Heavy breathing. Sweat-soaked hair clung to his forehead.
Harry's pupils were slightly dilated, as if he'd just finished running 3,000 meters.
Roger hadn't watched the later movies, but he had seen fan edits centered on Snape.
In his past life, Snape was quite popular, and Roger had come across those clips before.
This time, he expanded on the death scene he had once seen, enhanced it with his own mental techniques to add realism, and polished the details. The experience he presented to Harry should have felt nearly indistinguishable from reality.
"…Just now…" After a long silence, Harry finally spoke, trying to shake off the terrifying feeling of death, but he didn't know what to say.
"That was one possible future—if I didn't exist."
"Voldemort returned in full power. Hogwarts fought back, people died one after another."
"Don't make that face. Since I'm here, the future won't go that way."
But Roger misunderstood. Harry wasn't reacting to the tragic vision of the future—
"Voldemort is really still alive?!"
Before coming to Hogwarts, he had asked Hagrid about Voldemort. Hagrid's answer had been vague: 'Some say he's dead, some say otherwise. But I think he's still out there.'
Now, Roger had confirmed the truth that had always lingered in the back of Harry's mind.
"Of course he's alive. He's at Hogwarts right now."
"…" The sheer amount of shocking information today had left Harry numb.
"But you don't need to worry. With Dumbledore, the professors, and me here, a powerless Voldemort can't do much. Just focus on your studies."
Harry suddenly realized—maybe the world had never been as simple as he thought. It was Roger, Dumbledore, and others who had been shielding him from the storm, allowing him to live a peaceful life.
Only now had the curtain lifted, revealing a glimpse of the real world.
"Alright, you've had enough of a break. We still need to visit the other professors."
"Luckily, your parents were well-known at school. We should be able to piece together a good picture of their time here and some of their lives after graduation."
As he spoke, Roger dragged Harry off to the next professor's office.
---
"Not going to struggle a bit more?" Roger asked with a smile.
Harry's matter had been quickly settled.
While Harry was immersed in the stories Roger had borrowed from various professors about his parents, Roger himself wasn't idle.
Aside from his usual magical research, he had another pressing task—
His ongoing deal with Voldemort.
Through Quirrell, he had been facing off against the Dark Lord in weekly battles.
At first, Voldemort had still taught Quirrell some magic, testing whether Roger's prophecy was truly flawless.
But once he confirmed that Roger's predictions had no exploitable weaknesses, he stopped.
Continuing to teach Quirrell would only help Roger understand him better—an unnecessary risk.
"Next time." After today's battle, Voldemort ignored Roger's invitation for another round.
Voldemort wasn't completely out of options.
He still had one last resort.
He was well-versed in all kinds of dark magic, including some rituals that could sacrifice life to forcefully unlock a wizard's full potential. A desperate gamble might break through the deadlock.
But there were two problems.
First, the contract prevented Voldemort from intervening directly, so Quirrell himself would have to set up the ritual and willingly die.
Second, after suffering repeated losses to Roger, Voldemort had, for the first time, felt a sense of powerlessness.
Looking back at Hogwarts' library, he suddenly realized—there was still room for him to improve.
The more he learned, the more he felt his own inadequacies.
For now, he wasn't quite ready to give up Quirrell's convenient identity.
"Fine." Roger didn't push. It was a pity, though.
Sparring with Quirrell had significantly improved his combat experience as a wizard. He had also tested many new spells, greatly refining his magical control.
If possible, he would have liked a few more fights.
The Room of Requirement's door opened. The two returned to the tapestry on the eighth floor of Hogwarts and started walking in the same direction.
After their battles, they usually headed to the library. Of course, they read separately—walking together was just convenient.
But today was different.
Roger, feeling that his Alchemist's Eye was nearing completion and that he was just one step away from true longevity, had a question for Voldemort.
"Voldemort." He snapped his fingers, casting a small soundproofing spell.
Quirrell showed no reaction, but Roger knew he was listening.
"I remember your goals—eternal life and absolute power, right?"
"…What of it?" Voldemort replied through Quirrell, puzzled by the sudden question.
"Do you really think Horcruxes will make you immortal? That your band of Death Eaters will grant you ultimate power?"
Voldemort didn't react much to Roger mentioning Horcruxes or calling the Death Eaters a ragtag bunch.
Roger was a Seer. It was normal for him to know these things. And compared to Grindelwald's followers, his Death Eaters were indeed less pure.
"The body is insignificant to a wizard. Will is our true foundation."
"The true power of Horcruxes isn't just giving me multiple chances at resurrection."
"They can also preserve my mind across different time periods, making my will eternal."
Voldemort had no problem discussing this topic. If someone unworthy had brought it up, he would have taken it as an insult and killed them.
But Roger had earned the right to talk.
In fact, Voldemort was a little curious—how did this fellow traveler on the path of immortality view his Horcruxes?
Roger nodded. If he categorized immortality into agelessness, undying, deathless, and indestructible, then—
Voldemort had already reached undying and completed its first stage.
Disregard the body. Achieve soul longevity.
Imprint the mind. Keep the will eternal.
Fragment the soul. Rebirth from death.
But—
"And then?"
"…What?" Voldemort didn't understand the question.
"Even with Horcruxes, this isn't true immortality."
"You know the Department of Mysteries studies time, right? If someone sacrificed their life to travel back decades and prevented your parents from meeting, you'd vanish on the spot. Even a thousand Horcruxes wouldn't save you."
Roger looked at Voldemort seriously, voicing his real question.
"You claim to seek immortality and world domination, making countless enemies in the process. You'll face all sorts of attacks—time, fate, and perhaps even more terrifying methods."
"Your so-called immortality still has major flaws."
"So why did you stop after making Horcruxes? Why did you rush onto the stage of history instead of continuing to perfect your path?"
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