At the dinner table, Nicolas pushed a plate of meatloaf with a bone toward Kyle, smiling as he said, "I almost forgot to ask—what else did you come to see me about? It's not just because you want to spend Christmas with me, is it?"
"That's the main reason," Kyle replied.
"No," Kyle shook his head.
"Well, in that case..." Nicolas gave him a playful look and said half-jokingly, "I'll just leave you to it."
"You know, it takes ages to find the right symbol," he continued, "and after that, I probably won't leave that room for weeks."
"Hm..." Kyle gave a thoughtful nod, then gently patted his head. Oops. Now that he mentioned it, I do remember one small thing.
"Go on," Nicolas laughed. "Just don't pull an Albus and whip out a Time-Turner from a thousand years ago."
"No, no, it's nothing like that... just a small thing..."
Kyle placed a box on the table, slipped on his Shield Gloves, and carefully took out a rusty, darkened crown.
"I found this in Hogwarts Castle and wanted to see if there was any way to restore it."
When Nicolas first saw the Diadem, he barely gave it a second glance, assuming Kyle had merely found some broken alchemical relic from Hogwarts. After all, nothing seemed unusual in that thousand-year-old school. But soon enough, Nicolas's keen intuition as an alchemist sensed something different. His expression grew serious, as if a certain possibility had crossed his mind.
"Could it be..." he murmured, suddenly tense, and then, almost involuntarily, asked, "What... what is this?"
"Oh, nothing much, just Ravenclaw's Diadem," Kyle replied casually.
"The Diadem that's been lost for a thousand years?" Nicolas couldn't help but stand up, visibly shaken.
For most alchemists, the Ravenclaw Diadem, known for enhancing intelligence, was as legendary as the Philosopher's Stone. Nicolas already possessed the Philosopher's Stone, but he had never seen the Diadem in person. In his six centuries of life, it was one of his few lingering regrets. He would have never guessed that it had been right there at Hogwarts all along.
And Albus had told me he'd never seen it—him, the headmaster? A teenage boy could find it, and he couldn't? Nicolas thought, his astonishment edged with irritation.
But now, there was another problem. Ravenclaw's Diadem looked so deteriorated that it resembled something one might find in a junk shop. Normally, an artifact with such powerful magic shouldn't show any signs of wear...
Nicolas leaned in closer, studying the Diadem with increasing intensity. His expression grew more and more grave.
"This is... a Horcrux?"
"Yes," Kyle confirmed with a nod. "When I found it, it had already been made into a Horcrux."
Even Nicolas, usually so composed, felt the urge to curse. To turn Ravenclaw's Diadem into a Horcrux—surely even Herpo the Foul wouldn't have dared to do such a thing.
He reached out to touch the Diadem, and the instant his fingers brushed against it, a thick black mist erupted, swirling around the Diadem. Unsettling murmurs filled the air, whispering from all directions.
Tata, the House-elf, appeared instantly before Nicolas, nervously pointing at the black mist. "Don't worry, Tata," Nicolas said, pressing his finger down as the black mist retreated back into the Diadem. Kyle placed it back in the box and continued.
"I came here to ask if there's any way to remove the pieces of soul attached to it."
Nicolas gave a quiet nod. He didn't ask where Kyle had found the Diadem or whether Dumbledore knew about it, but instead, with some interest, he asked, "What do you have in mind?"
"There are many ways to destroy a Horcrux..." Kyle began. "Basilisk fangs, the Fiendfyre Curse, a Dementor's Kiss, or even the Killing Curse can all disperse the soul fragments inside. But each of these methods would cause some degree of damage to the Diadem itself."
"I'm glad you thought of that," Nicolas said with a smile. "Once an object has been made into a Horcrux, it and the soul fragments placed within it are essentially bound as one... Or rather, the entire Diadem is now an extension of his soul. I can see why that person chose the Diadem as a vessel—most people, even if they knew it was a Horcrux, wouldn't want to destroy it. In that regard, this person was cleverer than Herpo the Foul."
"Are you sure you can repair it?" Kyle asked. "If you can, I actually have some Basilisk venom on hand, or I could use Dementors. They're in Hogsmeade, and there's only one Ministry guard, so if we're quick, catching two shouldn't be a problem."
Nicolas's expression turned somewhat odd. He could understand using Basilisk venom; Dumbledore had mentioned that the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets was now under Kyle's care, so using a little venom was feasible. But catching Dementors... Wasn't that a bit extreme? Could you even just "catch" one of those?
"Ahem, no need," Nicolas waved his hand. "I have a better way. Though it might take a bit longer, it will ensure there's absolutely no damage to the Diadem."
"What method?" Kyle asked, intrigued.
"An ancient potion that targets the soul," Nicolas replied calmly. "I once found mention of it on a tablet, which helped me confirm that Horcruxes are not a product of alchemy. Coincidentally, this potion was also invented by Herpo the Foul."
"Herpo the Foul... a potion from a thousand years ago?" Kyle frowned. "After all this time, can the ingredients still be found?"
"No problem," Nicolas smiled. "I've preserved a number of ancient potion ingredients using special methods. And if I'm missing one or two, I can always find adequate substitutes."
Then he looked up from the box, meeting Kyle's gaze with a calm expression. "But my boy... you seem to have a rather deep understanding of Horcruxes."
"Well, I did study them for a time," Kyle admitted openly. "I had an idea, and—"
"Oh, there's no need to tell me," Nicolas interrupted gently. "I trust you'll make the wisest decision and that you have your reasons. I'm not reproaching you—only reminding you... Do you remember what I told you in Paris? If you need to, you're welcome to access my private library again anytime. There are many books there, of all sorts..."
Nicolas winked, and while Kyle was momentarily distracted, he stealthily slipped the box into a bag with lightning-fast hands. By the time Kyle noticed, Nicolas had already secured it away.
Of course, Kyle had intended to leave the Diadem with him anyway and had no intention of taking it back, so Nicolas's little maneuver was entirely unnecessary. Besides the Diadem, Kyle was also preparing to hunt down the other Horcruxes. He didn't know if he could prevent Voldemort's eventual resurrection, but he figured he could set a smaller goal first... for instance, to collect all of Voldemort's Horcruxes before that day came.