"In the name of the disciples of the Supreme Sorcerer Lockhart, all descendants gather at the location of the original New York Temple..."
As the powerful magical wave rippled outward, an encrypted message emerged in Kaecilius' mind. Across from him, Voldemort's expression changed slightly. With his abilities, he could naturally detect the information carried by magical fluctuations, but it was obvious that the message was chaotic and heavily encrypted at first glance.
Although 'Grindelwald's' expression showed no significant changes, Voldemort could still tell from the slight movement in his eyes that the other party might have received something meaningful.
So it's true—Grindelwald and Lockhart have joined forces, Voldemort thought. I just don't know the extent of their alliance. If I could instigate a rebellion between them...
"Dumbledore, I believe you should be very familiar with him. He is the cause of Hogwarts' disappearance..." Although his thoughts were racing, Voldemort seemed not to have paid any attention to the distant explosion, and continued explaining the story behind the coffee called "Hogwarts Tragedy." He was attempting to link Grindelwald with Dumbledore, hoping to persuade him if possible.
Kaecilius, sitting opposite, had no intention of continuing to listen. Originally, he was merely curious about the changes in the wizarding world. It would be good to know the past history, but it didn't matter much if he didn't.
"Sorry, I have something urgent to attend to," Kaecilius interrupted. Although he sensed that the wizard before him was no ordinary person, he didn't feel particularly concerned.
However, Voldemort's eyes narrowed slightly.
From the beginning, he had felt something different about this Grindelwald. If it weren't for the strong aura emanating from the other party and the lack of any traces of disguise, he would have assumed he was an impostor.
But now...
"It's a bit rude to leave in the middle of a conversation," Tom Riddle said quietly.
At the same time, as if responding to some unspoken command, all the guests in the café quickly and orderly exited. The pedestrians in the surrounding streets likewise dispersed. In less than a minute, both the Star Café and Diagonal Avenue were completely deserted.
Only Kaecilius and Tom Riddle remained, sitting face to face.
Witnessing this, Kaecilius's expression grew solemn, and the ring on his finger glowed faintly. He couldn't detect the method behind the opponent's move just now—there was no magic, no mental power, not even magical energy. It seemed to happen naturally, as if it were a normal, everyday occurrence.
But how could that be possible?
Seeing the change in 'Grindelwald's' eyes, Voldemort's lips curled into a smile. The power of authority was easy to wield. At this stage of his life, only the transformations of those who had once been on the same level as him could arouse his interest.
"Long time no see, Grindelwald," Tom Riddle said, getting straight to the point. "I want to know, where have you been during all this time?"
Hearing this, Kaecilius immediately understood—he had been mistaken for Grindelwald. He was quite surprised when he first saw the wizard Grindelwald, who had essentially the same face as him. Although he roughly understood what was happening, Kaecilius had no intention of explaining. He gently touched the ring on his finger with his left hand.
"If you want to know, I can tell you," he said in an indifferent tone. "But what do you offer in exchange?"
At the same time, the ring on his right hand glowed with a faint green light, and a subtle time fluctuation slowly spread outward.
Sensing the danger, Tom Riddle's expression remained unchanged. But a careful observer would notice that his pupils had transformed into a tree-like pattern, resembling those of a venomous snake.
At this moment, both parties fell silent, looking into each other's eyes. The atmosphere suddenly became extremely oppressive, as if time itself had stopped.
Then...
"You are not him. Who are you?" Voldemort asked coldly, his tone certain.
"Well, if I'm not him, then who am I?" Kaecilius looked directly into Tom Riddle's eyes and replied casually.
"I don't know either, but I think I will soon find out," Tom Riddle said with a smile, staring into Kaecilius's eyes.
Then...
"Crucio!"
Voldemort flicked the fingers of his right hand, and a dark green diamond-shaped curse, emitting an agonizing wail, shot toward Kaecilius's face with lightning speed.
Immediately afterward...
Boom!
In an instant, a pale golden barrier appeared before Kaecilius. Though it appeared very thin, it firmly blocked the Cruciatus Curse.
"Is this how you treat guests?" Through the light golden film, Tom Riddle could clearly see the sarcasm on Kaecilius's face.
While speaking, Kaecilius waved his right hand, channeling magical power into his ring. A dark purple lightning bolt descended from the sky, striking toward Tom Riddle.
Boom!
A black shadow flashed, and Voldemort appeared unharmed on the other side of the café. He stared at what remained of his seat—now smashed to pieces by the deep purple thunder.
At the same time, Kaecilius also rose to his feet.
Voldemort could be seen toying with the wand in his hand, while Kaecilius raised his arms, causing silver-white dual blades to materialize in his hands.
Seeing the warrior-like stance of his opponent, Voldemort smiled. Although he now knew this Grindelwald was an impostor, he hadn't expected the other party to be foolish enough to confront him with mere blades.
"Crucio!"
Without hesitation, Voldemort waved his wand and cast the Cruciatus Curse again at Kaecilius. He wanted this person alive to extract enough information from his mind. In particular, he was very curious about why the other party had the same face as Grindelwald.
Across from him, Kaecilius saw the more powerful spell approaching. Without hesitation, his right hand simply sketched a circle in mid-air. In an instant, a red, flame-colored teleportation portal emerged. Simultaneously, an identical portal appeared behind Voldemort.
Whoosh.
The Cruciatus Curse passed through the teleportation portal, traversed space, and shot toward Voldemort's back.
Repay in kind—this was one of Kaecilius's favorite tactics. It also highlighted a feature he had discovered about wizards' spellcasting in this world: most spells cast were singular and tangible. The portals of Kamar-Taj completely overcame this type of magic. Of course, it was also due to the special nature of the magical energy in their bodies that allowed them to control the portals so effortlessly.
The moment spatial fluctuations appeared behind him, Voldemort immediately understood what was happening. As he spun around, Kaecilius saw Voldemort holding his wand and swinging it hard behind him. A wave of red flame-like light suddenly appeared, directly shattering the Cruciatus Curse into pieces.
Kaecilius did not miss this opportunity. Gripping his two blades, he suddenly rushed toward Voldemort.
Wizards in this world, including Lockhart, had one glaring weakness—they were helpless in melee combat!