Chapter 154: Ravenclaw's Fortune
Chapter 154: Ravenclaw's Fortune
P.S. Hearty celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the founding of our motherland. Happy holidays to everyone.
"Come in, the door is unlocked," Professor Broad's voice called out from within his office.
Albert's hand, poised to knock, froze in mid-air. Isabelle, standing beside him, glanced at him and pushed open the wooden door, stepping into the office.
"You're resigning?" Albert asked as he entered. The familiar Defense Against the Dark Arts office had been stripped bare. The large bookshelves that once lined the walls were gone, and the expensive wool rugs and silk curtains had also vanished. The usually cluttered desk was empty except for a leather briefcase.
"Yes, I'm leaving today," Professor Broad said, gesturing to the sofa for them to sit. "I handed in my resignation to Dumbledore. After our encounter with the Acromantula in the Forbidden Forest, I felt the threat of the curse drawing nearer. I'd rather not be injured or lose my life to that damned thing."
Albert understood Professor Broad's decision to resign early. With the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor being jinxed, stepping down before any harm befell him was the wisest choice.
"Resigning is a good idea," Albert agreed. "Leaving before the curse catches up is a wise decision."
"Shut up, Anderson," Katrina snapped at Albert.
"Now, now, I actually share Mr. Anderson's sentiment," Professor Broad said, raising a hand to soothe Katrina. "The jinx on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position has always been there. I didn't come here to get injured or die from some curse."
Katrina was left dumbfounded. She couldn't believe her Uncle Broad would say such a thing.
"...But what will happen to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes if you resign?" she asked, her concern for her favorite subject evident.
"I've already taught you everything I can during my time here," Professor Broad explained. "The rest of the term will be for revision and preparing for the final exams. Dumbledore will arrange for a substitute teacher until the end of the term."
"I hope it won't be Snape," Albert frowned. While he acknowledged Snape's expertise in the Dark Arts, he couldn't deny his dislike for the man.
"It will be Professor Snape," Professor Broad corrected.
"Alright, Professor Snape, then," Albert said, before remembering another matter. "What about the third part of Mr. McDougal's 'Advanced Research in Ancient Runes'? Is it ready?"
"Oh, that," Professor Broad waved his hand dismissively, as if discussing what to have for lunch. "It's been postponed."
"Postponed?" Albert was taken aback, not expecting such an answer.
"Yes, postponed," Professor Broad confirmed, looking directly at Albert. "Mog seems to have hit a roadblock with the final part. He's decided to delay the release of the third part."
As he spoke, Professor Broad retrieved the briefcase and took out a file bag, which he handed to Albert. "You're an expert in Ancient Runes as well. Mog thought you might be interested in this. Take a look, and if you have any insights, feel free to write to him."
"Alright," Albert nodded, understanding that Professor Broad wanted to speak privately with the McDougal sisters. He got up to leave, taking the file with him.
Isabelle stood up and followed him to the door.
"You don't have to see me out," Albert teased.
The next second, the wooden door shut with a loud bang.
"That guy really has no sense of humor," Albert shook his head as he turned away from the closed door. He headed off to the library to finish the last of his holiday assignments before delving into the contents of the file Professor Broad had given him.
"Finally, he's gone," Katrina muttered.
However, it seemed that Mog thought highly of him.
The thought left Isabelle feeling a little glum. Being overshadowed in every way by someone was not a pleasant feeling.
"You picked the wrong target from the start," Isabelle said as she sat back down on the sofa and ruffled Katrina's hair. "He's a true genius, destined to leave school with countless accolades. Competing with him is just asking for trouble."
Katrina pouted, a little unhappy with the vast gap between them.
"Albert is indeed remarkable," Professor Broad smiled. "He's one of the most talented witches and wizards I've ever met."
"Yes, but he has a strange sense of humor," Isabelle shook her head as she recalled some of Albert's antics.
"Students of Ravenclaw are often eccentric," Professor Broad said. "And geniuses rarely march to the beat of the same drum as ordinary people."
Isabelle's face twitched. She didn't think Albert's sense of humor had anything to do with his status as a genius.
"Uncle Broad, Albert Anderson is in Gryffindor, not Ravenclaw," Katrina pointed out.
"Of course, I know that," Professor Broad said.
"What did you call us here for?" Isabelle steered the conversation back on track.
"This is your father's item that he left in my care," Professor Broad said, taking out a finely crafted wooden box from his briefcase. The box was adorned with intricate patterns.
Katrina tried to open it but found it locked. "It won't open."
"It's magically sealed," Professor Broad explained. "It can't be opened by normal means."
He drew out his wand and tapped the box, murmuring a series of strange incantations. "Now, place your hands on the box, and it should open."
Katrina and Isabelle placed their hands on the box and heard a soft click. The box opened on its own, revealing its contents—a letter and a key.
"Is this Father's legacy?" Katrina asked, picking up the key and examining it curiously. She remembered how her father had died in a magical experiment when they were very young.
Isabelle picked up the letter and tore it open, scanning its contents.
The letter was simple, explaining the key and the legacy he had left for his daughters.
It was a key to Gringotts, but instead of leading to gold galleons, it unlocked archives and records from that fateful magical experiment.
"Why would Father leave us these?" Isabelle looked at Professor Broad, confused. "Did he want us to continue his research?"
"No," Professor Broad explained the origin of the key. "After your father's death, Mog sorted through his belongings and believed that these were meant to be your inheritance. So, he sealed away the research materials from that experiment."
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Uncle Broad, but we don't want those things," Isabelle declined firmly.
After all, that experiment had taken their father from them, and Isabelle instinctively rejected anything to do with it. But she also understood Mog's intentions.
With Isabelle's talent, she could potentially continue the research and complete that experiment one day, which was why Professor Broad had given them the key.
"I understand." Professor Broad nodded. "If you don't want it, then I'll take care of it myself."
"Isabelle!" Katrina frowned, clearly unhappy that her sister had rejected the offer without consulting her.
Isabelle paid little heed to her sister's displeasure and asked, "Who do you plan on giving it to? Anderson?"
"Anderson would be a good choice," Professor Broad mused. "Rowena would be suitable as well."
"Rowena Smith?" Isabelle furrowed her brows slightly. This was a wizard of some renown, a friend and former colleague of their father's.
"Can't you at least consider my opinion?" Katrina protested.
"Your opinion?" Isabelle turned to her sister. "I don't want you to make a decision out of spite."
"I'm not a child, I wouldn't do that." Katrina pouted, feeling a bit miffed. "Since it was left by our father, I think we should keep it instead of giving it away. Maybe... maybe I can continue Father's magical research someday."
An eerie silence fell upon the office.
"Alright!" Isabelle bowed slightly to Professor Broad. "We'll take it, thank you, Uncle Broad."
"You're welcome," Professor Broad replied.
...
Just as Albert was about to step into the library, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around, leaving the others bewildered by his abrupt change of direction.
Albert had been flipping through his notebook and happened to come across the page about the Ravenclaw fortune, so he decided to try his luck at the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor.
He made his way straight to the eighth-floor corridor, taking a moment along the way to cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself to avoid being noticed as he loitered near the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy teaching trolls to do ballet.
When he reached the entrance to the Room of Requirement, Albert closed his eyes and focused his thoughts: Enter Ravenclaw's secret treasure... Ravenclaw's secret treasure... Ravenclaw's secret treasure.
After walking past the spot three times with his eyes closed, Albert opened them and looked toward the entrance of the Room of Requirement, only to see a plain white wall.
"Failed?" Albert muttered to himself, his eyes fixed on the wall. "Maybe my phrasing was wrong... or perhaps that room isn't called Ravenclaw's secret treasure."
Albert took out his pen and jotted down his attempt in his notebook, then closed his eyes once more and concentrated on his next attempt.
I need Ravenclaw's secret chamber... I need Ravenclaw's secret chamber... I need to enter Ravenclaw's secret chamber.
After walking past three times, Albert opened his eyes again.
The door had appeared! "Success!"
Albert felt his heart skip a beat as he glanced around to ensure no one was watching. He quickly pushed open the door and stepped into the Room of Requirement.
Indeed, it was a secret chamber, with no windows and a narrow space.
Before Albert was a wooden table, an armchair, and... a vertical banner bearing the image of the Ravenclaw eagle hanging on the wall in front of him.
Other than that, the room was empty... eerily so.
Albert walked up to the banner and lifted it, scrutinizing the solid wall behind it. "Well, it is the 'Ravenclaw's secret chamber,' I'll give you that," he muttered.
"If it's not the secret chamber, then..."
Albert left the Room of Requirement, his eyes glued to the gradually disappearing door. Once it was out of sight, he furrowed his brows and quickened his pace.
I need Ravenclaw's treasure vault... Ravenclaw's treasure vault... Ravenclaw's treasure vault.
Albert opened his eyes, and the door appeared once more.
As he stepped into what was supposedly Ravenclaw's treasure vault, he found it somewhat similar to the vault he had entered before. It contained items that had been stashed away by past Ravenclaw students—old books, newspapers, boots, broken brooms, and worn-out robes...
A treasure vault? Are you sure this isn't just a dumping ground? Or does the Room of Requirement have a different interpretation of a 'treasure vault'?
Albert's lips twitched. He was quite certain that this attempt had failed as well, so he didn't bother searching and promptly left the so-called Ravenclaw treasure vault.
After three failed attempts, Albert felt a bit disheartened and began to doubt the existence of Ravenclaw's secret treasure within the Room of Requirement.
If the secret treasure really was in the Room of Requirement, why hadn't a related task appeared on the panel? Just as Albert was about to give up, a new task suddenly popped up on his task panel.
Seek Ravenclaw's Treasury of Knowledge.
Your keen perception has led you to the location of Ravenclaw's legacy. Why not try to enter Ravenclaw's Treasury of Knowledge?
Reward: Unknown.
Another unknown reward.
But was Ravenclaw's treasure really called the Treasury of Knowledge?
That name seemed rather fitting.
However, to Albert's surprise, he failed to enter even with this new information.
Albert was perplexed. Could the task prompt be misleading?
He continued with more attempts, trying phrases like Ravenclaw's room and Ravenclaw's private library.
Hmm, he did manage to enter a private library—a round room with only a round table, an armchair, and bookshelves covering the curved walls. Sunlight streamed through a skylight in the ceiling, but... the task remained incomplete.
So, this wasn't the so-called Treasury of Knowledge either.
If even a library didn't qualify as a treasury of knowledge, what would? Albert found himself in a quandary. He sat in the armchair, resting his foot on the table as he pondered how to access the Treasury of Knowledge.
"Could my assumption have been wrong from the start?" Albert sighed softly. Since the task panel had been triggered, it meant that Ravenclaw's Treasury of Knowledge was indeed within the Room of Requirement.
Perhaps he should find a Ravenclaw student and ask about any legends or stories related to Ravenclaw.
As Albert prepared to leave the Room of Requirement, his eyes fell upon an old wooden board with a bronze eagle-shaped door knocker, next to which was inscribed Ravenclaw's maxim: "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."
Could it be that only Ravenclaw students could find the so-called Treasury of Knowledge?
Albert suddenly recalled something about the bronze eagle-shaped door knocker:
When you knock, the eagle will ask you a question.
If you answer correctly, you shall be allowed to enter.
For a thousand years, none but Ravenclaws have passed through this simple barrier.
Albert approached the bronze eagle-shaped door knocker and lifted his hand to give two light knocks on the wooden board.
To his surprise, the eagle-shaped door knocker came to life and asked him a question. (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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