After The War : ** Shadows and Light ** :harrypotterxreader:

**Chapter 6: Unraveling the Mystery**

With whispered plans and knowing glances,

You gather strength for second chances.

The path ahead, though fraught with dread,

With courage high, you'll forge ahead.

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*"A glimmer in the dark, a promise to keep; we seek the truth, where secrets sleep."*

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The next morning dawned with a heavy mist that clung to the windows of the hospital wing, giving the room an eerie, muffled glow. Harry had stayed by your side through the night, his mind restless despite the exhaustion pulling at him. You were still asleep, your body finally getting the rest it so desperately needed, and although your breathing had evened out, Harry couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

Madam Pomfrey had insisted Harry leave and get some proper rest, but he had refused. He knew there was something more to all of this—something beyond the shadows that had attacked you, something beyond the strange disturbances that had been happening at Hogwarts. The mystery of the relic lingered in his thoughts like a puzzle with missing pieces, and now, more than ever, Harry felt like he needed answers.

But where to begin?

The Restricted Section, of course. That had been your plan before the attack. The only place that might hold the information they needed. He looked at you once more, your peaceful face stirring something deep inside him—a protective instinct, an emotion he still didn't fully understand—and then made up his mind. He would continue the search for answers while you rested.

With one last glance at you, Harry stood and quietly left the hospital wing, his footsteps echoing softly in the empty corridors. The castle seemed almost unnaturally still, the usual bustle of students absent this early in the morning. As Harry made his way through the corridors, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, though he saw no one.

When he finally reached the library, the silence seemed even more profound. The Restricted Section loomed at the back, its shelves lined with ancient, forbidden texts. It had never felt more ominous. After a quick check to make sure Madam Pince wasn't lurking around, Harry slipped through the iron gate and began scanning the shelves, his fingers trailing over the spines of dusty tomes. He was looking for anything that might mention the relic.

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After what felt like hours, Harry's eyes fell on a thick, leather-bound book titled *Artifacts of Ancient Power*. The pages were yellowed with age, but there was something about it that felt... right. He carefully pulled it from the shelf and sat at one of the far tables, flipping it open to the index. His fingers skimmed the list until he found a promising entry: *Relics of Hogwarts.*

"Page 394," Harry muttered to himself as he quickly flipped through the pages.

When he reached the section, a detailed description of magical relics tied to Hogwarts' founding caught his attention. Most were items tied to the founders—Gryffindor's sword, Hufflepuff's cup, and so on—but one relic stood out. A mysterious artifact associated with Ravenclaw, something far more obscure and less well-documented than her famous diadem.