Chapter 124: Deception and Counter-Deception
The next day, Saturday, George ventured alone into the Forbidden Forest.
Using his psychic abilities to sense that no other wizards were nearby, he retrieved Voldemort's diary from his dimensional storage space for the first time.
He then took out a quill and began writing in the diary.
"Hello, I'm George."
The ink was quickly absorbed by the diary, and after a pause of about twenty seconds, new text appeared.
"Hello, George. My name is Tom Riddle.
How did you find my diary?"
The sixteen-year-old fragment of Voldemort's soul was utterly confused. He had been in Ginny's possession, and with just a few more entries, he could have fully possessed her body using dark magic to resurrect himself. How had he ended up in George's hands?
He had heard of George from Ginny—a first-year Slytherin who excelled in every way and was well-liked by all the professors, much like he had been in his youth.
"I know who you are—the infamous Voldemort. I stole you from Ginny," George replied calmly.
This time, the diary paused for even longer, taking a full thirty seconds before new text appeared.
"How do you know I'm Voldemort?"
"I spend a lot of time in the library, including the Restricted Section. I came across a book that mentioned Voldemort's real name was Tom Riddle, a former student of Hogwarts."
"If you know I'm Voldemort, why haven't you turned me over to Dumbledore?"
"Because I crave power. I want to become the most powerful wizard in the world, just like you, so that no one will ever look down on me again."
"It seems we are alike. I can grant you power, but first, you must return me to Ginny."
"Today, Ginny confessed everything to the professors. They worked together to have Harry open the Chamber of Secrets using Parseltongue and killed the basilisk.
So Ginny is no longer useful to you. If you're willing to teach me magic, I can help you with certain tasks."
This time, the diary remained silent for a full minute before new text appeared.
"What kind of magic do you want to learn?"
The sixteen-year-old fragment of Voldemort's soul was stunned. He had planned everything so meticulously, even managing to get Dumbledore removed from the school. Yet, now, everything had gone awry.
The basilisk was dead, Ginny had revealed everything to the school, and he could no longer return to her. If he did, he would likely be handed over to Dumbledoor immediately.
It seemed he had no choice but to change his strategy and manipulate this boy instead.
This boy clearly had greater magical talent, ambition, and desire. Even knowing his true identity, he had chosen not to turn him over to Dumbledore.
If he could gain this boy's trust and possess his body, it might even be better than possessing Ginny.
"I've secretly learned the three Unforgivable Curses and the Fiendfyre Curse from the Restricted Section, but my progress is slow. I want you to guide me."
George stated his intentions directly.
He knew that Voldemort's fragment was likely trying to manipulate him, but he was also manipulating Voldemort in return.
There was no way he would ever trust Voldemort's fragment. While writing in the diary, he kept his mental defenses at full strength and had his light-based purification magic ready, ensuring Voldemort had no chance to exploit him.
It had taken Voldemort a year to fully control Ginny. Controlling him would be impossible.
Once he had extracted all the knowledge he could from the sixteen-year-old Voldemort, he would destroy the diary with a basilisk fang, sending the fragment to its final death.
He likely wouldn't even need to wait until the start of second year.
"Of course, I can guide you in learning these spells and help you become as powerful as I am."
The sixteen-year-old fragment of Voldemort agreed readily. To possess George's body, he would need to earn his complete trust.
Moreover, in his eyes, George's willingness to learn dark magic from the Restricted Section showed a clear inclination toward becoming a dark wizard. He would never side with Dumbledore.
With a little guidance, he could easily turn George into a loyal Death Eater and use his body to complete his resurrection.
"You truly live up to your reputation, Voldemort. Once you've taught me these spells, I will repay you well."
George immediately dangled a carrot in front of Voldemort.
Voldemort, in turn, tossed one back:
"If you listen to me, follow my teachings, and trust me, you will become the most powerful wizard in the world, surpassing even me and Dumbledore."
"Fantastic! Let's begin right away!"
George's eyes gleamed as he picked up the quill and began writing rapidly, diving straight into the lessons.
And so, in the days that followed, George's routine expanded to include sneaking into the Forbidden Forest to learn dark magic from Voldemort, in addition to his regular classes.
To his surprise, Voldemort truly lived up to his reputation as the Dark Lord. Even as a sixteen-year-old fragment, his guidance allowed George's proficiency in dark magic to skyrocket.
What the sixteen-year-old Voldemort didn't realize, however, was that the faster he taught, the closer he brought himself to his own demise.
Meanwhile, in the Marvel world, near the Xavier Institute for Mutant Education and Outreach, an unexpected visitor arrived.
"Strange, how can it not be here?"
Black Widow, dressed in athletic wear, finally noticed something was amiss after passing by the entrance to the Xavier Institute for the fourth time.
After being assigned the task of investigating George and the mutants by Director Nick Fury, she had been searching for their hideout.
After weeks of investigation, including analyzing satellite footage and surveillance, she had finally pinpointed the location of the former Xavier Institute.
On one hand, based on her research, she believed the Xavier Institute was the most logical and emotionally fitting place for George to hide with the mutant children.
On the other hand, satellite and surveillance footage had repeatedly captured George and Wolverine near the institute.
However, when she arrived to scout the area, she found that the castle, which clearly existed on the map, was nowhere to be found.
It was as if the school had vanished into thin air.
"This only confirms my suspicions."
The fact that she had passed by the location four times without finding the school suggested that the mutants' extraordinary abilities were at play.
This also meant her earlier deductions were correct.
"It's a bit troublesome, but not insurmountable."
Black Widow didn't linger. Instead, she retreated to regroup.
As the world's largest organization, S.H.I.E.L.D. possessed the most advanced technology and had experience dealing with all kinds of superpowered individuals. They would surely find a way to bypass this concealment.
For now, she needed to return to the New York branch and gather a team of tech-savvy agents to assist her.
What she didn't know was that, just inside the school gates, George was watching her with great interest as she passed by in her athletic wear once again.
(End of Chapter)