Chapter 423: The Anchor of Fate

Hermione had been saying that when Alan left, she would hold a small farewell party for him. She invited Harry, Ron, Cui Ge, and Luna, as a group of friends who didn't know each other without fighting. Harry was in favor of this proposal. For one thing, their chat would be very helpful for Hermione to control OOO, and for another, he himself was quite willing to learn more about Alan. Such an excellent young man wouldn't be unknown, and they might have a chance to meet again in politics in the future.

However, in the end, this farewell party wasn't held. Alan didn't reveal any news to them. He just picked up his box and went out on a calm afternoon, and then never came back.

Originally, this was just a faint regret. Hermione didn't complain or be dissatisfied, she just revealed a relieved smile. But at this very moment, the weekend after Alan had just left, Snape called Harry to his office and told him the news of the diadem being stolen with a serious face. His thoughts were suddenly pulled away from these things, and he began to suspect Alan.

"Alan Harris... you mean, that Ravenclaw exchange student?" Snape took a moment to recall. "With his strength alone, is it really enough to break through my protective magic?"

"Your protective magic, will it work on Kamen Riders?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Snape narrowed his eyes. "But does this mean that there is a Knight from another school among the transfer students, and you guys never thought of reporting it to me?"

"Uh, I thought he was just, some kind of fighting among children..." Harry scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly. "And, he has a good relationship with Hermione, we all feel he doesn't look like a bad person."

"Obviously, you have other things you're hiding from me," Snape chuckled. "Although I don't mind this, I hope you understand a principle. Many things, although independent and unrelated, doesn't mean they are mutually exclusive. When you think you know enough about a person's identity, you also have to consider that he might not necessarily have only one identity."

"Thank you," Harry felt that Snape's meaningful words were teaching him. "Then if we assume Alan has other identities, why did he steal the diadem? If it's to this point and someone still can't let go of Voldemort, then I think this is too stupid. Maybe it's more likely that he stole it because of the diadem's original meaning, trying to obtain wisdom from it, or sell it to others as an antique?"

"You have to understand one thing, Harry," Snape shook his head. "There are very few wizards in the world today who are qualified to come into contact with Knight power, and these people are the top layer of the wizarding world. In the eyes of the top layer, the significance of the diadem is not as important as Voldemort."

"Why?" Harry couldn't help but ask back. "Do you think Voldemort is more worth paying attention to than Ravenclaw?"

"No, to be precise, if the diadem is just a diadem, then it's just a tool made by Ravenclaw at will, and it's even more dispensable after the spread of the Inspiration Charm; but if the diadem is a Horcrux of Voldemort, then first of all, it houses the remnant soul of a top Dark Wizard, and secondly, Voldemort, as the only person in the world who has painstakingly studied Horcrux technology, the Horcruxes he made actually have great research value. You should be able to guess that another project under Lucius's hands is to study magic related to the soul through Nagini—you might not know yet, although Nagini's life as a snake has passed, its corpse still faithfully fulfills the duty of a Horcrux. If this characteristic can be thoroughly studied by us, the potential application prospects are quite considerable."

"Your implication is, Alan might be working for the Magical Congress, and stealing the diadem is for research?"

"No, the Magical Congress has no need to steal the diadem, because the cup is already with them," Snape shook his head. "What I am worried about is that Alan is secretly working for the Kremlin, causing the diadem to fall into Yanayev's hands."

"But he must be working for Donald... oh right, this is what you just wanted to say, he might be a double agent."

"This is the most likely, sure enough Yanayev is also making multiple preparations, but I still find it strange. If Alan is a double agent, he can gain the trust of the Magical Congress, to the point that Donald is willing to give him Knight power. Such a trump card, does Yanayev really prefer to just use it to steal a diadem?"

"Maybe..."

"No, Harry, I know better than you what a cunning person Yanayev is," Snape was thinking rapidly, and he suppressed Harry's speech without thinking. "The reason he did this... yes, the diadem is the only Horcrux he has a chance to take away. Many people know it is hidden in the Room of Requirement, and the reason he spared no cost to obtain the diadem is—Horcruxes, or soul magic, are spells that can truly threaten Kamen Riders. Unfortunately, I should have put down my prejudice earlier and studied the Killing Curse properly..."

"Sorry, Professor, you said many people know the diadem is in the Room of Requirement, what's going on?" Harry couldn't help but ask.

"Harry Potter," Snape read Harry's name, but the tone was like a statement. "If I tell you, what will happen?"

"What will happen?"

"Hmph, since Yanayev dares to steal the diadem, then I'll tell you about it," Snape revealed a dangerous smile. "No matter how meaningful Horcruxes are, he couldn't possibly bet the survival of the entire wizarding world on a fluke. That actually means—fate is indeed no longer in the world."

"The matter is actually very simple, that is, Master Master Xuanjun divined a series of threads of fate, including 'the diadem is hidden in the Room of Requirement', and Master Master Xuanjun once warned us, of course, even without his warning, the Doctors also discovered this risk, that is, fate will become very fragile after time is frozen, and you, as the anchor of fate, if you are rashly told information you shouldn't know, then the entire reality world has the risk of collapsing."

"And now it seems, since Yanayev doesn't care about breaking divination, then letting you know about the diadem doesn't matter. Maybe this is his other plan, pushing for more, and finally breaking the Statute of Secrecy openly," Snape pondered. "Unfortunately, we know very little about the relationship between fate and death, and Master Master Xuanjun doesn't seem to be certain either."

"Uh, so that's how it is," Harry had an impression of this point. "But I don't quite understand, why me?"

"If it were Dumbledore or Voldemort, would you feel it's reasonable?" Snape smiled. "This question, actually, you go ask Neville, it would be better."

Harry left the headmaster's office suspiciously. When he returned to the dormitory, Neville was not there, and he didn't return until dinner time.

"Neville," Harry stopped him. "Snape said, I can ask you about our relationship with fate?"

"Ah, yes, actually Snape took me to the Department of Mysteries once during the Christmas holiday, and I also saw the things Dumbledore really wanted to tell me," Neville nodded. "At that time, he told me not to tell you. That's probably the time he thinks it can be said now."

"So you have already found the secret behind the beetle pin," Harry continued to ask. "Then what does he want to say?"

"That prophecy, when even Dumbledore couldn't do anything about Voldemort, Trelawney made a prophecy for him," Neville said slowly.

"Is it that one?" Harry immediately felt a bit disappointed. "He went to such great lengths, just to let you hear that prophecy?"

"Yeah, you might have known it long ago, but it's quite meaningful to me," Neville shook his head with a wry smile. "Once, I didn't notice the sentence 'the Dark Lord himself marked him as his equal' in the prophecy. That is to say, I always thought we both possessed the power to defeat the Dark Lord. But in fact, only you, and it can only be you."

Harry was silent. He understood Snape's meaning now. It was Dumbledore who heard the prophecy, and then it was Voldemort who took action himself, confirming his status as the Savior—it was these two once-strongest wizards who pressed the destiny of the next few decades onto him.

"Do you think it's a bit ridiculous?" Neville took out the beetle pin again. "I don't understand Dumbledore's meaning. He told me these things at such a time, what does he want to do? I don't know. Once I felt he owed me, and fate owed me, but the prophecy said they didn't owe me anything, which made the former me look a bit childish."

"Eh!" Neville sighed heavily. "Snape said this is to let me reconcile with fate, but what qualifications do I have to talk about fate? It's just reconciling with myself."

"Or, he went to such great lengths to make this layout, just to let me hear your sigh," Neville shrugged. "Just like I once spent all my strength to solve one mystery after another, but in the end, the Sorcerer's Stone jumped into your hands without any effort—all this is just scenery on the Savior's growth path."

"You don't have to say that, Neville," Harry shook his head in confusion. "Your courage, wisdom, your fighting skills, clearly you are much stronger than me, why deny yourself because of a saying of fate?"

"This is not denial, just acceptance. I just want to live peacefully now, a plain job and an ordinary lover are enough," Neville buried his heart deep in his eyes. "As for fate, I just want to say, since fate decided to entrust this world to you, please don't live up to its expectations." ===== CHAPTER 424 =====