Awaking an Horcrux

When Harry showed up at lunch the next day, he was exhausted. However, he was in an excellent mood. No one seemed to have noticed his excursion from last night and he had retrieved an Horcrux. He would have never succeeded without the help of the basilisk and secretly thanked Salazar while he started to fill his plate with all the food he could reach. He could have sworn the old master knew how useful the creature would be.

He started to eat. The other students seemed to have reach the consensus of ignoring him and it suited Harry perfectly. He glanced towards the Professor's table. McGonagall and Dumbledore were talking quietly. Snape wasn't there, probably away for one of the multiple missions the Order was entrusting him with. Harry felt his stomach clench a bit and put his fork down. It had been a few days since the attack and he had no news whatsoever. He had been so absorbed in his task and his attempt to understand what could have caused the vision, he almost had forgotten about the critical condition in which Mr. Weasley was.

He decided to go to Dumbledore's office in the middle of the afternoon.

'Good afternoon, Harry,' greeted the Headmaster. 'I didn't expect you before tomorrow morning. What can I do for you?'

'Sir I wanted to know if Mr. Weasley was alright. No one has given me any information regarding his condition.'

'He got out of St Mungos yesterday,' replied Dumbledore - Harry let out a deep breath of relief - 'Actually this is what I wanted to discuss with you tomorrow.' He put the scroll he had been holding until then on his desk, joined his hands and raised his eyes on the boy. 'Would you like to go to Grimmauld Place for the end of the holidays?'

Harry hesitated a bit. Given his newly acquired ability to control the connection, he couldn't pull this excuse anymore. It's not that he wanted to avoid his friends, but he had no other thing in mind than the ring of Gaunt at the moment. However, he knew that declining the offer would draw unnecessary attention to him.

'I think I'd like that,' he replied almost reluctantly.

'Wouldn't you be happy to see Sirius again?' Asked Dumbledore who hadn't missed Harry's hesitation.

'Yes I would but…' How to put this? 'I disagreed with him and we had words.' He finally said.

'Hmm, I see,' said Dumbledore. All traces of happiness had left his voice. 'It has not been easy for Sirius lately. He has to stay locked in Grimmauld Place. I know how much he despises this house but I am afraid I haven't come up with a better plan to keep him safe.'

'Is it that dangerous for him out there?'

'If he gets caught, he will have to suffer the kiss of the Dementors immediately.' He looked at Harry with compassion. 'I wish the Ministry would have been more reasonable last summer. But Cornelius Fudge is not thinking straight at the moment.'

'He thinks you want to take his place,' growled Harry. 'He's scared and weak!'

'He is scared indeed,' replied Dumbledore with an appeasing voice. 'But I think it is more a lack of confidence than a simple sign of weakness.' He observed Harry for a few seconds. 'Fear can lead people on a path they will eventually regret. You should show a bit more empathy towards them.'

'Well they don't show empathy towards me,' hissed Harry back.

Dumbledore nodded. Harry was still young and his reaction was nothing but normal. Especially for someone who had been left in the dark for such a long time.

'I was thinking you could join the Weasleys and Sirius for Christmas,' said the Headmaster changing the subject.

Christmas was in three days. Harry would still have some time to deal with the Horcrux.

He used what was left of the afternoon to rest as he was still exhausted from the night and went back to the Chamber just after dinner.

He put the ring on the ground near the fountain and sat in front of it. The fragment of soul present in the Horcrux could materialize in human shape. This is what had happened with the diary and the Emerald. Therefore the only question remaining was: how to pull the Horcrux out of the ring?

Harry pondered his options. Horcruxes contained fragments from the Dark Lord he had a connection with. He wondered if he could use it to get to the part of the soul that was concealed in the ring. He closed his eyes and focused.

Go back to the fundamentals.

He pictured the Chamber inside his head as well as the tiny ring lying on its floor. He then proceeded to eliminate everything that was useless. The statues, the water, the remains of the basilisk. Even the mounted stone. When he was done, there was only him and the ring. He remembered the dancing shadows on the silver reflection of the ring. He projected his mind on these shadows. Trying to pull them out of the ring. But they were like a stream of water. Every time he was about to catch them, they were slipping away out of reach. He had to let them come to him. But how could he convince them? How could he show them he was no threat?

He changed his strategy. Tom and him had suffered from the same torments when they were children. If he could show the Horcrux how similar they were.

He heard a soft noise like a piece of cloth being rubbed against the floor and opened his eyes. A young boy about his age was stumbling to get back on his feet. His features were fine and his bearing haughty. He quickly assessed his surroundings before putting a superior look on his face. When he saw Harry who was standing up again, a cruel smile drew on his lips.