bioinnovel Chapter 141 Utter Defeat
Chapter 141 Utter Defeat
Chapter 141 A complete defeat
As the basilisk lost its last breath, the battle in the secret chamber came to an end.
Belvina walked step by step toward the Slytherin statue, a slight smile playing on her lips, her eyes radiating confidence and composure.
The biggest threat in the secret room has been eliminated, and Tom Riddle's current strength is not a concern. There is virtually no possibility of him being caught off guard.
It wasn't that Belvina underestimated the most dangerous dark wizard in history, but rather that Tom Riddle was simply not performing at his full potential; his current combat strength was probably only slightly higher than Harry Potter's.
This is a conclusion Belvina reached based on her previous observations: Tom Riddle, who exists in reliance on the diary, is very weak. His energy comes from his "possession" of Ginny Weasley, but this relationship is not secure.
"Tom, the Basilisk is dead. Your plan has failed," Belvina said. "What we couldn't do fifty years ago, we still can't do fifty years later."
Ginny Weasley looked odd beneath the giant Slytherin statue; the little girl emanated a strange, hazy light, as if she were being viewed through filthy glasses. Belvina continued, "The basilisk alone cannot possibly eliminate those unfit to learn magic from the school. If the attack escalates, Hogwarts' closure is inevitable."
The tiny body at the feet of the giant statue trembled uncontrollably, and Tom Riddle felt an extraordinary rage, an rage higher than mountains and deeper than the sea.
The outcome was exactly the same fifty years ago and fifty years later: the attack plans both ended in failure.
Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic, and Belvina Black are all working to stop the planned attack and protect the Mudbloods who are unworthy of learning magic.
Ginny Weasley's figure was blurred by the hazy light, and her originally eerie and brutal scarlet eyes became unfocused and lifeless, like the hazy taillights of a car on a rainy day.
"Perhaps the Basilisk wasn't meant to carry out the purge," Belvina said. "Maybe it was to guard the Chamber of Secrets, to keep outsiders out, or perhaps it was to protect Slytherin's deepest secrets."
"A lowly ant worthy of a beak, the great Salazar Slytherin?" Tom Riddle said dismissively, his strange, mixed-gender voice changing, with the proportion of a young female voice becoming more prominent.
Tom Riddle had anticipated that his plan might fail, but he never expected it to fail so completely. Not only did he fail to kill any Mudbloods, but he also got the Basilisk caught in the crossfire.
However, Tom Riddle did not give up. He had to find a way to overcome the current difficulties so that his bigger plan could be realized.
Belvina stepped forward and said dismissively, "Salazar Slytherin's greatness needs no further explanation. It is you people who repeatedly tarnish his glory, talking about completing Slytherin's noble cause, but it's nothing more than self-aggrandizement."
So-called pure-blood supremacy is nothing more than another form of egoism, which elevates the status of pure-blood wizards and highlights the nobility of pure-bloods by belittling Muggle-born and half-bloods.
Suddenly, Tom Riddle let out a sharp, piercing laugh, and the hazy light surrounding him stabilized and became clear again.
Tom Riddle said softly, "The plan to kill the school Mudbloods isn't really that important; it's just a pastime to pass the time. I'll fulfill Slytherin's legacy in another way."
"Your mouth is your own, so you can say whatever you want," Belvina said calmly. "But since we're all Slytherins, here's a piece of advice: next time, remember to think before you act. Even if it's just for fun, don't be so high-profile and make it known to everyone."
For centuries, Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets has been there, and it has certainly been opened more than once, but no one has ever been as high-profile as Tom Riddle, attracting so much attention.
Belvina offered her advice, but unfortunately Tom Riddle was not Cornelius Fudge. Voldemort disliked receiving advice, especially in this situation. Belvina's advice, given her confidence in victory, sounded more like a condescending act of pity.
Rage surged within him, and Tom Riddle's once blank and pale face twisted into a ferocious expression as he manipulated Ginny to raise her wand.
With a loud bang, like a gun being fired, Tom Riddle struck in a fit of rage!
Having anticipated this, Belvina calmly raised her wand and casually waved it, easily deflecting Tom Riddle's angry attack. The deflected spell struck a serpent pillar, causing it to collapse instantly.
Belvina remained calm and collected, thinking about how to get her hands on the diary as soon as possible.
The companion, unaware of the Horcruxes, pretended not to understand "another way" in order to lull Tom Riddle into a false sense of security and seize the diary from Ginny's grasp.
Compared to Belvina's relaxed demeanor, Tom Riddle appeared much more wolfish. His all-out attack seemed to have drained most of his strength, and his recently stabilized and clear outline became blurred again, with a hazy glimmer constantly overflowing from Ginny's body.
"It seems that pretending to be strong doesn't taste good," Belvina said calmly. "Although I don't know how you controlled Miss Weasley, I imagine her resistance must have been fierce, because she no longer trusts you."
Belvina once faced the Horcrux locket directly. The fragments of souls within the locket used words to bewitch her, gaining her trust and extending that trust to others. Ginny Weasley was likely also bewitched by the fragments of souls in the diary. The young girl wholeheartedly believed in the sixteen-year-old Voldemort and was forced to offer up her soul.
The echoes of footsteps in the vast, secret room ceased. Paul used a summoning spell to catch the three roosters that were running around, stuffed the victorious roosters back into the leather bag, and then went to Belvina's side.
Bassheda also brought Harry over and stood next to Belvina. Consumed by rage, Harry used all his strength to suppress his impulses, his emerald green eyes fixed on Tom Riddle, who was possessing Ginny.
The situation is now settled; the Hogwarts adventurers are in a pincer movement, and Harry Potter appears to be the weakest link in this encirclement.
In reality, the Law on the Protection of Minors is in place and cannot be broken.
With defeat already certain, Tom Riddle struggled to maintain control over Ginny's body, his eerie crimson eyes dull and lifeless, while the hazy glow surrounding him continued to spread.
Tom Riddle forced a sinister smile, staring greedily at Harry. He grinned and asked, "In my future, in your past, how did you escape death?"
Previously, Belvina was stalling for time to observe how much Tom Riddle had recovered and how well he controlled Ginny Weasley.
Now it's Tom Riddle's turn to stall for time. He needs to solidify his control over Ginny Weasley and draw more energy to escape the encirclement and leave Hogwarts.
Tom Riddle took Ginny's body into the Chamber of Secrets with the intention of devouring Ginny's entire soul. At least within Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets, the weakened Tom Riddle was safe, because no one except Parsleyan could enter the Chamber, which was also guarded by the Basilisk.
But Harry happens to be a Parseltongue, and he has the ability to open the Chamber of Secrets. This allows Belvina and her two companions to enter the Chamber, kill the Basilisk, and stop Tom Riddle's "alternative way."
"Tell me everything, and maybe I'll spare your life," Tom Riddle continued. "Tell me why you suddenly lost everything when I was attacking you."
Tom Riddle's gaze swept over everyone, he wanted to remember each face, and on the day he returned, he would carry out his revenge!
"I don't know," Harry said stiffly, trembling as he desperately suppressed his anger. "All I know is that when I saw you last year, you were nothing but a pile of rags, half-dead, hiding everywhere, a disgusting ugly freak!"
Tom Riddle grinned maliciously, about to force Ginny Weasley to speak, but suddenly froze.
Music drifted in from somewhere, its sound ethereal, mysterious, and uplifting.
As the music grew louder, flames suddenly erupted from the location of Salazar Slytherin's statue, and a crimson bird flew through the flames and descended from the sky.
Phoenix Fox circled and danced around the arched ceiling, continuing to play magical music, its deep red feathers and shimmering golden tail feathers drawing streaks of light.
After a while, Phoenix Fox folded its wings and landed lightly on Belvina's shoulder.
Belvina turned her head to look at Fox, who was preening his feathers, and silently complained with her eyes: Next time you could come a little later.
Phoenix Fox tilted its head, its bright black eyes filled with innocence. It flapped its wings twice, ruffling Belvina's hair, and a few strands fell onto her forehead.
A few seconds later, Fox flapped his wings and flew away contentedly, his golden claws landing precisely on Harry's head, flattening the tuft of hair that always stood up on Harry's head.
"A phoenix—" Tom Riddle murmured, his spirits broken, he was powerless to control Ginny Weasley's body.
"Fox, Dumbledore's phoenix," Belvina said. "I don't need to explain what that means, do I?"
""
The appearance of Fawkes the Phoenix in the Chamber of Secrets in Slytherin signifies Albus Dumbledore's return to Hogwarts, indicating that the school is back on track.
"You've lost, Tom, just like last year, utterly defeated," Belvina continued. "Your ghostly auras will vanish into thin air the moment they're exposed to sunlight, just like you are now—"
Before he finished speaking, Phoenix Fox spread its wings and, like a whirlwind of gold and red, rushed straight toward Ginny Weasley, who was "possessed".
The next second, Ginny Weasley's frail body went limp and she collapsed to the ground, her wand and old diary falling to the floor.
Sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle appeared. He was a tall boy with dark hair. Although his features were extremely blurry, his handsome appearance was still clearly visible. He was a completely different person compared to last year's ugly duckling.
What, did Voldemort grow up burning through his good looks like a stray dog?
Fawkes the Phoenix flew back over Harry's head, dropping the diary like a bomb as it passed Belvina.
"This time it's really over, Tom," Belvina said, holding up an old diary. "What do you think I should do to destroy it? How about Fiendfire?"
Sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle was like a blurry projection; no one could hear what he said, his waving arms couldn't touch anyone, and he was in a state worse than a ghost.
"Ah, so you don't like Fiendfyre," Belvina said, feigning surprise. "What about the basilisk's venom? The Slytherin basilisk defeated the Slytherin heir; Gilderoy Lockhart would love that story."
puff!
An untimely laugh rang out from the secret room.
The first person to break down was Harry Potter. From the moment he learned that Tom Riddle was Voldemort, Harry had been keeping a straight face, but now he finally smiled.
As Harry burst out laughing, Bassheda and Paul, who hadn't found it funny at first, also started laughing. Mentioning Lockhart at this moment—whether they were disgusting Lockhart or disgusting Tom Riddle—it was definitely not a good thing.
As Basilda chuckled, she approached the basilisk. She raised her wand and pointed it at the basilisk's flat, bloody head. With a horizontal swipe of the wand, a sharp fang fell off.
Belvina casually flipped open her diary, her slender fingers gently brushing across the blank pages. As she turned the pages, the smile on her face gradually faded.
"It's yours, Harry," Belvina said, shoving the diary into Harry's arms before walking toward the unconscious Ginny.
Just then, Basilda, who was holding the snake fang, walked back and casually handed it to Harry as well.
Harry Potter, wielding the fangs of the basilisk kept by Slytherin, destroyed the Slytherin heir's diary, setting off a fateful scene.
With a basilisk tooth in one hand and an old diary in the other, Harry didn't think or hesitate for a moment, as if he had always known what to do—the basilisk's sharp fangs plunged straight into Tom Riddle's diary.
With a terrible, prolonged, ear-piercing scream, streams of ink gushed from the diary, flowing down Harry's hands and onto the floor.
Sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle flailed his arms wildly, struggling frantically—then he vanished, and all fell silent.
An old diary from Vauxhall Road in London had a large hole burned through it, hissing and emitting black smoke, with ink dripping out.
Belvina bent down to check on the unconscious Ginny. The little girl's originally pale face was visibly turning rosy, her eyelids twitching, and her eyelashes fluttering.
With a soft groan, Ginny Weasley slowly awoke. She first looked blankly at Belvina, who was closest to her, and then at the basilisk's massive body submerged in a pool of black blood.
Finally, Ginny's gaze was fixed on Harry, following him closely.
"Ginny!" Harry rushed over and helped Ginny to her wobbly feet. "It's alright, it's all over."
Just as Ginny was about to speak after regaining consciousness, she saw Belvina make a gesture as if to speak.
Belvina said softly, "Don't say anything now, don't ask anything, let's get out of here first."