Chapter 335: Destruction
Chapter 335: Destruction
"Seems like we're having a bit too much luck today, doesn't it?" Liam asked as Mad-Eye Moody prepared himself. "The Magic in the Gaunt Shack wasn't as much as we expected, and it wasn't very powerful either. Most of it was about concealment and fortification, with no curses. This doesn't seem normal, and it doesn't fit that person's mindset. I'm a bit worried about what might be inside this box."
"Don't worry so much, Liam", Dumbledore reassured him. "Voldemort hid his connection to the Gaunt family. With his arrogance, he wouldn't think anyone could uncover this link. In this case, he probably wouldn't set up too much Magic to draw extra attention. But as the professor who watched him enter Hogwarts, his secret wasn't as well-kept as he imagined."
While Liam and Professor Dumbledore were talking, Mad-Eye Moody prepared himself with sufficient defenses. Under the watchful eyes of his six eyes, Mad-Eye Moody carefully opened the box. But to Dumbledore's surprise, nothing happened.
"Getting old, a bit too cautious, I guess—" Mad-Eye Moody sighed in relief, even smiling at Professor Dumbledore. But as soon as he lowered his head and his eyes met the contents of the open box, something strange happened.
"Obstacle Jinx!" Liam immediately cast a spell at Mad-Eye Moody, who was reaching into the box without warning. However, he was a bit too late. By the time he finished mentally casting the spell, Dumbledore had already cast the same spell, sending Mad-Eye Moody flying.
"Very nice non-verbal spell, Liam", Dumbledore praised as he layered protective spells on the box. "And very clever, how did you notice something was off with Professor Mad-Eye Moody?"
"I thought Professor Mad-Eye Moody, being an experienced Auror, wouldn't touch such a dangerous object with his bare hands", Liam replied.
"You're right, so you're a natural-born Auror. I always thought only my old friend Albus could spot when something was wrong with me", Mad-Eye Moody said, picking himself up and walking over, seemingly uninjured. "The Bewitching Charm on that ring was too strong. Even with my careful precautions, I still fell for it."
"Besides the Bewitching Charm, there's a spell to counter caution, powerful protective spells, and at the bottom, a very nasty curse that leaves no chance of survival once it takes hold", Dumbledore explained, waving his wand. After identifying the Bewitching Charm, the Headmaster easily neutralized its effects and analyzed the other spells.
"Voldemort, in his ignorance, actually used the precious Resurrection Stone as a Horcrux, which is a waste. But it also makes this Horcrux difficult to destroy. The Magic Item itself is already very durable, and Voldemort added numerous spells to it", Professor Dumbledore said, sounding somewhat angry.
It was understandable. The Deathly Hallows, especially the Resurrection Stone, were something Professor Dumbledore had pursued in his youth. Seeing his lifelong quest so misused, he managed to control his frustration only because of his high standards.
"Wait, Professor, I think I have something that might be able to destroy the Horcrux", Liam said, drawing a silver dagger. "I found this in Brazil. The box it came in said it was soaked in Basilisk venom, making it indestructible."
"Is this the one you were holding earlier? Let me see it", Dumbledore said, taking the dagger and examining it closely. "This is the dagger that was forged alongside Gryffindor's Sword, as mentioned in the school records. It was believed to have been taken by a Dark Wizard during a battle. I didn't expect you to find it."
Dumbledore took the dagger and stabbed it into the rings in the box. Liam, standing beside him, could only see a ghastly green light emanating from the box, along with wisps of black smoke. However, all these anomalies were blocked by the defenses Dumbledore had previously set up.
Finally, with a tinkling sound that seemed to resonate from the depths of the soul, all the strange occurrences in the box vanished. Dumbledore leaned on the table, taking deep breaths as if he had just run up the stairs from the Great Hall.
"Albus, are you all right?" Mad-Eye Moody's raspy voice, laced with concern, broke the silence.
"I'm fine. The Horcrux has been successfully destroyed." Dumbledore walked around the table and sat down, using his wand to conjure a cup of hot tea. "The protections were more formidable than I had anticipated, but thankfully Liam reminded me, preventing me from making a grave mistake."
The rings were now completely safe, though the Resurrection Stone embedded in them now bore a crack. Dumbledore took the rings out of the box and examined them closely. Liam thought he might put the rings on, but to his surprise, Dumbledore stood up and placed them on a bookshelf behind him.
"Liam, remember. Often, the company of loved ones is more valuable than great power or grand ambitions. Otherwise, when you are old, you might regret being too ruthless in your youth, missing out on many things." After placing the rings, Dumbledore spoke to Liam. To others, this might have seemed like a routine moral lesson from an elder to a student, but Liam knew that Dumbledore's words were a reflection of his thoughts on his sister after seeing the Resurrection Stone.
After enjoying afternoon tea together, Dumbledore dismissed Professor Mad-Eye Moody. Liam was about to leave as well, but Dumbledore called him back, asking to borrow the Gryffindor dagger. He explained that he might need it again in the future and wanted to borrow it for now.
Given Dumbledore's impeccable reputation, Liam lent the dagger without hesitation. In a way, Liam was so willing because, thanks to Teacher Luo Zhen and his analysis, the craftsmanship of the dagger had been almost entirely understood, except for the goblins' method of purifying the silver used in the blade.
Since further research on the dagger was temporarily at a standstill, lending it to Dumbledore in exchange for a favor was a good deal.
Naturally, Dumbledore, by taking Liam's item, was now indebted to him. Perhaps to repay this favor or as a way to nurture Liam, Dumbledore gave him a parchment signed with his name, allowing him to borrow certain alchemy-related books from the Restricted Section of the Library.
"I trust you will make good use of this knowledge, won't you?" Dumbledore said as he handed the parchment to Liam.
"Of course, sir. You can count on me", Liam assured Dumbledore earnestly, knowing that this was the accumulated knowledge of the only magical school in the British Isles over a thousand years. Even a small part of it would be immensely valuable. Additionally, this mission had earned Liam thirty Deviation Points.
Dumbledore waved his hand, signaling that Liam could leave. As Liam stepped onto the spiral staircase to exit the office, he saw Dumbledore sitting behind his desk, eyes closed, as if deep in thought.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report