"Pfft!"
Kavi coughed up a mouthful of blood, a crimson tide gushing from every orifice. He collapsed, limbs twitching spasmodically. It was undeniably, pathetically over. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but the golden feather in his hand and the silver scar on his face seemed to have lost some of their luster.
"..."
Just like that? All that build-up for nothing? Ashok's grip on his wand loosened, his sweaty palm cooling. What in Merlin's name was that? The horrifying figure he'd harbored in his mind for thirty years, defeated? Gone?
You were the final boss! Shouldn't you be tough to kill?! What kind of anticlimactic rubbish is this... Oh right, the real Dark Lord is standing right over there. Ashok's expression was a complex knot of emotions. He opened his mouth, then thought better of it.
"Tom."
Cassandra glanced at Tom, a hint of something akin to resentment in her eyes. "He seems quite dead. I thought you said I could handle him?"
"It is of no consequence."
Tom calmly ruffled Cassandra's hair, then flicked his wrist casually toward the motionless Kavi. The blood that had already spilled from Kavi's every opening seemed to retreat, flowing back into his body. He convulsed, then scrambled to his feet.
"Ha… ha… what happened?"
Kavi, visibly shaken, touched his own body. "Wasn't I just killed by the Dark Lord's deadly glare?" But now… he was alive, and feeling better than before!
"…"
Kavi glanced around at Tom and the others, and understanding dawned. Though he couldn't fathom why, the only person present capable of such a feat of "revival" was… Tom Riddle.
"Heh, you won't even let me decide my own death?" Kavi chuckled humorlessly. "The victor takes all. What do you require of me? Just let me die in peace after you've finished using me." Though he'd only been "dead" for a few seconds, that brief experience had changed him.
"Oh? Not planning to continue with your… endeavors?"
Tom regarded Kavi with cold interest. "Since you are destined to die regardless, why not give it your all?"
Kavi's face twisted into a bitter grimace. "From that little 'test' back there, I realized I cannot succeed. There is no longer any possibility of success."
"…"
Kavi looked down at the now-dull golden feather in his hand, then back up at Tom, his expression a mixture of awe and despair. He couldn't begin to understand how such a being could exist in this world.
"Um, I have a question."
Harry, sensing the situation growing increasingly bizarre, raised his hand. "What exactly were you trying to accomplish in the first place?"
"Nothing much, just trying to solve this rather sticky problem I've been wrestling with for years."
Kavi casually settled onto the ground as if chatting with old friends, idly touching the scar on his left cheek. "I wanted to witness more ancient magic. To do that, I needed to survive." He added with a self-deprecating chuckle, "The only thing I could find remotely connected to ancient magic was the Garuda Feather. Whether or not its power is truly ancient magic, it is certainly very old, isn't it?"
"If you only sought to use the Garuda Feather to resolve some personal issue..." Malfoy still seemed puzzled. "Then why instigate that entire storm?"
"Just because… well, it was a byproduct of revenge. I simply despise those fools at the Ministry of Magic." Kavi stroked his chin, a sudden surge of manic energy surfacing. "That storm caused them quite a bit of trouble, didn't it? A pity something brought it to an end."
"…"
Kavi's words left Harry and the others utterly speechless. The blank looks only seemed to confuse Kavi further, but he pieced it together quickly. "Is that so? That is impressive, Tom Riddle." He felt a wave of utter absurdity wash over him.
Tom, however, had no interest in dwelling on the past. "So, what now? What prompted this change of heart?"
"I died, and my obsession lessened considerably."
Kavi stood, patting the moisture from his soaked clothes. "I suppose I have finally come to terms with it. I am unable to comprehend the power within the Garuda Feather or unravel the mysteries of these ancient runes; furthermore, I am not long for this world. These are all undeniable facts, realities I am powerless to alter."
"…"
Ashok, who had remained silent, head bowed, slowly raised his eyes, staring intently at Kavi. "Come to terms with it? How dare you claim to have come to terms with it! What of those who died tragically because of your selfish obsession?!"
"..."
Kavi stared back at Ashok's bloodshot eyes, narrowing his own as if a memory had been triggered. "It was you?"
Ashok offered no reply, his mind a tempest of conflicting emotions. The realization that his revenge had been meaningless brought a bitter laugh to his lips. "Heh..."
"I will not offer any excuses."
Kavi shook his head. "Even if I had the chance to do it all again, I would make the same choices." The old Kavi might have argued, but having "died once" had granted him a strange clarity. He knew he was a villain, and further debate was pointless.
"Then, Lord Voldemort," Kavi turned his gaze back to Tom. "Now, may I inquire as to what you require of me?"
"…"
Tom studied Kavi with unnerving calm, his emerald snake eyes seemingly piercing through the other man's soul. "Nothing of consequence. I intend only to use you as practice."
"…"
Kavi remained silent, skepticism etched across his face. He found it hard to believe Tom wanted to use him for practice. Even though the corruption of the Garuda Feather was steadily eroding his body, it had also enhanced his strength to a significant degree. Despite this, he was only on par with a moderately skilled Auror; in Tom's eyes, he was still nothing more than an ant.
"You will fight them."
Tom gestured toward Cassandra and the others standing behind him.
"…"
Doubt flickered in Kavi's eyes. "You intend for me to die at their hands?"
"No, I want you to fight with your full strength."
"Even if I win, what then? I will still die, will I not?"
"Indeed. You are destined to die regardless." Tom's eyes narrowed slightly. "But if you can manage to defeat them, then I will allow you to die by my hand. Furthermore, you will be permitted to witness the ancient magic you desire most… before your demise."
---
Look some readers already know what the night holds before it arrives. Chapters ahead, deadass. They found p@treon. You're still here waiting. Don't play yourself. You already know what to do.