The moment Theodore realized that Ravenclaw's diadem might be refined into a Fortune Treasure, his fingers involuntarily tightened.
It wasn't that he lacked experience—rather, fortune treasures were extraordinarily special artifacts even in the Primordial Era.
Such treasures almost always carried symbolic meaning.
Some represented the fortune of humanity itself.
Some embodied the destiny of a sect or an era.
They might not be the strongest in direct combat, but their significance was irreplaceable.
And their most crucial function—
Was suppressing and stabilizing fortune.
The benefits of fortune were something Theodore had already experienced firsthand.
Exceptional fortune allowed everything to proceed smoothly, as though protected by unseen providence.
But fortune—whether belonging to a mortal or even an immortal—was never constant.
Some people enjoyed effortless success in the first half of their lives, everything falling perfectly into place—
When fortune comes, heaven and earth move together.
Yet in the latter half, circumstances could reverse drastically.
Once accustomed to smooth sailing, such a reversal often dealt a crushing blow—sometimes one from which they never recovered.
That was fortune dissipating, destiny shifting.
One wrong decision.
A subtle change in mindset.
An accidental encounter.
There were countless ways fortune could leak away.
But possessing a fortune treasure was different.
With fortune suppressed and stabilized, tolerance for error increased dramatically.
Even if a decision was wrong, fortune would not scatter—it would remain abundant.
In the Primordial Era, powers such as the Chan Sect, the Jie Sect, and the Heavenly Court all possessed their own fortune treasures, ensuring their legacies would not suddenly collapse.
Moreover, although fortune treasures were not necessarily combat-focused, they often possessed additional wondrous functions beyond fortune suppression.
For this reason, in the Primordial world, fortune treasures were objects countless great beings fought over.
Even the lowest-grade materials capable of refining one were things ordinary cultivators would never glimpse.
That was why Theodore felt such excitement.
He had never expected Ravenclaw's diadem to reach the threshold—
To actually qualify as material for a fortune treasure.
"It must be the legends passed down for a thousand years," Theodore murmured.
"The diadem has become deeply bound to Hogwarts—and even to the magical world itself."
"It has acquired supreme symbolic meaning, causing a portion of the magical world's fortune to converge upon it."
His thoughts raced.
"If that's the case… then Gryffindor's sword, Hufflepuff's cup, and Slytherin's locket may possess similar properties."
"Wait…"
Theodore inhaled sharply, his eyes igniting.
"What about the Deathly Hallows?"
"The legends of the three Hallows are even older than those of the Four Founders."
"They should also carry immense fortune—very likely enough to refine into fortune treasures."
"If I can obtain all of them…"
"Then I could potentially possess seven fortune treasures!"
"Even combined, they wouldn't compare to supreme artifacts like the River Map and Luo Book or the Heaven-and-Earth Xuanhuang Pagoda that suppress an entire sect's destiny…"
"But to suppress the fortune of a single individual?"
"They would be absolutely unassailable."
"How many Primordial great powers ever had such a lineup?"
Thinking this far, Theodore felt a surge of relief.
Fortunately, he hadn't destroyed the diadem out of convenience.
Otherwise, the loss would have been immeasurable.
At the same time, a realization surfaced.
"Could it be that Voldemort's early life was so smooth—his rapid rise, his repeated creation of Horcruxes without backlash—because he unintentionally came into contact with multiple Founder relics and even a Deathly Hallow?"
"He merely borrowed their fortune, never refining them into true fortune treasures."
"So when he repeatedly defied fate by splitting his soul…"
"His fortune finally collapsed."
"And that's why, in the years leading up to the original story, he failed again and again?"
Everything suddenly made sense.
Founder relics.
Deathly Hallows.
Even if only for their potential as fortune treasures, Theodore was determined to obtain them all.
Still, looking at the diadem in his hand, he hesitated.
He currently lacked any method for refining a fortune treasure.
But then his gaze fell upon the Fortune Enhancement reward he had just obtained.
"Let's claim this first," he thought.
"With my fortune further increased—and combined with the merit I just gained—something unexpected might happen."
He spoke softly.
"System. Claim Fortune Enhancement."
Instantly, Theodore's eyes widened as the Microscopic Heavenly Eye snapped open.
Above him, nearly tangible fortune gathered—vast and dense.
Purple qi surged and coiled, forming a magnificent canopy of auspicious energy.
"—!"
"This is fortune taken from a quasi-saint-level being… no wonder it's terrifying."
"My previous fortune was already far beyond ordinary people."
"But compared to this?"
"There's no comparison at all."
"Even someone like Harry, favored by destiny, falls far short."
"If I had to describe it…"
"This is the fortune of a protagonist of an era."
Though this immense fortune did not directly increase Theodore's combat strength, it filled him with an indescribable sense of ease—
As though nothing in the world could truly obstruct him.
When fortune comes, heaven and earth lend their strength.
Exhaling slowly, Theodore stepped out of the Room of Requirement.
When he returned to the common room, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Neville were waiting anxiously.
Harry lowered his voice immediately.
"Theodore, we went to St. Mungo's to see Hagrid."
"He still hasn't woken up. He keeps muttering nonsense…"
"But we heard one name again and again."
"Nicolas Flamel."
"Hagrid kept saying that Nicolas Flamel's item was safely protected."
"We think it's connected to the Dark Wizard hiding in the castle."
"The problem is—we don't know who Nicolas Flamel is."
Theodore paused.
The gears of fate continued turning.
Despite his interference, Harry had still brushed against the truth.
He smiled.
"You haven't covered that part of magical history yet."
"Nicolas Flamel was a wizard born seven or eight hundred years ago."
"He achieved the pinnacle of alchemy—the Philosopher's Stone."
"It can transmute metals into gold and brew the Elixir of Life."
"He's still alive today because of it."
"He represents the highest achievement of alchemy in the magical world."
Harry and the others gasped.
"Philosopher's Stone… immortality… alchemy…"
"That's it!"
"That Dark Wizard must be after the Philosopher's Stone!"
But Theodore suddenly froze.
Then his pupils contracted sharply.
Fortune truly worked wonders.
How had he forgotten something so important?
Ollivander had been recognized by the system as a Primordial artifact-refining sect master—
Yet even he lacked qualifications related to fortune treasure refinement.
Likely because fortune treasures were simply too rare.
But Nicolas Flamel?
The greatest alchemist in magical history.
It was entirely possible the system would judge him as an even higher-level existence in artifact refinement—
Someone who could yield a fortune treasure refinement method.
Theodore's eyes shone with delight.
He had already confirmed that correspondence alone could build relationships.
If he could exchange letters with Nicolas Flamel—
Refining the diadem into a true fortune treasure might be achievable in the near future.
The benefits were enormous.
The only issue—
Nicolas Flamel had already given the Philosopher's Stone to Albus Dumbledore.
He had lost interest in life and was prepared to die alongside his wife.
In that state, why would he care to meet a young wizard—no matter how talented?
Unless…
Theodore could rekindle Flamel's interest in life itself.
A smile curled across his lips.
For someone who had reached the absolute pinnacle of a field, choosing death often meant only one thing—
The world no longer offered challenges.
Life had grown boring.
Others might not know how to fix that.
But Theodore did.
"Eight hundred years and you're already tired?"
"Nicolas Flamel—eight hundred is the perfect age to explore the world."
"Perhaps…"
"You should take a look at the Primordial world."
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 60 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/StrawHatStudios