Chapter 21: A Conversation
The Library.
"Lady Helena, forgive the interruption." Ryan stopped at a desk and addressed the spectral figure sitting behind it. Even though he had kept his voice low, Madam Pince, the librarian, shot him a disapproving glare.
"Ryan Welles," the Grey Lady said, her hands folded neatly in her lap as she sat ramrod straight. "I know who you are. The most dazzling student at Hogwarts today."
"You honor me, my lady," Ryan said with a slight bow. "I have come to ask for your assistance."
"You covet Ravenclaw's Diadem as well?" For some reason, her tone had turned icy and mocking. For a thousand years, countless students had sought her help in finding the Diadem, and all but one had been turned away with the same disdainful words.
"Ravenclaw's Diadem?" Ryan replied, a look of genuine confusion on his face. "Forgive me, my lady, but I don't understand."
"My own talents and intellect are not particularly outstanding," he said, and it was the honest truth. "I can only achieve a few meager results through long hours of practice." Who wouldn't want to become a master of magic while relaxing and enjoying life? If he had another twenty years to grow, perhaps he could have become a great wizard at a leisurely pace.
But at a time when a disfigured Voldemort was about to return and wreak havoc, and when the Muggle world was on the brink of its next technological explosion, he simply did not have the time.
He could only improve himself through endless days and nights of study and practice, spending heaps of Galleons on potions to maintain his energy and increase his efficiency. The lack of time was the true reason for his sleepless nights. It absolutely had nothing to do with the fact that he had gotten into the habit of late-night wanderings and all-nighters since his first year.
Of course, this highlighted another truth about magical learning: it wasn't just about talent; it was also about your wallet and your potion tolerance. How could one study magic without money? A full wallet meant more potions. A high tolerance meant you could consume more potions at once. More potions meant faster learning and longer study sessions, leading to faster growth.
The only unfortunate thing was that a potion that could permanently increase one's magical core had yet to be invented. Without external aids, Ryan's own magical power was only equivalent to that of an average sixth or seventh-year student.
Sometimes, he was tempted to buy a vial of Felix Felicis and drink it just before his daily intel arrived, to see if he might get a lucky tip about increasing his magic. But the "luck potion" was nearly impossible to buy. It sold out the instant it hit the shelves. He'd tried to get some several times without success, which led him to suspect that the apothecary shops only claimed to have it in stock to advertise their connections with powerful Potioneers, without any real intention of selling it, or that it was being pre-sold to an exclusive clientele.
These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. Seeing the disbelief on the Grey Lady's face, he added, "And even if my talents were not exceptional, I certainly do not need Ravenclaw's Diadem to achieve high marks."
At the same time, his mind was racing, putting together the known facts:
Of the Four Founders' relics, Ravenclaw's Diadem had been lost for a thousand years, rumored to have disappeared with Lady Ravenclaw herself.
The Grey Lady had just used the word "also," implying that more than one student had asked her this question, which suggested that, in some circles, she was rumored to know of its whereabouts.
Dumbledore had sent him to ask the Grey Lady about the Room of Requirement, a room they believed to be a creation of Lady Ravenclaw.
The Grey Lady had become the Ravenclaw ghost around the same time Lady Ravenclaw had passed away.
All four of these points indicated a very close relationship between the Grey Lady and Rowena Ravenclaw.
The conclusion was inescapable: The Grey Lady was a true Ravenclaw—if not a direct blood relative, then Lady Ravenclaw's chosen protégée. That was why she was so hostile to anyone seeking the Diadem.
Realizing this, Ryan looked at the Grey Lady with new eyes. He was seeing the ghost of Ravenclaw's legacy.
"That, I believe," the ghost said, a flicker of a smile on her spectral lips. "I often hear the younger students call you the top of your year. But those with wisdom always crave more, especially Ravenclaws." The smile was identical to the one on the statue of Lady Ravenclaw in their common room—captivating, elegant, yet deeply intimidating. She tilted her head back, her gaze fixed on the library's ceiling, a mocking quality to her smile, though Ryan couldn't tell at whom it was directed.
The similarity of her smile confirmed his theory. "I have discovered a magical room in the castle," he said. "I call it the Room of Requirement. It can change its form to suit the needs of the user."
"Looking at the legacies of the Four Founders and the wizards who have come since, I believe Lady Ravenclaw is the most likely creator of such a room."
"And you, Lady Helena, were closest to her time, and you are the ghost of her house. So I have come to ask if you know anything about the Room of Requirement."
After hearing Ryan's explanation, the Grey Lady's expression softened slightly. "The Room of Requirement… is this place on the eighth floor?"
"Yes, on the eighth floor, opposite a tapestry depicting trolls," Ryan confirmed.
The Grey Lady was silent for a long time. "That was indeed... her room," she finally said. "Among the Four Founders, Gryffindor excelled in dueling and power, Slytherin in bloodlines and the essence of living things, and Hufflepuff in the various arts of practical magic. But she was different. She was the one who studied every field of magic with the most depth. A single laboratory could never have met her needs."
"So Lady Ravenclaw designed a room that could transform for multiple purposes?"
The Grey Lady nodded. "But in her time, the room only ever transformed into various kinds of magical laboratories."
"Perhaps," Ryan mused, "because that was all Lady Ravenclaw ever needed."
"Perhaps," she said. And with that single word, she drifted away.
That's it? She just left? I've barely asked anything… Ryan thought, sure that Dumbledore would be disappointed with this meager report. But then he remembered: this was an additional task, worth only ten house points. Clearly, the Headmaster didn't consider it a high priority.
Ten points of effort for ten points of reward. He would not be manipulated by a promise of future greatness. Rejecting the corporate carrot-on-a-stick, his steps felt much lighter as he walked away. If Dumbledore asked, he had a perfect excuse: I tried my best, Headmaster, but the Grey Lady refused to say more. What could I do? It's not that I didn't want to get the information, but it was beyond my control!
He made his way to the Restricted Section, checked out the book on the external power source he had found over the summer, and took it to Madam Pince. "Madam Pince, I need to borrow these books."
The librarian glanced at him, then stamped the return date in his file without looking up. "One month. The books are to be returned on time and in their original condition."
Ryan took the books to his private study, Room 10086, and began his research, focusing on the construction of a magical storage medium. He laid out the last of the materials he had gotten from Hagrid and began his attempt to create a stable power system, just as Dumbledore had suggested.
"As the greatest alchemist alive today after Nicolas Flamel," he thought, "the Headmaster's advice must be sound." In his previous attempts, he had managed to create small beads that could hold a tiny amount of magic—enough to cast a single Disarming Charm. "According to my notes, the magical medium was unstable, causing the system to collapse and leaving only a residue of enchanted material." He opened his notebook, reviewing the data from his past failures.
After clarifying his plan for this attempt, he laid out his ingredients, cleaned them meticulously, and arranged them within easy reach.
Just as ancient people had invented containers for water thousands of years before they could analyze its chemical properties, Ryan hoped to create a "cup" for magic without fully understanding its essence.
"My goal is modest," he said to the empty room. "I just want to create a container that can hold the magical capacity of a first-year student."