023 Memories

On a clear night, the sky was filled with shining stars, resembling countless bright silver beads embedded in the dark night.

However, the moonlight, which should have been bright and clear, held a strange elegance. In the hazy light and mist, it possessed an abnormal redness, as if a blood-stained hand had gently brushed across it.

A gust of brisk wind rushed from the vast and boundless Forbidden Forest towards the castle. It gently pushed open Bryan Watson's window, allowing the red-tinged moonlight to sneak in and cast a bright red halo on the dormitory's dark brown floor.

The stone box placed on the desk was halfway open. The box seemed to possess the power to devour light, as no trace of the candlelight escaped when it hit the box. The other half of the box remained in darkness, making it impossible to see what lay inside. Something significant had transpired.

Leaning back in his chair, Bryan Watson focused his eyes on the thumb-sized glass bottle he held between his fingers. The silver mist within the bottle shimmered and rotated, resembling a galaxy in motion.

This was a bottle containing stripped memories. The memories belonged to Bryan Watson, but he couldn't recall when he had left this behind.

Earlier that morning, when he encountered Harry Potter, a message had automatically surfaced in Bryan's mind. The message informed him that he had hidden something vital beneath the dormitory's floor. Once the memories were recovered, he needed to retrieve it immediately. The trigger for the message was seeing Harry Potter with his own eyes.

"Why did I set such a condition back then?" Bryan pondered, staring at the captivating silver mist. Suddenly, his heart quickened, and he thought of a possibility.

"Could it be that these memories are related to the plot of Harry Potter? Perhaps, all these years, I've been unable to remember the plot of Harry Potter from my previous life because I deliberately stripped these memories myself?" Bryan murmured, but he then shook his head, dismissing his previous guess.

The greatest advantage of being a time traveler was undoubtedly having advance knowledge of the plot.

Knowing the plot meant avoiding all dangers beforehand and benefiting oneself. Regardless of what happened, Bryan believed that he wouldn't relinquish such a significant advantage.

In fact, Bryan could directly integrate these memories to find answers to his questions. However, he exercised caution and refrained from attempting it lightly.

Memories represented a person's past and experiences, and they could even alter a person's personality to some extent. Bryan couldn't be certain if the information in his mind was left behind by himself or if it was forcibly instilled through memory magic by someone else.

If it was the latter, then the spellcaster must have foreseen that upon seeing the information, Bryan would retrieve and integrate it into his memory. Instead of going through all this trouble, it would have been simpler for the caster to control Bryan's actions directly with magic.

Yet, Bryan couldn't disregard this possibility. When he was still in school, he wasn't as powerful as he is today, and being targeted was not out of the realm of possibility.

After much hesitation, Bryan decided to temporarily forgo integrating the memories. His skill in memory magic was not exceptional, and if the memories within the bottle had been altered by a master specializing in memory magic, he might not possess the discernment to detect it. Taking risks, the more prudent approach would be to seek the assistance of a memory expert to appraise them.

Were there any memory masters at Hogwarts? Bryan wondered. Dumbledore must be one, but unless he drank two bowls of Felix Felicis in succession, he would never make such a foolish choice.

After safely stowing the memory bottle close to his body, Bryan stood up and removed the partially covered stone lid. He gazed quietly at the contents within the box. The flickering candlelight cast upon his face, obscuring his expression.

Resting at the bottom of the box lay the cherished possession of Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the four founders of Hogwarts and the founder of Ravenclaw House. It was the treasure that symbolized two exquisite qualities: serenity and wisdom.

However, this treasure now appeared as a piece of rubbish, split in half with black and dry scabs marring its surface.

Ravenclaw's diadem had been lost for thousands of years, and Bryan couldn't fathom the effort Voldemort had exerted to find it. He felt a deep indignation at Voldemort's decision to turn such a valuable treasure into a Horcrux.

Bryan could imagine the waves this object would cause if it were to surface in the underground world. Countless ancient wizards from the same magical lineage as the four founders would likely be willing to exchange all their wealth for it, even resorting to bloodshed. The wealthy Malfoy family, considered the richest in the wizarding world, would only scrape together enough Galleons to purchase it.

Clearly, the opportunity to attain immense wealth was within arm's reach, yet Bryan had to personally destroy this chance. Reflecting on it now, he felt a sense of obstruction in his heart.

Speaking of destroying the diadem with his own hands, it was another question worthy of contemplation.

Bryan vividly remembered discovering the diadem, and he could sense the lingering traces of Fiendfyre on it permeating his magic. However, his memory of destroying the diadem remained blurred. The answer to why this occurred likely lay within the small memory bottle he had encountered earlier.

"Reparo!" Bryan pointed his wand at the diadem, causing the two old and faded crowns resting in his palm to tremble briefly before returning to stillness.

This was not surprising. Although the powerful dark magic imbued by the Horcrux had been vanquished by Bryan's Fiendfyre, the diadem itself still possessed strange magical properties. Restoring a legendary item with formidable magic power was no simple task.

"Does the diadem truly possess the magical power to bestow unimaginable wisdom upon its bearer, as the rumors say?" Bryan pondered.

At the very least, Voldemort hadn't discovered the diadem's true power back then; otherwise, he wouldn't have committed such a reckless act.

"For now, I'll keep it hidden," Bryan whispered to himself. "Perhaps I'll try using adhesive to piece the diadem together on another day. Maybe those with twisted minds seeking its secrets won't be able to discern it."

A cold draft from outside clashed with the warm air inside, causing the open window sash to crash onto the floor. Bryan walked over and closed the window. With his keen eyesight, he inadvertently spotted an oil lamp swaying as it floated out from the Forbidden Forest, heading towards Hagrid's cabin.

"—It must be Hermione Granger who informed Hagrid about my return to Hogwarts as an investigator. However, I'm afraid he misunderstood the message and believed it was from the Ministry of Magic. Something seems amiss," Bryan said, furrowing his brow as he carefully recalled their encounter that morning.

Hagrid appeared anxious upon hearing the news, but it was peculiar. Why was he so nervous? Did he believe the Ministry of Magic had ordered Bryan to return to Hogwarts and trouble Dumbledore?

Or perhaps, did he possess knowledge about the Chamber of Secrets linked to Slytherin, or even have a direct connection to it?

Bryan pursed his lips, casting a deep gaze towards Hagrid's cabin.

After pondering for a while, Bryan glanced at the room nearby the tower that still emanated candlelight and shook his head. Just as Professor Snape had said, Dumbledore may not be as noble as people thought, but he wouldn't permit harm to come to the students within the school. The trust he placed in Hagrid was evidence enough that Hagrid was not under suspicion.

"Headmaster should be in the process of collecting the Dark Lord's Horcruxes by now," Bryan murmured as he pulled the curtains shut. "If he is willing to retrieve the broken Horcruxes, it will work in Professor Snape's favor. Let the game begin, and I shall offer you a fair price!"