor at hand.

'Ggh!~? Why do I feel cold?' Harry suddenly felt a chill, thinking he might need to add an extra blanket tonight when he slept.

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