Chapter 171: Horcrux

Dumbledore arrived sooner than Harry had imagined, or rather, the time it took Hedwig to deliver the letter was shorter than Harry had expected. Early the next morning, Harry found Dumbledore seated at the breakfast table waiting for him; according to Bates, "The old man arrived in the middle of the night, and Carson arranged for him to rest overnight."

Ron and Ivy both liked to sleep in, so only the two of them were in the dining hall; Harry nodded to Dumbledore, then said, "Sorry to disturb you over something like this, but I think the situation has reached a point where I must tell you."

Dumbledore's expression was complex; after a moment's hesitation, he said to Harry, "It seems things are worse than I thought. I, too, have something I must tell you—before it's too late."

Harry's heart tightened abruptly.

"Never mind, tell me first—what made you write to me in the middle of the night?" Dumbledore resumed his gentle, benevolent smile; at school, he wore this expression almost constantly, but today, Harry seemed to detect a trace of weariness behind it.

"At the start of this summer," Harry hesitated, then decided to speak plainly, "I began dreaming of Voldemort's perspective at noon—and not just at noon; I've tried sleeping at other times, and occasionally I catch glimpses of his situation."

Dumbledore frowned.

"I suspect it's connected to my scar, perhaps also to my soul," Harry said, handing over his journal recording his dreams. "I've documented everything I've seen—except for what happened yesterday at noon."

Dumbledore skimmed through the journal, murmuring softly, "Good…"

"Yesterday at noon, I realized this dream suddenly had sound," Harry said carefully. "Voldemort commissioned a very powerful wand from a foreign craftsman—he intends to use it against you."

Dumbledore closed the journal. His gaze was hidden behind his spectacles; Harry could not discern its expression.

"Seeing Voldemort's perspective is an extraordinary phenomenon—no known spell produces this effect," Dumbledore said slowly. "So I believe I now understand the general situation. What remains unclear is whether Voldemort is aware of it."

"Yes, Professor," Harry said urgently. "I'm afraid Voldemort might be using the same method to spy on me."

"You needn't worry—his soul is too fragmented; this connection is already extremely weak," Dumbledore whispered. "But we should find a more private place to discuss this."

Harry glanced behind him; Ron and Ivy could descend for breakfast at any moment. These matters were not for them to know—it was a form of protection. Harry had a premonition that what Dumbledore was about to reveal might be Voldemort's deepest secret.

Once seated in the locked study, Dumbledore gathered his thoughts, then spoke slowly: "Let me think where to begin, Harry. Perhaps, first, let's discuss why you've been seeing these visions."

"Fourteen years ago, on that night, when Voldemort tried to kill you, he failed—the Killing Curse rebounded and struck him. A fragment of Voldemort's soul split off and attached itself to you," Dumbledore exhaled deeply. "Even he likely didn't notice—you became his Horcrux by accident."

"A soul fragment—I've suspected as much," Harry nodded. "But what is a Horcrux?"

"An evil ritual: murder splits the caster's soul, and the torn fragment is bound to an object. As long as the soul fragments endure, the main soul cannot die—that is how Voldemort has returned from death," Dumbledore said. "To kill Voldemort, you must destroy all his soul fragments—in other words, all his Horcruxes."

"But… you just said I might be one?" Harry said uncertainly.

"Perhaps, perhaps not—it depends on whether Voldemort has created new Horcruxes," Dumbledore said. "Seven is merely my guess, because seven is a magical number, and Voldemort has always been superstitious."

Harry couldn't help asking: "Do you know how many Horcruxes he's already made?"

"Four are confirmed," Dumbledore said. "In your second year, Donald showed me Ravenclaw's diadem—it has been turned into a Horcrux and is hidden in the Room of Requirement."

Harry instantly understood why Donald had prevented Luna from touching the diadem; perhaps this rich heir, despite his odd preferences, was still fundamentally just.

"I soon discovered that Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket had been stolen—I suspect Voldemort took them to make into Horcruxes," Dumbledore sighed. "He couldn't steal Gryffindor's sword, because only a true Gryffindor may wield it."

"Then," Harry took a deep breath, "what is the fourth Horcrux?"

"The Resurrection Stone," Dumbledore extended his right hand, which he had kept hidden in his sleeve. Harry stared in horror—his little finger was completely blackened and withered.

"Voldemort's family ring—he recognized the stone embedded in it as the Resurrection Stone, and gladly turned it into a Horcrux," Dumbledore removed a cracked ring from his blackened finger; it held a round stone.

"Professor, your hand—" Harry asked anxiously.

"It's fine—the curse is contained within the finger. It will take at least two years before it begins to spread," Dumbledore said calmly. "I still have at least two years to live."

For Harry, whose life had barely begun, it was hard to imagine what "two years left to live" meant—but he knew he could never face it with Dumbledore's calmness.

"Four relics of the founders, plus three Deathly Hallows—I'm certain Voldemort intended to create exactly seven Horcruxes," Dumbledore blinked. "But he never collected them all. I don't know if he made others to complete the seven—or even if he intended only seven."

Harry stared grimly at Dumbledore's hand, wondering why he had been wounded—he knew Voldemort would have cursed the ring, so why—unless he'd lost his head the moment he saw the Resurrection Stone, desperate to see someone.

Harry remembered the girl receding endlessly in the Realm of Life and Death. Perhaps Dumbledore wasn't as strong as everyone imagined—he, too, carried a flaw, an unyielding attachment. His calmness as death approached may have come from having little left to cling to in this world.

Dumbledore drew his hand back into his sleeve. The two sat in silence, gazing at each other. After a long while, Dumbledore continued: "This year, we have an opportunity to capture Voldemort. But if we fail, you will be the only one capable of leading others to continue fighting him. So Harry—whether for this plan or for what follows—you must win the Triwizard Tournament, and you must win brilliantly."

"If— I mean, if we fail, and Voldemort hides again—I can buy you at most two more years, perhaps less. You must grow strong, and keep searching for the secrets of his Horcruxes," Dumbledore's tone held finality. "Prepare yourself mentally."

"Can't Voldemort defeat you?" Harry hesitated, then asked.

"Not necessarily," Dumbledore said wearily. "His mastery of Dark Magic surpasses anyone's. Though I remain more learned, my magical power is no longer what it was in my youth."

"If we fought to the death, I could kill him—though I would likely die as well," Dumbledore said slowly. "But if Voldemort chooses to flee, I cannot pursue him."

Harry clenched his lips tightly, nodding slightly. This was certainly no good news. Voldemort only needed to wait—until time defeated Dumbledore—and then he would be invincible. Even more despairing: even now, with nearly all his power intact, Dumbledore could not truly destroy Voldemort.

The worst scenario: even if Dumbledore killed Voldemort at the cost of his own life, Voldemort would simply return through his Horcruxes—and Hogwarts would never have another Dumbledore.

Perhaps sensing Harry's fear, Dumbledore comforted him: "Don't worry too much. We still have the plan devised by the Department of Mysteries. If we succeed this year, everything will improve."

"But the plan hinges on me dueling him," Harry couldn't help saying. "Now Voldemort's target is you."

"Indeed," Dumbledore sighed. "Given what you saw in your dreams, matters have become complicated. But don't worry, Harry—there will be a way. We still have a year to think, to adjust our plan."

"And if I am one of the Horcruxes," Harry hesitated, "does that mean I must find some spell to remove the soul fragment from me?"

"Until we know for certain which Horcruxes exist, the best course is to imprison Voldemort," Dumbledore said. "As long as the main soul remains intact, he cannot use his fragments to resurrect."

"But Azkaban won't hold him—the Dementors fear him," Dumbledore added. "This is difficult. We may need another solution…"