Chapter 227: The Informant
Chapter 227: The Informant
Putting himself in another's shoes, Albert reasoned that if he were the designer of the Ravenclaw treasure trove, he would want as many students as possible to benefit from it. Thus, he surmised that nothing easily removable would be left within.
There was no guarantee that only students of high moral character would discover this place. Therefore, the real treasure must still lie within that hidden room.
But where?
Albert guessed that it must be hidden somewhere.
Ravenclaw selected intelligent students through a screening process, with the Eagle Ring serving as the first hurdle, and only those who solved the riddle could enter. So, why not have a second or even a third hurdle?
There should be a secret door or something similar in the hidden room, but what would be the key to unlocking it?
As he ate, Albert tapped his fork lightly on the plate, deep in thought, carefully considering any clues he might have overlooked.
There were only two things in the hidden room: the eternal flame, the Goblet of Eternal Fire, and the ancient runes.
If the eternal flame was for illumination, then the answer must lie with the ancient runes.
Professors Broad and Smith must have had similar suspicions, which was why they had asked him to translate those runes.
However, ancient runes were used by wizards of old.
Was there something he had overlooked? Albert felt that he was on the cusp of a breakthrough.
What was so special about ancient runes? Ah, Runic was a magical script imbued with power.
And then there was that phrase about exceptional intelligence being humanity's greatest wealth; perhaps this was the key to opening the secret door.
However, attaining such a level would not be easy. Albert speculated that only when his Runic skill reached Level 3 would he be able to begin to comprehend that level of complexity.
If that were the case...
Just as Albert was about to open his skill panel, a voice suddenly sounded in his ear, belonging to his house-elf, Kara, who was looking at him anxiously.
"Yes, Kara, what is it?" Albert asked, looking up.
"Master, is there something wrong with the food I prepared?" Kara asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
"No, it's delicious. I was just lost in thought," Albert said, his gaze falling on the mostly untouched food on his plate. It was no wonder that the house-elf was concerned.
Speaking thus, he quickly finished off most of the food.
Hearing Albert's response, Kara breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at him.
However, the interruption by the house-elf made Albert decide against checking his skills in a hurry. Instead, he quickly finished his meal and got up to leave the kitchen.
The castle was still deserted as the Quidditch match was not over yet.
It was already half-past three in the afternoon.
Albert pocketed his watch and walked towards the nearby window, gazing out at the castle grounds beyond the glass. The heavy rain had stopped.
"Should I go?"
After a moment's hesitation, he decided to head towards the Quidditch stadium alone.
Due to the rain, the grounds were muddy, and as he approached the stadium, Albert could feel the lively atmosphere engulf him. He pushed open the door and quietly made his way up the stairs, his eyes fixed on the intertwining shadows above.
Soon, Lee Jordan's distant voice reached his ears, "Gryffindor scores! The current score is 140 to 180, with Ravenclaw still in the lead."
The match had turned into a close contest.
However, the score difference was not significant, and if Charlie could catch the Golden Snitch, Gryffindor would win.
"I thought you wouldn't come to watch the match."
Albert turned towards the source of the voice and saw Isabel walking towards him, a pair of binoculars in her hand.
"Hmm."
Albert acknowledged her with a sound, his gaze returning to the action above.
"It seems you've discovered the secret as well," Isabel said, not taking offense at Albert's attitude. Instead, she spoke in a cryptic manner.
Albert turned sharply towards Isabel, his eyes narrowing.
"You used Legilimency on me? No, that's not it..." Albert didn't believe Isabel could break through his Occlumency, and even if she had tried to extract information from him, he would have surely noticed.
So, this meant... She knew about that matter?
"What secret?" Albert pretended to be clueless.
Isabel glanced at Albert but didn't pursue the topic further.
"Are you referring to the Room of Requirement?" Albert decided to keep the conversation going, as silence would hinder his chances of obtaining more intelligence.
"Mmm." Isabel gave an almost imperceptible nod.
"I didn't find what I was looking for," Albert frowned, feeling that Isabel could provide him with some valuable information.
"I haven't been there either. I only found related records in the literature," Isabel said.
"You're telling me you didn't go in?" Albert asked, his eyebrows knitting together.
"My proficiency in ancient runes isn't as good as yours," Isabel glanced at him and said nonchalantly, "Interpreting those ancient runes would be challenging for me."
"Perhaps Ravenclaw never anticipated that Runic would one day become a thing of the past," Albert mused aloud, feeling that the treasure trove of knowledge was meant for students. After all, only students and professors were likely to discover its secrets within Hogwarts.
"It seems you didn't gain much either," Isabel said, her voice carrying a hint of disappointment that she couldn't quite hide.
"How did you come to know about that secret?" Albert asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"And you?"
Once again, silence fell between them.
The eerie atmosphere was finally broken by a roar from the crowd below. The two Seekers were engaged in a fierce struggle for the Golden Snitch, and everyone in the stadium was on their feet, their eyes glued to the action. Whoever caught the Snitch would bring victory to their team.
However, as if by some unseen force, the match continued without a conclusion. Just as the two Seekers were about to collide, the Snitch slipped away from their grasp.
The crowd, who had been ready to erupt in celebration, could only express their dissatisfaction with a chorus of boos.
"Are Professors Broad and Smith here for that?" Albert felt that Isabel should know something, given her close relationship with the two professors.
"You don't know?" Isabel lowered her binoculars and looked at Albert, a hint of strangeness in her tone.
"Know what?"
"Never mind." Isabel seemed disinclined to answer Albert's question.
Albert looked deeply into Isabel's eyes, feeling that there was more to her than met the eye.
What had he missed?
"Are you referring to the invitation to join a certain loose organization or group?" Albert recalled the invitation he had received last Easter and the 'circle' that Dagworth had mentioned.
"You'll find out later," Isabel didn't directly answer, or perhaps she didn't intend to answer at all. She turned and walked away.
"Did I guess right? At least partially," Albert muttered as he watched Isabel's retreating back, "She's truly a woman full of secrets."
(End of Chapter)
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