The Hogwarts Emerald

Chapter 562 The Twins’ Final Decision
That was in 1992, when Lucius Malfoy secretly slipped Voldemort's diary into Ginny's old books.

Malfoy originally wanted to avoid the Ministry of Magic's illegal items search and put the blame on Arthur Weasley. Unexpectedly, Malfoy not only failed to put the blame on Arthur Weasley, but also made things worse and lost Voldemort's Horcrux.

It was because of this diary of Voldemort's student days that the Chamber of Secrets at Hogwarts was opened that year, causing the Basilisk to wreak havoc on the campus, turning many students and a skinny cat into stone.

It was because of the appearance of this old diary, coupled with Benedict Foley's previous poor performance, that Dumbledore found out the truth about Voldemort's immortality and learned about the secret black magic of the Horcrux.

Lucius Malfoy is indeed a bad teammate. If it weren't for his stupidity and incompetence, Dumbledore might not have guessed the Horcrux until now, let alone found the ring hidden in the old Gaunt house.

The diary was a Horcrux made by Voldemort in his early years, and the Hufflepuff gold cup should have been made later. At that time, Voldemort's level of making Horcruxes should have been more advanced, and it would probably be more difficult to destroy the gold cup than the diary.

"You mean this cup is the same as the diary?" Fred asked. "So George was like a different person just now, because he was controlled just like Ginny."

George on the side stared at the cup and said slowly: "No, Ginny and I are different. At that time, Ginny didn't quite understand what she did, but I knew very well what I did. When I was in Gringotts, it was as if there was a voice in my heart guiding me to do this."

Ada nodded seriously and said, "I heard it too. It was like the whisper of a devil. It stimulated negative emotions in people's hearts, and even made them hate the world."

"Wait a minute, both of you wait a minute." Fred looked left and right and said, "Why didn't I hear anything, and was frightened by that bastard Cosmo?"

Among the three, only Fred had never touched the gold cup with his own hands, so at this moment he seemed like an outsider. Ada and George were like fellow patients discussing their illnesses.

"That's because you didn't touch the gold cup." Ada and George said in unison, and they rolled their eyes in sync.

The golden cup glittered, and the badger carved on the cup was lifelike. Fred looked at the cup suspiciously, and wanted to reach out and touch it, but he was afraid of the cup's power.

In fact, Ada did not tell the whole truth. The whispers she heard were even more terrifying. The devil hidden in the golden cup was tempting her, trying to make her split her soul and gain eternal life.

"So what the hell is this?" Fred stretched out his hand only halfway before pulling it back. George's gloomy look just now left him with lingering fears.

"The cup belonged to Helga Hufflepuff." Ada said slowly, "but now it belongs to Tom Riddle, or to be more precise, it belongs to Tom Riddle's soul fragment."

Then Ada slowly explained what a Horcrux was and the conversation between herself and Dumbledore after returning from the cemetery.

The twins had never heard of the soul being split into pieces, and their mouths were wide open the whole time. And with their magical attainments, splitting the soul was really incomprehensible. The soul was not a salmon on a chopping board, how could it be cut at will?

It’s no wonder that the twins couldn’t understand it at first; magic that affects the soul is not common in the wizarding world, let alone splitting one’s own soul.

Even Dumbledore, who was well-informed and knowledgeable, did not know much about Horcruxes. He was able to confirm this fact only after reading a vast amount of information.

"How should the soul fragments be... uh... cut out?" George asked. "It can't be like this!" As he spoke, George imitated the action of cutting vegetables.

"Murder should be accompanied by some kind of spell." Ada said. She didn't know the specific method of splitting the soul, and Dumbledore would not teach such an evil magic to his students.

Hearing this, the twins looked at Ada together, their eyes seemed to be asking: You wouldn't do the same, would you?

Only when Ada's little head shook like a rattle did the twins look away and stare at the Hufflepuff's golden cup again.

"We are going to destroy this golden cup now, right?" George asked. "What a pity."

Although the magic of Horcruxes is somewhat difficult to understand, the twins know the role of Horcruxes very well. Everyone has only one life, and Voldemort's possession of Horcruxes is like adding an insurance to his own life. Before this insurance is destroyed, Voldemort does not have to worry about his own life.

In other words, Voldemort, who has Horcruxes, has one more life than others, or several more, depending on how many Horcruxes Voldemort has made. Everyone knows how disgusting it is to have an enemy that cannot be killed. "It's a pity," Ada said leisurely, with eyes full of heartache, "It would be great if this could be kept as a family heirloom or sold! The legendary gold cup of Helga Hufflepuff must be worth a lot of gold Galleons!"

The twins were sad because the treasures belonging to Hufflepuff were destroyed, while Ada was sad about the gold Galleons that she had never seen. A low EQ person would say that she is a money-grubber and a miser, while a high EQ person would say that Ada is a person who lives a daily life.

"How do we do it?" Fred asked excitedly, rubbing his hands together, eager to try.

Whether it is Hufflepuff's gold cup or Voldemort's Horcrux, destroying such treasures can largely satisfy human's desire for destruction.

Ada shook her head and said helplessly: "I'm not sure yet, I need to try it."

It was Dumbledore who destroyed the diary in Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets, using the fangs of a basilisk as sharp as a saber. Now Ada doesn't have a fang in her hand unless she returns to Hogwarts.

In addition, the cup is made of gold, not a paper diary, so it is still unknown whether it can be pierced by the snake's fangs! Moreover, the diary is a product of Voldemort's student days, and the time when the gold cup was made into a Horcrux is obviously later than the diary.

Perhaps during this period, Voldemort's dark magic has advanced further, and his understanding of Horcruxes has become more thorough. In this case, Hufflepuff's gold cup will be much more difficult to deal with than the diary.

"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore." Ada said, "Tell me what you think now. Do you still stick to your original choice?"

Although Ada has not yet thought of a way to destroy the golden cup, with the previous diary as a reference, she knows that the Horcrux can be destroyed artificially, so she is confident that she will find a solution sooner or later.

Rather than the gold cup that could not be solved for the time being, Ada wanted to know more about the twins' thoughts, or whether Fred and George had the courage and perseverance to continue.

Everything that happened in Gringotts today was just a rehearsal, and it was the least dangerous kind. The dangers that Ada will face in the future will be a hundred or a thousand times more than today.

The twins did not give a direct answer. The two brothers looked at each other for a long time. It was not until Ada felt a little tired that Fred and George spoke.

"We're not as gifted as you are," said Fred, "nor are we as clever as you are."

"We don't work as hard as you do," George continued, "nor do we have as much perseverance as you do."

As the two brothers talked, their faces darkened, as if covered by dark clouds, or ashamed. Although Ada didn't want the twins to get involved in such danger, she couldn't help feeling lost in her heart.

Many times, women say one thing and mean another, and Ada is no exception.

"Did you think we would give up?"

"Are you feeling a little lost and sad?"

Fred and George, who were gloomy just a few seconds ago, burst into life again. The two brothers' singing and dancing were like sunshine penetrating dark clouds, and more like hope that God bestowed on the world.

"How could we just abandon you!" said Fred, patting Ada's right shoulder hard.

"Especially after what happened today!" George followed, his hand patting Ada's left shoulder.

"We can't protect you from the wind and rain, but we can get wet with you!" the twins said in unison. "Of course, it would be better if you can avoid getting wet. If you don't know how to run indoors when it rains, you must have some serious illness in your brain."

(End of this chapter)