sequence, truth
Since Harry missed the half of the day, he is determined to attend to the next half to avoid suspension despite every bone on his body protesting at the idea.
It’s a completely valid concern. He is of Slytherin house and for sure surrounded by one. He clenched his jaw and marched to the great hall.
The first person his eyes zeroed is of an adolescent male with rigidly straight back. His stature clothed in an obsidian cloak is both imposing and welcoming.
The second is the man’s voice. A deep velvet sound that tickled his ears. A rush of familiarity erupted on Harry’s and he just knew, like a voice whispering on his head.
This is Tom Riddle.
His future murderer.
Harry almost fainted at the spot. Due to sheer will alone Harry tear his attention from his face and walks to his seat with force casually.
Harry stride in the hallway, face still and shoulder squared. His face nor his body language betray his real emotion. Nothing shows the fact that his heart is trying to beat its way out of his chest.
The hallway to the slytherin common room is always empty this time of the night. And even if it's day no one would really wander near the infamous (dangerous) house of slytherin so Harry’s heavy steps reberated loudly against the closed space.
Harry marched like he’s walking into a bloodied battlefield.
He is headed into the slytherin common room but he might as well be.
Okay.
Maybe that is a little dramatic.
But in Harry’s case it’s absolutely valid. This anxiety that’s filling his body is absolutely true and valid.
Today, October 27 is a significant plot point that might turn to Harry’s side if played well.
And Harry would play it well
(either that or he died of suffocation, which is not fun)
Harry reached to his neck. In his real world, Harry just saw a screen and chose the character that he would play. Like a god looming over his subject. But now, he is not some bystander anymore. There's no screen or wall separating him and these… characters.
He sighed and cursed Hadrian when Riddle killed him on a route and cheered on Riddle because clearly Hadrian is not meant to be Riddle
(Riddle is too good for him)
But now he is Hadrian. Along with all the curse that accompany him.
Hadrian is killed in multiple horrible ways just because he put his devotion on the wrong person.
Fortunately, Harry is not Hadrian.
Harry had neither devotion to Riddle nor any intention to get close to the main characters and his potential love interests.
This is a fun game but not a fun thing in real life.
Harry would not recommend this to anybody. The stress is going to get him bald before he hits 30.
Harry stops in front of the entrance of the slytherin house.
“Serpensortia”
The stone serpent groaned and trembled as it opened, before it fully opened sharp and loud voices and cheers reached his ears.
Riddle's low and dangerous voice is the first he picked up in the chaos. It's starting then. This scenario is not really played out in detail by the game, it is just passingly mentioned by multiple individuals. From what he remembered, this is the time that a 7th year student–his name is not very clear to Harry but he is of French descent. The 7th year is very unhappy that Riddle is ‘leading’ the Slytherin house despite being a 5th year. Some have similar opinions but no one is brave enough to voice it but clearly someone is–it's either bravery or stupidity Harry is not sure. He can applaud at the dedication least.
“ Anouilh, this is your warning to stand down or regret that you did not.”
“Hah! Regret, Riddle? This is probably the thing that I would regret the least.” Anouhil taunted. His slips curled up in an arrogant manner. He is acting like someone who is going to win, and to Harry’s eyes–who knows the outcome of this conflict it is just amusing.
Everything is really hilarious if you watched it in Riddle’s perspective, it's not that fun if you are at the end of his wand however.
“ It's your funeral.” Riddle replied calmly. His shoulder relaxes and his hands in his pocket. The stance infuriates Anouilh greatly as he snarls and launches his attack, without any warning Anouilh fires the first spell, Riddle sidesteps and fires his own.
Harry looks around the common room that is now arranged to accommodate the duel that is taking place. The couches were placed on the side like a barricade and at the very center is an elevated concrete that they augment. Everyone has their eyes on the two individuals clearly enamored by the display. This is not something you can see in class. This is an unrestrained duel where there is only one rule–no killing. You can maim and absolutely traumatize your opponent but they can't die.
No one turns their head to his direction, not even when the noise of the entrance is a little more attention catching. Everyone’s attention is glued to the show, it's as if a curtain is about to fall open. Despite his earlier grievance and lamentation Harry couldn't deny that curiosity is eating him.
This is Riddle after all. The main character of ‘His Happy Ending ’ is said to be one of the best duelists of his generation. Anouilh – is no slacker either. This duel of two exceptional fighters is bound to be a macabre of an art.
Don’t get him wrong. The game’s animation is top notch, but now ?
Standing on the side like a watcher as Riddle dances around Anouilh with a grace similar to a snake as he slither and toys around its prey—which in this situation is the prey being Anouilh.
As the duel prolonged further Anouilh became more and more agitated the more that he couldn't hit Riddle and not only that, but the way that Riddle moved and his attitude generally .
Harry understands Anouilh on a spiritual level.
Harry’s eyes twitch as he stares at Riddle’s nonchalant and almost bored expression.
“This is madness, how can a mudblood like you even fantasize to lead the Slytherin house where the pureness of blood is held at the highest esteem.” Anouilh sneered. He fired Expulso and Confringo in succession.
Harry peeked at Riddle’s band of ‘friends’ . They are lounging at the side, sitting comfortably at the large green emerald couch. Lestrange’s feet dangle and wing lightly at the arm and Malfoy beside him glared at his úncompose’action. At the back of the couch, Avery stared gleefully at Anouilh’s deserving beatdown, at his side is the other lestrange trying and failing at keeping a straight face on his twin and Malfoy.
It’s the epitome of disrespect and Harry would have spewed spiel of nonsense but Anouilh absolutely deserved what's coming for him. And so, Harry quietly stands at the side and watches.
Harry can admit that despite the comedic effects the game gave him, it is still a pretty dark story–the people just cope with humor, nothings wrong with that of course–and Aouilh, is one of the most hated characters in the fandom, notwithstanding Hadrian, it is because of how he treats muggleborn–specifically female muggleborns. It is not explicitly stated nor describe his actions but one can know reading between the lines that Anouilh is rotten at his core.
So far, when Harry’s eyes landed on Anouilh for the first time, he instinctively knew before he even recognized him. He is keeping an eye on him after that. And up till now, there's no accident that happens. There's a rumor of light harassment, yes, thankfully it's only physical–not that it lessens its severity. The point is, Anouilh hasn't victimized anyone, yet and possibly forever if Harry has a say on it.
On another note, Riddle absolutely detest Anouilh–not for the reason that Riddle saw him as a threat but because he is disgusted by Anouilh’s whole existence. He saw no grace nor class in Anouilh’s action and he is just an annoying pest in general.
Harry squinted his eyes from time to time from the harsh flashing of lights from the spell that is hurriedly hurling toward each other. Silently, cataloging the spell that’s used and putting it aside for further experimentation later on.
“ Sanguinem Incisus.”
Harry cringes lightly when a particularly bright neon color charge hits Anouilh’s left shoulder, the man hiss– that’s a particularly nasty and dark spell, he once read from the library that he did not illegally (of course not) look through (read: smuggled) for study purposes.
At the corner of his eyes, he noted that some younger and few senior housemates recognize the curse and what it can do.
Sanguinem Incisus, the spell creates invisible, razor-sharp cuts that slice through the target's skin, causing intense and unrelenting pain. Though the wounds are not visible, the pain is real and searing, making it excruciating for the victim. Anouilh’s pain tolerance must be through the roof seeing as he's not screaming his lungs out right now, or, Riddle tweak the spell a little to mitigate the effect of the spell.
It’s nasty and reeking of darkness that to Harry’s great surprise, there is no Dumbledore-shaped rushing and barging the entrance right at this moment.
This is also one of the curses that Hadrian succumbed into.
Easy to say, it is not enjoyable. Not that Harry personally experienced it or ever really.
Harry startled when a wayward sharp line of color flashed at the corner of his eyes. Before he could open his mouth in warning, his body moved.
He raised his wand and murmur 'protego' he pushed as much magic into the spell. A transparent wall then erupted to protect the 1st year. Small gasps and their young eyes stare at him silently. A girl with platinum hair eyes him with an impassive face--it's an impressive expression in terms of Slytherin standard, Harry would have been impressed if it was not on the face of an eleven years old.
Pure-blooded more likely. There is just something in the presence of pure-blood wizards and witches. In game, they stick out amongst the forgettable faces of NPCs. They have features that Harry can not put his fingers on.
Glitters like invisible stars cling to them like a second skin, similar to a fading memory as though they are on the verge of vanishing, slipping through the gaps of your fingers. Voices that carry a strange tilt that tickle pleasantly to your ears. Exuding a magnifying presence, full of power, and grandiose, and grace that will root you in the floor and just be captivated.
In the wizarding world, they sit at the epitome of power and influence. A beauty corrupted, but a beauty nonetheless.
This kid has a presence like that too. Despite being small and young. Even Hadrian has it, despite being diminished . He was still, after all, a pure-blood.
He turned away from the unnerving stare of the kid. And check to the two more 1st years, his eyes meet theirs.
A beat passed.
Harry blinks.
Harry fought to squirm.
He groaned internally, what with these kids and their strangeness.
A thud and shout of pain interrupted his lamentation and lifted his head.
Harry murmured. “It seems like the fight is over.”
“Anouilh is bound to. It's inevitable.” the platinum kid boldly stated. She brushes her hand to her hair and turns around to leave.
Just like she said. This is the kind of fight that has already been established. It is already determined who is the winner before it even starts. and ,knowing it, Riddle wouldn't lose.
It is decided. Anouilh will be an outcast for treason. Crime against the king. All that, as tradition entails. Even Harry cringes at it sometimes. House pride, yey.
In the make-shift ring, Riddle stands still, head slanted downward to Anouilh who is sprawled on the concrete floor breathing harshly and bleeding–and by the look of it, Anouilh will live a little longer.
A silence permeated the small arena before it erupted to polite and quiet claps and soft murmurs of discussion. Some spectators get up from their set and make their way to their rooms. Noticing it, Harry also decided that he would leave for the fall-out discussion, he already knows what is the definite verdict, anyway.
He turned around and walked toward his room.
Unnoticed by him, Dark observant and intriguing eyes followed him.
The next morning. A disaster greeted him.
[ The segment “Alternative Punishment has ended]
Ping!
[New Segment is placed..]
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[Segment ‘Give Tom Riddle a Happy Ending’ is placed]
Harry stared.
[ Under the new segment, sub-unit will be placed.]
Ping!
[Complete 10⭐ using the sequence task]
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[ Upon completion ‘Hadrian Morbid’ will receive Truth]
Harry’s breath stuck on his throat.
[ the Sequence Task Act 1 will now commence]
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Harry, unable to process, sit still, with his mouth hanging open
WHAT.THE. FUCK !