Chapter 528: Harry's Troubles
Chapter 528: Harry's Troubles
"Because Ravenclaw's Diadem used to be one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, for safety reasons, I can't publicly announce your contribution", Dumbledore said with a slightly apologetic look. "Of course, once we achieve victory, I will ensure that everyone knows about your efforts."
"It's fine, the sacrifice for victory is worth it", Liam waved his hand dismissively. After all, this opportunity had brought him closer to the headmaster and allowed him to obtain a lot of valuable items through Dumbledore that he couldn't get otherwise. The recognition was secondary. Besides, in the current situation, such recognition might only draw Voldemort's attention, so it was better this way.
"May I ask, where did you find this Crown?" Dumbledore asked, straightening up after placing the Crown in a drawer. "This is important, so I hope you can tell me."
"In the Room of Requirement, where students hide things", Liam replied. He didn't think it was necessary to hide this from the headmaster, but he would need to adjust the story a bit. He couldn't tell Dumbledore that he already knew the Crown was there.
"Before, I salvaged some magical artifacts from Sirius's home. After returning to school, I started looking for more materials once I ran out of what I got from Sirius Black's house. While thinking about where to find unused scraps, the Room of Requirement revealed a large warehouse filled with items that students had hidden there. It was a great help, and many of the materials for the recent batch of bracelets came from there", Liam explained, pausing briefly.
Dumbledore smiled. "That's fine. The things hidden there are no longer needed, so repurposing them is a good idea. I should have considered that you might have trouble finding the necessary materials even if you had the money. From now on, if you need anything, just let me know, and I'll help you find it."
"Thank you, sir", Liam smiled. "While searching inside, I found this Crown on the head of an old wizard's bust. At first, it looked quite rusty and unremarkable, but I thought the gem on top might be valuable. When I reached for it, a voice inside the Crown told me to put it on. I realized something was wrong and put it in a lead box to study it. I eventually determined it was a Horcrux and used it to extract the soul fragment. It wasn't until a few days ago that I succeeded."
"That was incredibly risky, Liam. I don't want you to do that again", Dumbledore said with a concerned expression. "You should have told me about this beforehand. You know the dangers of Horcruxes."
"Don't worry, sir", Liam reassured him with a smile. "I believe my skills are sufficient to handle the various magics and curses on the Horcrux. I can also resist the soul fragment's temptation. Besides, during my summer vacation in China, I received the Phoenix's Blessing, which allows Hermione to sense if I'm being influenced by the Dark Lord. She would alert you immediately if that happened."
"Alright", Dumbledore smiled. "I should learn to trust you young people more, but if you encounter any difficulties in the future, please come to me. My office door is always open to you."
"Thank you, sir", Liam said sincerely. Now he could finally obtain some items he had been wanting but couldn't buy, and he could start working on the Philosopher's Stone.
After a few more words, Liam bid Professor Dumbledore farewell and left. As he descended the stairs, he saw Harry heading toward the headmaster's office, likely for another lesson on understanding Voldemort.
Liam noticed that since the battle at the Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore had become more intentional about mentoring young people, especially Harry. It seemed that in the fight against Voldemort, Dumbledore realized his age was catching up with him, and he felt it was time to nurture the next generation.
Harry spotted Liam on the stairs and greeted him before continuing to the headmaster's office. Dumbledore had already cleared away all traces of Liam's visit, leaving only the Pensieve on the table.
After greeting Harry, Dumbledore mentioned the young wizard's meeting with the Minister of Magic during the Christmas holiday. Dumbledore was touched by Harry's performance and noted that the Ministry was trying to figure out what he was doing, even sending Aurors to follow him.
"So they still don't know where you went?" Harry asked, hoping to get more information on the question that had been nagging him. However, Dumbledore simply smiled at him over the top of his half-moon glasses. "That's right, they don't know. It's still too early to tell you. I can only say that this matter is crucial to defeating Voldemort. Now, let's continue our lesson unless you have something else important to share—"
Harry quickly recounted the conversation he had overheard between Snape and Malfoy, but Dumbledore suggested that Harry shouldn't worry about it, as he didn't think it was important. Although Dumbledore's response made Harry very uncomfortable, he eventually decided to follow Dumbledore's advice and watch the memory for the day.
Dumbledore began by describing Voldemort's exemplary performance after he entered the school, noting that by this time Voldemort was already very skilled at disguise. He had even formed his own little group and was involved in several serious attacks that lacked evidence.
Next, Dumbledore showed Harry a memory from Gaunt, Voldemort's uncle. In this memory, Harry saw Voldemort first confirm his identity. After watching the memory, Dumbledore told Harry that he could confirm Voldemort had knocked out Gaunt, used Gaunt's wand to kill his father and grandparents, and then framed his uncle by implanting false memories in his mind with complex magic. Voldemort also took the ancient ring.
After criticizing the flaws in the Ministry of Magic's trace, Dumbledore solemnly pulled another bottle from his robe pocket. Harry noticed that the contents of the bottle were difficult to pour into the Pensieve, as if they were somewhat congealed. Could memories deteriorate?
"Harry, this memory was hard to come by, and I believe it is the most important of all the memories I have collected, though it may also be the shortest", Dumbledore said. "We'll be back shortly. Now, let's enter the Pensieve again..."
After the familiar sensation of falling, Harry found himself facing a much younger Slughorn, most notably before he had gone bald. Looking around, he realized he was in Slughorn's office. Six or seven boys, all around fifteen or sixteen, were seated around Slughorn on chairs that were either harder or lower than Harry's. Before he could take a closer look, a voice asked, "Sir, is Professor Merrythought retiring?"
Harry recognized the speaker as the young Tom Riddle, who was also the most handsome in the room.
"Tom, I can't tell you that", Slughorn said, shaking a sugar-coated finger he had just pulled from a jar of pineapple chunks. "But I'm curious where you got your information. You're more in the know than most of the professors at Hogwarts."
Riddle smiled slightly, and the other boys laughed, casting admiring glances his way. Slughorn also chuckled. "You sly one, knowing what you shouldn't and carefully befriending important people—thank you for the pineapple chunks, by the way. You guessed right; they are my favorite, though I don't know how you knew that—"
At that moment, something strange happened. The room was suddenly enveloped in a thick white fog, and Harry could only see Dumbledore's face beside him. Slughorn's voice echoed unnaturally loudly in the room, "—you will make mistakes, child, remember my words."
The fog then dissipated, and Harry saw the golden clock on Slughorn's desk strike eleven. He began to shoo everyone out, but the young Voldemort remained. "Sir, I have a question."
"Ask quickly, then, child, ask quickly..."
"Sir, I was wondering if you know anything about... Horcruxes."
The room was once again enveloped in thick fog, and Harry could no longer see Slughorn or Riddle, only Dumbledore's calm smile beside him. Then, Slughorn's voice rang out again, just as loud as before.
"I know nothing of Horcruxes, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you! Get out now, and don't let me hear you mention this again!"
"You must be confused", Dumbledore said as Harry looked up at him. "If you weren't, I would be surprised."
"What just happened?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"Professor Slughorn tampered with his own memory. He felt ashamed of it and wanted to alter it to make himself look better. This is why I didn't use Veritaserum or Legilimency, as the memory could still be false. So, Harry, for the first time, I am assigning you a task. You must find a way to make Professor Slughorn reveal the true memory. This will undoubtedly be our most critical piece of information."
Dumbledore swept his hand over the Pensieve. "This memory is everything, Harry. Without it, we are no better than blind."
(End of Chapter)
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