Ravenclaw's Diadem. Voldemort's Horcrux.
But what was even more astonishing was that the sapphire set in the diadem was actually the pit of the Fruit of Wisdom.
Perhaps it was Rey's intense desire to resurrect Helena that caused a fragment of Rowena Ravenclaw's soul to guide him here.
Legend had it that wearing Ravenclaw's Diadem would grant the wearer immeasurable wisdom. But when Rey put it on just now, all he saw was the message left by Rowena and Helga. Aside from that, there was only the mental assault from Voldemort's dark magic.
As for getting smarter? Not at all. Rey didn't feel a single IQ point sharper.
Maybe it was because the diadem had been corrupted by Voldemort's dark magic. After all, if the diadem didn't have the legendary effects, Helena wouldn't have bothered stealing it in the first place.
Speaking of which, Voldemort really wasted a treasure. If he had figured out the true nature of the diadem and used it to open the door to the Divine Realm to obtain the Fruit of Life, it would have been infinitely more powerful than turning it into a Horcrux.
Rey's first instinct regarding a Horcrux was to destroy it.
If it were any other Horcrux, Rey might have acted without hesitation. But right now, the sapphire on this diadem might be the key to opening the door to the Divine Realm.
Destroying it would mean destroying the chance to resurrect Helena.
The Fruit of Life was the most direct method of resurrection. Rey couldn't let this opportunity slip through his fingers. He couldn't bring himself to destroy the diadem.
He couldn't destroy it, but he definitely couldn't keep it on him for long, either.
What to do? Rey couldn't decide for a moment.
---
There was no better place to hide something than the Room of Requirement.
Hiding the diadem here should be the safest option, at least until Professor Quirrell arrived at Hogwarts.
"I'll leave it here until I find a safer place."
Sighing slightly, Rey closed the box, covered it with the rope, and exited the Room of Requirement.
The most urgent task right now was to tame the magic within his body and get stronger fast. Trying to use the diadem to open the door to the Divine Realm right now would be suicide.
The Fruit of Life in the Divine Realm wouldn't be easy to take, and the gods likely weren't benevolent charities. If everything were as simple as in the stories, the world wouldn't be full of so many tragedies.
Without power, everything else is just talk. It has been this way throughout history; the world never changes, only the form of power does.
Exiting the Room of Requirement, Rey found himself at Ravenclaw Tower.
The magical Room of Requirement and its magical door—you rarely come out where you went in.
Rey didn't return to the Ravenclaw common room; instead, he went up to the top of the tower.
A thousand years ago, this was where he and Helena often met. Now, standing in the wind at the top of the tower had become a habit that helped him think calmly.
Just as he turned the corner of the stairs and reached the tower entrance, Rey saw a transparent figure.
It wasn't Helena. It was another ghost: the Bloody Baron, also known as Terence Barrow.
Hollow eyes, a gaunt face, and silver bloodstains splattered across his robes.
Rey hadn't seen the Bloody Baron in a long time. He didn't expect to run into him here today.
The transparent figure stood at the tower, staring blankly into the distance as if pondering something. His expression was obsessive, and he didn't even notice Rey walking onto the tower.
When Rey first entered school, he had been very wary of the Bloody Baron—scared, even. But after traveling through a millennium, Rey's only urge regarding this guy was to beat him up.
If it were possible to physically punch a ghost, Rey would have swung already. If the Bloody Baron could come back to life, Rey would kill him without hesitation.
---
There is always something hateful about a pitiful person.
They were fellow students of dark magic, but the Bloody Baron had been deeply affected by dark energy.
Back when Hogwarts was besieged by elves, Rey had risked his own safety to perform an exorcism on Terence Barrow to repay him for the Teleportation Stone given in the Valley of Villains. That exorcism had restored his sanity.
But unexpectedly, Morgana's dark magic had influenced him too deeply. Although he appeared normal on the surface, he had become more impulsive and prone to losing control.
Perhaps that was the reason behind the tragedy where he accidentally killed Helena.
The top of Ravenclaw Tower belonged to Rey and Helena. Although Helena might not come out to see him, having the Bloody Baron standing there felt like a massive eyesore.
Rey stared coldly at the Bloody Baron, then walked past him to the railing.
At this moment, Rey actually hoped the Bloody Baron would snap at him like he did at the start of the school year. He wanted to see if the current Bloody Baron could do anything to him.
"Did you know? I've been to hell."
Just as Rey reached the railing, the gaunt Bloody Baron turned to look at him and spoke out of nowhere.
There was no trace of the handsome man from a thousand years ago. All that remained was a weathered face and cloudy, unfocused eyes.
Although he was speaking to Rey, his eyes didn't seem to focus on him. Judging by his appearance, he didn't seem to recognize Rey at all.
This version of the Bloody Baron made Rey hesitate, and he ultimately didn't respond.
"I want to live... I don't want to go back to hell..."
Seeing that Rey didn't answer—or perhaps, even though he was looking in Rey's direction, he didn't actually see him—the Baron continued.
He seemed to be trapped in his own mad world, unable to see or sense anything from the outside.
Fear leaked from his cloudy eyes, a terror directed at the "hell" he spoke of.
Rey narrowed his eyes, staring at the Bloody Baron, who was much taller than him. Then, Rey looked behind himself, because the Baron was staring past him, seemingly terrified of something at Rey's back.
Rey looked back, but there was nothing there. That was puzzling.
After saying those words, the Bloody Baron began to back away. His cloudy eyes seemed to clear up slightly, but simultaneously, he suddenly shouted, "I will definitely do it... I didn't want to kill Helena!"
One sentence, two disjointed thoughts. It was incoherent and confusing.
"Helena, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Please forgive me, please forgive me..."
Shouting and crying, the Bloody Baron backed away faster and faster, a mix of agitation and terror. In his madness, he fled the tower as if escaping something, passing through the walls and disappearing into Hogwarts castle.
---
The Bloody Baron had pitifully few moments of lucidity; most of the time, he lived in his own world.
To still be in such a state after death... it was indeed a pathetic fate.
Shaking his head, Rey leaned his hands on the railing, letting the wind blow over him.
There was no point in holding a grudge against a dead man. As long as he didn't come to bother Rey, let the past remain in the past.