Hogwarts: I Am Such a Model Wizard

Chapter 749: The Trio’s New Mission—Searching for Horcruxes

”Iʼm sorry, Kyle...” Harry said suddenly as they left the headmasterʼs office.

”What?” Kyle looked at him in confusion, not quite understanding what he meant.

”Itʼs about the gold cup. I told Dumbledore that you had it,” Harry explained in a low voice. ”But at first, I really didnʼt know it was Hufflepuff’s Cup—I thought it was just an ordinary gold cup.”

”So?” Kyle looked at him. ”Youʼre right. I did have it in my hands, so thereʼs nothing to apologize for.”

”I made you lose the golden cup,” Harry said remorsefully. ”Iʼve seen its memories—itʼs an incredible magical object, left behind by the Founders of Hogwarts. Even Voldemort was fascinated by it.”

”If I hadnʼt said that unnecessary thing, Professor Dumbledore wouldnʼt have taken it away. You could have kept it until you graduated.”

”Oh, that,” Kyle shook his head dismissively. ”Itʼs fine. Even if you hadnʼt said anything, I would have found a chance to tell Dumbledore myself.”

”And didnʼt you hear just now? He won’t keep it forever—he’ll give it back to me soon.”

Hearing Kyle say this, Harry felt a little better. In truth, the moment Dumbledore mentioned keeping the golden cup, guilt had already begun creeping into his heart. He hadn’t even paid attention to what was said afterward.

”To be honest, I kind of hope Professor Dumbledore doesn’t give the golden cup back to me,” Kyle muttered as he absently stroked Fawkes’s red-gold feathers.

Only then did Harry notice that Kyle had actually brought the headmaster’s phoenix with him. Strangely, Fawkes seemed completely at ease, showing no signs of resistance.

Was the phoenix really that docile?

Almost without thinking, Harry reached out to touch Fawkes... or rather, he had been longing to do so for a while.

The next second, just as expected, he was pecked.

”Ouch!” He yelped, quickly pulling his hand back.

Phoenixes weren’t owls, and a peck wasn’t something to take lightly. When Harry looked down, he saw a large, rapidly swelling bump on his hand. It felt like he had been burned with a red-hot iron, sending sharp, stinging pain through his skin with every movement.

”Looks like he doesn’t like me,” Harry said with a grimace.

”No, Fawkes is just a little shy,” Kyle said. ”If a stranger touched your hair without asking, wouldn’t you punch them in the face? It’s only natural.”

”Is that so?” Harry blinked, realizing that made a lot of sense.

Phoenixes weren’t ordinary magical creatures—they were highly intelligent, not much less than wizards. It wasn’t strange at all that they would have a sense of personal space.

But looking at the fresh, throbbing lump on his hand, Harry had no desire to test the theory again. Instead, he simply glanced at Kyle with envy.

It really hurt, and he had no intention of taking a second hit.

The two continued walking, with Harry deliberately falling a step behind, occasionally glancing up at Kyle.

A strange sense of frustration settled in his chest. Something as important as a Horcrux had been found so easily by Kyle—like picking up a stone from the ground.

And yet, Dumbledore had only asked him to retrieve a memory from Slughorn, a task far simpler than tracking down a Horcrux. Even so, he still had no clue where to start.

He had even tried Ron’s method before. After a Potions class, he had bluntly asked Slughorn about it.

The only result was Slughorn narrowing his eyes and saying, ”You two have discussed this, haven’t you?”

Then he had stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Slughorn hadn’t spoken to him for days afterward, and Harry had spent that time searching for an excuse to mend their relationship.

That was why he had gone to Slughorn as soon as he found out Ron had been dosed with a Love Potion.

It had been a perfect excuse.

And then everything else had followed.

Though their relationship had improved somewhat because of that incident, Harry still had no idea how to get the memory.

Finally, when they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Harry couldnʼt hold back any longer.

”Kyle, where did you buy that mead you gave Professor Slughorn in the Hospital Wing? The Three Broomsticks?”

”Oh, that…? Of course not.” Kyle glanced at Harry. ”If I remember correctly, you’re not even seventeen yet. Just stick to Butterbeer.”

”No, it’s not for me,” Harry shook his head quickly. He had just been thinking that since Professor Slughorn liked it, maybe buying a bottle could help him with what he was about to do.

”You canʼt buy it, though. That mead is conjured through Hufflepuff’s Cup,” Kyle said after a moment of thought. ”How about this—if youʼre in a hurry, you can go back now and ask Professor Dumbledore to pour you a bottle. If youʼre not, you can wait a few days.”

”No hurry, I’m in no hurry!” Harry said quickly, not wanting to go back to see Dumbledore.

”Okay then.”

As usual, the two of them parted ways at the passage in front of the Fat Lady’s portrait.

Kyle, however, didn’t head back to the common room right away. He couldn’t exactly walk around the castle carrying a phoenix in his arms, even at night. Instead, he randomly found an empty room and placed Fawkes inside the suitcase, leaving him to keep company with Norbert and the others.

The next day.

Mondays always brought a sluggish mood to the school. Unlike the Great Hall the day before, which had been buzzing with activity, most students seemed unusually tired, yawning their way through lunch.

”You mean Kyle found a Horcrux, and itʼs actually the famous Hufflepuff’s Cup?” Hermione asked in a low voice from the corner of the Gryffindor table.

”Famous? You know about that cup too?” Harry asked, stuffing a piece of fried egg into his mouth.

He had always thought that only he knew about it because he had seen its memories. Just last night in the dormitory, Ron had thought it was nothing more than a gold trophy.

”Of course I know, it’s the symbol of Hufflepuff,” Hermione said casually. ”And there are four of those artifacts—Gryffindor’s Sword, Ravenclaw’s Diadem, Hufflepuff’s Cup, and Slytherin’s Locket, each representing the four founders of the school.”

”It’s all clearly written in Hogwarts: A History. I daresay many people know about it.”

”You’d be wrong,” Ron said, taking a big gulp of pumpkin juice. ”Only you would read that five-inch-thick book—most people just skip to the interesting parts.”

”Thanks for the reminder. Now I know that Iʼm actually interested in so much content,” Hermione said sarcastically.

Harry watched the two of them, completely calm.

Before, he might have tried to change the subject to prevent an argument, but now... to be honest, he was used to it.

Anyway, if they were going to bicker again next time, he would just pretend not to see it—as long as they didn’t start throwing hexes at each other.

Lowering his head, he carefully recalled what Hermione had just said.

”What was the symbol of Ravenclaw?”

”Huh? Oh, it’s a diadem,” Hermione replied, refocusing on the conversation. ”It’s said to grant wisdom to the wearer—something everyone craves.”

”Gives wisdom?” Ron straightened up, his eyes gleaming.

”I bet loads of people would want to get their hands on that...”

”I guess so,” Hermione said, though she didn’t seem particularly interested. She continued eating her breakfast. ”But I think itʼs just a legend. Books are the only things that can bring wisdom, not some kind of diadem.”

”But it’s Ravenclaw’s Diadem,” Ron pointed out. ”And she’s recognized as the wisest witch of all time.”

”Ravenclaw was the one with the wisdom, not her diadem,” Hermione said indifferently. ”If youʼre hoping for something like that to make you smarter, you might as well just read more books.”

”But isn’t it also written in books that the diadem grants wisdom?” Ron shot back.

Hermione opened her mouth but didn’t say anything.

Because Ron was right—it was written in the books.

While the two continued talking, Harry kept his head down and remained silent.

“Harry...” Ron nudged him. “What are you thinking about?”

“Something I overlooked before.” Harry looked up and whispered, “When we were in the Headmasterʼs office yesterday, Kyle said something... He mentioned that the Golden Cup was just like the Diadem—both were Voldemortʼs Horcruxes. And he said he had found them and given them to Mr. Nicolas Flamel.”

“Nicolas Flamel?” Ron couldnʼt help raising his voice. “The Nicolas Flamel who owned the Philosopherʼs Stone?”

“That’s probably right, but that’s not the point,” Harry said seriously. “The important part is what he said—‘like the Diadem.’ That means…”

“Ravenclaw’s Diadem was also made into a Horcrux by Voldemort!” Hermione blurted out.

“Yes.” Harry nodded. “And Kyle found it, too—before the Golden Cup.”

Silence fell over them.

Harry didn’t know what to say. At first, he had been amazed that Kyle had found a Horcrux, but now he realized that Kyle had found not just one, but two.

“In that case…” Ron asked, “does that mean Kyle has Ravenclaw’s Headpiece?”

“It’s a diadem, not a headpiece,” Hermione corrected.

“If Dumbledore hasn’t taken it, like the Golden Cup, then I think he probably does,” said Harry.

Neither Kyle nor Dumbledore had spoken much about it, so Harry wasn’t sure of the situation and could only speculate.

At that moment, Ron seemed to have a thought. Hesitantly, he asked, “Do you think that Kyle—being so smart—might have something to do with the Diadem?”

“Absolutely not!” Hermione said decisively. “Even if that so-called Diadem could really increase intelligence, have you ever seen Kyle wearing it?”

“Okay, no.” Ron thought for a moment, then shook his head.

Harry, sitting beside him, also shook his head.

They really hadn’t seen it. And considering Kyle was one of the most popular students in school, someone would have noticed if he suddenly started wearing a Diadem. But so far, there hadn’t been any talk about it.

“And there’s another important point,” Hermione continued. “Kyle has been at the top of the class since his first year at Hogwarts, and his grades have always been consistent. It’s not like you, who suddenly got better at Potions one day.”

“What does that have to do with us?” Ron muttered under his breath, pretending not to understand.

Thanks to those notes, he had stolen the show in Slughorn’s Potions class, earning Outstanding almost every time—a feeling he had never experienced before.

Unfortunately, there was only one copy of those notes. It would have been even better if he could do just as well in other classes.

Ron thought about it and then asked in a low voice, “Do you think Kyle would be willing to lend us the Diadem, just to take a look?”

“I know what you’re thinking…” Hermione gave him a pointed look. “But I advise you to give up that idea. You can’t expect to increase your intelligence just by wearing a Diadem.”

Ron said nothing, but from the way he avoided eye contact, it was clear he didn’t agree with Hermione.

“Hermione’s right,” Harry added.

Seeing that both of them were against the idea, Ron shrugged and mumbled, “I’m not trying to wear it—I’m just curious. It’s something left behind by Ravenclaw. Aren’t you curious?”

“I…” Hermione wanted to say she wasn’t, but she couldn’t. In the end, she sighed and nodded. “Okay, fine. I do want to see it.”

“But Kyle definitely wouldn’t lend the Ravenclaw Diadem to anyone,” Harry pointed out, looking at Ron. “Would you, if it were yours?”

“No,” Ron admitted immediately. “Except for you two, of course.”

“Thanks a lot,” Hermione said dryly.

“You’re welcome.”

“I have an idea,” Harry suddenly said, turning to Hermione. “You said that the founders of each house left behind a magical object, right?”

“Mhm.” Hermione nodded.

“In that case,” Harry continued, “has Voldemort also made Horcruxes out of the remaining sword and locket?”

Hearing that name, Ron shuddered. Then, after a moment’s thought, he realized what Harry was getting at.

“You’re right,” Hermione said, sitting up straighter. “Since the Golden Cup and the Diadem were made into Horcruxes, there’s no reason Voldemort would ignore the other two.”

“Then let’s find them,” Harry said firmly. “Let’s find the sword and the locket. Kyle managed to find two on his own—there are three of us.”

“You’re right.” Ron was visibly excited, but then his enthusiasm dimmed. “But how do we find them? Gryffindor’s sword isn’t in the dormitories, and the locket… can we even get into Slytherin’s common room?”

“We’ll find a way,” Harry said. “We won’t know until we try.”

As if he had suddenly been entrusted with a sacred mission, a surge of determination filled him.

“I’ll go to the library. It should be in Hogwarts, A History!” Hermione jumped to her feet, leaving her breakfast unfinished as she strode out of the Great Hall.

“I’ll help,” Harry said, following her.

Ron hesitated for a moment, then hurried after them.

…

Kyle arrived for breakfast and nearly collided with the trio at the doorway. He was moving so fast that he almost got knocked over, but fortunately, Kanna, walking beside him, pulled him back just in time.

“Sorry...” Kyle heard Harry say as the three of them rushed past.

“That scared me,” Kyle muttered, turning his head to watch them go. “What’s up with them?”

“I don’t know. Maybe they forgot something,” Kanna guessed.

“All three of them?” Kyle was a little puzzled but didn’t dwell on it. He just thought they were... well, as energetic as ever.

…

“Right, where were we?” Kyle asked.

“Horcrux,” Kanna reminded him.

“Here’s yours,” she said, handing Kyle an elaborate locket. “So that’s how You-Know-Who was able to come back to life?”

“Yes,” Kyle confirmed. “He split his soul into multiple pieces, making it much harder to kill him.”

“I remember you asking about Slughorn’s knowledge of Horcruxes before. Do you think he taught You-Know-Who how to make them?”

“It’s possible,” Kyle said. “Professor Dumbledore showed me a memory of Voldemort asking Slughorn about Horcruxes.”

“But the memory was altered, obviously, because Slughorn was afraid,” Kanna said thoughtfully.

“It’s incredible. I never imagined magic like this existed.” She glanced at the locket in Kyle’s hand. “So, the soul fragment inside…”

“It’s already been dealt with,” Kyle reassured her. “Nicolas used an ancient potion. It was quite effective—just took a while.”

“What kind of ancient potion?”

“I don’t know,” Kyle admitted. “I didn’t ask at the time. I just handed it over and left.”

“Nicolas gave me a book with some ancient potion recipes in it, but I doubt I can brew them,” Kanna said. “Still, I could try. Maybe I can help you. If all else fails, I could always ask Professor Snape for help.”

“No need,” Kyle shook his head. “The Horcruxes have already been destroyed. There’s no point going to all that trouble now.”

“All of them?” Kanna asked, skeptical. “The Diadem, the Golden Cup, the Locket… but isn’t there still a sword? The Sword of Gryffindor?”

“That,” Kyle said with a small smile, “was never lost. It’s always been at the school, so Voldemort never had the chance to turn it into a Horcrux.”

“The sword is at the school?”

“Yes. It’s in the Headmaster’s office, under Dumbledore’s watch,” Kyle explained. “I can get it for you if you’re interested, but honestly, there’s not much to see. It’s just a Goblin-made weapon.”

“Apart from being beautiful and sharp, its main feature is that it absorbs anything that can strengthen it. It sounds powerful, but for most people, a wand is far more practical.”

“Just a Goblin weapon?” Kanna looked a little disappointed. “I thought it might be a wand in the shape of a sword.”

Kyle laughed.

If that were the case—no, even if it were just a wand that could be inserted into a sword—he’d trade everything, including the Golden Cup and the locket, just to have it.