AN: The chapter's all about Horcruxes. No romance. Just warning. Also, my theory about Horcruxes might not be canon, I confess, that I haven't read the last HP book, but got enough knowledge to see the overall picture from reading fanfiction PostDH and AU. grin
Arieru-chan, thank you for your attention, following up – all that you want to know about Horcruxes and all that you don't.
potter29, =)
disgruntledfairy, thanks, you are quite right. Heh, ya know, when I was making these two guys Flhoyer's apprentices, I kinda forgot about the Horcruxes, then remembered and am now dealing with the issue. It truly is the pain in the ass, the plot just got much more complicated. tear. I really feel for Ryan.
Sylkie, and the answer to that question – tam-da-da-dam! - is in this chapter. =)
miss quirky bookworm, well, everyone is not exactly everyone, but yeah there should be some interesting reactions in the future.
NelliGirl, well, about that you can read in this chapter. And I honestly hope to fix up Tom too. I really hope it'll work.
RRW, ah, no, they're not part of this equation, but...
Tarkemelhion, well, I'm afraid the secret is very disappointing. If you see any weird sounding names along the way, then you can most certainly assume that they are random. I make them up along the way. Flhoyer... Well, I tried to make some half-ass attempt in making up a Celtic-sounding name without doing proper research into the language. Lazy me. =( So, I may be off the target.
muumuu12, thanks for the review! Hope, you continue to read the story! To be honest, when I wrote the first chapter, I really planned to make it a short standard veela story, but then HP disappeared somewhere and I had to think up where to he disappeared... I often have trouble with misbehaving characters, they resist my plans and change the plot along the way... But that makes writing so much more fun! Grin
lady sacura cosmos, thank you!
Chapter 18
"I have discovered something," Master Flhoyer's voice jerked Alpha from his absorption with the earth mage's grimoire. For some inane reason he felt angry with himself. He should have been more aware of his surroundings. Such a failure to notice someone sneaking up on him was not acceptable. Alpha wondered if that was some remnant emotion from his blocked memories.
"What is it, Master?"
His Master sat leisurely on a chair across him and continued.
"Such a damage to your core is merely a reflection of the damage inflicted upon your soul."
Alpha pressed his lips together to keep himself from making any unnecessary noises and asking stupid questions. His Master was not yet finished with his explanation.
"As to how and who did that, this still remains unclear. Though, there was a technique of splitting one's soul in order to achieve immortality in ancient Egypt. It was known only to pharaohs and zealously guarded. It created a similar though more clear-cut tear on their soul and only one tear at that. The piece of soul was separated from pharaoh when he murdered one or more of his servants, who willingly offered their lives for a higher purpose. This piece was then stored in an object. When the pharaoh died whether violently or from old age and sickness, his soul did not leave the world of the living, anchored by the stored part of it, and soon after the man was resurrected at such an age when the soul container was created.
However, such artificial recycling of soul could only be done to an extent, and it prolonged pharaoh's life only to approximately half a millennium. In time the human soul had become obsolete as it was never meant to last this long on this plane. Approximately on the fifteenth try the resurrection ritual failed and the pharaoh title passed down to another one of his relatives.
Due to the inbreeding happening within the royal family in hopes to maintain the purity of the line, the magical nature of the rulers of Egypt was instead bred out and as a non-magical person cannot use the soul separation ritual, it fell into disuse and the knowledge was purposefully and continuously erased by the non-magical pharaohs in fear that some distant magical relative would get their hands on the technique and usurp the throne. The future researchers were left only with rumors and vague descriptions of the technique written by the witnesses of the old court that were not annihilated only by the grace of luck."
His Master fell silent letting the Apprentice to draw the conclusions himself.
Alpha sighed, the implications of this brief history lesson clawing their way into his conscious mind.
"I did it to myself, didn't I?" He was pretty sure he did. Who wouldn't want to achieve at least a semblance of immortality?
"We do not know that for sure, but it is likely." Alpha was grateful for the neutral and unassuming tone of his teacher. "Somebody, maybe even you, must have developed some similar technique, based on the ancient lore, so we undoubtedly will be dealing with those soul containers in order to..."
His consciousness blinked away for a second and he suddenly became aware that his Master was looking at him strangely. Intently.
"Did something happen?"
"It did. You said a word."
"Did I?"
"You did."
"What word was that?"
"Horcrux," Flhoyer slowly and clearly pronounced, watching him avidly.
The word stirred something in his mind. Fear, pride, pain, a burning desire... for something.
"It does sound familiar, but I do not know of what or who it is."
His Master nodded, accepting his words. "It may prove helpful. Do continue with your studies, I'll be back as soon as I uncover anything new."
With these parting words the man disappeared, the black-clad body fading from existence. Alpha sighed. He hoped he would receive these answers soon. Or he just might disobey some of his Master's orders. Such as not practicing magic.
With some wiggling of his fingers, Ryan started another one of his library searches. Only two books from his whole collection responded with an even blue glow. The mage opened the first book and was disappointingly met with only one paragraph on the subject of Horcruxes.
Horcrux
A horcrux is an object of most evil and darkest magicks which must be destroyed at all costs or avoided if the wizard's power is weak and not enough to withstand the lure of the vile spirit. In order to destroy this object, one can use either the most corrosive substances in the world such as Basilisk's venom, manticore's acid and Hellfire, or the objects of unquestionable purity – Phoenix's or unicorn's blood willingly given. Lest us mention this great evil no more and erase any trace of it from the face of Earth for all times.
Well, that was enlightening. Not. Though it did stir some old memories and Ryan began to get some vague idea about what exactly those Horcruxes were. If he was right, then the author of this book was wrong and very impressionable kind of guy. And quite unhelpful at that - some directions about identifying a Horcrux would be nice.
Ryan reached for the other book. Well, at least this one was a bit more informative.
Through creating Horcruxes a person, usually a dark wizard, tries to reach immortality. In order to achieve the necessary tearing of one's sowl, one has to commit the act of greatest evil – a murder, but not just any murder but a kill accompanied by total annihilation of the victim's sowl. The backlash of such a sinuous action tears straight into the perpetrator's sowl, making it possible for one to dislodge a piece of one's sowl and guide it with the proper magicks into the chosen object – sowl container, otherwise called Horcrux. In the case of death...
The rest of the short chapter talked about what he already did know. Resurrection ritual and ways to destroy a Horcrux. No details, though. Ah, but this piece of information was certainly interesting.
The technique of creating Horcruxes is rumoured to be recreated by one Salazar Slytherin during the years of exile when he left Hogwarts to never return again. His research was lost and if...
Ryan smirked. Well, he just discovered what would be his next stop in this self-imposed quest. At the very least, there never could be enough of such rare materials as Basilisk's poison and scales.
The mage shook his head, just to think that if it hadn't been for the poor grammar of the guy, he would've furthered his search some time ago. Well, he was getting somewhere now. Though, if he understood everything correctly, Riddle will have to live on with at least two tears on his magical core. One Horcrux was destroyed when he pierced Riddle's diary with the Basilisk's fang, the other was processed and transformed beyond recognition when he integrated the strange magical essence surrounding his scar. Ryan could only pray that the remaining Horcruxes were safe, otherwise there would be no cure. He hoped that by fixing the five tears the other two would be able to heal themselves in time. After all, soul was not a constant but an ever-changing entity.
Mauvi was happily slithering through the underbush in the Forbidden forest when she was unexpectedly snatched off her course by a human hand. The snake trashed its tail in anger, but her head was firmly locked by the aggressor.
"Where is the entrance to the great Slytherin chambers?"
Mauvi stilled. A parselmouth? The snake stared into the mesmerizing green eyes, hypnotized in spite of her nature and will.
"I'll guide you..."
Ryan barely restrained himself from kissing the snake on its head. He lost count of the reptiles in the forest that he had questioned on the whereabouts of the Chamber of Secrets. Come to think of it, it was probably not the smartest move on his part, but he couldn't just boldly invade Hogwarts. The wards would have alerted the Headmaster. And he didn't have time to wait till his next official visit.
Faithfully following the snake's directions who curled itself around his hand, the mage came face to surface with the moss covered stone.
"The entrance is here."
"How does it open?"
"Move!" hissed the snake at the stone. Unsurprisingly enough the rock moved revealing a hole, that supposedly led to a tunnel.
"Huh, so Slytherin really wasn't the imaginative kind of guy," mused Ryan aloud.
"Oh, he could be imaginative in some aspects," the shake corrected him dourly, "but he also was practical."
The mage concentrated his full attention on the sulking snake.
"Hm-m... By the way, how do you know about the Chamber of Secrets and Slytherin personality quirks?"
"Why should I answer you? I had already helped you enough as it is."
"Now-now, that is no way to talk to a man who holds your head in his fingers. And can crush you... But, if you won't answer, that's alright, I'll let you be on your way, lily snake."
Having said those words, Ryan deposited the snake on the ground and dived into the tunnel.
Mauvi, being for a second stumped, could only helplessly stare as the man foolishly jumped into the open hole without checking the depth of it.
"Hey, what about the part where you take me with you as your familiar?!"
Her furious hissing echoed through the walls of the artificial underground cave, unfortunately not registering by the ears of the intended recipient.
"Dumb human."
Ryan groaned. Shifted a bit and groaned again. What was the last thing he remembered? Oh yeah... Jumping into the tunnel. Another groan escaped his lips. Damn, that was incredibly stupid. But that's what you get for using Felix Felicis, while it grants you luck, in his case luck to stumble upon the knowledgeable snake, it makes one also very reckless. An unavoidable side-effect.
The mage squinted at the distant light above. Well, at the very least the fall wasn't fatal. Lu-cky. He hoped the potion had worn off already. He didn't need any more luck of this kind.
Moaning and groaning and swearing in several different languages, Ryan got up and made his way through the only arch in the fairly large cave and traveled the tunnel with the glowing orb of light illuminating the passage.
Soon enough the tunnel ended with a familiar door with the entwined metal snakes on the surface.
"Open."
Well, that part was simple.
The Chamber hadn't changed a bit. The Basilisk corpse was still lying there impressing with its monstrous size. It wasn't rotting yet too, which was not surprising. While Basilisk's fang's poison was universally known as the most potent poison, it was often omitted and forgotten that's the king snake's blood was also poisonous but not as lethal as its bite (in comparison, you died from its bite in a matter of a minute, and from ingested blood - in a matter of a day). So the blood preserved the mythic reptile's tissues even after its death.
Ryan kicked the body of his own downed monster and tried to feel for a moment like one of those knights of the fairy-tales, he managed to sneakily read in his cupboard - fighting dragons and evil warlocks, rescuing princesses...
The mage shook his head. It seemed, the luck potion hadn't worn out yet. Still, it was time to start working.