Wade hid in the shadows, and watched the figure pacing back and forth in front of the Room of Requirement.
Ryan Smith—the Ilvermorny champion who had already been eliminated. If memory serves, his performance in the Chamber had been decent, but his teamwork was poor.
His companions dragged him down again and again, and before he could display even a fraction of his real strength, Wade had knocked him out with a Stunning Spell.
Now Ryan clutched a dragonhide pouch tightly in one hand, while his other hand pressed against his ear as he spoke in a low, strained voice to someone.
…
"Stop rushing me!"
Ryan Smith ground his teeth with beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. His eyes darted nervously toward the nearby tapestry as he said:
"I've already tried three times—I can't open this damned door! Are you sure you didn't get the place wrong?"
A cold voice spoke in his ear: [Of course I didn't. Most likely, every time you came before, someone was already inside.]
"So this chamber only allows one person inside at a time?"
Ryan glanced at the blank stretch of wall, and his voice grew impatient. "Didn't you say no one but you knew about this place?"
On the other end of the communication bean, there was a brief silence.
The man did not deny Ryan's guess that "only one person" could enter at a time.
Back when he had still been at school, it had always been just him alone who could come and go from the Room of Requirement—he was certain not even Dumbledore knew the secret.
But after all these years, he couldn't expect that no other Hogwarts student might have discovered it.
His tone chilled as he snapped back: [Are you questioning me? Are you questioning the one who selflessly guides you?]
"No… no, I didn't mean that…" Ryan realized his words had sounded offensive and hastily explained: "I just… I just don't want to miss this chance again…"
[Then hurry up,] the voice ordered. [You've stalled too long already.]
"I know, but getting in here is too risky." Ryan couldn't help but protest: "The Headmaster's office is right nearby—Dumbledore could show up at any moment."
Even as he spoke, he kept glancing warily over his shoulder, convinced that a pair of unseen eyes was watching him.
[Relax. Until the ball ends, Dumbledore won't abandon his guests to come back here. Tonight is your best chance!]
The voice soothed him with forced patience, then turned sharp again: [Focus! Otherwise, the chamber will never open for you!]
"I understand!"
Ryan said, suppressing his fear and unease. He began pacing the corridor, muttering to himself with each step:
"I need a place to hide something… I need a place to hide something… I need a place to hide something…"
After three passes, a tall door finally appeared on the blank wall.
Ryan's face lit up with delight, and he cried out: "It appeared!"
[Quiet! Do you want to draw the whole castle here?] the other scolded.
Ryan quickly checked both ends of the corridor—still empty. He whipped his head back around, only to see Barnabas the Barmy on the tapestry being whacked over and over on the head with a club by the trolls, pausing mid-swing to twist around and stare at him.
He couldn't help but laugh. "So it was you, fool, watching me."
The other person: "…?"
The voice didn't bother asking what Ryan meant and simply urged him again to hurry up.
Ryan then pulled the door open and stepped into the Room of Requirement—only to freeze.
"I thought you said… this place was piled high with old furniture and junk collected over the years, so much that it looked like a whole little town?"
He shut the door behind him, his scalp prickling as he spoke.
[Yes,] the voice answered. [Now, just follow my instructions and you'll find Ravenclaw's diadem. First, you need to look for a troll specimen…]
Ryan swallowed hard.
But this place… was far emptier than the man had described! The area wasn't nearly as large either.
The so-called mountains of junk had dwindled to scattered debris here and there. All of it together wouldn't even fill a normal classroom.
And there was no troll specimen in sight.
Something that huge—if it were here—he would have seen it immediately from the doorway, especially since the chamber was so bare now.
But there was nothing.
Oh… not here, at least…
Ryan slowly recalled: yes, I had seen a troll specimen, but not in this chamber—it was in the maze.
The Maze was Hogwarts' most entertaining large-scale live-action game. Every visiting student had been fascinated by it. Professor Agilbert had even said that once they returned to Ilvermorny, they ought to build something similar.
After all, Ilvermorny had been modeled after Hogwarts in the first place; no one would be embarrassed to copy yet another of their methods for training students.
In short, one time when Ryan had joined the maze game, a reeking troll had nearly scared him to death—only later did he realize it was merely a magically animated specimen, unusually lifelike.
He relayed this to the person on the other end of the communication bean. As expected, there was half a minute of silence before a furious roar:
[How dare they?! Those fools at Hogwarts—did they actually empty the chamber? Even my diadem?!]
Ryan corrected him: "Strictly speaking, it's Ravenclaw's diadem. And you promised you'd let me have it."
—How did it suddenly become his diadem?
Even in his rage, the other man heard the undertone in Ryan's words. He couldn't even be bothered to get angry about it—only surprised. Why on earth had he chosen this one?
Ah… because he was the only one who had fallen for the lure.
The so-called "Guide"—in truth, Voldemort—drew a deep breath, forced his fury down, and said in his old measured tone: [Yes, you'll have it. But first, you must find where the diadem is.]
"Right… that's it…"
Ryan looked at the scattered junk in the chamber. His vision darkened for a moment, his body stiff. Then, at last, he bent down and began searching carefully.
Hidden nearby, Wade: "…"
—Really? Just digging straight through the rubbish? Not even going to try a Summoning Charm?
Of course, the Summoning Charm wouldn't bring the diadem anyway, and most assumed such old, powerful objects would resist being summoned.
Seeing Ryan Smith follow the instructions and begin searching in a certain direction, Wade silently slipped to another corner. He raised his wand and tapped it against a battered cauldron.
The cauldron shifted quietly, transforming into an ancient, tarnished diadem.
Now, it was only a matter of time before Ryan found it.
Watching him struggle to rummage through a wooden crate, Wade leaned lazily against the wall to rest.
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