"A diadem?"
Ravenclaw seemed intrigued.
She turned her head, watching as Helena's face turned red as a steaming engine.
"Mother..." Helena said, sounding rather cross.
"I think not," the black cat answered.
"Green! I should be outside, shouldn't I? Rowena?"
Helena was even more embarrassed and annoyed.
"My dear Helena, you are right about one thing."
A hint of mischievous teasing hung on the corner of Ravenclaw's mouth.
She seemed to enjoy teasing Helena very much.
With a bang, the door opened and shut. Helena stormed out in a huff.
The black cat looked at the door, seeming to understand something.
If Ravenclaw continued to tease Lady Helena like this, combined with Lady Helena's inability to tell teasing from seriousness...
"This was supposed to be funny for both of you, wasn't it?"
Having said that, the black cat opened the door with his tail and followed her out.
The smile on Ravenclaw's face faltered slightly.
After a while, a low sigh echoed in the room.
Outside, the garden was a riot of blooming flowers—purple, white, pink—growing in thick clusters.
Helena stood alone in the center of the flowers.
On a trellis entwined with green vines, a black cat appeared atop a copper basin and slowly walked onto Helena's shoulder.
"Does love make one foolish?" the black cat asked.
"You should be inside, Green," Helena said after a moment of silence.
The black cat didn't speak, simply curling up on Helena's shoulder.
They watched the streams converge, the first snow melt, and rays of light land on the tips of the grass in the soil.
Helena pressed her lips together tightly, feeling that perhaps she was being a little weak.
She wanted to ask someone for help, especially when he was on her shoulder.
Not asking for him to give her anything, just to be like this—don't leave, don't disappear, just stay here with her.
In her long life, this was something that had never happened before.
"Headmaster Dumbledore said that this is the greatest magic. It is so difficult that one often gets stuck," the black cat said, his voice arriving with the sunset glow.
"Do you think I'm wrong?" Helena asked.
"I'm on your side," the black cat said after thinking for a moment.
Helena didn't speak for a long time. She stared absently at the horizon filled with sunset clouds, where mist blurred the distant forest.
"You're leaving, but you still have many questions unanswered, Green," Helena said.
"I already understand."
The black cat showed a look of confidence, which was rare for him, as he always believed he had shortcomings.
"Wisdom lies in a diadem, not in books—isn't that ridiculous?"
With a gust of wind, his figure dissipated in the mist, leaving a lingering warmth on Helena's shoulder.
"You have made a very good friend, dear Helena."
In the distance, Ravenclaw's figure approached through the twilight.
"You found a good heir, Ravenclaw."
Helena was still indignant.
"Well, my dear, you know that wisdom has not given me any advantage in love," Ravenclaw said. "May you know that I once went against my own reason, crossed moral boundaries, ignored the tragedies that occurred, and disregarded my past persistence—I left all of that behind.
I did this in the past, and I should do so now. I am trying to learn how to love you. Will you join me?"
...
Ravenclaw Dormitory.
The first ray of sunlight sprinkled on the sky-blue curtains. Not far from them, Sean woke up.
First, he wrote down a bold phrase in his notebook:
[One hour and seven minutes]
Then, with a joyful heart, he looked toward a distant place.
He knew he didn't have to worry about the two Lady Ravenclaws, and he knew he might have found Ravenclaw's true wisdom.
As he said, Wisdom is not in books, but in a symbolic diadem—isn't that ridiculous?
As for those books, he had seen some ancient tomes in Ravenclaw's studio. Of course, more importantly, he had seen a much more special piece of parchment.
Morning. The weather was clear and sunny, with a pleasant breeze blowing gently.
Wrapped in a scarf, Sean walked through a corridor rarely used by wizards.
He always woke up very early, so when he arrived at the Hope Hut, only an owl portrait was awake.
However, he had to be quick. Hermione, Ron, and Justin would be arriving shortly.
"Good morning, Mr. Owl," Sean said.
"Morning... Hurry in! Clever little wizard," Mr. Owl chirped as usual.
"I can make some requests in this room, right?" Sean asked.
"Of course—only for you—but do you know what you need?" Mr. Owl scoffed, puffing out his chest.
"I want to see the parchment you are keeping," Sean said.
"Ah..."
Mr. Owl's gold-rimmed spectacles fell down his beak. His face was full of strain as he clutched the parchment tightly, saying hurriedly, "This parchment? Oh, this parchment... Are you sure you want it? It's very old, very tattered..."
He racked his brains, seemingly unwilling to let Sean have it.
"Didn't you say I could make some requests?" Sean asked.
"Clever little wizard! Of course you..." Mr. Owl was getting flustered.
"Alright, if you aren't willing," Sean whispered. He didn't think his guess was wrong, but Mr. Owl looked very uncomfortable. He thought maybe he could ask again later.
"Of course I am willing!"
Mr. Owl pecked at the frame in exasperation.
"Do you know how long I've been with it? Twelve centuries! Heavens! That's twelve centuries!
Countless wizards wanted to get it, but they all guessed wrong.
Even that fellow Tom was the same. They chased after a magnificent diadem—which, of course, has some utility...
Now that you've found it, you're going to take it away. I should be happy...
Lady Ravenclaw's request has been fulfilled..."
As Mr. Owl spoke, tears began to patter down.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Owl."
Sean felt it was a bit cruel to force Mr. Owl and this parchment apart.
"Do you really want it?" Mr. Owl asked again.
Sean nodded, somewhat at a loss.
"You have to take it and something else as a package deal!" Mr. Owl said.
"What is it?"
Sean looked at Mr. Owl curiously. He had gold-rimmed spectacles on his large eyes and wore a decent dress suit.
Sean guessed: Could these gold-rimmed spectacles also be an alchemical artifact?
"That's right, it's—" Mr. Owl drawled.
"The spectacles?" Sean guessed.
"Me!" said Mr. Owl.