Chapter 581: Experiment Diary
Chapter 581: Experiment Diary
It had been a week since Colin Creevey was attacked, and people were finally starting to remember the incident, especially the Muggle-born wizards. They were all extremely cautious, fearing that they might be the next Colin Creevey.
Of course, there were always exceptions.
Albert had been busy lately and was now preparing for his first encounter with Tom Riddle's diary. After learning from Quirinus Quirrell's mistake, Albert did not dare to underestimate the power of Lord Voldemort, even if it was just a younger version of him in the diary.
Quirinus had completely underestimated Voldemort, thinking he could control him, which led to his unfortunate end.
Albert did not take this matter lightly, not even for a second. After ensuring he had taken all the necessary precautions, Albert retrieved the box containing Tom Riddle's diary from the Room of Requirement to study it further.
At this moment, Albert was preparing himself for the experiment, making sure not to reveal his true identity to Riddle, unsure if the diary could sense the outside world beyond its confines. After all, in the novel, Riddle had managed to escape from the diary.
Albert took out the Lockheart's hair that he had collected earlier and dropped it into a small cup containing a thick, syrupy compound potion. As soon as the hair came into contact with the potion, it started to sizzle and bubble.
A few seconds later, the potion turned a deep golden color, matching the shade of Lockheart's hair.
"I just wish this concoction tasted better," Albert muttered to himself. Despite his low expectations, he downed the entire cup of compound potion in one go.
The taste of the compound potion was indescribable, reminiscent of overcooked cabbage, causing Albert to feel nauseous.
"Damn!"
Albert coughed dryly, feeling the effects of the compound potion taking hold.
[After consuming the compound potion, a terrible burning sensation spread rapidly from my stomach to every part of my body, reaching my fingers and toes.
I can feel my internal organs churning. If not for the potion, I would have suspected that I was suffering from some serious illness, on the brink of sudden death.
Warning: Individuals with severe illnesses should refrain from using the compound potion to avoid complications during consumption.]
Albert's mental fortitude held strong, and even under the influence of the potion, he managed to maintain his focus and continue recording his experiences with the feather quill onto the diary.
Standing in front of a full-length mirror, Albert looked at his reflection. Due to the effects of the potion, he was breathing heavily, his facial features contorting and transforming like melting wax, giving him an eerie and unsettling appearance.
[It was a terrifying feeling, as if my entire body was melting like hot wax.]
He watched as his hands began to enlarge, his fingers thickening, and his entire body expanding due to the potion's effects.
Fortunately, Albert had prepared beforehand and changed into a new robe, preventing his clothes from ripping as his body underwent the transformation.
The deformation only lasted for a few seconds; it came suddenly and left just as quickly.
In front of the mirror stood not Albert, but a disheveled-looking Lockheart, breathing heavily.
Everything came to a halt.
"I can't believe Barty Crouch Jr. managed to take this compound for almost half a year," Albert exhaled, still getting used to his new body.
"As expected, the endurance of wizards is downright abnormal," he muttered to himself. After a quick adjustment of his clothes, he reviewed the records he had made while consuming the compound potion, adding in some of his personal experiences.
Only after he had finished writing did Albert approach the box containing the diary. It was a dragon leather box, capable of blocking magic to a certain extent.
Inside the dragon leather box was another wooden box made from a guardian tree. Albert had cast strong protective magic on it, effectively blocking dark magic and preventing even a Sneakoscope from detecting any traces of it.
As for whether these protections could effectively block the intrusion of a Horcrux, Albert wasn't entirely sure. Nonetheless, he had no intention of carrying a Horcrux around with him, regardless of the safeguards in place.
The third layer of protection was a metal box crafted by Nicolas Flamel. After opening the box, Albert used magic to control a pair of gloves and carefully removed the diary.
Albert had no intention of directly touching the Horcrux with his bare hands. Even with dragon-hide gloves, he didn't want to take the risk of coming into contact with it and falling under its influence.
Though this precaution should prevent him from being controlled by the Horcrux, Albert still didn't want to take any chances.
After placing Tom Riddle's diary on the table, Albert took out various Dark Magic detectors that he had purchased from the house-elves.
First was the Sneakoscope, a Dark Magic detector that resembled a glass top, which failed to light up or spin when placed next to the diary, indicating that there were no suspicious individuals nearby.
[The Sneakoscope shows no reaction to the Horcrux]
, the quill wrote in the diary.
[As expected, Tom Riddle's Horcrux cannot be considered a person, which is why the Sneakoscope didn't react, thus proving why the Human-presence-jinx didn't affect Tom]
, it added.
Next, Albert took a thin, golden-rod-like probe and poked it at Tom's diary. Without even making contact, the Probity Probe displayed a certain degree of attraction, and its tip emitted a faint glow.
[The Probity Probe reacts, confirming that magic has indeed been cast on the diary]
, the quill wrote.
Then came the Secrecy Sensor. Unlike the Probity Probe, which was used to detect hidden jinxes and covertly enchanted objects, the Secrecy Sensor was a supplementary tool used by the Ministry of Magic to detect Dark Magic artifacts. Should the Secrecy Sensor touch a Dark object, it would immediately emit a buzzing alarm.
[The Secrecy Sensor reacts, confirming that the diary is indeed a Dark Magic artifact]
, the quill wrote.
[Conventional tests have been performed on Tom Riddle's diary, but it is still unknown if Tom Riddle within the diary can perceive the outside world]
, it added.
In the novel, Riddle eventually became powerful enough to manifest outside of the diary, even using a wand as if he were a physical entity. Albert didn't know what state the Riddle within the diary was currently in, but he had to be cautious.
Next, Albert began dripping ink onto the diary. The ink shone brilliantly for a second before it was absorbed by the paper and vanished without a trace.
Albert didn't rush to write on the diary with the quill; instead, he continued to drip onto the same page, but this time with plain water.
However, instead of being absorbed, the water droplets caused the diary to become damp.
[Tom Riddle's diary has been dampened by water. Does this mean it can be ignited by flame?]
, the quill wrote.
Albert then tried to tear a page out of the diary while wearing the gloves, but to no avail. Even when he attempted to use the Cutting Curse, the diary remained untouched.
As he had expected, the Horcrux was protected by powerful magic and couldn't be easily destroyed.
But... why was the diary affected by water?
That didn't make sense.
[Can I soak the diary and tear out the pages after they become soggy?]
, Albert thought, recording the idea for future testing.
For now, he left a single page of the diary exposed, resembling a prisoner awaiting execution.
"Incendio," Albert said, raising his wand to try and burn the exposed page. Brilliant flames leapt forth, but they quickly died down, leaving the diary unharmed.
He then tried again with ordinary flames, but still failed to cause any damage.
[Fire cannot harm the Horcrux. (Consider using Fiendfyre)]
, the quill wrote.
After these simple tests, there was still no sign of Tom Riddle appearing.
[Perhaps I can try threatening to throw the diary into a cesspool to force him out]
, Albert thought, writing it down in his experimental diary. However, he soon crossed that idea out, [Never mind, I plan to communicate with Tom soon, and it won't do to have the diary stinking of sewage]
.
"Hello, Tom," the quill wrote, as per Albert's will.
The words flashed on the paper for a moment before they, too, were absorbed, leaving no trace.
However, the diary didn't show any other reaction.
"Oh ho! Is he already suspicious of me?" Albert narrowed his eyes. "This won't do."
(End of Chapter)
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