Tom Riddle X Reader - Chapter 96: Chapter 96

"Get down!" - Alastor shouted at Aberforth, pushing him out of an incoming curse
Aberforth and Alastor leered sideways, splitting up as the death eater vanished into the swallowing fog.
Heads were spinning, minds clouded, as each inch around the members indicated a thrilling threat for a quick end.
"We need to get out of the mist before someone murders our own!" - Aberforth roared, his spell clashing against someone else's, till a second enemy dashed at him through the shadows, just about to raise their wand. Dumbledore hurtled his arm and the grappling spells sparked into a blast of white light, just in time for Aberforth to fly out of the ambush.
"We need to lure them away!" - Edgar stunned a masked silhouette, watching it fall down to the depths
"Dorcas!" - Moody glimpsed back, barely spotting sweat-driven Dorcas Meadowes who just fought off an incoming spell
"A little busy here, Alastor!" - she responded, her eyes locked onto an approaching outline
"Make some time then!" - Moody snarled, glancing over at a dart of light that flew over his head "To the ruins! More cover there and we'll actually see those bastards!"
Dorcas nodded, retreating back through the way the members came from while the rest followed behind, watching their own backs like hawks for curses.
Still on top of a high hill, where most of the death eaters awaited for further instructions, they were glaring down at the constantly bouncing illumination below, as if there was a fallen cloud of lightning.
Until it suddenly stopped.
Riddle heard a voice call out from his right "My lord, they're retreating through the forest, heading for the ruins."
Tom's eyes twinkled with sinister pride "Good." - his voice assertive "Let's begin."
One by one behind Riddle, figures flew out, trailing the distant sight of the retreating bodies. Some took off towards a different direction - to track and corner their enemy from another angle.
Still standing, Riddle glimpsed over to his left - at you.
The short, gentle shimmer in his eyes soothed your heart.
You softly grabbed his hand, sinking into the tender flutter running to your core. His reciprocating touch was blinding as he looked at you with a loving smile, your fingers intertwined with his. You could feel his thumb brush against your skin in a doting, admiring comfort.
Meanwhile, brooms dashed through the trees outside of the fog. Friendly faces barely missing poking out branches, being more worried about the chaos that followed.
The members who flew last collapsed down at the curses bolted from behind, some dropped dead, some severely injured. Nonetheless, scattered death eaters would stop to either kill them off or torture them.
Alastor stopped to help some of the people at the back but as he reached his hand out to one of the members, his broom was hit with a spell and he fell off, rolling down to the grass, thankfully alive.
Meanwhile, Edgar Bones had successfully reached the ruins of an old castle where he took cover behind a stone pillar, awaiting for the mayhem.
He heard the same evil laughter that attacked him in the vapor. The inhuman, loud chortling of a woman. It haunted him. When he peeked behind the stone wall he saw a bolt of green light dash for him and he barely dodged it. He quickly stuck out his wand and blindly shot out a spell to the root of his attacker, waiting for any sign, any sound of impact - but it never came. All he could hear was the distant rumbling of the duelers.
As he stepped to run for a different cover, he saw her - her bushy, messy hair, her blood lusting eyes peering into him. He ducked, knowing she was about to murder him.
Noticing him hide down, she laughed. Deeply and sincerely.
"Come here, don't be shy" - she snickered
With her chin up, she didn't take eyes off her target, she stuck out her tongue in terrifying, curious excitement. The thrill that he feared her pleased her.
Until a flash of light charged for her hand and the wand she grasped jumped out to the ground. She tilted her head, glaring at the direction where it came from, only to see a man with shoulder length brown hair and a mustache smirking at her.
"Why don't you find someone else to taunt" - his voice didn't show any fright
"Well, isn't it delightful to see you, cousin" - she gave him a sly leer "All alive and well, trashing the good family name. Speaking of family..." - she mockingly pouted "How's Regulus?"
"You know nothing of family, Bellatrix. It is not my fault I was born into one with deranged people like you." - he held his wand straight at her "Always have been ashamed to be your relative."
"So what will you do, Sirius?" - she smirked, lifting her eyebrows in confidence "Kill me?"
"No. Something a lot worse is out there waiting for you, Bellatrix"
She scoffed before spotting another death eater - Antonin Dolohov arrive behind Sirius "Well it was lovely to catch up, cousin, but business calls"
Sirius tracked her sight and spotted the enemy just in time for him to turn. Dolohov and Black quickly waved their wands at the same time and their spells clashed against one another's, bursting out colors of green and red like an erupting volcano as the earth trembled beneath their feet.
Meanwhile, Bellatrix rushed to retrieve her wand, but Edgar bones was closer to it. He quickly crawled then hopped on his feet, kicking it further away from her.
She shot him the type of glare that would assure his death sentence, she knew she was going to kill him as soon as she got a hold of her weapon again.
But when she walked towards it, she stopped at the sight of someone else's hand picking it up.
Bellatrix frowned "You want to give that to me"
"No" - you cheekily replied, gripping onto her wand. Without wasting breath, you shot out a spell at her that flew as quick as real lightning but she apparited away just in time.
You felt a gush of swift wind to your right and when you looked over, you locked eyes with freshly teleported Remus Lupin.
"Go" - he instantly said, his eyes jumping to the left, where James Potter was fighting Lucius Malfoy and Crabbe at the same time in a 1 vs. 2 duel.  Lupin ran over to help, immediately disarming Crabbe. Goyle flew in and momentarily paralyzed Remus, who collapsed as stiff as stone.
"Remus!" - you saw Goyle about to ambush James, and out of instinct, you raised your wand first, sending out a backfiring jinx. It traveled up to the caster and detonated at the tip of Goyle's fingers, sparking as if white fireworks and sending him flying into the air, rigid.
James backpedaled, panting, busy reflecting the continual waves of spells the pair of dark wizards were chanting. Sweat dripped from Potters forehead, he was getting tired.
You briefly glimpsed at unconscious Remus who had been approached by Aberforth Dumbledore. He bolstered Lupin, pulling him into cover as he murmured some incantations to defy the more evolved version of stupefy that Remus was under.
Knowing Lupin will be okay, you sprinted to help James fight Lucius and Crabbe. Taking opportunity of both of them weaving forwards Potter and having their backs turned, you knocked Lucius out with a stunning spell.
As Crabbe retaliated, now battling you and James, he conjured a thin rope out of his wand that soon turned into a flaming whip. He whirled his arm into the air, swinging the hot rod and it quickly wrapped around your and James legs. You yelped at the burning pain as Crabbe pulled on the strand and watched you fall down with Potter.
You vigorously sat up with your wand pointing at the blaze around your ankles and a blue whirl leaped out of your wooden weapon, rushing to your feet, and the painful burning turned into a gentle tickle. You quickly did the same at James who, in the meanwhile, had disarmed Crabbe.
James panted "Whose side are you on?"
you smiled, helping him up "Not this again"
There was a moment of friendly peace in his eyes, he looked thankful.
"Watch out!" - he shielded you from an oncoming flash which bounced against his arm then back at the death eater.
You nodded at him to show gratitude.
On another side of the ruins, the air suddenly rumbled above a few of the good sorcerers who got swallowed by an explosion that burst into a cloud of smoke in a shape of a large snake on impact.
The person who summoned it had been deviously smirking at the sight of death coming for anyone but him. Riddle's eyes glinted with red, eerie confidence as he watched the people that once were alive - crumble to dust beneath him.
He spun his wand to the right side and the ground he stood on heavily started to shake as the concrete of the ruins cracked into millions of thin, endless splits that suddenly tore open, absorbing into the abyss some of the fallen in fighters. Riddle did not care who would fall, he did not mind sacrificing a few of his own if it will mean victory.
Within seconds, hundreds of skin deprived hands reached out from the dark cracks and clawed into the surface with barely any flesh on those bony fingers. Their skins were as pale as marble and their eyes were cloudy, at which if you dared to look at - you'd feel shuddering terror.
Tom straightened his back, almost chuckling at the sight of inferi leaping and slashing onto some of the order members. When the friendly sorcerers would cast fire at the reanimated corpses, those things, enchanted to avoid blazes, would dodge it.
Until one wave of fire, as if a hurricane, launched at the undead, splitting into lines of heat, and as if having a mind of its own - it trailed only after the moving corpses, scaring them back into the ground, which quickly closed after.
Riddle's smirk disappeared and he looked around for the source of the caster.
Until he heard a male voice behind him "You have the power to stop this"
Riddle turned around, locking eyes with the old man in front "How kind of you to grace us with your presence, Albus."
"Don't be foolish, Tom" - Dumbledore replied, ignoring Riddle's mockery "How many have died already?"
Tom bitterly sneered "It is Lord Voldemort now."
"To who?" - Dumbledore stepped a few feet closer, clenching onto his elder wand "Tell me, is it really true that only one person has been granted the ability, with no consequences, to call you by your given name?"
"That is different" - his voice almost cracked
"Without making you shudder at the sound of it?"
"You will die, old man" - Riddle scowled
Albus noticed Toms' wrist and the bracelet around it then looked up at him "The girl will be facing punishment for willingly associating with you. Why don't you do it to save her?"
"Nothing shall happen if she's under my keep."
"Fascinating." - Albus glared at now a little confused Riddle "She did something extraordinary for you to say these things and mean it. If you'll let me, I can help you figure it out"
"I don't need your help"
"And the shame in spilling magical blood no longer bothers you?" - Dumbledore asked
"Just a mere sacrifice to assure my victory."
"Including the possibility of the girl's death?"
"Nice try, old man. Your ridiculous attempt at manipulating me into doing your bidding will never prevail. I AM Lord Voldemort. I do my own bidding." - Riddle flicked his wand and the stone arch that stood next to Dumbledore shifted and transformed, until it would turn into a solid, grey giant.
Birds fled trees as the ground trembled. The giant's legs stamped down, trying to trample over Dumbledore, who dodged it by inches.
Voldemort took Albus' distraction as a chance "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
But Dumbledore dived to the side and the jet of green light barely missed him. Albus waved his hand at Riddle who fell backwards as if being pushed down by a surge of wind, and then turned his wand at the oncoming, trampling foot of the stone giant. A white beam leaped out, dashing straight at the giant that shattered under impact, collapsing into rain of solid rocks. Dumbledore summoned a charm above his head just in time for the dripping concrete to turn to dust once it passed the enchantment, and scattered into Albus grey hair.
Back on his feet, Riddle sent out another curse, but Dumbledore was shielded by now a small barrier he transfigured out of fallen remains of the giant.
Momentarily, fright shadowed Voldemort's face and then he hissed, dissatisfied his spells did nothing to Albus, did not even withdraw a smallest pant.
Riddle extended his hand, and the black cloak that he wore sunk into the remaining spots of soil, then inches where Dumbledore was standing, as if black snakes of cloth, emerged from the ground and slithered around Albus' feet, spiraling around his body, up to his waist.
A screech echoed above both of their heads and when Riddle looked up, he saw a phoenix holler as it dived down at Dumbledore, who quickly caught it by its claws and whole of his body briefly set on fire, burning away any black cloth that had trapped him in place.
The phoenix soared upwards, flying away to the other side of the duel.
Where you had been attempting to disarm Igor Karkaroff.
He weaved and lunged, shooting curses. Within a blink, another death eater appeared next to him, and you tumbled backwards trying to protect yourself from both at the same time.
"Need some help?"
You glimpsed to your right, spotting a familiar face
"MARY!"
You were glad to see her, you haven't spoken to her since Hogwarts, and she barely changed.
"Good to see you too" - she stunned one of the death eaters you were fighting, as the two of you now darted towards Igor Karkaroff, battling him like a dynamic duo.
Until you felt a sudden struck to your head and you fell face front to the cold ground.
"This is mine, bitch!" - Bellatrix had reached out for her wand that you had dropped, then waved it and sent Mary writhing into the air.
Mary's body clashed against a pillar and she fell unconscious.
You sat up, summoning a stunning spell at Bellatrix, who easily dismissed it as she tauntingly laughed.
Igor Karkaroff smiled as he watched Lestrange shoot out a red beam of light at you "Crucio!"
You yelped quietly as your body mangled, it felt like your bones were cracking, trying to leave the layers of your flesh.
And she continued to laugh "Crucio!" - she said again, her disturbing laugh vibrated between the ruins
It was like your skeleton had decided to crumble and your blood wanted to find a one-way exit to leak out of your skin.
In agony, you turned over, your forehead touching the frigid ground as you coughed.
Faintly, between the hysterical giggling, you heard a cry of a bird above your head.
"Fawkes..." - you faintly murmured
Bellatrix watched it drop something that fell flat right in front of your nose. You looked into what appeared to be an old, brown hat, noticing something glint just inside of it.
"Come on, now" - Lestrange snickered as she watched you rise on your knees "I haven't stopped, have I----"
Bellatrix ambled backwards as with a sheer blink of an eye, she watched you yank out a white blade that you swung at her, splitting open her knee as she tried to dodge it.
You stood up, panting, wielding the sword of Gryffindor.
Bellatrix scoffed, shooting out a curse, but it bounced off the sword and shot back at her. Lestrange missed it by an inch, plunging down.
Not too far from you and Bellatrix, Snape had been appearing between the pillars, but he did not seem to take particular effort in fighting.
He heard something snap behind him and under an instinct, he swiftly turned, but his eyes widened at who he saw.
"Been a long time..." - she said
"Lily..." - he whimpered, inhaling
She stood stiffly and yanked out her wand, pointing at Severus.
Snape gulped, his heart sunk watching her ready to attack "I will not be fighting you, you're pregnant."
"Are you above that now, Severus?" - she asked "Isn't that what being a death eater is about?"
Her eyes glinted as if wet, reflecting the shimmer in Snape's own.
"I will not be killing you." - he said
Lily's hand trembled as her wand ejected a jet of light. Snape swung his hand, shielding against the spell. Her eyes turned red, as if she was about to cry, but her wand still quivered, leaping out spells, which Snape, one by one, would dismiss.
"Say it Snape, say what you've said to me years ago. I am a mudblood!"
"No" - Severus replied with a heavy heart "I will not"
Their heads turned to the side as a female voice called out "Lily!"
Lily saw Molly sprint towards her and quickly clutch Lily's shoulders "Let's go, we need to leave"
Lily glanced back at where Snape was standing but she saw nobody there now.
"Come on" - Molly wrapped her arm around her shoulder "Let's go" - she apparited out of the battle, barely missing a few spells that flew at them at the same time.
Meanwhile, Voldemort had been throwing spells left and right at Dumbledore, who had been deflecting them with little strive.
Voldemort had summoned another hurricane of a colossal flame that shape-shifted into a sizzling beast, plunging at Dumbledore. Albus flicked his wand and the beast hissed, quickly turning into a wave of ashes that dashed for Riddle.
Tom grunted, catching the wave of ashes with the tip of his wand, and turned it into a set of sharp glass, sending it flying back at Dumbledore.
Albus swung his arm, conjuring a splash of water that devoured the shards of glass and conveyed it back at Riddle as a mixture of dangerous liquid and solid.
Marvolo stretched out his wand, covering his face, as he stopped the rushing wave, it bounced as if against an invisible wall and turned into a tall water barrier right in front of him. As he lowered his wand, the wave splashed down between his and Dumbledore's feet.
Tom was exceptionally talented for his age, especially when Dumbledore was a lot older, and even when Albus was more powerful, it was impressive at how well Riddle could stand against him.
Back where you were battling Bellatrix, you held onto the sword in your left hand as with your wand in your right, you were shooting spells at Lestrange.
Rubeus Hagrid and Arthur Weasley joined in to fight Igor Karkaroff and Evan rosier by the side. The air rumbled and ruins shattered even more after curses and jinxes would miss wizards and dash at walls.
Arthur disarmed Evan as Rubeus had a spider half his size seize in place before ambushing Igor from behind. Hagrid took this chance to stun Igor, winning over this duel.
Meanwhile, Bellatrix was cornered by you and for a split moment she looked terrified.
But then a spark flashed straight before you and it blinded you, you couldn't see anything at all. When it cleared up, Bellatrix was gone and you looked behind to see someone you had known before.
Her silver hair. Her eyes that you looked into all those years ago.
"Li-Lizzie?" - you said, barely believing what was straight in front of you
"Miss me?" - she had her wand aimed at you
"You have no idea" - you confidently smirked, it was time for payback.
But as you felt like you were about to fight until a drop of blood, the golden bracelet around your wrist suddenly started to glow and you glanced at it before realizing...
"Tom..." - you murmured. You glimpsed at Lizzie and squinted "Sorry, maybe next time" - you waved your wand and shot out lightning that hit into her and she fell backwards, stunned stiff.
You rushed through between the quivering ground and crumbling walls, to the distant rise of loud banging and powerful magic. You squeezed between the duelers, evading spells that would rush at you.
Until you reached an area where Dumbledore had been standing over an injured, fallen Tom Riddle.
"I did not mean for this, Tom. Your spell backfired because of your own doing"
Riddle's lip was cut and his face was wet from sweat as he still sneer-fully smirked "I will win"
"Not this war" - Dumbledore replied.
Panting, you rushed over to Riddle. You only had a slight moment to lock eyes with stunned Dumbledore. You clutched onto Tom's body and apparited out of the battle, teleporting him to a safe zone.