"Hahahahaha…"
Manic laughter echoed through the Headmaster's Office. In the Pensieve, mist swirled, reflecting Ryan Smith's face, contorted with exhilaration.
He leaned his head back, nose bleeding, laughing wildly, as if he had already attained supreme power.
Then, a figure tumbled into the Pensieve, merging with the slowly swirling silver mist.
Dumbledore took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead, feeling that the image wouldn't leave his mind for a long time.
"I must ask, Wade—"
Dumbledore looked at the young man opposite him. "Did you cast a Confundus Charm on him, making him arrogant? Or did you have him ingest an excessive amount of Felix Felicis?"
"Neither," Wade said, shaking his head. "Giving him Felix Felicis would likely bring misfortune upon myself. And my Confundus Charm merely made him believe he had gained Ravenclaw's knowledge. As for the rest, that was all Ryan Smith's own improvisation."
"So, that was his true inner desire—to help Voldemort unify the Wizarding World, and he even sees Voldemort as a tool to achieve his ambitions?"
Even with Dumbledore's vast experience and knowledge, he didn't know how to evaluate such behavior. A flicker of confusion even involuntarily crossed his eyes.
Even if Ryan Smith had truly gained Rowena Ravenclaw's knowledge and wisdom, how could he be so sure that he could transform knowledge into power?
Magic, combat skills, adaptability… Which of these did he think he surpassed Voldemort in?
Even over a thousand years ago, Rowena Ravenclaw wasn't the most powerful person of her time!
For someone as accustomed to thorough deliberation as Dumbledore, it was hard for him to comprehend Ryan's incredibly shallow thinking.
"I was surprised too," Wade said calmly. "Someone who appears steady, wise, and friendly, once they believe they've gained power, reveals a side even uglier than many Death Eaters."
Dumbledore gently tapped the Pensieve and asked, "So… Wade, what's your plan?"
You plan to use this ambitious young man how?
Wade didn't shy away from Dumbledore's gaze. He leaned slightly forward, his eyes bright.
"Professor, what do you think… if Voldemort discovers Ryan's shallowness and ambition, will he stop using him?"
"No," Dumbledore said without hesitation. "Tom is a young man more confident than anyone. He wouldn't fear a subordinate's ambition."
"So, the more transparent Ryan Smith's actions are, the more Voldemort will believe he can control him," Wade said. "He can't trust his former Death Eaters, but he might leak some secrets to someone like Ryan—such as his hiding place, which Death Eaters he still has at his disposal… and his next plan."
Dumbledore nodded slightly.
Wade couldn't keep Ryan under the Confundus Charm, making him believe he had gained Ravenclaw's wisdom, indefinitely. In that brief time, the knowledge he implanted in Ryan's mind through memory modification magic wasn't as extensive as Ryan himself believed.
And there was a subtle point here—Ryan thought he had acquired ancient wisdom, but Voldemort believed Ryan was simply seduced by his own soul fragment.
Through the Communication Pea, Voldemort couldn't confirm Ryan's state and could still be deceived by Wade's magic. But if the two of them were to meet in private, the truth might quickly be exposed.
For one thing, if Ryan were to hand the Diadem to Voldemort, he would immediately recognize it as nothing more than a fake.
Only Dumbledore could complete the plan and truly make it what Wade intended.
After discussing the plan, Wade returned to the dormitory to catch up on sleep. Last night's Christmas Ball had drained the students' usual excess energy. When he returned to the Common Room, most people were still asleep.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore didn't put away the Pensieve. Instead, he immersed himself in it, experiencing firsthand Ryan's search for the Diadem last night.
In Wade's memory, he had already cast the Disillusionment Charm. Therefore, even Dumbledore couldn't find Wade in the air at that moment.
But he knew that the Wade in the memory was right beside him.
Dumbledore watched Ryan frantically searching, his expression tinged with solemnity and worry, which ultimately turned into a silent sigh.
...
Although many things had changed significantly with Wade's involvement, some minor events seemed to unfold as scheduled, as if by fate.
For instance, Ron and Hermione had another argument, Hagrid angered Madame Maxime by admitting he was a Half-Giant, and Harry overheard Snape and Karkaroff arguing in the garden.
"Those two definitely have a secret!" he told Wade firmly. "They were calling each other by their first names."
"So?" Wade said. "Harry, besides being our professors, professors also have friends and normal social interactions, isn't that perfectly normal?"
"It's normal for others, but it's too strange for Snape!" Harry insisted. "I can't imagine him making friends—"
He thought about it, then added, "If he has friends, they must be Potions ingredients already processed and lying in a Cauldron."
"Don't worry about Professor Snape's social life, Harry," Hermione said, tapping Harry's shoulder with her Quill. "Haven't you solved the secret of that Golden Egg yet?"
Wade paused.
"No, I'm trying to figure it out…"
Harry instinctively gave a dismissive reply, then paused before reluctantly adding, "Last night, Cedric suggested I—take that Golden Egg to the Prefects' Bathroom for a bath."
Hermione was momentarily stunned. "…A bath?"
Then, she noticed Wade's expression was a bit strange and asked, "What do you think, Wade?"
"I…" Wade looked at Harry and asked, "Did I not tell you that I already know the clue the Golden Egg provides?"
"What?" Harry gasped, grabbing Wade's arm. "You solved it? When? What does that screaming mean?"
Then he remembered Wade's question and added, "You didn't tell me."
"Well, I thought I told you…"
Wade rubbed his nose and recounted the song he had heard, then said:
"When the Golden Egg is put in water, the screaming turns into a Mermaid's song. I suggest you go listen to it yourself, just in case our clues are different."
Harry nodded, silently noting down the clue Wade had just provided.
He didn't want to accept Cedric's help because Cedric was currently his most disliked person, but if it was Wade's advice, then there was no problem.
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