Lord Voldemort's Secret
Chapter 27
Saturday, September 7
After the Order meeting on Friday had finished, Dumbledore and Sirius had Apparated to Potter Manor, where they had no fear of being overheard.
Dumbledore had then told Sirius in detail about the research he had been making for quite a few years. About, how Voldemort had survived the repelled killing curse the night Lily and James died. It had taken Dumbledore two days to explain the possibility that Voldemort had split his soul, possibly more than once and hid each one of them, using Dark Magic. Sirius was appropriately horrified by this information about Horcruxes.
Dumbledore told him that he would be imparting this information with Harry too, though in more detail and along with information on Voldemort's past. Sirius realised this was what Harry meant by the "private lessons" and was worried by the idea; it wasn't that he wanted to shelter Harry, but the Horcruxes were really Dark Magic and to think Harry would have to know about it didn't settle well with him.
Dumbledore reasoned, "Harry has a right to know. I made the mistake once of protecting Harry from the truth and it did more harm than good. I will not repeat the same mistake again. We will not always be there to protect Harry and it is only a matter of time before Voldemort starts to actively hunt for Harry, especially once he finishes school. He needs to be armed with the knowledge if he needs a chance to defeat Voldemort."
Sirius had no defence to that, so he merely nodded. No matter how many times he had heard that Voldemort would hunt Harry down eventually, it never stopped his heart clenching in anxiety.
Dumbledore then told him about Riddle's diary that Harry had stabbed in his second year and also the ring that Sirius had seen him wearing to Slughorn's, which he had found in the Gaunts' house. He had then speculated that Voldemort might have used an object each of the Hogwarts' founders – Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket were a likely possibility.
"But what could he have used of Gryffindor? Other than the Sorting hat and the sword, there isn't any other artefact of his, is there?" asked Sirius, curiously.
"I am confident that the Sword of Gryffindor is the only known relic of Godric Gryffindor. Alas, I do not know of the rest," said Dumbledore. "Of course, there is also the possibility that Tom could have used something else entirely."
They lapsed into silence and Sirius couldn't help but wonder how on Earth they were supposed to find all of these Horcruxes. Where does one even start to search?
"Where would Voldemort hide something as precious as his soul?" wondered Sirius.
"Can you not think of any place?" said Dumbledore, quietly.
"Ruling out any Muggle locations," said Sirius, pondering on the idea for a moment. "I can't think of a safer place than Gringotts. Or Hogwarts. Does Voldemort even have a vault in Gringotts?"
"Not that I am aware of, no," said Dumbledore. "But let us not forget that whatever Tom might show himself as to the world, he was brought up in a Muggle orphanage. We should not be hasty in ruling out Muggle locations in his case."
"Have you been to the orphanage where he had lived?" asked Sirius curiously.
"Twice. Once when I delivered him the Hogwarts letter. The next time I visited, the orphanage had been demolished."
So, that was ruled out. Dumbledore had already visited the Gaunts' house and procured the ring, which meant it was now ruled out too. Where else had Voldemort lived? It came to Sirius, instantly, "But, what about the forest in Albania? He hid there for roughly thirteen years! He couldn't have just randomly picked Albania for the scenery."
Dumbledore looked thoughtful, stroking his beard with his blackened hand. "I admit I have foreseen it as a possibility. The Aurors could not locate him in Albania which suggests he must have concealed his location using some means not known to them. Perhaps we must make a visit, to make sure he has hid nothing in his last hiding place."
"When must we leave?" asked Sirius immediately. It would feel good to know he was doing something worthwhile in the fight against Voldemort now that he had more time on his hands without Harry at home.
"I will have to make arrangements in Albania if we are to stay," said Dumbledore. "We will be going in disguise of course. We shall leave on Monday and I will meet you here at six in the morning. It will be best if you make arrangements as we might stay for more than a couple of weeks."
Sirius nodded "I'll be ready for that."
oOo
Saturday, September 14
The first two weeks of school had passed in a blur. The classes were more demanding than even their OWLs and what with Quidditch practice as the team captain, Harry was stretched thin.
Nonverbal spells were now expected not only in Defence Against the Dark Arts, but in Charms and Transfiguration too. Harry was rather good at it to Ron's chagrin, and the teachers' appreciation rankled Hermione, though she did not comment on it as she was equally good.
The post owls arrived, swooping down through rain-flecked windows. Most people were receiving more post than usual; anxious parents were keen to hear from their children and to reassure them, in turn, that all was well at home.
Harry spotted the snowy white Hedwig circling amongst all the brown and grey owls. Thinking that it was a letter from Sirius, he eagerly watched as she landed in front of him carrying a large, square package. A moment later, an identical package landed in front of Ron, delivered by his minuscule and exhausted owl, Pigwidgeon. He quickly understood what it was all about.
"Ha!" said Harry, unwrapping the parcel to reveal a new copy of Advanced Potion-Making, fresh from Flourish and Blotts.
Hermione looked on in anger and disapproval when Harry switched the covers of the Potions books, but was distracted by a third owl landing in front of her carrying that day's copy of the Daily Prophet. She scanned the front page.
"Anyone we know dead?" asked Ron in a determinedly casual voice; he posed the same question every time Hermione opened her paper.
"No, but there have been a couple of Dementor attacks," said Hermione. "And an arrest."
"Excellent, who?" said Harry, thinking of Death Eaters.
"Stan Shunpike," said Hermione.
"What?" said Harry, startled.
Hermione read out the article and the three of them agreed that it was very clear that Stan's arrest was a mistake.
"They probably want to look as though they're doing something," said Hermione, frowning. "People are terrified — you know the Patil twins' parents want them to go home? And Eloise Midgeon has already been withdrawn. Her father picked her up last night."
"What!" said Ron, goggling at Hermione. "But Hogwarts is safer than their homes are bound to be! We've got Aurors, and all those extra protective spells, and we've got Dumbledore!"
"I don't think we've got him all the time," said Hermione very quietly, glancing toward the staff table over the top of the Prophet. "Haven't you noticed? His seat's been empty as often as Hagrid's this past week."
Harry and Ron looked up at the staff table. The headmaster's chair was indeed empty. Now Harry came to think of it, he had not seen Dumbledore since their first private lesson a week ago. Harry immediately remembered talking to Sirius through the mirror the night after his first lesson – how he had told him in a very short and quick message not to try contacting him as he would be away on a mission for a couple or more weeks. Harry had been worried about it, even though Sirius had assured him that he would be fine.
"I think he's left the school to do something with the Order," said Harry in a low voice. "Sirius is always very quiet about it. I mean… it's all looking pretty dire now, isn't it?"
Hermione and Ron did not answer, but Harry knew that they were all thinking the same thing. There had been a horrible incident the day before, when Hannah Abbott had been taken out of Herbology to be told her mother had been found dead. They had not seen Hannah since.
oOo
After dinner they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower. Ron, who had been in a bad mood ever since Slughorn had invited Harry and Hermione to his first party, folded his arms and frowned at the ceiling. Hermione reached out for a copy of the Evening Prophet, which somebody had left abandoned on a chair.
Hermione caught an article that announced that Mr. Weasley had conducted another raid in the Malfoys' house after a confidential tip-off.
"Yeah, that's Sirius," said Harry immediately. "I told him about Malfoy and that thing he was trying to get Borgin to fix! Sirius told me he would notify your dad about it. Well, if it's not at their house, he must have brought whatever it is to Hogwarts with him —"
"But how can he have done, Harry?" said Hermione, putting down the newspaper with a surprised look. "We were all searched when we arrived, weren't we?"
Harry belatedly remembered that he too had been searched when he came to Hogwarts, where Filch had jabbed them all with Secrecy Sensors. Really stumped this time, Harry found nothing else to say. There did not seem to be any way Malfoy could have brought a dangerous or Dark object into the school as even the owls were being searched. He wished he could talk with Sirius, but seeing as he was not available, he looked hopefully at Ron, who was sitting with his arms folded, staring over at Lavender Brown.
"Can you think of any way Malfoy —?"
"Oh, drop it, Harry," said Ron.
"Listen, it's not my fault Slughorn invited Hermione and me to his stupid party. Neither of us wanted to go, you know!" said Harry, firing up.
"Well, as I'm not invited to any parties," said Ron, getting to his feet again, "I think I'll go to bed."
He stomped off toward the door to the boys' dormitories, leaving Harry and Hermione staring after him.
