Chapter 9: the thickets of conjecture
When they reconvened, Dumbledore said
"This is where we enter the realms of speculation….when you have seen what I have to show you, I trust you will agree with my conclusions, but if you do not, you must tell me so, and we must needs then discuss what other options lie open."
Krait and Harry both nodded.
"I hardly think anyone is likely to come up with more valid speculation than you, Albus" said Severus. "Though it is to be hoped that more than one head may take such speculation further without too much foray into the fantastic."
"We shall see. I am hoping nobody is too tired of dipping into other people's memories, for these two are, I think significant. We have followed Tom Riddle and now we get to his final year. Everyone was deciding what careers to follow; and great things were expected of Tom Riddle, prefect, head boy, winner of the award for Special Services to the school. Plenty of teachers suggested he should join the ministry. But next thing anyone knew he was working at Borgin and Burkes."
"Borgin and Burkes?" Harry was stunned.
"Looking for the locket?" Krait asked.
"You will be able to judge for yourself when we have looked at the next memory" Dumbledore smiled at her. "Though it was not his first choice of job….hardly anyone knew he had applied to Professor Dippet, the headmaster of the time, to remain at Hogwarts as a teacher."
"Stay here? Why?" asked Harry.
"He had several reasons, I suspect….none of which he confided to Professor Dippet" said Dumbledore. "First, he was more attached to the school than anywhere else; it was here he had been happiest, the first and only place he felt at home. That rings a chord with both of you." Harry and Krait both nodded. "Also the castle is an ancient stronghold of magic….Tom Riddle probably uncovered more of its secrets than most, but doubtless felt there was more to find, more stores of magic to tap. Thirdly, as a teacher, he would have power over young people, the chance to mould young minds, doubtless an idea he got from Horace Slughorn, the teacher with whom he was on best terms….. I think he saw it as a useful recruiting ground."
"And he was turned down" said Harry.
"Yes, Professor Dippet said that he was too young at eighteen and invited him to reapply in a few years. I was, myself, deeply uneasy, I did not want to see him in a position of power over others; I advised Armando Dippet not to take him on, though he was convinced of Tom's honesty himself."
"Which job…" Harry began
"DADA I betcha" interrupted Krait. "We saw him asking about the retirement of a teacher…"
"Quite so" said Dumbledore. "But it was not to be….and so many people saw his job as a shop assistant as a waste. But Tom, with his charm, soon had the job of persuading people to part with their treasures…we know the rather esoteric goods Borgin and Burke cover. Which brings us to the memory of a house elf called Hokey who worked for an elderly, rich witch called Hepzibah Smith."
Hokey was obviously contracted only to give compliments; the vanity of the wrinkled old witch, who in Krait's opinion looked about as beautiful and lively as the mummy of Rameses the Great, and her coy greeting of handsome Tom Riddle were almost nauseating. Not, in Krait's view, as nauseating as his flattery and pandering to the old woman's vanity, producing flowers from mid air, and understated flirting. Ostensibly he was there to make an offer for Goblin-made armour but took tea and cakes; and 'Miss Hepzibah' as Tom called her was only too eager to show him her special treasures because she 'knew he was more interested in the history not how many Galleons it was worth'. Hokey brought out two leather boxes….one contained a cup with a badger symbol on that Hepzibah claimed as Helga Hufflepuff's; the other was the familiar Slytherin locket. Hepzibah babbled about how Mr Burke had bought it from a ragged witch who must have stolen it but had no idea of its true value. Riddle betrayed his emotion as his eyes flashed scarlet and his knuckled whitened.
"The eyes….already" said Krait quietly.
Even Hepzibah noticed Tom had changed colour and asked if he were well; she convinced herself at his disclaimer that her eyes had tricked her.
"Time to leave" said Dumbledore. They followed him out. He went on "Hepzibah Smith died two days later. Hokey was convicted of poisoning her evening cocoa by accident."
"No way!" said Harry angrily.
"Ridiculous" said Krait, coldly. "I see the hand of my father."
"I see we are of one mind" said Dumbledore. "Hokey remembered putting something in her mistress' cocoa that turned out not to be sugar, but a lethal and little known poison. It was concluded that she had not intended to kill but was old and confused…"
"Confunded more like" said Krait acidly.
"Yes; and being 'only a house elf' he didn't even bother with as much finesse as he had over Morfin…the Ministry was predisposed to suspect the house elf on the spot, even as it had been to suspect Morfin."
Krait and Harry exchanged a speaking look and Krait sniffed.
"When we have killed my father" she said in a cold, far away voice "We shall be in a position to dictate terms and to insist upon reform in the ministry, greater democracy and more rights for elves and goblins and half-breeds like Hagrid. It is our duty as much as ridding the world of Fishface."
"Hear Hear" said Harry.
Dumbledore smiled.
"And if the 'Chosen One' succeeds he will have the unalloyed support of the entire wizarding world" he said. "Think carefully about what you decide to demand, Harry, because you will almost certainly get it….and if you are careless you may regret it."
"Easy" said Krait "We all discuss what needs to be done, with your help, sir, and have a document ready to present, either Harry as victor or one of the survivors in the memory of – I hope the unlikely instance - Harry-the-martyr."
"Cold-bloodedly pragmatic as always" said Severus as Harry shuddered. "It is your chance to make your mark upon the world, Harry: and I know you'll make a better job of it than many would."
"You mean my father"
"And others….he was in my mind. James might have been capable of winning the war against Voldemort; you, Harry, more introspective, have the more important option of winning the peace. There will be turmoil afterwards, whatever happens, whether we are running and hiding as guerrillas against the victorious Dark Lord or even if we win: the Ministry will look foolish and may try a knee jerk reaction of some kind, either to proclaim you – or condemn you. We must be ready for each, we must be ready to release statements to the Daily Prophet and the Wizarding Wireless before the Ministry can move. They have blocked and baulked Albus and you at every turn; we need not think they will stop because you fulfil your destiny. You were signed up for a longer job than 'kill the monster, retire in glory'."
Harry sighed.
"I feel like whining 'why me'" he said.
Severus grinned and his eyes gleamed with mischief.
"Because your parents started it by defying the dark lord; it's in your blood. Blame James. I usually do."
Harry gave a rueful laugh.
"Sev, I'm so glad you can laugh about it with me now" he said. "Well, let's get on with the job….we've learned where Fishface got two of his trophies to use as Horcruces…one, rightfully his, the other a link to another founder, am I right in thinking such is his reasoning?" he appealed to Dumbledore, who nodded.
"So I believe" he said. "Let us move on ten years and view my memory one winter's evening…"
-/-
Dumbledore was in his office, slightly younger; and waiting. He called permission to enter at the knock; and Harry gasped at the change in Voldemort as he entered. He was no longer handsome Tom Riddle, though he was not the snakelike creature he had since become; his features were waxy, almost burned and blurred, like Severus' horrific scars, yet not scars; and yet not so human even as the ruined side of his mentor's face. The eyes were bloody, though not yet scarlet, nor slit-pupilled.
"What happened to him?" asked Krait.
"Dabbling in dark magics perhaps….some of them extremely dangerous" said Dumbledore. "The decrease in the appearance of humanity I think is more the effect of splitting his soul so many ways…."
Voldemort congratulated Dumbledore on attaining his position as Head; his voice was higher and thinner than it had been of yore. He did not like being greeted as Tom; but Dumbledore was unfailingly good humoured, claiming it to be an irritating habit of old teachers. It was a refusal to let Voldemort dictate terms as well as to use his chosen name; and the atmosphere changed. Voldemort questioned that Dumbledore had wanted to continue in teaching, when he had been offered a post in the ministry three times; and then it came down to the nitty gritty, with Voldemort requesting the job as teacher , suggesting that he could show the pupils things they would learn from no other wizard. Dumbledore showed his disapproval of the rumours he had heard of Tom's activities; and the younger wizard claimed that greatness inspired envy, leading to spite and lies. He was not happy when Dumbledore queried the term 'greatness'. Voldemort spoke of how he had pushed the boundaries of magic; and Dumbledore interrupted him, pointing out it was only some kinds of magic, but that he remained woefully ignorant of others. Voldemort sneered over what was apparently an old argument, saying that he had never seen anything to support Dumbledore's contention that love was more powerful than his kind of magic. Watching, Krait slipped a hand into her husband's and dropped an arm round Harry's shoulders. He squeezed her arm and the modern Dumbledore smiled benignly.
The conversation in the memory turned to the Death Eaters – Voldemort was startled that Dumbledore knew the name – and said that his friends would carry on without him. Dumbledore got in a gentle taunt about believing them to be more servants than friends; and listed the ones in the Hog's Head, knowledge clearly unwelcome to his visitor. Dumbledore pointed out that he was well aware that Tom did not want to teach, and asked his real reason for returning. He did not get it; and after verifying that he would not get a job, Tom flung out in a rage, though for a moment it almost seemed that he would attack Dumbledore.
-/-
"So he was definitely after what treasures he could filch" said Krait. "Hoped to get his hands on Gryffindor's sword too….I wonder if the use of the diary was to be to persuade some would-be hero down there to kill the basilisk taking the sword, which Fishface would retrieve from the dead body at his leisure, working on the principle that the basilisk had a better chance than some schoolboy enthusiast…. Only Lucius jumped the gun rather."
"Such is entirely possible" said Dumbledore. "We have to work on the principle that he has control of some artefact of Ravenclaw's…."
Krait's eyes narrowed.
"If I was only permitted to go shake down Caractacus Burke a little bit he might just have some other memories he'd be willing to impart in order to prevent me getting too exotic…" she said.
"NO Krait" said Dumbledore. "I don't want you progressing down that path…once, when you have no intention of using more than threats may be acceptable; questioning a man you feel is deserving of your vengeance is something else. The line dividing dark and light would start to become blurred for you."
Krait looked mutinous then pulled a rueful face.
"I daresay you're right" she said. "But what about having a legilimens delve a bit further?"
"I don't think he has any more to tell us" said Dumbledore. "I….persuaded…..him to part with the memory we saw, he gloated enough, he'd have been happy to gloat about any other treasure he handled or be aggrieved if such slipped through his fingers. I have some thoughts about where one horcrux may have been hidden; and you believe the locket may have been entrusted to Regulus Black."
"I only know there was a locket like it, though the device was not apparent" said Krait. "Maybe Regulus Black stole it, thinking to use it as ransom for his own life….if it is the locket, though it's alike as can be. Where is the orphanage Tom Riddle grew up in?"
"There was an incendiary bomb that burned it to the ground during the war, in Tom's final year" said Dumbledore. "He had just left for Hogwarts, his final term, when it fell….."
"And I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell" said Krait. "He burned it, regardless of how many might die….I still want to know where it was, and what's there now."
Dumbledore shot her a look.
"Why?"
Krait shrugged.
"It struck me that, tired and scared of life as she was, my little grandmamma might have been equally scared of death…..out there she might linger as a sad little ghost with nowhere to go. I wanted to bring her to Hogwarts where she could be safe."
"My dear girl….sometimes you surprise me with your depth of vision and compassion" said Dumbledore. "I will certainly give you all the directions I can, though I expect the area has changed out of all recognition. She had not returned to the Gaunt home, that I do know."
"Who would?" snorted Krait.
"Something that's been bugging me" said Harry "Why Horcruces? Why not the Philosopher's Stone if he wanted to live forever?"
"He tried to steal it…but only as a short term measure" answered Dumbledore "To solve his immediate and pressing problem of being stuck on the back of Quirrel's head. It was a solution that would get him out of the terrible half-life that killing you had condemned him to. He is a loner, remember, hates to be dependant on anyone or anything…the elixir of life must be taken at regular intervals, and there is always a risk it can become contaminated, degrade, or the stone used to make it could be lost or stolen. So he preferred to place his trust in Horcruces, that he himself had made and concealed – though he trusted one to the care of Lucius I don't believe he made that mistake with any of the others. It is a decision that runs true to type."
Harry nodded.
"What are my chances of delving out of the little tyke's mind where they all are?" asked Krait.
"Low, I fear" said Dumbledore "But you may get clues from slips he makes that could ally to information I gain."
"Meh, better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick" said Krait philosophically. "No more bottles – was that the last memory?"
"Yes, I have nothing more to share with you yet" said Dumbledore "Though I will be following up such tenuous leads as I have…."
"The cave where he tormented the kids" said Krait. "The Gaunt house you checked….The Riddle House where he hangs out now….his hideout in Albania…..the place in Hogsmeade where he recruited Death Eaters….the locket in the Black residence may have been given to Bellatrix to care for; she might be Sirius' cousin but I dare say she was welcome at Grimmauld Place. And she did almost consider herself his consort…we should search again the Chamber of Secrets too; he may have managed to return to Hogwarts when you were away before he became public enemy number one. All kinds of possibilities."
"Quite so…a competent summary" said Dumbledore. "I am interested in the cave, myself…I hope to visit it with Harry and yourself along before too long, once I have verified its position."
"There'll be records" said Krait. "If they went by charabanc, they'd need to hire one….though I'd think train would be most likely, the routes available at the time before Dr Beeching will need checking. They'd not want to drag a gaggle of brats far from the train, too much opportunity to lose a few….the location of a small inexpensive resort with sea caves should be easy enough to run down."
"As I am trying to do" said Dumbledore.
"We appreciate your work sir…thanks" said Krait. "I guess we'd better get Harry back to brief the others and enjoy the remainder of his holiday."