The Diadem That Could Not Be Repaired
A tall obelisk stands on the horizon, like the pointer of a sundial.
The entire manor's architecture radiates outwards from this stone monument as its center.
On one side of the obelisk stands a beautiful cubic building, which remains brightly lit even at night.
Chopin's Nocturnes echoed in the room, their slow tempo and melancholic melody resonating throughout.
Nicolas, wearing a Dragon Hide apron and white gloves woven from the silk of the Acromantula, hunched over, staring at the Ravenclaw's Diadem floating on the lab table.
William, who had been at the manor for several days, was dressed similarly.
He stood aside, taking over House-elf 'Hercules duties as Nicolas's experimental assistant for the time being.
William wasn't of much use; he just occasionally handed over some strange and unusual tools.
Pliers, tweezers, test tubes, a gold compass, and even a welding torch and a laser pointer.
By the way, learn some real skills.
This study has been going on for a full day.
Nicolas's expression shifted between excitement, dejection, anger, and despair.
William recognized that look; he'd seen it in his past life... well, when he was doing a math test!
If I had to describe it, it would be something like: I can't do this problem, it's too hard!!
"This melody is no good, it's so depressing, it makes me want to kill myself," Nicolas said without looking up.
"William, play some upbeat music!"
William nodded and snapped his fingers.
Chopin, seemingly reluctant to leave, was replaced by a young Richard Clayderman.
Clayderman sat down at a piano and began to play "Ballade pour Adeline".
"That's more like it." Nicolas stretched out as well.
He lowered his hands, and the Diadem, which was suspended in mid-air, gently spun around once.
From William's angle, he can just see the Ravenclaw quote on the Diadem:
Exceptional wisdom is humanity's greatest treasure!
The walls of the room were surrounded by six portraits of Nicolas, and the portraits, disregarding their image, were all using binoculars or monocles to try and spy on him.
As night deepened, Nicolas finally completed all the examinations.
"How is it?" William asked impatiently, "Can the Diadem be repaired?"
Ravenclaw's Diadem Scabbers and, when worn on the head, had no power to increase wisdom.
It's completely different from what I've heard.
It seems to be completely ruined.
"With my current abilities, it's difficult to carry out repairs." Nicolas shook his head regretfully.
He removed the black-rimmed glasses, which were made from the horns of Graphorn, and casually tossed them aside; the glasses flew towards the stand.
William found it hard to accept; could the Deathly Hallows really be rendered useless?
It's scientifically sound, but it's not magical at all!
"Was it because Voldemort turned it into Horcrux?" William wondered.
That shouldn't be the case.
Even the diary is intact, so there's no reason why the Diadem would rust.
"Voldemort's Horcrux?" Nicolas's tone carried a hint of disdain.
"William, and that has nothing to do with it... The Diadem bears traces of Prehistoric Mysteries."
"Prehistoric Mysteries?" William asked in surprise.
"That's right." Nicolas sighed softly, "I've deconstructed the entire process of the Diadem's destruction. Take a look."
The old man beckoned, and a delicate silver instrument emerged with four legs, darting out from the corner like a crab.
Nicolas tapped the silver instrument lightly with the tip of his wand.
The instrument immediately started operating, emitting a rhythmic "beep beep beep" sound.
Wisps of pale white smoke billowed from the small silver tube at the top, gathering and swirling in the air.
A few seconds later, the wisps of smoke turned into a steady plume of smoke, growing thicker and thicker, swirling in the air... transforming into the Ravenclaw's Diadem.
The Diadem was gleaming and shiny, especially the lettering, which shone Winky.
"This is Diadem under normal circumstances."
Nicolas calmly raised his hand and flicked his sleeve, causing a gentle breeze to stir up the smoke. It then flowed slowly, like a babbling brook.
"Next, we'll discuss the entire process of change."
William stared intently, but after thirty seconds, the Diadem remained unchanged.
He thought it was a still image and was about to point it out when the Diadem's dazzling luster suddenly dimmed.
As if someone had sped up the camera eight times, the Diadem dimmed slowly in an eerie way.
In a slow process, a natural rusting process occurs.
The entire process lasted one minute.
In the end, it became exactly the same as the Diadem on the platform.
"What's going on?" William was taken aback.
"The power of time."
Nicolas raised his withered arm and said calmly, "Time can destroy everything. Look at my hands, they're already as old as tree bark."
William, I have lived for over six hundred years, and my body has aged for six hundred years as well.
"I have said it before, flesh and blood... the mortal body will not last forever."
Given my current condition, even if I were to forge a few more Philosopher's Stone, I could only live to be a thousand years old at most.
Nicolas chuckled softly, "This body can't support me seeing any more scenery. My final fate... may only be returning to the embrace of Death."
Nicolas spoke casually, without much regret.
William had long known that the Philosopher's Stone could not grant immortality.
The Philosopher's Stone can only prolong life, but the body is constantly aging.
This is an irreversible process!
Nicolas is searching for the other two Deathly Hallows in order to completely decipher the Book of Alchemy.
The latter two volumes may contain his desired way of prolonging life.
"Time can destroy me, it can destroy anything, including Ravenclaw's Diadem," Nicolas continued.
William pondered for a moment, then asked with a puzzled look, "But it's only been a thousand years since Ravenclaw lost its Diadem."
"The Diadem couldn't Scabbers so quickly, could it?"
The Ravenclaw Ring was still perfectly intact. Nicolas's Book of Alchemy also showed no signs of damage.
Nicolas laughed. "Who told you it was a thousand years?"
William frowned, staring at the Diadem.
"This Diadem has been weathered for at least tens of thousands of years."
Nicolas paced around the experimental table. "Ravenclaw, one of the Four Founders, Prehistoric Mysteries of time."
She applied powerful time magic to the Diadem, allowing it to undergo ten thousand years of transformation over a thousand years before it became what it is today.
"So..." he paused, then abruptly turned to William, "By the time Voldemort found the Ravenclaw's Diadem, it was certainly no longer of any use."
He probably discovered that, contrary to the legends, the Diadem could not increase wisdom, so he crafted it into Horcrux.
"Ravenclaw... why would she do such a thing?" William was utterly bewildered. "Why would she destroy a Deathly Hallows in this way?"
This is completely illogical!
"You'd have to ask Ravenclaw himself." Nicolas shook his head, seemingly puzzled as well.
"Ravenclaw may have discovered something, but we don't know for sure."
"Is there no possibility of fixing it?" William persisted.
"Of course!" Nicolas waved his wand, and the Book of Abraham appeared in William's hand.
William gently opened the Book of Alchemy, which was divided into three sections.
"When I discovered the Book of Alchemy, its original owner Abraham, had left behind a parchment scroll," Nicolas said.
The first set of contents contains all the alchemical items that have ever appeared in the Wizarding World.
The second section contains instructions on how to craft Deathly Hallows.
The third group will feature alchemical items that have never appeared in the Wizarding World before.
"Unlocking the second set of content should be enough to repair the Ravenclaw's Diadem."
"So... I guess I'll still get Slytherin's Wand," William muttered to himself.
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