Chapter 374: The Mystery Unravels
"The Owl Gentleman..."
Sean murmured the name.
It was him. The realization hit him like a physical blow.
His suppressed memories surged back like a breaking dam. The tapestry of Barnaby the Barmy, the Room of Requirement, the secret of Ravenclaw's Diadem... the grey mist that had obscured his mind finally dissolved into nothingness.
But why? What was the Owl Gentleman's objective?
Was he simply trying to keep Sean away from the Room of Requirement? Sean paused, reflecting. If it were the Owl Gentleman, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility. As for whether the bird was dangerous, Sean doubted it—unless Rowena Ravenclaw herself had intended to harm the students of her own house.
But why him? Or rather, what secret was hidden within the cottage guarded by that owl?
Sean knew that the room they called the Room of Hope had been inherently magical from the very beginning. When Justin had asked the Owl Gentleman for a hearth, a fireplace had manifested. When they had wished for a way to contact the outside world—like the Floo connection for Hermione's parents—the room had obliged.
In that regard, the Room of Hope was remarkably similar to the Room of Requirement.
Sean frowned, mentally reviewing everything he knew about the Room of Requirement. To the house-elves, it was known as the "Come and Go Room." It was one of the most powerful and mysterious spaces in the castle. It only appeared when someone was in genuine need. To enter, one had to walk past a stretch of blank wall three times, concentrating hard on what they required. The room would then configure itself perfectly. Albus Dumbledore had once found a room full of chamber pots when his bladder was at its limit.
The room's history was ancient, spanning centuries. While some house-elves like Dobby knew its secrets, few students ever stumbled upon it. A young Tom Riddle had once utilized it to hide Ravenclaw's Diadem, turning the relic into a Horcrux.
If Sean had to explain it in the terms of his previous life, the Room of Requirement was like an Artificial Intelligence. A wizard made a request, the room processed the "data," and then utilized Transfiguration magic to provide the necessary "output." However, it seemed unable to distinguish between users—otherwise, it would have been much harder for Harry to find Riddle's hidden treasure.
"Artificial Intelligence..."
Sean felt he had grasped the thread. If the Room of Requirement was a non-discriminatory AI, then what was the Owl Gentleman? A more advanced version? A truly sentient, intelligent magical algorithm capable of understanding commands and acting with agency?
As his thoughts whirred, Sean realized his return to Hogwarts would be far busier than he had anticipated.
First: master Occlumency. Second: discover the Owl Gentleman's true purpose. What was the link between the Room of Hope and the Room of Requirement? What instructions had Rowena Ravenclaw left for her painted guardian?
Finding out would be simple enough; he would simply demand answers from the bird.
The final task: destroy Ravenclaw's Diadem. Sean had no desire to touch the cursed object himself, but he could animate a statue to do the dirty work, wielding a Basilisk fang to end the Horcrux's existence.
"Come along, dear," Professor Terra said, pushing open the door.
"Right... of course, Professor." Sean snapped out of his trance.
The fireplace before them had already been reconnected to the Hogwarts Floo network, specifically calibrated to a secure terminal.
"Mr. Green," Professor Quirrell said suddenly, looking at him with a meaningful expression. "To master Occlumency, you must learn to navigate complex sensations and conflicting memories. But for someone of your caliber, perhaps you should aim higher. You should attempt Active Misdirection—the art of deceptive memories."
Quirrell went silent for a few moments, his gaze lingering on the boy.
"I suspect you will find a use for it quite soon," he added. Because you are the Great Green... and you are standing in a den of masters.
"Oh? You've finally decided to protect that brilliant head of yours?" Professor Terra asked, her interest piqued.
"Did you know about the Owl Gentleman, Professor?" Sean asked, catching the hint in her tone.
"A sophisticated bit of magic, used quite crudely," Terra noted, her eyes narrowing. "A wizard needs only a month of Occlumency training to realize he's been led by the nose. I was curious to see which dunderhead would have the audacity to try it on you.
"As for what Quirrell mentioned... that is high-level Occlumency. I have neither the talent nor the need for it myself."
Sean was impatient. "Has the Owl done this before? Why would a portrait interfere like that?"
The flames in the hearth roared as Quirrell stood by, surreptitiously eavesdropping.
"To my knowledge, no," Terra replied after a moment. "To everyone else, he acts like any other common portrait. Perhaps he has done it before, but who cares what a first-year student forgets?"
"Then why—"
"My dear apprentice," Terra interrupted with a rare, dry chuckle. "You will never truly understand the anxiety of an aging alchemist. If Dumbledore wouldn't have me sacked for it, I'd be casting a dozen protective charms on you every morning."
On the first day of January, as Sean's senses expanded, Hogwarts Castle ceased to be a distant concept. Despite the howling winds and the bitter, bone-deep cold outside, the fireplaces within the castle remained warm and inviting.
A pillar of green flame surged in a private office, and two figures stepped out onto the rug.
"So, how long did it take you to see through that little 'joke' after you started your Occlumency lessons?" Professor Terra asked, her robes still flecked with mountain snow.
"Just now," Sean answered.
"Mmm. So I see. You've only just learned the theory and already you've—" Terra paused, her expression shifting. She stood there, bags in hand, looking at him with a sense of profound awe. "A disturbing amount of talent, Sean. Hogwarts is a fine place; I really should have visited years ago."
She stared into his green eyes, reading the quiet urgency beneath the calm.
"Go on, then," she said with a wave of her hand. "And if you decide to set that portrait on fire, let me know.
"Though you should think carefully, my apprentice. If you get expelled for arson, it means you'll have to join that old fossil 'Black Panther' at Uagadou. He'd probably be so delighted at the prospect he wouldn't sleep for a week... he might even forget that Dumbledore threatened his life the last time they spoke."
[End of Chapter 374]
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