"The human heart has hidden treasures. In secret kept, in silence sealed. The thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures whose charms were broken if revealed."
Charlotte Bronte
Chapter 3
Two months of research and work, mainly looking for volumes that might contain information about Horcrux. Yet, apart from the brief reference in Magicks Moste Evile, not much was found. After dinner on a cold winter night in Wiltshire, Draco was reunited with Hermione in his office when a message arrived by owl mail. "You won't believe it! Viktor has just written to me. Almir Dalmat is dead," Granger said. As if the lack of information and resources weren't enough, the body of Mr. Dalmat had been found by a group of Aurors with no sign of life in his small house in the Albanian town of Burrel. "Perhaps Mr. Dalmat was our last lead to Riddle's whereabouts, but as for the Horcrux, we still have some work to do," Malfoy commented. "What do you suggest?" the sorceress asked. The two had lately spent all their time researching in his library, the largest private collection of books in all of Europe, without much success. "I propose a trip to Austria," Draco said.
During the past week, as Granger searched the Ministry archives for new clues, he had decided to examine the correspondence of his late father, Lucius. Many of the deceased wizard friends were scum of the worst sort. Yet they had a habit of knowing a lot about the dark arts. "I am sorry, but that does not help. Almost all of your father's friends are either dead or incarcerated in Azkaban, and why Austria?" replied Granger. "Let me finish first and then you give your opinion," Malfoy said. Coincidentally, in a letter to the former principal of Durmstrang, Lucius had referred to a book that was supposedly in the possession of his father Abraxas and should have been sent to Grindelwald as soon as possible. However, Draco's grandfather had died of dragonpox, and so it never happened. Since the Dark Lord was obsessed with the idea of eternal life at the time, it might be worth looking for this book. The former principal of Durmstrang, Igor Karkaroff, had also been imprisoned in Nurmengard in Austria for seven years now.
"It will be much easier to get an audience with him than if we try to follow the protocol and bureaucracy of Azkaban," said the young sorceress. This conversation was followed by long days of preparation, both for the interview and with the Austrian authorities, who were eager, if anxious, to contribute to the investigation. A week and a half later, the two stood at the entrance to the Malfoy estate with a portkey in hand. Shacklebolt had secured a temporary release from his house arrest in just four days. When they arrived at Nurmengard, a strange feeling came over Draco. It was the first time he had left his home in twelve years, and a certain panic had gripped him. "I know it must be difficult for you in this situation, but try to relax," Hermione said worriedly. The wizard had to stay calm, otherwise they could fall under the influence of the Dementors, the prison guards. "I do not even have to remember that, Granger, I was there the day my father was sentenced to death," Malfoy replied. Dementors are nefarious creatures that feed on people's joy and cause feelings of depression and despair in all who are close to them. They can even eat a person's soul, a cruel death for prisoners. What remains is a living body, only soulless, like an empty shell.
Nurmengard Castle, which years earlier had served as a base for Grindelwald and his followers, was located on the summit of the Lyskamm peak in the Alps near the border between Austria and Italy. The colossal stone structure that the Dark Lord built at the height of his power looked like a macabre version of Neuschewanstein Castle. Maybe the architect had something of the Bavarian king's madness, because the fortress was built on one of the steepest points of the mountain, accessible only from the air. After an unpleasant ride on the backs of what Hermione called invisible flying horses, although Malfoy said he could see the creatures, the two were exhausted. The Thestrals, visible only to those who had experienced death at least once, were a winged breed of horses with a skeletal body. The dark beasts had a face with reptilian features and broad, leathery wings reminiscent of a bat. A long walk followed through several winding corridors until they reached a small room where the former principal of Durmstrang was chained to the wall.
"What do you want here, Lucius? Was not it enough that your traitorous son betrayed me to the authorities? Get lost!" roared Karkaroff in a manic laugh. "Who is that beside you? Another mudblood whore, no doubt," the vile man continued until he fell silent. No one had called her a mudblood in over ten years. "Sounds to me like he's got you confused with your father, Malfoy. Do you still think he's worth the trouble?" the witch asked. She did not like being in such a dirty, cramped room. In her opinion, no one deserved to live in such miserable conditions. "Before you give a human rights speech, we should at least know if he remembers the book," Malfoy said. "You'd better ask the questions. But when did you learn about the muggle Universal Declaration of Human Rights?" asked Hermione curiously. The wizard had learned about human rights in the worst possible way. The Wizengamot wanted to send him to Azkaban. At the time, his half-blood lawyer, an American wizard, had advised him to read the muggle document before confessing.
While the two were talking, the prisoner seemed to be lost in his own thoughts until he decided to speak again. "I hear you Lucius and your mudblood whore, you want to know about the Malleus Maleficarum," cried Karkaroff. In truth, Abraxas had never told anyone where in the mansion he had hidden the book. "You would all rot before I say anything. The Dark Lord will save me, and that is going to be the end of you and your traitorous son," said the mad prisoner. At that moment, a shadowy figure approached them through the window. As the temperature in the small room continued to drop, the sorceress called out, "Come on, Malfoy, we have to get out of here! It's a Dementor!" But the young wizard was paralyzed with panic. There was nothing they could do to stop the attack. Since neither of them had wands, Granger hugged her colleague and tried to protect him somehow. But it was too late and they fainted. Half an hour later, when they realized where they were, the two woke up to the frantic cries of the guards, who led them to a point outside the castle, from where they could return to the Malfoy estate with a portkey.
That day Hermione had to spend the night in the manor under the care of Winky, Draco's private house elf. The next morning, the Malfoy heir was eager to discuss the news with the witch. Granger had woken up early, as usual, and Draco found her reading in the library. "I do not know whether to thank you or doubt your intelligence. Since when is it wise to stand between a Dementor and his next victim? You could have died!" the wizard said. "Not everyone is like you Slytherins who are selfish cowards. Some of us still appreciate bravery and courage, remember I am a Gryffindor," Granger retorted. "First of all, let's make it clear that we Slytherins are brave, yes, but not stupid. Such a terrible visit, at least now we know where the book is," Malfoy added. "Karkaroff had no idea where Abraxas had hidden the book. What do you mean?" the witch asked. As for the whereabouts of the Malleus Maleficarum, there was only one place where he had seen his grandfather hide a book with the same name. Then Malfoy asked her to accompany him to the dungeons. Centuries ago, all the Malfoys' enemies were tortured there. Now the place served as a cellar and a kind of warehouse. It had also been Abraxas' favorite place on the estate.
Arriving at a secluded spot in the east wing of the house, they walked down a narrow corridor near the servants' quarters, which included the house elves and two squibs, the housekeeper and a gardener. At the end was a small door that led to a narrow stone staircase. It was very difficult to descend into the dungeons, the space was very claustrophobic and the steps were such that anyone trying to descend or ascend the stairs would lose their balance. Although muffled, it was also possible to hear distant murmurs and groans. Whether this was just an illusion or something supernatural was hard to tell. When the two finally got to the place where the firewhisky was stored, Draco opened the lid of a large barrel. Hidden inside were some gold and silver bars, various jewels and a thick book with the inscription Malleus Maleficarum.
"This is the book we are looking for, but I do not think it's safe to open or even touch it," Malfoy said. If the volume written by Godelot was already infamous, this one went a step further. He remembered how, as a boy, his grandfather had put on special gloves when he touched it. Besides, only the current Lord Malfoy had access to this secret vault. Half an hour later, the two gathered in the library and began reading the book. Although the exterior revealed that it had been used for years and exposed to the elements, the pages were in good condition. Still, the text in archaic English hindered their progress. One had the feeling that the words encouraged the reader to practice those disturbing acts. So that it was also better to read the book together, as there was always the risk of something bad happening. Not to mention that many of the scenes described were repeated almost daily in the nightmares of the two mages. A week later and after four more meetings, they finally managed to find a passage about the ritual of Horcrux creation, even though there were not many details.
Similar to Magicks Moste Evile, the Malleus Maleficarum also contained details on mastering the dark arts. The main focus was on special torture techniques and the development of Legilimacy, the magical art of navigation through the many layers of the human mind and the correct interpretation of the results. At the end of the book, however, the author Henricus Institor called the Horcrux the most perverse of all magical inventions of the great witch Circe. Not much was revealed about the ritual, only that it must be performed on the night of the new moon. To complete the spell, Thanatos, the personification of death, required the flesh and bones of a living victim unwittingly given, some thirteen exotic herbs, an intertwined circle of salt with the patterns of several ancient runes, and the blood of the sorcerer voluntarily offered. "These two texts contain only an incomplete translation of excerpts from Circe's Grimoire," Malfoy said, holding the books of Godelot and Institor. So that meant Riddle had created the Horcrux because he found the original book, one of Circe's lost treasures. "The only problem is that if he's with the book, it probably won't take him long to search for the Deathly Hallows," Hermione explained. The two needed to find out more about those three relics. There was no point in spending any more time on the Horcrux, because only the grimoire in Riddle's possession was going to contain any useful information about how to destroy the ring and the locket. "I always thought that the Deathly Hallows, the Grimoire, and even the promise of becoming the Master of Death were just myths. Now I don't know what to believe anymore," Draco said hopelessly.