if i am not me

Chapter 45

A handsome black-haired boy was leaning against a pillar behind them. His face, which could be described as beautiful, was full of playful expressions. Although the details looked a little blurry, his overall outline could still be clearly recognized.

"You...what do you mean?" Neville said in a nasty voice. Although he had already guessed that this was a conspiracy, he still found it a bit inconceivable when he actually faced it.After speaking, he subconsciously wanted to grab his wand tightly, but only then did he notice that he put down his wand just now to hug Ginny.Stunned, Neville's heart sank suddenly, and it was at this moment that something in Riddle's hand caught his attention—damn it, it was his wand.

Neville's expression obviously pleased Riddle, he slowly smiled and walked towards them, "Literally. She's still alive, but that's all!" After speaking, those slightly raised eyes swept Passing the three people surrounding Ginny, he finally stopped on Neville, the boy who made Ginny sell her soul.

Until now Neville and Draco still found it inconceivable, they stared at the translucent Riddle, the man who should have left Hogwarts 50 years ago, but now stood in front of him, and looked no older than 16 years old.

"You, are you a ghost?" Draco asked uncertainly, his hands already covered with fine sweat.

Riddle was a little proud of Drake's question. There was a flash of arrogance in his eyes, and he shook his head slightly, "No, it's memory." He pointed to the diary on a stone slab at the bottom of the statue with his slender fingers, "Waiting in the diary 50 years of memory."

After finishing speaking, Riddle's smile had an imperceptible deepness, "Neville Longbottom, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

Riddle's attitude cannot but be said to be arrogant and arrogant. After seeing his words successfully stunned the three boys, he burst out laughing.As if showing off, he spoke out his plan without reservation, and as their faces became paler and paler, the speed of speech became faster and faster.But also because of Riddle's words, Neville and Draco realized that all the abnormal events that occurred this semester came from a conspiracy, and Ginny was the key to this conspiracy.

It was she who opened the Chamber of Secrets and released the BASILISK, it was she who strangled the school cock, it was she who hung Mrs Norris and left bloody writing on it, and it was she who stole the diary hidden in Neville's dormitory.And now, Riddle took advantage of her love for Neville to take her soul, so at this moment, Riddle was almost resurrected, while she herself was on the verge of death.

The words were not too different from what he remembered, but Harry just felt that something was wrong, very wrong.Looking at Riddle secretly, Harry felt that he spoke too easily and too calmly...

As if sensing Harry's gaze, Riddle glanced at him casually, and suddenly the tip of his tongue turned, "But I've changed my mind, Heir." Riddle said unhurriedly, as if what he said was nothing more than The weather looks nice today.

"What?" Neville frowned and looked at Riddle, the successor, changed his mind, what do you mean?

Neville didn't realize that their short conversation made Harry and Drake's whole body tense all of a sudden, because he didn't know that their conversation had been changed to Parseltongue.Neville still looked confused, but Harry's heart sank. What did Riddle want to express?

Riddle received Neville's answer, and looked at Neville with some surprise in his beautiful eyes.Frowning slightly, he tilted his head and looked at Neville more carefully, a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes, 'It's him? '

Neville didn't understand why Riddle and Harry Drake suddenly became a little strange. He didn't realize that he had followed Riddle's pace, and he didn't even know that he used Parseltongue.But if Neville didn't know, it didn't mean that Harry and Drake didn't know. Feeling that the situation was different, the two immediately clenched their wands tightly.

"My name is Tom Marvolo Riddle!" Riddle suddenly raised his hand, and while speaking in his magnetic voice, he spelled out a string of letters in the air with Neville's wand in his hand, and then Moved their positions, "Or, you can also call me - Voldemort."

Regardless of their reactions, Riddle continued hissing in his elegant tone, "I have a question, Neville, how did you do it. Beat my future self, the greatest wizard in the world?"

Neville was almost stunned after hearing Riddle's words. The sudden news made his heart churn, but then a huge hatred replaced the previous daze and fear, and he knew what he should do.You know, it was the person in front of him who killed his parents...

The trembling hands showed his emotions. After a while, Neville, who had calmed down a bit, said through gritted teeth, "No, it's not you!"

"What?" His eyes narrowed slightly, Riddle couldn't hear or understand what Neville said, which made him a little unhappy.

"I said," Neville took a deep breath, then looked at Riddle firmly, and said loudly, "The greatest wizard in the world is not you! It's Dumbledore, everyone knows how afraid you are of him! "

With a sneer, Riddle still seemed to behave decently, but unfortunately the sternness in his eyes betrayed him, "Dumbledore, that old fox? Indeed, he has been guarding against me since before, huh, unfortunately, he doesn't now At Hogwarts, my dear boy who needed his protection."

"No! He's back!" Neville said nonchalantly, he needs to calm down Riddle now, otherwise he doesn't know what this lunatic will do, and, Professor McGonagall did say that Dumbledore is coming back.

The disdain in Riddle's eyes grew stronger. Just as he was about to say something, a pleasant bird song rang through the secret room.This cry made all four of them change their faces, and they quickly began to search for the source of the sound, and finally they saw a fiery red phoenix.

"Fawkes!" Neville exclaimed in surprise, and then he turned his head and said to the confused Harry and Drake, "It's Dumbledore's phoenix. He's back and asked Fox to help us."

"Neville, I don't understand!" Draco, who hadn't interrupted all this time, finally spoke out. The two of them suddenly switched to Parseltongue just now. He and Harry were beside him anxiously, but they didn't dare to intervene rashly.Seeing that something happened at this time, he couldn't bear it anymore.

Neville was obviously quite surprised, but the current situation didn't allow him to think about it carefully, so he turned his tongue and repeated what he had just said.

At the same time, Riddle stared at the bright red in the air with cold eyes. After a long while, he pointed to Fox who was still flying in the air with his wand, and said in English with a half-smile, "The old fox's help? a bird..."

While speaking, Fox flew onto Neville's shoulder and threw a hat into Neville's arms. This action made Riddle's already ironic words even more sharp, "...and a broken hat, oh, you still have What a favorite of his, Neville."

Neville ignored Riddle's taunt, at this moment he just felt that he had more courage, he was not alone, was he?He has Harry, Draco, and Fox by his side, and maybe Dumbledore will come here in a while, when Riddle will die.

As if knowing what Neville was thinking, Riddle just lowered his eyelids, and Harry could clearly see his slightly frowning brows. Suddenly, Riddle rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers, "Try it and you'll know." Yet."

Before the three of Harry could figure out what Riddle wanted to do, Riddle smiled again, "Neville, I think I need to teach you and Dumbledore a little lesson, hehe..."

After finishing speaking, they heard a clear "hiss" sound from Riddle's throat, and Neville and Harry understood that he was calling BASILISK.

"Run!" Neville suddenly yelled, and Fawkes, who was standing on his shoulder, flew into the air in shock.Behind them, the Slytherin statue began to rumble. The mouth of the statue slowly opened and a hole appeared, and something seemed to be crawling up from the bottom inside.Neville knew that no matter how much courage he had, he was no match for BASILISK. Even if Harry and Drake were added, it would be courting death.Draco and Harry had been prepared for a long time, and they were always ready to deal with various situations since Riddle began to behave abnormally, including escaping.

Harry spoke for the first time since entering the Chamber of Secrets, "Stay apart, as far away as possible, report to Hermione!" Hearing that, Neville and Drake paused, but immediately the three of them ran in different directions .Because the secret room was surrounded by many doors leading to nowhere, this gave them a chance to stall for time.Draco and Neville knew that in this situation they could only run away, Basilisk's eyes were too powerful, and Harry's method was undoubtedly the most correct for them now, at least it could guarantee that they would not It's all over here.

So soon, the figures of the three disappeared into the empty hall of the Chamber of Secrets, leaving only Riddle and a BASILISK slowly crawling out of the mouth of the Slytherin statue.

"The reaction is good." Riddle touched his cheek with his wand, and said thoughtfully. "BASILISK, tell me, who did you start with?" He still speaks Parseltongue, a language he likes that gives him an edge.

Suddenly, he heard a voice, "Don't move! BASILISK!"

A flash of ecstasy flashed in Riddle's eyes, and he turned his head abruptly. He saw that BASILISK was hovering over the statue of Slytherin with its head lowered motionless as the voice said. It even had half of its body inside the statue. .At this moment, Fox took the opportunity to dive, and BASILISK let out a crazy hiss and hit the statue violently. It turned out that at the moment of that voice, BASILISK's eyes were pecked blind, and its most powerful weapon was just like that. destroyed.

"Since you're here, why don't you come out to meet me?" Without paying attention to BASILISK, who was already fighting with Phoenix, Riddle tried to keep his tone calm, and stared closely at the direction where the voice was just now.Two boys, who will it be?

"Is this necessary?" Harry didn't show up easily, but responded to Riddle's question out loud.Although BASILISK, who had been pecked blind, could no longer pose a threat to him, Riddle was not an enemy that could be taken lightly.

Riddle stared at the pillar where the man was hiding, and suddenly smiled deeply. "Of course, my dark-haired heir."

Hearing these words, Harry knew that it was pointless to continue hiding, but at the same time, he also had doubts in his heart, what does Riddle mean by being the successor? "As expected of Voldemort, whether it's the young you or the future you." Harry slowly walked out of the pillar where he was hiding, and Harry raised the corner of his mouth towards Riddle, but he clenched the wand even tighter.

Riddle returned a smile that turned all sentient beings, "Thank you, actually I didn't expect you to come back." Having said that, the confidence on his face made Harry seriously question the authenticity of his words.

Harry snorted noncommittally, and the expression on his face became lighter, "How could you guess it was me?"

Riddle approached Harry, and Harry looked straight at him but didn't move away, which made the admiration and joy in Riddle's eyes even greater.

"Instinct." Riddle suddenly lowered his head, buried his face in Harry's neck, and sniffed lightly. The breath he exhaled made Harry tremble uncomfortably.

"You don't need to be joking." Harry took a step back indistinctly, trying to open the distance between their doors, and his heart became more and more vigilant.

Riddle didn't explain when he saw this, he straightened up with a slight smile, and said affirmatively to Harry: "You are Slytherin... tell me, what should I call you?" Harry's jaw lifted so that the two eyes could only see each other.

Harry turned his head away from Riddle's hand on his chin, a deep revulsion welling up in his heart. "That's your business. It's none of my business."

Not only did Harry's actions not annoy Riddle, on the contrary, he smiled even more happily indifferently, "What's your name?"

Raising his chin mockingly, Harry looked at Riddle arrogantly, "Want to know?"

"Of course." Riddle nodded obediently, and Harry's arrogance made him more and more sure of his guess.

"There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. What weight do you have in exchange?" Riddle's attitude satisfied Harry. It seemed that he might really be able to figure out the secret he wanted to know.

Riddle laughed again, as if he had heard some particularly funny joke, he was out of breath from laughing, and after a long while, he looked at Harry again and asked, "I can give you a lot, But what do you want?"

Harry didn't hide it, and said bluntly, "Then tell me where the real chamber of secrets is." After speaking, he was satisfied to see the shock in Riddle's eyes, sure enough!It seems that his guess is right, this secret room is just the outer layer.Think about it too, how could there be only one BASILISK in the Slytherin Chamber of Secrets?

"You really surprised me." Hearing this, Riddle did not hide his surprise, and asked with interest, "Who are your parents? I don't remember any relatives." A shudder ran across Harry's cheek.

Harry really disliked Riddle's actions, so he shook off Riddle's hand again, "Answer my question first."

Riddle patted Harry's head, seeming doting. "Well, you are such a stubborn child, a qualified Slytherin should be more flexible." He shook his head helplessly, spread his hands, and said, "There is indeed a real chamber of secrets, but what should we do now?" It's all gone."

Harry didn't speak, just blinked for him to continue.Riddle curled his lips, "How do you think the future me has recruited so many party members in such a short period of time? Apart from strong strength, of course there is no shortage of huge money to support it." As he spoke, he looked around intentionally or unintentionally. Looking at the empty surroundings, he sighed softly.

Harry didn't fully believe Riddle's words, but he still put on a look of understanding and nodded, "Location."

Riddle's pupils dimmed, but the smile between his crooked eyebrows grew stronger.He raised his left hand, signaled Harry to follow his command, pointed to the Slytherin statue and said, "The mouth is the entrance."

Harry's eyes lit up at his answer, but then that light was drowned out by Riddle's question. "Then, now you should answer my question." Riddle looked at Harry leisurely, waiting for his answer.

Blinking, Harry suddenly left his position.Under Riddle's surprised gaze, he smiled slyly, "Did I say I would definitely answer you?"