https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-451-Nicolas-Flamel-s-Letter-and-the-Six-Horcruxes-/13441842/
Chapter 452: The Deathly Hallows — The Resurrection Stone [Thank you, dsf23dd, for your generous donation!]
Chapter 452: The Deathly Hallows — The Resurrection Stone [Thank you, dsf23dd, for your generous donation!]
The thought of the possibility made Dumbledore's brow furrow deeply. His long index finger tapped incessantly on the desk, producing a dull sound.
Although he was unwilling to believe it, his rational mind clearly told him that Harry was likely one of the Horcruxes!
Dumbledore sighed slowly, his face seeming to age considerably for a moment. His magic unconsciously spread out, making the surrounding space feel oppressive.
However, soon, a melodious song echoed through the silent office.
The Phoenix Fawkes, perched on his shoulder, had noticed Dumbledore's charred hand. Anxiously, it flapped its wings and quickly flew to the desk, leaning its head close and blinking its eyes.
Tears slowly slid down and dripped onto the charred skin.
A continuous sizzling sound came from the hand, and the strange black mist that had escaped from it seemed to retreat under pressure. However, the charred marks showed no signs of disappearing.
Fawkes became even more sorrowful, and more tears fell, but to no avail.
"It's alright, Fawkes!" Dumbledore comforted the golden-red Phoenix with his uninjured hand.
He had anticipated this. The magic Voldemort had placed on this Horcrux was extraordinary and could not be removed by conventional means.
"Go and fetch Severus, bring him here, Fawkes!" Dumbledore suddenly spoke, hoping that a potion might provide a solution.
The golden-red Phoenix nodded and quickly transformed into a flame, vanishing from the Headmaster's Office.
Not long after, a burst of fire erupted in the empty space beside him, rapidly expanding into a human form.
As the flames subsided, Severus Snape, clad in black robes, appeared in the Headmaster's Office.
To Dumbledore's surprise, Snape was still in the act of brewing a potion, with a few claw marks on his clothes.
"What's so urgent that this red-haired bird had to drag me here?" Snape's face was grim as he threw the potion residue on the table, clearly displeased.
He had been brewing a very precious potion in the basement when this Phoenix suddenly appeared, grabbed his clothes without a word, and forcibly transported him here.
Dumbledore did not respond, only lifting his charred hand.
"You're injured?" Snape's pupils contracted.
"Yes, as you can see!" Dumbledore nodded.
Snape, momentarily forgetting his earlier irritation, hurriedly approached and carefully examined Dumbledore's arm.
"How bad is it?" Dumbledore asked.
"It's very difficult. This is extremely specialized dark magic that can grow stronger by corroding your magic and is hard to eliminate. I remember a potion that might help, but it can only suppress it at best!" Snape examined for a while and slowly shook his head.
"That's enough!" Dumbledore pulled his hand back, feeling this was better than he had expected. "Thank you, Severus!"
Snape looked at him with concern before turning to leave. Fawkes, impatient with his slow pace, sent him off.
About half an hour later, when Snape returned, he held a vial filled with a thick golden liquid.
"Do I need to drink it?" Dumbledore took the vial and, after confirming with Snape, drank it in one go.
The rich golden liquid turned into warm streams as soon as it entered his mouth, spreading throughout his body.
At the same time, Snape took Dumbledore’s charred hand and placed his wand on it, casting a spell. The black aura on the palm gradually dissipated, and the abnormal skin condition slowly diminished.
"Thank you, your potion is very effective, Severus! I feel much better!" Dumbledore felt his body and praised him.
"That’s just an illusion", Snape’s face was cold, and he had no intention of comforting the hundred-year-old man.
"I have only temporarily suppressed the effects of this dark magic. It will only grow stronger day by day. In about a year, it will flare up again, and we will have no way to contain it!"
Dumbledore took Snape’s warning to heart but showed no reaction. He was staring at the charred hand, examining it as if it were something interesting.
Dumbledore’s indifferent attitude made Snape somewhat discouraged. He hesitated for a moment and couldn’t help but ask.
"How did you get hit?"
He couldn’t imagine who in the current magical world could harm Dumbledore, let alone leave such powerful dark magic on his hand.
Dumbledore pointed directly at a few items on the table.
Snape looked down and noticed a diary, a crown, and a ring on the desk.
He was very familiar with the diary and the crown. These were two of the Horcruxes destroyed by Ivan Hals last semester. The additional ring was easy to guess.
"Is this ring the Dark Lord’s third Horcrux? Is this what injured you?" Snape immediately saw that the ring had been subjected to powerful dark magic, likely a triggered curse.
"You should have been able to see that it was cursed. Why did you touch it?" Snape looked at Dumbledore angrily.
"The Horcrux was hidden in the old Gaunt house by Tom. An ancient magic was placed inside, capable of stirring up one’s obsessions. When someone found the ring, the curse would be triggered. It’s a truly ingenious trap!" Dumbledore couldn’t help but marvel. This time, Tom had given him a big surprise.
The more obsessed a person was, the easier they were to fall for it.
He couldn’t resist the chance to see Ariana again, let alone the pursuit of the Deathly Hallows, which was a promise he had made to his dearest friend.
So Tom used the Resurrection Stone to set a trap, unexpectedly catching his weakness.
At the same time, Dumbledore was very relieved that Tom hadn’t buried the Horcrux randomly in the ground or thrown it into a stream to drift away. Instead, he chose specific locations for each Horcrux, or else he would have been completely lost.
Snape, seeing Dumbledore still appreciating the Dark Lord’s ingenuity, felt both anxious and angry. His gaze swept over the three Horcruxes, and he said sarcastically.
"A twelve or thirteen-year-old child could destroy two Horcruxes without a scratch, yet you ended up in a fatal struggle with this ring. It seems the greatest white wizard of the magical world is not so great after all."
(End of Chapter)
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