"Evans?"
A familiar voice interrupted Evans's thoughts. He slowly raised his head to see Dumbledore had somehow appeared before them, looking at him strangely.
"What's wrong with you? You seem absent-minded."
"It's nothing." Evans shook his head, temporarily burying those doubts in his heart.
However, after Christmas when he finished looking at that so-called great lake, he needed to go deep into the Forbidden Forest and carefully study that seal again.
Organising his mood, Evans asked, "Have you been waiting here all along?"
When they went to Hagrid's to resolve the curse on the Chimaera, Dumbledore had been busy replying to letters. At that time they had agreed to meet at the Room of Requirement's entrance after resolving the curse on the Chimaera.
However, they had been delayed for quite a long time—he wondered if Dumbledore had gotten impatient waiting.
"Of course not," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling with familiar mischief. "I find that patience, much like a fine wine, improves considerably when one has other delightful pursuits to occupy the time. Besides, it would hardly do for the staff to discover their headmaster loitering in corridors like a first-year who's lost his way to Transfiguration class, would it?"
"But was that curse very difficult to handle? Why did it take so long?" Dumbledore's expression showed some confusion. They had left at 2 PM, but now the sky outside was approaching midnight.
"The curse wasn't too difficult to handle—" Hearing this question, Evans's mouth twitched. "It's just that some other matters caused quite a delay."
Perhaps never having seen such perfect crossbred creatures, Nicolas Flamel had enthusiastically pulled Hagrid aside in the hut to study biological transmutation for half the day. Combined with recording data on that Blast-Ended Skrewt and helping Hagrid repair his house, this had caused such a long delay.
"Other matters?" Dumbledore's expression looked somewhat curious, but after weighing for a moment, he shook his head.
Business came first—after finishing with the diadem matter, he could enquire about these things later.
Walking past the tapestry three times with eyes closed, a smooth door appeared before the three of them.
"Interesting room—what's the principle behind this?" Looking at that smooth door, interest flashed in Flamel's eyes.
As an alchemist, he always had inexplicable curiosity about novel things. Although after destroying the Philosopher's Stone his life had less than two years remaining, there were still many unknown things in this world he hadn't discovered.
However, he had lived long enough—it was time to see what death was really like.
Compared to the world's undiscovered secrets, death's mysteries also fascinated him greatly.
But now, seeing such a magical room, he still couldn't help wanting to study it.
"After this diadem matter is resolved, from now until Christmas can be used to research this room." While pushing open that smooth door, Dumbledore said, "Then we can work together—I'm also very interested in this room."
"Can you include me?" Evans's face also showed an interested expression. "I'm quite interested in this room too."
A room that could change appearance according to needs—if it could be integrated into his magical small box, he could truly create something extraordinary.
"Of course, no problem." Nodding, Dumbledore fully opened the door, revealing the junk piled to the ceiling.
"So this is the treasure buried by young wizards over all these years at Hogwarts?" Looking at that pile of junk reaching the ceiling, Nicolas Flamel's tone carried some emotion. "What a pity—back then I learnt magic from my family and never came to this magical school."
"Otherwise, my fate might have changed somewhat; who knows?"
"Perhaps this world would have one less alchemical master who created the Philosopher's Stone and one more explorer?" Dumbledore smiled, pointing left.
"This way."
Evans and Dumbledore walked ahead, passing through pile after pile of junk. Soon, that pockmarked wizard statue appeared before the three.
The moment he saw that statue, the smile on Nicolas Flamel's face slowly disappeared, replaced by some gravity.
He carefully observed that diadem for a long time before slowly shaking his head.
"How is it? Is there a way to break it?"
"Very difficult." Flamel's tone was extremely serious. "This death curse is far too pure, plus the soul representing slaughter inside—even I'm not confident I can drive it out."
"Unless we find someone to bear this death curse with their body, otherwise breaking it can probably only be done by whoever created it."
Hearing Flamel's words, Dumbledore lowered his head in thought. Evans looked at that diadem and asked softly, "Between it and the curse on the Chimaera earlier, which is stronger?"
"Not easy to compare." Nicolas Flamel stared at the diadem on that statue, saying in a low voice, "Their focuses are completely different. The curse on the Chimaera was very ancient and complex, like a perfect work of art. But this one—"
Flamel paused, gravity flashing in his eyes. "Its construction is very simple—only pure death. But it's precisely this pure death that makes it difficult to break."
"Like how the world's safest lock is always completely sealing all doors, leaving no space for entry."
Hearing Nicolas Flamel's words, Dumbledore frowned, looking at that diadem.
If this death curse couldn't be broken, there was no way to destroy this Horcrux. But he didn't want innocent people to use their lives to break the curse on it—this violated his principles.
However, if the person bearing the death curse wasn't innocent... After pondering, Dumbledore said softly, "Is there a way to transfer it?"
"That's no problem." Nodding, Flamel crouched down, pulled out a pen from his pocket, and cautiously drew a circle beside that statue before drawing his wand. Runes slowly appeared on the ground one by one.
"What plan do you have now?" While Flamel was transferring the diadem, Evans looked at Dumbledore beside him.
He always felt Old Dumbledore was brewing some devious plan again.
Hearing Evans's question, Dumbledore's face showed some amusement, "Over a month ago, when I heard a report from an intelligence agent, I accidentally heard some news."
"That Ms Umbridge from the Ministry has been in a rather odd state recently."
"And until a few days ago, when that Ms Umbridge came to school as Ministry personnel to supervise me, I also sensed problems."
"Although that lady's behaviour and tone are much the same as before, there are some differences."
"So a few days ago, I checked at night. Guess what I discovered?" Dumbledore's expression was very strange, his azure eyes full of amusement.
"What did you discover?" Evans cooperatively played along.
His face showing even more amusement, Dumbledore lowered his voice as if sharing secrets, "I discovered that Ms Umbridge, the Deputy Secretary, was sleeping in a hidden compartment in the restroom I arranged for her."
"Sleeping very soundly indeed."