HP: DnD Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Treasures and Trouble

“Lumos!”

The soft glow of the wand illuminated the room, revealing a sight that left Damien momentarily speechless.

“This…”

The space was unlike anything he had encountered before. The very air carried a palpable magic, heavy and otherworldly. The decor exuded an aura of mysticism, as if the room itself was alive with centuries-old secrets.

Statues lined the chamber, each one crafted with such precision and detail that they seemed to breathe life into the stone. Damien’s gaze drifted from one statue to another, noting how many bore an uncanny resemblance to the former headmasters of Hogwarts. Their expressions, their postures—they seemed even more lifelike than the animated portraits adorning the castle’s corridors.

‘Who made this place?’ he wondered, his brow furrowed. ‘The founders may have laid the groundwork, but someone else must have enhanced it.’

The presence of statues representing headmasters from eras far beyond the founders’ time only deepened his curiosity.

Yet, despite the artistry surrounding him, Damien hesitated. His instincts urged caution—what if the room was cursed? The eerie stillness heightened his unease, but the allure of the statues was impossible to resist.

After a moment’s deliberation, and reassured by his [Duke's Mind] and [Sage’s Thoughts], he reached out to touch one of the statues.

The surface was ice-cold and smooth as polished marble, the craftsmanship exquisite. Each statue was adorned with ornate trinkets: rings, pendants, swords, and staffs. His [Eye of Worth] appraised them swiftly, revealing their monetary value but deeming them replicas of the original treasures.

‘No one would leave the real artifacts here,’ he thought, nodding to himself. ‘Too risky.’

Despite his fascination, the room’s oppressive aura made him restless. He decided to explore quickly and leave, keeping an eye out for anything truly remarkable.

As he moved deeper into the chamber, he began naming the figures in his mind.
 “Phineas Nigellus Black, Dilys Derwent, Everard, Basil Fronsac…” He paused. “Every headmaster is here, except Professor Dumbledore.”

He couldn’t help but wonder if the current headmaster even knew about this place.

A soft glow in the distance caught his attention—a faint light illuminating an elevated platform at the far end of the room. His curiosity peaked, and he walked toward it.

There, under the light, stood four statues apart from the others, exuding an air of reverence and importance.

“The founders…” Damien whispered, his voice laced with awe.

Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin—immortalized in stone, their statues were adorned with treasures that seemed to outshine everything else in the room.

His gaze was drawn to the sword in Godric’s hand.

[Gold in Sword Hilt: 237 Ounces]

 [Platinum in Sword Blade: 89 Ounces]

The numbers made his breath hitch. "That’s a fortune…” he murmured, eyeing the intricate diamonds encrusted in the hilt.

[Carat per Diamond: 1.5]

Despite its immense value, he dismissed the sword—it was far too large to smuggle out unnoticed.

Next was Helga Hufflepuff’s cup.

[Gold in Cup: 80 Ounces]

Though smaller, the sheer number of diamonds embedded in the cup suggested it might fetch an even higher price than the sword.

Then he turned to Salazar Slytherin’s pendant.

[Platinum in Pendant: 8 Ounces]

 [Carat per Blue Diamond: 2]

 [Carat per Red Diamond: 1]

 [Size of Jade: 65.45 cm³]

“This might be the most expensive thing I’ve ever seen,” Damien whispered, marveling at the intricate gems adorning the pendant.

Finally, his eyes landed on Rowena Ravenclaw’s tiara, or rather, her diadem.

At first glance, it appeared less ornate than Slytherin’s pendant, but when he attempted to appraise its value, the result left him stunned.

[Total Diadem Value: Invaluable]

The single word sent a shiver down his spine.  

“Invaluable…” Damien murmured, his eyes locked on the diadem. This wasn’t just an artifact of immense monetary worth—it was something far greater, a relic imbued with power and significance beyond anything he had ever encountered.  

He hesitated, his hand hovering near the diadem. For all his rationalizations about ‘treasure hunting,’ this felt different. This wasn’t a simple trinket forgotten by time—it was a piece of history, an irreplaceable treasure of unparalleled importance.  

And yet, the temptation gnawed at him.  

‘What would happen if I took it?’ he wondered, his fingers itching to grasp the diadem.  

Damien circled the statue, searching for clues to explain the diadem’s unique status. But there was nothing—no inscription, no visible markings to hint at why it felt so unearthly, so… untouchable.  

Finally, with no other choice and curiosity burning in his mind, he decided to act. Stretching on his toes and barely reaching, Damien’s fingers brushed against the cold metal of the diadem. He grit his teeth, using all his strength to free it from its tight perch atop the statue.  

“J-just a bit more…”  

With a final, forceful tug, the diadem came loose. Damien staggered back, clutching it in his hands. But the moment it left the statue’s head, something unexplainable happened.  

[Duke’s Mind]

A sharp, piercing pang shot through his head. Damien froze in place, his breath hitching. It was stronger than the mental attack he’d endured against Lockhart, more intense and immediate. His knees buckled slightly, and he gripped the diadem tighter, trying to steady himself.

Why would a random artifact attack him like this? His chest tightened with suspicion, a suspicion he didn’t want to believe. But there was only one way to test his theory. Taking a deep breath and gulping down his apprehension, Damien slowly raised the diadem and placed it on his head.

[Duke’s Mind]

The mental assault hit him like a tidal wave. Pain lanced through his skull, nearly overwhelming him. He staggered, his vision blurring, as if someone were clawing at his thoughts. It felt like Legilimency—but twisted, foreign, and incomprehensible. Yet amidst the pain, Damien felt something else.

Clarity. Bliss. His surroundings seemed brighter, his thoughts sharper. He could calculate the worth of every piece of treasure in the room with astonishing ease. It was as if his mind had opened to a new dimension of understanding. His hands trembled uncontrollably, and his breath came in shallow gasps.

“It’s true,” he whispered, staring at his quaking hands. He felt… intelligent. Far more intelligent than ever before. The clarity was intoxicating.

[Duke’s Mind]

Whatever negative effects the diadem had were being neutralized. His unique mental ability allowed him to fully experience the diadem’s benefits while shielding him from its harmful side effects. Even so, his heart raced as the realization sank in.

‘I cannot believe it,’ he thought, his mind still reeling. ‘I found the diadem… just like that?’

He had stumbled upon one of Hogwarts’ most prized treasures, something thought lost for centuries. And yet, he couldn’t allow himself to get carried away. Carefully, he removed the diadem and examined it closely.

“I need to understand it first,” he muttered. “There’s something off about it.”

Helena hadn’t mentioned anything about negative effects. And Rowena Ravenclaw herself had worn the diadem, so she couldn’t have cursed it. No sane person would curse their own artifact.

The only explanation was that someone else had cursed it.

‘Maybe… the one who lied to Helena and found it before me.’ The thought made sense but raised far more questions. Who was this person? Why curse such a precious item? And where were they now?

Damien’s head swam with uncertainty, but he couldn’t linger. His time here was running out. Carefully tucking the diadem into his robes, he scanned the room for anything else worth taking. Most of the treasures were too large or conspicuous, but then his eyes landed on Salazar Slytherin’s pendant. Its intricate craftsmanship and brilliant gemstones marked it as the second most valuable item in the room.

He slipped the pendant into his robes alongside the diadem, his heart racing. He needed to leave. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were still outside, and the last thing he wanted was for them—or anyone else—to discover this place. The room vanished as he stepped out, leaving only a blank wall in its place.

‘This place…’ he thought, his mind racing. ‘I’ll need to study its magic. There’s too much here to leave unexplored.’

His heartbeat thundered in his ears as he hurried down the corridor, but his steps faltered when he spotted a shadow moving in the distance. Hooded and tense, the figure darted through the hallway, its hurried steps creaking against the wooden floor.

‘Did they see me?’ Damien’s pulse quickened. The darkness and the figure’s haste gave him hope they hadn’t noticed him. But the unease gnawed at his gut.

Then, trouble erupted from another direction.

“Potter!” Filch’s unmistakable, grating voice echoed through the halls, reverberating from the lower floors. “How dare you cast a petrification spell on Mrs. Norris!”

Damien froze, dread pooling in his stomach. The commotion would draw attention—attention he couldn’t afford. His situation had gone from precarious to outright perilous.