𝑰𝒏𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 | 𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒐 𝑴𝒂𝒍𝒇𝒐𝒚 | 𝟐

| SEVENTY |

Chapter 70: The Pensieve

~•~

In the passing months of January and February, March was very nearly upon Hogwarts and the three months hadn't come easy. Tensions were rising within the castle, even more so between the houses. Slytherin had torn into two, the students who were following the Dark Lord and the students who were not. A heart to heart with Blaise had opened Olivia's eyes severely and she had made a rash decision.

She decided it was for the best to distance herself from Draco. Not for a malicious reason but more to protect the boy. She had sharp come to realise that everyone she became involved with, everyone she cared about somehow got hurt. She couldn't afford to carry the guilt on her back and the heartache of causing harm to someone else.

It was why she had found herself in Dumbledore's office after night hours stood before him and next to Harry, about to visit the very memory that could possibly hold the key to Voldemort's demise for the first time.

She watched anxiously as Dumbledore tipped the memory into the Pensieve and looked to the two students who could quite possibly win the war. "Are you ready?"

They both shook their head yes, stepping up to the Pensieve and giving each other one final nod before looking under the water and into the memory.

Professor Slughorn sat at a rounded table with students sat around him, chattering and eating. It appeared to be one of the mans dinner parties.

'Sir is it true that Professor Merrythought is retiring?' A black haired boy asked from across the table.

'Tom I couldn't tell you if I knew could I? And by the way thank you for the pineapple. You're quite right, it is my favourite.. but how did you know?"

'Intuition.'

'Good gracious, is that the time already? Off you go boys or Professor Dippett will have us all in detention.'

The boys rose from their seats and scurried out, leaving one behind as he continued to look about the office curiously.

'Look sharp Tom. Don't be caught out of bed after night hours.' Tom continued to ignore the man, 'Is something on your mind Tom?'

'Yes sir. See I couldn't think of anyone else to go to. The other Professors, well they're not like you. They might .. misunderstand'

Slughorn nodded his head, 'Go on.'

'I was in the library the other night. In the restricted section and I read something rather odd about a bit of rare magic. It's called, as I understand it, a horcrux.'

'I beg your pardon? I don't know anything about such things and if I did I wouldn't tell you. Now get out of here at once and don't .. ever .. let ..'

The memory faded quickly after that, the words of Slughorn's becoming hazy as everything became distorted. It signalled the ending of the memory and brought Harry and Olivia to lift their head from the Pensieve with confused looks on their faces.

Olivia frowned as she thought back to the memory, "Is that what he looked like before ...?"

Dumbledore nodded, "Indeed. Confused? I'd be surprised if we weren't."