HP Dual Masters and I had a blast in Hogwarts.

Chapter 308 The Sparring Between Riddle and Severus

Severus's neck stiffened into a cold, hard arc, and a suppressed groan escaped his throat.

The moment the silver needle pierced his skin, his pupils contracted sharply, and his fingertips under the potion robe curled up unconsciously, leaving crescent-shaped blood marks in his palm.

Just as I was about to explain to Severus, my waist suddenly tightened.

Riddle pinned me against the cold stone wall, the tip of his wand grazing Severus's taut back: "Severus, remember your place."

Riddle suddenly leaned down and lightly pecked my lips, his tongue tracing between my teeth. "Don't do anything that I'll see as betrayal."

Severus trembled with pain, both physically and mentally.

He lowered his head, his black hair obscuring the turbulent emotions in his eyes, and his Adam's apple bobbed laboriously: "Yes, Master."

The hoarse voice, carrying a sense of broken resentment, echoed in the sealed cellar.

Thorns emerged from beneath Riddle's black robes, wrapping around Severus's ankles and pulling him further into the shadows: "You'd better understand."

He whispered in my ear, the tip of his wand pointing at Severus's tense shoulder, "Anyone who tries to take you from my grasp will pay a terrible price."

The thorns suddenly tightened, leaving bloody red marks on Severus's pale skin.

I struggled to push Riddle away, controlling the magic surging in my veins in preparation to rescue Severus.

He chuckled softly, lifting my chin with his wand, and chains of dark magic wrapped around my wrists: "So eager to protect him?"

His tongue brushed against the teeth marks left on my neck from last night. Severus abruptly turned his face away, his wand scraping the ground with a grating sound. "Looks like I'll have to let everyone know—"

"Wasn't last night enough? Do you want me to make you feel good again?" I didn't want to see Severus being tormented by Riddle.

Riddle's laughter suddenly rose, and he rubbed my lips with his thumb: "What should I do? I'm not really keen on leaving right now."

His dark pupils reflected my slightly displeased gaze.

"I kept you up until dawn yesterday, and you're going to continue today?" I was starting to get a little impatient. Why did Riddle suddenly seem so long-winded?

Riddle caught a glimpse of Severus's white knuckles as he gripped the wand, and feeling that his words had been provocative enough, he decided to stop there.

Riddle snapped his fingers, withdrawing his magic and letting Severus go.

He bit my lip hard one last time, the taste of blood spreading between his teeth: "Next time, I'll make you remember more clearly who the winner is. This time I was just careless."

Riddle left again through the fireplace, and as the black mist dissipated, the thorny vines shattered with a crash.

Severus collapsed to the ground, his potion robes stained with dust and blood.

He slowly rose, supporting himself on the edge of the table. When he finally looked up at me, the emotions surging in his eyes were like a volcano about to erupt: "So, this is your so-called plan?"

“At least none of you were hurt, right?” Seeing that Riddle had left, I quickly went to his side and helped him up.

His voice trembled with suppressed emotion, "You know how worried I was about you, especially when I saw him take you away."

"It's good that you listened to me and didn't go to Riddle's villa." I had already told Severus not to make any rash moves when he saw me being taken away by Riddle.

He abruptly shook off my hand, and the sleeve of his potion robe slipped down, revealing fresh wounds on his palm.

"Don't make any rash moves?" His voice suddenly rose, hoarse and cracking. "When Riddle took you away, how could you expect me to just stand there and watch?"

Recalling yesterday, when Riddle pinched my chin with his fingers and spoke close to my ear, Severus stood in the shadows ten paces away, his body taut like a fully drawn bowstring.

“You promised me you wouldn’t take any risks, and I always thought you had a backup plan.” His breathing quickened, and a panic I’d never seen before flickered in his dark pupils. “You said you’d leave once you got that crystal ball, but when he took you and the other Death Eaters away, I couldn’t even follow him to Riddle’s villa to see if you were hurt!”

My throat suddenly felt tight.

It turned out he had been standing there the whole time, watching me being taken away but unable to do anything about it.

The anxiety hidden beneath the black robe finally erupted into an uncontrollable torrent that engulfed him.

I reached out to touch his wound, but he turned away.

“Severus, I have to make sure the plan goes perfectly. You know Riddle would never hurt me.” I gripped his cold wrist. “If you had rushed out then, he would have suspected you of betraying him. You know how suspicious he is; once he senses something is wrong…”

"So you're using yourself as bait?" He suddenly laughed, a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. "Like the Potters back then? Pushing yourself into the most dangerous situation in the most foolish way?"

The air suddenly froze.

Severus's words were like a dagger, piercing my heart.

He seemed to realize what he had said, and his eyelashes trembled violently as he turned his face away.

The cellar light shone on him, casting alternating shadows on his face.

I took a deep breath and gently held his hand.

“It’s different.” I rubbed my thumb against the calluses on the back of his hand. “I believe in my abilities, and I believe I can protect all of you.”

He suddenly turned around and pulled me into his arms, with such force that he almost crushed me into his bones.

The scent of herbs wafted from him, and his hair still carried the fragrance of the blue rose shampoo I had prepared for him.

I could hear his rapid heartbeat vibrating in my ears, as if it were about to burst out of his chest.

“If you dare do this again…” His muffled voice nestled against my shoulder, the threatening tone softening terribly at the end, “I’ll lock you up and you’ll never be able to leave.”

I reached out and wrapped my arms around his waist. My fingertips touched the sticky bloodstains on his lower back, and I was shocked to realize that his injury was more serious than it appeared.

Just as I was about to ask a question, he suddenly tightened his arms around me, as if afraid that I would turn into a phantom and disappear in the next second.

"Severus, your wound..."

"Don't move." His chin rested on my neck, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly. "Just let me hold you for a little while."

I could feel his breathing gradually calming down, but his heartbeat was still ridiculously fast.

Memories involuntarily drifted back to the past, when he always hid his emotions, his eyes wary and distant, unlike now, when he embraced me so unconditionally.

"Actually, I have a backup plan," I said softly. "Even if the plan fails, I still have a way to escape."

He abruptly pulled me away, gripping my shoulders with both hands, his dark eyes churning with complex emotions: "You think saying this will put my mind at ease?" His voice was terribly hoarse. "When he held you in his arms, all I could think about was... the scene of not being able to save Lily in time back then."