The doors swung open with a deep rumble, revealing a grand chamber filled with ethereal light.
The air shimmered with latent magic, the walls lined with intricate carvings of constellations and ancient runes, each pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.
At its center stood a figure.
She was breathtaking.
Rowena Ravenclaw herself, or rather, what remained of her essence.
Rowena was tall and regal, her dark hair cascading in loose waves to her waist.
Her piercing blue eyes sparkled like sapphires, framed by high cheekbones and a sharp, intelligent gaze.
She wore a flowing gown of midnight blue, adorned with silver embroidery that resembled the endless constellations above.
Upon her brow rested a diadem, identical to the one Nero had seen in the Room of Requirement, shimmering faintly with ancient power.
She smiled, her voice smooth and melodious. "Welcome, Nero. I am Rowena Ravenclaw, or at least what remains of her. You have exceeded my expectations."
Nero approached cautiously, bowing slightly. "Lady Ravenclaw, it's an honor. Thank you for allowing me to enter."
Her lips twitched in amusement. "Lady Ravenclaw? Is that what you call your esteemed ancestor?" A gleam of mischief flickered in her sapphire eyes.
Nero coughed. "Then would you rather I call you… grandma?"
Silence.
The air itself seemed to still.
Rowena narrowed her eyes. "You are fortunate I do not have a corporeal form."
"…Big sister, then?"
A sigh. "That is acceptable."
He smirked. "Alright then, big sis."
She rolled her eyes but let it pass. "Now that we've established proper respect, tell me, why in *indistinct sound* name are you here so soon? You weren't meant to reach this place for another four years at the very least."
Before he could answer, she raised a hand, and her eyes glowed as she activated her own Raven Eyes. Nero felt her magic sweep over him, analyzing every fiber of his being.
Her gaze widened in shock.
"And your magical reserves…" she murmured, studying him as if he were an impossible equation. "Even to me, seeing a twelve-year-old with this much raw mana is absurd. Have you been training yourself to near collapse every day?"
Nero scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "More or less."
Rowena's astonishment deepened. "But that alone does not explain this. Nero, let me address the real matter at hand..."
She straightened, her gaze piercing into him like a dagger.
"Have you unlocked your memories?"
Nero stiffened.
He wasn't sure what reaction he had expected, but this? This was beyond his predictions.
His mind raced. "…How do you know about that?"
Rowena exhaled, her expression shifting into something more profound, both solemn and awed.
"Because you are my hope, Nero. You are our hope, the hope of all four founders."
A strange chill crept down his spine. "What do you mean?"
She gave him a long, knowing look before speaking. "You and your friends are the central element of a thousand-year-old desperate bet."
Nero's mouth went dry. "A bet? And by friends you mean…"
Rowena nodded, her gaze turning distant as if peering through the very fabric of time.
"You, Ember, Lilith, and Alaric… You are the reincarnations of souls we once chose. Each of us left behind a fragment of ourselves, bound in ancient magic, ensuring that when the time was right, you would remember. But your memories were never supposed to awaken this early."
Her voice darkened. "Someone interfered. Someone unsealed them prematurely."
A foreboding sense of dread settled over Nero. " So Ember, Lilith, and Alaric… are reincarnations like me?"
"Have they recovered their memories?" she asked sharply.
Nero hesitated. "…Not as far as I know. They seem normal. For now."
Rowena let out a slow breath, a mixture of relief and concern. "Each founder left behind an echo of himself, with enough power to release the seals on their chosen soul's memories. If one has been tampered with… the others may not be far behind."
A beat of silence passed between them before she spoke again. "...Since I no longer need to use my magic to unlock your memories, I can offer you something else. Ask me for one thing, Nero. Whatever you wish to learn."
Nero considered her offer carefully. He could ask for knowledge, a powerful spell, even forbidden secrets, but in the end, the choice was obvious.
"I need allies and rivals I can trust," he said. "I need people who will grow with me, who will have my back, and help me reach the summit. Please, remove the seals on Ember, Lilith, and Alaric's memories."
Rowena's lips curved into a knowing smile. "A smart request."
She studied him for a long moment before nodding. "Normally, the seals would have broken on your sixteenth birthdays. But under these circumstances… I will comply. I will inform the other founders so we may awaken them properly."
She took a step closer, her expression thoughtful. "Still, my offer stands. Is there anything else you desire to learn?"
Nero hesitated, then asked the question that had been weighing on his mind for months.
"How do I remove a soul, or multiple souls, from a Horcrux without destroying the item itself?"
Rowena's playful demeanor faded. Her expression turned solemn. "A wise question. More than you think"
She studied him intently before speaking. "The diadem will be essential to you, as will the other keepsakes left by Godric, Helga, and Salazar. Each one carries a legacy beyond its material form, a connection to magic far older than most wizards can comprehend."
Her voice took on a lecturing tone, clear and precise. "The best approach will be an advanced fusion of ritual and curse breaking magic. We will need to construct a method that is both logical and stable, one that adapts to the nature of each Horcrux."
She folded her arms. "This process will require exceptional control over your magic. You'll have to monitor the Horcrux's reactions constantly, adjusting your spells in real time. Even the slightest miscalculation could lead to disastrous consequences."
Then, just as Nero was absorbing the gravity of her words, a smirk tugged at her lips.
"Aren't you lucky to be my descendant? Godric's would never be able to manage that."
Her teasing lilt made Nero blink, and for a moment, his serious expression wavered. He answered with a proud nod, refusing to let her bait him.
Rowena chuckled before continuing, her tone turning low and measured. "Now, understand this, Horcrux magic is unlike anything else. It is volatile, deeply anchored in the darkest branches of soul magic. To cleanse one, you must achieve a perfect balance between purification and containment. If you falter, if you let corruption slip past even for a moment…" Her gaze darkened. "The consequences will be irreversible."
Nero swallowed. "Dumbledore prefers to destroy them outright."
Rowena inclined her head. "And he is right to do so. Destroying a Horcrux is the simplest, safest method to rid the world of its corruption."
Her sapphire eyes gleamed with something deeper, conviction, but also defiance. "But Dumbledore also had no personal stake in reclaiming what was lost."
She turned fully to him, her presence commanding even in spectral form. "We left these relics for you four, Nero. They are not mere artifacts to be discarded. If you can reclaim them, they will become invaluable tools in your journey. Trust me."
She stepped closer, her ghostly hand hovering over his shoulder. Though he could not feel her touch, a strange warmth spread through him, as if her magic resonated with his own.
"It will take time, a long time, for you to master this magic. But I can help you devise a method to cleanse and reclaim what has been tainted by darkness."
Her voice softened, yet the weight of her words remained heavy. "However, understand this: such magic is not only difficult, it is perilous. You will be walking a razor's edge between light and darkness. The process will test more than just your skill, it will test your heart, your resolve, your very soul."
She tilted her head slightly, eyes searching his. "Are you truly willing to take that risk?"
Nero met her gaze without hesitation, his resolve unshaken. "Yes. Whatever it takes."
Rowena's lips curved into a proud, radiant smile. "That's my descendant."
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