Crimson Ink

Truths Spelled Out

Last Time:

The results are in ...

Dumbledore, the leader of the light, has four horcruxes ...

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Myrtle frowned in concern, "So we only have three ideas for what the four horcruxes are, but none found. We knew this wouldn't be easy ... Tom?" The ghost smiled softly as her friend paced the underground chamber hidden in Hogwarts. For the last few years Tom has been coming through the Vanishing cabinets and visiting her and Debora down in the Chamber of Secrets. Lately he has become quite worried and it's easy to understand why. After all none of Dumbledore's horcruxes have been found, but Harry just received his letter for Hogwarts ...

"What am I supposed to do, Myrtle? I refuse to let Harry anywhere near that manipulative bastard, but ... but it's his schooling." Tom sighed as he sat down on the tip of the basilisk's tail.

Debora raised her scaly head and gently nuzzled Tom's head, which took great care considering her great size, 'You must let him go, but remember he'll be safe here.'

"Safe? From Dumbledore? There's no such thing." Tom groaned in worry for his future lover.

"She's right, Tom." Myrtle said as she floated over to him. Apparently, once you die you can understand all languages including parseltongue, which is why Myrtle could understand what Debora told Tom. "Harry is safer here than you think. Both Debora and I won't let anything happen to him. Now I only have a week or so before Dumbledore refreshes the spell so he can keep track of the conversations I have so let's review and think carefully."

Tom sighed, "Fine ... from what we can conclude. Dumbledore made four horcruxes before finally figuring out how to drain the dead magic from his soul to stop the horrible mental effects caused by the dead magic. As a result the Whomping Willow at Hogwarts was born and he drains to keep himself from losing his mind or from making more horcruxes than he can handle. He hated Gellert and his brother and was obsessed with Gryffindor, which means the Gryffindor sword is a likely horcrux candidate."

"But the sword has been missing for centuries." Myrtle commented absentmindedly.

"Yes, but he may have found it." Tom offered as a possible scenario. "We also know he admired his father who, according to Gringotts' records, had a ring so that's also a possible horcrux. He never found the hallows so we can rule those items out, but there was a painting depicting the story that showed a necklace of the Hallow symbol. Only three original necklaces were made, but one went missing and the last two are with the Lovegoods. Considering how obsessed he was it stands to reason he found and used one of them."

"A sword, a ring and a necklace ... so we have good options, but no idea for the fourth one or where any of them are ... you know he is very cautious, so I would think he'd want them close. I searched the castle, but even though I couldn't find anything that doesn't mean they aren't here." The ghost pondered.

"We checked all of Godric's Hollow and places that are under Gellert's name. There's no other places that are obvious. Nothing had dead magic ... he's the headmaster of Hogwarts and has free rein. He is the only one allowed to apparate, which gives him a big advantage, and he can enter or monitor every room except the professors' living quarters and this chamber. It would be foolish to not use the advantage that comes from being in control of this place, but how is he hiding them?" Tom mused.

Myrtle nodded slowly as she thought of the issues, "There are places I can't go. I'm cursed to stay in the main castle so I haven't looked through the Forbidden Forest or the Quidditch field or the courtyard."

"Yeah Peter, Quirinus and Severus have been looking where you can't, but still nothing ... we're missing something ... something sickeningly obvious." Tom ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.