Phœnix Burning, Chapter 25
"So what happens now?"
They were once again ensconced in Professor Snape's rooms, sitting across from one another, only this time Snape had allowed the other two members of the Golden Trio into his private chambers- probably the first time in history that the infamous head of Slytherin invited three Gryffindors over for tea and biscuits. Ron was looking around curiously- he probably, like most Gryffindors, assumed that the Potions professor slept in a coffin when he was not in classes. It was probably a genuine shock that his rooms were not green, silver, and decorated with torture devices. Hermione, as Harry by now expected from her, had a muggle notebook and a quill.
"Potter has, I assume, told you the methods that the Dark Lord used to insure his continued existence."
"I don't think so," Hermione said hesitantly. "At least I don't remember. Although to be fair, I was more focused on the fact he had a...piece...of that monster in his scar."
"Fair enough." Snape rubbed his over-sized nose with a sigh, briefly closing his eyes, and Harry sensed through the link the distaste Snape felt at the thought of teaching children- even sixth-years- about the darkest magic to exist. "The one, and greatest fear that the Dark Lord has, although he would probably rather suffer the crucitus than admit it, is death. That is why he is so desperate to kill Potter- because Potter is the only one who truly threatens him. Naturally, being the man he is- if he can be called a man- he delved into dark magic to prolong his life, eventually touching the darkest magic of all- worse even than torture magic. The magic is Czech in origin, and the artifacts so created are called horcruxes."
"Horcruxes?" Hermione said, after a moment. "I don't think I've heard of those." She looked almost affronted at the thought that she had not heard of something.
"Any books mentioning or defining them were removed from the library seventy years ago, when professor Slughorn expressed his concern that Tom Riddle was actually contemplating making one- or, as we found out later, more than one."
"So Voldie made more than one of these horcrux things?" Ron asked.
"Yes. He made seven of them, in fact."
"But what are they, exactly? Are they what's keeping him from dying?"
Snape gave her a small nod of approval. "Yes. Until all of them are destroyed, the Dark Lord will still exist, even if just as a wraith. As to what they are...they are fragments of his soul."
Hermione realized the implications first. "He split his soul into seven pieces!?" she said, going green. "And Harry was one of them!?"
"That's sick!" was Ron's contribution.
"Indeed, Mr. Weasley. And yes, he did," Snape replied, rising and walking over to his cabinet to fetch her a calming drought, which she drank hurriedly, ignoring Ron's hiss of "don't just drink it," and Snape's subsequent "I assure you I do not poison students, Mr. Weasley, however many headaches they give me."
After a few moments, Hermione calmed down a little, still breathing quickly but less hysteria. "How are they made?" she asked, as her natural curiosity overcame her panic. She picked up the notebook and pen again, putting down the empty vial.
"I...you do not need to know the details. I believe it involves intentional violent murder and a rather gruesome ritual."
Ron gagged, and Harry himself felt rather sick, although he felt more so when the Potion Master's mind elaborated, detailing cannibalism and a few other unsavory aspects of said ritual. Hermione looked as if she almost wanted to know the details just to complete her notes. But before she could ask the question that seemed to be coalescing in her mind, Professor Snape went on.
"In any case, as long as his horcruxes exist, so will the Dark Lord."
"So how can we destroy them- I assume there's a way or you wouldn't have brought it up," Ron asked.
"Very astute, Mr. Weasley. There are several ways to destroy a horcrux: you can use basilisk venom, or fiendfyre, or you could merely hire the goblins to use kobeholdic magics to cleanse the artifact."
"Kobeholdic?" asked Hermione, picking up her quill again.
"Goblin magic. It is a little known fact that goblins have their own distinct type of wandless magic, which can accomplish many things which the most powerful wizard can only dream of. Their language, by the way, is also called kobeholdic, but the first wizard ambassadors, being unable to pronounce it, called it gobbledygook."
Hermione huffed at this, making a few quick sloppy notes, and Harry had a feeling she was going to start SIGR* to go along with SPEW.
"Do you know where the horcruxes are, though? It doesn't help us to know how to destroy them if you don't know what they are, though," Ron asked, seeming to grow bolder in addressing his once-hated teacher.
"Yes," Snape replied. "At least six of them, anyway. And three of those six are already destroyed."
"The diary! No ghost could possess someone, it's not metaphysically possible!" Hermione burst out suddenly. "Harry, didn't you say that you killed the diary with a basilisk tooth?"
"Yeah," was Harry's response. "The diary was one, right?" The second part was directed to Snape.
"Yes. So, of course, was your scar, and I told you last night that Dumbledore found the Gaunt family ring, which he destroyed, although not without foolishly putting it on."
"Is that what burnt his hand then?" asked Hermione.
Snape heaved a long sigh. "Yes. Heaven only knows why he would attempt to do so- either it was laden with compulsions or he is more senile than I gave him credit for. But he managed to destroy the horcrux within it without collapsing."
"Collapsing?! Is he ok?"
"No," replied Snape bluntly. "Although it could be worse, considering that until the Rite I had been oath-bound to kill him myself- thank Isis that Flamma Aeterna breaks unbreakable vows."
"It what?" "You what?" "Dumbledore is dying?" echoed from three distinct throats.
"Yes, yes, and yes," Snape replied tiredly. "I have no idea how the vow was broken, but it was- I can only assume that to be resurrected you must first die. The unbreakable vow was forced on me by Bellatrix and Narcissa- let me tell you, you do not want to refuse powerful witches."
Despite the seriousness of the topic, the boys couldn't help giggling and shooting glances at Hermione, who blushed and resolutely looked down at her notes.
"As for Dumbledore, I have delayed the spread of the curse, but unless I can work a miracle in the lab, he only has within a year."
This sobered the trio.
"Speaking of that, do you think I could help? With phoenix magic?"
"I do not know, although it probably couldn't make it any worse if you attempted it," Snape responded. "But at the moment we have other things to discuss."
"Like the rest of those horrible soul-pieces," said Ron at the same time as Hermione commented: "Shouldn't we try to come up with a cure first?"
"As much as I hate to say it, we do have to discuss horcruxes first; the Dark Lord is top priorty," Snape said reluctantly. "He has to go."
"So what are they- do you know?" Ron asked.
"Yes- Dumbledore does- sometimes- share his plans with me, and, more importantly, I was in the Dark Lord's inner circle. Bellatrix often boasts of her loyalty to the Dark Lord when drunk at revels- that was how I learned that one was Hufflepuff's cup. And of course I was there when Regulus was found to be a traitor. Regulus had told me of a locket laced with dark magic and the Dark Lord's signature before, but I had no idea what it was until I mentioned the locket in passing to Dumbledore, who had his own suspicions. The last two are the Dark Lord's infernal snake and something of Ravenclaw's, which is hidden somewhere in the castle. Dumbledore won't tell me what it is- something about not wanting the Dark Lord to torture the fact Dumbledore knew his secret out of me. Which is absurd, considering that I spied on him for a year before his first defeat and then ever since and he never even noticed I had occlumensy shields up, never mind tried to break them." He fell silent at that, and there was no sound but the continual scratching of Hermione's lite-ink quill on muggle paper.
* Society for Improved Relations with Goblins