Two sickly green beams of light collided with brutal force, unleashing a shockwave that painted the already darkened sky with an eerie, emerald glow.
...
In the stands, Fudge and the other Aurors stared in stunned silence. Both combatants had just hurled Unforgivable Curses in plain sight – a blatant act of defiance.
Oh? So you'll let my transgressions pass? Never mind then.
...
Back in the heart of the duel, Tom Riddle's magical reserves were undeniably superior, though not by a vast margin. Both were masters of the Killing Curse, possessing skill at the highest level. In theory, it should have been an evenly matched contest, but Tom Riddle wielded the Elder Wand, one of the three Deathly Hallows, and indisputably the most powerful wand in existence! Voldemort swiftly realized that Tom Riddle's Killing Curse held a distinct advantage, threatening to overwhelm him in a prolonged stalemate. Tom Riddle seemed intent on maintaining the equilibrium, a gesture that clearly infuriated Voldemort, yet undeniably offered him a chance.
Seizing the opportunity, Voldemort channeled more power, just enough to momentarily disrupt Tom Riddle's Killing Curse, then abruptly cancelled his spell and morphed into a tendril of black mist, attempting to flee.
Boom!
The rogue bolt of pale green energy, now without a target, struck the base of the stands, pulverizing the stone and leaving a smoking crater.
Voldemort, flung dozens of meters, solidified back into his human form, brandishing his yew wand. "Crushing Heart!"
Tom Riddle turned, casually flicking his wand, drawing the crimson spell towards the tip. With another fluid motion, he countered, "Avada Kedavra!"
Seeing this, Voldemort once more dissolved into black mist, evading the curse. He dared not, could not, risk a direct confrontation with Tom Riddle's Killing Curse.
Though I never thought I'd say this: couldn't you use something other than the Killing Curse for once?! Voldemort glared warily, never anticipating being so utterly humiliated by his signature spell.
Tom Riddle seemed to read his thoughts, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Do not fret, I have no intention of ending you so quickly..."
Voldemort's pale, bald head flushed crimson with rage.
Unconcerned, Tom Riddle raised the Elder Wand skyward. The ground beneath Voldemort began to shudder violently. Enormous hands of stone erupted from the earth, followed by colossal rock giants pushing themselves upward. Each standing behemoth towered tens of meters high. With every stride, their tremendous weight slammed into the ground, creating tremors and booming thuds.
Undaunted by the advancing titans, Voldemort, dwarfed to the size of an ant, stood his ground. As the massive stone fists, larger than himself, descended, he raised his wand high. "Shatter to Pieces!"
Boom!
The spell expanded in a semi-circular wave, shattering the first stone fist into countless massive fragments, tearing the remaining colossi into equally enormous chunks of rock.
"Boom!"
The sound instantly put Voldemort on high alert.
Following the trajectory of the sound, he saw a golden spell crackling with white lightning streaking towards him. Even the earth cracked and split in its wake, attesting to its raw power.
Apparition was futile; the blast radius was too immense, evasion impossible.
"Protego Maxima!"
Voldemort raised his wand, the spell conjuring a shimmering, transparent barrier around him.
BOOM!!!
The golden spell impacted the shield, detonating on impact, carving a crater tens of meters across, with Voldemort at its epicenter.
…
Back in the stands, Filius Flitwick, a former dueling champion, could not help but be amazed.
"Is this the prowess of the Dark Lord? Truly terrifying." Then he caught on to a key element. "However...he doesn't seem to be in the mood to duel."
Flitwick sensed Voldemort's odd behavior; he did not actually want to fight Tom Riddle.
Albus Dumbledore sighed gravely at the observation. "He is afraid…afraid of dying once more." He knew his former student all too well. Voldemort, faced with the prospect of true annihilation, had lost the will to fight. His continued resistance was merely a desperate charade to facilitate his escape.
"Unless something unexpected occurs, I expect he will attempt to flee shortly." A glint of anticipation flashed in Albus Dumbledore's eyes. Should Tom Riddle carelessly allow Voldemort to escape, he would be forced to intervene. This opportunity was far too valuable to squander. With the stronger Tom Riddle suppressing him, Albus Dumbledore need only launch a surprise attack to finish Voldemort permanently.
As for that ridiculous prophecy dictating that only Harry Potter could kill Voldemort... Albus Dumbledore scoffed inwardly. What utter nonsense! Harry Potter is practically the Death Eaters' second-in-command; why would he concern himself with some flimsy prophecy?
...
Whoosh...
A gentle breeze dispersed the yellow smoke billowing from the explosion.
A shadowy plume of black mist shot into the sky. Exactly as predicted, Voldemort was attempting to flee.
Dumbledore was ready to strike.
"Atmospheric Charm!"
At Tom Riddle's command, billowing dark clouds began to accumulate over the Quidditch pitch, until they had engulfed the entire field within a swirling vortex!
Voldemort, caught completely off guard by this, frantically altered course, desperate to escape the cloud's reach, but it was too late…
BOOM!!!
Bolts of shimmering white lightning rained down, instantly engulfing Voldemort in a blinding cascade, leaving him nowhere to hide!
(Crashing sound)
Bang!
Charred black by lightning, Voldemort lay motionless on the ground.
Tom Riddle observed Voldemort lying prone, then raised his wand once more, swinging it downward.
BOOM!
Another blinding white bolt struck!
Voldemort, feigning death, was rendered speechless.
Seeing Voldemort remain motionless, Tom Riddle simply turned and walked away.
"Avada Kedavra!"
The instant Tom Riddle turned his back, Voldemort, still sprawled on the ground, cast the Killing Curse. "Hehehe...Did you not expect that!"
Voldemort exhibited incredible patience; even after being electrocuted to near death, he remained perfectly still.
But what transpired next utterly stunned him. The "Tom Riddle" struck by the Killing Curse vanished instantly, replaced by the sensation of a sharp point pressed against the back of his head.
"You are dead."
A flash of ghastly green light, and Voldemort vanished for good.
His final thought was a curse: "Damn, this guy cheated!"
Voldemort would likely never have guessed that his "other self" possessed the ability to briefly glimpse the future; any attempt at a sneak attack was doomed from the start.
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