Hogwarts: Chill, I'm Not That Riddle

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Corvinus Gaunt.

The moment he heard that name, Tom’s mind instantly pulled up everything he knew about it.

"Corvinus," which comes from the Latin corvus, meaning "raven."

Corvinus Gaunt had been a member of the Gaunt family three hundred years ago. There was barely anything written about him. In all of Hogwarts’ records, not a single book mentioned his existence.

But Tom was certain of one thing: Corvinus Gaunt had been an exceptionally powerful wizard, and a master Parselmouth.

Three centuries ago, when Hogwarts was undergoing renovations to its plumbing system, Corvinus had already uncovered the secret of the Chamber of Secrets.

But to keep it from being discovered, he’d relocated it.

That was why the Chamber’s entrance had ended up in the second-floor girls’ bathroom.

And back then, Corvinus had only been a student.

Just a student. Yet right under the noses of Hogwarts’ headmasters and professors, he’d managed to enter the Chamber, inherit Slytherin’s legacy, and even alter the Chamber itself without alerting anyone.

That level of skill... even Voldemort in his prime couldn’t have pulled that off.

Rumor had it that after graduation, Corvinus Gaunt spent some time working in the Department of Mysteries. After that, every trace of him vanished.

"Heh..."

A sharp glint flashed through the boy’s eyes.

So was the one who sent vampires after Nicolas... Corvinus Gaunt?

There was no hard proof, but Tom was already almost certain.

"Slytherin really left a mess behind, didn’t he..." the boy muttered, shaking his head. "One obsessive descendant wasn’t enough, and now an ancestor pops out too... Why is it that dark wizards can never just stay in their lane?"

At that, Herpo gave a faint shake of his head. "The whole point of magic is exploration. Experimentation. If all you do is follow the paths laid down by those before you, your own achievements will always be limited. Dark wizards are simply those who pursue truth by any means necessary."

"Riddle, only what you discover for yourself can break those chains and take you to heights no one’s ever reached. You’re this strong at such a young age. Surely you understand that."

"Of course I do." Tom nodded in agreement. "But research doesn’t have to come hand in hand with conspiracies. You could just quietly be a peaceful scholar, a model student... like me."

"You?"

Herpo let out a mocking laugh.

"Riddle, I haven’t been back long, but I’ve learned quite a bit about you."

"With that guild of yours, Britain is practically under your control. Easy for you to say. How about this? If you’re willing to hand over some of your resources... and your secrets... I’d be happy to stop causing trouble and stand at your side. I might even teach you some of my knowledge."

Herpo’s gaze swept over Tom, naked with greed.

He didn’t need to think hard to know the boy was hiding enormous secrets.

That terrifying ocean of knowledge within him. Those countless bizarre spells. The strange Jeanne d’Arc. The alchemical lifeforms, Codex, Lume-lens,...

Every one of them pointed to the same conclusion: Tom Riddle had inherited a staggering amount of ancient magical knowledge.

And that faint pressure rolling off him... even this body Herpo occupied was trembling.

It was suppression at the very level of existence itself. Standing before this boy, Herpo felt like a child facing a dragon.

If he could take all of Riddle’s secrets... If he could claim this knowledge and power...

He was certain he could surpass even his own peak.

Herpo made no effort to hide the hunger in his eyes.

And it disgusted Tom.

Without warning, Tom moved. He thrust out a hand, and the Obscurus burst from his palm at blinding speed, twisting into a monstrous maw and lunging straight at Herpo.

"That’s right. I carry the legacy of gods, the inheritance of ancient Greek wizards... even the magic of the previous era."

"It’s all here. In my body. In my mind."

"If you want it, come and take it."

"And if you can’t... go try your luck with the Sun-Chaser and that Quetzalcoatl instead."

In an instant, the Obscurus swallowed Herpo whole.

But almost immediately, a burst of green light tore through its phantom body, and Herpo broke free.

The Obscurus shifted again. Its black mass exploded outward, spreading wildly until it blanketed the entire sky in darkness, eclipsing everything.

Countless arrows rained down on Herpo, who stood suspended in the void.

But those were just warm-ups. The real killing blows were the sweeping black beams carving through the air around him.

Every building touched by that torrent of magic was obliterated. The ground itself was blasted into craters.

Never in history had there been an Obscurus this powerful.

Because... its host was fundamentally different.

Ordinary hosts were drained dry before they even reached adulthood. They never had the chance to let their Obscurus fully mature.

But Tom was different. He could feed it endlessly.

His problem wasn’t starving it. It was making sure it didn’t overeat.

At this point, it wasn’t the Obscurus absorbing his magic anymore. Tom was forcing power into it, driving it to evolve.

BOOM!

The sky-shattering barrage came crashing down.

Herpo blocked several strikes, but after only a few exchanges, the protective barrier around him shattered.

The Obscurus’ magic tore through his body.

In seconds, he was riddled with holes and crashed helplessly to the ground.

And yet, not a drop of blood flowed from the wounds.

Tom simply watched him, expression calm, "This avatar is far too weak. If you want to test me, I’d suggest bringing Gaunt with you next time."

Herpo forced out a strained smile. "No... this is enough. I’m not your match. Neither is Corvinus Gaunt."

"Even if we fought you together, the outcome wouldn’t change. But, Riddle... our goal is already accomplished."

"The entire wizarding world has now been exposed. And soon... the dormant beings known as gods will return."

"When that day comes..." He smiled wider. "Will you still be invincible?"

Tom was silent for a moment before giving a faint nod. "I see no reason I wouldn’t be."

With a single thought, a black torrent descended from the sky and erased Herpo’s head from existence.

The spell collapsed at once.

And without its head... Herpo’s body reverted to its true form, a gigantic emerald-green serpent.

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