Chapter 119

Chapter 119

The Gryffindor and Ravenclaw common rooms stood at the tops of two towers, facing each other from afar.

Aside from being cold in winter and hot in summer, this was an excellent vantage point.

Harry’s dormitory had definitely been specially arranged by the old bee. From here, one could see the entire castle, as well as the whole of the distant Forbidden Forest.

Suer was busy, so he did not tour the Gryffindor common room himself. Suer simply carried Crookshanks out through the Fat Lady’s portrait.

“Mrow…” Crookshanks raised a paw and gently patted Suer.

“What is it, Crookshanks?” Suer put Crookshanks down. The large cat immediately darted back to the Fat Lady’s portrait and knocked on the frame with a paw.

“You want to go back?”

“Meow.” Crookshanks licked a paw in reply.

“To catch Ron’s rat?” Suer said. “That rat is very strange, isn’t it?”

At that, Crookshanks looked up at Suer and bared a set of teeth.

“I know, I know.” Suer raised a hand and rubbed the large cat’s head. “But there are more important things to do right now, Crookshanks.”

“Mrow…” Hearing the firmness in Suer’s tone, Crookshanks let the broad face droop. The ears bent slightly forwards, and the furry tail swished from side to side.

This time, Crookshanks raised no objection to being carried back to the Hufflepuff common room, and simply jumped onto the window ledge and lay down.

“I still have something to do, Crookshanks. I’ll take you to see Hermione tomorrow.”

“Mrow…” With the broad face resting on the ledge, Crookshanks gave a listless meow in response.

Suer climbed out through the barrel and headed towards Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, though his mind turned to a theory he had once read on an online forum in his previous life.

Hermione’s cat had actually been the Potter family’s pet. Naturally, Crookshanks recognised Harry, and naturally, Crookshanks recognised Peter Pettigrew as well. That was why the cat had never stopped chasing Scabbers. Hermione had kept Crookshanks for a long time and had never seen the cat eat a rat. Crookshanks even disdained the prepared dried rats sold in pet shops…

If the theory were true, then it made perfect sense that Crookshanks would help Sirius too…

None of that mattered this year, however. Suer shook his head.

At the top of the last flight of stairs lay Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, but to Suer’s surprise, Filch was there, sitting all alone before the door and dozing.

That was bad. He needed to find a way to lure Filch away.

Suer rummaged through his pocket and pulled out an enhanced Dungbomb, the only one left over from the last time he had dealt with Malfoy.

Sorry, Filch, Suer apologised silently. He then hurried into another corridor, drew his wand and softly spoke the incantation.

“Confringo.” A dazzling burst of sparks exploded with a bang in the air above the corridor.

Suer then tossed the Dungbomb into the corridor. Yellow-black smoke spread through the air.

“Ugh…” He accidentally inhaled a wisp. It stank… What in the world had George and Fred put inside it…?

When he returned to the corridor outside Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom, Filch was gone, just as expected.

Suer hurried over and pushed open the door bearing the Out of Order sign.

The place was as gloomy as ever, and even damper than before. The last time he had come, there had not been so many pools of water everywhere. It seemed Myrtle had been splashing water around to amuse herself.

Suer drew his wand and cast Impervius on himself. This was exactly what magic was for…

Then he walked towards the cubicle at the very back.

“Myrtle, are you there?” Suer stood outside the door and spoke softly.
“Glug… glug-glug…” The sound of bubbles came from inside, and Suer reached out to push open the door.

Hanging halfway off its hinges, the door let out an awful — creeeak — as it swung open.

Myrtle was indeed inside, bobbing up and down, up and down, in the open toilet whose seat had gone missing.

“You came…” Myrtle gave a mournful sigh. “I remembered a few things just now. They made me very sad.”

“I don’t feel like talking at the moment. The thing you wanted is over there.”

Suer looked in the direction Myrtle indicated. A thin little book lay on the floor, its battered black cover much like everything else in the bathroom.

It lay entirely in a puddle and was soaked through.

Suer wanted to turn back and ask Myrtle for more details, but Myrtle sank into the toilet of her own accord and disappeared.

He stepped forwards, intending to pick up the black-covered book, but then something occurred to him, and he drew his wand instead.

“Confringo! Stupefy! Incendio!” He used every spell at his disposal on the book.

If the diary could think, it would surely have produced a question mark.

Have you no manners?

Oh, wait. This diary was itself a vessel for a soul.

“Are you going to be like those people and use magic to bully me too?” Myrtle floated back up, her little mouth twisting as she prepared to burst into tears.

“No, Myrtle,” Suer explained at once. “You know, some books come with very dangerous things attached. I was only being cautious.”

“It’s just an ordinary book,” Myrtle said. “Take it and leave. Don’t forget what you promised me.”

Suer nodded and did not cast any more spells at the book. What he had really been doing was confirming whether this was an ordinary book or — Voldemort’s Horcrux.

One final safeguard — a pair of dragon-hide gloves.

Suer picked up the book and examined it closely. It still looked just as battered as before. Several spells had failed to leave so much as a mark on it.

Driven by curiosity, he cautiously opened it to the first page. The first thing that met his eyes —

was a name — T. M. Riddle…

There was no mistake. This was it. Suer’s gaze deepened as he closed the book and carefully tucked it into his pocket, not caring that it would soak his robes. He hurried towards the door. His most urgent task now was to secure the diary and find an opportunity to hand it over to Headmaster Dumbledore.

Yes, that was Suer’s plan.

Only someone out of their mind would ignore the magical world’s most powerful champion of the light and insist on joining the saviour, sword in hand and phoenix at their side, to battle a dragon.

Besides, there was no princess to rescue.

As for Riddle teaching him powerful magic… Heh. With so many professors at the school, which one of them could not thrash the Riddle who was still a student at the time? Riddle’s later power had only developed during the latter half of his life.

The Riddle inside this diary was merely a student who had specialised rather heavily in the Dark Arts.

Suer had no desire to become the kingpin of the underworld. Why hide like a rat when he could walk beneath the sun?

He carefully opened the door. Filch had not returned, so Suer quickly pulled it shut behind him and slipped away.

Not long after Suer left, a red-haired figure appeared at the entrance to the bathroom. Looking dazed, the figure pushed the door open and walked inside.

After a while, a sound like weeping came from within, carrying both relief and reluctance…