Choosing Between the Options Is Quite Troubling / The Ouroboros in the Hall of Mysteries Is Brutal

The Spirit of Rowena let out a weary sigh. Her gaze swept aimlessly across the room, but when she saw Harry enter the common room, her eyes seemed to light up involuntarily.

After withdrawing her wandering gaze, the Spirit of Rowena asked in a condescending tone, "Boy, do you have a question for me too?"

"I do have questions, but before that, I need to ask you for something." Harry stated his purpose directly, "The Grey Lady, shouldn't you return that Ravenclaw's Diadem you're wearing?"

"Return?" A hint of anger seemed to creep into Spirit of Rowena's voice. "This is my Ravenclaw's Diadem!"

"But I found it, and you and your daughter are no longer alive, so of course I have the right to deal with it," Harry retorted bluntly. "I plan to modify this Ravenclaw's Diadem and give it to Luna Lovegood as a gift... I think you know that she is absolutely the most suitable person for this in the world."

"So you didn't want it yourself, is that right? That's quite interesting." A hint of surprise flashed in the Spirit of Rowena's eyes, but it quickly turned into a clear smile. "Not long ago, another girl came by, the one with the same last name as you, kid... do you want to know what she asked?"

"Hermione..."

"She asked me questions about druids," Spirit of Rowena said with a hint of amusement. "Just like you, it was about that little girl of druid descent."

Harry:...

Honestly, even though this is a good thing, why do I feel so heartbroken?

"However... I didn't tell her." Unexpectedly, the Spirit of Rowena suddenly changed the subject, "She can look up the history of druids herself in books. Wasting such a precious opportunity to ask such a trivial question isn't something a smart girl should do. So, I had her ask a different question."

"A different question?" Harry raised an eyebrow slightly.

"That little girl thought for a long time but didn't know what to ask, she seemed quite conflicted." Spirit of Rowena looked at Harry with amusement, "In the end, she could only reluctantly ask... how can one perfectly control the Obscurus?"

"Hey, is it really funny to make fun of me like this?" Harry rolled his eyes in exasperation. "But I am indeed an Obscurial."

That's right, Rowena's Spirit is definitely making fun of me on purpose!

How could Hermione possibly refuse? She's definitely the one who cares about me the most...

I guess so.

For some reason, Harry suddenly felt a little guilty.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore." After enjoying Harry's embarrassing moment, the Spirit of Rowena chuckled leisurely, "Kid, let me ask you... is the water Elemental Power within you related to Salazar?"

"That's right." Harry nodded in reply. "The spirit he left behind insisted on forcing me to fuse with the Water Elemental Heart. At the time, in order to save my life, I had no choice but to risk absorbing the Water Elemental Heart Obscurus."

Harry didn't hide his grudge against Slytherin, because with the intelligence of Spirit of Rowena, she could probably see through many of his thoughts at a glance.

"I see. No wonder you didn't know about the Universal Solvent." The Spirit of Rowena's tone seemed to understand. "Salazar definitely didn't have good intentions towards you, otherwise he would have told you that the pure elemental heart was made using the Universal Solvent. It's a pity that his spirit is probably gone, so even if you wanted to take revenge on him, you probably wouldn't have the chance."

Heh... Hearing this, Harry couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

No chance to get revenge on him?

If the Spirit of Rowena could see the Salazar- branded septic tank in the Chamber, it probably wouldn't think that way.

"However, I regret to inform you that even with the help of Elemental Power, you cannot perfectly control your Obscurus." Just then, the Spirit of Rowena suddenly spoke calmly, "The so-called perfect control of Obscurus generally refers to the Obscurus no longer acting violently and transforming into an extremely powerful magical force. But in reality, that's only because the Obscurial has temporarily adapted to that power, thus achieving a temporary balance within their body."

"Once that situation is achieved, unless your magic power stops increasing, the Obscurus, which has become stronger again, will still disrupt the balance within your body, leading to an even more violent rampage. Even if you use water Elemental Power to control it, it's just another way to restrain the Obscurus; it doesn't solve the problem at its root."

"Why are you telling me this?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"This is my answer to that girl, but I didn't tell her the specific solution because she's not Obscurial. However, I can tell you," the Spirit of Rowena said leisurely. "As long as the Obscurus remains in your body, you can't perfectly control it, so you need to find a way to remove it."

"Stripping?" Harry frowned slightly. Stripping away Obscurus —could such a thing really be done?

But just as he began to have doubts, he suddenly remembered the dark figure drifting in the snow from Scamander's suitcase...

"Obscurus can certainly be separated, but the risks are quite high," the Spirit of Rowena said calmly. "During the separation process, a single mistake could cause the Obscurial to die on the spot; even if the separation is successful by chance, the Obscurus may 'die' due to the loss of all its power, and the Obscurial will also be severely weakened..."

"But if a perfect separation can be achieved, the Obscurial will not only suffer no loss, but may even become much stronger... perhaps even far stronger than that so-called perfect control!"

Chapter 398 Choosing the right answer is very perplexing.

It is generally accepted in the Wizarding World that Obscurial rarely live past the age of ten.

But once they actually live past this death Age Line, they will display magical talents that are completely different from those of ordinary wizards.

Many wizards who study Obscurus believe that the reason why the Obscurial who survived are so exceptionally talented is because they were influenced by the Obscurus.

However, this is actually a misconception.

"Everyone is like a bottle with a different capacity, and the total amount of magic they can hold varies from person to person. The reason why an Obscurial can withstand the enormous magic and pain brought by the Obscurus is ultimately because he himself has an exceptional talent for magic. Therefore, even without the influence of the Obscurus, given time, he can accumulate magic to an incomparably powerful level."

This is the Spirit of Rowena's view on Obscurial and Obscurus, and the 'stripping' she refers to is to infuse the Obscurial's magic into the Obscurus, then strip the Obscurus from its body and try to maintain its activity.

In this way, once the Obscurial has replenished his magic to its full potential, he will still possess a massive amount of magic power far exceeding that of an ordinary wizard, even without the assistance of Obscurus.

In addition, he can also possess an extremely powerful Obscurus that he has already cultivated, which is definitely more powerful than simply achieving so-called 'perfect control'.

Admittedly, this is indeed a very appealing idea, but the problem is...

"That's it?" Harry asked, looking speechlessly at the Spirit of Rowena.

Please, you've made such a big fuss about it, but aren't you going to explain in detail how exactly the separation should be done?

And in history, has anyone truly succeeded in Obscurus removing the Obscurus?

"You can continue listening if you wish, but then you won't be able to ask any more questions."

"I..."

Seeing that the Spirit of Rowena was clearly making fun of him, Harry couldn't help but grit his teeth.

Honestly, he'd rather the Founders of Ravenclaw treated him with the same rigid and authoritative attitude he had towards others; he'd rather the other person constantly made fun of him and always left things unsaid...

After all, this is just too intriguing.

"So... have you thought it through? What exactly do you want to ask me?" Spirit of Rowena smiled, clearly enjoying Harry's predicament.

"Instead of asking questions, can we talk about that Ravenclaw's Diadem first?" After a moment's thought, Harry ignored her follow-up question and reiterated his purpose.

"I think you just don't know what to ask," the Spirit of Rowena chuckled playfully. "You probably have many secrets, and most of them you can't resolve right now... like the Obscurus just now. So, when you only have one question to ask, you don't know which one to choose."

See, I told you before, Harry can't hide his feelings from her at all.

Although he could ask the Spirit of Rowena for one question, Harry had so many things he wanted to know that he didn't know which one to ask.

The Obscurus, the Sorcerer's Stone, Feral Wolf Syndrome... these are all unsolved mysteries of Harry's, and each one seems suitable for seeking guidance from the Spirit of Rowena.

However, none of them seem to be suitable.

Harry always felt that he could get satisfactory answers to these questions by working a little harder, and that he didn't necessarily need the help of the Spirit of Rowena.

"Sigh, I actually understand you quite well. After all, your problem might seem unsolvable to others, but I can definitely give you the right answer." Seeing Harry's expression, the Spirit of Rowena smiled proudly. "No need to doubt it, because I already possess the most important treasure for humanity."

"I think... I already know what to ask." Ignoring the arrogant voice of the Spirit of Rowena, Harry's expression gradually turned serious.

"I want to know... is a person's fate truly unchangeable?!"

Indeed, of all the mysteries surrounding him, if one had to choose one to ask, it would probably only be about Harry's fate.

"Fate?" Spirit of Rowena paused slightly. "Why would you ask that?"

"I'm curious, so I'd like to hear your answer," Harry said softly.

To be honest, although he asked the question, he wasn't really expecting an answer.

Because neither the pessimistic view that 'fate is unchangeable' nor the obviously motivational statement that 'fate can be changed' is what Harry wants to hear.

But faced with such a wise man, Harry finally couldn't hold back and voiced the hidden worry that had been lingering in his heart.

"So that's the kind of question... You little rascal, it seems you're hiding an even deeper secret." The Spirit of Rowena blinked, then suddenly asked, "Kid, would you mind if I used Legilimency on you... Of course, if you don't agree, then forget it."

Harry's question clearly piqued the interest of Spirit of Rowena, so she decided to get to the bottom of it and see what other interesting things this boy was hiding.

"This... is fine." After hesitating for a while, Harry finally nodded silently.

Legilimency was undoubtedly the magic he most rejected, but since the Spirit of Rowena didn't give a perfunctory answer but instead wanted to understand him further, he might as well let her give it a try.

After all, she was the dean of her own academy, and now she was just a spirit in the afterlife. At worst, she could take away the Ravenclaw's Diadem and prevent her from appearing again, and her secret might not be revealed.

Only...

"The Grey Lady, there are some things I need to make clear first... My brain has been tampered with, and ordinary Legilimency might not work on me."

Harry has already begun a rudimentary study of Legilimency, and Snape, who is in charge of teaching him, has also subtly revealed some information to him... such as Albus Dumbledore being unable to handle his mind.

"Then you can rest assured, my Ravenclaw's Diadem is not just for increasing wisdom."

The Spirit of Rowena completely ignored Harry's warning. Suddenly, her eyes emitted a halo of light, and the three gems on her eagle-shaped Ravenclaw's Diadem— one large and two small—also began to shine, transforming into a blue light that Harry's eyes.

After that, Harry suddenly felt his consciousness growing heavier and heavier, and finally he couldn't hold on any longer and closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself back in that familiar yet strange space.

The surrounding scenery remained the same, empty and devoid of even a sound, only endless pure white...

"It's quite unexpected that your thoughts are directly connected to Limbo."

A strange female voice suddenly rang out beside Harry, startling him.

"The Grey Lady?"

But when he turned his head to look, he found that the person standing next to him was not a statue or a spirit at all, but a real human being.

She wore Ravenclaw's Diadem, her face was beautiful but slightly serious, and she was dressed in a magnificent sky-blue robe...

He's practically Rowena Ravenclaw himself!

Chapter 399 The Ouroboros in the Limbo is Ferocious

Because he had agreed to the other party's request to Legilimency, he ended up here again, and Rowena even seemed to have materialized...

It has to be said, this scene is truly bizarre.

But Harry believed that Rowena Ravenclaw would definitely give him a reasonable explanation.

"Sigh, I only wanted to answer a question for you, but I didn't expect things to get so complicated." Rowena sighed softly. "Well, it seems I'm involved too. I'll do my best to help you solve this problem. Kid, do you know about the Limbo?"

"I don't know," Harry shook his head in denial.

"Well, talking to you is really exhausting." Rowena sighed helplessly. "Remember this: the so-called Limbo, simply put, is a virtual world that exists between life and death. It often appears within a wizard's mind, but not all wizards can go there."

After a brief introduction, Rowena didn't continue mocking Harry. Instead, she adopted a serious expression. "Only a few wizards with exceptionally powerful souls can come here on their own; otherwise, the Limbo is more like a prison, used to exile evil wizards who have committed unforgivable crimes against their souls... for example, those who have created Horcrux."

After she finished speaking, she waved her hand gracefully, and a strange figure suddenly appeared in front of Harry.

The creature was dressed in a long black robe, had no nose, and its eyes were an unusual blood red, making it look like a venomous snake about to devour someone.

"Voldemort?!" Upon seeing this destined enemy, Harry tensed up.

"Relax, he can't move freely right now, and he can't hear our conversation either," Rowena said casually. "I've used the Ravenclaw's Diadem to assimilate most of your memories, so I can imagine this nemesis lurking in the Limbo for you. But you'd better not touch him, because he'll come back to life."

"To come back to life... does that mean to regain mobility?" Harry frowned slightly, suddenly recalling the scene where Voldemort had been frantically chasing him here.

"That's right. The reason he can't move right now is because I used my power to confuse him, making him unaware that you're here. But if you make contact with him, it's the same as announcing your presence to him, and he'll definitely rush to kill you like a madman." Rowena's tone gradually changed from calm to serious. "And I must warn you... if you fight him now, even with my help, you will absolutely lose!"

"Why?" Harry's expression tightened upon hearing this. "How... how could this guy become so powerful?!"

Hearing this, Rowena shook her head. "You're wrong. His power isn't actually that great, but he has Salazar behind him. You've been secretly accumulating power and making life-or-death ties with various ghosts... Salazar can't really do anything about these things. But once you officially start fighting this Voldemort, the power Salazar left behind will definitely launch a surprise attack on you at the last moment, and I might not be able to protect you at all."

"Is that so... Anyway, thank you very much for reminding me." A look of lingering fear flashed across Harry's face, and he quickly bowed to Rowena to express his gratitude.

The other person had just reminded him of a hidden danger he hadn't noticed. Harry had always thought that as long as he collected enough ghost debts, he would eventually be able to contend with Voldemort's soul, or even defeat it. However, he overlooked the fact that Voldemort might also have powerful allies!

Rowena is right. Given Slytherin's cunning, he would absolutely be shameless enough to launch a sneak attack from behind.

"But you don't have to worry about anything, you'll definitely win in the end anyway." Seeing the worried look on Harry's face, Rowena put on a disdainful expression. "That arrogant Salazar, he only got that kind of power because of his family background. When it comes to knowledge, he's far inferior."

"Uh..." Harry's lips twitched slightly upon hearing this, completely unsure how to respond.

Salazar Slytherin was clearly a powerful and cunning wizard, but in Rowena's eyes, he was belittled as a useless spoiled brat.

These two must have had some special story back then, otherwise why would they harbor such resentment...?

"Kid, I'm warning you, stop right there. My thoughts are in sync with yours now; I know what you're thinking." Rowena glared at Harry, annoyed. "Salazar and I are friends, that's true, but that doesn't stop me from hating him. He's a cunning and stingy bastard. He has so many valuable family heirlooms, but he doesn't know how to use them. Every time I want to borrow something from him, I have to beg and plead, even make a bet, to get it. He's ridiculously stingy!"

"Furthermore, you'd better not make wild guesses about the relationship between the four Founders! I've never given a damn about idiots like Godric or stingy guys like Salazar, let alone have such low standards as Helga, marrying just any man!"

"Um... it's my fault, whatever makes you happy~" Harry apologized insincerely, but the complaints in his heart never stopped.

She won't just marry any man... Haha, I actually believed your nonsense.

What, your daughter Helena Ravenclaw? Did you raise her in a greenhouse?

"Harry Granger, didn't I tell you... not to let your imagination run wild?!" Suddenly, Rowena stared at Harry with a cold glint in her eyes. "This is my last warning to you: don't pry into Helena's affairs! Do you understand?!"