Chapter 10

Before Stephen could ask what the problem was, Bats provided the answer. "It's the diary, Doc. It's something bad. Smells awful, like snakes and death." Stephen sighed. "Mr Weasley, could I ask that you leave the diary with me? I'll need to examine it to find out exactly what it is, and that could take some time. Wong will see you back to…" "Diagon Alley," supplied Harry. Wong made a short bow. "Of course, Master." Taking the diary from Mr Weasley, Wong placed it on the edge of a small table on which was sat an ornate cauldron, then conjured a portal and guided the visitors through it.

Stephen then made an arcane gesture. The diary rose from the table, flew towards him and stopped six inches from his body. He took it up through the Sanctum up to the fourth floor (though from the outside the building only had three), and into what he thought of as the "isolation ward". Constructed of lead, cold iron and rowan wood, the room was decorated with every magical and religious symbol associated with binding and neutralising malevolent entities and/or objects. By the door, on the wall, where a light switch would be, was a tap. When Stephen turned it, a sprinkler system activated, spraying the walls and floor with not just water, but holy water. Pausing to use a fast-acting heating spell to dry the room after a minute or two, Stephen carefully deposited the diary in the centre of a very complex pentacle in the middle of the floor.

He then took a few minutes to collect his thoughts, relax his body, and calm his soul, before opening the Eye of Agamotto. Under its all-seeing gaze, the diary was held by a young man wearing black robes and a cruel expression on his face. The diary was dripping ink, and was almost pulsating, like it was a heart. Closing the Eye, Stephen knew exactly what this innocent looking diary was. It was another soul fragment of Voldemort. What concerned him was the possibility of there being more of them.

Composing a suitable invocation took a while, but eventually, the Sorcerer Supreme spoke. "By the Crimson Bands of Cytorrak, that hold their captive tight, by the Seven Suns of Cinnibus, that shine with endless light! By the Winds of great Watoomb, and the Twelve Moons of Munnopoor, this soul cage and all those like it, be destroyed and harm no more!" And with that, Stephen sagged to the floor and watched as the diary rose three feet into the air, and started bleeding ink….

-Scene change – Gaunt Cottage, Little Hangleton-

Beneath the floorboards of a tumbledown shack, a chipped black stone burst out of its setting in a gold ring with a sharp 'ping', the ring itself twisting into an amorphous lump…

-Scene change – the vault belonging to Bellatrix Lestrange, Gringotts Bank-

Alarms went off throughout the bank, alerting the goblins of a threat to the contents of a vault. When they eventually tracked it to the Lestrange vault, they opened it just in time to see a small gold cup melt into a puddle…

- Scene change – Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London-

In a dusty cabinet in the drawing room of this rather filthy house, a large gold locket burst open and gave out a small cloud of black smoke, leaving broken glass behind….

-Scene change- The Room of Hidden Things, Hogwarts-

On top of the bust of an old man, an ornate silver diadem set with opals shattered into tiny pieces….

-Scene change- Somewhere in the world, an unknown location-

A large python contorted and spasmed in death throes before collapsing into a pile of dust…

-Scene change - Azkaban Prison-

Screams were not unusual in Azkaban. Screams of pain, from several separate cells, simultaneously, were. All those screaming were Death Eaters, watching as their Dark Marks burned and then faded to resemble tattoos done at least twenty years ago. They knew what this meant, and the screams of pain were soon replaced by ones of anguish. Their Lord and Master was gone forever.

-Scene change- Diagon Alley-

Striding down the Alley, Lucius Malfoy stiffened and then clenched at his left arm in agony, as his Dark Mark burned away. Though the pain seemed to subside after a minute or two, it then returned with a vengeance. Draco Malfoy could do nothing but look on in horror as his father fell to the ground. Swiftly Apparated to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies by his wife, the Healers on duty could do nothing for him. Lucius was pronounced dead twenty minutes later. After all, this was a magical hospital – they had no idea how to treat afflictions that were only had by Muggles: heart attacks, for instance.