At the dinner table, Nicolas pushed a plate of atloaf with a bone toward Kyle, smiling as he said, “I almost forgot to ask—what else did you co to see about? It's not just because you want to spend Christmas with , is it?”
“That’s the main reason,” Kyle replied.
“Nothing else?”
“No,” Kyle shook his head.
“Well, in that case…” Nicolas gave him a playful look and said half-jokingly, “I’ll just leave you to it.”
“You know, it takes ages to find the right symbol,” he continued, “and after that, I probably won’t leave that room for weeks.”
“Hm…” Kyle gave a thoughtful nod, then gently patted his head. Oops. Now that he ntioned it, I do rember one small thing.
“Go on,” Nicolas laughed. “Just don’t pull an Albus and whip out a Ti-Turner from a thousand years ago.”
“No, no, it’s nothing like that… just a small thing…”
Kyle placed a box on the table, slipped on his Shield Gloves, and carefully took out a rusty, darkened crown.
“I found this in Hogwarts Castle and wanted to see if there was any way to restore it.”
...
When Nicolas first saw the Diadem, he barely gave it a second glance, assuming Kyle had rely found so broken alchemical relic from Hogwarts. After all, nothing seed unusual in that thousand-year-old school. But soon enough, Nicolas’s keen intuition as an alchemist sensed sothing different. His expression grew serious, as if a certain possibility had crossed his mind.
“Could it be…” he murmured, suddenly tense, and then, almost involuntarily, asked, “What… what is this?”
“Oh, nothing much, just Ravenclaw’s Diadem,” Kyle replied casually.
“The Diadem that’s been lost for a thousand years?” Nicolas couldn’t help but stand up, visibly shaken.
For most alchemists, the Ravenclaw Diadem, known for enhancing intelligence, was as legendary as the Philosopher’s Stone. Nicolas already possessed the Philosopher’s Stone, but he had never seen the Diadem in person. In his six centuries of life, it was one of his few lingering regrets. He would have never guessed that it had been right there at Hogwarts all along.
And Albus had told he’d never seen it—him, the headmaster? A teenage boy could find it, and he couldn’t? Nicolas thought, his astonishnt edged with irritation.
But now, there was another problem. Ravenclaw’s Diadem looked so deteriorated that it resembled sothing one might find in a junk shop. Normally, an artifact with such powerful magic shouldn’t show any signs of wear…
Nicolas leaned in closer, studying the Diadem with increasing intensity. His expression grew more and more grave.
“This is… a Horcrux?”
“Yes,” Kyle confird with a nod. “When I found it, it had already been made into a Horcrux.”
Even Nicolas, usually so composed, felt the urge to curse. To turn Ravenclaw’s Diadem into a Horcrux—surely even Herpo the Foul wouldn’t have dared to do such a thing.
He reached out to touch the Diadem, and the instant his fingers brushed against it, a thick black mist erupted, swirling around the Diadem. Unsettling murmurs filled the air, whispering from all directions.
“Pop!”
Tata, the House-elf, appeared instantly before Nicolas, nervously pointing at the black mist. “Don’t worry, Tata,” Nicolas said, pressing his finger down as the black mist retreated back into the Diadem. Kyle placed it back in the box and continued.
“I ca here to ask if there’s any way to remove the pieces of soul attached to it.”
Nicolas gave a quiet nod. He didn’t ask where Kyle had found the Diadem or whether Dumbledore knew about it, but instead, with so interest, he asked, “What do you have in mind?”
“There are many ways to destroy a Horcrux…” Kyle began. “Basilisk fangs, the Fiendfyre Curse, a Dentor’s Kiss, or even the Killing Curse can all disperse the soul fragnts inside. But each of these thods would cause so degree of damage to the Diadem itself.”
“I’m glad you thought of that,” Nicolas said with a smile. “Once an object has been made into a Horcrux, it and the soul fragnts placed within it are essentially bound as one… Or rather, the entire Diadem is now an extension of his soul. I can see why that person chose the Diadem as a vessel—most people, even if they knew it was a Horcrux, wouldn’t want to destroy it. In that regard, this person was cleverer than Herpo the Foul.”
“Are you sure you can repair it?” Kyle asked. “If you can, I actually have so Basilisk venom on hand, or I could use Dentors. They’re in Hogsade, and there’s only one Ministry guard, so if we’re quick, catching two shouldn’t be a problem.”
Nicolas’s expression turned sowhat odd. He could understand using Basilisk venom; Dumbledore had ntioned that the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets was now under Kyle’s care, so using a little venom was feasible. But catching Dentors… Wasn’t that a bit extre? Could you even just “catch” one of those?
“Ahem, no need,” Nicolas waved his hand. “I have a better way. Though it might take a bit longer, it will ensure there’s absolutely no damage to the Diadem.”
“What thod?” Kyle asked, intrigued.
“An ancient potion that targets the soul,” Nicolas replied calmly. “I once found ntion of it on a tablet, which helped confirm that Horcruxes are not a product of alchemy. Coincidentally, this potion was also invented by Herpo the Foul.”
“Herpo the Foul… a potion from a thousand years ago?” Kyle frowned. “After all this ti, can the ingredients still be found?”
“No problem,” Nicolas smiled. “I’ve preserved a number of ancient potion ingredients using special thods. And if I’m missing one or two, I can always find adequate substitutes.”
Then he looked up from the box, eting Kyle’s gaze with a calm expression. “But my boy… you seem to have a rather deep understanding of Horcruxes.”
“Well, I did study them for a ti,” Kyle admitted openly. “I had an idea, and—”
“Oh, there’s no need to tell ,” Nicolas interrupted gently. “I trust you’ll make the wisest decision and that you have your reasons. I’m not reproaching you—only reminding you… Do you rember what I told you in Paris? If you need to, you’re welco to access my private library again anyti. There are many books there, of all sorts…”
Nicolas winked, and while Kyle was montarily distracted, he stealthily slipped the box into a bag with lightning-fast hands. By the ti Kyle noticed, Nicolas had already secured it away.
Of course, Kyle had intended to leave the Diadem with him anyway and had no intention of taking it back, so Nicolas’s little maneuver was entirely unnecessary. Besides the Diadem, Kyle was also preparing to hunt down the other Horcruxes. He didn’t know if he could prevent Voldemort’s eventual resurrection, but he figured he could set a smaller goal first… for instance, to collect all of Voldemort’s Horcruxes before that day ca.
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