Chapter 105: There Is
On a weekend morning, the Slytherin common room in the dungeons was still deserted.
Tamara Riddle sat in her exclusive high backed armchair, calmly inspecting the translucent system panel that only she could see.
[Current Attributes: Wisdom 33, Courage 32, Love 21, Life 19.]
Tamara's gaze paused on Courage: 32.
"System."
She spoke coldly in her mind, her tone carrying a hint of interrogation.
"If I remember correctly, a new spell is unlocked every time an attribute reaches a ten point milestone. My Courage passed thirty long ago. Did a troll eat my reward?"
For a moment, the air seemed to fall into dead silence.
[Ding!... Oh, host, look at my memory.]
The system's electronic voice actually carried a rare note of guilt and flattery.
[There was a slight delay in issuing the previous reward.]
[Issuing it now!]
[Congratulations, host! Courage has passed the thirty point mark!]
[Advanced Spell Unlocked: Confundus Charm.]
[Incantation: Confundo.]
[Skill Description: Able to plunge the target's mind into brief confusion and dazed uncertainty. It is an excellent support spell for travel, avoiding inspections, and even interfering with another person's cognition.]
A warm current of magic flowed from Tamara's fingertips into her mind.
Confundo.
For a Dark Lord proficient in Legilimency and the Imperius Curse, this was indeed useful, especially in this current body, where she could not freely use the Three Unforgivable Curses.
The Confundus Charm was enough for her to manipulate many things without drawing attention.
Tamara lowered her eyes, and a faint, cold smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"Delayed issuing?"
She silently chewed over the words.
Although this system was rigid and full of nauseating talk about love and peace, it had actually forgotten something.
That meant it was not infallible.
It had loopholes, limits, and even judgement mechanisms that could be exploited.
"As long as there are rules, there will be loopholes."
A sharp, dangerous glint flashed in Tamara's eyes.
Outwardly, she calmly accepted this belated reward. Inwardly, she had already begun calculating how to use this foolish system's almost human flaws to seize more privileges for herself.
That afternoon.
On the eighth floor of the castle, opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by trolls, Tamara stood alone in the empty corridor.
It was the weekend. The older students had gone to Hogsmeade, while most of those left behind were out on the grounds enjoying the rare sunshine.
It was the perfect opportunity to act.
Her goal was clear.
Ravenclaw's Diadem.
That was another Horcrux she had gone to great lengths to find and create, hidden within the Room of Requirement behind this very wall.
Since the diary carrying sixteen years of memories could not be forcibly taken for the time being, all because of the system's damned morality, and since that disgusting, deranged main soul could regroup at any moment, she had to recover her scattered power as quickly as possible.
She needed to make up for the natural disadvantage in absolute magical reserves that came with this young body.
As long as she could retrieve and merge with it again, or even merely absorb the vast amount of magic within it that shared her source, she was confident her strength would undergo a true transformation.
She might even use it to find a way to forcibly break through the underlying restrictions of this wretched system.
"Meow!"
A sharp cat's cry suddenly came from the other end of the corridor.
Immediately after came Filch's heavy, shuffling footsteps and grumbling voice.
"Are they over there, my sweet? Is there another sightless brat wandering the corridors?"
Tamara frowned.
She had no time to deal with this irritating Squib. If he found her pacing back and forth here, he would certainly start asking unnecessary questions.
As if sensing Tamara's intention, a transparent figure stained with silver blood slowly drifted out from the shadows at the corner of the corridor.
The Bloody Baron.
"Help me lead that nuisance Filch away," Tamara ordered in a low voice.
His dead fish eyes stared hollowly ahead, but after receiving Tamara's command, he changed his drifting path with extreme obedience.
The Baron swept straight toward Filch, carrying a bone chilling wind with him.
"Ah! Mr. Baron! Why are you here?!"
Filch's raspy voice instantly twisted into a terrified scream.
Madam Norris let out a shrill yowl and fled, scrambling away.
Listening to Filch's retreating footsteps, Tamara withdrew her gaze in satisfaction.
She turned toward the blank wall and repeated silently in her mind three times.
I need a place to hide things.
I need a place to hide things.
I need a place to hide things.
An extremely smooth door materialised out of thin air on the wall.
Tamara pushed it open and stepped inside.
Within was a room as vast as a cathedral, with towering windows casting dim beams of light across the clutter.
It was filled with objects hidden by Hogwarts teachers and students over the centuries.
Piles of broken furniture, countless books, winged catapults, and even the skeletal remains of unknown creatures preserved in great glass jars.
It was practically a labyrinth made of junk.
But to Tamara's senses, it was a glittering treasure trove.
She closed her eyes and carefully felt for the resonance that belonged to her soul fragment.
Soon, she sensed a weak yet painfully familiar pull.
"Over there."
Tamara opened her eyes, and a flash of fanatical desire passed through them.
She moved past several small mountains of broken chairs and stopped before a pile of old books and rusty cauldrons.
Atop an ugly old warlock bust missing half its head, a diadem set with sapphires lay quietly.
It was covered in dust, yet even dust could not conceal its ancient, noble aura.
"Finally found it..."
Tamara's voice trembled slightly with excitement.
As long as she took it, as long as she touched it, that fulfilment of a soul drawing closer to completion would allow her to regain part of her lost power.
But she did not reach for it at once.
As its creator, she understood the danger of a Horcrux better than anyone.
Sealed within it was an absolutely rational version of herself, capable of functioning independently.
If she touched it rashly, that proud soul fragment might not submit obediently to the little girl she was now. It might even trigger a mutual devouring between two souls of the same source.
Since most high level Dark magic was currently blocked by the system, and she could not use a forceful soul detachment ritual, she had to find another way.
Tamara drew her holly wand while also sliding a silver knife from her sleeve.
She intended to use the precious golden blood within her body as a medium, attempting to soothe and assimilate the magic inside the diadem.
However, just as a faint dark glimmer lit the tip of her wand, and the blade was about to nick her fingertip...
Creak.
The door to the Room of Requirement was pushed open from the outside without the slightest warning.
Tamara whipped her head around, her wrist flicking as she hid the knife back in her sleeve.
In her pitch black eyes, killing intent almost surged out in visible form.
Who?
Dumbledore?
Or a patrolling Professor?
Tamara's mind worked at terrifying speed, preparing three flawless excuses in almost an instant.
She had lost her way while escaping Peeves's pranks.
She had become lost while searching for an obscure book from the library.
Or she was simply an innocent, curious second year student accidentally drawn in by this magical door.
She had even adjusted the helplessness in her eyes to its most convincing state, ready to show the newcomer the innocence of a good Slytherin student.
However...
"Huff... huff... Tamara! You really are here!"
Amid a burst of heavy panting, Harry, Ron, and Hermione rushed in like a tornado.
Harry was still clutching that silver grey Invisibility Cloak. Clearly, they had followed her in secret the whole way.
"What on earth are you doing, Tamara?" Harry ran over, his face full of concern.
"We saw you heading to the eighth floor alone and acting so mysterious. We thought you might have run into danger!"
"Yeah!" Ron patted his chest, still shaken. "Filch was screaming downstairs just now. Nearly scared the life out of us!"
Hermione stared wide eyed at the towering piles of junk.
"Good heavens, Hogwarts actually has a place like this? This would be perfect for practising spells after class!"
Tamara closed her eyes.
She wiped away the innocence and disguise from her expression, leaving only weary helplessness and a faint trace of murderous intent.
"...Why are you all here?"
.....
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