Just as Avada had expected, the moment Baron declared that he was a Slytherin, the atmosphere in the area instantly cooled.
Ron's smile became extremely forced, while Harry scratched his head, clearly unsure how to react. There was no helping it—both of them had only arrived at Hogwarts two weeks ago, yet had already been thoroughly disgusted by Slytherin during that short time. Any natural goodwill they might have had toward the house had long since been worn down to nothing.
Baron seemed as though he wanted to ask something, but before he could open his mouth, Ron casually muttered a few perfunctory words of farewell, grabbed Harry, and left. Hagrid watched the group disperse with a bewildered expression, completely failing to understand what had just happened.
"They've only been at school for two weeks, right? Why do they have such a strong bias against Slytherin?" Baron frowned in confusion. "And whether it's Potter or Weasley, both of them come from pure-blood families. Those ill-tempered guys shouldn't have any reason to target them. Unless… they have Muggle-born friends who were bullied?"
"Why don't you ask Draco?" Avada suggested lightly. "They're in the same year. He should know something."
Without the slightest hesitation, Avada sold out Malfoy, whom he had only met a few times.
"Hm, that's a good idea," Baron nodded. He didn't think Lucius's son would deliberately provoke the Boy Who Lived who had defeated Voldemort. He simply wanted to confirm the situation.
As for what happened after Baron learned the truth, even Avada didn't know for now. All he had heard was that Baron later went out of his way to talk to Harry and Neville once—but never mentioned to him what had actually been discussed.
Over the next month or so, everything proceeded as usual, aside from Baron's mood seeming a little off.
Voldemort's mental-force analysis progressed steadily. Avada often went to the edge of the Forbidden Forest to observe the Diricawls, and over time gained considerable insights, gradually forming new ideas about spatial magic. He had also attended Voldemort's classes twice already, freeloading quite a bit of knowledge related to mental power and the Imperius Curse.
And today, at long last, he accomplished something he had been thinking about for a very long time—
He had completely undone the seal Professor Baker had left on the book.
Although Professor Baker had made it clear that only Avada could see the contents of the book, he still chose to open it for the first time in the Room of Requirement. After all, he didn't want his dormmates or library classmates wondering why he was so engrossed in reading a massive book that appeared completely blank.
The deepest layer, the most fundamental mystery… what could it possibly be?
Filled with anticipation, Avada opened the first page.
Inside was a neatly folded piece of parchment, with several lines of small writing on it.
"Professor Baker's message?"
Curious, Avada unfolded the parchment and began to read.
[Ken:]
Congratulations on finally completely undoing the seal I left behind. I also hope that, after all these years, you still retain at least a vague impression of this professor of yours. If my guess is correct, you certainly wouldn't obediently wait until sixth year to open this book. With your abilities, you should have been able to crack this seal ahead of time.
I can't yet confirm what your secret truly is, so I also can't precisely predict when you would open this book. Still, I can make a guess—perhaps fifth year, or fourth year? If you managed to obtain some more obscure knowledge in advance, then third year might also be possible… It couldn't possibly be second year, right?
"Bet you didn't expect that."
Reading this, Avada couldn't help but smile. He really had broken the seal in second year—and not even two months into the term.
If you truly managed to crack this seal on your own in second year, then that would mean the secret you carry is the most outrageous one among all my conjectures. But that seems unlikely. And rest assured, I didn't place any magic on this book that would instantly alert me the moment it was opened—though I did consider doing so…
"..."
Now then, let me start by apologizing to you and to Mr. Shafiq. When I sought your help, I deliberately concealed some information—specifically regarding the black crystal sphere that carries my consciousness and should now be in Mr. Shafiq's possession. Don't be nervous; it's nothing dangerous.
You likely noticed that it is a Dark Magic artifact, and I personally acknowledged that fact. However, you still underestimated its origins. Perhaps if you have sufficient experience sneaking into the Restricted Section—something I did quite often in my student days—you may have heard of a term: 'Horcrux.'
Horcruxes are generally considered the most evil Dark Magic in the world, bar none. They were created by the figure known on Chocolate Frog cards as 'Herpo the Foul,' and they serve only one purpose: to grant the caster immortality.
—He actually said it outright?!
Their principle lies in splitting the soul. This is another point I concealed. What was sealed within that crystal sphere was not merely my consciousness, but my entire soul. As for how the soul is split, I can explain it here: it requires a murder committed with malicious intent. One must harbor genuine malice. Killing in self-defense or in the name of justice will not suffice. You must clearly recognize that the act you are about to commit is profoundly evil—only then can the soul be split and meet the prerequisite conditions for creating a Horcrux.
At this point, you are probably furious, thinking I am an unforgivable Dark wizard. But do not forget that when we signed our magical contract, I promised that I have never committed evil, nor will I do so in the future.
The method of soul-splitting described above is merely the most primitive version, and the only one known to the wider wizarding world. This is precisely why I forbade you from telling other professors about my situation. They would immediately conclude that I had committed an evil murder and would not hesitate to treat me as a Dark wizard—no explanation I offered would matter in the slightest.
What they do not know—and what you may not know either—is that in the thousand years since Herpo the Foul created the Horcrux, several generations of geniuses in the far corners of the world uncovered the essence hidden beneath its surface, refining and improving the magic over successive eras. I obtained this knowledge through continuous battles with Dark wizards.
The Horcrux magic I used no longer requires such an evil method to split the soul.
As for the specific principles and methods, allow me to keep you in suspense for now. After all, this book contains detailed records of them. As for why I continually fought Dark wizards and collected this knowledge, and why I ultimately chose to create a Horcrux—please forgive me for declining to answer.
"..."
Avada stared blankly at those lines, not even glancing at the contents just below them.
From just these few paragraphs, he could already sense how vast and mysterious the magical world beyond the original canon truly was.
You likely guessed it already. The contents of this book record the secrets of the soul, as well as some even more mysterious matters. If you choose to study what is written here, you must exercise extreme caution. The complexity of the soul may far exceed your imagination.
To be honest, before I escaped my confinement, I never intended to pass these materials on to anyone. The contents are far too profound and far too dangerous. In the hands of someone with ill intent, the consequences would be unimaginable. But since you were chosen by Hufflepuff, and possess unprecedented abilities, I believe that entrusting these things to you may offer a chance to bring about beneficial change to our world.
This book is a compilation of research materials gathered from numerous Dark wizards during my travels, so some passages may be quite unsettling. Rest assured, however, that nearly all of those practitioners have already been defeated by me and received their due punishment. As long as you maintain reverence for life and sympathy for the dead, you may focus on absorbing the knowledge within.
That is all I have to say. You are probably growing impatient by now—so I wish you success in your studies, happiness in your life, and the wisdom to properly apply the knowledge recorded here.
—Benjamin Baker
"Professor Baker… you seem to be someone with quite a story of your own."
After letting out a quiet sigh, Avada finally turned to the table of contents to see what the book actually contained—
"Part One: An Exploration of Human Soul Structure Through the Principles of the Unforgivable Curses—Verification of the Three-Layer Soul Theory."
(End of Chapter)