At this moment, wizards worldwide collectively fell into a state of profound speechlessness.
Thank you very much —truly a Hufflepuff student through and through, still oddly considerate.
To actually believe they possessed the qualifications to face the Dark Lord alone in single combat.
In the period leading up to this duel, Voldemort had substantially boosted his global reputation. Merely counter-killing over twenty Aurors while surrounded by a hundred was enough to firmly establish his fearsome name.
The skill levels of Aurors varied between nations, but all underwent rigorous training. Often, though, the opponents they faced far exceeded their limits.
At Hogwarts, Hufflepuff students had already begun laughing aloud. Seeing Wayne facing He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named with such ease, their suspended hearts mostly settled.
"You seem to lack the proper respect owed to me, Lawrence."
On the deserted village street, Voldemort's raspy voice sounded, his green robes rustling in the wind alongside the weeds by the houses.
Whatever Voldemort had recently experienced, he wasn't as enraged as Wayne had imagined. Instead, he was unusually calm.
Though his appearance remained just as abstract, the bearing of a grandmaster of magic was clearly displayed.
"Vol... never mind, given we've reached this point, I'll just call you Tom." Wayne stepped closer unhurriedly, ensuring his voice carried clearly to the other's ears, much like chatting with an old friend, a smile on his lips.
"Given the history between us, there's no need to pretend it's mutual admiration," Wayne said. "I look down on your actions, and you despise me to the core."
"But we are the same kind of people." Voldemort shook his head in disagreement. "You, I, Dumbledore, Grindelwald - in this world, only we are true wizards."
"For the sake of our rare kind, at least today, I shall offer you the respect you are due."
"I see." Wayne nodded. "So it's power you truly respect. That does make me seem rather discourteous."
"Shall we start over then?"
The youth gave an elegant bow. "Mr Riddle, I have long awaited this duel."
"The feeling is mutual."
Voldemort returned the bow with perfect form, utterly flawless, like the most traditional pure-blood aristocrat. "Mr Lawrence, I, too, have waited a full five years for this day."
"Ever since our first encounter in the Forbidden Forest, I understood you were a threat surpassing Harry Potter."
...
Meanwhile, at Godric's Hollow.
Dumbledore and Grindelwald had finally met.
"Dumbledore, long time no see." Grindelwald greeted him casually, surveying him before smiling. "You seem in rather good form lately. Encountered some good fortune?"
"Gellert, you shouldn't have left Nurmengard."
Dumbledore showed a trace of disappointment. Having defeated him in their duel, by all rights, given Grindelwald's crimes, even if the death penalty no longer existed worldwide, one should have been devised overnight.
Yet, through Dumbledore's strenuous efforts, Grindelwald was merely imprisoned in Nurmengard to live out his days.
Whatever the reason, Grindelwald's leaving meant betraying his expectations.
"People change, Dumbledore."
Grindelwald's eyes flickered slightly as he said in a low voice, "I once thought that was my destiny too. But perhaps it was unwillingness, or perhaps it was hope—I eventually walked out of it."
"You can never stop a wizard from pursuing greater power."
"Then who will atone for the wizards you killed?"
"You must learn to look forward."
"Looking forward means colluding with Voldemort? Since when has your taste been so poor?"
"My greatest virtue is being tolerant of others' flaws."
In this pre-match verbal sparring, the exchange between the older generation grew increasingly heated. But no one noticed that, aside from the banter, the two were also communicating in earnest through their gazes.
'Did Wayne release you?'
'No, I came out on my own. He nearly caught me and dragged me back.'
'What is Voldemort's scheme?'
'How should I know?' (Rolling his eyes.)
'What about your followers?'
'I'm just toying with fools. Why would I bring my followers along?'
'Just put on a show later—make it convincing.'
Dumbledore was scheming; Grindelwald was no easy opponent, but if he could catch him off guard, he would gain the upper hand.
'Of course.'
A smile also appeared in Grindelwald's eyes…
…
At Hogwarts, inside Snape's office, Snape, Sirius, and Harry had not gone to the Great Hall to watch the match with the other teachers and students. Instead, they were hiding here.
Once the battle began, Voldemort's mental defences would weaken significantly. With a few provocations from Wayne, Harry would easily be able to enter his mind.
Harry believed that, with Wayne's infuriatingly sharp tongue, it wouldn't take long for Voldemort to lose his composure completely.
The atmosphere in the room was somewhat strange. Snape and Sirius were the helpers Wayne had assigned; once the location of Hufflepuff's Cup was found, the two would immediately set out to retrieve it.
Though these two were practically enemies, they were also the people in the world who cared most about Harry. To find the Horcrux, they would even risk their lives, which was exactly why Wayne had arranged it this way.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Sirius, who had been glaring daggers at Snape, noticed Harry's unusual expression and asked nervously, thinking he might be sensing something.
"N-nothing." Harry snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head, but his eyes remained fixed on the screen showing Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
"I feel… Grindelwald's voice sounds familiar." Harry was puzzled. "I feel like I've heard it somewhere before."
"Maybe it just resembles someone's," Sirius said dismissively. "Harry, it's best not to focus too much on Grindelwald. Dumbledore will definitely win."
"Yes, I know."
As they spoke, Grindelwald and Dumbledore had ended their conversation.
In an instant, their gazes turned sharp. Simultaneously, they raised their wands, and two beams of light collided violently in the air.
Feeling the immense pressure emanating from the other, their expressions shifted to astonishment as they stared at one another in shock.
'Didn't we agree to put on a show?'
'Do you actually want to fight me?'
Grindelwald felt nothing but absurdity. He was the one who, after reading the letter, had flown into a rage and wanted to teach Dumbledore a lesson. What right did he have?
Dumbledore shared the same thought.
'I'm only fighting with all my strength because I promised Ariana. You immediately use lethal spells - was everything you said before all lies?'
Vast magical power converged into a beam of light, with electric sparks continuously bursting from their clash. The scattered residual energy had already shattered the nearby houses!
The two most powerful wizards of the first half of the century displayed their prowess. Dumbledore, leveraging the advantage of the Elder Wand, gradually pressed forward against Grindelwald's spells.
Grindelwald's eyes sharpened as he flicked his wand upward, shattering the golden light. In the sky, magical power transformed into numerous sharp swords and spears, shooting toward Dumbledore.
"Dumbledore, who could love you now?"
"You don't understand..."
Dumbledore slowly shook his head as flames shot from his wand, sweeping all the weapons away. His voice was unusually firm: "I have everything now!"
...
"Could you tell me about your recent gains?" Wayne asked curiously. "You've been making quite a stir lately. What are you searching for?"
"Means to deal with you, of course," Voldemort said, grinning widely. "Let me guess your plan - inviting an unexpected guest, having Harry Potter probe my secrets, while also serving as a distraction?"
Wayne didn't refute this, merely shrugging. "Who knows?"
"You have no chance." Voldemort produced a golden mask and put it on.
"Kiss of the Curse blocks all Legilimency Spell influence."
On his left wrist, a bracelet glittered.
"Derrick's Bracelet can stabilise my soul."
"Lawrence, now I have no weaknesses. Trying to win with underhanded tactics? You cannot do it."
Wayne gently shook his head. "Tom, you still haven't found your proper place. Why do you always believe you're the strongest?"
"Because I am the strongest."
Voldemort drew out an unusually long, slender wand. "Let me introduce my new companion. Found in Greece - took considerable effort."
"Blackthorn wood, nightmare core, sixteen inches." He sighed. "Pity my first wand wasn't strong enough to withstand my magical power. It was destroyed that night."
"You're actually using someone else's secondhand wand?" Wayne frowned. "I thought you would seize the snakewood wand from that Tom."
"The snakewood wand is with him?" Voldemort paused, his expression darkening behind the mask.
'Damn, at such a critical time, my other self is still holding back.'
But he quickly controlled his emotions. "Slytherin's wand? That is indeed regrettable, but this one isn't poor either."
"Greece, Athens - can't you guess?"
Wayne lightly furrowed his brow, contemplating for a moment. "Herpo?"
"Correct, his wand." Voldemort let his hand hang loosely. "Surprisingly compatible with me, isn't it? I've never encountered such an evil wand. Dying by its Killing Curse would be your honour."
"Even if Herpo were resurrected, today's outcome wouldn't change." Wayne also drew his own wand, enhanced by Knight Does Not Die Empty-Handed, emitting a faint glow. "Tom, you're doomed. I said it - not even Merlin could save you."
"Come now, bow, maintain the dignity befitting a descendant of Slytherin."
The two performed the duelling etiquette with meticulous precision, vanishing from their positions the moment they rose, reappearing atop two separate houses.
Voldemort raised his wand, a streak of green light tearing through the night sky as it shot towards Wayne.
"The best response to the Killing Curse is to evade it." Wayne's calm voice drifted through the air as he Apparated again, materialising behind Voldemort.
"Strike decisively." A crimson beam sent the rooftop flying.
Voldemort conjured a silver shield, his body thrown back by the impact as he transformed into black mist, only to emerge again from beneath the ground.
"Anticipate your opponent's landing point and attack preemptively, for offence is the best defence."
Wayne continued as if demonstrating duelling techniques to students, his commentary accompanying the projection of his Final Spark.
"You will pay for your insolence!" Voldemort snarled, the surrounding weeds and splintered wood twisting into slender serpents that slithered in all directions.
"I'm merely seizing a hard-won teaching opportunity." Wayne raised his wand high, a ring of fire rapidly expanding from him, reducing the venomous snakes to charred remains that emitted a foul stench.
Simultaneously, electrical currents surged across the ground, weaving into a massive lightning net that left Voldemort no foothold, forcing him to hover in mid-air.
"Teaching? I think you're wasting your effort." Voldemort let out a mad laugh:
"I've sent Harry Potter a generous gift. Perhaps Hogwarts will become a graveyard before you even die by my hand!"