Disclaimer - Harry Potter is not my property
A Different Professor
Chapter 3 - Reactions
Hogwarts Fifth Floor
"MY DAD WAS A MARAUDER!"
Fred and George both looked at the younger boy with wide eyes. They had honestly never seen him like this and never heard him sound so excited.
"We just came from talking with Professor McGonagall and Madam Bones about Pettigrew. They talked to Harry about how he and Smethwick discovered the man and in the process he had to tell them about the map." When the boy's eyes widened Hermione continued quickly. "Both promised that as long as it wasn't a dark artifact that endangered people they would not take it from you." They relaxed slightly. "When Harry said it was called the Marauder's Map, Professor McGonagall said something about the Marauders haunting her even after graduating. Madam Bones said she remembered who they were from her final year and that everyone knew about the Marauders, Black and Potter being the most well-known of the four."
"Wow," said George.
"So your dad," continued Fred.
"Was a Marauder," the said together. They looked at each other, their eyes alight. In some crazy twin way, they both thought they should be bowing to Harry for his connection to their heroes.
"Do you know,"
"Which one he is?"
Harry shook his head, "No I don't know which one he was. Maybe I can ask Professor McGonagall if she knows."
"Or maybe she can put you in contact with the fourth member?" said Hermione. The twins looked at her. "Well they said that Pettigrew was a Marauder, as well as someone named Black and Harry's father. Black was said to have killed Pettigrew so I assume he has been in prison, and I don't think any of us wants to talk to Pettigrew so you could contact the fourth member, whoever he is."
They were all silent a moment. "I bet Pettigrew was Wormtail. Sounds like a great name for a rat."
Fred nodded at his twin, "Yeah that also would mean that the cool names are still left for your dad."
Harry beamed at the older boys.
"Do you think that the others were animagus too?" asked George. "I mean Wormtail is a fitting name for a rat, so if his name had some connection to his animagus form then maybe the others are based on their animal too."
Hermione looked to the twin, "You could be right George."
"Really Hermione, I would have thought you would have said there was no way as they weren't registered." Fred smirked at the girl.
"Pettigrew was never registered and if they were all animagus then they probably would have been attempting at the same time or one helping the others considering their ages, the difficulty and how long Pettigrew lived as a rat. Also the map was made while at school," she looked at the other twin, "Harry said you got the map from Filch's office, so they would have been in school when he confiscated it. They would not have given each other those nicknames without knowing their forms so if one wasn't registered then most likely none of the were registered."
"My dad could have been an animagus," Harry said in wonder, completely ignoring what was going on around him.
Gryffindor Common Room, later that day
Harry and Hermione sat in front of the hearth in the common room trying to guess what type of animal the nicknames Moony, Padfoot and Prongs might represent. Hermione's best guess was an owl for Moony due to the fact that owls were generally nocturnal, and some type of cat for Padfoot. Harry liked a dog for Padfoot but couldn't come up with anything better for Moony. Prongs was stumping both of them.
"WHAT DID YOU DO YOU TO MY RAT POTTER?" bellowed Ron coming down from the second year boy's dorm. Had Harry not known the voice he would have sworn it was Malfoy based on the venom behind the exclamation of his name.
"I," Harry started.
"I know it was you Potter, no one else would take my things from me."
"Ron, Scabbers wasn't…"
Ron cut him off, "I don't want any excuses, Potter, I just want my Scabbers back." Spittle flew from Ron's mouth as he spoke.
"Ron," Hermione interjected, "Scabbers was an anima…"
"You would take his side. Precious Harry Potter, everyone takes his side because he doesn't have parents. Even McGonagall, trying to tell me my rat was an animagus."
"RON," gasped Hermione.
Harry's mouth fell open and he didn't know what to say.
"Something wrong little Ronny-kins?" asked Fred with a stony look on his face.
"Yeah little brother, are you yelling at your favorite little bro Harry here because he discovered your rat was in fact an animagus?" added George.
"Personally," said Fred, "I would find it incredibly creepy and disturbing to find out a man in his 30s had been sleeping in my bed, even if he was a rat at the time."
By this point Fred and George were flanking Harry and Hermione.
Hermione was gripping Harry's had so tightly she was grinding his bones together but he didn't feel it. How could his first friend act like this? After everything they had been through together how could Ron accuse him of taking his pet for no reason other than to spite him?
"You need to stand down little brother."
"You are way out of line," finished Fred.
"Oh course you would steal my family too, bloody perfect Harry Potter," Ron said dripping with sarcasm. "You know I wish you had just died along with your parent's, then I wouldn't have to deal with you talking all of MY attention."
"Ronald Weasley," came Professor McGonagall's outraged voice. Every head turned to the portrait whole to see a heavily breathing Neville Longbottom standing next to their Head of House. "You are coming with me, I'll be flooing your parents to pick you up, as there isn't enough school left to suspend you or give you detention for the proper amount of time for wishing a member of your family dead I will just have to let your mother decide how to deal with you. You will also be on probation next year, that is if your mother lets you come back." She turned to go, not even looking back to see if he would follow. If he didn't she knew Percy would take care of it.
As Percy dragged Ron out of the common room by his ear after the professor the rest of the Gryffindors just stood around in awkward silence. Ron had been glaring at Harry the entire time.
"Thank you Longbottom," said the Peter Smethwick. The room was still silent and most looked utterly confused. "To clarify to everyone so that no one gets the wrong impression. The Weasley twins, Potter and myself discovered an illegal animagus in the second year boy's dormitory, that rat was Ronald Weasley's pet. All I will say is that this individual has been living as a rat for nearly 11 years and it was luck that we discovered him." He looked at all his house mates, "If you wish to blame anyone you should blame me as it was my decision to remove the 2 pets in the room and take them to Professor McGonagall as a precaution. Longbottom's Toad was returned shortly after, Weasley's rat was turned over to the DMLE for questioning." Smethwick turned to go to his dorm, "oh and Longbottom, 5 points for thinking on your feet and getting a professor before things escalated."
The students of Gryffindor shivered. There had been a man living as a rat in their house for the last 2 years? A few of the older boys, the sixth year boys, realized that they too had been sharing a room with said man, the rat had been Percy's first after all.
Dean, Seamus and Neville walked toward where Harry was now engulfed in Hermione's arms, the twins still standing guard.
Harry and Hermione turned when Dean cleared his throat, "Harry I would just like to say thanks, for everything really. We know you helped to fix the chamber thing and even though we didn't know Scabbers was some bloke it is still a relief to know he isn't in our room anymore."
"Yeah Harry," said Seamus, "I don't know about anyone else but I know you would never do what 'he' was accusing you of. You're just too nice of a guy."
"I think," Neville whispered, "that maybe we should start over." He looked at his roommates and Hermione, "as a year group we don't really know anything about each other because from day one we all just split up and never really interacted with the other groups. We're the Gryffindor second years, shouldn't we act a little bit more like family?"
Hermione smiled at the boys, this is what Harry needed right now. People who would see him for exactly who he was. "I think that is a great idea. I say we start at breakfast tomorrow, we'll all sit together," she looked to where her roommates were standing, attempting to look like they weren't eves dropping, "all of us."
"Sorry we had to take Trevor too…"
Neville cut Harry off, "I don't care Harry. You suspected there was someone posing as one of our pets, living in our dorm, of course you would have had to check Trevor and the rat." He shrugged, "with Trevor's love for disappearing he very well could have been the person, he is far too sneaky for a toad sometimes." He grinned at Harry.
"Well," said Dean, "I don't know about you guys but I want to get to bed, plus there seems to be a line forming," he said tilting his head toward the quidditch team and the Creevey boy.
"We'll see you in the morning Harry," said Neville following Dean and Seamus out of the common room.
Angelina was there a moment later pulling Harry into a hug despite the fact that he was still holding Hermione's hand. Alicia and Katie flanked her and wrapped their arms around him at the same time.
The twins looked at each other, then at Oliver and shouted, "Group Hug!"
"Harry," Angelina whispered just loud enough for her team to hear, "if you need anything don't forget to come to us."
"Yeah Harry," Oliver added putting a hand on Harry's head, "your team is more than your house. The house is like your aunts, uncles and cousins, but your team is like your brothers and sisters. We can't lose our little brother."
Harry didn't know what to say so he didn't say anything, he just squeezed in tighter to his team, to his family.
Unfortunately, all sappy moments must come to an end, this one ended with a flash, a camera flash that is.
Eight heads glanced toward the source of the flash and saw, through the dots of light still dancing in front of their eyes, Colin Creevey holding a camera.
"Sorry, I couldn't help it, the picture was just too perfect to pass up." He grinned and then started toward the first year boy's dorm, "Night Harry, and thanks for getting rid of the creepy rat."
Each and every eye followed the boy until they heard a door shut.
"Is anyone else wondering where he got the camera?" asked Katie.
"Yeah, I thought his was destroyed when he was petrified," answered Alicia.
"It was," Harry added, "it died for him, the insides were melted and it puffed smoke when Professor Dumbledore opened it."
"Weird," summarized the twins in unison, causing the rest of the Gryffindor quidditch team to nod in response.
That was too much for Hermione Granger, she burst out laughing and couldn't seem to stop, especially since the rest of the started laughing too.
Gryffindor Sixth Year Boy's Dorm
Fred and George slid into the sixth year boy's dorm with their signature silence. They shared a look, the room was scary clean, it would really suck to have their brother Percy as a roommate. Glancing at the individual decor around each bed they managed to figure out which bed their brother was currently sleeping in.
Fred slowly slide the curtains open while George cast a silencing spell around the bed. They climbed on the bed and shook their brother awake.
"Percy," said Fred, "We need to talk."
The eldest Hogwarts aged Weasley blinked sleepily at his brothers, he would have scowled but stopped himself seeing the seriousness in his brother's eyes. He sat up and leaned against the headboard. "What is going on?"
"Three things," continued Fred, "Ginny, Ron and Harry."
Percy nodded for them to continue.
"We don't know what Madam Pomphrey discussed with mom and dad about Ginny but she had her head hijacked by a teen aged Voldemort." George barely tripped over the name and both twins managed to hold their physical response in check. "Add in the fact that Ginny has been obsessed with Harry for years. We think Ginny needs help, a mind healer."
Percy nodded, "Madam Pomphrey did suggest they at least get her checked. Mom was dead set against it but I think dad plans to talk to one, he isn't sure how to pay for it but he plans to talk to someone at St. Mungo's. Apparently Professor Snape pulled him aside and told him that whatever she had was really dark magic, it really concerned dad that Snape was the one telling him just how dark it was and not Headmaster Dumbledore or Madam Pomphrey."
The twins nodded, "Okay, we'll leave that up to dad but if he doesn't do anything will you help us convince him?" asked George.
"I had already planned to. Ginny hasn't really been my sister all year and I am kicking myself because I didn't do anything about it."
Fred leaned forward, "Ron is the bigger issue. We don't know what is going on with him but he is like 3 different people and you never know which one you are going to get." Fred sighed, "we thought befriending Harry would be a good thing, our selfish little brother seemed to be growing up, yeah every once and a while you would see the little brat again but it was getting less as time went on. But recently he seems to be back sliding."
"The night Ginny was taken we had selfish Ron back because Harry disagreed with his plan. The next morning it was selfish Ron pouting. Now we've got something entirely new and a whole lot worse. I miss the kid that seemed to be growing up." George ran a hand through his hair.
"We aren't sure what's wrong but we think that Ron might need that mind healer too." Fred looked at Percy as seriously as he had ever been, "hopefully this new Ron has something to do with what Lockhart did to him."
Percy nodded, he agreed with everything the twins were saying to a point. Their idea that Lockhart had somehow caused this new attitude was intriguing, unlikely but still intriguing and gave Percy hope that his brother wasn't just a horribly selfish individual with no hope of holding a friendship. "I'll talk to dad and I think I'll owl Bill and see what he thinks and if there is anything he can do." The twins nodded, "Now what has Harry done that would cause you to talk to me at 2 in the morning?"
"Well," said Fred, "It's not so much something Harry has done as it is things that are happening to Harry."
"Do you remember how we took the car to pick Harry up last summer?" asked George. At Percy's nod he continued, "We know mom and dad think we made up the story about his relatives locking him in his room, bars on the windows and feeding him through a cat flap in the door but…"
"It was all true wasn't it?"
They didn't have to nod; Percy knew from the looks on their faces. "Harry has been more like a brother to us than Ron since he joined the quidditch team, what concerns us is that even the smallest kindness surprises him." Fred's eyes were sad at the admission.
"We showed him something we 'found' that may have belonged to his dad and he looks at it like it's the coolest thing in the world, and it's basically a ratty piece of parchment." George smiled slightly, "an awesome piece of parchment but still parchment."
"He expected Neville to hate him too because Ron did over the Scabbers thing all because Smethwick took Trevor for testing too."
"We don't know what we can do, all we know is that Harry needs someone and he needs them yesterday." George looked to Fred and his twin nodded slightly so he continued, "We can't do much as we're 15 but we can be the brothers he has never had."
"Will you help us look out for him?" asked Fred. "We plan to talk to Oli and the girls too but we think you and Oli can do the most for him seeing as you are both 17 and can Apparate. So you could check in on him easier than we could."
Percy sat for a moment looking at nothing, seeing nothing. "Harry is the smallest in his year," he said mostly to himself, "half the first years are bigger than he is." How had he not noticed that?
"He flinches," at his older brothers searching gaze George continued, "When people he isn't totally comfortable with initiate contact he flinches. We don't really notice it anymore and when we did we didn't see it for what it might mean because the only person who really ever touches him is Hermione but Angie hugged him earlier and he flinched, he did relax a moment later but…" he left it at that.
Percy sat up straighter, "The Weasley Family owes Harry a debt for saving Ginny and getting rid of that rat, but I would help you even if we didn't owe him. He's a good kid."
"Thanks Percy," said Fred.
"Yeah Perce we appreciate it." George grinned, "When they make you head boy we will try not to tease you too much."
"We will probably only call you 'Big' Head Boy a couple of times," George paused, "well okay probably once a day but we'll try not to be too hard on you."
Percy frowned slightly at his brothers, "Thanks guys," he said with a hint of sarcasm. "Now is there anything else or can I go back to sleep?"
The twins just held up their hands, slipped off the bed and made their way silently out the door, dropping the silencing charm as they went.
"Told you they were up to something."
Percy rolled his eyes as he got himself situated, "Do me a favor and shut up Oliver."
Oliver Wood just snickered, he may not know exactly what the twins had talked to their brother about but he had a feeling at least part of it was about his little seeker.
Hogsmead Station
"Harry," Harry and Hermione heard shouted over the crowd. They spotted Dean leaning out of one of the cars. "Over here, Seamus and I snagged a compartment next to the quidditch team."
The duo wove through the crowd toward the tall boy. "Thank you Dean," said Hermione as the stepped onto the train, "Have you seen Neville yet. He lost track of Trevor on our way here and he said he would meet up with us."
"No, haven't seen him, but I'll hang out here for a bit and see if I can flag him down." He pointed down the corridor, "we're in the third on from the end of the car, the team is taking up the last 2 compartments."
The Gryffindor second years had taken Neville's suggestion of starting over to heart. Their entire year group, minus Ron of course, ate breakfast together and due to classes being over and their end of year exams cancelled, hung out all day just getting to know each other. It was funny watching the football crazy Dean argue with the quidditch mad Fay over which sport required more skill and athleticism. Neville and Parvati both had an interest in plants, though the Indian girl preferred looking to touching. Hermione and Lavender bonded over hair care products, Lavender assured Hermione that she could control her wild hair. Seamus, being Seamus, liked to blow things up, he rarely did this on accident, so Harry suggested he spend so time with the twins; that suggestion scared Hermione.
Harry just enjoyed re-meeting his year mates. When he started his first year he had been so caught up in his first friend and so turned off by all the staring that he had allowed Ron to drive everyone else away. The only reason Hermione had managed to make it through the wall that Ron had become was that Harry saw too much of himself in Hermione. They were two lonely, often friendless souls, so he needed to give her some of what he had found.
Realizing that his 'friendship' with Ron wasn't a real friendship because he was the only one truly putting his heart into it had hurt. If not for Hermione and the twins it might have driven him so far into himself that he would have avoided making connections to save himself from the pain of having that companionship ripped away again. If not for Hermione he might have started to believe his aunt and uncles words, he might have started believing that he was worthless, that he didn't deserve anything at all.
"Is the next compartment over open too?" Hermione asked Seamus as she and Harry entered the saved compartment.
"I think so why?"
"Well, I don't know if Lavender, Parvati and Fay were planning to sit with us but if they are we won't all fit in here."
"Good point." Seamus looked at her trunk, "let's put your trunk in the next one over, that way we've saved it and we can have a 'girls' and a 'boys' compartment." Seamus grinned, "not that you would go over there but that way you have the choice."
Hermione rolled her eyes but allowed Harry and Seamus to drag her trunk one compartment over.
"Hey Hermione," said Fay as she poked her head in the door. "Thanks for saving us seats, Seamus informed me that the girls get one compartment to themselves if they wish," she rolled her eye just as her house mate had. "How am I going to debate quidditch vs. football if we're separated?"
Hermione laughed, "honestly Fay I think this whole end of the car is going to end up being one big group going room to room. The quidditch team is in the other 2 compartments, along with Lee and I think Percy plans to drop in too."
"Maybe we should just invite the whole house?"
"Can we leave out Colin?" Harry asked joining the conversation, "he's a nice enough kid but I don't think I can take any more pictures or questions. His hyper activeness gives me a headache."
"We got your trunk stowed Fay," added Seamus, "Oh and Lavender, Parvati and Neville showed up."
"Great," Hermione bounced, "that means were all here."
"Who wants to play Exploding Snap?" asked Seamus. The group burst into laughter, Seamus and his explosions.
Sometime later, after a few rounds of Exploding Snap, Seamus's eyebrows were singed, a rousing debate about Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and a paper fight the twins plopped down in to the seats on either side of Seamus. Harry, Hermione and Neville were the only ones left in the compartment with Seamus. Dean and Fay had gone down to bother Oliver Wood about all things sports while Lavender and Parvati were having a girl party with Angelina, Alicia and Katie.
"My dear boy Seamus," started Fred.
"We have heard some interesting rumors about you." George grinned at Harry.
"It has come to our attention that you have a certain affinity."
"We have been informed, by some very reliable sources, that you have some skills we might find entertaining."
"A little seeker told us that we have something in common."
"Fred that was my line."
"I forgot mine. Plus, I liked yours better."
"Guys," Hermione interjected. "could you get to the point?"
They looked at each other over Seamus's head then back to the brunette. "Sure thing Miss Granger."
"We heard that you like to make things explode!" they said in perfect unison.
Seamus blinked for a moment then grinned, "Who doesn't?" As one every head turned to Hermione, "well, okay, Hermione doesn't but doesn't everyone else?"
Hermione just huffed as Harry and Neville attempted to stifle their laughter.
"My good sir,"
"We would like to discuss this business further,"
"So please,"
"Come with us,"
"To the Hogwarts Express,"
"Prank Headquarters."
Seamus followed the twins out of the compartment leaving the quietest of the group behind.
"Does that combination terrify anyone else?" asked Neville.
"Blame Harry," was Hermione's only answer.
There was a knock on the compartment door a while later. The three looked up to see Percy standing in the door.
"Would it be alright if I came in for a bit and talked with you Harry?"
"Sure Percy," he waved to one of the open seats in front of him, "do you mind if Hermione and Neville stay or is this private?"
Percy shook his head, "No they can stay." He took a deep breath and started, "First off I wanted to apologize. I realize I'm not the easiest person to get along with. Oli has informed me that I have let my need to be the perfect Prefect get to my head and that I am an unapproachable berk."
He held up a hand when Hermione opened her mouth. "No, I have been rather horrible, before I was appointed Prefect I still studied but the younger years weren't afraid to ask me for help, now it seems they are." He shook himself and looked down at his hands, "I would also like to thank you for all you've done for my family Harry. Not only were you responsible for the rescue of my sister but then you saved my family from the man that has been living with us as a rat for the last 10 years." He looked Harry in the eye, "It isn't lost on me or any of the other older years that that man was sleeping in Gryffindor tower for the last six years. Whatever he was doing, whatever he was planning, it can't be good and you once again stepped in and saved the day.
"My room mates would like me to thank you for that too. They may not have been sharing a dorm with the rat for the last 2 years but he was still in the tower and that was too close for anyone's comfort. And finally I would like to apologize on behalf of the family for the appalling way you were treated by my youngest siblings. Ginny needs to do some growing up and I will be speaking to my parents about that over the summer but Ron's actions are inexcusable. I will also be speaking to my parents about his attitude."
"Percy, you don't have…"
"Ah, here you are Potty, having a nice time with your mudblood and your squib?" Harry was interrupted by Malfoy. Unfortunately for Malfoy he didn't think to look at who else might be in the compartment.
"Well Mister Malfoy, I think that deserves a detention with Professor McGonagall the first Saturday of the school year." Malfoy looked like he was going to argue, "I am still a Prefect and will be one come September. Your insults are against school policy and the proper course of action when a Prefect or teacher hears such slurs is to assign detention. As the school year is over all infractions witnessed on the train to or from Hogwarts will be dealt with at the start of the following term. Now move along before I add to your detention."
Percy stood, "Well, if you'll excuse me I am going to go write an owl to Professor McGonagall."
Harry just sat in the compartment grinning while the other two bade Percy farewell, "Best train ride ever!"
Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office, After the Express's Departure
"Albus," Severus said calmly stepping into the headmaster's office, "I see you have gotten everything back to normal," he glanced around the office, "or at least as normal as this office can ever be."
"Ah, yes my boy, I am nearly caught up," he said with a slight smile, "paperwork does tend to pile when I am not here to attend it though." His blue eyes twinkled at the potions professor. "What brings you here this afternoon Severus, I would think that with the students gone you would be celebrating your months of freedom form, what was it, Dunderheads?"
Severus merely lifted an eyebrow at the headmaster. "I was wondering, Albus, if you had any idea as to what exactly that diary was," he tilted his head toward the stained black book.
"Ah yes," he said, his eyes dimming, "Tom's diary. A foul piece of magic, but exactly what it is I think is best kept in the dark. Some things are too dark to share my boy and this is one of them."
Severus gritted his teeth, the headmaster's reply was not a true surprise but he had been hoping for an actual answer. "Well headmaster if you are not willing to share then perhaps I can get you to agree to tell me if am correct or not in what I believe it is. I have done some research and the conclusion I came to is disturbing to say the least." When the headmaster said nothing and did not react he continued anyway. "You see headmaster I think that that diary was in fact a Horcrux. If that is a fact, then that explains how it was possible for the Dark Lord to survive with no body. It also brings me to the conclusion that he created more than one because the mark is still there, still very faint but there all the same."
Albus Dumbledore sighed, looking slightly defeated. "My boy this is not something I would have wished anyone to find, knowledge of these things could taint the soul beyond repair."
"Headmaster, with all due respect, my soul is already tainted by the acts I performed in the service of the Dark Lord, I do what I can to balance the scales but there is no removing the taint. My knowing about these vile artifacts will change nothing save giving our side another individual who is looking for the remaining soul anchors. He cannot be defeated while even one of those things remains."
"I suppose you are right my boy, it may be beneficial to have someone else looking for the remaining Horcruxes, I am not as young as I once was after all."
"Do you have any idea as to how many he created Albus?"
"Alas I do not Severus, I can only guess and each and every guess I could make has an equal chance of being incorrect. All I do know is there is more than one."
Severus nodded. "I will think on this and attempt to come to my own best guess. He would, I think make his choice for specific reasons." Albus nodded. "I do have one question thought. Will he know that I was the one to destroy this Horcrux?"
Albus rested his chin on his clasped hands, "I do not think so my boy. This is only a guess but I do not believe that the Horcruxes are capable of garnering any information past the point of their creation. At the time of the diaries transformation into a Horcrux you were not yet born so obviously not one of his followers. I do not believe the host has any conscious connection to the anchors."
"That was my thought but Tom seemed to know that Harry was the subject of his downfall and that is not something he should have known." Severus paused and shook his head, "Of course he could have easily gotten the information from Miss Weasley. She seemed infatuated with Mister Potter and if Tom did as I suspect and slowly gotten her to open herself to him then she most likely showered him with information concerning the boy, and he could have easily dug deeper at any mention of his fame, the title 'Boy-who-lived' is interesting enough that him asking about it would not surprise the girl, asking copious questions about me to ascertain my loyalties would be unlikely and highly suspicious."
"Yes that is what I think as well."
"I do have one other concern though. Does the soul piece return to the original or is it destroyed along with the container?"
"That is something we cannot know Severus. When researching just how Tom could survive the loss of his body I leant toward Horcruxes as the method. In all of that research I could find no cases where the wizard who created a Horcrux made more than one, the fact that Tom managed is disturbing to say the least.
"Any time a Horcrux was destroyed," he continued, "the wizard was in wraith form and was never heard from again so it was assumed that both soul pieces moved on from this plane at the time of the vessels destruction. Whether the soul pieces joined or not was not even discussed because at that point it did not matter for the wizard had no chance of returning."
"I see," Severus drawled, "I shall have to be cautious if he does return, for if the soul piece reconnects with the host then he will know that I no longer follow him."
Albus nodded and looked out one of the window, he could see the Giant Squid splashing around in the Black Lake. "Your friend Lucius Malfoy seemed to know that the diary existed, though I do not think he knew what exactly it was."
Severus raised an eyebrow, "Lucius had knowledge of the diary?"
Dumbledore nodded, "Harry indicated that before it came to Miss Weasley it belonged to him. His house elf seemed to be hinting at that as well."
The potions professor started to pace the office. "If Lucius had one of his Horcruxes then perhaps other followers were given ones for safe keeping." He started mumbling to himself, "but who would he give them to. Bella would be an obvious choice, which would mean the Lestrange brothers probably would not have been given one. Nott is a thought but he really wasn't at the same level as Lucius or Bella. Not the Carrows, Crabb or Goyle, they really aren't intelligent enough not to accidentally lose them. Rockwood was nearly equal to Lucius in his eyes but his connection to the Department of Mysteries would make him a poor choice as well." He stopped and looked to Albus again, "I also doubt he would leave them all in the hands of his followers, he would want them spread out and protected in vastly different ways so as to give them much higher chances in surviving in case he needed them."
"I think you are correct my boy. He would perhaps give another to a follower, say Bellatrix, but I do not think he would hand the others to his followers. I think his hiding places would be just as significant to him as the number he chose to make." The headmaster shook his head. "There is much to consider and I fear we will be unable to find actual answers anytime soon."
"How will we find his remaining anchors?"
Albus sighed heavily, "I am going to start tracking Tom's life. I plan to search out individuals who he came into contact with before he became Voldemort and see what they can tell me. It seems a daunting and perhaps a fruitless task but it is where I will start. If I can follow his movements, then perhaps I can learn more about the man and how he turned down such a dark path."
"I will search my memory to see if I can discover something in my dealings with him that could lead us to a Horcrux or a free follower that might be able to provide us a clue."
"Thank you Severus. For now, this is all we can do," the headmaster held the potions master's gaze, "Let us hope it is enough."
And there is the next chapter. Harry's second year of Hogwarts is officially finished. The next chapter will deal with things outside of Hogwarts, and some new characters should be making an appearance.
Please note that I am attempting to write daily but I may not be able to keep up the pace I have been. This story is really flowing for me right now but as we all know sometimes muses take a vacation or insist on working with other projects.
If you are reading Acceptance, I am still debating with myself as to where Harry should be sorted, please be patient with me.
I have no Beta, if you see and error let me know, I will go in and fix it when I post the next chapter.