The storm outside the school could not reach inside after all. After the attack incidents came to an end, the students of Hogwarts threw themselves back into their daily lives.
During Herbology class, Ernie, who had recovered from his petrification, formally apologized to Harry, who generously forgave him. Ron, on the other hand, couldn't resist teasing Ernie for a while, calling him "the Dark Lord's number one lackey," and the two almost came to blows again.
Aiden also began to re-immerse himself in Hogwarts' school life.
One day, Aiden emerged from the Room of Requirement, holding a delicate diadem in his hand. The dark magic clinging to it seemed to attempt to erode his palm, but the dragon scales on his hand firmly isolated the strange magic. After carefully packing the diadem in a protective box, Aiden headed to the Headmaster's office.
Passing through Dumbledore's beloved spiral staircase, Aiden entered the office. Dumbledore, seated at his desk, paused his work the moment he saw Aiden's arrival.
"What's wrong, Aiden?" Dumbledore asked.
"I have something to show you," Aiden said, clearing his throat. He opened the box, revealing the diadem inside.
"This is...?" The old headmaster immediately recognized the object in Aiden's hand. "Lady Rowena's relic!"
"Yes," Aiden confirmed, frowning. "But unfortunately, it has been tainted by a rather foolish fellow."
"Tom, is it?" A flicker of understanding passed through Dumbledore's eyes. "Then, you must have come to me for a particular reason, I presume?"
"Professor, I would like to invite you to join an experiment," Aiden said, looking at Dumbledore seriously. "I want to try to destroy this Horcrux without damaging the object itself."
"Is it for that child?" Dumbledore's eyes held a hint of anticipation.
"Hmph, it's for the founder's relic," Aiden scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I've read the academy's records. Lady Rowena's relic's true function is to accelerate thinking. Some people mistakenly believed this meant it bestowed wisdom." He tossed the diadem in his hand, and the gem, which was set in its center, visibly darkened further.
"Yes, the legacy of our predecessors, their wisdom, is always worthy of study," Dumbledore said, looking elsewhere, lost in thought.
"That's not the most important thing," Aiden continued. "Lady Rowena's real achievement was that the diadem's thought acceleration had no side effects whatsoever."
"Alright," Dumbledore said. "Where do you plan to conduct this research, and are you planning to have others join?"
"There's already one," Aiden replied. "Do you have any candidates in mind?"
"There is one," Dumbledore mused. "I believe he will do his best."
The two looked at each other, sharing the subtle smiles of shrewd capitalists.
That afternoon, in front of the Room of Requirement, Oliver and Snape stood in awkward silence. To ease the tension, Oliver decided to greet Snape first. "Good afternoon, Professor Snape."
"Hmph," Snape grunted. "If someone hadn't played a prank on us, it would be that headmaster whose brain is covered in sugar and your roommate, whose horns are growing on his head, who would be pulling the strings behind this."
Just then, a wooden door appeared behind the two of them. It opened to reveal a dark interior, and a delicate face peered out.
"You're here!" Aiden exclaimed, enthusiastically gesturing for them to come in, as if an old farmer inviting guests to share some melons.
"Hmph." Snape, ever bold and skilled, took the lead and walked in, with Oliver following closely behind.
Stepping inside the room, they found a huge alchemy matrix at its center, with several crystals floating in the air. Around the crystals, multiple other matrices were unfolded, all connected by threads of seemingly solid magic. The very center of the main matrix held the uniquely shaped diadem, its central gem now completely black.
"So," Snape quipped as soon as he entered, "are you planning to build a bomb to take out the entire school?"
"This is Lady Rowena Ravenclaw's relic," Dumbledore explained, "but unfortunately, it was made into a Horcrux by Tom. Aiden and I are going to study it to see if there's a way to dispel Tom's soul without damaging the diadem itself." Snape's eyes, hearing this, lit up with an excited, almost fanatic gleam.
"So, you called me here to participate in this research?" Oliver asked, a little puzzled.
"No," Aiden joked, "I just think someone needs to move things." Oliver responded by lightly punching Aiden's shoulder.
"What stage has your research reached?" Snape asked, his mind now fully focused on the diadem, with no time for banter.
"Well," Aiden explained, spreading his hands, "Professor Dumbledore and I have built an analysis matrix and a protection matrix. Now we plan to try to interfere with different kinds of magic to slowly dissolve the soul fragment Tom left on it."
"No," Snape immediately interjected, ever the master of Dark Arts. "Although Dark Arts uses the soul as a sacrifice, the anchor after the sacrifice does not remain on the item itself."
"I have already gone in to explore," Aiden clarified. "The anchor is indeed left in the Collective Unconscious Sea. But I think if I use my ability as a passage, we may be able to project different kinds of magic to the location of the anchor."
"Then what kind of different magic did you choose?" Snape asked, his curiosity piqued.
Aiden interlocked his fingers and showed a mysterious smile: "My magic."
"Yours?" Oliver and Snape exclaimed at the same time.
"How is that possible? What special..." Snape stopped himself, immediately regretting his words, and quickly closed his mouth.
Aiden, seeing Snape's embarrassment, decided to elaborate. "My magic has a strong guiding effect. When I sail in the sea of consciousness, the magic becomes light, but when I am in the real world, my magic is very heavy. I will sneak into Tom's island of consciousness and leave a beacon. You will be responsible for projecting my magic from the outside world into it. This will increase the mass of the anchor and allow it to sink into the Distorted Illusion."
Snape took the hint. "It's not too late. Hurry up and start. I still have Potions to brew."
"Okay, let's get started." Dumbledore said.
Aiden then took out a small bottle, cut his finger, and dripped a few drops of blood into it. The bright red blood was mixed with a trace of silver-white. He injected his magic into it, then handed the bottle to Snape, who took it, giving Aiden a complicated look. Dumbledore and Oliver took control of the alchemy matrix, and a large amount of data flowed into their minds in an instant.
Then Aiden began to dream travel. His entire body became ethereal, and he entered the sea of consciousness. The island of the Horcrux's consciousness was surging with magma, emitting a dazzling light, and a strange, sulfurous smell constantly assaulted his senses. The hot air gently licked his skin.
Aiden searched inside, and finally found the soul nailed within the crater of the island. The 20-year-old Lord Voldemort was pinned there, fixed by the souls of his victims, used as nails.
"It's truly sad, Tom," Aiden said, though there was no pity in his eyes.
"No need to pretend to be sympathetic here," Lord Voldemort sneered, a smug look on his face. "You want to kill me, but you're too reluctant to destroy the diadem, aren't you?"
"Not necessarily, Tom," Aiden replied, a strange smile on his face. The magma illuminated his heterochromatic pupils, making him look both beautiful and dangerous. "Prepare to join those wretched souls below." He took out his wand and left a profound mark on Tom's soul.
In the outside world, the alchemy matrix maintained by Dumbledore and Oliver sent back a feedback signal.
"Severus," Dumbledore said, "it's now."
Snape quickly came to the designated node and poured Aiden's blood into it. The blood, carrying Aiden's magic, was injected into the Horcrux by the alchemy matrix.
Above the island of consciousness, thick clouds suddenly gathered above the crater, and silver lightning crackled within them. After a while, a silver rain poured down from the clouds. The rain wet the scorched earth, and the fragrance of the soil filled the air, dyeing the entire island of consciousness silver. At the same time, the island also began to slowly sink.
"No!" Lord Voldemort cried out, beginning to beg when he saw his situation rapidly deteriorating. "Aiden Prewett, let me go! I can give you everything I have! Eternal life! Yes, do you want to know how I improved the Horcrux? I can teach you everything!"
Aiden smiled, looking at his ugly, desperate state. "Then, goodbye, Tom." He transformed into a dream elf and disappeared from the island.
"No! Come back! No!" Lord Voldemort's voice echoed across the sinking island of consciousness, a desperate, fading curse. "I curse you, Aiden Prewett! I curse you!" But unfortunately, there was no one left to hear him.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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