The day before Dumbledore's trial, an unspeakable was at work in the Dark Magic Room in the Department of Mysteries.

All unspeakables were required to have attained at least forty years of age, to have never been employed outside of the Ministry of Magic after having attained the age of twenty one, and to have no criminal history.

Furthermore, unspeakables did not have to apply for their positions. They were chosen from existing Ministry employees. The pool of potential unspeakables was limited because they had to be both trustworthy enough to trust with secrecy and confidentiality but unimportant enough in their prior jobs to be replaceable. Those chosen for the position were free to turn it down, but it was rare for that to happen. The types of people who ended up being offered so jobs usually found it an honor to become an unspeakable.

The unspeakable at work on this day was a fifty year old tall bald black wizard named Steven Secret.

At Amelia's request, Steven was examining Tom Riddle's diary. Amelia had felt a nasty sense of foreboding about the diary ever since she'd raided it from Malfoy Manor, as though it felt inevitable some great darkness would come from it. Those feelings intensified when she'd heard Lucius say the diary could open the Chamber of Secrets. But even then, something kept nagging at the back of Amelia's mind. Tom Riddle was Lord Voldemort's given name. Amelia knew Voldemort had made Horcruxes. She had a terrible feeling that only a Horcrux could be as capable of as much Dark Magic as this diary was said to be.

Amelia there asked Steven, an expert in Dark Magic with objects and artifacts, to examine it to see if it could possibly be a Horcrux.

At first glance Steven could finding nothing suspicious about the book on the surface.

But the absolute quiet of rooms unspeakables were required to work in worked to Steven's advantage.

All rooms in the Department of Mysteries were bewitched with so strong Silencing Charms on their walls that a category five hurricane could be roaring just outside the rooms and anyone in the rooms would not hear it.

This silence gave Steven the absolute freedom both to think and to listen.

After a minute and a nanosecond, he could hear a feint sound emanating from the diary.

The noise sounded like a heartbeat. A low heartbeat, but a distinct heartbeat.

Was the diary alive? Or could did it at least have senses?

Steven puzzled over this for about five minutes when a thought occurred to him.

"This could be much more sinister, " thought Steven.

Steven knew that Tom Riddle went on to become Lord Voldemort. He also knew that Voldemort had made Horcruxes. Could this be one? He knew that Amelia suspected it was and that was why she had asked him to investigate it.

There was a simple way to find out. One of the most distinguishing attributes of Horcruxes was that they could not be destroyed by everyday magic.

Steven therefore pulled his wand out of his right hand pocket and pointed it at the diary.

"Reducto!" cried Steven.

But the diary was not reduced to dust. Instead, it split only in half and instantly repaired itself automatically.

Any ordinary object would have been reduced to dust upon meeting the Reductor Curse. Clearly, Tom Riddle's Diary was no ordinary object.

"This is a Horcrux, " realized Steven, "That's why it has a heartbeat, that's why it couldn't be destroyed by my Reductor Curse. That's why it could have been so powerful. Thank goodness Lucius never got around to executing his plan and the Chamber of Secrets was never opened. But...…

Steven retrieved a pen and a piece of paper from his left hand pocket and wrote.

"Amelia:

I have been able to conclude that Tom Riddle's Diary is a Horcrux. For many reasons, it is extremely dangerous if it is allowed to continue to exist. It would also be to our benefit for it to be destroyed before Voldemort has any chance to return. May I have permission to conjure Fiendfyre to destroy the Horcrux?"

Steven rolled the letter into a paper plane and sent it on its way.

A few minutes later, Amelia herself had appeared in the Dark Magic Room.

"Steven, " said Amelia in a serious and businesslike voice, "My worst fears about the diary have been confirmed. I will give you permission to use Fiendfyre to destroy Tom Riddle's diary, but I want to supervise you. Fiendfyre is extremely dangerous. I know you are willing to take the risk, but I believe the procedure should be supervised. Still, I suppose some danger will have to be taken to eliminate Voldemort's Horcruxes."

"Okay, " said Steven simply.

Steven raised his wand aloft and performed a nonverbal spell.

A nanosecond later, roaring flames taking the form of dragons, chimeras, manticores, orcs, and serpents appeared.

Without hesitation, Steven threw the diary into the flames and took several steps back.

Just as quickly, Steven performed the countercurse to extinguish the flames, one of the most difficult spells known to exist.

"Wow, " said Amelia, "Steven, you truly are a master wizard."

Looking down, both Amelia and Steven could see that the Fiendfyre had charred the diary.

As Steven went to pick it up, the remnants crumbled into pieces of ash, which Steven then removed via a Vanishing Charm.

"It's a great thing that diary has been destroyed before it could do anything, " said Amelia shakily, "We didn't dodge a bullet with the whole Chamber of Secrets thing, we dodged a bomb. But have the unspeakables deduced how many Horcruxes Voldemort made?"

"Our theory is that there were six, " explained Steven, "You've no doubt heard the legend of seven being the most powerfully magical number? Well, our theory is that Voldemort chose a seven part soul. That would require six Horcruxes."

"I strongly suspect you are right about that, " said Amelia hopefully.

"So?" asked Steven, "I know Dumbledore's trial is tomorrow. Can you tell me what charges he will face?"

"Gee, where to begin, " said Amelia wearily, "Theft, child abuse, child neglect, child endangerment, withholding of evidence, framing, manipulation, use of a position of power for personal gain, possession of dangerous creatures, possession of dark artifacts, violation of the ban on experimental breeding, and two biggies, aiding and abetting dark witches and wizards and deliberate neglect of the victims of dark witches and wizards."

"Man, what a rap sheet, " said Steven.

"Indeed, no witch or wizard has ever had a longer list of charges against them." said Amelia in a voice of resigned determination, "It's going to be a long day."