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Chapter 95: The "Selfless" Dark Lord
Chapter 95: The "Selfless" Dark Lord
In a corner of the Room of Requirement, Albert stood quietly in deep thought, a familiar sight to those who knew him well, and something he himself acknowledged.
After all, no one could guess the truth—that Albert was actually immersed in his system interface.
Coming back to his senses, Albert quickly averted his gaze from the giant monster specimen. Having finally found some free time to explore this place, he wasn't about to give up now. He intended to continue searching for other interesting items and, more importantly, the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw.
However, based on his hazy memory, he vaguely recalled that the Horcrux should be worn on the head of a half-body plaster statue. Yet, that was the only clue he had, and finding the diadem would require a fair bit of luck.
As he took his first step, Albert's attention was once again drawn to another object. To his right, there was a large mirror with a golden frame, supported by two claw-shaped stands.
Albert quickly made his way towards the mirror, raised his wand, and cast a cleaning charm to remove most of the dust from its surface.
"The Mirror of Erised..." he murmured, looking at the letters on the frame.
Indeed, it was the very same mirror, rumored to show the person standing before it their deepest, most desperate desire.
"What do I desire the most?" Albert wondered, curiously examining his reflection in the mirror. And then, he noticed that his reflection was holding a crown in the shape of an eagle.
That was... the Diadem of Ravenclaw.
"While I do want to find the diadem, is this really my greatest desire?" Albert struggled to hold back his urge to rant. Initially, he had expected to see himself surrounded by beautiful women, or standing atop a mountain of gold coins, or at the very least, stomping on Voldemort with the Elder Wand in hand.
Speaking of which, what did holding the diadem of Ravenclaw represent? A thirst for knowledge? A desire to become smarter? "Is this truly my greatest desire? Or is it simply what I desire at this moment?"
Albert disappointedly shifted his gaze away from the mirror, focusing instead on the top of the mirror frame, where the following letters were inscribed: "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi" (I show not your face but your heart's desire).
The name of the mirror, Mirror of Erised, came from the first word, 'Erised'.
Any reader familiar with the Harry Potter story would know that the line of letters along the top of the mirror frame needed to be read backward.
Albert moved his gaze past the letters and softly read out the phrase: "I show not your face but your heart's desire."
"Desire? Could it be that I truly have no desires? No, I'm no saint; how could I be desireless?" Albert suddenly grinned, "As expected, the mirror can't reflect my desire for system experience and skill points!"
Yes, what he desired the most were system experience and skill points. And wasn't he risking his life to search for Voldemort's Horcruxes for those very same intangible things?
As he thought about this, Albert felt like laughing again. "In a way, the diadem of Ravenclaw reflected in the mirror isn't entirely wrong."
After all, finding the Horcruxes meant gaining a large amount of experience and skill points.
That was what he truly desired! After wandering along the junk passage for a while, Albert felt like he was about to get lost in the mountain of trash when a slingshot with wings flew past him. He immediately took aim and fired a freezing spell, causing it to fall from the air.
"What a strange thing," Albert muttered as he walked over, bent down, and picked up the slingshot. He tugged at it, inspected it, and finally, used his wand to turn a nearby piece of junk into a marble, which he then used to test the slingshot's power. However, he soon discovered that the marbles he shot seemed to be imbued with a tracking spell, allowing them to accurately dodge obstacles and hit their target.
"A magically enhanced slingshot, how interesting. It's probably one of Zonko's joke shop toys, great for pranking people." Albert mumbled to himself, his mind already racing with ideas. He wondered if this technology could be applied to bows and arrows, instantly turning the user into a master archer. Or what if it were used on firearms, would it be possible to take someone's head from a kilometer away? Hmm, this slingshot was quite interesting and worth studying further.
Albert cast a cleaning charm to remove the dust from the slingshot and even took out a handkerchief to wipe it down before putting it into his robe's pocket.
As he continued rummaging through the pile of junk, Albert found an old, tattered Quidditch trunk in a corner. Upon opening it, he discovered that the Quidditch game equipment inside was all broken and damaged. One of the bats had only the handle remaining, and who knows what had happened to the rest of it.
Both Bludgers were also broken, and the lone Snitch, though relatively intact, looked a bit old and worn.
However, Albert's attention was drawn to the Golden Snitch. As he picked it up, he noticed that it was missing one of its wings.
The remaining wing of the Golden Snitch was still functional, but without the other wing, it couldn't fly properly.
This damaged Golden Snitch intrigued Albert. The craftsmanship of the Snitch was actually quite advanced, and it was said to have flesh memory to determine who caught it first.
If this flesh memory ability were applied to a treasure vault, wouldn't it be easy to create a secret treasure vault that only he could access? Dumbledore had indeed done just that.
Come to think of it, he was starting to resemble someone rummaging through trash. This style didn't suit him at all! Ahem, calling this place a trash heap didn't seem quite right.
In any case, Voldemort's Horcrux was hidden here, and it was clear that the Dark Lord wouldn't hide his Horcrux in a pile of garbage.
Indeed, this place should be called a treasure vault. Yes, a treasure vault! A place filled with thousands of years' worth of Hogwarts artifacts, and he was an adventurer exploring this very vault.
No one knew what they would find in this treasure vault. It could be worthless junk, an incredibly precious Ravenclaw heirloom, or a Horcrux that could end one's life.
Regardless of what he would find, Albert's adventure and treasure hunt continued. With light footsteps, he made his way further into the maze, still searching for a bust wearing a crown.
Perhaps those who smiled often were blessed with good luck. Perhaps Merlin's beard was watching over him. Or perhaps, a fragment of Voldemort's soul could no longer restrain itself.
Albert suddenly stopped in his tracks, holding his breath and cocking his head to listen intently. From the distant depths of the room came a faint, indistinct murmur.
In that moment, Albert felt his soul tremble. The murmur in his ear faded, replaced by the sound of his own heavy breathing.
It was close now, very close. The Horcrux was nearby, luring him in. Yes, Voldemort's Horcrux was whispering, enticing him to take the bait.
Albert felt a sudden urge to laugh. He knew the Horcrux was trying to tempt him, but wasn't this also an opportunity that had come knocking on his door?
No longer did he have to go through the trouble of searching for the Horcrux! But this was Voldemort's Horcrux, and Albert dared not let his guard down. After all, there was the example of poor Quirinus Quirrell to consider. Albert had to be extra vigilant. He withdrew his wand from his robe pocket and began to survey his surroundings, carefully inspecting each item to locate the source of the murmur.
Albert proceeded slowly, cautiously making his way through the area. However, the murmur in his ear only grew louder and more distinct.
There it was! Up ahead, on top of an old cabinet with a bubbled surface, stood a witch's bust covered in freckles. The bust wore a dusty old wig, and upon its head sat an ancient, faded crown.
The crown of Rowena Ravenclaw...Voldemort's Horcrux, and Albert had actually found it! Albert could no longer hide the excitement on his face.
He was now certain that the murmur he heard was coming from the crown, luring him to place it upon his head.
By wearing the crown of Rowena Ravenclaw, he would gain enhanced wisdom.
Albert instinctively reached out to touch the crown, but he stopped himself. He paused, his arm still raised, and listened intently to the murmur. Then he burst into a fit of laughter, laughing so hard that tears almost fell from his eyes.
"How intriguing!" Albert murmured after his laughter subsided. "If it were an ordinary student, they probably wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to put on the crown. After all, who would willingly pass up the chance to experience the enhanced intelligence offered by the crown of Rowena Ravenclaw, or even claim it as their own under the Horcrux's influence?"
"Now, let me take a picture." Albert took a few steps back, lifted the camera hanging around his neck, and snapped a photo of the bust and the old, faded crown upon its head.
Then, he took a dozen more steps back, looking for some distinctive landmarks along the way and taking more photos. Only when he reached the entrance did he check his panel for the new task:
Evil Whisper You hear a tempting whisper that lures you towards corruption. The source of this whisper is most likely an evil Dark artifact. Although you don't know what it is, you are aware of its potential danger and are prepared to find out what it is.
Reward: 10,000 experience points, randomly acquire an unmastered magic.
"Awesome," Albert whispered, staring at the task panel. "That's the Horcrux, Voldemort's Horcrux."
As he finished speaking, the task was automatically completed.
Albert did not choose to complete the task but instead checked the remaining tasks:
Return the Lost Item You have accidentally found the lost crown of Rowena Ravenclaw from a thousand years ago. As a student of Hogwarts, you should return the crown to the school.
Reward: 30,000 experience points, 3 skill points, Dumbledore's favorability +10, Lady Grey (Helena Ravenclaw)'s favorability +30.
Secret of the Dark Lord You have accidentally discovered Voldemort's secret of immortality. You can choose to remain silent or share this secret with others.
Reward: 1,000 experience points, target's favorability +20 or -20.
Lady Grey's Regret You have accidentally found the lost crown of Rowena Ravenclaw from a thousand years ago, but this artifact of the Four Founders has been corrupted by powerful Dark magic. Purify the crown of Dark magic.
Reward: 10,000 experience points, 2 skill points, Lady Grey (Helena Ravenclaw)'s favorability +30.
"What's the point of having Lady Grey's favorability?" Albert couldn't help but quip. "Will she grant me a wish if I collect enough favorability points?"
Destroy the Horcrux It is everyone's duty to eliminate the Dark Lord. Now that you have accidentally discovered Voldemort's weakness, join the noble cause of fighting against the Dark wizard. Destroy the Horcrux, or assist others in doing so.
Reward: 30,000 experience points, 3 skill points, assisting target's favorability +10.
Overthrow the Dark Lord You have accidentally discovered Voldemort's weakness. If he finds out, he will surely not let you go. Since he could become an immortal enemy, why not take the initiative and eradicate this century's most evil Dark wizard? You can choose to act alone or gather more helpers to assist you in destroying this Dark Lord.
Current contribution: 0% Reward: 10,000–100,000 experience points, 1–10 skill points, Wizarding World reputation +100–10,000, bounty of 100,000 galleons (must personally kill Voldemort.)
"Awesome, it truly is worthy of being the final boss, with such abundant rewards." Albert gazed at the task information on the panel, unable to hold back his saliva. His previous efforts had really paid off.
As for how to complete these tasks, wasn't there the savior, Potter, that blockhead?
Direct confrontation, drawing fire, and fighting against Voldemort.
Harry in the novel had always done exceptionally well in this regard. Most importantly, the task didn't specify that Albert had to take action himself. Lying low and letting others do the work wasn't a bad idea.
Albert gently patted his cheek, composed his expression, and pushed open the door to exit the Room of Requirement. After confirming that no one was around, he strolled happily through the castle, even greeting Peeves the Poltergeist along the way and leaving the mischievous spirit bewildered.
Taking a few more photos in the castle, Albert returned to the common room, where Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were still working on their homework.
"Albert seems to be in a good mood," George remarked, watching Albert's retreating back as he disappeared into the dormitory entrance.
"Must've happened upon something good!" Fred said without looking up.
"To be honest, this is the first time I've seen him like this," George said, unable to contain his curiosity. He got up to tidy his things and followed after Albert.
"You should go and see, too. Maybe something really good happened," Lee Jordan said as he also packed up and headed back to the dormitory.
Fred raised his head, seeing that his two roommates had left, and quickly gathered his homework before hurrying to catch up with them.
Soon, all three of them knew that Albert had come across something good. As for what exactly it was, Albert didn't directly tell them.
(End of Chapter)
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