In fact, Maverick had been here from the very moment Harry was brought to the graveyard by the portkey. Hidden away and completely masking his presence, he simply stood back and watched the drama unfold.
At first, it was just him, then later he called Edward over as well, while Dumbledore and the others remained back at Hogwarts for the time being.
It had been a last minute decision because there was simply no longer any need for the entire lineup to be present here. Now that Maverick had reached the rank of Warlock, he was confident he could handle things, at least during this phase, without any accidents. And even if some unexpected surprises were to appear, there was still Edward, his teacher...
Things played out more or less the way Maverick expected, though he was a bit surprised to discover that Tom had even enchanted the entire area to block all forms of tracking magic. He didn't remember anything like that from the original story, then again, at this point, comparing events to canon was pretty much meaningless.
Under normal circumstances, Voldemort's precautions would have worked, but too bad for him, he had failed to account for the possibility of someone possessing knowledge that went beyond the fourth wall.
Anyways, during the whole time, Harry was under Maverick's constant watch in case the Dark Lord failed to follow the script. As for why he did nothing while Harry was forced to go through a bit of suffering, Maverick simply wanted the kid to get a taste of it.
He had big plans for the boy, and he didn't need a Boy Scout who grew up in a greenhouse for it. In fact, once all of this was over and Harry eventually graduated, Maverick planned to take him, the Golden Trio, all of them, out for some real hands on experience too. But that's a matter for later.
The ritual proceeded exactly as expected, with Maverick and his teacher watching as Tom finally managed to get himself some plastic surgery done. However, neither Maverick nor even Edward looked particularly impressed by the result. Simply put, the magic they felt from the new Voldemort was mid at best, far lower than they had expected.
It was still the special signature of an Archmage, though only just so-so for someone once hailed as the Dark Lord who had pushed all of Europe to the edge for a time. Maybe it was because the body was essentially secondhand goods, or maybe Voldemort simply needed more time to properly adjust to it. Either way, it was barely passable.
And once Tom's resurrection was complete, there was no longer any reason to keep the Death Eaters around.
Infact, Maverick had already wiped out ninety nine percent of them, the ones gathered here were merely the last scraps of the scraps. The only reason he had allowed those few to keep breathing was simply because he worried Tom might get too depressed and simply give up. Voldy was the perfect thug, after all, and Maverick had no interest in finding a replacement.
And finally, before making his appearance, Maverick did not forget to give Harry a little hand with that last minute trick he pulled off. After all, even while caught in great shock, Voldemort's magical senses still remained at the level of an Archmage. A mere Mage Apprentice simply did not have the ability to catch someone like him off guard on his own.
Points to Harry though, the kid had quite the imagination. It was genuinely hilarious. Thankfully, there was a camera in the system space, and Maverick managed to capture the whole scene.
Back in the present, Edward remained hidden, and to Voldemort, there was only Maverick there with him.
---
"I see... so the one in the Forbidden Forest was you."
The Dark Lord studied him for a long moment, an uncertain expression on his snake like face. He could not tell whether something was wrong with his magical senses or with the man standing before him. No matter how carefully he observed, he could sense absolutely nothing from Maverick.
As far as Voldemort could tell, the person before him was nothing more than an ordinary human, no different from a common Muggle.
"Should I praise your profound wisdom?" Maverick said sarcastically.
The Dark Lord let out a cold snort as he slowly paced, careful to keep his distance. "You are nothing like Albus Dumbledore. So I wonder, what could possibly compel a man like you to stand beside such a hypocritical old coward?"
Maverick, on the other hand, simply stood there with his hands tucked inside the pockets of his long coat, a faint smirk resting on his face.
"Probably... because he's sane?" he said inquiringly, giving a lazy shrug. "But forget about me, let's talk about you, Tom. Tonight is supposed to be your big moment. Your glorious return. How does it feel to breathe once again, you know, after you so embarrassingly got slapped in the face by an infant?" He chuckled.
Maybe it was Maverick's mocking tone, or perhaps the reminder of that humiliating defeat from years ago. Either way, he had clearly struck a sensitive nerve in the Dark Lord.
Those snake like eyes narrowed dangerously, killing intent practically spilling from them. Even the cold night breeze seemed to freeze for a brief instant...
And boom—a violent, terrifying surge of magic exploded from Voldemort and barreled toward Maverick.
This was the first time Maverick had truly felt the Dark Lord's dominant spirit. During Tom's so called golden days, after all, Maverick had not even known this universe had witches and wizards to begin with.
Honestly though, again, it was only so-so. He had felt the arrogance of his teacher before, heck, even Takamura carried himself with far greater presence than this.
That said, it was still powerful. Enough to deter Great Mages, while anyone below that level would probably lose their willpower or simply pass out outright.
The air around the graveyard rippled like a mirage as the tidal wave of pressure spread outward... probably, the entire village of Little Hangleton must be out cold by now.
Maverick, however, had no interest in entertaining him in some grand clash between kings. Frankly, Tom was no longer qualified. A soul that had been torn apart seven different times simply could not unleash the might worthy of a true Archmage.
"If that's supposed to intimidate me, Tom, please, stop embarrassing yourself."
But that only seemed to fuel Voldemort's nonsensical arrogance even further. His eyes widened with fury, his lipless mouth twisting into an ugly expression as he ground his teeth together. The pressure around the graveyard surged violently, staining the air with a faint crimson hue, even the dense clouds overhead began to churn in response to the overwhelming magic...
...with no warning, Lord Voldemort then thrust his wand forward, screaming in pure fury as the Killing Curse burst forth, shooting straight toward Maverick.
"AVVAVAKAVAVAA!"
It was perhaps the most intense and thickest jet of green Maverick had ever seen. To Tom's credit, when it came to the Unforgivables, the man truly was a professional.
The violent surge of energy crossed the distance in less than a fraction of a second, but at the very last instant, Voldemort once again saw that unfamiliar magic appear before Maverick. A shimmering, sparking shield of orange materialized out of nowhere and blocked the Killing Curse head on, something Voldemort had once believed impossible through spells alone.
A powerful shockwave exploded from the point of impact, blasting damp soil and shattered gravestones through the air. Violent winds swept across the graveyard, tearing through the rows of graves and turning the entire place into a disastrous mess.
The sight left Voldemort genuinely shaken. However, he would sooner die than ask directly, but his expression made it painfully obvious that he wanted answers.
After a moment, he finally stopped pouring magic into the spell, seemingly realising he was only wasting his power. His chest rose and fell heavily, whether from rage or an attempt to steady himself, Maverick could not tell. One thing, however, was clear, Voldemort looked very, very pissed off.
He didn't even managed to force Maverick a single step back.
"Is that all?" Maverick asked, tilting his head to the side.
Actually, his earlier guess had not been entirely wrong. Voldemort still had not fully adjusted to his new body yet. He would need some time before he could truly wield it at its full potential.
"How did you find this place?" Voldemort asked instead.
It seems he was doing his best to suppress the fury boiling inside him, though likely not out of patience or restraint. More than anything, he had probably realized there was no real chance of winning in a direct confrontation, at least not for now. Or so he believed.
"Hmm..." Maverick rubbed his chin as though he were genuinely considering the question.
In truth, he was simply waiting for the Triwizard Tournament to conclude on the other side. Once Dumbledore and the others were free, it would finally be time to change the stage.
So, for the time being, Maverick decided to humor the Dark Lord a little longer. Besides, the entire area had already been sealed against spatial magic, meaning Voldemort would not be able to flee even if he wanted to.
"Would you believe me if I told you that you've been under my watch for quite some time now, Tom? Ever since our first meeting in the Forbidden Forest, you've managed to pique my interest. But if it's about tonight, well..." he paused, chuckling, "I've been here since the very moment Lucius brought Harry Potter to this graveyard."
The Dark Lord's expression darkened further. "Are you implying that my resurrection was carried out beneath your very eyes?"
"I'm saying everything that has happened here happened because I allowed it..."
Voldemort seemed to be genuinely puzzled this time, but more than that, a growing sense of unease began creeping into his mind, the kind of dreadful premonition even he could not ignore.
"Why?"
"Why what?" Maverick asked back.
"You stood by while the boy was tortured? You allowed all of this to happen when he could so easily have died?"
"Oh?" Maverick gave another careless shrug. "Harry has been under my watch from the very beginning. In fact, the kid already knew what to expect when he was brought here tonight. He knew perfectly well this whole little gathering was for your resurrection." His smirk widened slightly. "And yes, Lucius was my spy inside your tiny little cult, so naturally, we knew everything."
A brief silence fell over the graveyard as Voldemort took a moment to process everything he had just heard. He was really at a loss for words, the answer had left him with more questions, but a lot of them were, why.
"What could you possibly gain from helping me resurrect?"
"To kill you, of course," Maverick replied without the slightest hesitation. "I'll give you this much, Tom. You're a real cockroach when it comes to staying alive." A faint grin appeared on his face. "You remember our little confrontation beneath Hogwarts three years ago, don't you?"
Voldemort nodded almost absentmindedly, which was a bit amusing to Maverick. The Dark Lord, it seemed, was very keen to have things cleared up, almost breaking his Dark Lordly character.
Maverick couldn't help but chuckle as he went on, "Well, after that little encounter, I spent quite a bit of time researching wraiths, especially your particular situation... after all, I'd rather not have your ghost lurking around my family whenever I'm not home. So naturally, I needed to find a way to kill you properly."
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "One option was simple enough. Let you resurrect first, then kill you the old fashioned way."
He paused, then added, "But even then, you still wouldn't truly die, would you, Tom?"
Voldemort's sense of unease deepened instantly, his heart beginning to beat faster inside his chest. Did Maverick actually know about his most carefully guarded secret?
The truth behind Voldemort's so called immortality was something he had never revealed to anyone. At most, he had only ever claimed that he had transcended the limits of ordinary mortal life.
Maverick didn't keep Tom in suspense long though. He had just received the signal he had been waiting for, a mental message from his teacher. And with that, it was finally time to begin.
First though, piss the Dark Lord off badly enough that he can't even think straight...
"The secret behind your half baked immortality. I figured it out. Well, actually, Headmaster Dumbledore was the first to piece it together... Horcruxes."
Voldemort's eyes widened as his worst fears became reality. And the more he listened, the more unstable his magic became, slowly beginning to slip out of control.
"I assume your original plan was to split your soul into seven pieces. Six Horcruxes, with yourself serving as the seventh. I'd call you mad, but that goes without saying... anyways, the first Horcrux you made was that little diary from your school days, the one you later handed over to Lucius Malfoy for safekeeping..."
"The Gaunt family ring, I'm guessing, was your second Horcrux. You made it after murdering your father, Tom Riddle Sr."
"Then came Salazar Slytherin's locket, Helga Hufflepuff's cup, and Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem." Maverick clicked his tongue lightly. "Third, fourth, and fifth. You certainly did have a flair for collectibles."
Maverick continued without giving Voldemort even a moment to breathe, calmly listing each secret while horror slowly spread across the Dark Lord's face.
"Then came the sixth... except you never actually got the chance to make it, did you? You kicked the bucket before that part of the plan." A grin tugged at Maverick's lips. "Still, I do have some good news for you."
He didn't pause for even a second. "When you died that night at Godric's Hollow, a fragment of your soul latched itself onto Harry and turned him into a Horcrux. So, in a way, your little dream was technically completed after all. Six Horcruxes, and yourself as the seventh piece. Although back then, 'yourself' was really just a miserable wraith clinging to life." He chuckled softly. "So congratulations, Tom."
Maverick chuckled again, already sensing the air growing heavy with violent and malicious magic. Still, he continued calmly, saving the most important part for last.
"And the bad news..." His smile widened slightly. "Every single one of those Horcruxes has already been destroyed. Harry, too. We already removed the soul fragment you accidentally infected him with...."
"...So now, Tom, when I kill you, and believe me, I will, you will truly... die."
BOOOOM!
It seemed those words were the final straw because the Dark Lord completely lost it.
"NIYAAAAAAAAAA!"
—————————
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