A/N: I had to move up Voldemort; the reason will be there in the coming chapters.
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Hogwarts - Ernst's Quarters
"I have no use for a title," Ernst said, packing his trunk with a wave of his hand.
"An Earldom is just a tax liability."
"Correction," the Red Queen's voice chimed.
"It is a power source."
A hologram flickered into existence, a topographical map of the British Isles.
It zoomed in on a rugged stretch of coastline in Cornwall.
"I have analyzed the geological survey data," the AI reported.
"This region sits atop a convergence of ley lines and iron ore veins. If we drill ten thousand meters down, we can tap into the Earth's geo-magnetic core. It is a limitless, renewable energy source."
Ernst paused. "A planetary battery?"
"Correct. But to drill that deep without government interference, you need ownership of the land. Sovereign rights."
Ernst smiled.
"Well then. It seems I am to be an Earl after all."
King's Cross Station
The next morning, Ernst bid a polite farewell to Dumbledore and boarded the Hogwarts Express.
When the train hissed into Platform 9 3/4, the station was suspiciously quiet.
The usual bustle of parents and students was gone.
The air was heavy, static-charged.
"Stay sharp," Ernst murmured to Azazel.
They stepped through the brick barrier back into the Muggle world.
CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.
The air erupted with green light.
A dozen Killing Curses streaked toward them.
"Shield!"
Ernst didn't use a wand.
He raised his left hand, activating the Tesseract-powered kinetic barrier built into his nanotech suit.
The green bolts slammed into an invisible wall, dissipating with a sound like tearing ozone.
"Interesting," Ernst noted, scanning the empty station.
"The Muggles have been cleared. Someone high up in the government sold us out."
From the shadows, figures emerged.
They wore black robes and silver masks.
Death Eaters.
"Ernst Shaw," a cold, high voice echoed through the hall.
A figure glided forward, his wand drawn.
He didn't wear a mask.
His face was pale, handsome, but twisted with malice.
Tom Riddle. Lord Voldemort.
"You have stolen our secrets," Voldemort hissed.
"You pollute our world with your muggle filth. Today, you pay the price."
Ernst adjusted his cuffs, looking unimpressed.
"You speak of purity," Ernst laughed softly.
"Coming from a half-blood like you, Tom, that is rich."
The name hit the Dark Lord like a slap.
The Death Eaters shifted uneasily.
No one spoke that name.
"You dare?" Voldemort whispered, his red eyes narrowing.
"How do you know that name?"
"I know everything, Tom. I know about the orphanage. I know about your father. And I know you are terrified of death."
Voldemort roared, slashing his wand.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Ernst sidestepped. His enhanced reflexes made the spell look slow.
"Azazel, Ghost," Ernst ordered calmly.
"Clear the trash. Leave Tom to me."
"With pleasure," Azazel grinned.
The Red Devil vanished.
He reappeared behind a Death Eater, his tail acting as a third arm, driving a knife into the wizard while his swords parried a curse.
He was a blur of red smoke, teleporting between enemies, striking from impossible angles.
Beside him, the air shimmered.
Ghost materialized, a blinding humanoid of hard light.
A Death Eater fired a Blasting Curse.
The spell passed harmlessly through Ghost's intangible form.
Ghost solidified instantly, delivering a punch that shattered the wizard's ribs and sent him flying across the tracks.
"Phantom and Specter," Ernst narrated.
"You can't kill what you can't touch."
Voldemort ignored his falling minions. He focused entirely on Ernst.
"Fiendfyre!"
A torrent of cursed fire erupted from his wand.
It twisted and roared, taking the shape of a massive, basilisk-like serpent made of living magma.
The heat was intense enough to melt the steel tracks.
The serpent lunged at Ernst, its jaws wide to consume him.
Ernst didn't run. He raised his wand, the Dragon Heartstring he had bought from Ollivander.
"Vector Redirection," Ernst calculated.
He didn't use a counter-spell.
He used a concept he had learned from the Tesseract.
"Portus."
He cast a localized Portkey spell, not on an object, but on the space directly in front of the fire.
A blue wormhole swirled open in the path of the serpent.
The Fiendfyre beast roared as it plunged into the portal.
Voldemort blinked, confused.
"What, "
CRACK.
A second portal opened directly behind the Dark Lord.
The Fiendfyre serpent burst out of the exit hole, still charging with its original momentum. It was now attacking its master.
"Impossible!" Voldemort screamed.
He spun around, raising a desperate Protego shield.
The fire crashed into him, engulfing him in his own cursed flames.
"Physics, Tom," Ernst called out over the roar of the fire.
"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Even magic."
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