"Broken? Broken?" The Ravenclaw's Diadem, a legendary magical item, had just snapped in two! Evan blinked his eyes in disbelief. He stared blankly at the rusty Diadem, which no longer emitted any magical aura. With the Diadem's breakage, Voldemort's soul fragment, which had resided inside, also dissipated and completely disappeared. Now, this Diadem was just an ordinary iron headband, the most ordinary kind. If he didn't know it was a Ravenclaw's Diadem and it was just placed here, Evan wouldn't even take a second look at it.
He picked up one of the pieces and scrutinized it. The texture of this object seemed too fragile, or were the fangs of the Basilisk too powerful? You see, when a dark wizard creates a Horcrux, they usually cast a powerful magic spell on it to protect the Horcrux from being damaged. To destroy a Horcrux, it doesn't matter if it's torn to pieces or crushed into powder; under the effect of the magic, it will be repaired as before. Therefore, it takes something extremely destructive to permanently damage it. The venomous fang of the snake monster is one such substance because the poison of the snake monster only has one antidote: phoenix tears.
Evan had originally intended to use the venom to destroy the contents of the Diadem. However, he didn't expect that when the venomous fang collided with it, the already decayed Diadem would also break and shatter, just like an ordinary item devoid of any magic. He wondered what Voldemort had done to the Ravenclaw's Diadem in the first place, or was it originally like this?
Evan rearranged the Diadem pieces on the table and waved his wand, saying, "Reparo" A red light flashed, but there was no reaction; his magic couldn't repair the broken Diadem.
"Interesting!" Evan picked up the Diadem again and played with it in his hands. There could only be one possibility for this situation: his magical power wasn't strong enough. The item he needed to repair exceeded his abilities, causing the spell to fail. In other words, the Ravenclaw's Diadem wasn't as simple as it appeared; it contained a magical power that Evan didn't fully comprehend.
He knew that Voldemort had altered the Diadem's appearance, making it look ordinary, which wasn't its original form. To restore it, Evan would need the assistance of more potent magical powers, such as the Philosopher's Stone or the Elder Wand.
The Philosopher's Stone couldn't be used casually; it required guidance through a magical array. Evan had made significant progress in his research on the star magic formation above the Horseman Temple and the "Silence" magic formation inscribed in the Temple of Silence. However, he was still in the early stages and needed more time for further research. Therefore, the Philosopher's Stone was not an option in the short term.
The only remaining option was the Elder Wand. It seemed he would have to seek out Dumbledore.
Evan put away the broken Diadem pieces, intending to study them further, and if that proved fruitless, he'd seek Dumbledore's help. In any case, there was still enough time before the next mermaid gathering.
Leaving the room, he changes the area once again in the of Room of Requirement to his potion-making workspace. Inside, he checked and stored away the potions that Keresys had provided. These items had all been stolen from Snape's private storage cabinet, and many of the precious herbs were not suitable to bring around.
Afterward, he summoned Dobby, gave him some instructions, and asked him to bring him some food. Evan was famished, having not eaten anything the entire day.
Upon returning to the common room, he found Harry, Ron, and Hermione still deep in discussion about how to breathe underwater. The table in front of them was piled high with books, including titles like "The Mad Magic of Strange Wizards," "A Guide to Medieval Witchcraft and Wizardry," "Selected Spells of the 18th Century," "Fearful Creatures of the Underground," and "What You Don't Know About Your Powers and How to Use Them Once You Know Them," among others.
Hermione was attempting to find a way to survive underwater, while Harry and Ron discussed various strategies. They also shared the secret of the golden egg with Evan, even though he was already aware of it.
"You have to help me, Evan!" Ron pleaded, "Or I'm going to drown in that water!"
"Yeah, there's nothing the three of us can do," Harry added, "We're counting on you!"
"Well, if the Bubble-Head Charm doesn't work, we'll have to rely on Gill Sac Grass," Evan said, taking out the Gill Sac Grass and handing it to Ron, "I just happen to have this herb. You can consume it before the task; it will allow you to breathe underwater for up to an hour, which should be sufficient to complete the task."
"Are you sure this stuff works?!" Ron hesitated, eyeing the gray-green herb that looked somewhat like a rat's tail.
"Gill Sac Grass?!" Hermione exclaimed, recognizing it, "I've seen that in 'Magical Aquatic Plants of the Mediterranean and Their Properties.' I borrowed it from the library as supplementary reading for Herbology."
"Is this herb reliable?"
"Absolutely; just eat it, and you'll grow gills, webbed fingers, and toes and be able to breathe freely underwater. It's one of the most amazing herbs." Hermione looked up at Evan, "I should have thought of that, but it's in the books, or it's very rare. Evan, where did you get this Gill Sac Grass?"
"Well, this is from my personal collection. You know, I've been brewing magic potions and asked Professor Lupin to help me collect all kinds of rare potion materials. This happened to be among them," Evan explained.
"So, you've been carrying it around with you?"
"Yes!" Evan nodded, "That cloth pouch of mine has been expanded by the No Trace Stretching Spell and can hold many things inside."
Looking at Hermione's expression, it was obvious that she was skeptical; this girl was always extraordinarily wise in such matters. She and Evan looked at each other for a while and did not continue to pursue the matter. As for Harry and Ron, they were still deeply engrossed in studying the Gill Sac Grass and had not noticed any issues.
With the matter of Ron's underwater breathing resolved, Evan hoped that they would successfully get through the second task, and he also looked forward to facing Voldemort in the future.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Evan soon discerned a distinction between the Moody impersonated by Keresys and the Moody impersonated by Barty Crouch Jr.
He adhered to Keresys' teaching style, ensuring that students were exposed to dark magic as much as possible, but the process grew increasingly ruthless.
He initiated a range of dark magic attacks within the classroom, urging students to resist and dodge as best as they could.
This garnered Moody greater respect among the students, who were captivated by his lessons. However, whenever he faced Barty Crouch Jr., Evan couldn't help but wonder if a fatal accident was imminent.
Barty Crouch Jr. was deadly serious, aiming for vital points rather than practicing as he did with the other students.
Evan chose to ignore Barty Crouch Jr.'s provocations, avoiding confrontation and simply evading.
Beyond the classroom, he maintained a considerable distance from his adversary, unwilling to engage with the madman.
At the end of the week's lessons, Barty Crouch Jr. in the guise of Moody praised Harry's performance, suggesting his potential as an Auror. This praise greatly pleased Harry.
In contrast, young Barty did not hold back in expressing his disdain for Malfoy and the other Slytherin students. At the mere mention of Moody's name, Malfoy exhibited an unnatural, pale reaction.
Barty Crouch Jr.'s hatred for Snape, Karkaroff, and the other former Death Eaters surpassed even Malfoy's loathing. It was a genuine, deeply ingrained animosity, unlike Keresys' feigned hatred.
While Keresys may have had disputes with Karkaroff and Durmstrang regarding Nordic region interests, they were not insurmountable. In contrast, Barty Crouch Jr. harbored a genuine hatred, a desire to eliminate all these traitors.
This morbid hatred exceeded even his animosity towards Dumbledore, Evan, and other enemies of Voldemort.
Upon realizing the disappearance of Gillyweed and suspecting trouble for Moody, Snape launched another investigation.
Barty Crouch Jr.'s response was straightforward, ruthless, direct, and effective. He forcefully escorted Snape to Dumbledore's office, where they conducted a thorough search of Snape's quarters.
Though the details of Dumbledore's conversation with Snape remained undisclosed, Snape's demeanor had grown increasingly grim, discouraging anyone from approaching him.
The day following the search of Snape's office, Barty Crouch Jr. sought a private meeting with Karkaroff. Confronted with Barty Crouch Jr.'s pressure and force, Karkaroff's behavior became increasingly erratic.
He attempted to contact Snape repeatedly, but Snape continued to evade him, further heightening Karkaroff's anxiety.
During Friday night's dinner, Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared their encounter with Karkaroff breaking into the Potions classroom that morning. Karkaroff had interrupted Snape's lecture to have a private conversation with him.
"Shortly after the start of Potions, he barged in!" Harry recounted the scene. "Throughout both classes, he loitered behind the lectern as if he was trying to prevent Snape from slipping away after class..."
"Was Karkaroff visibly agitated?" Evan asked, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.
"Yes, you should have seen Karkaroff then!" Hermione exclaimed. "He kept nervously twirling his goatee with his fingers and seemed highly unsettled. It's bizarre; what could have alarmed him so much? He and Snape..."
"Snape and Karkaroff are well-acquainted, but he doesn't want others to know," Ron added.
"Evan, you should have witnessed Snape's expression when Karkaroff intruded upon the Potions class!" Harry continued. "I made an excuse to stay and saw Karkaroff attempting to talk to Snape, who he claimed had been avoiding him. Karkaroff appeared extremely anxious and showed something on his arm to Snape, but I couldn't quite discern what it was..."
"Ah!" Evan realized that it must have been Karkaroff displaying the Dark Mark, considering Snape's frequent gripping of his arm that night.
This revelation raised his concerns, as frequent pain from the Dark Mark implied that Voldemort was growing increasingly anxious about something.
Simultaneously, his powers were surging, strengthening his connection with the Death Eaters. While Voldemort hadn't yet acquired Harry's blood for the dark ritual, his powers were rapidly increasing.
Perhaps he had found a new source of power, one that surpassed the effects of unicorn blood and potions. Could it be the power derived from dealings with malevolent deities? What kind of accord had he struck with them?
Contemplating these questions, Evan grew increasingly apprehensive about Keresys' situation upon his return. Would he continue to confront Voldemort head-on, or would he seek a new reconciliation?
In summary, the newly arrived Barty Crouch Jr. had thrown Hogwarts into chaos. The recent string of unsettling news had heightened Evan's anxiety, as Voldemort and the malevolent entity proved to be formidable adversaries.
After dinner, Evan intended to visit the library to peruse materials related to the Ravenclaw's crown he had recently acquired. Hermione accompanied him, while Harry and Ron continued discussing the morning's events.
Their discussion had yielded no concrete results, and Ron eventually suggested that Harry write to Sirius for assistance.
Around eight o'clock in the evening, Hedwig returned with Sirius' response. Sirius cautioned against discussing sensitive matters through owl mail due to safety concerns. Instead, he instructed Harry and Ron to await him by the common room fire at midnight, where they would use the Floo Network to rendezvous at Hogwarts.
Upon Evan and Hermione's return, they found Harry and Ron stationed by the fire. Contemplating the possibility of additional individuals joining them later, they briefly considered using dungbombs to ensure the secrecy of their meeting.
Fortunately, after a strenuous week of classes, everyone had retired early, leaving only the four of them in the common room as midnight approached.
Having met with Sirius the previous week, Evan harbored modest expectations of any new information he might provide. Voldemort's elusive nature made it difficult for the Ministry of Magic's Aurors to track him down, leaving Evan hopeful for a breakthrough on Keresys' front.
Amidst hushed conversations, the room remained dimly lit, with the fireplace serving as the sole source of illumination. Just after midnight, Harry abruptly rose from his chair, his eyes locked on the flames, where Sirius' head appeared, wearing a welcoming smile.