"The Ravenclaw common room has it, the marble statue's circlet headpiece is inscribed with these words!"
Moaning Myrtle answered Jane Yu in a shrill voice, evidently puzzled by the question:
"The statue was there when I was alive—"
But mentioning "when alive" touched her sore spot, her lips drooped, and she began to sob again.
"I know." The Grey Lady said stiffly, her hollow eyes fixed on Jane Yu, "But how did you get in? You're not a Ravenclaw student."
"This phrase is rarely mentioned by Ravenclaw students. How did you, as a Slytherin student, come to know it?"
Jane Yu felt puzzled.
Why is she so agitated?
"Because this phrase is inscribed on the diadem in the Room of Requirement." She explained.
The Grey Lady seemed unmoved, floating silently for a while.
But Jane Yu noticed her lips trembling, finally twisting into a smirk, perhaps with a hint of disdain:
"So... did you take it?"
Jane Yu's confusion deepened.
"I just looked at it and put it back."
The Grey Lady's face showed a hint of surprise as she softly asked:
"You didn't take it, do you not wish to possess it?"
Jane Yu frowned, puzzled x3:
"Why would I want to possess it?"
She recalled the diadem's appearance—
Old and faded, with a bit of rust...
She thought it was a fake piece of jewelry lost by some student.
Even her Niffler wouldn't be interested in stealing it.
The Grey Lady remained silent, but the disdain and sneer vanished from her face, replaced by a complex gaze.
Since becoming a ghost, generation after generation of students have pestered her, either wanting to become smarter or achieve good grades.
No one, upon hearing about the diadem's effect—enhancing the wearer's wisdom—could resist its allure.
But only this Slytherin student before her actually returned the diadem after obtaining it!
Her previous judgment of her was completely wrong, for truly wise individuals are not swayed by greed.
She saw the essence of things! Recognizing that beneath the diadem lay human dissatisfaction with greed!
This is true wisdom disguised as foolishness!
And the truly foolish person was Helena Ravenclaw herself, and every generation of students seeking to outsmart and outshine their peers!
She sighed deeply and softly asked Jane Yu:
"Can you take me to see it?"
...
One person and one ghost walked... floated into the Room of Requirement.
Upon seeing the diadem, The Grey Lady's body floated in the air, a tear fell from her face.
Perhaps Jane Yu's selflessness and wisdom touched her, she trusted her a bit more, and began to tell her story:
"This is my mother's diadem... you should know my name... Helena Ravenclaw..."
Jane Yu nodded, The Grey Lady took a deep breath, continuing to look at her with sad eyes:
"I am different from you... I was controlled by desire, wanting to be smarter and more famous than my mother, I lost my mind and stole the diadem."
"I fled to Albania... my mother was very ill, wanted to see me, she sent Barrow to find me, I refused to go back with him..."
"Barrow loved me for a long time, but I rejected him... he envied my freedom, hated my rejection, and stabbed me, then killed himself..."
Jane Yu finally understood why The Grey Lady always avoided appearing in the same place as the Bloody Baron.
If you can't have it, destroy it, what kind of people are these!
She couldn't help but show a face of contempt.
The Grey Lady stopped speaking, staring blankly at the diadem:
"Can you take it down? It shouldn't be on this wizard statue's head."
Jane Yu complied, but the moment the diadem touched her hand, she felt a soul-itching sensation.
Confirmed, it wasn't her illusion!
There was indeed something inside trying tirelessly to gnaw at her soul!
Such impoliteness, it was likely a piece of Voldemort's soul!
"There's a soul fragment inside, can you feel it?" Jane Yu asked.
The Grey Lady froze, then carefully observed the diadem, reaching out to touch it, unsurprisingly passing through.
But Jane Yu saw her gradually becoming furious, as her previously translucent face turned silver-white again:
"He deceived me! He defiled my mother's diadem! With his filthy, dark soul!"
She looked ready to swing the big sword from the castle's armored soldier at Voldemort.
Unfortunately, she was already a ghost, unable to do anything but cry and warn future generations with words.
"In life, I did unfilial and unjust things, in death, I continue to err!"
The Grey Lady realized this too, closing her eyes, a long string of philosophy emerged from her mouth:
"I listened to the call of desire, I didn't restrain myself... my passion obeyed desire... rather than reason..."
This time Jane Yu finally understood the meaning of her philosophy.
In short, it was about being deceived by the handsome young Tom Riddle after death.
"What did he look like at that time?" Jane Yu curiously asked, "Did he have a nose?"
The Grey Lady's silver-white face turned even whiter, she nodded:
"He... was quite popular among witches..."
Jane Yu, a little gossiping, clicked her tongue in admiration.
She had seen 16-year-old Tom Riddle, indeed quite handsome.
Such a beauty, alas for the soul fragments.
Even cut off the nose.
The Grey Lady covered her face with both hands, continuing:
"And he... was very charming. He seemed... seemed empathetic... sympathetic..."
Jane Yu sighed along with her.
A good face and a sweet-talking mouth, truly universal!
After this encounter, The Grey Lady quickly classified her as a "wise person who can converse," addressing her by name:
"Yu, the diadem is yours to dispose of, whether you wish to destroy it or use other means..."
She finally understood who could truly possess the diadem.
Only those who truly possess wisdom, unaffected by greed, deserve it.
Voldemort was foolish, coveting the diadem merely to pursue immortality, even splitting his soul.
She herself was foolish too, coveting the diadem merely to seek more wisdom and fame than her mother.
And generation after generation of students... few escape the control of desire.
But Jane Yu, her wisdom and determination kept her away from disaster!
If she hadn't controlled her greed, upon discovering the diadem, she would have worn it—
Then the soul fragment inside would have controlled her in the name of wisdom, tempting her, absorbing her life!
She was the truly wise one, able to see the essence of things!
"If my mother were alive today, she would like you." The Grey Lady sighed, "But I must remind you of one thing—"
Jane Yu listened quietly, expecting some shocking revelation, or perhaps a secret about Voldemort.
"Be cautious of handsome men, their sweet words can be deceiving!"
Jane Yu felt this sounded familiar.
As if she heard something similar in her second year.
Wait... the last person who said this, wasn't it Moaning Myrtle?
Jane Yu frowned, silently complaining in her heart.
What's with the Ravenclaw ghosts?
Are their tastes and habits so similar?
One likes the teenage version of Voldemort? One likes the young version of Voldemort?
She couldn't help but recall Moaning Myrtle listening to philosophy with rapt attention, and The Grey Lady speaking philosophy with relish...
With such consistent behavior from these two ghostly ladies—
She was beginning to suspect it wasn't just Moaning Myrtle often appearing in the prefects' bathroom!
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