Ravenclaw's Trial and Authority

It was a statue carved from an unknown material, which emitted a gentle, pale white light when illuminated.

The statue is about fifteen feet tall (about four and a half meters), which is not very tall, and even shorter than the one in the Ravenclaw Common Room niche.

However, in Sean's eyes, Rowena Ravenclaw seemed to come alive; the statue exuded a reassuring aura, radiating the light of wisdom and knowledge.

Ravenclaw had a faint, mocking smile on her face. She was beautiful, intelligent, and elegant, yet intimidating.

But if you really look closely into her eyes, you will find tolerance and compassion in the eyes of this Four Founders.

It was as if I were really seeing that amazingly talented witch from thousands of years ago.

"Unbelievable..." Sean murmured to himself.

Then, he walked up to the statue and touched his chest in respect.

This is the respect he should have for the Founders Ravenclaw.

"But does this place count as Ravenclaw's Chamber of Secrets, the place where she hides her power..." Sean looked up and surveyed his surroundings.

According to Slytherin, the Hogwarts Authority was divided into four parts, with each of the Four Founders controlling a portion. They concealed these parts from each other, using them as a test for those who came after them—which, of course, was also part of their struggle.

Slytherin has made it clear that Ravenclaw's authority lies within the castle. Sean has suspected the Room of Requirement more than once, and now he has finally found the Room of Requirement in its original state.

So the question is, what can I do here? And is Ravenclaw's authority actually here?

Sean circled the Ravenclaw statue twice, and the Runes, parchments, and quills would gently part to make way for him as he approached, only to float back and circle him again after he had passed.

"Nothing special about it... I thought that finding a way to enter the original state of the Room of Requirement was Ravenclaw's test..." Sean muttered to himself.

He stopped in front of the statue, curiously examining Ravenclaw.

This statue is amazing. Ravenclaw is always looking straight ahead, but no matter which direction you look from, you always feel like Ravenclaw is watching you.

"Could there be some riddle to unlock the mechanism...?" Sean rested his chin on his hand and pondered.

After a moment, he cleared his throat and said softly, "Exceptional intelligence is the greatest wisdom of mankind."

Ravenclaw's famous quote is regarded as a life motto by the eagles.

As soon as he finished speaking, to Sean's delighted surprise, the Ravenclaw statue trembled slightly.

The statue was slowly rising, and the disc beneath her feet began to ripple.

Soon, a base appeared below the statue, made of the same material as the statue, with the edges of the base featuring gentle ripples, and a carved river winding around the bottom.

This... represents the origins of Ravenclaw?

Beautiful Ravenclaw, from the tranquil riverbanks—that's what the Sorting Hat says, because Ravenclaw were born on the banks of the River St. in Scotland.

As Sean pondered, the long river began to swirl quietly, and a gentle yet dignified ethereal female voice echoed through the space.

"You have come, my child."

Sean tried to find the source of the sound, but it seemed to be right next to his ear. Most importantly... the sound was exactly the same as the door knocker!

The voice continued, "My Rowena Ravenclaw, and this is an area I created using the magic of Hogwarts itself, called 'Where Will Be Requested'."

"I won't go into the history of Hogwarts; the fact that you're here proves that you know this magical castle well enough. What I want to tell you is the Hogwarts Authority."

It really is this!

Sean pricked up his ears to listen.

"After building the castle, the four of us..."

Ravenclaw recounted the origins of Hogwarts' authority, much like what Sean had heard from Slytherin. However, the voices here differed from the memories left by Slytherin; Ravenclaw's voice seemed to have been merely recorded and played back using magic, and she made virtually no mention of any personal matters related to herself.

Well, it has very little subjectivity; it simply tells you what happened back then in a straightforward manner.

"... After hearing all this, you should understand now. Yes, this is where I, Ravenclaw, hold my authority. And only the most intelligent wizards are qualified to obtain Ravenclaw's treasure, and you have already qualified—being able to enter here proves your wisdom."

"Before that, I will give you a choice."

A choice? Sean raised an eyebrow.

Rowena Ravenclaw's multiple-choice question—is this still part of the test?

"Choose your answer, and tell me your choice; this is the reward a wise person deserves..."

award?

As the sound faded, the light surrounding the Ravenclaw statue trembled slightly, and the glittering starlight on the ceiling was shaken down.

The starlight first circled the Ravenclaw statue, then enveloped Sean.

An indescribable sense of clarity welled up in Sean's mind.

He felt his mind suddenly lighten, and the confusion about some spells that had been accumulating in his mind was resolved, with new ideas constantly emerging.

Unfortunately, the starlight only enveloped the statue for a short while before converging on it, forming a row of words from top to bottom.

The invigorating effect alone made the trip worthwhile; I've already come up with several ideas for creating my own spells... Sean looked at the departing starlight with some regret, thinking that it would have been better if it could have lasted a little longer.

However, despite the regret, a choice still had to be made, and Sean looked at the words.

Beauty, spirit, magic, hope, words, imagination, energy...

There were over thirty words.

Ravenclaw's voice rang out again. "Make your choice, child. This is the reward a wise man deserves."

It seems this is a way of letting me choose a trait, Ravenclaw will give me a corresponding type of reward... Sean pondered.

Beauty? I'm handsome enough... But, knowing Ravenclaw's personality, she might give me some kind of spell to stay young forever?

Spirit? It could be some way to enhance a wizard's mental strength, since high mental strength can support more thinking and learning processes.

Magic? It could be a crude way to increase magic power, or it could be a way to teach me how to control my magic power more accurately.

Hope? Perhaps it's a buff spell that can enhance the wizard's mental state? Or maybe something like Patronus Charm.

Words, imagination, energy...

A long list of words gave Sean a bit of a toothache.

It's foreseeable that what Ravenclaw gives will be of high quality, or rather, what she gives might be the inventory of the Room of Requirement —except that it's the kind of inventory that normal visitors can't find.

Of course, Sean also faces a dilemma: Ravenclaw's talent is undeniable, but after all these years...

What if the selected reward is something you've already learned or acquired?

For example, the word "spying" —Sean suspects that if he chooses this word, Ravenclaw will give him a set of methods for learning Legilimency —which is indeed a rare and difficult spell to learn. The problem is, he already has Slytherin's Legilimency Notebook...

Other options may also face the same situation.

At that moment, Ravenclaw's voice urged them on again.

"Make your choice, child; this is the reward a wise person deserves."

Does she want me to analyze the deeper meaning of these words, or simply let me choose one that suits me?

Perhaps because he had dealt with Dumbledore and Grindelwald so much, Sean now saw everyone as a riddle. He knew this would complicate things, but he was even more afraid of choosing something he already had and suffering a huge loss.

"Can I have them all?" Sean asked with a glimmer of hope.

There was no other response; Ravenclaw's voice continued to urge him on in a calm and rhythmic manner.

"Well..."

Sean quite some time, nothing changed except for the constant urging.

He scratched his head with a hint of regret, and finally sighed silently.

He still couldn't make a choice, just like the starlight that had helped him clear his mind and invigorate his thoughts earlier—it could only last for a short while.

There will always be regrets.

Ravenclaw's voice urged him again.

After he finished speaking, Sean sighed silently; he had made up his mind.

Choose...

Before he could speak or make any move, the statue suddenly came to life.

The hands that were originally crossed at the waist were now spread out as if they were still alive.

Ravenclaw made a hugging gesture.

"O Greed one, countless treasures lie before you, yet you ignore my demands and fail to make the choice you should have made..."

Sean cautiously took a half step back and raised his wand.

Surely not? Surely not. It's only been an hour. You've been nagging me every minute and I haven't gotten angry. Can't you understand my indecisiveness?

I was indeed a little greedy...

Just as Sean tensed up, Ravenclaw suddenly let out a satisfied sigh.

"This is wonderful..."

Sean: "... Huh?"

Ravenclaw continued speaking, "When I left these words, I pondered who would be the one to find this place with such extraordinary wisdom? The shrewd and ambitious Slytherin, the brave and spirited Gryffindor, the loyal, generous, and righteous Hufflepuff, or perhaps, from my house, a Ravenclaw of extraordinary wisdom who is never satisfied."

"You have proven your Greed, and Greed is an essential part of our pursuit of deeper and richer knowledge. The thirst for knowledge is what Ravenclaw should do."

"I'm glad, even though I was calm when I left this voice behind—but I have to tell the person who hears it that I'm sure you are a qualified Ravenclaw."

"Greed demander, this is what you deserve, and this is what you must bear..."

The starlight faded before Sean's eyes, and a circular platform gradually rose up in front of the statue.

It was a brand, engraved with complex and obscure symbols, with a giant eagle soaring into the sky at its very center.

"Stand atop the brand, unleash your magic in the Runes way, and merge with the brand's magic. You will gain Ravenclaw's complete approval, and you will gain a quarter of the authority of Hogwarts."

It really is a test, not a reward to be chosen... Sean was dumbfounded.

No, that's not right. While Ravenclaw might give you a reward after you choose a trait, you won't see the mark that represents authority.

Sean couldn't help but smile. It seemed that Ravenclaw had planned all of this.

First, you're enveloped in starlight, which gives you a taste of sweetness but also leaves you with a sense of regret. Then, a whole host of choices, plus the constant reminders every minute, mean that if someone actually came here, they would probably choose one very quickly.

Then he missed out on getting that brand.

Indeed, only wizards with Ravenclaw traits would stand here—the eaglets thirst for knowledge, and they are Greed enough.

This was Ravenclaw's little scheme; she wanted the person who would receive this power to be a student of her own house.

Sean didn't know if he had stumbled upon this by chance or if he had truly met Ravenclaw's requirements, but the mark representing a quarter of Hogwarts' authority was now clearly before his eyes.

only...

Sean's eye twitched twice.

We need to use Ancient Runes to unleash the magic...

This is like having a huge treasure chest right in front of you, and they even told you the password, but—your presbyopia means you can't see the numbers on it, so you can't enter the password...

"By Merlin ..." Sean sighed deeply.

He tried standing on it and casting a little magic, then quickly retreated.

During this time, Sean had been asking Selma to help him with his Ancient Runes, and the results were... well, they were enough to make one cry.

Aside from the remarkable effect of the Ancient One's Sigh after its cooldown, it's generally difficult to learn it effectively.

He felt that his current Runes skills were insufficient to merge with the magic of this mark.

He couldn't hold a quarter of the power at Hogwarts for the time being.

"Damn it..." Sean couldn't help but curse.

Perhaps he could try again after the Ancient One's Sigh had cooled down; now, forget about it...

However, just as he was feeling frustrated, Ravenclaw's voice rang out again.

"If you encounter any difficulties, seek my Ravenclaw's Diadem; it can help you. Furthermore, having gained my recognition, I will grant you a portion of my authority and await your return—the exceptionally intelligent Ravenclaw excels at solving problems, doesn't he?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a comet streaked across the ceiling, detached itself, and pierced straight into Sean's body.

"This is..." Sean raised his hand in surprise.

As his thoughts flowed, the semi-transparent door by the wall disappeared completely.

It seems... I can now freely enter and exit all spaces in the Room of Requirement and look through whatever's there...