After trying several passwords Dumbledore had used before and finding that none worked on the stone gargoyle before them, Harry gave up trying. All three realized Snape had changed the gargoyle's password, and their feelings grew particularly complicated. It practically meant Snape had become Headmaster of Hogwarts.
Only the Headmaster had the authority to do that.
They could only stand before the stone gargoyle and patiently wait for Albert to come fetch them.
"Why don't you ask Albert what the password is?" Ron asked Hermione, glancing sideways at her as he cautiously checked the surroundings with the Marauder's Map.
"That's probably unlikely. He likely used some kind of spell," Hermione guessed.
"What spell?"
"You can ask him yourself later."
"Do you think Albert already found Ravenclaw's Diadem?" Harry interrupted their conversation. "He's very clever. If we could find those clues, he definitely could too. It probably wouldn't be hard for him to get the Grey Lady to tell the truth."
"Albert isn't someone who likes lying," Hermione said, giving Harry a sidelong glance. "Besides, would that really mean anything?"
"Dumbledore knew too?"
"That's inevitable."
"Dumbledore obviously had no reason to lie to or deceive us about this." Harry had entertained similar thoughts, but quickly suppressed them. As Hermione had said, Dumbledore had no reason whatsoever to conceal the whereabouts of the Horcruxes. More than anyone else, he wanted to destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes.
"But they definitely knew long ago that the Grey Lady was Ravenclaw's daughter," Ron reminded them. "That guy's brain works better than all three of ours put together."
"While I'm pleased by your compliment, I don't think you need to put yourself down at all. People's upper limits may differ, but their lower limits aren't all that different." Albert came down the spiraling stone staircase above and greeted