Chapter 103. Energy Amplification
"Professor!"
"Professor Wesson!"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned at the same time to see Adrian Wesson standing at the entrance, wand raised, his face composed but his gaze intent.
Lord Voldemort's shattered face swivelled towards Wesson, the scarlet pupils narrowing slightly.
Naturally, he recognised Wesson—after all, it was this man who had forced Quirrell to eat that strange apple and driven him out of Quirrell's body.
"I can't allow you to harm my students, sir."
As Wesson spoke, he stepped in front of the three, shielding them as he levelled his wand at Voldemort.
Voldemort let out a shrill laugh that echoed around the room.
"It seems... I have been away too long..." His voice was as cold as a serpent's hiss. "Anyone now dares point a wand at me?"
Wesson said nothing. He only tightened his grip on his wand and, in his heart, silently called to the Tree of Wisdom.
[Name: Tom Riddle]
[Occupation: Wizard]
[Status: Extremely Unstable]
At the same time, Wesson set his left hand behind his back and discreetly indicated the Philosopher's Stone lying on the floor.
Harry instantly understood what Wesson meant.
While Voldemort's attention was fixed entirely on Wesson, Harry lunged forward, rolled, snatched the Stone from the ground, and hurled it hard towards Wesson.
"Catch!"
The Philosopher's Stone traced an arc through the air and dropped neatly into Wesson's hand.
The instant he had the Stone, the Tree of Wisdom began its analysis.
[Analysing... 1%... 2%...]
Perhaps because the Tree of Wisdom had grown recently, this time it displayed the progress of its analysis of the Philosopher's Stone.
And the speed was not slow at all!
Only then did Voldemort react, letting out a furious hiss: "Give it to me!"
Wesson gave him a look as if he were an idiot.
Because you said so?
At that moment, Voldemort took a long, narrow phial from his pocket. Inside was a silvery-white liquid that gave off an eerie glow in the dim light.
He drank the entire bottle of potion in one go.
"Eldra!"
[Name: Unicorn Blood]
[Effect: Grants powerful vitality for a short time, but inflicts an eternal curse]
The instant Voldemort drank the unicorn blood, the air in the room seemed to congeal.
Immediately after, his body began to convulse violently; the cracks that already marred him suddenly widened, spreading over his entire form, and silvery-white light seeped out from those fissures.
[Warning: Extremely Dangerous...]
In truth, Wesson didn't need the Tree of Wisdom's warning—he could already feel the suffocating pressure.
But Wesson also knew that, fearsome as Voldemort's aura was at this moment, Quirrell's body could not hold out much longer.
That body was undergoing a dreadful mutation; even his skin had begun to slough off.
"Back!"
Wesson barked at the trio, while swiftly casting Protego before them.
"Although it's not enough, still... what a marvellous feeling..."
Voldemort's voice screeched like grinding metal as he raised his wand.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A blinding jet of green light shot from Voldemort's wand; Wesson's Shield Charm shattered the instant it was struck.
At the last possible moment, Wesson twisted aside; the Killing Curse grazed his shoulder and smashed into the wall behind him.
"Professor!"
Harry cried out. The place where the curse had scorched Wesson's robes was already charred black.
Wesson stared fixedly at Voldemort. After casting a Killing Curse, a fragment of skin fell from Voldemort's arm.
Just a little longer...
Seeing his spell fail again, Voldemort's twisted features contorted even further as he glared at Wesson.
He knew he wouldn't escape today.
Even if he killed the man blocking his way, this body could not carry him out of the castle.
Having drunk unicorn blood, he did not have much time left.
So...
Voldemort suddenly went calm. He straightened and said, "Do you know, sir? Coming here tonight was a mistake—both for me and for you."
He paced forward slowly, his voice turning unnervingly gentle. "I admit you have successfully stopped me. But...
you will die here, and I will not."
"That's not certain."
A bad premonition prickled through Wesson.
Something was off about Voldemort's state.
In fact, Voldemort had already abandoned the idea of fleeing with the Philosopher's Stone.
His current goal was to kill Adrian Wesson—and Harry—every last one of them!
"Die!"
Voldemort exploded into motion, the tip of his wand bursting with green light. "Avada Kedavra!"
The Killing Curse sped straight for Wesson's chest.
"Professor!"
Under the trio's despairing gaze, the green light struck Wesson in the chest; his body flew backwards like a kite with a cut string and slammed hard into the stone wall.
Seeing this, Voldemort let out a triumphant snarl. "The first."
He turned slowly, wand now pointing at Harry. "Now it's—"
——
Before he could finish—
"Hiss—"
Wesson pushed himself up from the ground, baring his teeth. "That really hurt."
Voldemort whipped around, staring at Wesson in disbelief.
Wesson shook out his robes, and a few withered tendrils tumbled from beneath them.
Yes—Devil's Snare.
From the very start, Wesson had wrapped himself in Devil's Snare to absorb the Killing Curse.
Devil's Snare is a symbiotic mass of countless tendrils; they share awareness, yet each is independent.
When the Killing Curse struck Wesson, a portion of the Devil's Snare gave up its life to protect him.
Now it was his turn to strike back.
Facing a Voldemort who was forcibly borrowing another's body, Wesson did not think he would lose.
He snapped his wand up and fired several spells at Voldemort.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Stupefy!"
But Voldemort only flicked his wand with contempt, and the spells were easily deflected.
"Is that all you can do?" he said, the ruined face—scarcely recognisable as a face—twisting into a grim smile.
Wesson's expression grew grave.
Though his body was collapsing, the Dark Lord's mastery of magic remained unfathomable.
Just then—
[Analysing... 99%... 100%]
[Analysis Complete!]
Wesson looked down at the Philosopher's Stone in his left hand.
The Stone suddenly blazed with dazzling red light—then, like flowing sand, it began to disintegrate, dissolving into countless tiny scarlet motes that drifted away into the air.
Voldemort's pupils contracted sharply. "What have you done to it!?"
Wesson's lips curved knowingly. In his heart, he murmured, "Eldra."
[Name: Eldra (Tree of Wisdom)]
[Type: Oak]
[Level: 4]
[Traits: Object Analysis, Soul Link, Soul Purification, Energy Amplification]
[Status: Growing (0%)]
The Tree of Wisdom had advanced again and acquired a new trait.
Energy Amplification!
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