Behind those torn-out pages lay extensive passages, resembling diary entries filled with statements and sighs. The very first entry Maca glanced upon left him slightly astonished.
It was a small story about his encounter with the foolish snake today, narrated in a somewhat unpolished style—not a piece that would leave a profound impression on anyone.
Yet, it was precisely this little tale that made Maca nod in contemplation.
"I had intended to write it down before, and it seems I indeed did..." he muttered to himself. "It appears I might not be suited for storytelling after all."
As he pondered, he turned another page.
Perhaps inspired by the previous story, this one recounted his encounter with the snake creature. Moving forward, there were tales of werewolves, giants, Dementors, and more.
The storytelling was plain, but the content was rich. It was evident that in the process of writing these stories, the author himself was savoring memories that had slightly faded.
Occasionally, there were ambiguous reflections that made Maca smirk involuntarily.
When Maca turned another page with a hint of a smile, the following content gradually cooled his remaining smile.
Because at the top of that story, in red ink, were written a few words:
"Plan failed!"
The handwriting was hurried, though the letters remained neat and smooth. But Maca understood just how much frustration the "he" who wrote those words must have felt at that moment.
"...What on earth happened?" Maca couldn't wait to read on.
The subsequent story was very concise in its language, more like a report on the outcome of a plan than storytelling.
At the same time, these words happened to lay out the plan that Maca had kept close to his heart. And when this plan reached its final step, the ending left Maca deeply disturbed.
In fact, since he received that detention notice from the Ministry of Magic at the end of the last semester, he had already outlined this plan.
Before the Ministry's arrival, Maca had a detailed conversation with Dumbledore, an open and honest one. Apart from certain secrets that absolutely could not be revealed, he had disclosed many things to the venerable white wizard.
And among them, the most significant content was this massive, highly targeted plan.
The beginning of this plan, involving complex interpersonal relationships, was the extreme event of his imprisonment in Azkaban.
It goes without saying that Dumbledore played a significant role in Maca's rapid incarceration in Azkaban. But the other small part was Maca's careful preparation, his persuasive words that convinced Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic.
From the "plan reports," it was clear that the plan had started off exceptionally smoothly. This included Maca's escape from Azkaban, causing chaos at the Quidditch World Cup, the Ministry's inaction, and the mocking reports in the Daily Prophet.
Even included was Maca's deliberate act of allowing Rita Skeeter to spread the news of Voldemort's return.
Considering Maca's willingness to endure the Cruciatus Curse from Voldemort himself, as well as his deeds in releasing a batch of loyal Death Eaters, one could say that Voldemort was now almost 80% convinced of Maca's loyalty.
And Maca did all of this because he wanted to obtain the "Hufflepuff's Cup" hidden in Bellatrix Lestrange's vault without arousing Voldemort's suspicion...
"Tom Riddle's Diary" — Acquired secretly during the Chamber of Secrets incident;
"Ravenclaw's Diadem" — Obtained within the Room of Requirement;
"Slytherin's Locket" — Deceived from the hands of Kreacher at the Black family home;
"Marvolo Gaunt's Ring" — With Dumbledore's help, safely retrieved from the Gaunt family residence;
"Harry Potter" — Pending.
...
The records on the pages were concise, but the fact remained that of the seven Horcruxes, Maca had already secured five. According to the original plan, he was supposed to pretend to align completely with Voldemort next.
However, the content that followed appeared more organized, and the ink was much clearer than the earlier writing. Clearly, it had been resumed after a long hiatus.
...
It's been so long since I've written here, hasn't it? Let me think, it's been nearly three years, I believe? In these three years, I've been constantly battling it, absorbing the contents of the Book of Truth, researching the usage of rune symbols, and deepening my understanding of the rules in the midst of battle.
Wait, I think... let's start from three years ago.
Yes, Voldemort was dead, but the plan had utterly failed.
Looking back now, I ignored the biggest uncertainty—how did he return? That final battle was extremely challenging, and that unknown power exceeded my imagination!
Using runic arrays and Horcruxes to resonate with Voldemort's soul was quite successful, and the weakening effect caused by resonating soul fragments was evident.
Even the most uncertain part, thanks to Harry's trust, was successful. Voldemort indeed couldn't use the Elder Wand perfectly, Dumbledore's method was truly effective!
But he didn't die, or rather—Voldemort died, but in doing so, he unleashed something even more terrifying than himself!
Hundreds of witches and wizards in the British wizarding world have been controlled by "it," turning into those creatures enveloped in dark mist.
Fortunately, "it" seems to lack true consciousness, which is fortunate.
...
——————
Clearly, things have taken a turn for the worse. Just as the previous phrase stated—plan failed!
From beginning to end, Maca formulated this plan with the sole purpose of quickly disposing of Voldemort and obtaining a peaceful life. But it seems things are far from as simple as he imagined...
After that, the text became more like a diary. Moreover, the frequency of writing increased significantly. However, the content mainly consisted of some trivial battles and casual conversations with Luna during leisure time.
It wasn't until dozens of pages later that this verbose writing suddenly disappeared. Following that was a few hastily written words that made Maca's hair stand on end—
"Luna, dead."
These few words were repeatedly written, each stroke made with all his strength, with several places almost tearing through the thick parchment.
Several pages, one after the other, seemed to have an emotional intensity that couldn't be diluted by time.
Even though Luna now lay quietly on the hospital bed, within his line of sight, Maca couldn't help but sweat in his palms.
Luna? How did she die? Why didn't I protect her?
One question after another arose, and Maca continued to flip through several pages until he found the next content.
——————
Yes, Dumbledore was right. I shouldn't be disheartened by this... I still have the strength. If so, I cannot disregard the lives of everyone around me just because of Luna's death.
But sadly, Dumbledore paid the price of his life to make me understand this.
I shouldn't have let him go alone to face "it" outside the castle. If I had gone with him, perhaps the outcome would have been completely different... Damn it, what have I been doing these five years?
In these five years, apart from pretending to be insane and enjoying Hermione's dedicated care, what else have I done?
Even Harry overcame his inner fears and truly mastered Gryffindor's Sword; even Neville has become a qualified potions master, despite being skilled in herbology only; even Ron is working hard to become stronger, no longer just a burden...
But what have I been doing?
...
——————
In these words, there was a sense of deep regret throughout. Maca could understand that feeling, indeed, if something happened to Luna—no, he couldn't even bear to think about it!
After that, things seemed to progress.
With the help of the Bronze Eagle, he found a clue left by Rowena Ravenclaw. Although the direction of that clue was very vague, it didn't even explain what was hidden behind it.
But one thing was very clear—The information related to that clue was undoubtedly related to "it," the thing he was currently facing.
To resurrect Voldemort, it should involve an evil magical artifact named the "Seducer's Stele."
"…Huh?"
While Maca was reading carefully, he heard Luna on the hospital bed emit a soft hum.
"What's wrong?" Maca immediately raised his head and looked at her gently.
"...What are you reading?" Luna, still half-asleep, reached out from under the blanket and gently stroked Maca's brow. "Don't always frown; Mom says it will create wrinkles..."
"Your mom is absolutely right."
Maca smiled faintly, but his heart remained tense... There was no way anyone could relax after experiencing such terrifying events.
He looked out of the window at the clear moonlight, occasionally with a gentle breeze blowing through the window, delicately swaying the curtains. It seemed like everything was no different from usual. However...
"This is truly the worst day."
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