Ryan hunched his back as he navigated through the chaotic pile of items, his golden hair covered in dust, sweat sliding down his cheeks, leaving streaks of grime on his rather handsome face.
He rummaged through a pile of dusty cauldrons, lifted a moldy tapestry, and pried open a chest with a rusty copper lock, only to find it filled with brittle, blackened bones.
"Damn it!"
Ryan kicked an empty bottle next to him, the sound of shattered glass resonating sharply in the empty room.
Vid, nearly asleep, jolted awake, his eyes wide open as he saw the agitated Ryan, causing him to reflexively touch his own nose.
Had I known, I wouldn't have placed the Transfiguration Cauldron so far away and wasted both of our time.
Ryan asked in a deep voice, "Sir, if the Diadem has been taken... what happens?"
Voldemort remained silent for a moment.
To be honest, he wasn't sure if the soul fragment within the Diadem could still cause trouble.
Because, apart from the part inside the diary, the other Soul Artifacts had remained quiet since their creation.
But back then, he had cast powerful protective magic on the Diadem, and if someone dared to wear it... Hogwarts should have long reported a mysterious student death.
Perhaps even multiple deaths in succession.
So which professor took it?
That's unlikely... professors wouldn't need to urgently hide something, it defies the Room of Requirement's discovery logic.
Voldemort's arrogance was innate, even back when he depended on school relief, he never placed the magic world's slaves—the House-Elves—in his eyes.
He never communicated with them, nor had he ever expended effort to win them over, thus Voldemort remained unaware that the Room of Requirement, which he viewed as uniquely his secret, was known to all Hogwarts House-Elves.
After pondering for a while, Voldemort thought the Diadem should still be here.
Thus, Ryan heard the voice on the Communication Pea, after a moment of silence, impatiently saying:
[Check thoroughly; perhaps those careless folks left the Diadem on the ground while moving other items.]
Ryan panted heavily, hands on his knees, staring at the mess beneath him: "Are you sure? Is it still here?"
The person opposite spoke with a mysterious yet extremely confident tone: [If the Diadem left the Chamber of Secret, I would sense it.]
After a brief pause, Ryan heard the voice again: [You crave ultimate wisdom, yet can't endure a few hours of labor?]
Ryan suddenly blushed, bent down without a word, and did not utter another complaint.
Time ticked by, hour after hour, and only after two or three more hours did Ryan finally discover the location of the "Diadem."
He picked it up, glanced at the rusty old thing, and casually tossed it behind him!
Vid, who had already stood up: "..."
The tossed Diadem made a clanging sound as it fell into a pile of debris and then rolled under a collapsed sofa.
Ryan continued to pull apart a few books, lifted an old chessboard and threw it aside, just as he reached for a chipped plate, his movement suddenly halted.
Wait, what was he supposed to find?
…Diadem?
Did he just throw away something that looked like it?
"Aaaaahhhhh—"
Several seconds later, Ryan let out a piercing scream, rushing toward the direction he had casually thrown it.
Vid: "...?"
He sighed and waved his magic wand, causing the Diadem to silently shift position within a blind spot, allowing the gem's glint to fall into Ryan's eyes.
"Found it!"
Ryan rushed over to grab the Diadem, nearly crying with joy.
He clutched this lost-and-found Diadem, as if holding a priceless treasure, celebrated for a while before proclaiming in a triumphant tone: "I finally found it! Ravenclaw's Diadem!"
Voldemort: "..."
He felt that back when he found the one hollow tree among countless trees in the Romanian forest containing the Diadem, it wasn't as hard as this for Ryan.
[Put it on.] The voice in the Communication Pea seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, he said: [You will gain the wisdom and knowledge of Rowena Ravenclaw.]
"Yes!"
Ryan casually lifted the hem of his robe, wiped the dust off the Diadem, and with the stance of a king's coronation, solemnly raised the Diadem high and placed it on his head.
Vid had already quietly positioned himself behind him, and as the Diadem touched his hair, a silent spell's blinding light struck Ryan's back.
Electric light flickered!
In an instant, Ryan felt the world shrink into a glaring void, sharp pain piercing his skin like needles, spreading rapidly along his nerves, his fingertips burning, hair standing on end, his whole body rigid as if unable to move, even his consciousness seemed shattered!
Behind him, the magic wand seemed like a conductor's baton in a symphony, gently sketching continuous arcs.
[Supersensory Charm!]
Ryan never felt his mind so clear before, his entire body seemed free of the grimy mix of dust and sweat on his skin, his vision spectacularly clear, as if he could see each particle of dust's trail spinning in the air.
[Confundus Charm! Memory modification!]
Countless unfamiliar symbols poured down like rain, the magical knowledge from Rowena Ravenclaw rapidly occupying his mind.
"Ah—"
Ryan let out a sound half in pain, half in ecstasy, as his knees hit the floor heavily, yet suddenly felt no pain.
In his vision, it seemed countless unseen knowledge pulsed: ancient runic language, star charts, unfamiliar spells, various alchemical secrets…
A frantic inquiry came by his ear: [What's happening?]
"I…I see…I sense…"
Ryan, with his hands clawing at the floor, trembled his whole body from the intense pain yet bore a twisted smile on his face.
"This is Ravenclaw's wisdom! Such immense knowledge…all the mysteries…ah…hahaha…"
Ryan burst into hysterical laughter, the pain causing him to clasp his head and scream.
Suddenly, an idea like lightning shot through his mind, clearing his muddled thoughts, solving a long-held doubt of his.
"I understand…I understand everything now…"
Ryan slowly picked himself from the ground, a streak of blood oozed from his nose, he wiped it with a finger, speaking in a certain voice:
"You're not some wandering century-old ghost from the library, nor a generous guide…you're Voldemort, aren't you?"
Suddenly, all echoing voices were silenced.
"Everyone says you're dead, I thought you were dead too, didn't expect you're actually alive."
Ryan grinned, revealing a grin tinged with blood:
"Lucky you're still alive."
"Great Dark Lord, why hide your true identity? Had you shown who you were earlier, I would've offered my aid from the start!"
Voldemort:...Really?
But when I had you infiltrate the Room of Requirement, you were too cautious to risk discovery and missed multiple opportunities.
Ryan continued fervently: "The magic world now is decadent, only retreating and cowering under Muggle threats!"
"I have longed for someone like you to rise...Dark Lord, I once heard your tales, regretful of my late birth!"
"I am willing to serve you! The magic world's future needs new order, ruled by power and lineage! Not just the United Kingdom, not just Europe and the United States, the whole world should bow at your feet! And I will witness this glory!"
Voldemort:...What has that cut-off piece of soul evolved into? I could never truly conquer even the United Kingdom before, and now it's seduced Ryan into dreaming of the whole world?
But my younger self…indeed was that arrogant.
Contemplating carefully…so long as I destroy Dumbledore and Grindelwald, and acquire the protective spell from Harry Potter's bloodline…uniting the world's wizards might not be impossible…
After a long silence, Ryan heard a cold, low voice by his ear: [Prove your worth, bring me Harry Potter!]
"At once, my master!"
Ryan replied loudly.
He shut the Communication Pea and stood up, his mouth twitching slightly, body shivering uncontrollably.
Then, he burst into wild laughter:
"Hahaha…Voldemort is no big deal either…hahahaha…"