Disclaimers: See Chapter 1 for more info.
Harry and Ron got out of the hospital wing before breakfast started. They'd been discharged and cleared by Madam Pomfrey, who double checked to make sure they were healed. They were glad to be free. But now it came time for Harry's meeting with Dumbledore, at precisely eight o' clock.
Harry wasn't the only one who knew it was time for his meeting with Dumbledore. Frodo had been summoned as well. It was clear Dumbledore had more to teach them about Voldemort and Sauron. Frodo was happy to see him.
"Glad you're up and about." Frodo said, cheerful.
"I trust your lesson with Aria and Flitwick went well." Harry said, following him.
"Excellent." Frodo said, delighted. "Better than I thought." He faced Harry with keen eyes. "Aria gave me an 'Exceeds Expectations'. I nearly thought I would get an 'Outstanding'."
"Trying to cheat on a writing exam." Harry asked.
"No!" Frodo shrugged. "Well, I thought she'd be friendly. Instead, she turned all critic on me."
"She's a writer. What do you expect? They're often strict with criticism." Harry said.
"She means well." Frodo admitted.
"I believe you." Harry said, saying the password to the statue.
Frodo wasted no time. He followed Harry past the statue and up a flight of stairs to Dumbledore's office. Harry knocked on the door. They could hear Dumbledore say "Enter!", allowing them entry into the office. There was Dumbledore, fiddling with a gold metal device. Frodo shook his head, wondering what the headmaster was up to.
"Frodo!" Dumbledore said, when the gentle-hobbit closed the door. "I have a few memories I want you to look at. The first memory is when Sauron left Hogwarts. You see, he was on his own, searching for a piece to fill the void. Do you know what that piece is?"
"I trust it has something to do with those three objects." Frodo said, curious.
"Precisely. But I think he was digging deeper than that." He showed him the Pensieve. "The Pensieve is ready, whenever you are."
Frodo knew the drill. He dipped his head into the basin's water. His body flew through the Pensieve and into the scene. A grassy field where a witch, wearing purple robes, sat at a writing desk. She seemed friendly enough. What he didn't count on were her red eyes. Was there something wrong with her? And there was Sauron, dressed in black robes and donned in a dark mane of hair, approaching the witch.
"News travels fast of your arrival. What have you brought me this time?" The witch extended her hand to him.
"Here." Sauron passed to her a glass orb. "Don't say I didn't offer this to anyone."
"The Orb of Truth." The witch shrugged. "What's its significance?"
"It's like the Pensieve. It was buried down deep into the school." Sauron admitted, shrewdly, "I plan on making this object lost, but Dumbledore will find it eventually. It seeps memories, forms them until the reader sees what that person left behind. Much like the Pensieve, this orb has similar qualities."
"Ah." The witch stuffed the glass orb into her pocket. "I see."
There was a pause. At first, Frodo thought Sauron was concocting a plan or two. He seemed like he wanted to kill the witch. The hobbit gulped. Surely, that wasn't it. Then again, even he had to admit he wanted to throw some punches these days.
"What other business have you come here for?" The witch asked Sauron, curious.
"There's a few objects that have taken my fancy. Where do you suppose I can look for them?" Sauron asked her, intrigued.
"How many objects are we looking at?" The witch asked, curious.
"Not telling." Sauron told her, forthright. "But when I do find them, I just want you to know that I admire you."
The witch grabbed his hand tightly. Her eyes glowed a fiercer red. "Just know that you do not mess with the Fates. I may be one Fate, but my sisters are watching this place! You have been warned, Sauron. Or should I say, Mairon!" She released him. Sauron looked at his hand. It was skeletal and smoking. His hand returned to normal a moment later. He sighed. Could this day get any worse? "I'll direct you to the highest of libraries. If the items you are seeking are present in this world, and in many, they will be known to you, through the powers of the authors. Good day, Sauron of Mordor. I hope your venture goes well." She cackled.
Frodo was pulled through the fog, back into Dumbledore's office. His head flew out of the basin. No way! What did he just see? He turned to the Headmaster and to Harry, perplexed.
"So Sauron was looking for the objects." Frodo said, stunned by what he saw. "What would he want them for?"
"That is why we need Slughorn's memory. But it is imperative that you look into the last memory I have for today." Dumbledore switched the memories in the Pensieve. "This memory that I am about to show you next, Frodo, is one that is very dear to Sauron and the Valar. It shows Sauron entering the highest of libraries in search of his objects. Quick finds, but they also give us a clue that he was interested in more than three items."
"What do you mean?" Frodo asked, confused.
"I think it's better if you see the memory for yourself." Dumbledore showed him the Pensieve again. "Frodo, if you will."
"This is getting old." Frodo said, dipping his head into the basin. Once more his body took him to another area. He dived, dived until his feet were planted on a wood paneled floor.
All around him were books flying through the air, landing in their proper bookshelves. This library was huge. At least three stories high. So many books. So many things to look at. The sky was very cosmic, mixed with colors blue, pink, purple and orange. Oh, how he wanted to look at the sky, just to get a glimpse at it, see what it was like up there in the heavens.
There, in the center of the room was a huge hologram of a planet. There too was Sauron, in his armored suit, pouring through various images. He was furious.
"Come on! I know those items are here somewhere." Sauron said, fixating on the objects in question. "Voldemort will be after his items, too, from Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. I just want the other objects that the houses have. Come on!"
"Can I help you today?" a young woman wearing a sparkly white dress asked him.
"Yes." Sauron smiled a wicked smile. "I'm looking for objects made by the four houses at Hogwarts. Do you know where I can find them?"
The woman laughed. "Oh Sauron, you tease!" She looked at him, serious. "Don't you know that Voldemort is looking for those objects. You'll have to be pretty sneaky to search for them."
"Very well." Sauron coaxed. "Then I'll have to find other worlds where there are objects present. Even if I have to make these objects myself. Now, tell me what worlds have Maleficent, the Evil Queen, the White Witch, and Jareth, the Goblin King?"
"I'm sorry. Our records don't go that far yet." The woman told him. "Might I ask what you want with their weapons?"
"Oh, nothing of interest. Just eh… something I'm curious about." Sauron smiled. "Have a good day."
The fog and the light returned. Frodo was pulled once more out of the basin, back into Dumbledore's office. His eyes widened in terror. Who were those four people Sauron mentioned? He guessed the witch that was bad was the Evil Queen. But the other three? Was there some sort of connection between them?
Frodo turned to Dumbledore, confused. "I don't know. What does it mean? Sauron was after four people's items. Weapons."
"More than that." Dumbledore answered. "Whatever Sauron's doing, it has something to do with those Horcruxes. Sauron was planning something, something that must be known. You and Harry must divulge Slughorn for his true memory. Then we can find out what Sauron is up to. Do this and I can assure you, we'll be one step closer to defeating him."
He continued. "As to what happened after Sauron met with the young woman, well let's just say we haven't had an Introductory teacher in the Author's Chamber last more than a year. You see, this young woman was the first authoress to work alongside hobbits. The second she didn't give Sauron what he asked, he jinxed the authors' teaching job. Be grateful this writing class wasn't an introductory course. I hate to see what would have happened to Aria, had it been one."
"Now, I must speak with Harry. It is his turn to look at the Pensieve. Good night, Frodo." He said last.
"Good night, sir." Frodo said, taking a quick glance at Harry. He nodded to his friend before departing. At last, he was learning more about Sauron. The question that remained was this: what was Sauron up to? Now, he needed to get Slughorn's true memory. How was he to do it? He would have to ask Harry or Hermione, whichever came first. He just hoped Hermione was in a good mood.
Thanks for reading. :)