17 Chapter 17: The Diadem and Azazel

Hogwarts Castle, Somewhere in the Scottish Highlands

November 23rd, 1992, 0:39 AM

"HE DARES!"

Selena yells angrily. Her magic started to flow from her in waves fuelled by her feelings. Around her, the broken stuff in the piles near started to crumble and implode in themselves. It was a scary thing to watch. The Aurors and Unspeakables seemed to agree with that if the fear showing in their faces and body language was anything to be taken into account. For an adult wizard, even more one with the experience that Selena Ravenclaw had, acts of accidental magic fuelled by feelings was a very rare and almost impossible thing to see. It just showed the degree of anger that she was feeling at the moment.

"Lady Ravenclaw, please calm yourself!"

Pleaded Director Bones to the angry Selena. The stuff around them continued to implode on themselves, leaving behind just small balls of compressed matter. And then Selena felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking at it, she recognizes it as being the hand of her husband for almost a thousand years. And looking at his face she understands. The man will pay. Selena had seen that look only a couple of times in their thousand years of partnership. The worm will definitely pay. And she hugged him, making the magic storm around them stop instantly. Burying her head in his chest, she starts to sob.

"It is desecrated…"

*sob sob*

"Shhh… I'll talk with Azazel. He will get it clean… Don't worry, love…"

Erik hugged the sobbing woman back, slowly caressing her hair and trying to comfort her with words and gestures. The Aurors and Unspeakables were silent, just like Joan and Leona. But the first two were relieved that the scary magic storm ended. They just stood there, respecting the couple's moment. Slowly Selena's sobs diminished and came to a stop. She looked up, from Erik's chest, to his face. Her puffy red eyes showed anger and cold determination on them.

"I want to hunt him."

She said.

"I want to make sure he knows why he is being destroyed."

She said.

"And I want to destroy him with my own hands."

She said with finality.

Erik nodded at her. He looked at the diadem again, and said to the rest of the group.

"Gentlemen, this one, I will be taking it."

"Any reason for it, Lord Ravenclaw? I know that it has something to do with your Lady's state."

Erik just replied to the cloaked Unspeakable.

"Are any of you from Ravenclaw House while studying here?"

Two of the three Unspeakables together with Auror Shacklebolt nodded at question.

"Then you will understand this better. The diadem on the bust, over there, is Ravenclaw's Diadem."

All of the ministerial group looked with intensity to the diadem.

"And Tom Riddle made a Horcrux of it."

*gasp*

Gasps were the only thing that they could say. One of Hogwarts' founders most famous relics, made in a horcrux. The Ravenclaws in the group were feeling the same anger that Selena was feeling, in a much more tame way, of course.

"Lord Ravenclaw, it is very sad what has happened to it, but we have to destroy it."

Erik looked back to the Unspeakable that talked. His face was blank. No emotion was shown. Slowly, Erik raised a hand and extended it a bit till the height of his chest, with palms up. A dark blue magic circle of about thirty centimeters of diameter and with a raven on its center lighted up above his palm. The light of the circle pulsed quickly. Ten seconds after it started, the quick pulses of light stabilized and a face appeared above it.

"What is it?"

Said the figure. It was a man that looked to be about his 30s. He had black short hair with blond bangs and a black goatee. He appeared to be bothered by the 'call', until he saw who was in the image that appeared to him, and smiled.

"Oh, it's you, Erik. How are you doing?"

With a small smile, not taking the earlier behaviour in account, Erik replied to the projection.

"Hey there, Azazel. It could be better, and that's why I'm calling you."

"Wow, that's how it is now? You only remember your old pal when you need something?"

The now identified, Azazel, said with a face that showed mock hurt.

"Azazel, are you alone?"

Erik said without bothering about the fake face. Azazel's face changed instantly after hearing that, and he replied.

"That serious huh? I'm in my office right now, with Penemue and Baraqiel."

"They are ok. Horcruxes, can you extract one from an artifact without damaging it?"

The image showed Azazel taking one hand to his goatee and preening it.

"I can. There's a chance that the artifact would crumble after removing the soul piece, but the chance of crumbling gets lower the higher the quality of the artifact is."

"Chances for an artifact of Ravenclaw's Diadem level?"

Azazel's hand stopped after he heard it.

"Someone made a Horcrux of Selena's Diadem?"

"No, not Selena's. Her sister's, Helena, Diadem got made in a Horcrux."

Erik shook his head replying to Azazel.

"So, the chances?"

"Between 3 and 5 percent chances of losing it."

"That's a good number. When can I bring it to you?"

"Whenever you want. Is it urgent?"

"Hmm.. Kinda. Have you heard about the terrorist from twelve years ago in the wizard community in the British Isles?"

"The 'Moldmort' dude?"

"Voldemort."

Came a second voice, a feminine one, from Azazel's side of the call, correcting him.

"Yeah, yeah. 'Moldmort', 'Moldyshorts', Voldemort, whatever was the dude fetish. What of him?"

Erik chuckled at the names. Let it up to Azazel to change a serious thing into a joke.

"Yeah, that's the guy. He apparently made Horcruxes. Plural. As in multiple ones. We found two already. One of them is in the Diadem."

"Wow… the guys must be really stupid. Multiple Horcruxes. He must have gone totally nuts."

"From what I heard, he indeed did go nuts."

"Well, bring it whenever you want. I will prepare the tools necessary."

"Good, I will be there in two days, max."

"We will be waiting for you."

"Ok. Give my greetings to Perenelle and Baraqiel."

"They are hearing…"

"And say to the sparky masochist that there is a house ready for his family in the hub. No strings attached."

At that quip, it was Azazel's turn to chuckle. Pearls of feminine laughter could be heard from his side too.

"He heard it, and I will say it again after. Give the girls my greetings too. See you soon, Erik."

"See Ya, Azazel."

The image flickered, and ended. The magic circle disappeared in the sequence. Erik lowered his hand and hugged Selena back, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"See love, nothing to cry about. We will cleanse your sister's Diadem, don't worry. And Tom Riddle will pay for it."

Selena gave him a nod and buried her head again against his chest. One of the Unspeakables asked nervously to Erik after he saw that the conversation was over.

"L-Lord Ravenclaw. Were you really talking to Azazel?"

"Yes."

"The Azazel? Leader of the Grigori? Cadre level Fallen?"

"Yeah, that Azazel. Why? Do you know any other Azazel?"

"Er… No… For nothing. It's just… That he was nothing like I read about."

The Unspeakable replied, a little shocked. From what he had read about, Azazel was a Cadre level Fallen Angel, and the top leader of the Grigori faction, one of the most powerful factions in the world. And Lord Ravenclaw had him on the 'fast dial'. And they seemed to be in good relations too. It seemed that the headache that Director Bones had earlier was starting to migrate to him.

"That's expected. Azazel is a very chill out guy with his friends. But he is ruthless with those that he sees as enemies."

Erik said to the Unspeakable, that taking the shake of the cloak, had just nodded at the information.

At that time, Auror Shacklebolt asked with curiosity about something that he heard during the conversation.

"Lord Ravenclaw, I noticed that you said that the Diadem was Helena's one, and not Selena's."

Erik nodded at that, and the Auror continued.

"How many Ravenclaw's Diadem are there?"

"Three."

Erik answered simply. The Auror continued.

"Three?"

"Yes, three. One belonged to their mother, Rowena. And each daughter had their own diadem. It was a way that Rowena used to teach her daughters, Selena and Helena, how to enchant an item."

Erik explained 'sagelly'.

"So how can you be sure that it is Helena's Diadem, and not Rowena's?"

"Because I know where the other two are right now? Rowena's Diadem was buried with her, in a secret location, and two years ago, when we visited the tomb, it was still untouched. And Selena's Diadem is still in the same place that I saw it last time, in Selena's dressing table, at home."

Erik replied. He had no problem in revealing the location of the two items because he knew it was impossible for anyone to get to them.

"Yeah, It's a very good piece of enchantment, an it is beautiful piece of jewelry too."

Leona commented, remembering the time that Selena had loaned the item to her, with a happy face. Auror Shacklebolt's face snapped to her.

"Is it true then? That the Diadem gives infinite wisdom to those who wear it?"

A pearly laugh came out from Leona's mouth.

"Infinite wisdom? No, no. The Diadem's enchantment is a double-edged sword."

"A double-edged sword? Why?"

"Because it makes you remember every memory of yours with high clarity. Like it happened just a minute ago. You remember everything. With the most clear detail possible. It's like pouring all your thoughts into a pensieve, and having them available for you to browse at any time."

Leona said to the dark-skinned Auror.

"Then how can it be a double-edged sword?"

The reply came from Director Bones, who understood the meaning.

"Shacklebolt, when she says every memory, she means it. Every memory recalled with great clarity, a thought of distance away. The good memories, the neutral memories, the bad memories, and the nightmarish memories. All remembered with clarity."

The Auror went silent, now understanding the meaning of it. After a minute or so, Erik let go of Selena and took his blue leather gloves from the pocket inside his suit. He retrieved a leather pouch from the same pocket too. A mokeskin pouch. Donning the gloves, Erik went to the cabinet and took the mannequin bust from it, putting it on the floor. With caution he took the Diadem from the bust and deposited it inside the mokeskin pouch. Securing the pouch back inside his pocket, together with his gloves next, he vanished the bust and took a better look at the cabinet that was supporting it. The cabinet was around 2.2 meters in height and was beautifully decorated. Opening one of it's doors, Erik noticed that the interior of it was covered in small runes. He recognized the patterns. It was about transport. Moving spaces. No, not moving, trading contents.

"This is a good find…"

Erik said, observing the cabinet better. Passing a finger above the crack in one of the doors.

"Shame that it is damaged. But if we can find the other one, it can be fixed easily."

"Other what? What did you find, Erik?"

Selena, now more calm, asked her husband.

"The cabinet. Is a transportation artifact. If what I'm interpreting from the runes is correct, it is one of a pair. When something is put inside it, and the doors are closed, if the other twin has its doors closed too, the content inside both cabinets will change place. No matter the protection around, and no matter the distance. Theoretically, it could pierce any protection. No pierce is the wrong word to use, since the protection would be intact, like nothing happened."

"Ohh… That's Interesting, and dangerous at the same time."

"Yes. Agreed. The person that came with it must have been a genius, or an insane idiot."

*giggles*

The girls giggled at that. The heavy atmosphere from before, gone.

"Let's go back. I think that's all for today. The other artifacts are all minor ones and are secured inside Professors' Offices. Most of them are inside the Headmaster's Office. If you wish, we can meet tomorrow to investigate the artifacts in the Headmaster's Office, Director Bones."

Erik said, inviting them all out, and then, back tomorrow for more possible seizures. The mischievous smile that Erik had in his face when he invited Director Bones back the next day to investigate the Headmaster's Office was not lost on her. The woman replied to it with her own predatory smile.

"Oh… I will take on your offer, Lord Ravenclaw. How about 10 AM? How does that sound to you?"

"10 AM is perfect. Let's get going."

Erik and his group quickly made their way out of the room, traversing through the trails between piles and hills of old stuff.

Exiting the Room of Requirement, Erik closed its doors and watched, with the group, as they disappeared into the stone wall. With a smirk, Erik said.

"Let me show you this room in action. Let's ask for a fireplace that can connect to the floo network."

Erik then started passing in front of the stone wall thinking about a place with a fireplace that can connect with the floo. On his third pass, new doors, different from the anterior, appeared. With a smirk, Erik opened the doors wide and entered the room. The room, just like he had advertised about it, was different. It was smaller, way smaller than the anterior one, and on its wall were a dozen fireplaces. Erik walked to the nearest one. It had small embers burning on it emanating heat. But there was no floo powder available on the mantel.

"Hmm, no floo powder. This is one of the beauties of the room. If you are the one that created it, you can 'ask' in your mind for something simple to be added to the already existing room that would not change its main objective. For example, floo powder."

Erik concentrated a little, and he and the group saw a green urn appearing on the fireplace's mantel. Erik took the urn and looked inside it. It was full of floo powder.

"See?"

"It is indeed a marvelous room, Lord Ravenclaw."

Erik smiles at Director Bones. He was proud to show his mother-in-law's creation to others. Director Bones signaled her Aurors and watched as, one by one, they took a pinch of floo's powder and called for 'DMLE, Ministry', and disappeared in bouts of tall green flames.

"We will meet again tomorrow, Lord Ravenclaw. Have a good night."

Director Bones said, and with a 'good night' from Erik and his girls, she, too, disappeared in a bout of tall green flames. When the Unspeakables were going for it, Erik stopped them and retrieved from a pocket inside his suit a little booklet. He then offered the booklet to the Unspeakable that he believed was the leader, Croaker.

"It has the instructions to craft the locator utilising the one Horcrux that you have."

The Unspeakable, that was indeed Croaker, took the booklet and put it inside a pocket in his robes.

"Thanks."

"When ready, it will point to the nearest piece. If it points to outside the country, warn me and I will take you guys to it. If it points into goblin territory. Mention my name to them and say that you are searching for a Horcrux. They hate the stuff more than they hate wizards, and will accompany you inside their territory to search for it."

The Unspeakable Croaker nodded. The chances that the Dark Lord had deposited one of them inside a vault was good.

"That any other content inside the vault found sheltering a Horcrux will be forfeit to them is just a bonus."

Erik added with a predatory smile. He continued.

"And if 'moldyshorts' used any other important artifacts to make one of his anchors, bring them to me and I will ask Azazel to clean them. I'd hate to see we lose a piece of history. Have a good night, Croaker, Gibbers, Buzzer."

The Unspeakables nodded at him, and disappeared into tall green flames after calling 'DOM, Ministry'.

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a/n: Still in doubt if I let Shuri get killed or not. And no, Akeno will definitely not be a wife of the MC.