"POP!"
A familiar crisp sound exploded in the room, as if someone had fired a gun.
However, the room had good soundproofing, so the noise didn't disturb anyone else.
The bell above the wardrobe space jingled, and the next second, Cube and Locke emerged from it.
Wade, who just had Apparated home, placed the books he brought back onto the table and removed his outer robe. Cube reached out to take it, while Locke bent down and poured a cup of hot tea.
"When did you get back, Locke?" Wade asked.
"An hour ago," Locke replied. "To deal with Voldemort, I need Cube's help."
Wade was briefly stunned. He recalled that he had neglected matters related to Voldemort and hadn't given Locke very clear orders.
However, back when Locke had just been created, they had communicated extensively—discussing the purpose of his creation, the mission he had to accomplish, and the "future" that Wade knew.
Wade was a bit curious: In the absence of explicit instructions, how would Locke act?
From the previous rescue operation, it was already clear that these magic dolls were far from mindless robots that simply obeyed commands. They were quite capable of adapting to changing circumstances.
"So, tell me what you did," Wade asked.
Locke sat across from him, hands on his knees, and said, "While tracking Gilderoy Lockhart and Gale Troka, I discovered that Sirius Black was also following them."
"To avoid exposing the plan, I chose not to show myself for the time being. Occasionally, I'd release a rat to distract Sirius Black, and gradually led all three of them toward the Riddle House…"
Locke only briefly mentioned the guidance process, and focused instead on everything that happened once they arrived at the Riddle House.
In fact, Locke didn't have a very elaborate plan. His mind wasn't capable of devising complex, far-reaching strategies. He had simply prepared two contingencies.
If Voldemort wasn't yet in the manor, he would dig up the bones of Voldemort's father, preventing a smooth resurrection. At the same time, he'd reveal the "Dark Lord Resurrection Plan" to Sirius, and possibly also to Lockhart and the others.
If Voldemort was already there, he could still reveal the plan. Once Sirius discovered that the Muggle manor was Voldemort's hiding place, Locke believed he would bring Dumbledore and the Ministry's Aurors there.
That way, Voldemort would be captured or killed, and the Death Eaters helping him would be doomed as well. Locke, meanwhile, could play the role of Peter Pettigrew for a while and finally fulfill the "Wormtail's Death" achievement.
The magic doll had summarized a simple rule—every time Voldemort is destroyed, he needs a long time to recover before he could rise again.
If they could kill this still-reviving Voldemort, his master wouldn't have to worry about it for at least a year or two. That would definitely make him very happy.
"Although Voldemort didn't show himself, we can basically confirm he's in the manor, because Gale appeared to be under the Imperius Curse."
Locke said, "That's why I came to find Cube. It can quickly steal Tom Riddle's bones without alerting any wizards."
Wade was stunned. "Steal them?"
Locke nodded. "Steal them—or replace them with the bones of some other Muggle. No magic, no bloodline. The resurrection spell might fail, or even if he is resurrected, he might not regain his former strength."
Wade rubbed his chin, considering the feasibility of this plan.
If magic were as precise as potion-making, Locke's idea would undoubtedly work. But magic often has a high degree of tolerance for error.
"Bone of the father" might emphasize only the blood relation. If there's no father, there's still the mother, uncle, grandparents, or other relatives from the Riddle or Gaunt families.
Alternatively, if unrelated bones were used—but Voldemort believed in his heart that they were his father's—perhaps the spell would still work… though his post-resurrection powers might truly be affected.
If the "father's bone" was absent, the resurrection ritual would fail—but that didn't necessarily mean Voldemort could never come back.
Lately, Wade had read many dark magic texts and discovered that as long as a Horcrux preserved part of the soul in the world, there was more than one way to resurrect.
For example, the diary Horcrux from the original story could achieve a partial resurrection by absorbing another's life force and magic.
Or take ancient Egyptian magic: through a series of rituals and incantations, a soul could be brought back to life.
And once Dolly the cloned sheep is born, if Voldemort used Muggle cloning technology to create a suitable body, resurrection might be possible that way too.
The Dark Lord chose this ancient black magic not because it was his only option, but because he wanted to harness the protective magic Harry's mother had left him—breaking the prophecy and ensuring Harry could never become his nemesis.
But Voldemort's understanding of magic wasn't as profound as he believed.
In breaking one protection, he stumbled into a new trap. The resurrection magic formed an even more mysterious connection between him and Harry Potter—one that ultimately led to his downfall.
But what if the resurrection could be changed…? What if Locke really replaced Voldemort's father's bones…? What would the future become? Would Voldemort emerge weakened—or come back in an entirely different way?
Wade pondered for a long time, torn and undecided.
It was much easier—and more comforting—to defeat a boss with a walkthrough in hand. You'd know which direction to go, and you'd know it led to victory.
But Voldemort is different from Grindelwald. His pursuit of power is more extreme, more ruthless. He would massacre indiscriminately, with no justification, simply to spread terror and show off his strength.
Wade thought of Voldemort's grand return in the original story, and the large-scale chaos that followed—
A collapsed bridge, hurricanes, Dementor outbreaks, alliances with werewolves and giants, and reckless killing sprees.
What served in the book as mere background atmosphere would, in real life, mean tragedy for countless people.
Wade looked out the window.
There weren't many people on the street: a mother pushing a stroller, a middle-aged man eating a hamburger while hurrying along, students with backpacks chatting and laughing, and an elderly man pushing a lawn mower, trimming his yard.
A taxi stopped at the front door. Fiona got out carrying a bag. Perhaps sensing the gaze from above, she looked up and, spotting Wade by the window, gave a bright smile and waved at him.
Then came Fred, helping an old man out of the car. He pointed toward the front yard and spoke to him, seemingly introducing his home.
Wade told himself in his heart: [You can't wait until someone important to you gets hurt before regretting why you didn't take action sooner.]
"Go ahead," he said to the magic dolls. "Create some trouble for Voldemort. Weaken him as much as you can."
"If the opportunity arises… Can we kill him?" Cube asked cautiously.
Wade paused for a moment and said, "Yes."
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