Ravenclaw's Bronze Ring, William's greatest hidden ace, was known to very few people.
Among those few, Ron and Lockhart, both of whom had briefly possessed the diary, were definitely not included.
There was no way Riddle could have learned about it from them.
Then again, the Tywin incident had caused such a stir that Riddle might have guessed... or he could simply be fishing for information!
William's acting skills kicked into overdrive, his expression shifting into one of confusion as he shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Overacting... just a bit overdone," Riddle said with a bright smile, baring his teeth, "William, you should have hesitated for a moment, with a touch of pondering in your confusion.
"That would give the performance more nuance and depth, making it more believable."
"Ah, a connoisseur," William quipped, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.
"Hardly. It's just that pretending in front of Dumbledore for so long taught me a thing or two," Riddle replied in a flat tone.
"But you never managed to deceive him."
"True, I admit that. I couldn't fool Dumbledore." Riddle's expression darkened.
"Those blue eyes of his, always watching me, not with warmth or admiration, but coldness and calculation... from the very first time we met!
"No matter how exceptional I was, he refused to acknowledge me!"
William tilted his head slightly. Riddle's tone carried the bitterness of someone who felt neglected, more like a son trying desperately to earn the favor of a distant father.
At sixteen, Riddle clearly harbored deep resentment toward Dumbledore.
"Alright, William, let's talk about the ring again."
"There's nothing to discuss. Don't be like Professor Tywin... He believed in those legends too much, and I've already sent him off to Azkaban to serve his sentence.
"I wonder if I'll ever get the chance to see him again. I actually miss him a bit."
"Just a legend?" Riddle fixed his gaze on William, "But the more I looked into your actions over the past two years, the more impressed I became.
"You were far more brilliant than I was in third year..."
"Well, that's why they call me a genius," William replied, maintaining a defiant attitude.
Using a familiar tone, he added with a grin, "Tom, the ring is nothing more than a schoolyard myth, just like all the other quirky and bizarre legends around Hogwarts."
Riddle stood up, clasping his hands lightly behind his back as he slowly paced the room. Suddenly, he asked:
"William, do you know where we are?"
"The Chamber of Secrets?"
"More specifically, this is the Sanctum of the Chamber of Secrets, a special room left behind by Salazar Slytherin.
"Here, he studied magic, contemplated life, observed the universe and time, and even reflected on... death," Riddle explained.
William looked up and took in the details of the room, realizing it was indeed extraordinary.
The walls were adorned with magical flames, Gubraithian Fire, a type of enchanted flame that burned eternally, often referred to as the Eternal Flame.
William had seen this rare fire before at Nicolas Flamel's estate.
The ceiling was covered in intricate star charts, depicting planets, moons, and constellations, interwoven with astrological symbols, diagrams, and formulas.
Arrows represented elliptical star orbits, geometric symbols indicated angles of ascent, and the zodiac animals loomed over the room like cosmic sentinels.
Salazar Slytherin, it seemed, had been an astronomy enthusiast!
One could imagine him gazing at the night sky, marveling at the vastness of the universe and the boundlessness of time and space...
A wizard of the cosmos, indeed!
Wait a minute...
"How do you know what Slytherin did here?"
William narrowed his eyes at Riddle. "The way you talk, it's as if you saw it firsthand."
"I didn't know at first," Riddle admitted with a smile. "But because of you, now I do."
"What do you mean?"
"The first time I controlled Ron and entered the Chamber of Secrets, I found the basilisk was gone. Do you know how I felt then?"
William chuckled softly.
"I killed the basilisk. Can't blame me, it was your future self, Voldemort, who released it
"To be honest, it tasted pretty good... crunchy, like chicken. I even sliced it up and deep-fried it a few times.
"I've still got some frozen. Want to try some?"
"..." Riddle took a deep breath, visibly restraining his anger.
"When the basilisk was dead, I was disappointed, to say the least. Unwilling to give up, I climbed into the statue's mouth to see if there were any clues, and that's when I discovered this room."
"...Are you saying you'd never been here before?" William asked, astonished.
"No," Riddle sighed. "Even the greatest wizards have their oversights.
"At the time, I held immense respect for Slytherin. Why would I ever think of climbing onto his statue?
"Moreover, there was that long-standing rumor, that the monster in the Chamber of Secrets was left by Slytherin to rid the school of unworthy students who didn't deserve to study magic.
"When I summoned the basilisk, I never thought to inspect the statue... until that day!"
"When I climbed inside, I discovered that the mouth of Slytherin's statue concealed another room. This, this is the real Chamber of Secrets!"
Riddle's eyes burned with fervor.
"Slytherin didn't leave the basilisk to kill Muggle-borns. Its true purpose was to guard this room... to protect what was within, ensuring no one else could see it.
"Apart from the adult basilisk, this chamber also contained seven juvenile basilisks in deep slumber.
"Each basilisk could live for eight or nine hundred years before dying... and then the next would awaken, continuing the guardianship until Slytherin's true heir arrived."
"What did Slytherin leave behind?" William pressed.
Riddle smirked mysteriously.
"He didn't leave any spells but something far more valuable: records."
"What kind of records?"
"The adventures of the Four Founders... the Deathly Hallows... the essence of death itself... prehistoric mysteries... and much more."
William's heart sank. These were the very things he and Nicolas Flamel had been searching for.
"I was a fool, truly." Riddle suddenly burst into manic laughter.
"My original self pursued the wrong path, eternal life? What utter nonsense! He couldn't even kill a baby! That fool, that idiot, deserved to die!"
Riddle's face twisted with fury.
"But now that I've been reborn, guided by Slytherin himself... I'll replace him. I'll become the true Voldemort.
"I will surpass my former self, become far more powerful... and achieve true immortality!"
"So, hand over the ring, one of the Deathly Hallows!" Riddle's voice was ice-cold.
"No more pretense. I'll be honest with you, the ring is indeed with me," William said, flipping his right hand to reveal the ring.
"But Tom, if I put the ring on now and reenter the time loop... your rebirth will vanish."
Without hesitation, William slipped the ring onto his finger. Yet, something felt wrong.
He tugged lightly with his left hand, and to his surprise, the ring slid off effortlessly.
"..."
Once inside the time loop, the ring could not be removed. If he could take it off, it meant he had failed.
Riddle's eyes gleamed with triumph as he stared at the ring.
"William, now that I know about the ring, did you think I wouldn't take precautions?
"Do you know why I chose the Chamber of Secrets as my place of resurrection? Why I waited until midnight?
"Because, strictly speaking, the Chamber of Secrets isn't part of Hogwarts Castle, it's deep underground.
"Once midnight passes and my resurrection is complete, even if you somehow return to Hogwarts, history can no longer be altered."
William's brow furrowed deeply.
The power of Ravenclaw's ring relied on the magic of the castle. Outside its bounds, it couldn't trigger the time loop.
Likewise, once inside the loop, one couldn't leave the castle grounds.
These were the two critical conditions.
"This chamber requires Parseltongue to open," Riddle sneered, "Apparition is also forbidden here, and even a phoenix can't escape.
"I've spent an entire school year preparing for this. Do you think I'd let you leave? Even Dumbledore can't get in to help you!"
Riddle burst into laughter, extending his hand. "Now, hand it over, and I might just spare your life."
"Ah, I see now," William nodded, flipping his hand to make the ring disappear once more.
"If I can't use the power of the ring, then I'll just kill you here."
William's voice was calm, as though discussing something trivial.
Tilting his head slightly, he dragged his fingers across his neck.
"A sixteen-year-old Voldemort... Tom, you think you're invincible?
"Is it you who's overestimating yourself, or me who can't lift my wand?"
William spat on the ground and smirked. "You want me to hand over the ring? You think you deserve it?
"Hand over Slytherin's notes, and I might spare your life. You outlaw, Tom!"
William's murderous intent was palpable. Despite Riddle's resurrection, killing him here would count as self-defense.
Who knows, William might even win his third Special Award for Services to the School.