Chapter 681: The Resurrection Stone
Chapter 681: The Resurrection Stone
"Severus, I assume you've forgotten what just transpired, haven't you?"
Albus Dumbledore nonchalantly picked himself up from the ground, brushing off the dust from his clothes as he casually inquired.
Who would have thought that the Headmaster of Hogwarts, the most powerful wizard of their time, would be kicked to the ground by his own professor, face-first no less? If news of this incident got out, his reputation would be utterly ruined.
Dumbledore wasn't sure about others, but he could confidently say that Dilys Derwent would be thrilled to the point of trembling. And if she knew, it was as good as the entire wizarding world knowing.
To prevent such an event, Dumbledore even entertained the notion of silencing Severus forever.
Hmm... This place was quiet and secluded, with all the amenities one could need. It was perfect for Severus, weighed down by guilt, to live out his days undisturbed, guaranteed that no one would find him.
On the other hand, Severus was still relishing the residual sensation on the soles of his shoes... He hadn't paid attention earlier, but now that he saw Dumbledore's state, he felt inexplicably pleased.
It was as if he were standing in a stream composed of Felix Felicis and phoenix tears, an indescribable sense of elation and satisfaction coursing from his feet to every corner of his body.
Severus fervently wished he knew a spell that could forever preserve this feeling.
"Severus..."
Dumbledore called out again, snapping Severus back to reality. He felt a chill run through him as if a cold breeze had blown by.
How odd. He was certain he had closed the door. Why was there still a draft?
"I apologize for the drastic measure, but the situation was urgent," Severus said sternly. "That ring bears an extremely formidable curse. Even a powerful wizard like yourself may not be able to prevent the harm it could inflict."
"I understand, Severus, and I appreciate your intention to save me," Dumbledore said as he dusted himself off and approached. "For that, I must thank you."
Both men tacitly chose not to bring up what had just transpired.
Dumbledore's gaze fell once more upon the ring, and a flicker of pain and conflict flashed in his clear blue eyes.
"So, what exactly is this thing?" Severus couldn't help but ask.
"The Peverell ring," Dumbledore replied.
"The Peverell family... The three brothers from the storybook who obtained the Deathly Hallows?" Severus said subconsciously. "It's just a ring from an ancient family, no matter how famous. It shouldn't have caused you to lose your composure like this..."
Suddenly, he seemed to realize something, and he stared at the ring in disbelief.
"It seems you've guessed it," Dumbledore said calmly. "This should be the legendary Deathly Hallow, the Resurrection Stone that can bring the dead back to life."
For a moment, Severus's breath quickened, and his hand reached out involuntarily as if to grasp the ring.
Dumbledore's legs shifted under his robes, but ultimately, he did not extend his hand.
Instead, he merely waved his wand, and the ring on the table vanished from sight.
Severus's hand froze in midair, and he almost growled, "Where did you put it?"
"Do you remember what you said earlier?" Dumbledore asked calmly. "There's a curse on it, placed by Tom specifically to protect his Horcrux."
"I don't care," Severus roared. "The curse only activates once. Let me take it, and you won't have to worry about it anymore. Isn't that a good thing?"
"I understand your thoughts, but Lily is gone," Dumbledore said. "And the Resurrection Stone cannot truly bring her back."
"Moreover, have you thought about Connor?" Dumbledore looked at him calmly. "I believe the child is about to take the assessment for the Extraordinary Potion-Maker Association, isn't he?"
After a moment, Severus's voice gradually returned to its usual calm.
"Perhaps she doesn't need me and can do just fine on her own."
"I believe so," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Kyle is a wonderful child, and together, they..."
"Shut up!" Severus interrupted Dumbledore with another low growl.
For some reason, he suddenly lost his desire to touch the cursed stone.
"You should try to accept this, Severus," Dumbledore advised earnestly. "They truly are a good match, and I must remind you that your opposition is futile. You should be aware of that."
"If you bring that up again, I will publish your little face-plant in the Daily Prophet," Severus said coldly.
At this, Dumbledore fell silent, and an eerie quiet filled the old Gaunt house.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Severus was the first to break the silence.
"Alright... How did you snap yourself out of it?" he asked. "I noticed your hand hesitated at the crucial moment. If not for that, I wouldn't have made it in time."
"That's the most fascinating part," Dumbledore said, extending his arm and examining the bloodstains that hadn't faded yet. His expression grew complex. "I never imagined that the Unbreakable Vow we made back then would save my life."
"What is this?" Severus asked, unable to contain his curiosity. He had always assumed those wounds were caused by the curse.
"A magical contract."
Snape ignored him and strode to a secluded spot far from the greenhouses. With a frosty glare, he demanded, "Where is Salazar Slytherin's locket? Hand it over!"
"What?" Kyle blinked in confusion.
"Don't play innocent with me." Snape narrowed his eyes. "I know you have it, so hand it over now. As the Head of Slytherin, it is my duty to safeguard any artifacts left by Mr. Salazar."
Kyle turned his head away and muttered, "Then you should be asking Professor Dumbledore..."
"Are you implying that you gave it to the Headmaster?" Snape sneered. "As it happens, it was he who informed me that you had the locket in your possession."
Kyle fell silent, dismayed that Dumbledore had such loose lips when it came to the Slytherin locket. It was like walking around with a juicy steak in front of Fang.
"Well?" Snape's tone was impatient.
Kyle sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small velvet bag. He untied the drawstring and carefully withdrew the golden locket, holding it out to Snape.
"There. Happy now?"
Snape snatched the locket from his hand and examined it closely, his eyes narrowing further as he took in the intricate serpentine design. "This is indeed the real thing. How did you come across it, Mr. Roth?"
"It's a long story," Kyle replied with a shrug. "But I assure you, it was purely by accident. I had no idea it was one of the fabled Horcruxes."
"Accident or not, you should have reported it immediately." Snape's voice was stern. "These artifacts are not to be taken lightly, especially by students."
"I know, I know," Kyle said with a wave of his hand. "But can you blame me for wanting to study it a bit first? It's not every day you stumble upon a piece of history like this."
Snape's expression softened slightly, perhaps remembering his own curiosity as a young wizard. "I suppose not. But be thankful that no harm came of it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must return this to the Headmaster."
"Wait!" Kyle called out as Snape turned to leave. "What about my exam? I missed Poisonous Tendrils because of you!"
Snape paused and, without turning around, said, "I'll speak to Professor Sprout. Given the circumstances, I'm sure she'll understand if you need to take the exam at a later date."
"Thanks, Professor," Kyle said, sounding only slightly appeased. "But I still think you owe me one."
Snape didn't respond and quickly disappeared from view, leaving Kyle alone in the corridor.
"You gave it away?" Snape seemed to realize something, his voice turning sharp, "Damn it, don't you know how dangerous that thing is?"
"I gave it away precisely because I know how dangerous it is," Kyle said, "After all, in the wizarding world, only Nicolas Flamel could resolve its issues without destroying the pendant."
"Nicolas Flamel?" Snape paused, then continued subconsciously, "So, you didn't give it to..."
He abruptly stopped speaking.
"Hmm? To whom?" Kyle asked.
"Shut up, Gryffindor loses five points," Snape said.
However, upon learning that the Horcrux was currently not in the school, he heaved a sigh of relief and returned to the castle, leaving Kyle alone.
Kyle glanced at a certain window at the top of the castle... Had Dumbledore returned? Or had Snape gone to find him? Also, from Snape's tone, it seemed that he had seen the Horcrux before.
Thinking carefully, the only Horcrux that hadn't been found yet was probably the Resurrection Stone.
The reason was that he really didn't know where that thing was kept. Neither the Hogwarts library nor Sirius Black's private collection had any records about the old Gaunt house.
He had even indirectly asked Dumbledore about it, but the latter didn't seem to know either.
Kyle furrowed his brows.
Could it be that Dumbledore's departure from the school this time was to find that stone?
And what about Bob Ogden? He seemed to be another key figure.
Kyle glanced at his arm... He didn't know if the magical contract he had set up earlier would be useful, but it should be able to help a little.
Unfortunately, Dumbledore hadn't returned yet.
Shaking his head, Kyle stopped thinking about it and prepared to return to the greenhouse to continue the class.
However, Snape's sudden mention of the Slytherin locket earlier made him subconsciously think of the Ravenclaw Diadem.
Ever since he had returned from Nicolas Flamel's place to Hogwarts, this currently the only repaired Horcrux, along with the Ravenclaw Diadem that carried a part of Helena Ravenclaw's consciousness, had disappeared.
The Ghost Grey Lady, Helena Ravenclaw, had also disappeared with the Diadem.
It seemed that they were hiding in some corner of the castle, enjoying their long-awaited mother-daughter time, as they hadn't seen each other for over a thousand years and naturally had a lot to talk about.
Kyle had tried to look for them, but to no avail.
Previously, the Grey Lady's name would appear on the Marauder's Map like the other ghosts, but now it had also disappeared.
Kyle also wondered if they were hiding in the Room of Requirement, but when Harry and the others were having DA meetings, the Room of Requirement was still functioning normally.
Of course, it was also possible that there was an even more secluded room within it, after all, the Room of Requirement was created by Ravenclaw herself, so it would be too easy for her to leave a backdoor.
If that was the case, Kyle naturally wouldn't be able to find them.
When Kyle returned to the greenhouse, Professor Sprout was instructing everyone to wear dragon-hide gloves.
"Poisonous Tendrils are extremely dangerous plants. Although what we have here are still seedlings, being stung by them won't be lethal, but it will be enough to have you lying in the school hospital for a month... If you miss the exams because of that, don't blame me for not reminding you."
This was also why Poisonous Tendrils were taught in the sixth year, as there weren't any particularly important exams in this year, so even if one missed them, it wouldn't be a big problem.
Pushing the door open, Kyle received Professor Sprout's permission to return to his original position.
"What did Professor Snape want with you?" Connor asked curiously.
Mike and Ryan looked over as well.
Snape had barged in aggressively earlier, startling them. Some even guessed that Kyle had blown up his private storage room and that he had come to settle the score.
"It's nothing," Kyle shook his head, "He wanted the Slytherin locket from me."
"The Slytherin snuff box?" Mike blinked, "What's that?"
"Idiot, it's the locket!" Ryan corrected, "It's one of the four artifacts left behind by the four founders, one for each house. Gryffindor has an invincible sword, Ravenclaw has a crown that bestows wisdom, and as for Hufflepuff, it's a golden cup.
"But these artifacts have been lost for several centuries, no one has actually seen them."
"That's so cool..." Mike's eyes lit up, then he looked at Kyle doubtfully, "But if that's the case, why did he come to you for it?"
"Who knows..." Kyle put on the dragon-hide gloves and shrugged, "Maybe someone told him something."
"That person must have wanted to frame you." Mike said angrily, "How despicable!"
"Yeah, I think so too." Kyle nodded in agreement.
(End of Chapter)
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