Voldemort's Insidious Trick

Dumbledore thought about it carefully, and realized that it really made sense.

Gellert's plans for the Muggle only existed in the realm of plans.

We can't convict someone just because they "wanted" to do something, can we? That would be too unprincipled.

"Alright, shouldn't we be doing something productive now, instead of criticizing me?" Gellert said, spreading his hands. "I think you should focus your energy on taking down these Horcrux, shouldn't you?"

Harry took out his wand and aimed it at the next Horcrux — Marvolo Gaunt's Ring.

"Legilimency!"! "

Accompanied by the familiar dizzying sensation, Harry found himself on a country road.

Harry knew where he was at a glance.

This is the fork in the road leading to Little Hangleton.

Could it be that this memory is about Tom going back to kill his uncle?

Just as he was about to walk along the road toward the Gaunt Old House, he heard a jingling of bells and the clatter of horses' hooves.

When Harry turned his head, he saw two horses: one was a glossy chestnut horse with a handsome and charming young man with dark hair sitting on it; beside him was a beautiful girl riding a gray horse.

Their attire was very much in keeping with the era, and it was clear that the young man was a respectable gentleman.

Of course, what confirmed Harry's identity the most was that face—a face exactly like young Voldemort.

Clearly, this person's identity is about to be revealed.

Tom Riddle, Voldemort's biological father, a pitiful and tragic college student.

"Tom, you obviously didn't tell me the scenery here was so beautiful." The girl's eyes Winky as she looked at Tom's profile—it was unclear whether she was focusing on the beautiful scenery or the handsome man's face.

A face can be a beautiful sight.

"Now you've met her, Cecilia," Tom said with a gentle smile, his manners perfectly befitting Gentleman's Bow. "You always have to have a little surprise in store for you."

"How much longer until we get home?" Cecilia asked, tilting her head back.

"We're almost there, look."

Tom said, pointing to the road sign next to him.

It says "Great Hangleton, 5 miles" and "Little Hangleton, 1 mile".

"We'll be there in a mile," Tom said.

"Let's wander around some more, Tom," Cecilia said sweetly to Tom. "The scenery here is so beautiful, I want to wander around some more!"

"Okay, okay————"

Tom patted Cecilia's shoulder affectionately and said to her, "Let's take a walk around here."

They did not head towards Little Hangleton, but instead proceeded towards Great Hangleton.

Harry followed, jumping onto Tom's horse and riding alongside him—after all, it was his world to rule, and he wouldn't fall off no matter how bumpy it was.

Just kidding, he wouldn't choose to walk there.

However, Harry was also puzzled as to why the Horcrux contained the memories of old Tom Riddle. Could it be that Voldemort read his father's memories after killing him?

As they continued on their way, Harry noticed that the dilapidated Gaunt Old House was not far ahead.

"Good heavens, what an eyesore!" Cecilia looked at the old house with a hint of disapproval. "Tom, couldn't your father just tear down that little shack?"

"That's not ours, Cecilia," Tom explained gently. "The other side of the valley belongs to us, but this little cabin—well, it belongs to an old vagrant named Gaunt and his children. What I need to tell you is that his son is insane, and you should hear what the villagers are saying about him."

Harry perked up his ears. He wasn't interested in whether Cecilia wanted to know or not, but he was really curious about what the villagers were saying about the Gaunt family.

Oh, though that's not good for Ominis —but it seems Ominis's home isn't here?

Cecilia laughed when she heard Tom's words.

Immediately afterwards, she covered her mouth in surprise.

"Tom?" Cecilia said, pointing to the door. "Am I seeing things? Did someone nail a snake to that door?"

"Yes, you're not mistaken," Tom said with a chuckle. "I warned you, honey—it was definitely his son who did it. I told you he's not quite right in the head—stop looking at it, okay, honey?"

After thinking for a moment, Harry decided to jump out of the car and go inside the Gaunt Old House.

He really wanted to know what the woman who kidnapped the poor male college student and took him home to have his baby looked like.

As Harry entered the room, he noticed that there were several people inside—besides Morfin Gaunt, whom he knew, there was also a strange-looking person.

To say he looks strange is an exaggeration—his body is completely disproportionate: his shoulders are too broad, and his arms are as long as a chimpanzee's.

With his bright, sparkling eyes, short, stiff hair, and overbite, he really looked like an old monkey.

Woolen cloth·--·

Harry felt a little disgusted. How come everyone in the Gaunt family, except for Ominis and her aunt Noctua, all looked so...

It's a long story.

It's not something that can be explained in a few words.

This must be Marvolo Gaunt, Ominis's cousin and Voldemort's grandfather—he was wearing a black ring on his hand.

Beside Marvolo Gaunt stood an unusually reserved woman, who reached out to her tattered gray dress.

It was almost the same color as the dirty stone wall behind her.

Judging from Marvolo Gaunt's appearance, one could roughly guess that she wasn't very good-looking—and indeed, that proved to be true. Her long hair was dull and lifeless, like withered grass, and her face was as pale as a stalk of reed that hadn't eaten for months in a basement. As for her appearance, she couldn't be called ugly, but she was just average-looking.

This is thanks to the fact that she did not inherit her father Marvolo's teeth.

Harry immediately recognized her as Voldemort's mother, Merope Gaunt, the woman whose name was borrowed by the effeminate version of Voldemort.

There was another man, Harry vaguely remembered seeing in his memories, I think his name was Ogden?

Just then, Morfin chuckled and moved closer to her sister, whispering in her ear, "My dear," my dear sister,

Did you hear that? Your sweetheart called her "darling," so it seems you have absolutely no chance, sister—"

Merope was deathly pale and looked as if she were about to faint—she hadn't been this shaky before Morfin said those words.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Marvolo became extremely angry.

He reached out and pounded on the armrest, demanding, "What did you say? What did you say, Morfin!"

"She likes to watch that Muggle," Morfin said, staring at his sister with a malicious look, while Merope looked horrified. "Every time that Muggle walks by, she watches him from the garden through the fence, doesn't she? Last night—"

Merope shook his head pleadingly, but Morfin continued without hesitation, "She's pacing outside the window, waiting to see that Muggle ride home on horseback, isn't she?"

"Lingering outside the window, waiting to see a Muggle?" Gaunt asked in a low voice.

The three members of the Gaunt family seemed to have forgotten about Ogden's existence.

Ogden appeared both bewildered and annoyed by this new outburst of incomprehensible hissing and shouting.

Harry, however, figured it out. How could the Gaunt family, who pride themselves on being Pure-blood, allow Merope to fall in love with a Muggle?

Even if we take a step back and assume the Gaunt family has always been self-sufficient, in Marvolo's eyes, Merope should marry Morfin to maintain the purity of their bloodline.

To be honest, it was somewhat disgusting, at least in Harry's opinion.

But he couldn't quite understand Merope. You're pitiful, but can't you stop ruining Old Tom's life?

Think about it, Old Tom's family is rich and has social status. Just because you like him, you drugged him with Love Potion.

She gave birth to a beast, which Old Tom then killed. Old Tom must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to be your neighbor!

Sometimes you really have to admit that boys need to protect themselves when they're out in the world, Harry thought to himself, otherwise he might get dragged back by a freak to have his babies and his life would be ruined.

"Is this true?" Marvolo asked in a somber voice, taking a step or two closer to the terrified girl. "My daughter—a Pure-blood descendant of Salazar Slytherin— is pursuing a filthy, lowly Muggle?"

Merope shook his head frantically, squeezing himself into the corner, clearly unable to utter a single word.

"But I taught that guy a lesson, Dad!" Morfin chuckled. "I scolded him as he walked by, and he got all those hives on his face and didn't look so pretty, did he, Merope?"

"You wretched little Squib, you little scoundrel!" Marvolo roared, losing control as he grabbed his daughter by the throat with both hands.

"No!" Ogden roared, then pointed his wand at Marvolo: "Relashio!"

Marvolo was struck by the spell and had to release his daughter. He tripped over a chair and fell flat on his back, looking like a chimpanzee that had fallen to the ground.

As Marvolo's son, Morfin naturally wouldn't stand idly by. He leaped up from his chair and unleashed a string of colorful curses at Ogden with his wand.

It has more colors than a rainbow.

Ogden turned and ran without looking back.

Harry stood there, only to find that Morfin suddenly turned in his direction and shot a bright green curse at him.

Harry neither dodged nor avoided the Killing Curse, taking it head-on.

"That's impossible!"

Upon seeing Harry standing unharmed before her, Morfin covered her face and cried out.

"Nothing's impossible, Morfin," Harry said with a grin. "Or should I call you— Tom?"

Morfin, or rather Tom, laughed.

"So you did discover my existence," Morfin transformed into a young Tom, "But I need to correct you, I am not Tom, nor am I named Riddle, I am Voldemort!"

"I know you."

Harry nodded, then drew lines of fire in the air to form the shape of "Tom Marvolo Riddle," before rearranging them to read "I am Lord Voldemort."

Voldemort stared at the words for a long time, unable to figure out what to say.

He was using all my words!

"Dumbledore sent you, didn't he?" Voldemort said with a sinister smile. "I know that a young wizard your age probably hasn't graduated from Hogwarts yet, has he?"

"Yes, I'm only in fifth grade this year," Harry answered truthfully.

No problem, I am indeed only in fifth grade.

"Ha." Voldemort chuckled. "Fifth-year student, Dumbledore is getting more and more depraved, sending a kid like you to your death."

As he spoke, he sneered, "Look at you, you poor child—you have no idea how Dumbledore treated me. He was always wary of me, but did he ever consider my feelings?"

"I've heard you say that before," Harry said, picking at his ear. "Say something I haven't heard before. I remember Dumbledore saying you killed your father, old Tom Riddle, right?"

"He knows nothing!" Voldemort roared furiously. "My mother was played with and abandoned by that Muggle!"

Shouldn't he be punished?

"As far as I know, Voldemort," Harry said, raising a finger, "Your mother seems to have been the one who initiated it—she drugged that poor Old Riddle, which is why you're a product of that Love Potion, someone who doesn't understand love."

"Avada Kedavra!"

The green light reappeared, but Harry still didn't flinch.

"You're getting impatient, Tom," Harry said with a shrug. "I've hit a nerve, haven't I? It's not just that you don't understand love, your mother —Merope Gaunt —doesn't love you either, otherwise she wouldn't have abandoned you in the orphanage."

"My mother loves me!" Voldemort roared. "You don't understand anything! My mother loves me! She's not like that at all—"

"Prove it to me," Harry said, tilting his head. "Prove to me that your mother loves you, or—you simply can't prove it? Because she doesn't love you at all?"

"Also, I need to add," Harry added again, "This is the realm of consciousness, your Charms won't harm me, so don't waste your energy."

"Of course I know that Charms won't cause harm, kid."

Voldemort grinned sinisterly, then suddenly transformed into a cloud of black mist, from which grotesque cackling laughter emanated.

"All I need to do is occupy your mind, you poor kid—you're being used by Dumbledore without even realizing it!"