Planning for a Better Future
Chapter Eight
Hunting the Horcrux
Guant Shack
Little Hangleton
Early Morning
Admittedly, it had not been easy to talk Edward into staying behind, however, in the end Winry swayed the vote. Roy wouldn't say he was pleased with the turn out, but it was better than Edward playing the hero again. Better Roy uses his own alchemy than Edward forced to flirt the line of the forbidden.
He did not explain this to Severus. He wasn't sure how much Severus had learned about Edward's history because Roy himself had ensured very little was ever recorded on it, and he wasn't going to let anyone in on it, even someone Ed seemed to trust. He'd said too much when arguing against Ed's involvement as it was. He could tell, as they walked up the lane to the hovel formally owned by Voldemort's family, that Severus was curious about Roy's rejection of Ed's array. Severus wanted to ask. He didn't though which made Roy relax slightly.
As they reached the front gate, barely hanging onto the post, Severus said "We likely should have brought someone who could 'feel' these things though. I know Edward said that he had been training to and that Alphonse's wife would be able to feel them easily."
"I can feel it." Roy said with a heavy sigh. He had not intended to show his hand on the matter, but he wanted to just get this over with and Ed had already revealed this information to Severus. "It's just inside. Come on let's get this over with."
Severus was surprised, slightly, that Roy admitted to the talent. Severus had suspected the other man shared it after what Minerva and Dumbledore had said about their first encounter with the family. At the time, the younger son's wife was the only one that seemed to know Minerva was not a cat, however, they had all been able to tell exactly where Dumbledore had been standing.
Invisibility spells didn't work on them had been the conclusion at the time, and Severus was still not entirely sure how it worked since he didn't ask, but if they could feel the horcrux that was all the better. Roy walked in with confidence and went to the far corner of the room where he pulled up the floorboard and pulled out a ring.
"This is it." He said grimly, holding the ring in a gloved hand.
"Interesting. We should prepare the area for its disposal." Severus replied.
"We should invite Albus to stop lurking in shadows and join us in the conversation." Roy replied as he looked toward the doorway.
"I assure you it was not my intent to lurk or spy." Albus said smoothly as he walked through the door. "I had only just arrived."
"Shall we proceed?" Severus asked, the room uncomfortable with the tension between the other two men.
"Fiendfyre should destroy it completely from what you have said, even with my control." Roy replied ignoring Dumbledore. "We should relocate to an unoccupied area then create a bowl as we did in the experiment."
"He can control Fiendfyre?" Dumbledore asked in an unreadable tone, standing in the doorway to prevent the other men from leaving the house. "You can control an uncontrollable fire?"
"I am the Flame Alchemist for a reason. You have seen what I can do." Roy replied as he went to push past the older man, ring still cradled carefully in his hand.
As he passed, Dumbledore glanced down at the ring, and seemed to pale considerably. He reached out as if to snatch the ring from Roy's hand, but the fist closed around the ring before he could reach it. Roy stopped again to glare at the older man, as Severus frowned behind them. "You can't use fiendfyre on that ring." Dumbledore said calmly.
"It will work Professor; I assure you we will take every precaution." Severus said in confusion.
"You cannot destroy that ring! I have spent too long in search of it. No. There must be a way to break the bond without destroying the stone." Dumbledore insisted.
"Why?" Roy asked suspicious of Dumbledore's intentions.
"It's a Hallow. It's engraved with the symbol." Dumbledore said quietly.
"Sir. The Hallows are a myth." Severus said.
"Perfect. Another legend." Roy muttered under his breath. "Severus. What is a Hallow."
"The Hallows, it is said, when brought together makes the owner the master of death." Severus said. "They are a fairy tale, a children's story."
"That is the resurrection stone." Dumbledore said, now desperate to save the ring and willing to part with just enough information to save it. "It is used to recall lost loved ones to your side."
"There is no way to bring back the dead Dumbledore." Roy said, concerned for the man. No one who wanders down this road ends well. He might not like the man, but he didn't want to see him a mangled puddle either.
"It said in the legend those who came back were Shades, lesser than even ghosts. Whoever you wish to recall, would you truly want that version of them?" Severus asked quietly.
"Only if you are missing the other pieces. It's important. The Hallows must be brought together." Dumbledore said. "Let's settle the philosophy argument at a later time. Now, it is enough to find a way to break the Horcrux without breaking the stone."
"I am not allowing Edward to test his theory, no." Roy said as if Severus was about to suggest it. "I don't think you understand the danger in dabbling in souls Dumbledore. It would do you no favor to allow you to attempt any resurrection"
"Alchemy and Magic are not the same." Dumbledore replied.
"They are not, but death is the same across the board." Roy said with a heavy sigh. "Remember, I read Flamel's journals. I am well aware of the dangers of Magic. This stone is dangerous, it must be destroyed to stop this man that is threatening the wizards, and by extension my family. I will not allow a fairy tale prevent us from completing our goal."
"There's another way. I'm certain of it." Dumbledore replied. He reached out as if to take the ring a second time. Roy turned away from him before gesturing for Severus to follow him.
Dumbledore followed after them. He had reacted without thinking, he thought to himself. It was a Hallow. It couldn't be destroyed. Let them remove the Horcrux from the stone, then he would claim it. There was still a chance to salvage the situation. It was still possible to unite the Hallows. It made sense, of course. Voldemort clearly did not know the power of the Stone, possibly had never heard of the Hallows at all having been raised by muggles. Severus had heard of it and thought it a fairy tale after all.
They walked for about twenty minutes before Roy felt they were far enough away from other people. He then set to work creating a crater like Edward had done the day before. Once it was ready, they would place the ring in the center and Severus would cast the spell. Together they would rid the world of this madness and hopefully whatever insanity Dumbledore had assigned to the ring would end there as well. What he had said about the ring came far too close to the legends of the Philosopher's Stone for Roy's liking but at the same time it didn't contain a mass of souls. Only one distorted painfilled lifeforce called from inside of it.