Chapter 95: "Selfless" Dark Lord

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In a corner of the Room of Requirement, Albert stood quietly, lost in thought. Those who knew him well understood that this was how he looked when pondering questions. Even Albert himself admitted to it.

After all, no one could guess the truth—Albert was actually immersed in his own panel.

Snapping back to reality, Albert immediately shifted his gaze away from the giant creature specimen. Having finally found the time to come here, he naturally couldn't give up on exploring this place. He still intended to search for other interesting items and, of course, hadn't forgotten that he was here to find Ravenclaw's diadem.

However, based on his blurred memories, he only vaguely recalled that the Horcrux should be worn on the head of a certain half-body plaster statue. But that was the extent of the clue. Sometimes, finding Ravenclaw's diadem really came down to luck.

Just as he took a step forward, something else caught Albert's attention. In front of him, to the right, there was a large mirror with a golden frame, supported by two claw-shaped stands.

Albert hurriedly walked towards the mirror, raising his wand and casting a cleaning spell on its surface, removing most of the dust.

"Eris... Mirror," he murmured as he looked at the letters on the frame.

Yes, it was the Mirror of Erised, reputed to show the deepest and most desperate desires of the person standing in front of it.

"What do I desire the most?" Albert curiously surveyed his reflection in the mirror. Then, he noticed that his reflection in the mirror was holding a crown in the shape of an eagle.

That was... Ravenclaw's diadem.

"While it's true that I do want to find the diadem, is this really my deepest desire?" Albert suppressed the urge to complain. Initially, he thought he would see himself surrounded by several beautiful women in the mirror, or standing on a mountain of gold coins. At the very least, he expected an image of himself standing triumphantly, holding Elder Wand, with Voldemort bowing before him.

Speaking of which, what was the significance of holding Ravenclaw's diadem? A thirst for knowledge? Did he want to become smarter?

"Is this truly my deepest desire, or is it just my current desire?" Albert felt quite disappointed as he shifted his gaze away, focusing on the inscription at the top of the mirror's frame. It read: "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi" (I show not your face but your heart's desire).

The name of the mirror, Erised, came from the first word, which needed to be read backward.

Albert directed his gaze to the letters and softly read them aloud: "I show not your face but your heart's desire."

"Desire? Could it be that I actually have no desires? No, I'm not a saint, so how could I have no desires?" Albert suddenly grinned. "Indeed, the mirror can't reflect a bunch of intangible panel experiences and skill points!"

Yes, isn't what I desire the most the panel experiences and skill points?

Even risking my life to search for Voldemort's Horcruxes is ultimately for these intangible things, right?

With that in mind, Albert suddenly found it amusing. "In a way, the reflection of Ravenclaw's diadem in the mirror isn't entirely wrong."

After all, finding a Horcrux meant a significant amount of quests, experiences, and skill points.

That's what he desired the most!

After walking along the trash path for a while, just as Albert felt he was about to get lost in the garbage mountain, a slingshot with wings flew past him. Intrigued, he locked onto it, froze it with a Freezing Charm, and it fell from mid-air.

"What a peculiar thing." Albert walked over, picked up the slingshot from the ground, inspected it, pulled it back, and even used his wand to transform nearby debris into projectiles. He tested the slingshot's power and quickly realized that the projectiles shot by it seemed to be enchanted with tracking magic, allowing them to accurately bypass objects and hit the intended targets.

"A slingshot enchanted with tracking magic. Interesting. It's likely a prank toy from Zonko's Joke Shop, perfect for playing tricks on people." Albert mumbled to himself, and soon his imagination ran wild. He wondered if this technique could be applied to bows and arrows, turning an archer into a master marksman within minutes. If applied to firearms, could it be possible to decapitate someone from a kilometer away?

Hmm, this slingshot is quite fascinating and worth researching.

Albert cast a cleaning spell to remove the dust from the slingshot's surface, wiped it with a handkerchief, and then put it into his robe pocket.

After wandering around the trash heap for a while, Albert found a worn-out Quidditch chest in a secluded corner. Opening it, he discovered that the Quidditch equipment inside was all in tatters. One of the bats was reduced to just the handle, and who knows what happened to it.

Both Bludgers were also broken, and only the Snitch seemed relatively intact, although it appeared a bit worn.

However, Albert's attention was drawn to the Golden Snitch, which had a rusty surface. He noticed that one of its wings was missing.

Although the other wing of the Golden Snitch was still usable, without one side, it couldn't fly properly anymore.

A damaged Golden Snitch was quite appealing to Albert. The craftsmanship of the Golden Snitch was actually quite impressive, and it was said to possess physical memory abilities to determine who caught it first.

If this physical memory ability could be applied to a treasure vault, wouldn't it be easy to create a secret vault that was exclusive to oneself?

Dumbledore had done something like that.

By the way, why do I feel like a piece of junk in a trash heap?

This atmosphere doesn't suit me!

Ahem, it's not quite appropriate to call this place a trash heap, is it?

No matter what, Voldemort's Horcrux is hidden here. Obviously, the Dark Lord wouldn't hide his Horcrux in a garbage dump.

Indeed, this place should be called a treasure vault, yes, a treasure vault! It holds thousands of years' worth of items from Hogwarts, and he is a person who seeks treasures in this vault.

No one knows what he can find in this treasure vault. It could be worthless junk, an incredibly precious Ravenclaw artifact, or even a deadly Horcrux.

Regardless of what he may find, Albert's exploration and treasure hunting will continue. He takes light steps as he walks towards the maze, continuing to search for a half-statue wearing a crown.

Perhaps those who like to smile are never too unlucky. Perhaps Merlin's beard is blessing him. It's also possible that Voldemort's soul fragment can no longer contain itself.

Albert suddenly stops in his tracks, holding his breath and listening intently. In the distant distance, he hears faint whispers.

At that moment, Albert feels his soul trembling. The whispers in his ears disappear, replaced by his own heavy breathing.

It's close, it's already close. The Horcrux is nearby, luring him in. Yes, Voldemort's Horcrux is tempting him through these whispers.

At this moment, Albert suddenly feels like laughing. He knows that Voldemort's Horcrux is trying to lure him, but isn't he willingly walking into it?

He saves himself the trouble of searching for the Horcrux. But, it's Voldemort's Horcrux, and Albert cannot afford to be careless. He must be extra vigilant, so he takes out his wand from the pocket of his robe and starts looking around, carefully examining the surrounding objects to find the source of the whispers.

Albert moves slowly, cautiously passing through this area. However, the whispers in his ears are getting closer.

There it is, right in front of him, on top of the old cabinet with bubbling surface. Isn't there a dappled wizard half-statue placed there? The statue wears a dusty old wig and... an ancient faded crown.

That is Ravenclaw's diadem... Voldemort's Horcrux. He actually found it.

Albert can no longer hide his excitement on his face.

At this moment, he can be sure that the whispers in his ears are coming from the crown. It is tempting him to pick it up and wear it.

By wearing Ravenclaw's diadem, he can become even wiser.

Albert instinctively reaches out his hand to touch the crown, but then he stops in his tracks, lowering his raised arm. He listens carefully to the whispers in his ears, and suddenly bursts into laughter, laughing so much that tears are about to fall.

"Interesting!" Albert murmurs after he stops laughing. "If it were an ordinary student, they probably wouldn't be able to resist trying on the crown. After all, who would want to miss the experience of increased intelligence brought by Ravenclaw's diadem, especially when tempted by a Horcrux?"

"Come on, let me take a photo of you." Albert takes a few steps back and raises the camera hanging around his neck, capturing a photo of the wizard's half-statue with the ancient faded crown on his head.

Then, Albert takes a few more steps back and takes several consecutive photos of noticeable landmarks around him until he reaches the entrance. He then checks the new task that appears on the panel:

The Sinister Whispers -

You hear whispers that tempt you to fall into darkness. The entity producing the whispers is highly likely to be a wicked dark magical item. Though you don't know what it is, you are aware of its potential danger and are prepared to investigate and find out more.

Reward: 10,000 experience points, randomly acquire an unlearned magic.

"That's fantastic," Albert murmurs as he stares at the task panel. "It's a Horcrux, Voldemort's Horcrux."

As soon as he finishes speaking, the task automatically completes.

Albert doesn't choose to complete the task but continues to check the remaining tasks:

Return of the Relic -

You accidentally found Ravenclaw's lost diadem from centuries ago. As a Hogwarts student, you should return Ravenclaw's diadem to the school.

Reward: 30,000 experience points, 3 skill points, +10 Dumbledore's goodwill, +30 Ms. Grey's (Helena Ravenclaw) goodwill.

The Dark Lord's Secret -

You accidentally discovered Voldemort's secret to immortality. You can choose to keep silent or share this secret with others.

Reward: 1,000 experience points, +20 or -20 goodwill with the target.

Regret of Ms. Grey -

You accidentally found Ravenclaw's lost diadem from centuries ago. However, this relic from the Founders has been tainted by powerful dark magic. Purify the dark magic from the diadem.

Reward: 10,000 experience points, 2 skill points, +30 Ms. Grey's (Helena Ravenclaw) goodwill.

"What good does it do to have goodwill from a ghost?" Albert can't help but comment. "Is Ms. Grey going to grant me a wish if I max out her goodwill?"

Destruction of the Horcrux -

Eliminating the Dark Lord is everyone's responsibility. Since you accidentally discovered Voldemort's weakness, join the noble cause of combating the Dark Wizard by destroying the Horcrux or assisting others in doing so.

Reward: 30,000 experience points, 3 skill points, +10 goodwill with the assisting target.

The Downfall of the Dark Lord -

You accidentally discovered Voldemort's weakness. If he knew about this, he would never let you off the hook. Since he could become an immortal enemy, why not take the initiative to eliminate this century's most evil Dark Wizard?

You can choose to take matters into your own hands or gather more helpers to assist you in eliminating the Dark Lord.

Current Contribution: 0%

Reward: 10,000 to 100,000 experience points, 1 to 10 skill points, Wizarding World reputation +100 to +10,000, a bounty of 100,000 Galleons (requires personally killing Voldemort).

"That's fantastic. It's truly fitting for the final boss, such rich rewards," Albert said as he looked at the task information displayed on the panels. He couldn't help but swallow his saliva, realizing that his previous efforts were not in vain.

As for how to complete these tasks, isn't there still the Chosen One, Harry Potter?

Confront Voldemort directly, attract firepower, and engage in a battle with him.

Harry always did exceptionally well in the novels. The most important thing is that the tasks didn't specify that Albert had to personally take action. It wouldn't be bad to just lie down and complete the tasks.

Albert reached out and lightly patted his cheek, adjusting his facial expression. He pushed open the door of the Room of Requirement and walked out. After looking around to make sure no one was there, he happily strolled through the castle. Along the way, he even smiled and greeted Nearly Headless Nick, leaving the ghost utterly confused.

He took a few more photos in the castle and returned to the common room with a cheerful demeanor. Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were still doing their homework.

"Albert seems to be in a good mood," George said, looking at Albert's disappearing figure at the entrance of the dormitory. Suddenly, he turned to the two beside him and spoke.

"Maybe he stumbled upon something good!" Fred replied without looking up.

"To be honest, this is the first time I've seen him like this," George couldn't suppress his curiosity and got up to tidy up his belongings before chasing after Albert's figure.

"Why don't you go and see? Maybe something really good has happened," Lee Jordan also packed up his things and followed behind George, returning to the dormitory.

Fred raised his head and realized that his two roommates had left. He immediately tidied up the homework on the table and hurried to catch up with them.

The three of them soon found out that Albert had encountered something good. As for what it was, Albert hadn't directly told them.

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(End of this chapter)