Obliviate My Choices {Book 4}

19. Horcruxes

As we crept back to the castle, I could feel the effects of the potion wearing off, the false confidence and happiness dripping off my mind like mud. But our luck surely ran out when we got to the potrait and the fat lady wasn't in any mood to help.

"What sort of time do you call this?"

I huffed, "Well sorry, we had to go out for something very important."

"Well, the password changed at midnight, so you'll just have to sleep in the corridor, won't you?"

"You're joking!" said Harry. "Why did it have to change at midnight?"

"That's great if there's any parties on about the castle, no wonder Fred and George were hardly seen for most of last year." I said, irritated.

"That's the way it is," said the Fat Lady. "If you're angry, go and take it up with the Headmaster, he's the one who's tightened security."

"Fantastic," said Harry bitterly, looking around at the hard floor. "Really brilliant. Yeah, I would go and take it up with Dumbledore if he was here, because he's the one who wanted me to --"

"He is here," said a voice behind us. "Professor Dumbledore returned to the school an hour ago."

Nearly Headless Nick was gliding toward us, his head wobbling as usual upon his ruff.

"I had it from the Bloody Baron, who saw him arrive," said Nick. "He appeared, according to the Baron, to be in good spirits, though a little tired, of course."

"Where is he?" I asked quickly, thinking we could give him the memory and get the password in one go.

"Oh, groaning and clanking up on the Astronomy Tower, it's a favorite pastime of his --"

"Not the Bloody Baron -- Dumbledore!"

"Oh--in his office," said Nick. "I believe, from what the Baron said, that he had business to attend to before turning in --"

Without another word, Harry grabbed onto my forearm and practically dragged me down the corrior before I could say goodbye to Nick. Once past our corridor, Harry grabbed my hand and we hurtled through corridors and up stairs, and breathlessly we arrived at Dumbledore's office.

"Enter," said Dumbledore when Harry knocked. He sounded exhausted.

Harry pushed open the door and the two of us walked in.

"Good gracious, Harry, Aurora" said Dumbledore in surprise. "To what do I owe this very late pleasure?"

"We've got the memory from Slughorn--show him, Harry." I said proudly, and Harry showed him the glass bottle. For a moment Dumbledore was stunned, and then he gave us a huge smile.

"Why Aurora, Harry, this is spectacular news! Very well done indeed! I knew you both could do it!"

All thought of the lateness of the hour apparently forgotten, he hurried around his desk, took the bottle and poured into the pensieve. "Now, we shall all see it--Aurora, I believe you've been wishing to be involved for quite a while now."

"Yes, Sir." I nodded. "I feel like me again, the new and improved me. I'm ready to get involved and I want to fight back."

Dumbledore smiled at me, "And so you should. And now we shall see, quickly, quickly...."

Harry and I exchanged an excited, apprehensive smile before walking over to the pensieve and sticking our heads inside. And then we were in Slughorn's office in one of his dinner parties, Slughorn leading the chatter with a dozen boys, looking slimmer with more hair.

And in the midst of them all was Tom Riddle his grandfather's gold-and-black ring gleaming on his finger. Riddle asked, "Sir, is it true that Professor Merrythought is retiring?"

"Tom, Tom, if I knew I couldn't tell you," said Slughorn, wagging his finger reprovingly at Riddle, though winking at the same time. "I must say, I'd like to know where you get your information, boy, more knowledgeable than half the staff, you are."

Riddle smiled; the other boys laughed and cast him admiring looks. Even though I knew he would become an evil murdering psychopath, I had to admit---Riddle sure was attractive.

"-- I confidently expect you to rise to Minister of Magic within twenty years. Fifteen, if you keep sending me pineapple, I have excellent contacts at the Ministry."

Tom Riddle merely smiled as the others laughed again. He coudn't have been the oldest, but everybody seemed to look at him like he was the most powerful in the room.

"I don't know that politics would suit me, sir," he said when the laughter had died away. "I don't have the right kind of background, for one thing."

A couple of the boys around him smirked at each other. Harry was sure they were enjoying a private joke, proably about how he was related to Slytherin himself.

"Good gracious, is it that time already? You'd better get going boys, or we'll all be in trouble. Lestrange, I want your essay by in morrow or it's detention. Same goes for you, Avery."

One by one, the boys filed out of the room. Slughorn heaved himself out of his armchair and carried his empty glass over to his desk. A movement behind him made him look around; Riddle was still standing there, looking like some creepy from a horror movie.

"Look sharp, Tom, you don't want to be caught out of bed out of hours, and you a prefect.. ."

"Sir, I wanted to ask you something."

"Ask away, then, m'boy, ask away..."

"Sir, I wondered what you know about... about Horcruxes?"

Slughorn stared at him."Project for Defense Against the Dark Arts, is it?"

But you could tell from the tense way Slughorn twisted his ring that he knew it wasn't about schoolwork.

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

"No... well... you'd be hard-pushed to find a book at Hogwarts that'll give you details on Horcruxes, Tom, that's very Dark stuff, very Dark indeed," said Slughorn.

"But you obviously know all about them, sir? I mean, a wizard like you--sorry, I mean, if you can't tell me, obviously--I just knew if anyone could tell me, you could--so I just thought I'd ask--"