As soon as it started, he enlarged it and enhanced the sound, so everyone could watch and hear. He and Neville moved off to the side.
During the playing of the memory the students gasped, shrieked and gasped again in all the right spots. When Riddle identified himself as Voldemort while waiting for Harry to die, they received the biggest shrieks and gasps of the showing.
When it finished, Harry withdrew the memory and dropped it into one of his ever ready phials. Then he called Petey to take the pensieve back to Potter Manor.
While he was doing that, Neville looked at the students and asked, "Any questions?"
Everyone was looking at him and Harry in awe. And not the normal kind, either. It was an awe of outright fear and respect. "Errr..." said a Gryffindor, "Tom Riddle was really V-V-Voldemort?"
That earn yet more gasps and shrieks.
"No," replied Harry. "It would, however, be correct to say Voldemort..." more gasps, "... is actually really named Tom Marvolo Riddle."
Most on the Slytherin table were looking most unhappy about what they heard.
"Mister Potter!" roared Dumbledore.
"Oh, give it a rest, please, Headmaster?" snarked Harry, turning to the old man. "Stop trying to keep it a secret! The truth will set you free; and, in this case, the truth will set you free of the unjustified fear of the man!"
Turning back, Harry said, "Tom Marvolo Riddle was born the son of a near-squib witch named Merope Gaunt, and Tom Riddle, a muggle - not a muggleborn - a muggle; one with no magic whatsoever. So, yes, folks, the one who's false name frightens you so much you can hardly bear to hear it, is - or was - a half-blood."
And that really upset the Slytherins.
"And Neville here - the person Mister Malfoy and his cronies sneeringly calls a squib - crossed wands with him, this afternoon, and blasted him into a wall with nothing more than a simple Stunning Charm. Twice!"
"That was only a spirit! Or whatever it was," yelled one of the Slytherin upper years.
"A spirit, you say?" asked Harry right back. "One that was able to hold Miss Weasley's wand in his hand, and who you saw cast magic through it; one that was affected by a simple Stunning Charm; one that, when he actually hit the wall, hit with enough force to crack the rock wall behind him. No, he was solid enough, alright. Even an idiot could see that."
Turning back to the rest of the students, he asked, "Some of you, over the past three weeks, have gone to the Trophy Room to look for the information I provided you about Riddle before, yes?"
There were quite a few nods and 'Yeses' in reply.
"And that other - student - in the memory looked exactly like him in the photograph, yes?"
More nods.
"Well, now for the final proof," said Harry.
With a wave of his wand and a muttered, "Flagrate!" Harry wrote TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE in the air in shimmering fire. He swished his wand and the letters began to rearrange themselves, finishing with I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.
There were quite a few gasps and much whispering. Dumbledore sat there with his head down and muttering to himself. He really wasn't happy.
He left it there for a few seconds before swishing his wand through the words and extinguishing the flames.
"I'm sure none of you now doubt the veracity of my words?" he calmly asked.
No one replied. Even the very unhappy Slytherins couldn't rebut.
After the 'dinner entertainment', Harry and Neville escorted the adults out to the front steps of the castle. Harry drew the memory of the period when he was talking with Riddle-spirit and dropped it into another phial, and capped it before handing it to Cygnus.
"I think I need to hand this off before Dumbledore sticks his broken beak in and tries to demand it off me," said Harry.
I'll have a look tonight, Harry," he said. "We all want to be back here tomorrow morning for when Daphne and the others are woken. I'll be bringing the Davises and Grangers with me."
"Oh?" asked Harry. "I didn't think the Grangers would be able to see the castle, let alone enter it."
"They'll be wearing special pendants that will allow them in and able to see," smiled Cygnus.
"Thank you," sighed Harry. "I'm sure Hermione will be very happy to see them when she wakes up." "As am I," he said.
With words of parting, the adults left on the long walk back to the main gates, before apparating away.
Curfew was fast approaching, so Harry and Neville headed upstairs to their respective towers. Both were absolutely knackered and were looking forward to sleep.
When Harry entered the Ravenclaw common room the few students in there looked up at him with wary acceptance.
One of the older muggleborns quietly said, "You wear a pair of big brassy ones, Mister Potter."
Harry just grinned back with a weary expression. "I was scared nearly enough to shite myself for almost the whole time. But, I also knew, as the only parselmouth I knew of, I had to be at least one of the ones that had to go down there."
"That's what makes it all the more impressive," the older boy said. "You're more than intelligent enough to also be rightfully afraid. Yet, you still did it; and came out victorious."
"Well," said Harry, "thank you. I just think we were incredibly lucky and am thankful we were able to save the young Gryff girl."
The older boy just nodded.
Over in the Gryffindor tower, Neville had just managed to remember the password and had clambered over the sill before he was grabbed and had the stuffing almost hugged out of him.
First, it was Ron Weasley who hugged him, then they were joined by the twins, who proceeded to bounce them up and down. When he was finally released the oldest brother, Percy, with tears in his eyes, arm-clasped him before giving a very quick and manly one-armed hug. "Thank you," croaked the older boy. "Thank you for saving my sister's life."
Blushing, Neville replied, "Yeah, umm that's alright, yeah?" "Neville Longbottom!" cried one twin. "Basilisk slayer!" cried the other.
"Rescuer of damsels-in-distress!" cried the first.
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