Harry Potter Enshrouded

It was early in the morning as Adrian headed for his usual practice in the Room of Requirement. His journey to the room was silent, the flickering torch lights casting shadows as he made his way up the complicated staircases of Hogwarts.

Soon, Adrian Blackthorn stood in the center of the vast, cluttered chamber, his gaze fixed on a tarnished, ancient-looking diadem perched atop a pile of cluttered objects. The object was shrouded in a thick black fog looking extremely ominous. As Adrian looked at the object, he knew he needed to do something about it. Dumbledore should know that he comes to this room daily via the portrait in the castle. Hogwarts was Dumbledore's sanctuary and nothing could remain hidden from him.

Adrian's thoughts were calculated as he considered reporting the Horcrux. If he were to think logically, Potter had coaxed the story out of Helena Ravenclaw in his seventh year. However, he knew that his presence here meant a change in the plot, and he felt sure that sooner or later, Dumbledore would suspect that a Horcrux was hidden in this room. The Horcrux being here for so long and not being discovered would definitely make Dumbledore highly suspicious of him.

As he looked at the horcrux, he realised that he come here with a purpose, yet now, standing before one of Voldemort's most dangerous creations, the Diadem of Ravenclaw. His mind raced, as he considered the implication of telling Dumbledore. Hesitation gnawed upon him, a sense of indecisiveness.

Should he tell him? Should he even trust him?

Adrian clenched his fists, his heart was unable to bear the brunt of making such an important decision. Dumbledore's plans, as brilliant as they seemed, demanded sacrifices. Sacrifices from multiple others while Dumbledore stood there pulling the strings like a puppeteer. Could he place himself into the hands of such a sanctimonious person?

He finally decided to do it. The risk of not reporting the Diadem's presence was too great to be taken lightly.

He approached the Diadem, his hands clad in the protection of the Dragon gloves. The moment he got closer, the Diadem seemed to glimmer faintly in the dim light, as though mocking him for his hesitation. Adrian took a step closer, his fingers twitching around his wand."Wingardium Leviosa" and out came the Diadem as Adrian then placed it in his special magical container.

"There's no time to waste," he murmured.

The thought of seeing Dumbledore made his mind race with nervousness. One of the reasons he decided to do this was because he wanted Dumbledore's support. After all, his future ambitions needed to have the support of the greatest wizard of this century.

As Adrian left the Room of Requirement, he didn't notice a shadow that slipped through the stone corridor. The shadow was as silent as a wisp of smoke. It was Professor Quirrell, moving quickly, his eyes scanning for any signs of activity. Thankfully, he had not spotted Adrian.

Quirrell's breath gasped as he felt Voldemort's presence stir within him. The demanding voice—spoke with an urgency.

"Quirrell… you've felt it, haven't you?"

Quirrell's eyes showed a sense of panic. "Yes, my Lord," he murmured. "It was here and I suspect that a student took it." His hands trembled as he reached for the door to the Room of Requirement, knowing fully well that his failure to act quickly would only increase Voldemort's wrath.

"They cannot escape us."

The door swung open, and Quirrell stepped inside. The room was empty, just like it had always been. However, he did feel the echo of the diadem's aura. It probably had been moved minutes ago.

"Find it!... it must be that bastard Dumbledore."

Quirrell's face tightened with determination. "I will, my Lord."

He swept through the room as suddenly, another force entered his mind. He could feel the presence, the presence of a force that did not obey simple rules of power. 

"How long must I wait? Ohh it's the great Noctis" Quirrell muttered in an exasperated tone. He had learned long ago to accept the silence of the shadows, yet now, as the weight of his mission pressed down on him, he knew that his time had come.

A voice echoed within him. "You will not wait long. The time has come. Offer the Dark Lord the serpent's bargain."

Adrians(POV)

The walk to Dumbledore's office was long and solitary. Adrian's mind was filled with a whirlwind of questions, worries, and an overwhelming sense of unease.

He reached Dumbledore's office and hesitated, standing in front of the gargoyle statue. His hand trembled slightly as he said"Adrian Blackthorn wants to meet the principal. It is an emergency."

The door then opened as the office loomed ahead of him, the walls showcasing Hogwarts unprecedented history . 

"Ah, Adrian," Dumbledore said with a warm smile as the door opened. "I've been expecting you. Please, come in."

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. The occlumency shields that he had cultivated from a young age, were activated to its highest. 

"What brings you here right now Adrian?" Dumbledore asked, his voice calm and soothing.

Adrian hesitated before pulling the diadem from his magical bag. He laid it carefully on Dumbledore's desk, as the ominous aura quickly filled the room.

"I found this... in the Room of Requirement," Adrian said, his voice steady, though his insides churned. "It's a dark magic item. I don't know what it exactly does, so I got it to you.

Dumbledore's smile faltered, and for a moment, his eyes carefully scanning the item..

"A dark magic item, you say?" Dumbledore's voice had become more measured. "And how did you come by it, Adrian?"

Adrian felt his heart race, but he met Dumbledore's gaze without faltering. "It was just located in a corner within a pile of objects."

Dumbledore leaned forward, not daring to touch the Diadem."This item is so dangerous that even I need to tread carefully when handling it. Do you know what it is?"

"No," he replied honestly. "I don't know what it is, just that my gut told me that it is dangerous."

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed slightly. "You've made a wise decision in bringing it here, Adrian. But I wonder... Why would you go to such lengths for an object you knew nothing about? You could have just left it there?"

Adrian swallowed his nervousness. "I couldn't leave it where it was. What if somebody else came into contact with it?."

Dumbledore studied him silently for a long moment.It felt like he was contemplating something deeper."You have done a good job bringing it here. By doing this, you have earned 50 points for Slytherin. Also, you are free to get up early in the morning to practice in the Room of Requirement. I will inform the other professor's about it.

Quirrell's (POV)

Meanwhile, Professor Quirrell stood in the darkness of the Room of Requirement, his breath shallow as he felt Voldemort's presence shift within him. The Dark Lord had agreed to his offer.

"Well, I agreed to the offer" Voldemort whispered, his voice a deadly hiss inside Quirrell's mind. "Yet, I do need the philosopher's stone first. Then you must take me to meet the Noctis. It seems that there are many things in the wizarding world that are oblivious to Dumbledore."