Chapter 661 - 662: Room of Requirement; Third Horcrux

Evan had just finished a conversation with Kreshkov, discussing various topics such as the suspicious shadow Hermione had seen in the corridor the previous evening, the mysterious events involving Professor Moody's identity, the ongoing plots in the magical world, Voldemort's resumption of power, and the current situation at Hogwarts. While there were explosive revelations, Dumbledore's face showed no surprise, indicating that he had been aware of these developments and was prepared for them.

Dumbledore generally approved and supported Evan's countermeasures and agreed to provide coordination. During the discussion, Dumbledore did not scrutinize the details of Evan's plan or ask probing questions, knowing that Evan was well-prepared. Each time Evan raised his head, he could see Dumbledore's gentle and encouraging smile, as if encouraging him to speak freely. This unsettled Evan, as if Dumbledore had some hidden agenda.

Throughout their conversation, Dumbledore remained calm and composed, never attempting to use Legilimency on Evan. After finalizing their plans and understanding the specific methods, Evan left Dumbledore's office. Instead of heading straight to the dining hall for lunch, he went to the corridor outside the Room of Requirement.

The Room of Requirement, also known as the "Come and Go Room," only appeared when someone truly needed it. To enter the room, one had to concentrate on the desired object. Evan had become quite skilled at accessing the Room of Requirement over the past year, even though it required walking back and forth in front of an apparently blank wall three times.

This time, Evan needed a specific location in the west of Tibet. After the third pass, the door to the Room of Requirement appeared. He entered and found himself in a massive chamber with tall windows casting beams of light that revealed a city surrounded by towering walls. The room was filled with items hidden by generations of Hogwarts students over the centuries, including countless banned books, experimental equipment, and various magical oddities.

Evan saw piles of books, broken furniture, magical instruments, and even seemingly worthless items like hats, jewelry, and capes among the clutter. The room contained everything from forgotten treasures to discarded curiosities. It was a paradise for those interested in dark magic or treasure hunting, but it also required extensive time to search through.

The room had concealed secrets for nearly a millennium, containing illegal goods hidden by countless Hogwarts students, experimental achievements of students who had dared to break the rules, and many other hidden secrets. This room was a treasure trove for those with a penchant for collecting forbidden knowledge.

However, finding a specific item like Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem in this room was daunting. Evan's attempt to summon the diadem using the Accio spell yielded no response, as the room seemed to be protected by mysterious magic. He had often wondered about the true nature and origin of the Room of Requirement, which could adapt to one's needs and materialize objects not previously present in Hogwarts. The underlying principles of its operation remained a mystery to him.

It was possible that the Room of Requirement had a connection to the void or existed within a magical space accessible only through the door created when one summoned it. Evan speculated that it might even exist within an ancient deity's domain, considering the space's complexity and its affinity with Apparition. However, these were mere conjectures, as no one knew what lay beyond the room's walls.

Space magic, as a branch of magic, was exceedingly complex and still not fully understood. Evan had made a few guesses but had yet to comprehend the principles that governed the Room of Requirement. He found it fascinating and wished he could learn more about it someday.

As Evan continued to explore the room, he came across a specimen of a Troll standing at a towering fifteen feet. The Troll had been preserved in a massive glass jar filled with a greenish liquid, likely an antiseptic or preservative. Evan marveled at the strangeness of collecting Troll specimens.

It was evident that the room contained a wealth of knowledge and artifacts, but it required meticulous searching to find specific items. Evan stumbled upon a stack of dusty books near the Troll specimen. The topmost book was titled "Knight Manifesto," containing records of medieval knightly codes of conduct and combat techniques.

Evan put the book aside and picked up another book with a black seal. This book also appeared to be related to combat, focusing on spear techniques. However, something about it didn't seem right to him. With a wave of his wand, Evan cast a revealing spell on the book.

"Reveal your secrets," he whispered.

As if responding to his command, the black ink on the book's pages gradually transformed into red handwriting and eerie designs. This was a dark magic book known as "Hellhowl." The dark magic it contained could produce a terrifying wailing sound in a person's soul, instilling them with unparalleled fear.

This chant was a hybrid of soul and demon magic, different from what Evan had seen in the library. Evan could tell that the chant had been altered in several critical places, ensuring that anyone attempting to use it in combat would not achieve the desired effect. In fact, it might backfire and harm the caster's own soul.

The presence of such a dark magic book in the room was unsettling, and Evan felt it was best to leave it undisturbed. Regardless of whether it was intended as a trap or simply concealed for safety, Evan decided not to tamper with it.

In this room filled with hidden treasures and forbidden knowledge, Evan continued exploring, knowing he had much more to discover.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Although the spell itself might be problematic, the concept behind the book was unique, and Evan suddenly found himself intrigued. He read through the book as quickly as possible and then turned his attention to the remaining small stack of books. Among them, in addition to the "HellHowl" magic, he came across a black magic book titled "Judgment Day." This was a spell Evan had never encountered before; it delved deep into the realm of black magic and belonged to the demonic system.

Sitting on the dusty floor, he immersed himself in the book, flipping through the pages one after another. By the time Evan had briefly studied the "Judgment Day" magic, an entire afternoon had passed. He jolted awake, realizing that it was already quite late. He promptly stashed away the two black magic books. This room held thousands of similar magic books, though not all were useful. The process of screening them was tedious and boring, requiring a careful examination one by one.

However, Evan didn't grow impatient; he found the process rather intriguing. He planned to return in his free time to explore further. Evan continued to explore the room and eventually reached a massive cabinet. The cabinet had a dark brown hue, with a classical design marred by blisters on its surface, as if it had been splashed with a strong acid.

With hesitation, Evan opened the cabinet, and it creaked ominously. Inside, he discovered a cage containing the remains of a creature with five legs, long dead. He didn't want to contemplate the nature of this creature. This room concealed many sinister secrets, hidden here by past students.

Though Hogwarts appeared to be a calm place on the surface, with students forbidden from studying black magic, the reality was different. No student adhered to this rule, and their research in the forbidden field of magic extended far beyond imagination. Especially during the centuries when the magical world and the entire world were embroiled in frequent wars, powerful black magic and dangerous forbidden items were highly sought after by wizards.

Evan continued his exploration, delving deeper into the labyrinth of trash and forbidden items. He knew precisely what he was searching for—a stone bust of an ugly older figure wearing a hairnet and a rusty tiara. This seemingly ordinary diadem was the Ravenclaw Diadem, also known as the Diadem of Wisdom. Voldemort had altered its appearance, causing it to lose its original splendor.

Although he had a specific target in mind, the room was vast, and it was packed with numerous items. Evan didn't possess Harry's luck, and he wandered around for a considerable time without success. While passing a cluttered area, he noticed several heavy-looking flying brooms stacked together.

He hopped on one of them, taking flight and reaching the highest point in the room. From there, he looked down upon the room, scanning through towering piles of debris, including bottles, hats, boxes, chairs, books, weapons, brooms, and bats. In the next instant, Evan spotted the stone bust standing on a disheveled curved cabinet, with the old, faded Diadem atop it.

Evan's heart raced with uncontrollable excitement. He skillfully maneuvered his broom, executing a graceful turn to seize the Ravenclaw's Diadem. After landing, he held the Diadem in his hands, which appeared rusty and unremarkable, devoid of any mystique. However, engraved inside it were Rowena Ravenclaw's famous words: "Excessive intelligence is mankind's greatest treasure."

Yes, this was the Ravenclaw Diadem! The moment he held it, Evan sensed a familiar surge of power invading his spirit. It was Voldemort's power, distinct from his previous experiences with Tom Riddle's diary and Slytherin's locket. When Voldemort made the Ravenclaw's Diadem a Horcrux, his power was exceptionally strong, marking his third Horcrux.

At that time, Voldemort had already returned from his travels, completing the transformation of his body and gaining formidable dark power. He was no longer the handsome student of his past; he had become a monstrous figure. His deathly pale face resembled wax, twisted oddly, and his eyes appeared forever bloodshot.

During that period, he openly adopted the title of Voldemort, attracting Death Eaters, dark wizards, and pure-blood wizard families to form alliances. He prepared for a wizarding war, using the lives and blood of countless innocents to further his ruthless rule and pure-blood ideology. Shortly after crafting the Diadem into a Horcrux, he returned to Hogwarts.

Voldemort once again applied to Dumbledore for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, with his primary goal being to steal Gryffindor's sword and conceal it within the Ravenclaw's Diadem. As expected, Dumbledore rejected his request once more. In response, Voldemort cursed the Defense Against the Dark Arts professorship, ensuring that no professor could hold the position for more than a year due to various unfortunate circumstances.

The curse was exceptionally potent, and Evan suspected that Voldemort had sacrificed the lives and souls of dozens of innocent people to power it. Even Dumbledore couldn't break the curse, forcing him to find a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor year after year. Until now, no wizard dared to accept the position willingly, knowing the reason behind its curse.

Evan landed on the ground, and Voldemort's voice began to resound in his ears, urging him to don the Diadem. Along with the chilling voice, a surge of spiritual power invaded Evan's consciousness, penetrating his soul. Ignoring the voice, Evan located a table and skillfully extracted a venomous fang from a snake-like creature.

He was now well-versed in dealing with Horcruxes and had ample experience. Evan aimed the fang at the center of the Diadem and thrust it downward with great force. At that moment, a pitiful and agonizing scream echoed in Evan's ears. Initially faint and distant, the screams grew increasingly powerful as Evan continued his actions. In the next moment, a blood-like, viscous substance began oozing from the Diadem. Suddenly, the Diadem vibrated violently, and with a deafening bang, it split into two halves... (To be continued...)