Tom Marvolo Riddle

The outcome between the two was already quite clear. Eli's face was as still as water, while Lockhart stood there disheveled, his face twisted in rage.

Eli's spell had pushed Lockhart's spell to its limit. A sharp light flashed in Eli's eyes as his magic suddenly surged. An explosion erupted where the spells met, and the violent shockwave sent Lockhart flying.

Lockhart slammed into the stone wall and fell to the ground, his condition unknown.

But Eli did not relax in the slightest. "Tom, aren't you coming out yet?"

Harry and Ron Weasley thought it was over and moved to help Hermione Granger up, but seeing Eli's reaction, they raised their Wands and went on guard again.

A round of applause came from the shadows, each crisp clap seeming to strike against their hearts.

"Not bad, truly not bad. Eli Hall, what an exceptional genius. I guarantee that you'll accomplish great things!"

A delicate-looking youth with sharp eyes stepped out. He was even more handsome than Lockhart.

The moment he appeared, Harry clutched his forehead in pain. This caught Tom's attention. For an instant, he stared at Harry's scar with incomparably vicious eyes before the expression vanished without a trace.

"Tom, there's no need for more nonsense. I know quite a bit about you. Heh, let's settle this with our wands!"

Eli had no desire to keep tangling with someone even more cunning than a fox. With every second that passed, Hermione would grow weaker, while Tom would grow stronger.

A trace of ruthlessness flashed through Tom's eyes, only for him to put on a regretful expression and shake his head. "Why? Why was a noble cause always misunderstood? Why must a genius be bound by this unfair secular world?"

This guy clearly had something to rely on. A Horcrux