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That evening, the fire crackled in the Gryffindor common room.
Harry sat in an armchair in the corner, holding T.M. Riddle's diary. He had been in this position for two solid hours, not even hearing Hermione call him to review their Potions essays.
Rove sat on the sofa opposite him, his quill suspended in mid-air, his gaze fixed on Harry over his parchment.
> [Target: Harry Potter (Ring-bearer)]
> [Status: Mild Mental Contamination]
> [Current Action: Establishing Connection with Dark Whispers]
> [Warning: Target's willpower is slowly being eroded, Sanity drain rate: 0.1/min]
"Something's not right." Rove said to himself mentally. "This isn't just an ordinary Dark Magical object. Its corruption rate is too fast, like a plague."
In Rove's System vision, the diary was emitting a visible black mist. The mist acted like tiny tentacles, winding along Harry's fingers, wrapping around his wrists, and even trying to slither up his sleeves toward his heart.
"Harry." Rove spoke suddenly.
Harry jumped violently, as if jolted awake from a dream. He quickly snapped the diary shut, his movements unnaturally exaggerated, even a bit panicked.
A flash of wariness crossed his eyes, a look that reminded Rove of Frodo after being stabbed by the Ringwraith on Weathertop.
"What's wrong, Rove?"
"Give it to me." Rove held out his hand, his tone firm. "I want to examine it again. I want to trace its origin, maybe there's a tracking spell lingering on it."
"No need." Harry subconsciously pulled the diary closer to his chest. "It's blank, Rove. I checked, there's nothing there. I even used a Revealer eraser on it."
"If it's blank, why have you been staring at it for two hours?"
"What are you expecting? Expecting a line of text to suddenly appear and tell you where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"
"Maybe it does know!" Harry's voice suddenly spiked, drawing the attention of several students playing Wizard's Chess nearby. "It's from fifty years ago! Riddle must know something! He's a witness to that era!"
Rove's heart sank.
> [System Judgment]
> [Item True Name: One of the Nine Rings of Men]
> [Trait: Promises power and knowledge in exchange for soul enslavement]
> [Side Effect: Long-term possession will transform the bearer into a "Wraith" (Ringwraith)]
"This is not the One Ring."
"The One Ring makes a person invisible; it instills an infinite lust for power. But this notebook offers 'knowledge' and 'secrets', a much more insidious bait. It's a trap designed specifically for those eager to prove themselves, desperate to solve puzzles, yearning to be heroes. It promises to make you a great leader, but ultimately turns you into a puppet of darkness."
Rove felt a chill. Even Harry, certified by the System as the "Chosen One" and possessing natural Dark Magic resistance (plot armor), was beginning to show this defensiveness and dependency after only a few hours of contact with the thing.
"Harry, listen to me." Rove softened his tone. "That thing is exploiting your desires. You want to catch the Heir of Slytherin, you want to prove you're not the bad guy, and that's fine. But don't let it become your master. Remember Gandalf's words: Do not lightly use magical artifacts you do not understand."
Harry seemed to struggle for a moment, the fanaticism in his eyes receding slightly. "I know, Rove. I just... I feel like it wants to tell me something. Like... like it's alive. I can feel it breathing."
"Of course it's alive." Rove said quietly. "It is a piece of Sauron. It is living malice."
At that moment, Ron walked over, holding a half-eaten meat pie. He plopped down in the armchair next to Harry.
"What are you guys talking about? That rubbish diary?" Ron glanced at the object in Harry's hand and mumbled, "If you ask me, just chuck it. Or give it to Hermione, she likes reading. I just saw Fred and George try to turn a newt into a canary, and it exploded."
Rove looked at Ron, and a sudden realization struck him like lightning.
> [Memory Playback]
> [Clue Assembly: Red hair, pale face, old black book, rejection of the Rune of Hope]
Ginny Weasley sitting at the Gryffindor table, face pale as paper, clutching a black book tightly as if it were her lifeline. When others approached, she would hide it away like a startled animal.
And in the corridor, when Rove tried to give her the "Rune of Hope," she screamed as if burned and threw the stone away, her eyes filled with terror.
"Damn it..." Rove shot to his feet. "I've been blind! I should have realized it sooner! The answer was literally written on her face!"
"What's wrong?" Ron jumped, dropping his meat pie. "You look like you just saw a Dementor."
Ignoring his surprise, Rove walked over, gripping Ron's shoulders tightly with both hands, his eyes burning. "Ron, think carefully. Over these past few months since term started, have you ever seen Ginny holding this notebook?"
"Ginny?" Ron was stunned. He blinked, seemingly trying hard to remember. "Er... I'm not sure. She's always carrying a bunch of books, you know, first-years are always nervous, and she writes in a diary too..."
"A black one. With a battered cover." Rove spoke quickly, his tone urgent. "Just like the one Harry has. Think hard! At Flourish and Blotts, or at home!"
Ron frowned, deep in thought. Suddenly, his expression changed, turning as pale as Ginny's had been.
"I remember..." Ron's voice trembled slightly. "At Flourish and Blotts... her cauldron was a mess back then. And later on the train, she was writing constantly. And... yeah, I saw her with a black notebook a few times, but I thought it was some 'Beginner's Guide to Charms' she mail-ordered by owl... or a girl's secret diary..."
Ron abruptly turned to look at the diary in Harry's hand. "Are you saying... this is Ginny's? But why would she throw it in the toilet?"
"Because she was resisting." Rove took a deep breath, a hint of unconcealable admiration in his voice. "She was being controlled by it, Ron. This 'Ring' was eroding her soul, trying to turn her into the ninth Ringwraith. But she... that eleven-year-old girl, she did what many adult wizards, even powerful Númenóreans, couldn't do."
"She threw it away." Harry looked at the diary in his hand, his expression growing complex. "She got rid of it."
"Yes." Rove nodded. "We don't know the price she paid—maybe a mental breakdown, maybe plagued by nightmares—but she used her own willpower to sever the connection with the Dark Lord. Your sister is a hero, Ron. She possesses courage comparable to Éowyn's. She faced the darkness alone, and she survived."
Ron's jaw dropped; he seemed unable to process this information for a moment. "Then... then I'm going to ask her right now! I'm going to get to the bottom of this! If that thing hurt her..."
"Don't go!" Rove grabbed Ron, who was about to jump up, with surprising strength. "Absolutely do not go."
"Why? She's my sister! I have a right to know!"
"Precisely because she is your sister." Rove said sternly. "Imagine if you had just escaped a demon talking inside your head; would you want people to know? She must be in a state of extreme terror and self-doubt right now. If you charge over and ask her if she was possessed by the Dark Lord, she'll break. It will completely destroy her mental defenses."
"Then what do we do? Pretend we don't know? Let her suffer alone?"
"We need a gentler approach. We need a Healer." Rove turned and looked as Hermione, carrying a stack of books and still looking a bit feline, walked into the common room.
"Hermione." Rove waved her over.
"What's wrong?" Hermione set the books down and walked over, looking confused. "Why do you three look so serious? Did Harry break school rules again? Or did Ron snap his wand again?"
"No, this time it's about salvation." Rove pointed toward the girls' dormitories. "We need you to go talk to Ginny. Just chat about life, classes, or Harry (if you think it helps). Check on her condition. You're a girl, and you're observant."
"Ginny?" Hermione looked surprised. "She has been looking unwell lately... always avoiding people, and her complexion is terrible. Are you suspecting..."
"Don't ask. Go comfort her." Rove interrupted. "You are our best diplomat in Rivendell; you are the Elven Princess Arwen. Only you can get her to lower her guard. Tell her everything will be alright, tell her we are all here for her."
Hermione looked at Rove's serious eyes. Though she didn't fully understand, she nodded. "Alright, I'll try. I'll bring some chocolate."
Watching Hermione walk toward the girls' dormitories, Rove turned back to look at the diary in Harry's hand.
"As for you, Harry." Rove said in a deep voice, sounding like he was delivering a verdict. "Since this thing was thrown away by Ginny, it means it was desperate to find a new host. And now, it has found a 'tastier', more powerful target."
"Me?" Harry pointed at himself, smiling bitterly.
"Yes, Chosen One." Rove patted Harry's shoulder. "This battle of wills has only just begun. Remember, no matter what it promises you—power, knowledge, or resurrecting the dead—it is a lie. It is a creation of the Father of Lies."
> [System Prompt: Story Branch Detected]
> [Current Node: The Passing of the Ring-bearer]
> [Former Bearer: Ginny Weasley (Willpower Check: Success / Forced Detachment / Mental Trauma)]
> [New Bearer: Harry Potter (Willpower Check: In Progress / Dark Resistance: Active / Plot Armor Protection)]