Conversations II

After all of the introductions had been made (Mark being the most hesitant to approach Enoch) and pleasantries exchanged, the group of travelers turned towards their destination and began the long journey into the heart of the elven realm.

The trail down from the elven realm's side of the portal was no less arduous or challenging than the climb up had been on the other side. One of the major differences, however, was that they had been confronted by sensations of dizziness, nausea and fear on the way up they were experiencing a comforting, tingling sensation throughout their bodies. It was almost as though their physical bodies had been asleep and were only just now waking up. Harry noticed that Joseph and Eileen relieved and that Albus looked almost as though he were welcoming back an old friend he had not seen through many, long years of painful separation. Ginny looked surprised and, somehow, happy. Mark, on the other hand, looked frightened. Harry could tell that he was trying to hide it but his eyes told the tale of a young boy who was out of his element and who was experiencing things he could not explain.

For himself, Harry didn't know what to think. His body … well, his entire body was tingling. It had begun gradually as a mild buzzing sensation that had grown progressively stronger as they made their way down the mount. It didn't hurt but it was … it was unexpected. It was a comforting sensation that seemed to be taking place on a cellular level. It was almost as if his cells were waking up, making it possible for him to see, touch, taste, hear, feel and experience dimensions of reality he had never known existed.

When they crossed the stream at the bottom of the hill Harry looked and, for the first time, noticed that the air and sky was glowing and radiating, seemingly from within, with an energy all its own. Looking around he noticed that the water, grass, heather and flowers were glowing with a similar inner light.

Joseph let out an explosive sigh of relief. "It's good to be home," he said.

"Yes," Albus said, nodding his head in agreement, "I haven't felt this … alive since before Grindelwald.

As they made their way down the valley the world seemed to come to life around them and Mark, whom Harry had feared might be reacting badly to their current situation, began to smile and every other step seemed to be a skip. When they rounded a corner and stepped out of the trees a sparkling city that, energetically speaking, blended in perfectly with its surroundings hove into view. It was so magnificent that everyone stopped in their tracks, their mouths falling open in unison at the wonder of it all. "Wow," Mark breathed. "Is that where you're from?"

Joseph nodded his head. "Yes. This is our capital city. It is a part of the valley just as the valley is a part of it."

"You may have noticed," Eileen began, her voice very reminiscent of a tour guide's timbre, "a tingling sensation moving through your bodies as we climbed down the mountain. This is our world's way of welcoming you into the elven realm. The energies of our world reach out to embrace the very essence of your being. If you had been found unworthy in any way this tingling sensation would have felt like your world's Cruciatus Curse. The only really difference would have been that, rather than the pain affecting you nerve endings, the pain would have affected every cell in you're your body and you would have been driven quite insane moments after your arrival.

"You may have also noticed that the air, water, plants and animals seem to radiate and glow with an inner light all their own. I don't know how to explain this except to say that this is the nature and way of our world. We are one and at peace with the forces and energies of creation."

"It must be depressing for you to come to our world," Ginny said."

Joseph and Eileen were silent for a moment. Then, with a sigh, Joseph said, "Yes, Ginny, it is not something we enjoy doing because there is a profound sense of loss that comes with our excursions into your world. But all of our warriors know that love and honor most always come before personal comfort. Besides, visiting your world is a learning experience few elves have experienced. It opens our eyes, if you will, to how good we have it and motivates us to help you fight for what is right."

Half an hour later, as they approached the city's outer limits, a young man, a human by all appearances, who, physically, looked to be in mid twenties but whose energies communicated an ancient wisdom at least as old as the elven realm itself approached from the valley's lower reaches. His head was bowed in concentration so they could not see his face but his stride was strong, even and unerringly smooth. It almost looked as though he was gliding over the ground. When he was less than ten feet from the group he looked up and smiled. "Hello, Joseph, Eileen," he said, striding forward. "Welcome back, Albus."

Albus smiled and, for the second time in as many weeks, Harry could swear he saw his mentor blushed. "Ah," he said, "Hello, Ethrindell. How are you doing, my old friend?"

Ethrindell smiled and as he did so the air around him seemed to glow a brighter shade of white. "I am well, Albus." Then, glancing over at Harry, Ginny and Mark, said, "Mr. Potter. I must say that your parents would be proud. I did not know them personally but I did watch them and, believe it or not, I have been watching you more closely than most."

In that moment, Harry's eyes widened in recognition. "I – I – you …"

Ethrindell chuckled. "Yes, Harry. I was that stranger. I helped heal a few of your more serious injuries that time when Dudley beat you up and stuffed you into the rubbish for getting a better on that math quiz. I could watch and occasionally lend a helping hand but I could not intervene. If I had been able I would have brought you into the elven realm before your aunt activated the blood wards."

Turning to Ginny he said, "Hello, Ginevra. My name, as I am sure you are aware, is Ethrindell. I am an observer and student of this thing we call life. I … well, they say I am a teacher but between you and me I am little more than a teacher's assistant. Life and experience are the true teachers. All I will ever be able to do is help a few people get past their emotional reactions so that they can learn and satisfy their curiosity."

Turning towards Mark he smiled and said, "And Mr. Mark Evans. How are you, my friend?"

Mark eyes widened. "D-do I know you?" he asked.

Ethrindell laughed out loud. When he had calmed down enough to speak he said, "No, Mark. You do not know me and we have never met. I have, however, been watching you. Given your magical abilities and your relationship, no matter how distant, to Harry I was fairly certain the two of you would meet. And I must say that, even though I wish your meeting had taken place under better circumstances, I am glad that you are now a member of Harry's small circle of friends."

Glancing back over at Harry he said, "Yes, Harry, I know Mark's inclusion in your life has been somewhat forced upon you, but Mark has more to offer than you might think."

Harry nodded and smiled down at Mark who smiled nervously back.

Ethrindell winked at Harry as Marks stomach growled in protest at its current lack of food. "Ron would be proud, "he said, to which everyone laughed. "Come, he said, turning towards the city's walls. "I know a quiet little café where we can talk while you all fill your bellies."

A few minutes later, after a short walk through on of the nearby neighborhoods, they found themselves seated at a private table in the shade of an enormous elm, overlooking a babbling brook, with large plates and bowls of fruit before them. The only exception was Ethrindell who sat quietly and contentedly watched and listened while the others sated their appetites.

Harry glanced up occasionally, curious as to why Ethrindell seemed so familiar, and could not help but notice that the man they had traveled so far to meet was not eating. At first he thought it was Ethrindell simply being polite; but when they had all eaten their fill and Ethrindell had yet to eat even one piece of fruit he grew concerned. "Ethrindell?"

"Hmm?"

"Aren't you hungry?"

Ethrindell sat back in his chair, his eyes misting over slightly as he seemed to withdraw into himself for a moment. Then he blinked and looked across at Harry, a gentle smile spreading across his face as his eyes began to sparkle with an inner light all their own. "In response to your question, Harry, let me ask you a question." He paused momentarily to give Harry time to blink his emotional consent. "In your opinion, are muggles capable of performing feats of magical endeavor?"

Harry could tell that this was a leading question and that Ethrindell was, perhaps out of habit, stepping into his accustomed role as mentor and guide. Harry, accepting his role as student, leaned back into his seat and, cautiously chewing his lower lip, carefully weighed his options before responding. "I've never really thought about it, …" he admitted. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed that Ginny brow was furrowed as her eyes darted between Ethrindell and himself. "… but I don't think so, at least not magic as we understand it."

Ethrindell nodded his head, apparently satisfied with Harry's response. "Yes," he said. "You are correct. The key to your answer, however, is your inclusion of the phrase 'at least not as we understand it' because of muggles are, indeed, capable of performing feats of magical endeavor."

Ginny's eyes flew open and Harry could tell that she was on the verge of protest. Ethrindell, however, smiled calmly and nodded his head. Turning to Ginny he said, "Tell me, Ginevra, what is magic?"

Ginny's mouth fell open with the simplicity of the question but as she moved to answer nothing came out. She spluttered a few times as she tried to answer but finally gave up. Bowing her head in resignation she finally admitted, "I don't know."

Ethrindell turned to Dumbledore. "Albus?"

Albus was silent for a few moments, apparently lost in thought. "Magic," he began, "is the manipulation of the forces and energies of creation with the goal of changing or improving one's environment."

Ethrindell nodded. "Precisely; and what are the forces and energies of creation."

"A force is anything that can produce, change or stop the motion of an object. An energy is that which has the capacity to do work," Mark said automatically. When everyone turned to look at him, expressions of curiosity and surprise on their faces, he blushed. "My dad is a science teacher at Stonewall," he explained.

Ethrindell smiled gently, as if to reassure Mark that he had done nothing wrong. "Well said, Mark. Now, what are the forces and energies of creation?"

"According to my dad, muggle scientists only recognize a few of the more physical forces and energies as legitimate but …" Mark said then faltered.

"But in the magical world we use forces and energies that muggle scientists cannot normally sense, let alone measure and use," Ginny said.

Harry looked over at Ginny and smiled. He knew that she had taken an interest the differences between the muggle and magical worlds and how the muggle sciences could benefit the magical world ever since their work with the Babcocks the previous year and was pleased to see that she seemed to be doing some research on the side.

"And we elves," Eileen said, "while we are aware of and can use both muggle and their magical forces and energies, are aware of and can use a whole other class of forces and energies even their most advanced practitioners are not aware of."

Ethrindell nodded. "Yes. Can anyone tell me why this is?"

Something from his Maturo Auctus suddenly clicked into place and Harry decided to see if this was the answer Ethrindell was trying to get them to recognize. "It all boils down to genetics," he said. "While muggles, witches and wizards are genetically identical, a number of strands, in what some muggle scientists are starting to call 'junk DNA' are active in the members of the magical community."

Ethrindell smiled and nodded his head encouragingly.

"It is these differences that make it possible for us to sense and use the magical energies; and it is the activation of these few strands of DNA that provide for the creation of our magical cores."

"Well stated, Harry," Ethrindell said. Glancing over at Joseph and Eileen he said, "The genetic structures of elves are slightly different from their human counterparts which makes it possible for you to sense and use the forces and energies you do. But that does not make you any better than them, just different."

Ethrindell was silent for several seconds, his eyes misting over as he seemed to recall some particularly horrifying events. "The thing about the activation of these particular strands is that it was a planned upgrade. Problems began to arise when only a few people could sense and use the forces and energies your magical community takes for granted. Those who could not feared those that could and persecuted them until they went into hiding. That is where the prejudice began. Then your early 'pureblood' families made matters worse by demanding isolation. In this way a genetic upgrade that had been designed to elevate the entire species was short-circuited. If nature had been allowed to take its course," Ethrindell said sadly, "your world would be much different. I'm not saying that you would not have to deal with the occasional Gellert Grindelwald or Tom Riddle but the majority of your race would no longer be homo sapien sapien. Instead, most of you would be homo sapien magus."

Pausing briefly, Ethrindell shifted gears and launched into an examination of muggle magical methods.

"Muggles, as you call them, have access to, and are able to use, all three of the major fields of magical endeavor. For simplicity's sake, I have chosen to label these three fields physical magic, spiritual magic and dimensional magic.

"Physical magic includes everything associated with the manipulation of their physical environments. It includes everything from digging ditches to building skyscrapers, from making clothes to washing dishes and from planting seeds to harvesting crops. In addition, while you study potions, your muggle counterparts study and use something called chemistry." Ethrindell hesitated, momentarily shifting his head from side to side as though weighing the properties of two similar substances. "The primary difference between potions and chemistry is that while potions is primarily concerned with the combination of ingredients to achieve a desired outcome, chemistry's focus lies in synthesizing out the basic components and recombining them, sometimes in ways that nature never intended, to achieve a desired result.

"Spiritual magic can be broken down into two major classifications. These are internal spiritual magic and external spiritual magic. Internal spiritual magic, at its most basic, consists of all of the book you read, songs you listen to, people you associate with and lectures and concerts you attend as these all have a cumulative affect upon the growth, evolution and development of your soul. As the saying goes, 'garbage in, garbage out.' The information you surround yourself with and take in will, after working its way through the spiritual structures of your personality, make itself known through your own thoughts, words and actions.

"External spiritual magic consists of all of the books you write, stories you tell, songs you sing or compose, lectures you deliver and so forth and so on as these, although you may not realize it, have an impact upon the growth, evolution and development of those personalities you come into contact with."

"Ethrindell paused and drank from the glass of water that had, until that moment, remained untouched. Dimensional magic, where muggles are concerned, is simply making the most of the space and time available. In your world you have things like the magical tents you used at the quidditch world cup and your trunk, which really do make the most of the space available, and time turners, which allow you to travel back in time a few hours at a time so that you can make the most of your time, but even these examples are somewhat basic and rudimentary compared to what is actually possible …"

Albus cleared his throat. "I hate to interrupt, my old friend, but you have not yet answered Harry's question."

Ethrindell grinned. "Patience, Albus. Patience. I had to lay the groundwork so that Harry could understand the answer."

Looking over at Harry he said, "You were wondering why I was not eating and asked if I was hungry."

Harry nodded.

"As I have tried to explain, there is an evolutionary process going on. As horrible as they were, the Dursley's were homo sapien sapiens. You, however, are a homo sapien magus, a few additional strands of your DNA have been activated to make it possible for you to work your magic. In time, at this rate it may be anywhere from several thousand years to a few million, all of your DNA stands will become active.

"Now then, genetically speaking, I am homo sapien sapien. So how, you might ask did I come to be here and how, if, as I believe Joseph has informed you, am I able to perform feat of magical endeavor that make me appear to be almost god-like."

Joseph blushed and Ethrindell grinned mischievously. "There are two paths to this goal, Harry. The first is to follow the natural order of things and to be born into a body in which all DNA strands have become active, essentially forcing a spiritual evolution as a matter of physical circumstance. The second is to perform an end-run around this slower process by focusing your energies upon the growth, evolution and development of your personality to the point of no return.

"That is the path I took. When I was still relatively young – older than you are now by several years but several thousand years younger than I am – I embarked upon the path of spiritual development. It took some time but eventually my personality became on with the forces and energies of creation. This body you see before you is little more than a shell. It is the means through which I am able to interact with my physical environment. Even though it is a homo sapien sapien body, my spiritual status is such that I am able to absorb all of its nutritional needs directly from the forces and energies of creation."

Harry looked across the table at Ethrindell, his mind racing to make sense of what he had just heard. For his part, Ethrindell let him think it over for almost a minute before interrupting his thoughts. "We can talk more of this later if you like but we currently have more important things to discuss so, if you would like Joseph and Eileen to give Ginevra and Mark a tour of our fair city, you and Albus and I can get down to business." Ethrindell's tone was friendly and light but Harry sensed that they would be discussing tings Ethrindell would rather not share with those without an absolute need to know.

After the others had left and were out of sight Ethrindell's demeanor changed and he looked abnormally grave. "Come," he said, "let us walk."

When they had left the city behind and were walking along a faded game trail Ethrindell let out a heavy sigh. "Harry," he began, "when Tom Riddle came to your parent's home that evening his intent was to create his sixth and final horcrux. You were to be his final horcrux sacrifice."

Harry tripped over the ridge of a stone that was protruding out of the ground and stumbled forward a few steps.

"He was so focused upon his goal of killing you and creating his sixth horcrux that the murders of your parents was enough to tear his soul apart. When he tried to kill you and the curse failed the mail portion of his soul, his personality, fled, leaving the severed portion behind. As is the nature of the spiritual forces and energies of life, the severed portion of Tom's soul was attracted to the nearest living presence and attached itself …"

Harry grew pale. "You mean that … that I'm … a horcrux?"

Albus bowed his head. "I was afraid of something like this," he said. "Parseltongue is not a very common ability and, so far as I know, it does not run in your family. When you exhibited this ability in your second year I began to suspect that you might have inadvertently become a horcrux."

They walked in silence for several seconds. "The bad news is that you are, indeed a horcrux, Harry," Ethrindell finally said, breaking the silence. "The good news is that, thanks to the events at the end of your second year, that portion of Tim Riddle's soul that shares your body is nowhere near as strong as it once was." Before Harry could react he asked, "Tell me, Harry … I want you to think back and tell me if your parseltongue abilities are coming to you as fluidly as they did in your second year."

Harry was silent for almost a minute as he thought back to the events of his second year and compared them to his experiences working with the snakes of the Forbidden Forest this past year. "It's still there …" he said, breaking the silence, "… but it's not as easy as it used to be."

Ethrindell nodded his understanding. "Tell me, Harry, do you know how to destroy a horcrux?"

Harry shook his head. "No"

"Albus?"

Albus looked up from his contemplations. "The most effective substance that can be used to destroy a horcrux is basilisk venom." Harry looked up in surprise and Albus smiled in recognition of Harry's startled expression. "The other major substance that can be used to destroy a horcrux is fiendfyre." Harry looked over at his mentor, a curious, quizzical expression on his face, but help his peace as Albus concluded his statement. "There are a few others, of course, but those are the two must effective techniques."

Ethrindell nodded his head and motioned for Harry and Albus to be seated on the small gathering of boulders they were approaching. "Yes," he said, taking a seat on one of the large stones, "Now, please forgive me for following your adventures so closely, Harry, but I had to be sure.

"When that basilisk's venom entered your system its primary target was that portion of Tom's soul that resides within your body. It did not kill it because to do that would have killed you in turn. It did, however weaken it significantly. With the addition of the phoenix tears, which healed your body by the way, that portion of Tom's soul was weakened still further. As things stand at present, that portion of Tom's soul is little more that a severely weakened, lingering presence."

Ethrindell looked down and studied his hands for a few seconds before continuing. "I hate to tell you this, Harry, but the only way we are going to be well and truly rid of Tom Riddle is if he is allowed to personally kill that portion of his soul that resides in your body."

This statement struck Harry with such force that he suddenly found breathing to be one of the most difficult exercises he had ever attempted. "D-does that mean I have to die to defeat Tom?" he asked nervously.

Ethrindell was silent for a moment then began chewing his lower lip as he considered his options. "Not necessarily," he said slowly. "It will be tricky but I think it can be done."

"What?" Harry asked hopefully.

Ethrindell let a few heartbeats pass before responding. "I have been studying the forces and energies of creation for almost as long as this planet has been in existence, Harry," he said thoughtfully. "It should be possible to customize your rebounding charm to protect your soul and to push that fragment of Tom's soul forward for extermination. It will be tricky but I am more than willing to dedicate myself to the cause …"

They sat in silence as Ethrindell contemplated the intricacies of what they would be attempting. "Of course, for it to work, you will have to be willing to sacrifice your life so that others may live and enjoy their lives without fear …"

Harry looked up. "It's going to be a tricky piece of magic," Ethrindell explained, "and one of its component parts is going to have to be you willingness, on all levels, to make the ultimate sacrifice for your friends, neighbors, acquaintances and people you have not even met and may never meet."

Albus reached down and plucked a long blade of grass from the ground at his feet. After examining its length he looked over at Ethrindell. "Is there no other way?" he asked, the concern evident in his voice."

Ethrindell let out a heavy sigh. "No," he said, sighing even more heavily. "Tom has gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure his survival. If you wish to be rid of him you are going to have to go to resort to some extraordinary and, I might ad, extremely risky spellwork."

"And that is just to get rid on the part of his soul that is attached to my body," Harry said numbly.

Ethrindell nodded and stood up again. "Yes," he said, starting to follow the game trial once again. "It is all going to come down to you in the end, Harry. Your friends and Albus and I will do everything on our power to help you but, in the end, it is all going to come down to you."

The enormity of the situation weighed heavily on Harry's shoulders and he was glad that the others had gone off to see the sights. He looked up from where he was seated and saw that Ethrindell and Albus were walking slowly up the valley along their faded path. He supposed it was their way of giving him some time to be alone with his thoughts and was grateful for their concern. Standing up, he jogged to catch up. When he was within a few meters he slowed his pace, his mind set, and strode determinedly up to where they were waiting. "Alright," he said. "That's one horcrux. What about the others; and how to I defeat him?"

Ethrindell nodded as a gently proud smile appeared on his face. "Good," he said. "I can see that you have decided to fight, to bring an end to Tom Riddle's reign of terror no matter the price.

"We will take those questions in reverse order, however, because if you are going to use the purgatory charm to defeat Tom you are going to have to know his life and the most effective means at our disposal is for you to use your ethereal abilities to view his life as you search for the remaining horcruxes and to do that I am going to have to teach you how to track both people and objects through both space and time."

Harry looked up suddenly, curious about Ethridell's casual mention of the charm Bill and the others were working so hard to develop. "The purgatory charm?" he asked. "You sound like you've used it."

"Ethrindell nodded solemnly. "Yes," he admitted. "Once. It was not something I wanted to do but under the circumstances, and the fact that I loved my brother so much that I could not let him continue without doing everything in my power to help him see the error of his ways, it was necessary."

Harry was taken aback by this revelation; and from the looks of it Albus was taken off guard as well.

"The purgatory charm," Ethrindell began anew, "was designed to serve as one of the most poignant acts of love any one being will ever be able to bestow upon another.

"In some of this planet's most ancient texts it says that we should not fear correction. Those who, like Voldemort, which quite literally means 'fear of death,' fear death, fear correction. The purgatory charm was designed in such a way as to temporarily strip away all of a person's crimes against humanity so that they can recall both who and what they were before they started making those choices that began leading them down the path to destruction.

"When all of their sins have been stripped away they are confronted with a recitation of the laws governing the growth, evolution and development of all souls. They are then confronted by all of the choices they have made and the resultant outcomes. After the ramifications of their decisions have had time to … cook, the person's soul is placed in a form of isolation wherein, while they still have all their wits about them, the only company they will have is all of the physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual pain and suffering they have caused through malicious intent until such time as, within their heart of hearts, they choose to change their ways and take steps to correct the wrongs they have perpetrated.

"The entire process only takes a few seconds but the spell's record is irrefutable. In other words, it works. Only rarely does a soul refuse the help offered through the auspices of the purgatory charm. When this happens the soul self-destructs and the body dissolves. I've never seen it but the documentation does exist.

"Now then," Ethrindell said, "the things that make the purgatory charm work, and the structures that your current models are missing, are an in-depth understanding of the subject's life, on the part of the caster, and an honest, heart felt, desire to give the subject a chance to clean up their act."

Harry nodded his understanding. "So you want me to review Tom's life while searching for the horcruxes so that I can gain that understanding."

Ethrindell nodded. "You really are the only one in your world who has a chance of successfully casting the purgatory charm, Harry, because you are currently the only one who's ethereal abilities are advanced enough to be able to review his life."

"The power he knows not …" Harry mumbled.

"Yes," Albus said thoughtfully. "It would seem so, Harry."

Harry looked over at Albus and grinned. "Did you know any of this?"

Albus shook his head. "No. I had a few suspicions but I could not be sure of anything."

Several minutes later, as they approached a wide stream flowing out of the surrounding hills, Ethrindell turned off the path they had been following and fairly marched to the top of a low hill, motioning for Harry and Albus to follow.

When they reached the summit Ethrindell said, Harry, I am going to ask you to trust me with your abilities for a few minutes."

Harry looked up curiously.

"Your remote viewing abilities," Ethrindell explained, "while they are substantial and you have been able to accomplish many wonderful things with them over the past few months, they are untrained for the task ahead. So, with your permission, I would like you to enter into your usual meditative state with the simple goal of learning what I have to offer. All I want you to do is consciously connect with the energies and then let me guide you to your destination, much as you allowed Albus to guide you through your initial efforts last year."

Thinking back to one of his early sessions with the headmaster the previous year Harry nodded his head and sat down with his legs stretched out before him and his back resting against a small standing stone. Moments later, shortly after relaxing into his meditative state and surrounding himself with and activating the neutral energies of creation, Harry found himself back in the orphanage from Albus' memory. This time, however, he was watching as a young woman gave birth to a baby boy with a shock of black hair on his head. He watched as the midwife cleaned the baby and comforted the mother. He listened as the new mother named her baby, insisting that he be named Tom, after his father, Marvolo, after her father, and pleading with the young Mrs. Clark that he be given the surname Riddle. He continued to watch, his attention riveted on the young mother, as she held her son, telling him that he loved her and caressing his head, until she died.

In the final moments of her life he became aware of the baby's life energies and saw that they were both innocent and pure. As his mother died and her soul left her body, however, he noticed that the quality of the baby's life energies was diminished, almost as if, in death, his mother was clinging to the love she felt for her son – a love she had never felt in life – so desperately that she had taken all of her son's love with her when she died.

For the next several minutes he found himself memorizing the baby's energy signature so that he could reconnect with it at will when he had time to review Tom's life in detail. After that he found himself looking down upon the diary he had destroyed at the end of his second year.

This time, however, the diary was in a stationary shop, being customized for a sixteen-year-old Tom Marvolo Riddle. He followed the diary as Tom took it back to the orphanage and then as Tom took it with him to the village of Little Hangleton in search of his parents' families. He watched as Tom murdered his father and grand parents and transferred a portion of his soul to the diary. He then watched as Tom framed his uncle for the murders and removed an ugly ring from his uncle's finger. Somehow he knew that this ring was destined to become Tom's second horcrux.

For the next few minutes time and the events surrounding the diary seemed to pass in a blur. Harry watched as the diary lay hidden at the bottom of Tom's trunk for several years; watched as it was passed to Licius Malfoy, one of Voldemort's most faithful, for safe keeping; watched patiently as it lay hidden in a vault in Malfoy's cellar for almost fifteen years; and watched as it was removed from the vault and planted on an unsuspecting Ginny.

He purposely fast-forwarded through the next several months as the diary seduced and gradually took possession of Ginny's soul, draining her of her energy reserves. He knew that he should probably pay attention to this phase of the diary's tale but his love and respect for Ginny's privacy overrode that desire. If she wanted him to know, she would tell him.

Time slowed again at the point wherein Harry entered the Chamber of Secrets and found Ginny lying, almost lifeless, at the foot of Slytherin's statue. He watched that scene play out, paying particular attention to the flow of energies in and around Ginny, the diary and the shade of Tom Riddle as it gloated. When Harry saw himself plunging the basilisk's fang into the diary in response to an inner, whispering voice he watched in amazement as the horcrux was destroyed and the curse broken.

The next thing Harry knew he was opening his eyes and the sounds of the elven realm were filtering through the fog of energies he used while spying on Tom's activities. As the world came into focus he shook his head and looked up at Ethrindell and Albus who were watching him, expectant expressions on their faces.

"Interesting," he said. "According to the energies, Tom was an ordinary, innocent baby boy until his mother died. Apparently she took most of his love with her, love that she had never received from her family."

Ethrindell nodded.

"The diary was his first horcrux. I was able to follow it from the stationary shop where Tom purchased it to its destruction in the chamber of secrets. His second horcrux was, and still is, a ring he removed from his uncle's finger after framing him for the murders of Tom Riddle senior and his parents. From what you showed me last night, Albus, I am guessing that it was the Gaunt family ring."

Albus nodded. "Yes, that would make sense because when Morphin was arrested there was no sign of the ring and Marvolo was notorious for using that ring as a status symbol."