Kicking Someone While They're Down

"Together?" Sean didn't understand what the other person meant.

Aurelius nodded. "That wasn't the real Riddle. Albus and Grindelwald set up a scheme to get something, and my job was to drive Harry away whenever he saw Riddle."

Sure enough, his guess was right. He had always been puzzled as to why the real Voldemort would be willing to take such a huge risk to infiltrate Hogwarts. It seemed that the person inside was likely something like Horcrux, or some kind of profound magic that he did not understand.

"But what should I do there?"

"Albus seems quite pleased that you saw all this. His exact words were: 'Sean is very vigilant and can immediately inform others of his discoveries when faced with danger. Moreover, he has always been very interested in kicking someone when they're down.'" Aurelius shrugged.

Sean raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying Professor Dumbledore's statement.

What's the use of being vigilant? I was still completely fooled by these old men. As for tattling, Sean always believed that it was only right to leave things to the right people.

And who doesn't like to kick a dog when it's down?

"Shall we go?" Aurelius said.

Sean summoned Naja and plopped down on the enlarged body of the Occamy. The sweet little cutie curled up behind him to make Sean more comfortable.

"I'm not interested, you go by yourself."

Sean didn't want to get involved. What if Riddle got desperate and attacked him with all his might?

"Just as Albus said." Aurelius shook his head with a smile. "Don't worry, Sean. If I couldn't protect you in front of such an empty shell, then Albus wouldn't have come to me for help."

"Believe me, even without relying on Obscurus, I can look down on him." Aurelius suddenly unleashed an extremely powerful surge of magical energy. The hunchbacked old man displayed astonishing confidence, and his entire being suddenly became extremely imposing.

Sean was starting to get interested.

Aurelius stopped speaking. His pupils suddenly turned white, and his entire body twisted. Then, he decomposed into a black, oily substance called Obscurus.

Obscurus floating in mid-air, it showed an accepting attitude towards Sean.

"Okay." Sean nodded anyway.

A gap appeared in the transparent stone wall, which floated Obscurus in mid-air. It trembled and then rushed towards Sean with explosive speed.

The black, oily substance covered Sean like a veil, and the moment he was covered, Sean sensed the difference in his surroundings.

It was a darkness that defied description, a mixture of resentment, sadness, madness, and other negative emotions that seemed to materialize into a complete form. In an instant, Sean felt as if they were about to engulf him.

However, a transparent, warm barrier stood in the middle, blocking out all negative emotions.

Sean stared in amazement as the Obscurus that Aurelius had transformed into enveloped him. A sudden realization dawned on him: that barrier was probably the key to Aurelius's control over the Obscurus.

At the same time, Sean also felt the immense power of the Obscurus. He even wondered if the Obscurial was stronger than Dumbledore.

Sean was enveloped as he approached the wall, which Obscurus cracked open, allowing him to clearly see what was happening outside the transparent stone wall.

Before the Mirror of Erised, Riddle's face was grim. On the mirror, he could see himself laughing maniacally, eternally immortal, but that was all.

Where exactly did Dumbledore hide that damned Philosopher's Stone?

A complex expression flashed across his unpredictable face, as if he were struggling with something.

Then, he sensed the arrival of new guests.

Harry walked through the black flames and was astonished to see Riddle inside the Stone Chamber.

"Harry Potter," Riddle chuckled, reverting to his debonair demeanor as professor, "Ignorance is bliss, and even I must admire your courage."

"So you really are after the Philosopher's Stone." Harry gritted his teeth and raised his wand.

"Obviously, isn't it?" Riddle simply reached out and Harry's wand flew into his hand.

"Hollywood, Phoenix Feather, eleven inches long." Riddle smiled at the flustered Harry. "Has anyone told you who the owner of this wand 'brother' is?"

He pulled out his wand. "Thirteen and a half inches long, yew wood, the same Phoenix Feather."

Harry's eyes widened, while Sean was secretly watching everything, began to wonder.

Did Harry and Riddle's wands still come from Fawkes ' tail feathers? But Voldemort didn't rise to power, and Harry is no longer the Boy Who Lived. Is there still a connection between them?

He remembered the note he'd seen in Grindelwald's office, in which Harry's name appeared.

Could it be that Harry also plays a role in this new Prophecy, and is still connected to Voldemort?

Riddle continued, "You think I didn't know you were eavesdropping outside that big idiot Hagrid's house? You think who that Snape you ran into while wandering around the Restricted Section at night was? You think—"

His face contorted. "Don't I know you? Harry Potter."

"What exactly do you want to do!" Harry trembled uncontrollably.

"That was a Prophecy. I've been trying to figure out who the person corresponding to me is. I originally thought it was Wallerup, but then I discovered that Wallerup had other uses! And you are the one I'm looking for."

Sean frowned. Riddle said, "Correspondence? What does that mean? And isn't Riddle's target the Philosopher's Stone?"

"Unfortunately, Wallerup disrupted my plans, so I had no choice but to come early to collect the Philosopher's Stone and, at the same time, to see you, Harry— "

"Come here. You know how to take out the Philosopher's Stone, right?" he commanded.

"I don't know, and you'll never get the Philosopher's Stone!" Harry shouted.

"It seems you need a little help..." Riddle narrowed his eyes and gently raised his wand. "Crucio."

Harry's horrified gaze was enveloped by the light of the spell, and in an instant, everything went black again.

He saw a pure black, oily substance wriggling in front of him, and the Cruciatus Curse cast by Riddle was easily blocked.

Riddle turned his head sharply, his face gradually contorting.

"Wallerup..."

Obscurus, Sean slid to the ground, surrounded by black matter floating and swirling around him.

"Hello, Professor Riddle," Sean said with a smile.