Chop And Change (Sequel to The Eternal Prophecy)

Horcrux

  I got changed from the infirmary uniform into my uniform. Tom helped me all the way to Dumbledore'd office, which I entered to find Professor Dumbledore holding a vial of memory.

        "Come in Aria, 'cause today is an important day."he said as he welcomed me into his office.I went in further to find Harry already present along with Dumbledore's pensieve at his desk. So my brother succeeded to retrieve the memory. "Indeed yes, he has Ms. Petrova"said Dumbledore as he read my thoughts. I gave him a meager smile, as I looked at him. Feeling slightly peaky after recent events.I looked at the picture of the cave which Tom had at his orphanage.Dumbledore poured the memory into the pensieve as we pushed our faces in.
        It again revealed the crackling embers of the fire in Slughorn's office. Slughorn was present along with six students as he commanded the room.
        "Sir, is it true that Professor Merrythought is retiring?"asked Tom. Slughorn simply chuckled as he waved a sugar-encrusted finger at Tom.
        "Now Tom, I couldn't tell you, even if I knew I could?"he replied."I must say, m'boy, I'd like to know from where do you get your information. More knowledgeable than half the staff itself."he proclaimed.The other boys simply laughed as Slughorn continued,"By the way, thank you for the pineapple - you're quite right, it's my favourite - from where did you know?"
        "Intuition"replied Tom. Though it seemed he clearly knew about it. Slughorn gave an uneasy chuckle as he looked at the clock.
        "Good gracious!"he eclaimed,"Is that time already.Of you go boys, or Professor Dippett will have us all in detention. Lestrange, Avery don't forget your essays."The room gave into a hustle and bustle, the others exited as Slughorn looked at his possessions. Then a PING sound was heard making him turn and look at Tom."Look sharp Tom.You don't want to be caught out of bed after hours......."
        "I know a secret shortcut or two."said Tom.
        "Yes. I imagine you do."said Slughorn."Something on your mind, Tom?"he asked as he observed Tom's expressions.
        "Yes, sir. I couldn't think of anyone else to go to,"began Tom."The other professors, well, they are not like you. They might.......misunderstand."
        "Go on"urged Sllughorn.
        "I was in the library the other day"said Tom" in the Restricted Section.I read something rather odd about a rare bit of magic and thought perhaps you could illuminate me.It's called as I understand it...............a Horcrux."Slughorn's weak smile evaporated altogether.
        "Excuse me?"said Slughorn.
        "Horcrux. I came across the term while reading and I didn't fully understand it."said Tom.
        "I'm not sure what you were reading Tom."said Slughorn as he tried to stall the subject at hand."But that's dark stuff, very dark indeed."
        "Yes, sir."admitted Tom,"which is why I came to you.I mean no disrespect for the staff, but I thought if anyone could tell me..........it would be you."Slughorn frowned, clearly disturbed as he spoke up quietly.
        "A horcrux is an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul."said Slughorn.
        "Yes, I thought it might be something like that,"said Tom."But sir, I don't understand how it works?"he asked.
        "One splits one's soul,"explained Slughorn to Tom."and hides part of it in an object. By doing so, you, if you are a mortal by birth, you are protected should you be attacked and your body destroyed."
        "Protected if born a mortal?"asked Tom clearly curious.
        "There are people in this wizarding world who are born as immortal, only able to die if they kill themselves. Since you do not belong to such family, you are mortal by birth. And the horcrux protects you. The soul that you had split and hidden in an object goes on living. In other words, you cannot die."said Slughorn to Tom. Tom nodded and turned off to face a mirror in another direction, as he saw a red glint in his eyes.
        "How does one split one's soul sir?"asked Tom.
        "I think you can guess the answer to that Tom."said Slughorn.
        "Murder"answered Tom.
        "Yes. Killing rips the soul apart."said Slughorn."It's a violation against nature. Even the born immortal adopt it as a last resort. 'cause after that, one's never the same."
        "Out of curiosity sir?"said Tom, "Can you split your soul only once? For instance, isn't seven the most powerful magical number -- "
        "Seven!"exclaimed Slughorn with astonishment."Merlin's beard, Tom! Isn't it bad enough to think of killing one person?To rip the soul to seven pieces......"he stopped thinking over what Tom said as he looked back at Tom."This is all hypothetical Tom? For academical purposes......"he asked Tom.
        "Of course, sir."replied Tom. "And I promise I'll not speak of our little conversation, it'll be our little secret."He reached out and pinched the flame of a candle, killing it.
        As smoke rose in the air, we resurfaced into the office of Dumbledore, out of the pensieve.
        "Sir --" began Harry when Dumbledore silence him with a hand, looking as if he had seen the most haunting scene ever. But to me this was so not the most haunting scene ever.  Compared to what I've seen in life, this scene was like an prematured newborn next to a fully experienced adult.
        "This, to me, is anything beyond I imagined, though not to Ms. Petrova. In my life I've seen many things, horrific indeed...........but I know now you'll see worse, though not the worst........"said Dumbledore. He looked away from us, especially Harry his eyes distant. We watched him intently and so did the other headmasters from their little frames. 
        "Do you mean to say he succeeded sir?" Harry asked tentatively breaking the eerie silent atmosphere."In making a horcrux?"
        "Oh, he succeeded."said Dumbledore."And not just once. Think again Harry, he just told us."
        "Seven. He made seven - the most powerful magical number --. But ..........what are they exactly?" asked Harry.
        "They can be anything."said Dumbledore."The most commonest of objects. A ring, for example."as he showed us the Gaunt ring."A book"showing Tom's diary.
        "Tom Riddle's Diary."said Harry.
        "It's a horcrux, yes. Four years ago, when you and Aria, saved young Ginny Weasley's life in the Chamber of Secrets, from which Merryn Petrova extracted the soul, and brought him to the present as his teen self.When you brought me this...........I immediately knew it as a different kind of magic.Very dark. Very powerful, which only can be handled by highly advanced witches and wizards, with ease.But until tonight, I had no idea how powerful........"said Dumbledore.
        "And the ring?"asked Harry.
        "Belonged the Merope Gaunt."I said, as Dumbledore nodded.
        "Yes, Voldemort's mother.It was difficult to find and even more difficult to destroy."said Dumbledore as he showed us his destroyed hand.
        "But if you could find them all, if you could destroy them all..........."said Harry.
        "You can destroy Voldemort, but at a terrible price."said Dumbledore making Harry frown."Remember the next part of the prophecy Harry. It says if Voldemort is completely destroyed, his eternal mate, your sister Aria shall push the wizarding world to it's doom. Which is why Harry I gave Aria to mission to make Tom see love. You see Merryn extracted the soul of Voldemort, from Tom Riddle's diary, and brought him corporeally by sacrificing a dying girl. So if you destroy all of them, you will lead it to our doom. Which is where Aria comes into play."This made Harry simply eye at me and nod his head agreeing with whatever Dumbledore said.
        "But sir, how would you find them? They could be anywhere."said Harry.
        "True."agreed Dumbledore as he said his viewpoint."But magic, especially dark magic, leaves its traces."Harry eyed the black stone ring  pondering over the view.
        "And what about the people born immortal sir?"asked Harry. 
        "These people are those born to or married to a member of Life, Death, Mother Nature and Mother Universe."I explained to Harry." They are born immortal due to having one or more of them in their ancestral line. Elena and I have all of them, we are immortal."Harry simply gaped at me with wonder-struck eyes. Just then his hand touched the ring, and I read his mind......seeing flashes of images of Tom, Voldemort, the ring, a snake, a cup, a diadem, and an old woman. He came out of his trance as he looked at Dumbledore, finally realisation illuminating in his eyes.
        "It's where you've been going sir."said Harry."When you leave the school."
        "Yes, and I think......perhaps I may have found another."said Dumbledore."But this time I cannot hope to destroy it alone.Once again I shall ask too much of you both." I immediately got the message, he would take us along with him to destroy Tom's fragmented souls................