Voldemort, You Really Were Hungry

Upon hearing Gellert's words, Veratia suddenly looked up.

"What did you say?" she asked, squinting. "The American Ministry of Magic cut out your tongue?"

"Oh, I'm so sad you didn't know about this." Gellert covered his face with one hand, looking 'delicate'. "I really didn't expect my sister to be so indifferent to her brother..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly stopped forward.

"Get to the point!" Veratia said expressionlessly.

"Okay." Gellert shrugged and began to explain the grudges and feuds from back then.

In 1926, Grindelwald, disguised as High Auror Percival Graves, infiltrated the Magical Congress of the United States and, with the help of a boy of mysterious origin, Credence Byrburne, attempted to find an Obscurial. However, he eventually discovered that Credence was indeed an Obscurial. The Obscurus within Credence erupted, causing widespread destruction in New York before being shattered by the Aurors. Grindelwald's own identity was also exposed by Newt Scamander, and from that moment on, Grindelwald was imprisoned in a wizarding prison in the United States.

Because Grindelwald was so eloquent, he gave countless speeches in the prison, turning almost all the prisoner into his followers. So the American Ministry of Magic decided to cut out his tongue.

"I think you asked for this?" Sirius muttered, only to be glared at fiercely by Gellert.

"No matter what, that's no excuse for cutting out my brother's tongue," Veratia said coldly. "I'll have the American Ministry of Magic give you an explanation for this, Gale —of course, if you hadn't been so stupid, you probably wouldn't have been caught by Newt."

Gellert kept his head down and didn't say anything; he had achieved his goal anyway.

That afternoon, the Greater German Ministry of Magic formally lodged a note with the American Ministry of Magic, protesting their expulsion of Gellert Grindelwald.

However, the American Ministry of Magic insisted that this was a provocation against the America and reiterated the ban from back then.

They even stated that not arresting Gellert Grindelwald was already a favor to Ms. Grindelwald.

Veratia was thoroughly enraged by the arrogance of the American Ministry of Magic. She expressed her regret over the incident and serious concern about the Voldemort attacks that occurred within the America, stating that she would provide all possible support to the America, except for assistance.

On July 19th, Voldemort and Runcorn attacked Chicago and released some wizard prisoner held there.

Two days later, Voldemort and Runcorn attacked Gringotts' branch in the America, looting all its treasures and slaughtering all the wizards, Goblin, and Magical Creatures there.

"I still don't understand," Harry said, scratching his head, "Why the American Ministry of Magic is so arrogant..."

This was something that not only Harry didn't understand, but even Gellert himself didn't understand why the American Ministry of Magic would be so stupid and arrogant.

But that's not something he needs to worry about, because Voldemort and Runcorn are causing trouble in America, not Europe.

Voldemort seemed certain that no one would stop him, so he and Runcorn made no attempt to conceal their whereabouts, and they were able to do whatever they wanted in America.

"This can't go on any longer," Dumbledore voice. "We must go to America to stop Voldemort's evil deeds—"

"It's not that we don't want to go, Al," Gellert said sassily, "It's just that the America don't welcome us. Don't forget, just a few days ago, I was expelled from the American Ministry of Magic. Yes, expelled."

Dumbledore his mouth, but ultimately sighed in dejection.

"Oh, right," he added, "Regarding Voldemort's Horcrux, we still have one last one left..."

"Nagini, right?" Harry smiled and said, "Let's bring her over tomorrow, or... we could use Nagini to do something to Voldemort?"

"I think it's best not to," Dumbledore shook his head. "Nagini isn't an inanimate object like Ravenclaw's Diadem. When she was still human, she was my nephew's wife."

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it, Professor," Harry said with a shrug. "You should know that those Horcrux were created by Voldemort many years ago, while Nagini was created by him only recently. So, Nagini is definitely more closely related to him."

"I have reservations," Dumbledore said.

Since Dumbledore had said so, Harry stopped insisting.

That afternoon, Dumbledore took Nagini to Grimmauld Place, Number 12.

Nagini was kept in a specially made iron cage. When it woke up and saw Harry, it pulled its snake head back and hissed at Harry.

I'm deprived of love.

Without saying a word, he pointed his wand at Nagini.

"Legilimency!"

When Harry landed, he found himself outside a house.

The door opened, and a House Elf stepped out.

The House Elf walked straight toward Harry, but passed right through Harry.

Harry turned around and saw a tall young man.

It's Tom Riddle.

He was wearing a black suit, his hair was a bit longer than when he was in school, and his cheeks were sunken, but all of these suited him well, and he looked even more handsome.

The Elf spoke a few words to Tom, then led him back to his room.

Harry followed and saw a crowded room he carefully made his way through, a room he looked like he'd been there many times before.

The room was so crowded that it was hard to imagine anyone could walk through it without knocking over at least a dozen things.

The cabinets displaying painted boxes, the bookshelves filled with gilded books, the stands with celestial bodies and astrolabes of various sizes, and the many lush plants growing in bronze vessels... this room looks like a combination of a magical antique shop and Greenhouse.

They walked through the house and came to the slightly more spacious Living Room.

In the Living Room stood an elderly witch—her face was covered with a thick layer of white powder, like frost on a donkey's Dungbomb.

But Tom clearly didn't care; he stepped forward and bent down low.

"Ms. Hepzibah," Tom greeted politely, his lips lightly touching Ms. Hepzibah's chubby little hand.

"I brought you flowers," he whispered, producing a bouquet of roses from his hand.

Upon seeing this, Harry couldn't help but gag.

No, Tom?

You little brat, you dressed up as a girl and used your body to seduce me when I was in first grade. Looks like you have a criminal record!

You once used your looks to seduce an old witch, didn't you?

You really are...

You're really hungry!

"You naughty child, you shouldn't do this!" Old Ms. Hepzibah shrieked, but Harry noticed she had already prepared an empty vase on a small table nearby. "You've spoiled this old lady, Tom... Sit down, sit down... Where's Hokey?"

The House Elf rushed into the house carrying a plate of pastries and placed it on the lady of the house's elbow.

"Help yourself, Tom," said Ms. Hepzibah. "I know you love my pastries... How are you? You look a little pale. The shop is exploiting you too much, I've told you a hundred times..."

At this point, Hepzibah chuckled, and Tom smiled mechanically in response.

Harry didn't quite understand why Hepzibah was laughing, but seeing an old woman with a radiant face and wrinkles big enough to trap mosquitoes laughing as she looked at a young, handsome man, Harry just felt a little fucking creeped out.

Voldemort, you're really hungry!

"Hey, what's your excuse for coming to see me this time?" she asked, blinking her eyelashes.

"Mr. Borgin offered a higher price for the Goblin armor, five hundred Galleon, which he felt was fair enough—"

"Oh dear, oh dear, don't be in such a hurry, or I'll think you only came here for my stuff!" Hepzibah said, scratching his mouth.

"I was sent here because of them," Voldemort said softly. "I'm just a lowly shopkeeper, madam, only able to take orders. Mr. Borgin wants me to ask..."

"Oh, Mr. Borgin, bah!" said Hepzibah, waving his chubby hand. "I'm going to show you something Mr. Borgin has never seen before! Can you keep it a secret, Tom? Can you promise not to tell Mr. Borgin I have this? If he finds out I've shown it to you, he'll never let me live in peace. I won't sell it, not to Borgin, not to anyone! But you, Tom, will appreciate its history, not just think about how many Galleon you can make—"

Harry felt that the old witch was completely hopeless; she had fallen in love and was hopelessly addicted to the romantic fantasy that Tom had created for her.

Doesn't she ever look in the mirror and think about it? Is it really possible for such a young and handsome guy like Tom to fall in love with her?

Even a fool could see that Tom was approaching her for some ulterior motive...

"I'd love to see anything Miss Hepzibah shows me," Tom said softly, and Hepzibah giggled like a little girl again.

Harry gasped for breath; he almost threw up.

Holy crap, Voldemort!

Otherwise, how could you achieve great things?

Look at him, with that unwavering face as he addresses a wrinkled old lady as "Miss Hepzibah," Harry thinks he's definitely someone who can achieve great things.

He really wanted to bring that memory out and show it to Gellert —look at how shameless Gellert is, and then look at you, kicked out of America and too afraid to go back in? Pathetic! Both are Dark Wizard, how come there's such a huge difference in their shamelessness?

Hepzibah stared intently at Tom's handsome face. "I had Hokey bring them out... Hokey, where are you? I want Mr. Riddle to see our best treasures... Let's just bring both..."

"Here it is, madam," the House Elf shrieked. Harry saw two leather boxes stacked together, as if they had floated over on their own.

Oh, he knew, because the Elf was so small that it looked like it was floating when it held them up.

"Alright," Hepzibah said cheerfully, taking the box from the Elf and placing it on his lap, preparing to open the top one. "I think you'll like it, Tom... Oh, if my relatives knew I showed it to you... they'd come and snatch it away right away!"

She opened the lid.

Harry leaned forward; it was Hufflepuff's Cup.

Oh, so after all that, what Voldemort wanted to get from Hepzibah was Hufflepuff's Cup, right?

"Do you know what this is, Tom? Pick it up and take a good look!" Hepzibah said in a smug whisper.

Tom stretched out his slender fingers, pinched one of the handles, and lifted the cup off the soft satin cushion.

Harry saw what appeared to be a red glint in his dark eyes.

His greedy expression was strangely reflected on Hepzibah's face, yet Hepzibah's small eyes were fixed on Tom's handsome face.

"A badger," Tom murmured, examining the carving on the cup. "This is..."

"Helga Hufflepuff, you're quite the expert, clever boy!" Hepzibah said, leaning over to pinch his sunken cheek, his bra making a loud creak. "Didn't I tell you I'm a distant descendant of the Hufflepuff? It's been passed down in my family for ages."

Hepzibah was still muttering to herself when she picked up another crystal from a short distance away and handed it to Tom.

"And this too," she said. "Legend has it that this is a relic of a legendary wizard from sixty years ago—the legendary wizard!"

Harry suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Harry Potter?" Tom's eyes lit up.

Harry closed his eyes and looked to the side with a pained expression.

Is there... something to do with me in this?

No, whose relative is this old woman? How the hell did she manage to collect my things?

"Yes, Harry Potter was my classmate at Hogwarts," Hepzibah said softly. "Back then, I was just a carefree little girl..."

"My dear lady, you are too now," Tom said, his face neither flushed nor pale.

"Oh dear, you child..." Hepzibah scolded like a little girl, and even hit Voldemort on the shoulder, making Harry gag again.

That's disgusting.

"I never imagined you would be that legendary wizard's classmate." Tom became interested, and Harry could tell that this time his smile wasn't fake.

But Harry wanted to force a smile.

"Let me continue," Hepzibah rolled his eyes at Tom. "Harry Potter is three years older than me, but that doesn't matter. We all know he's a legendary wizard... but he disappeared during his final battle with Runcorn."

"Disappeared?" Tom was stunned, and asked again, "Who is Runcorn?"

"Yes, yes," Hepzibah said with a chuckle. "It seems you young people have indeed forgotten who Runcorn is... Of course, that's not your fault. The Ministry of Magic has blocked information about Runcorn, so it's normal that you don't know."

(End of this chapter)