Chapter 110

The Memory Revealed

Note from J.M. Jackson: So, a lot of answers are finally given here, with more questions as well. Hopefully you'll all enjoy the story, and yes, we're coming to the end of the year before too long. Once that happens, most of canon is being thrown out the window, a lot of changes will be happening, because of how the story has gone. But we do hope you enjoy where the story goes!

When she appeared again in the familiar location of Slughorn's old office, Lily saw what she had seen before, but it was much clearer than before. Slughorn was complimenting Riddle for giving him crystallised pineapple, and Lily remembered in the last memory, everything went dark. This time, however, there was no smoke, no blockages, nothing but Slughorn speaking as before, as well as Riddle.

"I don't know if politics would suit me, sir," Riddle said. "I don't have the right background, for a start."

"Oh, nonsense. Couldn't be plainer you come from decent Wizarding stock, abilities like yours. No, you'll go far, and you've got a great future Tom. I've never been wrong yet," he said.

"I don't understand why this part was something he didn't want us to see before," Lily commented softly.

"Me either. It's just him complimenting Riddle, and he didn't know about who Riddle was," Ginny added.

"It is likely all connected," Dumbledore replied, as Slughorn began to usher the other students out, with Riddle remaining.

"Look sharp, Tom, you don't want to be caught out of bed this time of night, with you a prefect."

"Sir, I wanted to ask you something," Riddle began. There was a hint of hesitation, though Lily suspected that was more because he didn't want Slughorn to know his plans.

"Ask away, m'boy, ask away," Slughorn said, still smiling.

"Sir, I was wondering what you knew about… about Horcruxes," Riddle said. Slughorn stared him, and for a brief moment, Lily thought he wouldn't give Riddle any information, before remembering why it had taken so long to see the memory.

"Project for Defence Against the Dark Arts, is it?" Slughorn asked, though Lily didn't need to be a Legilimen's to know that Slughorn knew it wasn't.

"Not exactly, sir," Riddle answered. "I came across the term whilst reading and I didn't fully understand it."

"Not surprising, Tom, you'll be hard pushed to find a book at Hogwarts that'll give you details on Horcruxes. That's very dark magic, very dark indeed," Slughorn replied.

"But you know all about them sir? I mean, a wizard like you – sorry, I mean if you can't tell me, I understand – but I knew if anyone would know, it'd be you," Riddle said, in a flattering tone.

As much as she hated to admit it, Lily had to give Riddle his due. There was enough in the tone and hesitancy, a casual tone, very careful flattery, and none of it over the top. It was what Riddle was good at, which she knew from experience.

That was one thing Lily knew Riddle had mastered quite well: flattering the right people. She figured it had either been a natural talent or he had honed it whilst he had been at Hogwarts, given what she knew of his time in the orphanage. He had been more… reserved, and blunt, because he hadn't needed to be careful. He had made people afraid, with his natural magic, something he would never have gotten away with at Hogwarts.

Slughorn began fiddling with the ribbon on the box of his crystalised pineapple, as though hesitant, which Lily could understand. "Well, I suppose it can't hurt to give you a brief overview, just so you understand the term," Slughorn said, as if trying to convince himself.

"Is Riddle using some form of magic here?" Lily asked softly. "Maybe some sort of charm spell?"

The memory paused as Dumbledore looked at her.

"Why do you ask that, Lily?" Dumbledore asked.

"It's just… the way Professor Slughorn is speaking there; it's like he's trying to convince himself that it's okay to speak about Horcruxes," Lily commented. Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"I hadn't considered that before, and I'm not sure we'll be able to tell from a memory, but it is entirely plausible that he is doing so," Dumbledore said.

"Give me a moment, Albus," Crouch said, waving his wand. "I might be able to tell; there's a few spells I know of."

"Take all the time you need. It would certainly answer some questions," Dumbledore said. It wasn't long before an almost invisible green mist appeared between Riddle and Slughorn.

"Yep, he was using a charm spell," Crouch confirmed. "Slughorn wouldn't have had a chance. He'd been drinking a little, and alcohol only makes it stronger. My guess is that he dosed the poor bastard with that pineapple."

"Indeed. I shall have to speak to Horace soon, as to clear his conscience. This is something he has lived with for far too long," Dumbledore said.

"More lives Voldemort ruined," Ginny remarked bitterly.

"Indeed. Let's continue for now," Dumbledore said, restarting the memory.

"A Horcrux is the word used for an object in which a person has concealed a part of their soul," Slughorn continued.

"I don't quite understand how that works, though, sir," Riddle replied.

"Liar," Ginny scoffed. Lily agreed with the sentiment; she could practically sense Riddle's excitement.

"Well, if you split your soul, and hide the split part in an object outside of the body, it gives a form of immortality. The reason for that is when we die, our souls pass on as well, but if the body is attacked or destroyed, the soul remains on the earth, linked to the other part. But to exist in such a form," Slughorn's face crumpled, and Lily remembered what Voldemort had said in the graveyard about being less than spirit.

She hadn't understood it then, but she did now.

"Few would want it Tom, very few. Death would be preferable," Slughorn said.

"But how do you split your soul?" Riddle asked. The charm spell was working perfectly; Slughorn clearly couldn't see the greedy expression on Riddle's face.

"Well," Slughorn began, clearly uncomfortable, despite the spell. "You must understand that the soul is meant to remain intact and whole. Splitting it is a… a violation against nature," Slughorn explained.

"But how do you do it?" Riddle pressed on.

"By an act of pure evil – the ultimate evil. Committing murder, killing someone, rips the soul apart. It is a dark act, even when done in the name of protection, and only the truly good can retain their entire souls. It's about intent, as with many things. Someone with a pure soul who kills out of necessity, who does so because there is no other choice, will be able to retain their soul. But a witch or wizard creating a Horcrux uses the damage to their advantage, by encasing the torn portion."

"Encase? How?" Riddle asked.

"There is a spell, do not ask me, I don't know!" Slughorn exclaimed, shaking his head. Lily thought the spell might be wearing down a little, from how troubled Slughorn looked. "Do I look as though I have tried it? As if I have killed?"

"No, sir, of course not," Riddle spoke up quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to offend you."

"Not at all," Slughorn said, a little calmer but still troubled. "I'm not offended. It's natural to feel…curious about these things. I suppose witches and wizards of a certain calibre have always been drawn to that aspect of magic."

"Yes, sir," Riddle agreed. "What I don't understand, though – and I ask out of curiosity – I mean, would one Horcrux really be of much use? Can you only split your soul once?"

"What do you mean?" Slughorn asked.

"I mean, wouldn't it be better, or make you stronger, to have your soul in more pieces. Isn't seven the most powerful number magically? So maybe, seven Horcruxes?" Riddle asked.

"Merlin's beard, Tom!" Slughorn exclaimed, and Lily immediately knew that the charm spell was broken; though Slughorn wouldn't know he had been cursed. "Seven? Isn't it bad enough to think of intentionally killing one person? And it'd be bad enough to split a soul once, but to rip it into seven pieces?"

Slughorn wasn't going to give any more information out, that was clear, and Lily could see the regret in his eyes. This was why he felt ashamed, and it also answered so much. There hadn't been one Horcrux; there were seven, if not more. Lily finally understood the depth of the challenge now facing her.

"Of course, this is all hypothetical, what we're discussing; all academic?" Slughorn asked.

"Yes sir, of course it is," Riddle replied, though Lily and Ginny snorted in derision at the same time.

"All the same, Tom, let's keep this discussion quiet. People wouldn't like to think we've been chatting freely about Horcruxes. It's a banned subject at Hogwarts, and Dumbledore's particularly fierce about it," Slughorn said.

"I won't say a word, sir," Riddle promised. He stood up and turned to leave. Lily could see that his face was full of happiness as he turned away from Slughorn. "Goodnight, Professor, and thank you for tonight."

"Goodnight, Tom," Slughorn said, and with that, the memory began to fade, with Dumbledore waving his wand, removing them from the memory.

"Lily, thank you for your hard work in retrieving that memory from Horace," Dumbledore said.

"Has it given you what you needed to know to answer the questions?" Lily asked.

"It has, and it's time for you to learn the final part of the journey that we have been taking this year, and for you to find some of the answers you have been seeking outside of these classes. I know you have been studying Horcruxes, as I expected, and wanted," Dumbledore said.

"You knew I'd figure it out?" Crouch asked, raising an eyebrow. "Then why not just bloody tell us? We'd have known everything sooner."

"Perhaps, but knowledge and action too early can be dangerous, as you can attest to yourself," Dumbledore pointed out. Crouch sighed as he sat down.

"Can't really disagree with you there," Crouch agreed.

"In any event, I wanted to be certain of my suspicions, and there has been more to learn than just the number of Horcruxes Voldemort has created," Dumbledore continued.

"Seven, right? He split his soul seven times, and his Diary was one, wasn't it?" Lily asked. Dumbledore rewarded her with a smile.

"And that, Lily, is why I wanted you to learn more about Voldemort and who he is as well as his plans. You have deduced correctly, on both accounts. His diary was, indeed, a Horcrux, and when you told me of what happened in the Chamber of Secrets, I began to suspect what he had done, and have spent the last four years researching this very subject," Dumbledore explained.

"That was why he wanted items related to the founders of Hogwarts, isn't it?" Ginny asked. "We know how he feels about Hogwarts, and so he would have seen the Founders as the most powerful witches and wizards. He would never make a Horcrux out of something random, and so he wanted four of the seven to be those items."

"Yes, I believe you are correct," Dumbledore confirmed. "He was never able to get a hold of the Sword of Gryffindor, which remains here, but I believe he was able to get three other items."

"Ravenclaw's Diadem, Hufflepuff's Goblet, and Slytherin's Locket," Crouch said, looking at the group. "Each of them was a well-known item, belonging to the founders. They each had one item they were known for, through many different legends. I know he wanted more though; when he asked me to look for items, he'd have had the Diadem, and the locket, surely."

"Indeed. Each of the Founder's did have other items of great value, so perhaps he had considered making more Horcruxes, or having items for a backup plan, perhaps," Dumbledore said.

"He didn't need more though, did he? The Diadem, Goblet, and Locket served his purposes," Lily commented.

"They did, yes. So, they were the three items, and then the diary," Dumbledore explained. "I believe his snake, Nagini, is a fifth, and the sixth is the ring that we saw in Bob Ogden's memory of Marvolo Gaunt."

"That makes sense," Lily said. "Gaunt was his wizarding bloodline, descended from Slytherin. He had the ring, which was a family heirloom, and the locket, which was passed from one descendant to another, until Merope sold it, and Voldemort killed Hepzibah to regain it."

"Exactly," Dumbledore agreed. "The ring, fortunately, was one I located, and destroyed."

"You managed to destroy a Horcrux?" Lily asked. "Did he know that you'd done so?"

"No, I do not believe so. His soul is split so much that he would not feel the destruction of a part of it," Dumbledore replied.

"Which makes it easier to keep what we're doing secret from him," Ginny stated.

"Blessedly so, yes. That means two Horcruxes have been destroyed. We need now to find the locket, the cup, and the diadem. Killing his snake will prove difficult, and so we should leave that one to last," Dumbledore said.

"And the last Horcrux?" Lily asked.

"As to the Seventh, I am unsure if he was ever able to make a seventh before he attempted to kill you that night." Dumbledore replied.

"Maybe he intended to make a Horcrux after killing me, but it backfired, and destroyed his body," Lily suggested. "That's why he was able to remain in the state he did; because his soul was still bound to this life through the Horcruxes."

"Which leads to the big question; where are they?" Ginny asked.

"And now you see the scope of the task ahead of us," Dumbledore explained. "I knew you were teaching them how to destroy Horcruxes, Barty, and I am thankful. How are their lessons progressing?"

"I'm about ready to let them cast the Fiendfyre curse. They've been practicing on ending the spell, and they can do that perfectly, so if Voldemort ever tries to use it again like he did in the Ministry, he won't be able to," Crouch explained.

"Excellent. I must admit, that gladdens me to hear," Dumbledore said. "I am thankful for all you have been teaching the Order of the Dragon this year."

"It's been nice, teaching them. Maybe after the war's over, I can apply to be an actual teacher here," Crouch commented, with a small smirk.

"I assure you that when the war is over, you will have a teaching position here," Dumbledore promised. "The students will be lucky to learn from someone so gifted."

Lily couldn't help but chuckle at the look of shock on Crouch's face. "I'm fairly certain he wasn't expecting you to say that," Lily said.

"No, I expect not," Dumbledore agreed, with the usual twinkle in his eye. However, his smile, and the twinkle, quickly vanished. "I have been making progress on locating a Horcrux, though I have not yet found one. When I do, I shall alert you, Lily, and you as well Ginny, and we shall find it together, and destroy it."

"I'll start looking for places he could have stashed the others," Crouch offered.

"Thank you, Barty, I would appreciate that," Dumbledore said.

"Could he have hidden one in the school? That's probably why he wanted a job here," Ginny commented.

"I believe he wanted to, but I do not believe he was able to. Certainly, he would not have had time to do so, I hope. I shall consider it, however, and look if I am able to," Dumbledore replied.

"I'll let the others know about this as well; they're still up, waiting to hear about how tonight went with Slughorn," Lily said. Dumbledore looked at her, and Ginny.

"This has been, perhaps, the most difficult year that you have faced here at Hogwarts, and for that, I am deeply sorry. I would have preferred that you both have a peaceful stay here, but it seems that fate does not wish that for you," Dumbledore said.

"No, apparently not," Ginny agreed. "At least I've got Lily, and that's what matters most to me."

"Indeed. To see the two of you both growing in love and strength has been of great comfort to me," Dumbledore explained. "I have made many plans, but as we all know, the best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry."

"Robert Burns," Crouch immediately said. Lily raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"Are you and Hermione related at all? I mean, you're both alike," Lily said. Crouch laughed softly.

"I'll take that as a compliment, given how much she means to you," Crouch said. "She's a good kid, and she'll go far, I think."

"She has been one of the finest students this school has ever seen, as have all of you. I have been fortunate to oversee your teaching whilst you've been here," Dumbledore said. "I hope that you will be prepared for what is to come. I shan't always be here, but I will always be proud of you."

"Thank you, sir," Lily said. "You've helped us all so much, and saved us from… well, from nightmares no one should ever face."

"I appreciate your words, Lily. It is getting late, and the two of you should head to bed. I believe you will want some sleep before you and your friends begin planning. In the meantime, do try and spend time together, with one another. Days with friends, without a care in the world, are hard to come by, and must always be treasured," Dumbledore told them. He then smiled at them.

"In the days to come, remember that you have the most powerful weapon of all; love. Love for friends and family, and the love you both share. With that, no one will be able to conquer you."

"I hope you're right, sir," Lily said, taking Ginny's hand and heading for the exit. "I really do."

"Six Horcruxes?" Lily asked, as they neared the Gryffindor common room. "One down, sure, but that doesn't make me feel much better."

"No, me either," Ginny agreed. "How are we going to find them whilst we're here?"

"We won't. Dumbledore will," Lily said. She sighed. "I know we're putting a lot of faith in him, but he's earnt it, right?"

"Agreed," Ginny said, as they reached the corridor leading to the Fat Lady's portrait.

"You're out late," the Fat Lady said, looking at them.

"We were with Professor Dumbledore," Lily replied.

"Tapeworm," Ginny added. The Fat Lady nodded, and her portrait opened, allowing the two entrance into the common room, where the others were waiting. Lily looked at the group, who were looking at them expectantly. Hermione, Ron, Lavender, Parvati, Draco, Pansy, Cormac, Dean, Seamus, and Neville were all sitting around the fire.

"Please tell us you have some good news," Ron said. Lily shook her head.

"I'm afraid not. It's… well, we have the answers we want, but you're not going to like them," Lily replied, before explaining everything that had happened.

Everyone remained silent for at least five minutes after Lily's explanation, until Ron spoke up.

"Bloody hell. How are we meant to find them all?" Ron asked. "They could be anywhere."

"I don't think they'd be just anywhere. We're looking for places connected to You-Know-Who," Hermione replied. "He wouldn't leave them in random places, in case someone accidentally found them."

"They'd also likely be protected," Draco added. "But there's a lot of places to look."

"I think that's why Mr. Crouch was getting a number of different secret hideouts, for us to use when we're looking for the Horcruxes," Lily said. "Places we can stay safely whilst searching."

"Sure, and that's great, but it doesn't exactly narrow down the search, does it?" Ron asked. "If it was me, I'd have just made then using grains of sand and dropped them on beaches, so they'd never be found."

"Thankfully, Voldemort isn't as wise as you," Ginny said. "And I can't believe I called you wise," she added, prompting a short round of laughter.

"Where do we even begin?" Seamus asked, after the laughter died down.

"No idea. We've got to hope Dumbledore finds one soon, because if he does, maybe that'll give us a clue about the others," Ginny said.

"I know we're facing impossible odds, but we've faced them before, and won. We can win this time," Lily said firmly. "We just have to believe that we'll win, and never let the darkness in. After everything we've faced together, I know we can do this."

"That's the spirit, Lily," Lavender praised. "She's right. We faced Death Eaters last year, and Umbridge. We fought them again at Christmas, we can win this time."

Lily smiled at Lavender, and at the others. She knew they could find the Horcruxes. The only question is, would they find them in time to stop Voldemort?