Chapter 308: The Story of Horcrux and Kreacher
Chapter 308: The Story of Horcrux and Kreacher
The golden locket suddenly stopped trembling, and the wildly twisting golden chain lost all its strength, clattering onto the table. Then, with a crisp "click", the small golden lid popped open.
They saw the internal structure of the locket. Behind two small glass windows, a pair of living eyes blinked, dark and bright, clear and luminous. Harry thought that if they weren't sealed in the small box, the eyes' owner should belong to a living person.
Black mist began to spread. A hoarse, cold voice came from inside, "I see your heart..." the locket said to Felix, who was closest to it.
"Oh? Is that so?" Felix activated Occlumency.
"...Felix Hepworth, I know you. I can sense everything around me. What was in the book you looked at on your first day here? Don't deny it, I see your deepest desire: power, immortality, transcending death—you want to be the next me."
"Who is that?" Harry called out, and Sirius pulled him back a few steps, saying complexly, "It's Voldemort. I never thought he would hide in a box no bigger than an egg."
Harry's mouth dropped open. Was this the same person he encountered in his first year? Compared to being attached to the back of Quirinus Quirrell's head, his current state was even worse.
The owner of the eyes in the locket continued to whisper, "You have the potential. Why don't we cooperate? Together, we can rule over wizards and Muggles... and I, the greatest wizard of all time, am willing to share with you the secret of my immortality—Horcrux."
A bubble-like shape twisted and appeared, rising from above the locket to form a human figure. It was a strikingly handsome young man, with a thin face, jet-black hair, and a tall stature. He smiled warmly and opened his arms as if to embrace Felix.
But his feet were still in the locket, and he couldn't step out. He smiled even more warmly and said in a gentle tone, "Why not start now? From this moment, step onto the path of immortality... just a gentle wave of your wand, and there are two insignificant sacrifices over there."
However, Felix calmly replied, "I thought you would have a more insightful argument, Tom. Close it, Harry."
"What?" The red light in the young Voldemort's eyes flickered and disappeared. If you weren't watching closely, you might have thought it was an illusion. He raised his voice, still trying to persuade him calmly, "You don't know what you're missing. I have gone further on the path of immortality than anyone. Let's join forces..."
But Harry had already hissed, and in the next second, the locket's lid snapped shut. The hateful black mist swirled and dissipated, and Voldemort's image abruptly vanished.
Harry's heart pounded violently, and he panted, truly thinking Voldemort was about to jump out and fight them.
Felix picked up the locket, tapping on it for a long time before finally putting it in his pocket. "I'll give it to Dumbledore", he said reflectively. "The Headmaster hasn't even touched one, and I've already seen three."
They sat back on the sofa, each silent. Kreacher clung to the door, trembling and said, "Mr. Heap, will you destroy it? This is the last command Regulus left for old Kreacher."
"I promise you, Kreacher, the locket will be destroyed", Felix said.
"Thank you, thank you—" Kreacher sobbed and disappeared with a pop.
Harry calmed down and asked curiously, "Voldemort mentioned Horcrux just now. What is it?" His gaze shifted between Sirius and Felix, hoping for an explanation. His intuition told him he was delving deep into Voldemort's secrets.
Sirius also looked at Felix.
"Horcrux... a very dark magic. By splitting the soul and storing the soul fragments in an object, that object becomes a Horcrux", Felix explained simply. "As long as the Horcrux exists, Voldemort cannot die. Though he may be in a miserable state, he will eventually return."
"So that's Voldemort's secret of immortality?" Harry said, shocked. "No wonder he claimed to have transcended death. Splitting the soul—what an evil method."
"Not just that, Harry. Splitting the soul is the result, but the process involves a ritual, murder—killing to separate the soul. Don't think it's as simple as I make it sound; it's far more complex", Felix said.
"So the locket only contains a fragment of Voldemort's soul?" Harry realized, understanding that the two Voldemorts he had encountered were not the same soul.
"Exactly."
"Then if we destroy the locket now, will Voldemort quietly die in some dark corner?" Harry speculated, particularly excited by the idea.
"Unlikely, Harry. He has made more than one Horcrux. I've already destroyed two, and Dumbledore is still gathering more information", Felix said.
Harry was taken aback, "You've been doing this all along? Fighting Voldemort?" He had no idea.
"It's Dumbledore who has been doing this. He has been actively seeking out Voldemort's hidden past", Felix said. "I just happened to be involved."
"Harry, even when you're asleep, the world keeps turning. You just haven't seen it."
Harry nodded, understanding what the professor meant. There was no need to take on the responsibility. He was just a bit impulsive, not foolish. Now that the professor had explained the purpose of the Horcrux, he wouldn't be so reckless as to confront Voldemort before all the Horcruxes were destroyed.
He felt a surge of excitement, feeling that his life had gained a new purpose. If Voldemort's Horcruxes still existed by the time he graduated, he could spend his entire life pursuing them.
Thinking about that future, it didn't seem so bad, especially since he wouldn't be alone on this path. There was Dumbledore, Professor Hup... and perhaps many more. Harry's mind filled with the images of those who might join him.
He asked a crucial question, "If a Horcrux isn't just one, well... now it seems there are at least three or four, or maybe more, like seventeen or eighteen?"
Felix chuckled, "Are you treating the soul like a cookie, that you can break it into pieces and have crumbs?" He thought seriously for a moment and said, "Actually, I can't be sure. The book 'Unveiling Advanced Dark Magic' doesn't mention any limit on the number of Horcruxes. Perhaps the author never imagined that anyone would be so mad."
"Does it hurt to tear the soul apart?" Harry asked.
"Hmm, an odd question", Felix tilted his head. "But the book says it's very painful. I haven't tried it myself, but maybe Voldemort doesn't care much about the pain?"
"Alright", he stood up. "That's enough for today, Harry. We should head back." He then looked at Sirius. "Our meeting time remains the same."
The two returned to Hogwarts, and Felix sent Harry off after answering his endless questions. He then made his way to Dumbledore's office.
Dumbledore was still flipping through documents. After listening to Felix's account, he examined the locket carefully.
After a long while, he removed his glasses, looking tired, and wiped them with a small piece of velvet. "This confirms the theory I obtained from Kreacher."
"Kreacher?"
"The poor House-elf I told you about."
"You came back so late tonight because you went to..."
"Azkaban, yes."
Dumbledore recounted the story he had heard from Kreacher. The story was simple: about fifty years ago, the young Voldemort, then a shop assistant at Borgin and Burkes, visited a very wealthy witch—Hepzibah Smith, Kreacher's mistress. Two days later, she suddenly died.
"There are two points worth noting in this story. First, following Hepzibah's death, two of her most precious items disappeared. They were precisely the relics of the four founders of Hogwarts—Slytherin's Locket and Hufflepuff's Cup."
"Voldemort did it", Felix said with certainty.
"Unfortunately, Hepzibah's family took a long time to confirm the loss of the treasures, as she had many secret hiding places and kept her collection very secure. By then, Voldemort had already left Borgin and Burkes."
"You mentioned... Kreacher is in Azkaban?"
"Yes, a clear scapegoat. However, Kreacher admitted to putting something in her mistress's cocoa. It turned out not to be sugar but a rare and deadly poison. The verdict was that it wasn't intentional murder but a result of her old and failing eyesight—"
"Her memory was tampered with?"
"I'm glad we agree", Dumbledore said. "Kreacher's current state is not good, and I am planning to apply for a re-investigation of this old case."
"However, after all these years, Kreacher's memory is a jumbled mess, making it difficult to determine if she was manipulated at the time. I can only highlight the inconsistencies in the case..."
Felix also felt the difficulty. With no concrete evidence, everything was based on logical deduction. However, Fudge had just been terrified; it was uncertain if he would have the courage to refuse Dumbledore again.
They turned to other topics—
"Headmaster Dumbledore, how many Horcruxes do you think Voldemort created?"
"That's a troubling question. Based on my understanding of him, Voldemort would choose a meaningful number. Three, seven, nine, thirteen—all are possible. I need to determine his thoughts and find some supporting evidence. Additionally, we don't know if he achieved his goal on the night he went to the Potters' home..."
In other words, the number was uncertain, and whether he had completed that number was also uncertain. A number popped into Felix's mind: seven. But he didn't speak, knowing it would be useless; Dumbledore still needed to explore and verify it himself.
However, he had a thought. "Ravenclaw's Diadem, Slytherin's Locket, Hufflepuff's Cup... Dumbledore, could Gryffindor's Sword also be a Horcrux?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "I happen to know where the sword is, and Voldemort never obtained it."
As he left the office, a light rain began to fall. Felix stepped on the wet earth, still thinking about the golden cup Dumbledore had transfigured.
Dumbledore said cheerfully, "Strangely enough, I feel you and Voldemort have a certain connection. Perhaps you will encounter other Horcruxes in the future. It's best that you know what the golden cup looks like."
Felix couldn't help but think, "You and he have the connection, Dumbledore. Are you trying to pass the job of dealing with Voldemort to me?"
(End of Chapter)
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