Chapter 28: I Said I'd Come Back For You, And Faith That Blinds
After the Welcome Ceremony and Dinner ended, all the students went to their common rooms.
Adam joined Terry and Anthony to play a few games and then went to his room.
First Adam checked his briefcase, and after confirming that all was in due order, he grabbed a book to read and waited.
It was now late at night, and Adam was in front of the area with the rune barrier in his briefcase.
He approached the barrier, but felt the sense of danger, making him smile.'' It works even for me'' He laughed, satisfied.'' Who was the genius who created this? Oh! It was me '' He joked before injecting his magic into one of the pillars, making the barrier open.
There was no other way to open the barrier other than using his pure magic. A wizard might try to force his way in, but Adam had programmed the pillars to detonate if pushed past the limit.
What he intended to keep here were some of the most valuable elements in the plot. He couldn't risk putting up common wards.
''If I create a stronghold for myself I can transfer it there,'' he muttered, thinking of the stronghold idea I had thought of a while ago.
Putting the idea aside for now, Adam took one of the boxes and left the barrier, which closed shortly after.
''Hello, Hogwarts nightlife,'' he muttered laughing, before putting himself under a spell of disillusionment and turning 'invisible'.
Adam and night Hogwarts were old acquaintances. The castle was silent at night, and there seemed to be a mystery behind every picture.
One of those places, mysterious and incredible, was the room of requirements. Adam spent most of his time there, whenever he wasn't in class or the library, he was here.
Today, on his first night at Hogwarts for his second year, he came to visit. But this time your goal was not the room with what you needed, but the place with missing items.
Adam reached the seventh floor, and passed through the corridor three times, he had already done these actions so many times, but he didn't find it boring.
When the door came into view, he opened it and walked in, his steps slow, and as soon as he saw the mound of things piled around the room. A set of memories came to mind.
''I changed? After that day?'' He murmured, his gaze going to the place where the painting of Merlin was in the past.
Adam remembered that night he came here, and found the painting of the prince of spells.
His talk about ancient magic, and the path to the top he wanted to take, surpassing all the great wizards who've had their names in the history of the wizarding world.
Now, months later, here he was again.
''Thank you, Merlin,'' he murmured, remaining silent for a minute, in homage to the wizard he met.
When he opened his eyes, there was focus and determination. The first step, he took, made his mana spread in an instant through the air of the room.
That was the first difference, from Adam, from that night to this one.
His control for his wind meld had improved, to the point where he didn't need to stand still to scan a place.
On his second step, an entire hologram of the room had formed in his mind. Now, he didn't just feel the air touch things and learn their location and shape.
He could create an 'image' of what he felt with the wind and its magic.
Looking at the picture of the place in his mind, Adam realized that the pile containing the item that had brought him here tonight was just as it had been the last time.
''Good thing, I don't know what I'd do if it was gone.'' He sighed in relief.
Losing one of the Horcrux would be something that would make anyone who knew the plot freak out. Imagine the idea that the only way to kill Voldemort is to disappear.
Searching for something like this without any kind of hint would be impossible.
Adam arrived in front of the mound of items and with a wave of his hand made them all float and fall in order to the ground beside them.
When all the pile was gone, a rolled up cloth on the floor came up.
No one could imagine that underneath that dirty rag was one of the items from the founders of Hogwarts, and in it was a piece of Voldemort's soul.
With another wave, Adam floated the cloth open, gliding through the air, revealing the diadem.
''I told you, I'd come back for you'' He said, opening the box in his hands and commanding the cloth to deposit the diadem there.
The beautiful silver diadem, inside the beautiful golden box, seemed to be made for each other. This indeed was a place worthy of a legacy from the great Rowena Ravenclaw.
''I'll find a way to destroy the soul without damaging the diadem.'' Adam said firmly, before closing the box.
When the box was closed, all the runes glowed.
That meant the box was sealed, and only Adam's pure magic could open it. In the future, Adam intended to put some FiendFyre spell, or basilisk venom, on the box's safety.
That way, if anyone tried to open it, they would not only detonate the box, but destroy the Horcrux.
That way, if something happened to him, someone else could destroy the horcrux without even opening the box, just attack.
''It's too bad I can't do FiendFyre yet…'' Adam muttered before chuckling.'' As for the poison, I think I need to visit a deadly monster as soon as I can''
Finishing his business in the item room, he left the place. Adam could ship the box straight to his briefcase via the fast shipping runes. But there was no way to send something into the barrier, just as there was no way to pull something out.
And he wouldn't trust having the box out of his reach or beyond the rune barrier.
In order for the trip back to be without interruptions or surprises, he went all the way, floating his magic around the environment.
But just like every other night he traveled through the castle, no one came.
Back in the briefcase, Adam opened the barrier and put the box in its place.
''The first of the Horcrux, successfully collected.'' He muttered before turning away.
Adam wasn't going to study the diadem now, he wanted to have contact with another Horcrux first, one more open to conversation...
The next morning, Adam joined Anthony and Terry in the main hall. The pair played a card game.
''How's the score? '' Asked Adam as he sat down and grabbed a muffin. ''Is Terry still losing?''
''Of course not,'' huffed Terry.
''What do you think? Anthony asked, laughing and making his move.
''Hey, the difference isn't even that big.'' Terry snapped, ''What's that, nine to seven? ''
''Nine to three,'' corrected Anthony.
''That's not enough, come on Adam, you should give me some tips'' Asked Terry, his eyes shining.
Adam chewed his scone first before answering. ''Stop playing with the Holy Maiden''
Terry looked at him doubtfully and sadly.'' Why? It's my favorite, look at that angelic face.''
Adam slapped his friend on the head.
'' there!. Why did you do that?'' Terry asked, patting his head.
Adam shrugged. ''Reminded of Snape, he always does that with Gryffindor''
''Yes, but when they do stupid things, or say something dumb,'' mumbled Terry before he got it. ''Hey, don't treat me like those brutes.''
''Yes Adam, don't do that,'' said Anthony. ''No need to offend Gryffindor like that, comparing them to, Terry''
Adam and Anthony looked at each other before bursting out laughing.
Terry crossed his arms and mumbled. ''Who needs enemies when I have you two as friends''
''Come on, don't be sad'' said Adam, opening his hand to show his Holy Maiden letter.
''The holy maiden, uses faith to command her servants, for some, her actions cannot go against her sacred image.'' He explained before pointing to the battlefield, where the confrontation was taking place.
''When you send your church servants to a fight to the death against the blood homunculi, they don't hesitate twice and sacrifice themselves. Because they believe in you, they have faith''
Terry nodded, he understood that. ''So? What did I do wrong.''
Adam didn't explain, he gave the command to one of the cards on the field. ''Knight of the holy sword, attack the blood homunculus.''
Terry looked at the character Adam had commanded.
The knight looked at the graveyard where the church's handmaidens now lay, and hesitated for a moment before launching his attack.
A cross of light formed under the sword strike and hit the homunculus. But what was expected did not happen, the homunculus was not completely killed, and after becoming a pool of blood, it regenerated again.
Terry wasn't surprised by that scene, it always happened when he was playing.
Adam looked at his friend and asked; ''Do you know why the homunculus wasn't destroyed?''
Terry nodded. ''Why aren't they destroyed by any hit with less than four holy power?''
Adam nodded and turned his hand, where the Knight card appeared. ''It says here that the holy knight has four holy power'' He said, showing the card's description.
Terry frowned and read it from his own letter. ''It can't be.'' He frowned after confirming. ''Then why not destroy it?'' he asked, confused.
Adam sighed. ''You know, I could hit your head again right now.''
''I can do that if you want,'' said Anthony.
''No, no. I'm afraid he'll get more dizzy.'' Adam shook his head.
Adam looked at Terry who had his hands protecting his head and chuckled as he said, ''You didn't read all the information in the letters, did you?''
Terry nodded, embarrassed, he was reading it, but when he discovered the Maiden's letter, he put it aside and started playing with it, reading just over it.
''The knight loses Faith whenever one of the church's servants is sacrificed. His sister was a sacrificed servant in a past war, and he blames the saint.'' Adam explained, not needing to look at the letter.
He remembered each of the cards he had created.
Terry's eyes gleamed as if he understood, then he was confused.'' So I can't sacrifice the maidens? But how will I defeat the enemies? Most of the deck are church servants''
Adam chuckled with a not-innocent smile. ''The Deck is made for sacrifice, so of course you're going to do that.''
''I don't understand,'' Terry said, but he would have understood if he had read the letters.
''The FAITH of the servants is absolute, and they jumped to their death, even if they saw everyone beside them being sacrificed.'' Adam laughed and said.'' Still don't get it? It all depends on who you sacrifice first, throw your knights to their deaths, command the faithful to slay each other to fight evil, and keep your handmaidens by your side.''
''The skill of the Holy Maiden, increases with the sacrifices of the innocent and faithful, each death under the banner of the church, will make the Holy Maiden stronger.''
Adam didn't say more, Terry had understood.
With a strange expression, Terry looked at the Holy Maiden, who now didn't look so pretty.
''And in the end, use the power of accumulated faith for a final suicide attack, commanding your servants to death, all cards are sacrifices in the name of the holy Maiden, the one who represents the will of God.''
''How cruel,'' Terry muttered. ''Is she a monster? '' He asked, looking at the holy Maiden.
''Don't be sad,'' Adam chuckled, putting a hand on Terry's shoulder. ''Faith is a frightening power, and it can blind even the smartest of people. And the life and death of the faithful are nothing compared to what they fight for.''
''All for the Greater Good,'' murmured Anthony from the side, with a thoughtful look as he looked down at his own letter from the Lord of Blood.
''I don't want to play with this anymore.'' Terry took the maiden card from the top of the wizard's tower. Making the battle end with your defeat.
Adam chuckled as he looked at the old man who was now sitting in the Headmaster's chair.
The blind FAITH that people had in someone or something would be its own undoing. At that time, members of the Order of the Phoenix had almost blind faith in Dumbledore.
Harry and his parents believed that the good old man, who helped and protected them, only wanted their best.
Which was far from the truth.
Yes, at some point Dumbledore took a real liking to Harry. Yes, he suffered at the thought of having to sacrifice an innocent, but it wasn't so much as to make him give up on his plan.
All for the greater good.
Dumbledore, was as blind as those who believed in him.
Adam heard Terry speak and snapped out of his reverie.
''Help me get a new Deck that I like.'' Asked Terry. '' It was your fault for destroying the image of my saint ''
Adam smiled at his friend's request and turned his hand, making a letter appear. '' Come, see the Demon Queen, how beautiful she looks in this battle suit… ''
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