Chapter 374

“Mr. Owl...”

Wizard Sean murmured.

It was Mr. Owl.

His hazy memories returned like a tide.

The troll tapestry, the Room of Requirement, the secret of the Ravenclaw Diadem...

All no longer shrouded in mist.

But... what purpose did Mr. Owl have in doing this?

Just to keep him out of the Room of Requirement?

Wizard Sean suddenly realized—if it were Mr. Owl, it wasn’t impossible.

As for whether Mr. Owl posed a danger, Wizard Sean suspected it was unlikely, unless Ravenclaw intended to harm the students.

But why him?

Or rather, what secret did the cottage guarded by Mr. Owl truly conceal?

Wizard Sean knew the cottage guarded by Mr. Owl—or as they called it, the Hope Cottage—had always been magical.

When Jia Jia Siting asked Mr. Owl for a fireplace, Mr. Owl conjured one for them;

when they wished for that fireplace to connect to the outside world—such as linking to Hermione’s Floo Network with her family—the fireplace magically gained that function.

In this regard, the Hope Cottage was not much different from the Room of Requirement.

Wizard Sean slowly furrowed his brow, recalling everything he knew about the Room of Requirement:

The Room of Requirement, also called the “Come and Go Room” by house-elves.

One of the most mysterious and powerful magical spaces in Hogwarts.

It does not always exist; it only appears when someone with a true need walks past its door.

The method of entry is unique: the user must concentrate on their need and walk three times back and forth before the blank wall.

If done correctly, a smooth door will appear on the wall. The room’s interior will fully adapt to the user’s need.

For example, when Albus Dumbledore urgently needed a bathroom, he found a room filled with chamber pots.

Its history is unknown, but it has clearly existed for centuries. Some house-elves know of it; later, Dobby recommended it to Harry Potter.

According to Dobby, for centuries, countless students and staff have found here what they needed—from hiding objects to seeking refuge.

The young Tom Riddle once discovered and used it to hide the Ravenclaw Diadem he had found, turning it into a Horcrux.

If Wizard Sean had to explain it, the Room of Requirement was like an artificial intelligence—

The wizard makes a request, the room receives it, then casts transfiguration magic to transform its contents into what the requester needs.

It just cannot distinguish between users; otherwise, Harry would have had a hard time finding the Ravenclaw Diadem.

“Artificial intelligence...”

Wizard Sean suddenly felt he had grasped something—if the Room of Requirement was an AI that could not identify wizards, then what was Mr. Owl?

A true, qualified, intelligent being capable of understanding wizard commands and acting upon them?

As his thoughts swirled, Wizard Sean knew that upon returning to Hogwarts, he would have far more to deal with.

First, practice Occlumency; second, understand what Mr. Owl truly intended—what was the connection between the Hope Cottage and the Room of Requirement? What instructions had Ravenclaw left for Mr. Owl?

Achieving this would be simple: Wizard Sean would directly ask Mr. Owl, who had acted strangely before his departure.

Lastly, destroy the Ravenclaw Diadem.

Wizard Sean did not wish to approach the thing himself, but he could animate the statues and have them use a snake fang to destroy it.

“Come along, dear.”

At that moment, Professor Tera entered through the door.

“Professor—yes.”

Wizard Sean snapped back to attention.

The fireplace before them had long been connected to Hogwarts’ Floo Network, though only to one specific location.

“Mr. Green,”

Professor Quirrell suddenly spoke up,

“To practice Occlumency, you must process complex emotions and memories; and further still, perhaps you could attempt reverse deception.”

He fell silent for a moment.

“I believe you will soon need this.”

Because... you are the great Green.

“Oh? You’ve finally decided to learn Occlumency?”

Professor Tera’s interest sparked instantly.

“You know Mr. Owl?”

Wizard Sean froze, then immediately understood.

“Such clever magic, used so crudely... a wizard only needs to study Occlumency for a month to detect deception.”

Of course I’d care—see which fool dared do such a thing.”

Professor Tera narrowed her eyes,

“What Quirrell just mentioned is an advanced application of Occlumency.

I’m not skilled in it, nor do I need to be.”

Wizard Sean was eager:

“Has Mr. Owl ever done this before? Why would he do such a thing?”

The fireplace flames burned fiercely; Quirrell listened carefully, cautiously.

“As far as I know, no—except for you, he’s just an ordinary portrait.

Or perhaps he has, but no one cares if a young wizard forgets something.”

Professor Tera thought for a moment.

“Then you are...”

Wizard Sean paused, then asked anyway.

“My dear student, you will never understand the dread of an aging alchemist—if Dumbledore hadn’t forbidden it, I’d cast protective charms on you every day.”

Professor Tera made a rare joke.

On the first day of January, in Wizard Sean’s perception, Hogwarts Castle was no longer a distant symbol.

Though the cold front still raged, the wind biting through bone,

the fireplaces within the castle remained warm.

Soon, the fireplace erupted in tall green flames, and two wizards stepped out.

“So, how long did it take you to learn Occlumency before you uncovered this little joke?”

Professor Tera’s robes still bore traces of snow and wind.

“Just now...”

Wizard Sean replied.

“Hmm, I saw—you just learned it. I mean...”

As she spoke, Professor Tera set down her heavy trunk.

But soon, she froze, as if struck by reflection:

“A troubling talent... Hogwarts is a good place. I should have come sooner.”

The professor gazed into Wizard Sean’s eyes; she saw the impatience beneath his calm.

“Go on,”

she said,

“If you plan to burn the portrait, let me know.

But think carefully, my dear student—that means you’ll join the distant Vagadu.

That old ‘Black Panther’ will surely be so delighted he won’t sleep—and he’ll even forget about the time Dumbledore came knocking.”