Hogwarts: I Am an Exemplary Wizard

Chapter 560: Chapter 558: Rowena Ravenclaw

”Not bad...”

A cold voice came through again, ”Your Occlumency has improved a lot since last time we met, that’s why you could wake up so quickly this time.”

Upon hearing this voice, Kael gradually calmed down. He finally remembered that he hadn’t removed the Diadem earlier, yet he had exited that peculiar state of seemingly knowing everything.

It surely must have something to do with Ravenclaw.

”Lady Ravenclaw?” Kael tentatively asked.

”It’s me.”

Even though he had already expected the answer, hearing it in person still seemed incredible to Kael.

It felt as if Ravenclaw herself was right there.

”How is this possible...” Kael involuntarily said, ”Sorry, I mean to say, it’s been over a thousand years now, and there isn’t any Time Turner around.”

”Salazar’s Time Turner is just a medium,” Ravenclaw patiently explained, ”Once aware of your existence, time wasn’t so hard to cross... That’s also why Godric warned you not to meddle with the Time Turner.”

”But...” Kael was still puzzled, ”Mr. Slytherin... didn’t he promise to help me deal with the impact of time?”

”That’s correct,” Ravenclaw said, ”Salazar had inscribed a Forgetful Array in the room, so when we leave, we would forget we ever met a student from a thousand years in the future.”

”But...” She paused, ”This kind of array doesn’t work on the Diadem. When I realized I had forgotten something, the Diadem helped me recover that part of my memory.”

Kael nodded. The experience he just had made him appreciate the Diadem’s magic, and he believed it had such power.

”But concealing the memory was something we four agreed upon...” Ravenclaw continued, ”So, to avoid unforeseen changes, I sealed that memory within the Diadem.”

”So you know everything that happened over the past thousand years?”

”If you’re referring to someone turning the Diadem into a Soul Artifact... not really.”

Unlike Helena, who was furious upon learning that the Diadem was turned into a Soul Artifact, Ravenclaw’s tone was as calm as a frozen lake, completely unchanged.

”Aren’t you angry?” Kael couldn’t help but ask.

”I’ve already guessed it; why should I be angry about something I already know?”

Ravenclaw said, ”The first time we met and I mentioned the Diadem, your expression changed, and from that moment, I knew my Diadem had probably been turned into a Soul Artifact as well as the items representing Salazar and Helga.”

”And Mr. Gryffindor...”

”You didn’t look at him,” Ravenclaw said, ”After I mentioned the Diadem, you instinctively glanced at us but deliberately overlooked Godric.”

Could one deduce so much just from expressions?

Kael’s mouth twitched; he remembered that Ravenclaw was the last one to speak, and after just a second or two, the scene disappeared.

Could one figure out so much in such a short time? Did Ravenclaw possess some Mind Reading Magic?

...

Kael then asked a few more questions. Ravenclaw seemed very patient and answered each one as though she were a professor addressing student inquiries.

Finally, Kael asked why she appeared, or rather... how that memory awakened from the Diadem.

”Because of you.”

”Me?” Kael frowned.

”Yes, to find the right time, I made that memory fall into a slumber.”

”And that young Alchemist, he has memories related to you, just enough to meet the conditions to awaken me.”

Kael felt a bit odd; this might have been the first time someone referred to Nicolas as ”the young Alchemist.”

Of course, if the person was Ravenclaw, it made sense.

”Why did you do this? I don’t feel there’s anything special about me, deserving of your efforts, even to cross a thousand years.”

”Two reasons.”

Ravenclaw said, ”Although I already knew, I still didn’t want to see my Diadem being made into a Soul Artifact. You’ve conveniently destroyed one before, and will likely continue doing so.”

”If you couldn’t resist the temptation to wear the Diadem, now a Soul Artifact, my memory could save your life.”

Kael smacked his lips.

He always thought Ravenclaw’s current state was like those Magic Portraits in the castle, only able to chat and do nothing else.

But from her words just now, it wasn’t hard to tell that she could do more than that – she retained a part of her capability.

That was a bit frightening.

Kael fought back the urge to take off the Diadem and continued to ask, ”What about the second thing?”

This time, Ravenclaw didn’t answer immediately. She was silent for a long time before she softly said, ”My daughter, Helena Ravenclaw.

”When I recovered this memory, I tried making a prophecy once and then I saw... a ghost.”

Her voice changed for the first time, with a slight tremble.

”Only a Wizard who fears death or has lingering obsessions can become a ghost and return to the place most embedded in their memory. I wish you’d tell her that no matter what she did in the future, there’s no need to punish herself so cruelly.”

The future? Kael was momentarily stunned.

Oh right, when Ravenclaw stored this memory, Helena hadn’t stolen the Diadem yet.

But what can I say, it’s no surprise they are mother and daughter.

Helena asked him to deliver a message, as did Ravenclaw, and she did something even more extreme, waiting over a thousand years.

”Lady Ravenclaw, if that’s your request, then I won’t deliver the message...”

”I can offer you satisfactory compensation, as long as you can find her,” there was a hint of urgency in Ravenclaw’s tone.

”Be it knowledge or wealth, I can give you.”

”No, you’re misunderstanding,” Kael shook his head, ”I think it would be better for you to convey these words yourself.”

Saying this, he took out his box, placed it on the table, and opened it.

A pearl-white ghost floated out from it... Ms. Grey, which is to say, Helena Ravenclaw.

”Here is where the Diadem is stored...” Helena suddenly stared at the top of Kael’s head, ”I suggest you take it off, otherwise, one day you’ll go mad.”

”I’d love to, but the problem is, it can’t be taken off now,” Kael despondently spread his hands. To prove his point, he reached for the Diadem and gave it a tug... he took it off.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward; how to say, it was quite embarrassing... The Diadem, which had seemed like it was part of him, was now easily removed.

”Believe me, it really couldn’t be taken off just now,” Kael dryly explained.

Helena didn’t reply, only looked at Kael with a strange expression, ”Even Peeves wouldn’t use such a clumsy lie.”

”Really, I just... never mind,” Kael sighed and didn’t bother explaining further. Instead, he stepped forward and attempted to place the Diadem on Helena’s head.

”It’s useless; ghosts can’t touch anything,” Helena said, ”Just being able to see it is enough for me.”

Kael was naturally aware of this, but he just wanted to do it; a voice told him it was okay.

Sure enough, the Diadem settled steadily on Helena’s head, even when Kael let go, it stayed in place.