When two worlds collide.

Tom Riddle.

"I was in the library the other day. In the restricted section... and I read something rather odd about this rare magic. It's called, as I understand it, a Horcrux." Tom leans forward.

"I beg your pardon?" Slughorn gasps.

"Horcrux. I came across the term while reading and I didn't fully understand it.." Tom shrugs.

"I'm not sure what you were reading, Tom, but this is very dark stuff. Very dark, indeed!"

"Which is...why I came to you.." Tom smiles slightly.

"A horcrux is an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul.." Slughorn explains.

"But I don't understand how that works, sir." Tom furrows his eyebrows.

"One splits one's soul and hides part of it in an object. By doing so, you are protected, should you be attacked and your body destroyed."

"Protected?" Tom huffs.

"That part of your soul which is hidden lives on. In other words, you cannot die.." Slughorn sighs.

"And how does one splits his soul, sir?" Tom folds his arms.

LI think you already know the answer to that, Tom!"

"Murder." Tom smiles.

"Yes, killing rips the soul apart and it is a violation against nature!" Slughorn snaps.

"Can you only split the soul once? For instance, isn't seven-" Tom starts.

"Seven? Merlin's beard, Tom! Isn't it bad enough to consider killing one person? To rip the soul in seven pieces!" He gasps. "This is all hypothetical, isn't it, Tom? All academic?"

"Of course, sir. It'll be our little secret." Tom whispers.

Current time-

"This is beyond anything I imagined." Dumbledore shakes his head.

"Did he succeed in making the Horcruxes?" I question.

"Oh yes, he succeeded, alright. And not just once!" Dumbledore exclaims.

"What are they exactly?" I sigh.

"It could be anything. Most common place of objects. A ring, for example, or a book.." Dumbledore explains.

"Tom Riddle's diary.." I mumble.

"It's a horcrux, yes. Four years ago when you saved Ginny Weasley's life in the Chamber of Secrets, you brought me this. I knew then, this was a different kind of magic. Very dark, very powerful. But until tonight, I had no idea just how powerful..."

"And the ring?" I fold my arms.

"Belonged to Voldemort's mother. Difficult to find. Even more difficult to destroy." Dumbledore runs his hand over his beard.

"But if you could find them all, if you did destroy each Horcrux-" I look at him, expectedly.

"One destroys Voldemort."

"How would you find them? They could be hidden anywhere, couldn't they?" I run my hand through my hair.

"True, but magic, especially dark magic...leaves traces." He nods.

"It's where you've been going, isn't it, sir? When you leave the school."

"Yes, and I think perhaps, I may have found another. But this time, I cannot hope to destroy it alone. Once again, I must ask too much of you, Alex."

. . .

"Have you ever considered that you ask too much, that you take too much for granted? Has it ever crossed your brilliant mind that I don't want to do this anymore?" Snape growls.

"Whether it has or hasn't is irrelevant. I will not negotiate with you, Severus. You agreed. Nothing more to discuss!" Dumbledore snaps back. "Alex, you are unfailingly kind. A trait people never fail to undervalue, I'm afraid. The place to which we journey tonight is extremely dangerous. I promise you for the company of me and I stand by that promise. But there's one condition. You must obey every command I give you without question." He looks at me.

"I do that anyway." I mutter under my breath.

"You do understand what I'm saying. Should I tell you to hide, you hide. Should I tell you to run, you run. Should I tell you to abandon me and save yourself, you must do so. Your word, Alex."

"My word, Professor." I nod.

"Take my arm." He holds his arm out for me.

"Sir, I thought you couldn't Apparate within Hogwarts." I look at him.

We apparate to a rock right in the middle of the sea.

"Well, being me has its privileges. This is the place. Oh, yes. This place has known magic..in order to gain passage, payment must be made. Payment intended to weaken any intruder.." He cuts his hand open.

"You should have let me, sir." I sigh.

"No, no, Alex. Your blood's much more precious than mine. Voldemort would not have made it easy to discover his hiding place. He would put certain defenses in position. Careful. There it is. The only question is how do we get there? If you would, Alex."  He smears it on the wall and a secret passage opens.

"Do you think the Horcrux is in there, sir?" I question as I follow behind him.

"Oh, yes. It has to be drunk. All of it has to be drunk. You remember the conditions on which I brought you with me? This potion might paralyze me. May make me forget what I'm doing here. Might cause me so much pain that I beg for relief. You are not to indulge these requests. It's your job, Alex, to make sure I keep drinking this potion. Even if you have to force it down my throat. Understood?"

"Why can't I drink it, sir?" I scoff.

"Because I'm much older, much cleverer and much less valuable. Your good health, Alex." He starts to drink the potion.

He collapses to his knees after awhile, his face draining of colour.

"Professor. Professor!" I gasp.

"Alex.." He whispers.

"Professor. Can you hear me? Professor!" I shake him.
"You have to keep drinking like you said, remember?"

"Stop.." He croaks.

"Just one more, sir. One more, I promise. I promise I'll do what you say!" I put the cup to his lips.

"No, no.."

"I-" I shove it down his throat.

"Alex. Water. Water.."

"Water..." I dip the cup in water. "Look, you did it, sir. Look!" I hold up the necklace.

. . .