"Ravenclaw's diadem."
Lia spat out the words, and the ink from Hermione's quill dripped onto the parchment, blooming into a small smudge.
She wasn't shocked by the name, but by the Lia who had uttered it.
Lia stood before her calmly, coolly dissecting Lucius Malfoy's fear and pointing out the location of Lord Voldemort's Horcrux.
Given her past record, Hermione couldn't help but cup Lia's face and study her eyes closely.
After less than two seconds of eye contact, Lia abandoned her composure and looked away, appearing somewhat flustered.
Hermione let out a long sigh of relief.
Alright, it was still the same Lia; she had never won a staring contest once.
"How do you know...?" Hermione asked, curiously returning to the topic.
"I saw it," Lia replied, her tone flat. "In Tom's memories. When Lord Voldemort was young, he asked Ravenclaw's ghost, 'The Grey Lady', about the diadem's whereabouts. He believed the diadem possessed extraordinary wisdom that could make him stronger. He found it and turned it into one of his Horcruxes."
Lia's narration didn't hesitate for a second, as if she were reciting a text she knew by heart.
"The places where he hid his Horcruxes all have special significance.
Riddle's diary was the starting point of his student-day ambitions;
Slytherin's locket was a symbol of his bloodline... and Ravenclaw's diadem, he hid it at Hogwarts.
A place he both loved and hated, a place he believed only he could uncover all the secrets of."
She paused and looked at Hermione, her blue eyes reflecting Hermione's stunned face.
"It's in the Room of Requirement."
The information was overwhelming, and Hermione's brain worked rapidly, connecting all the clues.
Lord Voldemort, Horcruxes, Ravenclaw's diadem, the Room of Requirement... and Lucius Malfoy.
"You mean Lucius is having Draco secretly search for the diadem at Hogwarts?" Hermione immediately grasped the key point.
"Yes," Lia nodded. "He needs this achievement to trade with Lord Voldemort for his life and the lives of his family. This newspaper is the weapon he's using to tie you down.
He's certain you'll try to fight back using laws and rules as you have before, which will consume a lot of your energy and leave you no time for anything else. Meanwhile, he can take the opportunity to act within the Castle."
The fire of Hermione's anger was replaced by a colder chill.
She had been played. Lucius was not only threatening her family but also treating her like a pawn to be manipulated at will.
"We have to tell Dumbledore!" Hermione stood up immediately.
"And then?" Lia shook her head. "Let Dumbledore find the diadem and destroy it? Then what about Lucius? If he can't find the diadem and returns to Lord Voldemort, he'll only face death.
His family, Draco, Narcissa... they will all become victims of Lord Voldemort's wrath."
"Dumbledore wouldn't do that."
Hermione's footsteps faltered.
She thought of Narcissa Malfoy's pale, desperate face and the Unbreakable Vow Snape had made.
Killing Lucius was easy, but the consequences would involve more innocent people.
Lia stole a glance at Hermione and spoke hesitantly, "Sometimes, our 'beastly' methods are more effective..."
"You mean..." Hermione realized what she meant, calculating the feasibility.
Just as the tension between the two reached its peak, a sharp shriek pierced the silence of the library.
"—ROAR!"
A blood-red Howler spun into the quiet area.
Before Madam Pince's angry "Shh" could be heard, the letter exploded with a "bang" right above Hermione and Lia's heads.
The expected roar didn't come; instead, it was Fred and George's incredibly cheerful, deafening chorus:
"The Distinguished! Know-it-all! Miss Hermione Granger! And! Our coolest! Tactical Consultant, Lia!"
"Weasleys Wizard Wheezes! Is about to have its Grand Opening!"
"We hereby invite you both! To our staff-only! Top Secret! Opening Party!"
The two voices competed with each other, as if in a contest to see who could be louder.
"The party provides unlimited butterbeer and exclusively developed snacks! You'll definitely eat your fill!"
"Most importantly! We've included our latest product—a handful of special 'Trace-less' Floo Powder! Ignores any fireplace network restrictions! Go anywhere you want!"
The voice of the Howler echoed throughout the library, finally shouting out the address with all its might:
"Address: 93 Diagon Alley! Remember! It's Number 93! If you don't come, you're a dog! Woof!"
The envelope sprayed a trail of colorful fireworks in the air before self-combusting into a pile of ash, drifting down onto the copy of The Daily Prophet with its vicious headline.
The students in the library stared dumbfounded, and Madam Pince was already rushing over, trembling with rage.
This sudden invitation was like a bolt of absurd lightning, splitting the oppressive, tense air.
Hermione looked at the ash, then at Lia beside her, whose eyes were calm as if she had completely grown up overnight, and suddenly smiled.
She reached out, crumpled the parchment she had prepared for drafting legal documents into a ball, and tossed it into a distant trash can.
She had always thought she was Lia's reins, the chain binding this destructive force.
She wanted to protect her, guide her, and teach her the rules of human society.
But now, Hermione finally realized that Lia wasn't harmless; she was only harmless to *her*.
After all this time, Hermione finally understood why others, especially Malfoy and his lot, were so terrified of Lia.
The rule-based weapons they were used to using had negligible power against Lia.
Lia's willingness to follow the rules was purely out of respect for them, or rather, she hadn't learned to say no yet.
If Lia truly didn't want to follow the rules, it seemed these noble lords really had no way of dealing with her.
On the contrary, it was Lia.
When rules fail, power is the only rule.
Lia could pierce an enemy's heart from an angle she could never reach.
Hermione grasped Lia's hand—the small hand that used to be soft and boneless, only acting spoiled in her palm, now carried a reassuringly steady strength.
She leaned into Lia's ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"The opening party, of course we're going."
Her breath brushed against the curve of Lia's ear, causing a slight itch.
"But before that," Hermione's eyes fell on the name 'Malfoy' in The Daily Prophet, her voice becoming cold and resolute, "we're taking a trip to Malfoy Manor."
"To reclaim a bit of the 'justice' that belongs to us."
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"