A/N: Written for the Golden Snitch Forum - Twelve Days of Christmas Challenge. I do not own Harry Potter, It solely belongs to J.K. Rowling!

Elaine, Hogwarts, Slytherin

Day 5 - On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me five Golden Ring

Prompt: Write about Marvolo Gaunt's Ring

Word Count: 472


Albus picked the once-cursed ring and held it close to examine it. The ring, without an ounce of doubt, was truly unique. Its gold ring inset with the beautiful black stone that had the symbol of the Deathly Hallows engraved on it, was sign enough in hinting towards the ring's actual power.

How the Dark Lord overlooked such an important detail was beyond Albus, but nonetheless, he was quite happy about it. He couldn't fathom the consequences or what could have happened had Tom ever known about the Gaunt ring's origin.

Dumbledore vividly remembered the boy openly wearing the ring during his time at Hogwarts. He had been confused as to how Tom got his hands on a family heirloom, but all of Albus' suspicions cleared once the news of the crazy Morfin Gaunt slaughtering an innocent Muggle family, reached his ears. Even then, Tom had been very cautious to cover all his tracks and later worn the ring as his trophy.

Dumbledore, though, was still a bit wary of the magic used on the ring. It was one of the darkest magic Albus had ever encountered, and to be honest, he was slightly worried about it. The ring, in a very odd manner, reminded him of Tom - beautiful and unique, yet dark and dangerous.

His eyes shifted from the ring to his disfigured hand. He, once again, played the day's events in order when he finally found the ring. After several moments of pondering and thinking, his eyes finally widened in realisation.

How very foolish of him to think that Tom would do something without planning further? It was a well-planned ploy, and he had fallen right in Tom's trap.

Of course, the boy was aware that the ring housed one of the Hallows - the Resurrection Stone, but what good was the Hallow to him when he wanted nothing to do with death or bring someone back to life. He knew perfectly well that even if the ring, by any chance, was found by anyone, it won't be considered dangerous because of its historical importance and would bring out the anyone's greedy nature.

But now, Albus' curiosity peaked in - if the ring was useless to Tom, why hide it away from prying eyes? Why put such deadly enchantments on the ring so that it cursed the wearer right away? What exactly had Tom done with the ring that it couldn't be destroyed even with the sword of Gryffindor?

Albus wouldn't be getting answers this easily. He had to find a way to destroy Voldemort and there was only one person that could help him.

"I think its time to pay our old friend a visit, Fawkes," Albus muttered to the Phoenix sitting on his table and quickly left the office. The old Potions' master, Horace Slughorn, was his only hope now.