Hogsmeade weekend arrived in no time. As February began, the snow around the school melted away, replaced by a damp and chilling cold. Grayish-purple clouds loomed low over the castle, and rain poured down incessantly.
On Saturday morning, Orli tucked the Invisibility Cloak into her small satchel, saw Harry and his friends off, and then descended the marble staircase in the entrance hall, heading toward the library doors.
The castle was eerily quiet. Most of the older students had gone to Hogsmeade Village, and those who stayed behind were mostly huddled in their common rooms for warmth. Orli discreetly donned the Invisibility Cloak, vanishing into thin air, and slipped quietly into the library just as Madam Pince entered.
The library's towering shelves stretched endlessly, forming countless narrow aisles that could easily disorient anyone. However, Orli's destination was clear—the darkest, sunless corner of the library, where black shelves wrapped in chains and ropes stood ominously. Various warning signs were plastered on them, sternly forbidding students from approaching.
This was the Restricted Section of the library, home to books detailing magic never openly taught in Hogwarts classrooms. These included dangerous and intricate Dark Magic, along with uncontrollable and harmful curses. Only senior students with a professor's written permission could gain access. Orli had long planned to explore this area, hoping to uncover information about Voldemort's key spells, such as Horcruxes, Flesh Regeneration, the Unforgivable Curses, and another form of Dark Magic capable of destroying Horcruxes—Fiendfyre. She knew better than to expect Snape or McGonagall to grant her a permission slip.
The system could exchange these materials, but the contribution points required were astronomically higher than even advanced spells like the Patronus Charm or the Shield Charm. After all, these spells delved into profound realms of soul, death, and resurrection, far beyond ordinary magic.
Thanks to Harry's Invisibility Cloak, Orli finally tiptoed into the Restricted Section. She stepped over the ropes and chains, careful not to make a sound. The heavy, ancient books were lined up one by one on the shelves. Orli carefully examined the faded, peeling gold letters on the spines, many of which formed incomprehensible phrases. Some books bore no titles at all, their covers obscured by dark stains resembling aged blood, sending chills down her spine. For a moment, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, as if faint whispers emanated from the books. Perhaps it was her imagination—or perhaps not.
Madam Pince continued to patrol the library, waving her feather duster as she moved about. Several times, she passed the outskirts of the Restricted Section, seemingly glancing inside on purpose. Orli's heart tightened with each pass, but she ultimately remained undetected.
Unable to recall the appearance of the screaming book Harry had encountered in his first year, Orli could only search for words related to "soul" and "fragmentation," hoping they wouldn't make any noise. Her gaze lingered briefly on a few potion-related works, such as Moste Potente Potions, but she restrained herself from reaching for them.
Unfortunately, Orli spent an entire day sitting on the cold tiles of the Restricted Section without finding any detailed information on Horcruxes. Only the preface of The Moste Darke Magicks mentioned Horcruxes, stating merely: "Regarding the Horcrux, the most evil invention of magic, no further discussion or guidance will be provided."
Frustrated, Orli returned the book to the shelf. If they didn't want to elaborate, why bring it up at all?!
As the day darkened, the students who had gone to Hogsmeade were likely on their way back. Orli quickly copied down the spells and instructions for Fiendfyre and the three Unforgivable Curses onto a small piece of parchment she had prepared in advance. She restored the shelves to their original state, then donned the Invisibility Cloak and hurried out of the library.
Unbeknownst to her, as her footsteps faded away, the air in one corner of the Restricted Section suddenly distorted. From the void emerged an elderly man with silver hair and beard.
Dumbledore, having dispelled his Disillusionment Charm, gazed in the direction of Orli's departure with his piercing blue eyes. He then surveyed the books Orli had perused, his brows furrowing deeply.
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Notes:
1. In the second movie, Moste Potente Potions was found in the general section, but in the novel, Hermione borrowed it from the Restricted Section using Lockhart's permission slip.
2. In the first novel, the Restricted Section was cordoned off with a rope, but I can't recall how it was depicted in the movie, so I described it with chains and ropes.
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