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Now that Harry was about to embark on his mission, he realized that he had absolutely no idea where to start. Seeing as Hogwarts was the most secure at the moment, he figured it best to go after the diadem. Yet, there was still the matter of destroying it. The Sword of Gryffindor did not contain Basilisk venom yet, and Harry was reluctant to enter the Chamber of Secrets again; he did not want to begin anything life endangering until he had destroyed the majority of the Horcruxes. Fiendfyre was, of course, out of the question, as there was no way to stop it.

Harry was struck by a sudden idea. The sheer brilliance of it convinced him that he had just tapped into his 'inner Hermione'. He would simply collect every Horcrux, deposit them within the Room of Requirement, and set Fiendfyre to the room just as it had been done in the original timeline. The first step, he decided, would be to get the ring from the Gaunt house. He assumed that Morfin, Voldemort's uncle, who had lived there, had already passed away, leaving the ring to be found. Harry knew there was a protective curse over the ring that had formerly caused the injury upon Dumbledore's right hand. Perhaps he could request Dumbledore's help for this mission. There would be no need to tell him the full details behind their expedition, only to ask for his assistance at removing the protective enchantments from the ring. This in mind, Harry arranged to meet with Dumbledore at the edge of Hogsmeade that afternoon, where he would explain the operation.

When Harry arrived at the corner besides the narrow gravel road leading out of Hogsmeade, he found Dumbledore had already arrived and was waiting for him.

"Professor Dumbledore," he greeted, smiling, "Thank you for coming."

The professor did not smile back. His eyes did not twinkle behind his half-moon spectacles; on the contrary, he fixed Harry with a speculative look.

Frowning, Harry continued, "I told you I needed help getting into the house near Little Hangleton, the-"

"House of Gaunt, yes," Dumbledore finished for him. "Perhaps you were not aware, Harry, but that house is uniquely important to Lord Voldemort."

Harry nodded, "Yes, I know. Tom's mother, Merope, lived there."

Before he knew it, Dumbledore's wand was pointed at his chest. "Who are you, really? Why has Tom sent you?"

Harry's eyes widened, and he stuttered, "No, profess-sor! Y-you don't under-s-stand!"

"What I do not understand is how you managed to acquire a time turner from the Department of Mysteries and what caused Voldemort to leave Hogsmeade several days ago." Dumbledore replied.

Harry gaped at him. This was not the Dumbledore he knew, the Dumbledore that always saw the good in everybody. But then again, Harry mused; Dumbledore was not likely to hold a suspect Death Eater at Hogwarts without taking any precautions. "No," he said, "No, just hear me out, sir."

"I will take you back to my office. You will take Veritaserum and answer my questions."

Harry bowed his head, "If you feel it prudent, sir, I have nothing to hide. Just remember what I said-about the future."

Dumbledore's eyebrows furrowed as he led Harry in front of him back to the castle.

Harry was seated in Dumbledore's office, Dumbledore himself rummaging through his cabinets for truth potion. Finally, the headmaster turned, and brought forth a vial of clear liquid. Raising it to his lips, Harry obediently drank the solution. It was an odd experience, he realized. He felt his mind relax in a sensation not unlike the feeling when put under the Imperius Curse. This time, however, Harry did not feel his focus waver; he was acutely aware of all that went on around him.

"What is your true full name," Dumbledore asked forcefully.

"Harry James Potter," Harry replied, staring into Dumbledore's blue eyes.

Looking away, Dumbledore continued, "Do you come here from the future?"

Harry began to move his lips to form the word 'yes', but found himself incapable of doing so.

Watching him thoughtfully, Dumbledore rephrased, "Do you believe you have arrived here from a future time?"

"Yes," was Harry's reply.

Finally Dumbledore asked, staring at him interestedly, "Have you supported Voldemort in the past, and will you o so in the future?"

Harry's head snapped up, and the intensity of his glare made Dumbledore's eyebrows rise. "Never." The one word was said with such finality, that Dumbledore nodded, and handed Harry a glass of water.

Gulping the water, he turned to face Dumbledore evenly, "Are you satisfied now?"

"Yes, and I apologize, Harry," said the elder professor, "But I request you explain to me what you are planning."

Harry, still slightly vexed with Dumbledore, felt uneasy as he replied, "But sir, when the time comes for me to leave and wipe your memory, it may require a very powerful spell if you have much knowledge of the past, which could cause mental problems in the future." His expression grew dark as he remembered Lockhart's attempt to Obliviate him in his second year.

"Perhaps, you could confide in me," Dumbledore suggested, "You'll find I have a talent for keeping secrets."

Harry grimaced, "Sir, in my time, you knew everything, but I am sure you would have agreed with me on the fact that, at this point, it is best to keep things secret."

Dumbledore sighed at this, looking a bit putout. "Very well," he said, "I see I cannot change your mind?"

"No," Harry answered, "But do I have your word that you will not attempt to find out my secrets on your own?"

Dumbledore considered him, before nodding in acquiesce.

Harry was hurrying up the steep slope that led to the House of Gaunt. After having seen Ogden travel through the village, he knew more or less where to go. Some ways behind him, Dumbledore was following, his wand out as he looked around anxiously. Glancing backwards to see Dumbledore, Harry smiled amusedly. It was such a rarity to be aware of something Dumbledore was not, that it felt surreal.

At last, reaching the tiny, isolated shack, Harry noted that there still remained an old and rusted nail in the front door, but the dead snake Harry had seen in Ogden's memory had obviously decomposed by this point. Together he and Dumbledore entered the house, wand tips alight. Harry moved forward, shining his wand over the dust covered floorboards. Dumbledore did the same beside him, heading towards the small kitchen in the corner. As they moved deeper into the building, Harry sensed a slight ringing in his ears.

"You mentioned it to be a small, black ring?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes," Harry answered, "It will probably have an enchantment over it that will draw you towards it. Oh, did you find it, sir?"

Dumbledore did not answer, and Harry turned to see Dumbledore bending down, reaching to touch something that glinted in the pale light . . .

"No, professor!" Harry yelled, "Impedimenta!"

Dumbledore was pushed backwards into the wall, his wand clattering to the floor, and Harry rushed to the spot Dumbledore had been. There it was, he saw; it shined eerily by his illuminated wand. He felt an overwhelming desire to touch it . . . just one finger was all that was necessary. The faint ringing grew louder in his ears. He would see his parents . . . there was no need to continue on this mission . . . The sound in his head escalated into a high-pitched scream. His parents would be right there . . . one inch away . . .

NO! A tiny voice in the back of his head pressed: Lily and James were not dead yet. They would not appear from the Resurrection Stone. The only way to make sure it stayed that way was to destroy the stone.

"Professor?" he called to Dumbledore, who was now struggling to stand up, "I'm sorry sir; you were about to touch it." He had never wanted to curse Dumbledore, but it had been necessary.

"That-that is all right, Harry," Dumbledore managed. Harry winced, reminded of the fact that Dumbledore was, indeed, quite old.

"Could you remove the enchantment sir? That is, er, if you feel up to it."

Dumbledore smiled kindly, and approached the ring on the floor. He ran his hand through the air surrounding the ring. A moment later, a shimmering bubble became visible around it. Picking his wand up from where it had fallen to the floor, Dumbledore began to mutter under his breath, waving his wand over the ring in intricate motions. The ringing Harry had heard before was growing louder once more. Finally the sound vanished, and with it, the bubble surrounding the ring.

"Is it . . . is it safe, sir?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore nodded slightly. He was gazing at the ring, an awe-struck look upon his face. Harry quickly snatched it up, stowing it into his robes before either he or Dumbledore could be lured into using it.

At Dumbledore's curious look, Harry admitted, "I know what it is. But we cannot be tempted by it."

Dumbledore rose heavily, and Harry asked worriedly, "Sir? Are you alright?"

Looking down, he answered, "I will be."

A/N: Please Review! Thanks!