Chapter 70: The Box and the Crown
Chapter 70: The Box and the Crown
"Tell me your understanding of the Untraceable Extension Charm." Professor Moriar continued, smiling.
"Yes," Wade replied seriously, "The Untraceable Extension Charm is a type of spatial spell that, I presume, can simultaneously achieve spatial extension and spatial folding. This charm can be applied to any material—metal, dirt, cloth, or wood—as long as it is enclosed and finite. Theoretically, the Untraceable Extension Charm can expand space from finite to infinite, but in practice, it is influenced by various factors, the most direct being the material used, the wizard's magical power, and their understanding of the charm—”
Professor Moriar nodded slightly.
Most of what Wade said could be found in books, but integrating this knowledge was no easy task. Moreover, it also incorporated Muggle theories and his own thoughts; it could be developed into an excellent thesis.
It was evident that he had done extensive preparation, and this diligent and meticulous attitude was what Professor Moriar appreciated the most.
“—In conclusion, the Untraceable Extension Charm is extremely difficult to use and can be easily abused. Therefore, it is strictly controlled by the Ministry of Magic—”
Wade paused here, glancing at Professor Moriar before continuing with a smile, “All magical governments have regulations stating that the Untraceable Extension Charm must not be used for personal purposes. It can only be used for the production of individual items approved by the relevant departments of the Ministry. Additionally, a wizard must not possess items created using the Untraceable Extension Charm without authorization from the Ministry.”
Professor Moriar couldn’t help but chuckle, “Yes, we are now discussing how to break the laws of the Ministry of Magic. But Wade, a true alchemist should have a piece of luggage created with the Untraceable Extension Charm. Of course, to avoid trouble with the Ministry, we also need to learn some concealment methods—”
He waved his hand and summoned a book from the shelf, handing it to Wade.
“This book contains a clever trick that will teach you how to make your box appear ordinary most of the time and transform into something else when you need it. It’s very challenging, child. Both the Untraceable Extension Charm and this concealment charm are difficult—I look forward to your performance and—yes—feel free to ask me any questions.”
Wade flipped through the book, carefully put it away, and then took out a piece of parchment.
“Actually, I do have quite a few questions for you.”
On the parchment were rows of questions, each requiring more than a simple answer.
“Oh, you’re very eager to learn, aren’t you?”
Professor Moriar muttered, putting on his glasses and beginning to answer each question one by one. Wade immediately took out a quill and parchment and started taking notes. By the time the Q&A session ended, it had far exceeded the scheduled tutoring time.
“Professor,” Wade said as he was leaving, “I actually have one more small matter.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
Professor Moriar was already a bit tired, but he remained patient.
“I made a box in my spare time these past few days, and I’d like to ask you to check it for any loopholes.”
Wade took out a rectangular oak box from the bottom of his bag. It looked ordinary and didn’t even have obvious magical traces.
Professor Moriar recited a detection spell and carefully examined the box.
“Hmm… Can it block the aura of magical items? No… I should say it isolates them… There’s also an Anti-Theft Charm, an Anti-Alohomora Charm, a Curse-Breaking Charm, and a Dark Magic Repelling Charm—”
He looked at Wade in surprise, “Are you planning to store some powerful Dark artifacts?”
Wade couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed as he smiled and said, "Actually, I wanted to borrow some books from the Restricted Section, but I heard that some of those books are imbued with powerful Dark Magic, and just getting close to them could be dangerous..."
Professor Moriar burst out laughing. "Oh, Wade, my boy, you are being overly cautious!"
After laughing for a while, seeing Wade becoming even more flustered, he wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes and said, "Rest assured, when students borrow books from the Restricted Section, Madam Pince takes measures to ensure they won't be adversely affected."
Wade's face turned slightly red, and he asked in a somewhat dejected tone, "So... was all this preparation for my box unnecessary?"
"Oh, not at all," Professor Moriar consoled him. "It's always good to be cautious. Your box is perfectly made; it can completely isolate most Dark artifacts and prevent any negative influence on its surroundings. At the very least, you can use it to store those dangerous books while you sleep at night."
Wade still didn't seem entirely reassured, and he pressed further. "Then what about the small portion of Dark artifacts that can't be completely isolated?"
"That depends on their size, child," Professor Moriar replied, still with a hint of amusement in his voice. "If an artifact is too large to be fully enclosed by your box, its magical power will leak out. But if your box can completely seal it from start to finish, you don't have anything to worry about."
...
Late into the night, a figure wandered back and forth on the eighth floor of the castle.
"I need a place to hide things... a place to hide things..."
The familiar door appeared once more, and Wade wasted no time in pulling it open and stepping inside. He illuminated his surroundings with his wand.
In the room that resembled a city, the piled-up furniture cast strange and distorted shadows. Wade searched along the central pathway, section by section, until he finally spotted his target next to a cabinet with a bubbling surface.
The old and rusty crown, placed atop a pile of miscellaneous objects, looked no different from the other junk in the room, perhaps even more dilapidated. The dull gems on it resembled uncut stones.
Above the crown were the words "Tom Riddle."
If not for those words, Wade would have had a hard time identifying his target amidst this mountain of trash. He vaguely remembered that the crown had been kept inside a box, looking rather ornate, unlike this dusty, drab version.
Nevertheless, memories from over a decade ago were unreliable, but his eyes hadn't deceived him.
Wade placed the box he had brought on the ground, picked up a pair of old tongs from the nearby pile of junk, and, stretching his arm out, carefully picked up the crown and dropped it into the oak box. He closed the lid, sealed it with complex incantations, and only then did he relax.
With the crown in his possession, Wade knew he couldn't freely experiment with the Room of Requirement's capabilities as he pleased. He feared that he might accidentally be influenced by the Horcrux. Moreover, he was also concerned that someone might discover this place due to his frequent visits, just as Ginny Weasley had been enticed by the diary. By isolating the Horcrux completely, he had avoided potential future troubles, and Wade couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
There was just so much about this Room of Requirement that he wanted to explore and understand!
As he was about to leave, Wade unconsciously pressed his palm against his bag, and a voice suddenly spoke up. "It's best not to take anything from the Room of Requirement with you, child."
(End of Chapter)
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