Sirius Black, lord of House Black, was a Pureblood wizard, and as such, had had it drilled into him since birth that the power and mysteries of magic had no end; one could spend a hundred lifetimes studying magic, and at the end of those lifetimes, the individual would still be forced to acknowledge that they had barely scratched the surface of what magic was capable of.
Nothing had hammered that fact home more than looking down at his godson, who was currently seated in a bed in the Hospital Wing, being smothered by his mother and father as his brothers and sister stood around him, each wearing an expression of pure relief and joy at seeing the boy alive again. That wasn't what had reinvigorated Sirius' belief in the awe-inspiring power of magic; no, what had done that was the small bear cub that was currently being held under the arms by Harry's little sister, Ginny, with a look of annoyance but acceptance on its furry face.
The following morning, after the adults had brought both Harry and the bear back to the Hospital Wing, the wing had been invaded by a hoard of red-headed children, having been alerted by Professor McGonagall at breakfast that Harry had survived his ordeal. But even as Sirius stared between his laughing godson and the bear, Sirius' thoughts drifted to the conversation that had been shared between himself, Dumbledore, and the goblin, Carnage, a mere hour ago.
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:Flashback:
The group all stood around Harry's bedside, watching as the goblin, Carnage waved a strange green glowing forked object over the still unconscious boy; Molly was currently being held in her husband's arms, and both were staring at their youngest son with naked worry as the gobbling muttered under her breath. Sirius and Dumbledore were standing a respectful distance away, while the rest of the Weasley children all watched with worry and shock in equal measure.
After safely bringing Harry to the Hospital Wing, Sirius and the others had all collapsed into separate beds, thoroughly exhausted from their ordeal during the ritual. The following morning, the adults had all been awoken by the thunderous arrival of Harry's siblings. They had quickly jumped out of their respective beds and attempted to make themselves as presentable as they could.
"Is… Is that Teddy?" Ron asked in shock as the cub raised its head and yawned before turning its gaze toward the staring Weasley children.
"Indeed it is, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said with a smile, standing beside Sirius at the foot of Harry's bed. "It would seem that your brother's bear has once again saved his life."
"But… But the last time that Teddy saved Harry, he reverted into a stuffed animal once Harry was safe…" Fred said softly, "Does that mean that Harry's still in danger?"
"Not at all," Carnage replied, "The boy is quite safe, I can assure you."
"Then why is Teddy still… You know, alive?" George asked the goblin, "Shouldn't he have turned back into a toy by now?"
"I believe I can answer that, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore replied jovially, causing the others to turn to him, "The ritual that was used last night on your younger sibling was incredibly old, several thousand years old, in fact. And the amount of magic released during it was something incredible to behold, I can assure you." Holding an open palm towards the bear, Dumbledore continued, "Teddy here holds a very special place in Harry's heart. The bear was Harry's first protector, and he brought him to you, his new family. It's why Harry's love for Teddy is probably only surpassed by his love for you, so when the piece of Voldemort's soul began fighting against Harry for dominance of the boy's body, Harry's magic reached out for the only protector it could think of. The amount of magic that was released last night is nothing short of awe-inspiring, I can assure you all. In fact, I would wager that such an astronomical amount has rarely been seen since the days of Merlin. As such, it not only allowed Teddy to save Harry's soul from Voldemort's clutches but also bestowed life upon Teddy so that the bear could continue to protect the boy from this day forth."
"Surely you jest, Headmaster," Percy said in a shocked voice as the others stared between the bear and Dumbledore in awe, "There is no magic capable of giving an inanimate object, life. It's simply not possible!"
"Ah, but you misunderstand me, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore smiled, "I'm not talking about Harry's magic giving Teddy here, a soul of its own or enabling it to procreate like a living being can. Rather, I'm stating that when the magic of the ritual destroyed Voldemort's soul and freed the boy, it created an unimaginably powerful bond between Harry's protector and Harry's core. In essence, Harry unknowingly created a familiar bond between himself and his 'former' stuffed animal. Teddy here will only live for as long as Harry does, and when the day comes for Harry to pass onto the next great adventure, Teddy will, once again, become nothing more than an ordinary stuffed teddy bear."
"Is such a thing truly possible?" Sirius asked in awe, the only voice in the room seemingly capable of speaking. The others stared in awed shock at the bear calmly licking its paw and rubbing its head, apparently giving itself a bath. "I've never even heard of such a thing before… Creating a familiar bond, sure. But this? This defies all that we know about magic…"
"If there is one thing that I have discovered in my very long lifetime, my dear Sirius," Dumbledore chuckled jovially, "It's that magic will ALWAYS defy what we believe to be true about its power."
"So… Teddy is Harry's familiar?" Ron asked after a moment, "And, if I'm understanding you, Headmaster, he's now connected to Harry's core?"
"That is correct, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore nodded,
"Wicked…" Ron grinned, turning back to the bear, who, to the shock of all, seemed to smirk at the compliment.
A moment later, Carnage stepped away from Harry and nodded at the watchers,
"The taint of Voldemort's Horcrux is gone. I've checked the boy three times, and there is no trace of evil within the child. However, that doesn't mean that our work is finished…"
"What do you mean?" Sirius demanded at once, causing Carnage to raise a brow at his disrespectful tone.
"It means that we should leave the boy with his family and speak in private, Lord Black…"
"Indeed?" Dumbledore asked softly, "Very well, then. Sirius, will you be joining us, or would you prefer to remain here with Harry?"
"I'll come," Sirius replied at once. "There's nothing for me to do here, and the Weasleys should be here when Harry awakens."
Nodding quickly at the watching Weasley's, Dumbledore turned and led Carnage and Sirius from the Hospital Wing to his office. As they made their way down the hall, Sirius couldn't help but cast sideways glances at the goblin at his side. He was incredibly grateful to the woman, it was true, but at the same time, years of dealing with goblins had taught Sirius to never fully trust them. There was always some angle that they were playing.
Once they were in his office, Dumbledore took his place behind his desk and beckoned his two guests to take a seat in the chairs opposite him.
"Now, perhaps you could expand on what you meant before, my dear," Dumbledore said, placing his elbows on his desk and steepling his fingers before him as he gazed at the goblin.
"Plainly put, Headmaster," Carnage stated, "I believe that there is more than one Horcrux within Hogwarts."
Both Dumbledore and Sirius stared at the goblin in shocked silence as the horrifying implications of her words struck them like hammer blows.
"How can you be sure?" Sirius asked in a small voice as Dumbledore reached under his desk and pulled a bottle of elvish mead from one of the drawers, followed by three small glasses, which he quickly filled nearly to the top.
"When I was first examining the boy, the presence of a Horcrux was stronger than anything I could have imagined," Carnage explained, taking her offered glass with a nod of thanks before taking a small drink and smirking in appreciation, "At first, I thought my instrument was simply registering the Horcrux within the child. But when I used it again, this morning, the presence within the boy was completely gone, yet the instrument was still registering the presence of a Horcrux somewhere close by. Which leads me to believe that there is another somewhere in this castle. No doubt placed here for safekeeping by the same bastard."
"That would make sense…" Dumbledore replied wearily, before taking a deep drink from his own glass, "Voldemort, when he was known as Tom Riddle, was an orphan who viewed Hogwarts as the only true home he'd ever known. It would make sense to hide a piece of his soul here."
"Sweet Merlin, what are we going to do?" Sirius asked in a horrified voice, downing his glass in one gulp before pushing it forward for more, "Just the one inside Harry nearly killed the two of you to remove! How the bloody hell are we going to face another one!"
"The difference, Lord Black," Carnage sniffed, before downing her own glass and likewise pushing it forward for more, "Is that this one doesn't appear to be using a human as its vessel. The reading I'm getting indicates that it's far less powerful than its predecessor, which means that it's most likely in an object rather than a person. So, rather than trying the same ritual as before, we simply need to find the object and destroy it."
"You make it sound so simple…" Sirius sneered, swirling his glass, "Hogwarts is huge! And I doubt Voldemort would have made his Horcrux easy to find! It could be anything! An old book in the library, a spare bit of parchment in an unused classroom, a suit of armor standing innocuously in the hallway; how are we supposed to find this thing!"
"I didn't say it would be easy," Carnage growled back, "But I'm not leaving until I see this thing destroyed!"
"Agreed, it must be destroyed," Dumbledore nodded, "And I very much doubt that Voldemort would have used something as mundane as a 'spare bit of parchment,' as Sirius so eloquently put it."
"Oh? And why is that?" Sirius asked with a raised brow,
"Because, if there is one thing that Voldemort was, above all things, it was vain," Dumbledore explained, "He has always believed that he was meant for greater things and that his name deserved to live forever, just as he deserves to live forever. Whatever he has chosen to be the container for his Horcrux, it will be something he deems worthy of such greatness."
"That still doesn't solve the issue of finding it," Sirius grumbled, "And adding the attacks recently, if word of what we're searching for leaks out, it'll be just one more excuse that Lucius needs to see you gone."
"Attacks?" Carnage asked in surprise, looking back and forth between the two men. "What attacks?"
Dumbledore and Sirius share a look, and Sirius can see the annoyance in the Headmaster's eyes from Sirius' slip-up. Dumbledore poured himself another drink with a weary sigh before he began explaining the last several attacks at Hogwarts. Throughout it all, Carnage listens with rapt attention, and Sirius can see that her mind is obviously running a mile-a-minute trying to piece together what could be attacking the students.
"And no one has died yet from these attacks?" Carnage asked thoughtfully,
"Thankfully, no," Dumbledore replied, "Though if these attacks aren't stopped, I fear it's only a matter of time."
"Surprising…" Carnage replied, "And the last time that similar attacks occurred was fifty years ago when Voldemort was a student here?"
"That is correct." Dumbledore nodded before taking a drink. "Do you have an idea you wish to share?"
"Well, this is only a hypothesis," Carnage replied, "But what if someone found Voldemort's Horcrux, not knowing what it was, and it possessed the poor individual? If Voldemort was, indeed, responsible for the attacks fifty years ago, it stands to reason that should his soul find a way to possess a student, that student could use whatever method Voldemort did last time to finish his ancestor's supposed 'noble work.'"
Both men stared at the goblin for a moment in shocked silence, unable to believe that she had figured out something so simple, when they both had been blind to it; added to that, Carnage's tone shifted to one of distaste and disgust at the end, leaving the two men under no illusions as to what the goblin thought of Slytherin, or the so-called 'noble work' that was apparently being done in his name.
"How could I have been so blind…?" Dumbledore whispered, his eyes wide as he took in the horror of his own failing, "It's so obvious, and yet I missed it…"
"We all did, Albus," Sirius growled. "We should have known that bastard was behind this somehow. But even knowing the how, we're still left with the who? And the what?"
"What?" Carnage asked in confusion, turning to Sirius as he raised his hand, not holding the glass, and raised two fingers to indicate his points.
"Who is the student currently being possessed? And what is the method that's being used? Is it an animal? A weapon? Some form of magic that Voldemort uncovered during his time here?"
"Well, the what should be easy enough to figure out," Carnage replied, "If whatever is doing this is truly something that once belonged to Salazar Slytherin, and something that only his heir could control, then there must be something that he and Voldemort shared. Ideas, gentleman?"
For several moments, the office was dead quiet as the three searched their minds for something to answer this infuriating riddle; finally, Dumbledore spoke softly.
"Slytherin was a Parseltongue… Something that Voldemort shares…"
"You think whatever's doing this is a snake?" Sirius asked with surprise, "How'd you come to that conclusion?"
"According to legend, Slytherin built his so-called 'Chamber of Secrets' before leaving Hogwarts and put a 'horror' inside it that would one day be released to purge the school of all those who were unfit to practice magic," Dumbledore replied thoughtfully, causing Sirius to scoff.
"But that's just a legend, a story told to scare Muggle-borns and half-bloods! There's no truth to it. Merlin, that story's been around since YOU went to school here! If any such chamber did exist here, surely it would have been found by now!"
"Every legend has a grain of truth resting within it…" Dumbledore replied with a small smile, "Perhaps there is more to this 'tale' than we were led to believe. If the chamber truly does exist, and Voldemort did, indeed, find it, then that would also mean that the horror within would also exist. But, I cannot think of any creature that could live for a thousand years…"
A sudden crash made both men turn to Carnage, who suddenly looked incredibly pale and was staring wide-eyed at Dumbledore, her broken glass lying on the ground where she had dropped it.
"My dear? What's the matter?"
"I know what the 'horror within' is," Carnage replied in a whisper. "Only one creature could possibly have lived so long, and if Voldemort does indeed share his ancestors' gift, then it would be a creature that he would have no trouble controlling…"
Dumbledore stared at the goblin for a moment before the blood seemed to run from his face like a river; within moments, Dumbledore looked as pale as a ghost, causing Sirius to look between the two in confusion for a moment.
"It can't be…" Dumbledore whispered in horror, "There hasn't been one reported in England in nearly five centuries."
"I can think of nothing else it could be!" Carnage retorted, jumping to her feet and pacing around the office.
"But, if it truly is what we fear, how are the children and Mr. Filch's cat still alive?"
"It only kills when one looks it in the eye…" Carnage replied, "You said there was water on the floor the night the cat was discovered, yes?"
"Indeed," Dumbledore nodded, "One of our resident ghosts flooded her bathroom."
"The cat probably only saw the reflection in the water, then. As for the others, you said that one was found with a camera in front of his eyes, one was found with a mirror, and one was found with a petrified ghost. I would hazard a guess that no one has ACTUALLY seen the beast's eyes, they've only seen reflections or seen the beast's gaze through something else. The fact that no one has yet died is nothing short of a miracle! But if we're to keep that miracle from ending, we must find Voldemort's Horcrux and destroy it. Or else, destroy the beast!"
"Okay, for those of us still in the dark, anyone want to clue me in? What the hell is this thing?" Sirius demanded, "What creature could possibly do something like this?"
Carnage and Dumbledore shared a look for a moment before Carnage turned back to Sirius, who looked torn between fear and frustration.
"I'm surprised that you haven't figured it out, yet, Lord Black," Carnage quipped, "Coming from a family with such a dark history, the culprit should be obvious. We're dealing with a basilisk."
Sirius suddenly felt as though the ground had dropped out from under his chair, and his glass slipped from his numb fingers, smashing onto the floor a moment later as Sirius paled in horror.
"No… That's not possible… Dumbledore's right. There hasn't been one reported in England for nearly five hundred years! How the bloody hell would Voldemort sneak one into Hogwarts!"
"He wouldn't need to sneak it in," Carnage replied, "If it was already here…"
"You think this thing once belonged to Salazar Slytherin?" Sirius questioned in disbelief, "That's mad! The thing would be over a thousand years old!"
"Basilisk's are creatures of pure magic, who knows how long they can live for!" Carnage retorted, "Granted, if it is one, then this would be the oldest one ever recorded, but that doesn't mean we should just dismiss the possibility. It's the only thing that makes sense unless either of you have another idea!"
Sirius turned to Dumbledore, a pleading look on his face as he stared at the aged Headmaster, only for his blood to turn to ice; Dumbledore looked older than Sirius had ever seen him, and was sagging in his chair as he ran a tired hand over his face and down his beard.
"I cannot," Dumbledore replied wearily, "It is the only suggestion that makes sense, and I've no doubt that if it is a basilisk, Voldemort would have taken great joy in using his ancestor's familiar for such a monstrous purpose as murdering those he believed should not be here."
"Albus, this is serious!" Sirius cried, jumping to his feet, "We need to call the Ministry! The holiday break is due to end tomorrow! If this thing really is a basilisk, the students will be in mortal danger!"
"I agree." Dumbledore replied gravely, "I will inform the Ministry immediately and have a task force brought forth to find this beast and destroy it, before it kills someone."
"And how do we explain it?" Carnage demanded, "Several students have petrified, Headmaster. The Ministry will want to hold someone responsible for it. Whether they were possessed or not will be irrelevant to Fudge."
"That is why I will not be telling him about the Horcrux," Dumbledore replied, causing Carnage and Sirius to look at him with surprise. "Madam Carnage, I want you to go back to Gringotts and explain what is happening to your colleagues. Tell them that if they help us find and destroy the creature, they can have the parts as a reward."
Carnage's brows nearly rose to her hairline; a basilisk this old would be worth nearly its weight in gold, and no doubt the goblins would rush at the opportunity to claim such a reward.
"You would really give it away?" Sirius asked, "Just like that?"
My student's lives are worth more than any reward, my dear boy. I would give my very life for them, if it was needed," Dumbledore replied in a deadly serious voice that left Sirius speechless.
"While the Ministry and your compatriots are doing that," Dumbledore continued, "The three of us will try and locate the Horcrux responsible for this. With any luck, we will be able to end this abomination's attack on my students before the beast claims its next victim. As luck would have it, our task should be relatively easier than the Ministry's."
"How in Merlin's name do you figure that?" Sirius demanded,
"The possessed student must be one of those who stayed behind for the Christmas break," Dumbledore replied, "Due to Ms. Granger's attack. That means our list of suspects is small, thank Merlin. Now, we simply have to search each one's belongings until we find something they should not have."
"And how will we know this Horcrux when we find it?" Sirius asked, shaking his head at the absurdity of this plan.
"Trust me, Lord Black," Carnage growled, "Something that evil? We'll know it when we find it."
"This is mad," Sirius breathed, "Completely and utterly mad… But I see no other options, so let's do it."
"I'll leave immediately, then."
Without another word, the goblin turned and stormed into Dumbledore's fireplace, throwing some Floo powder from her pocket to the ground and disappearing in a flurry of green flame.
"Are you sure about this, Albus?" Sirius asked, "We know who's responsible. That damned elf, Dobby, told Harry about this months ago. Why not just storm Malfoy Manor and demand Lucius tell us what the Horcrux is! He'll no doubt use this as fuel to have you removed!"
"Unfortunately, we have no proof that Lucius Malfoy is responsible," Dumbledore replied gravely. "And whether Lucius uses this to remove me or not, I will not allow harm to befall my students."
"We can have the Ministry take the elf as evidence!" Sirius countered, "He told Harry about this! He told him, and we ignored it! This is as much our fault as it is Lucius'!"
"And how many spies does Lucius have at the Ministry?" Dumbledore retorted, "How long before he became aware of the Ministry's arrival? I'd wager that Dobby would be dead long before the Ministry managed to take him into custody, and then Lucius would be free from culpability."
"So, we're just supposed to let him get away with this!" Sirius demanded, jumping to his feet and slamming his hands down on top of Dumbledore's desk, "He nearly killed Hermione! He could have killed any of those poor kids!"
"Mark my words, Sirius," Dumbledore replied, his tone making Sirius freeze in place, "If it's the last thing I do on this earth, Lucius Malfoy will be called to answer for his heinous crime against Hogwarts."
Never before had Sirius heard Albus Dumbledore speak in such a tone, and he subconsciously gulped as he sat back down. Dumbledore's voice was ice cold, and his eyes sparked with a rage that looked as though he was barely controlling it. As Sirius continued to stare, he could see that Dumbledore's hands were clenched tightly around the arms of his chair, and the wood creaked in defiance as though it would break at any moment.
:End Flashback:
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As Sirius continued to stare at his godson, laughing at something that one of the twins had just said, while Ginny began to pet Teddy's head, he couldn't help but shudder at the memory of Dumbledore's anger. Lucius Malfoy had done something that only Voldemort had accomplished; he'd caused Albus Dumbledore to lose his temper, and if there was any justice in the world, Lord Malfoy would very quickly discover why that was a very bad idea.
Dumbledore had already left to inform the Ministry, and, no doubt, Aurors and an army of goblins would soon descend on Hogwarts en masse as they tore Hogwarts apart looking for the beast's lair; while they were doing that, Sirius, Dumbledore, and Carnage would be conducting their own search for the thing responsible for awakening the basilisk.
Taking a deep, weary breath, Sirius suddenly felt his age creep up on him; it was going to be a long couple of days…
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