"Come to think of it, Ravenclaw's Diadem could increase its wearer's wisdom. But because of that damn Horcrux, I don't dare use it now..."
As he gazed at the exquisite diadem that countless people had searched for in vain, and the incredibly complex magical structure within it, Avada sighed again. He felt like someone sitting on a mountain of treasure but unable to take any of it.
"If only Rowena Ravenclaw had left behind the method for making this diadem. Then I could make a new one myself..."
"Huh?!"
When the thought crossed his mind, Avada himself froze for a moment.
That was right. Why didn't he make a new one himself?
After all, the magical structure of Ravenclaw's Diadem was laid bare before him. It was extremely complex, but given enough time, he could reproduce it with the guidance of his Magic Sense. And perhaps, as he worked, he could even analyze the function of some of its components and greatly improve his understanding of the mind!
This was where Avada's talent was downright unreasonable. To compare it to the technology of his previous life, Ravenclaw's Diadem was like an extremely complex polymer material. People knew it had excellent properties, but couldn't figure out how it was synthesized.
Avada, however, not only had an electron microscope that let him see the material's molecular structure directly, but could also handcraft molecules atom by atom and build the material from scratch. And if he had enough alchemical knowledge, it might even be possible to work backward from the structure to figure out how it was made!
"Then let's get started!"
Avada immediately threw himself into analyzing the diadem. If the Horcrux and the diadem weren't both so important, he would have wanted to keep the diadem on him and study it whenever he had a spare moment!
"I can start by separating the structures that are clearly distinct into individual modules, then analyze their functions one by one..."
Avada struggled to control his mental energy, using his wand to recreate the structures he saw in midair. Even simplified through disassembly, the magical structures were still incredibly difficult to reconstruct. It took him more than half an hour to reproduce the first module.
"Its function is, uh... to connect to mental energy?"
It took Avada another half a day to gradually understand what this part of the structure did.
"It must serve as a bridge between the human mind and the structure in the diadem that increases wisdom. The design is quite ingenious, but... it's too complicated. I can't bloody remember it!"
That was another drawback of Avada's poor memory. If he couldn't remember ordinary information, he could write it down and keep it on hand, reviewing it whenever he wanted. But how was he supposed to record a magical structure?
He could change the magic in some random object and shape it into the structure he wanted to record, but the magic would return to its original state in less than five minutes. Come on, if a simple enchantment could make something last indefinitely, then centuries of alchemists' research would have been a joke.
"Fine. I spent all that time for nothing."
"Looks like I'll have to wait until I find the structure that strengthens the mind, then transform my own mind in one go without stopping."
Still, it wasn't as if he'd gained nothing. Since he had painstakingly analyzed it himself, he understood and remembered its construction far better than if he'd simply memorized it. After analyzing the first module, Avada felt he'd made significant progress in his understanding of mental energy and magic related to "connections," and had gained some new insights as well.
"Come to think of it, what would happen if I used this connecting structure to link two people's minds directly?"
"Wait. If I made the flow of information one-way, then extended the connection into the subconscious... wouldn't that be the Imperius Curse?!"
Avada felt as if he'd stumbled upon something incredible.
"What was the incantation for the Imperius Curse again? Oh, right, 'Imperio'..."
"Going by the changes in mental energy caused by that pronunciation, and the structure of this connecting module, I can try modifying it into a one-way connection..."
After experimenting for a while, Avada discovered that this module really did have the potential to be adapted into the Imperius Curse!
His understanding of mental energy was still too limited for him to work backward and recreate the true Imperius Curse. But by modifying and applying what he already understood, he'd unintentionally discovered the rough form of another useful spell, and decided to find an opportunity to refine it.
"Maybe Rowena Ravenclaw used the Imperius Curse as a model when she made this diadem?"
He'd thought the structure might involve the principles of Legilimency, but instead it had led him straight to an Unforgivable Curse. Perhaps like things really were drawn to each other.
Avada didn't dwell on it and continued diligently analyzing the diadem's structural modules. About two hours later, he finished analyzing two more modules and learned that their functions were "monitoring" and "protection."
In simple terms, they were an emergency cutoff mechanism. If something went wrong with the user's mind or the diadem itself, or if someone tried to invade the diadem through its mental interface, these two modules would immediately sever the connection. And because their functions were so narrow and modular, Avada didn't manage to develop any new spells from them.
One thing worth noting was that Voldemort's Horcrux magic hadn't touched these two modules. Instead, it was attached directly to the diadem's purely physical layer, without affecting its magical structure at all.
He had no idea why Voldemort hadn't done that. It was fortunate that he hadn't. If a mind on par with the Horcrux Diary's had gained the diadem's wisdom-enhancing ability, along with its own fame and allure, wouldn't it have run wild?
Avada suspected that if that had happened, Voldemort himself wouldn't even have needed to make a move. The Horcrux Diadem alone could have taken over the Wizarding World!
"I need to research a way to destroy Horcruxes as soon as possible. I've only got five more years of peace..."
He rubbed his head, unable to keep from feeling a headache coming on. Before the school year began, he'd thought he had plenty of time—enough to let loose for a while after making all his preparations. Yet here he was, only in his first term, and his schedule was already impossible to keep up with.
Analyzing the diadem, improving his talent, studying Horcruxes, researching Potions and Herbology, teaching himself advanced material...
Oh, right. There was today's homework, too.
At the thought, Avada jolted and hurriedly returned the diadem to his private room before rushing to the library. After greeting a few acquaintances, he took out his homework and began writing furiously. Fortunately, first-year students didn't have much homework, and the material was far too easy for someone who'd just finished analyzing Ravenclaw's Diadem. Aside from one essay that took a while, he finished everything with little effort.
Once again, Avada returned to the Hufflepuff Common Room right at curfew. The moment he lifted the lid of the barrel, he heard a lively buzz of conversation. Almost all the first-years were gathered in the middle of the common room, chattering around a few older students.
"What are you all talking about?" Avada asked curiously as he joined them.
"Tomorrow's common room tea party!"
Someone answered excitedly. "Tomorrow's Wednesday, the day of Hufflepuff's regular tea party, and it'll be our first time taking part! Lots of older students will be there to answer our questions and help us get to know Hogwarts faster. Some first-years from the other houses have also been invited!"
"And I heard the volunteer cooks at the tea party are especially good at making desserts and drinks..."
Before you continue