Hogwarts Raven

Chapter 198: 197: Helpo and the Mystery of the Curse

"This……"

There was an imperceptible mark reflected in his eyes, but Riddle, who occupied Malfoy's body, seemed not to notice it. He just seemed to feel some discomfort in his eyes and rubbed his eyes with his hands.

See this.

The mysterious man in black robe just curled up a weird smile.

The dark temple looked like a long-abandoned ruin.

As if it had been forgotten by time for many years.

There were only two people in the entire hall of thousands of square meters. One was Riddle who occupied Malfoy's body, and the other was a snake-faced wizard who called himself Herpo.

He was tall, shrouded in a wide black cloak, emitting a cold and powerful aura, which seemed to fit in with the surrounding environment.

The walls here are made of rough black rocks, and the stone walls are covered with strange vines, twisting slightly in the darkness, as if they have life. The air is filled with a damp and rotten smell, mixed with a faint smell of sulfur that makes people want to vomit - perhaps because it is located on Mount Vesuvius, which few people dare to approach.

Although Riddle suffered a great mental shock and encountered an unexpected incident that caught him off guard, he had been secretly exploring his location after he came to his senses.

After all, he was going to become the Dark Lord, so he still had the cunningness to remain calm in the face of adversity. Of course, even so, he was still shocked by the identity revealed by the being who forcibly moved him here.

"Herbo... the legendary wizard Herbo... how is this possible? Herbo is not a person of this era." Riddle's heart was filled with doubts about the identity of the person in front of him.

He is a very suspicious person and will never believe what others say easily.

"It seems you know a lot about history."

Hailbo's voice echoed in the hall.

There was a hint of a smile on his snake-like face, and it was obvious that this wizard, who looked unorthodox, had undergone extremely twisted magical transformations on his body, just like the future Voldemort.

No.

Perhaps it should be said that Voldemort's method of magical transformation is most likely based on the experience passed down by Herbod to later generations. This is why Riddle was horrified when he saw Herbod's snake face.

"You said I was your apprentice, so of course I know my teacher very well." Riddle did not continue to question, even though he still did not choose to believe the mysterious wizard in front of him. In addition to being suspicious, Tom Riddle was also a person who knew how to judge the situation when he was young.

"Hahahaha, indeed, you must have collected a lot of my works that I passed down." Hailbo seemed to be in a good mood, and I don't know if it was because he hadn't been flattered for a long time.

of course.

This could also be a disguise by Herbo to make Riddle relax and get closer to him. No one could guess what kind of personality a dark wizard of this level had.

Even Riddle, who began to call himself the Dark Lord again, found him unpredictable.

He could only speak as carefully as possible, "I believe you must have saved my life from those night watchmen just now, but I'm not sure why you chose to save me."

"Is it because I am your apprentice in the future?" Riddle was not confused by the fact that Herpo knew his origins. A powerful wizard could detect any subtle differences in other people.

Facing Riddle's questioning.

The corners of Hailbo's mouth curled up slightly.

"Isn't this reason enough? My dear apprentice, you are the smartest and most talented child I have ever seen. I should certainly cherish you, a hard-earned successor."

His tone sounded quite sincere, as if what he said was indeed the truth, but Riddle felt increasingly heavy in his heart. The young and ambitious Dark Lord did not dare to believe even a single punctuation mark of Herpo's.

"But I come from many years later."

Riddle was expressing his distrust in a very subtle way. His sweaty hands kept tightly gripping the wand, as if only the wand could give him a sense of security.

"Is it important? Not important, little one. When you reach my level, you will understand that the span of time is meaningless. The only things that matter are inheritance and like-mindedness."

Herbo turned and walked to the window of the temple. Looking out from the window covered with vines, he could overlook the ancient city of Pompeii and several other cities under the volcano.

"Tom Riddle, or... Voldemort." Herpo spoke softly. He had obviously read Riddle's memory, which made Riddle angry but he did not dare to show it.

"We are very similar, really. We both have insight into how to exploit historical loopholes and how to achieve our own goals in disasters. Perhaps the only difference is that I was born earlier than you."

"That's why I became the first person to realize the value of time and history earlier than you. And you, now I'm afraid you can only be called a beginner who has just stepped into this field."

Hailbo spoke in a low voice, with undisguised arrogance and contempt. Riddle's eyes flashed with resentment, but he quickly suppressed his emotions.

Even though Herpo was facing away from Riddle, Riddle held his wand tightly and did not dare to attack again. Perhaps this was the restraint that only a sixteen-year-old could possess. This was due to fear. If Voldemort, who had lost most of his emotions at other times, came here, he would probably have chosen to attack without saying a word.

Seeing that Riddle chose to remain silent.

Hailbo also withdrew his gaze and turned to look at his apprentice meaningfully.

"Please don't be angry. In fact, the fact that you can think of such a path already makes me admire you enough. We are very similar. We both know how to use historical disasters to achieve our own goals. But I am different from you. I am not just after power or immortality. I am also pursuing a higher possibility."

"It is this higher ideal that allows me to have better plans and gains than you." Hailbo smiled, with a hint of depth in his cold snake eyes.

"What's the possibility?"

Riddle frowned slightly, but couldn't help asking.

In this regard.

Hailbo responded softly, "Of course it is the ideal and ambition that a wizard should truly have, a possibility that even Merlin has never touched upon."

His words startled Riddle.

"Merlin?"

To be honest, before choosing to use Ian's time machine to travel back, Riddle really never thought that he would be involved in such a scene. He thought that even if there were wizards in the ancient city of Pompeii, they would be a group of useless wizards.

who ever thought.

Not only did he see the temple here and proof of the gods’ real existence, but he also met a legendary wizard named Herpo who actually mentioned Merlin, the King of Wizards.

The Dark Lord also felt that he could no longer bear it.

"You want to surpass Merlin?"

Riddle saw Helbo nodded.

He just felt his throat tighten.

Merlin is a legendary figure in the wizarding world, known as the most powerful wizard in history. And this man in front of him actually claimed that he could surpass Merlin?
How arrogant!

How... horrible!
"That's right, Merlin." There was a hint of disdain in Herpo's voice. "He is powerful, but he is only a mortal after all, a mortal bound by time and fate. And I am no longer a legend, nor a mortal. I have surpassed the boundaries of magic and become a higher being - an angel."

This legendary dark wizard, who has been infamous for thousands of years, has an arrogant expression and spreads out his hands. In the dark shadows under his feet, one seems to really see a pair of winged shadows.

"What angel?"

Riddle's pupils suddenly contracted, and a storm of emotions rose in his heart. This word was almost never mentioned in the wizarding world, so Riddle had no idea what it meant.

of course.

Whatever the angel represents.

It is obviously more powerful than the legend.

"In death, I found a treasure, and took it for myself and merged it with my soul. This allowed me to defeat death and see the infinite possibilities far ahead..."

Hailbo didn't seem to have any intention of hiding any information. He pointed at the wings reflected by the shadow under his feet. Perhaps that was the treasure he was talking about.

"You want to tell me that you defeated Death? This is not a funny joke." Riddle said coldly, trying to hide his inner surprise and doubt.

"It seems you don't understand how powerful I am." Helbo did not answer, but slowly raised his hand. Some kind of power was showing, and Riddle felt a sharp pain in his brain. He covered his forehead and roared. After Helbo put down his raised hand, he felt the pain slowly dissipate.

"You can attack my soul directly without using magic?"

Riddle's tone was somewhat incredulous.

however.

Faced with his horrified question, Hailbo shook his head.

"Look at your feet."

He gave a reminder.

After catching his breath, Riddle lowered his head in confusion, and then his eyes changed from horror to shock. He saw that Malfoy with platinum hair was lying at his feet.

And he... Riddle raised his hand in disbelief, touched his face and felt his heart beating. He actually regained a new life!
And I also have a young, vital body of my own!
"This...how is this possible! You can reverse death!? So easily, so simply, without any cost..." Riddle's low voice was weak with a hint of fear.

See his reaction.

Haierbo was very satisfied.

"This is an angel, a person above legend." He seemed to be unconcerned about the shocking act he had done. His tone was indifferent, and his snake eyes looked at Riddle not far away.

"You are already so powerful, far more powerful than anyone else. You can even conquer the world!" Riddle's exclamation at this moment was absolutely from the heart.

"See, this is the difference between you and me. Your thinking is too narrow. Why should I conquer the world? All I need is to truly break through to a level that magic cannot reach."

Hailbo stared at Riddle, who had a confused expression.

"What I want is... to become a god."

His words came like thunder from a clear sky.

Riddle's heart was immediately filled with turmoil! Becoming a god? This ambition far exceeded his imagination. He once thought that his pursuit of immortality and supreme power was crazy enough, but the man in front of him actually wanted to break through the boundaries of magic and become a god?
This is the real madness!

"This is impossible!"

Riddle refuted almost subconsciously. He thought he was ambitious and had a strong desire for power, but compared with Helbo, he was nothing. Becoming a god was a goal he had never thought of. In his opinion, the power of the magic world was already strong enough, and becoming a god was simply a fantasy.

Hailbo smiled, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "Impossible? Ha, nothing is impossible for me. Merlin is nothing but a mediocre person in front of me!"

He might be really arrogant and conceited, but he had the capital to be arrogant. This terrifying power was the reason why he dared to despise Merlin.

Seeing Riddle's expression constantly changing.

"I have traveled through countless years and witnessed countless disasters and destruction. In these disasters, I have absorbed endless power. Now, I have stood at the pinnacle of the magic world. I only need one last step to break through that boundary and become a true god. This is the foreseeable future."

"Tom Riddle, your talent and wisdom allow me to see a possible ally. Join me and become my subordinate, and you will gain far more than you can foresee."

Helber held out his withered arm to Riddle. Riddle hesitated.

He was obviously struggling internally.

suddenly.

"What if I say no?"

Riddle asked quietly, a hint of tentativeness in his voice.

Hailbo's smile turned strange and cold.

"Reject? Then you will be trapped in this era forever and become the dust of history. And I will continue my journey and look for the next person who is willing to follow me."

He waved gently.

"And this is what could have happened to you."

As soon as the words fell, Riddle saw that the entire space suddenly twisted into a kaleidoscope, with countless mirrors reflecting the endings of his different timelines.

Without exception.

They all died without a burial place.

“Fate is the sharpest dagger.”

Helpo's voice came from all dimensions simultaneously.

"And I want to remove its fangs for you."

He showed Riddle various possible futures, including the future in which Ian came and called out for water, and the future in which he stayed in the ancient city of Pompeii and was wiped out by the gods.

"Stop!"

Riddle roared in unbearable pain.

A fear he had never felt before was beating in his pupils.

"What do you want me to do?"

After Helpo withdrew his "magic power", Riddle lay on the ground gasping for breath. He felt a pair of cold and dry arms lift him up from the ground.

"I want you to hold the throne for me, and I will not keep this honor to myself." He once again extended an olive branch to Riddle, but this time, Riddle seemed to have made up his mind.

"It seems that I really have no other choice."

Riddle responded.

A white palm and a dry hand were put together.

"Welcome, Riddle." Helbo's voice sounded in Riddle's ears, with a strange smile, "From today on, we will pursue the possibility that transcends everything together."

His words shook Riddle's heart.

Not excited.

But some indescribable feelings.

"hope so."

Riddle looked at the extraordinary being before him.

"Of course."

Hailbo was still smiling.

His smile was particularly creepy in the dim temple.

……

Time passed quickly. After the sun set, the night sky covered the ancient city of Pompeii gently and unmistakably like a huge piece of black silk. The moonlight was like water, lightly sprinkled on the mottled stone road, covering this ancient city that had been sleeping for more than 2,000 years with a layer of silver gauze.

It is so beautiful and peaceful.

No one can notice the tranquility before the end of the world.

As the night deepened, fog began to fill the ancient city. The oil lamps on the street emitted a faint light, which flickered in the fog. The exquisite patterns carved on the stone walls were faintly visible in the moonlight.

In the underground palace of the ancient temple.

The "priestess" was already yawning out of boredom at this point.

"What the hell are you doing?"

She had brought Ian more than ten basins of hot water, and Ian had been repeating the same thing - cutting a part of the body tissue of Patient Zero into the basin and then starting to mutter to himself.

"Where does it come from... I need the truth... Where does it come from..." Every time after chanting the complicated spell, the little wizard's incessant repetitive words had made the "priestess"'s ears calloused.

"Are you trying to make a prophecy?"

The "priestess" who was not familiar with the spell system of later generations seemed to be slow to react. It was only after more than ten hours that she seemed to realize what Ian wanted to do.

however.

In response to her somewhat confused question.

Ian frowned but did not respond.

"My operation was correct... why can't I activate my skills?" He was muttering something that even the goddess couldn't understand, staring at his personal panel in confusion.

Although he was somewhat unwilling, the young wizard practiced very hard for the first time in his life, but there was not even a trace of the magical ability that should have appeared on his personal panel.

Or it could be said that not even a single bit of experience was gained. This was definitely something Ian had not expected. Of course, he knew that he had no talent for this subject.

But the current situation cannot be explained by lack of talent.

"I'm actually an insulator in divination!?" Ian covered his face in disbelief. He wanted to wash his face with hot water, but the black human tissue dangling in it was not good enough for his skin.

"You are actually trying to find the truth through the prophecy?!" The "priestess" was shocked when she heard the little wizard's painful groan, her eyes widened and she was speechless.

"If you could just tell me the answer directly, I wouldn't need to waste my time here." Ian rolled his eyes, trying to get words out of the goddess for the nth time.

This time.

The goddess did not evade the answer.

Maybe he was really shocked by Ian's "predictive" operation.

"Under normal circumstances, I can certainly find the answer along the time, but not now." The goddess, who still maintained the appearance of a "priestess", spoke to Ian helplessly.

The young wizard frowned.

"Why, because disaster is coming?"

He also did not hide his knowledge of Pompeii's end.

"Of course not. Neither you nor I with our confused brains can explain clearly the priority of the impact of time and the future." The "priestess" sighed and spoke in a soft voice.

"You just need to understand that fate will always be on your side." Her words were full of ambiguous messages, which made the little wizard feel an unusual depth.

"Tell me more, don't be a riddler."

Ian's eyes flickered slightly.

He was just about to ask.

The "priestess" suddenly looked towards the stairs.

"You see, I couldn't even detect this kind of change in advance."

A sigh came from the mysterious goddess, and then footsteps were heard at the stairs. Ryan came to the underground room in time with a man in black robe.

Priest Ryan saluted the goddess first, then saluted Ian, and then said, "This man said he knows you and has what you want."

Priest Ryan’s words made Ian stunned again.

"I don't think anyone has what I want." The little wizard responded very directly, looking at the figure wrapped in a black robe with a strange look in his eyes.

Priest Ryan also looked at the man in black robe with confusion.

The man in black robe was not panicked.

"You came here because you wanted me, didn't you?"

I saw.

The man in black robe slowly took off his hood, revealing his pale and handsome face.

"Walking into a trap!"

Ian was stunned when he saw this face - yes, Tom Riddle. The young Dark Lord spoke slowly in a low voice under Ian's somewhat surprised gaze.

"No! This is called asking for help!" Riddle denied Ian's words, raised his hands and pressed the corners of his eyes. His tone was heavy and a little panicked.

"I will go back with you, turn myself in to Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic, even if I have to be locked up in Azkaban for life." Riddle squeezed his eyeballs hard.

Unlike before in the dark temple, Riddle's voice was filled with fear and terror. It was obvious that Riddle was not unaware of what Helpo had done to him.

Therefore.

He made a choice that no one expected.

"But...even if it's for the Malfoy child, you must save me!" Riddle's eyes reflected an image that was completely different from the surrounding environment.

That is the mark of Helbo.

It is also the curse that Ian is pursuing.

(End of this chapter)