Rowena Ravenclaw's Statue

After reading Edward's note, Allen finally understood the situation; the clever Ravenclaws had no interest in partying in the common room and instead planned to host a masquerade ball by the Hogwarts lake.

Allen found it quite interesting. Young people always had countless whimsical ideas in their minds, possessed enviable, inexhaustible energy, and had endless sparks of youthful passion colliding with one another.

Allen quickly arrived at the lakeside. The reflection of the massive castle shimmered in the clear water, and the trees along the shore were draped in colorful lights, with many lanterns of various shapes floating in the air. On the grass, long tables were arranged in a U-shape, covered with light blue tablecloths and laden with an abundance of food for the students to help themselves. Many white Roman-style chairs with backrests were scattered across the lawn, their long ribbons fluttering in the breeze. Some young wizards were singing and dancing around roaring bonfires; others strolled in groups of three or five by the lake; still others set off fireworks in the distance, the brilliant displays illuminating the night sky and their joyful, smiling faces.

"Harris, where did you just go? You didn't wander off on your own, did you? I noticed you were missing during roll call and had to search everywhere for you!" Penelope spotted Allen and hurried over.

"Oh, I was so tired that when I woke up, I realized I'd accidentally fallen asleep under my bed. You wouldn't have noticed that, would you? By the way, Miss Clearwater, you look beautiful today!" Allen deflected the topic very effectively.

"Miss Clearwater, do you know who suggested holding the Halloween feast here? It's such a brilliant idea; this spacious outdoor venue is far more comfortable than the common room!" Allen exclaimed in admiration.

"The other three houses are continuing their feasts in their common rooms, but I felt Ravenclaw needed to be a bit different, so I proposed holding it by the lake. I didn't expect the suggestion to receive such strong support from Professor Flitwick. Look, all these lights in the air are spells cast by him. The girls loved the idea so much they contributed many silk scarves, and somehow, this area by the lake doesn't feel cold at all. I wonder what marvelous magic Professor Flitwick used!" Penelope's tone grew increasingly excited.

Allen couldn't respond in time because he spotted The Grey Lady among the revelers. She was floating amidst the fluttering silk scarves, seemingly intoxicated by the wonderful party, her expression rapturous. Since the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw was clearly left unguarded, and remembering the empty common room he had seen earlier, Allen felt a stir of excitement.

"Miss Clearwater, I just remembered something urgent I need to do. Please excuse me." Without waiting for Penelope to react, Allen hurried away.

Returning quickly to the common room, Allen ensured no one was around and rushed to the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. He looked left and right, but nothing seemed amiss! Wait, he hadn't checked the base. Allen immediately knelt down, but the lower half of the statue was solid marble, without a single crack. Allen was puzzled; where could the entrance be? Did he have to go to the heavens or burrow into the earth? Wait, the heavens... Allen looked up at the towering statue; he wouldn't be satisfied unless he checked it thoroughly. He brought over a chair and leaped up, but there was nothing unusual on the head either!

Allen was at a loss for a moment. He stared intently at the top of Rowena Ravenclaw's head, where her long, curled hair spiraled into a beautiful arc—an arc that looked very familiar. Allen racked his brain, and suddenly, the diadem on Ravenclaw's head flashed into his mind. He clapped his hands; why hadn't he thought of it immediately? It was exactly the arc of the diadem.

Assuming a diadem was meant to be fitted perfectly into this spot, the two pieces would form a complete crown. Therefore, the next step was to find the real diadem. Allen happened to know its whereabouts; how important it was to love reading—you never knew when you might use that knowledge. Having found the clue, Allen couldn't help but feel smug, thinking to himself with great satisfaction.

Allen hopped off the high chair and returned it to its place. As far as he knew, Ravenclaw's diadem was currently in the Room of Requirement, having been turned into a Horcrux by Voldemort. He didn't know if the corrupted diadem could still unlock the statue, but regardless, he had to try.

Allen ran to the eighth floor of the castle, familiar with the route. He stopped in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, held his breath, cleared his mind, and thought only: "I need a place to hide things." After pacing three times while thinking this, the Room of Requirement appeared, and Allen stepped inside. The room was packed with bottles, jars, tattered textbooks, strange-looking robes, and all sorts of bizarre items. Allen saw a cabinet door slightly ajar; as he walked past, he pulled it open and caught a glimpse of what was hidden inside. His expression changed—he didn't know who had managed to turn a troll into a specimen in such a short time, soaking it in pickling potion, with its club still inside!

He had to find the diadem and leave quickly; the person who had preserved the troll might not have left yet. Allen accelerated his search. He vaguely remembered the original story mentioning a statue of an ugly old warlock, on whose head Harry had once placed a wig and a battered hat.

Soon, Allen found a stone bust of an old warlock with pockmarks, wearing a dirty, moth-eaten wig and what looked like an ancient, faded crown.

That was it! Allen lunged forward and tossed the old crown into his system storage grid.

"Fragmented soul detected. Host, please be advised: living beings cannot be stored in the system storage. Are you sure you wish to store this?" The system had been silent for a long time since its last mission.

"Tell me, what happens if I insist on putting it into the storage space?" Allen was curious about the outcome and had a vague suspicion—either it wouldn't go in, or the living entity would be erased.

Sure enough, the system's ethereal voice replied without a hint of emotion: "If the host insists on storing a living entity, the system will purify its soul and convert it into pure energy for system use. However, the host will receive no rewards for energy obtained in this manner."

Who needed rewards for this! If he encountered an unbeatable enemy, he could just catch them off guard and drag them into the system storage—this was practically a way to kill without leaving a trace!