Chapter 8
The twinkle was gone. Dumbledore's eyes were the sternest Harry had ever seen.
"What were you thinking? No one, no one, should ever be made aware of horcruxes! Let alone two teenage girls from the House of Salazar Slytherin!"
"I was thinking," Harry explained, "that too many secrets have only created problems in the past! The horcrux ritual isn't easy to cast, and I …"
Dumbledore lifted a hand to stop him. "It isn't magic that anyone should wield! How did you even discover its nature?"
Harry knew he had to be extremely careful; he had no intention of allowing the Headmaster to realize that he'd returned from the past.
"He told me," Harry confessed. "That night in the graveyard. Right before…"
"Right before he hit you with the killing curse!" Dumbledore supplied. "I guessed that might have happened, and it is a tremendous relief to me that you are now free of its malignant influence! Did he mention how many he had created?"
"No," Harry said swiftly.
Dumbledore nodded. "That would have been too much to hope for. Still, you are to keep that information to yourself, Harry!"
"What about Daphne? And Tracey?"
"I've already dealt with that. I obliviated both girls."
"What!?"
"Remember my orders, Harry! Tell no one!"
Harry was outraged, but he recognized the warning behind Dumbledore's instructions and knew the man would have no difficulty in obliviating Harry if he failed to obey.
He left Dumbledore's off in a somber mood. He had to find Daphne, and…and what?
A slender arm reached out of a nearby broom closet and snagged his sleeve as he stumbled past.
Harry was pulled inside to face…
"Daphne? What?"
"Shhh!" She hastily cast privacy spells. "There! Harry, it's all right."
"But Dumbledore…"
Daphne disregarded that. "I've known occlumency since I was five years old, and I knew Dumbledore would try something when he sent for us. I anticipated this might happen after we delivered the warning, so I just let him take the memory, but set up a trigger! The moment someone spoke my name in the dorm, the buried memory would resurface. It's fine!"
"What about Tracey?"
Daphne sighed. "She never wanted to be bothered with learning occlumency, so for her the memory is gone. Probably for the best, since what she doesn't know she can't be forced to tell."
"But, you were determined to keep the memory?" Harry asked slowly.
She met his eyes unflinchingly. "I realized long ago that we need to trust each other completely. That's how we will get by! I'll burn the world before I'd betray you, Harry! And I'll take a magical oath to prove it!"
The auror team interrogated a few more students, mostly from the Inquisitorial Squad, got no satisfaction, and eventually left.
The Weasley twins sprang into action: Crabbe and Goyle went to breakfast as giant canaries, while Warrington, Nott, and Montague were covered in pink polka dots.
Pansy and Millicent sported new colorful stripes, and Pansy still had snitch inscribed on her forehead.
"How long will it last?" Neville was trying to restrain his laughter.
"At least another fortnight, provided we don't recast it," Fred smirked. "But we have something special planned for Malfoy. At dinner tonight."
"I can't wait." Harry grinned at Fred. This time, he vowed, he'd do his best to see that both twins survived.
Luna squeezed in between Hermione and Harry, who was pleased to note she was wearing her shoes. Apparently, the charm he'd cast around her trunk had been successful in thwarting thieves.
He was about to ask her about that, when a hush fell over the Great Hall.
Harry looked up to see Draco Malfoy heading towards him.
His jaw dropped: Malfoy was stark naked!
"Potter!" howled the Slytherin. "I know you had something to do with Professor Umbridge's dis…"
Luna looked up from her pudding. "Draco Malfoy….did the nargles steal all your clothes?"
Malfoy broke off his tirade. "What are you on about, Loony? Of course I'm…" Just then he glanced down at himself, and realization struck. An expression of horror swept over his features, but by then McGonagall was hurrying over.
"Mister Malfoy, how dare you come to meals in such a state? My office, now!"
Snape, who'd been frozen in his chair, now found his feet and conjured a blanket which he wrapped around Draco.
They hadn't made it to the door before the laughter started, and grew to an uproarious commotion.
Harry glanced at the twins and discreetly raised his goblet. He definitely would increase his investment in their joke shop.
"How will we discover whether Dumbledore has located the ring?" wondered Daphne.
Harry shook his head glumly. "I'm not sure. He probably will decide that is another thing I don't need to know!"
"He's been absent from the castle quite a bit lately," Daphne mentioned. "We could wait until we are certain he's away, then get Dobby to pop us into the office and make a search."
Harry nodded. He felt the plan was risky but was unable to think of any alternative.
Dumbledore may have been gone, but Fawkes was on his usual perch. He eyed them curiously.
"Fawkes." Harry stroked the bird's feathers gently. "We mean no harm, and we aren't about to steal anything…we just need to know if Dumbledore has discovered Slytherin's ring?"
The phoenix bobbed his head, then flew over to what seemed a blank stretch of wall.
Harry smiled, and flicked his wand in a revealing spell. A small niche appeared, containing the Sword of Gryffindor, and a ring with a black stone.
Daphne instantly cast a killing curse at it, and the stone developed a crack but stayed intact.
"That should do it!" Harry exulted. He turned to close the niche but was stopped by the phoenix.
"What is it, Fawkes?"
The bird fixed his eyes on the artifacts, then deliberately stared at Harry.
"You…want me to take those things?" Somehow Harry understood.
The phoenix bobbed his head once more, emphatically.
"Well, I suppose they may prove quite useful," Harry concluded.