"Well," said Slughorn, not looking at Riddle, but playing with the ribbon on the box of candied pineapples, "of course, it wouldn't hurt to give you a brief introduction, just to give you an understanding of the term." A Horcrux www.biquge.info is an object that contains part of a person's soul. ”

"But I don't quite understand what that's going on, sir. Riddle said.

His voice was carefully controlled.

"That is, you split your soul," Slughorn said, "and hide a part of it in some object outside your body." In this way, even if your body is attacked or destroyed, you will not be able to die, because there is still a part of your soul left unharmed. But, of course, in this form—"

Slughorn's face furrowed.

—Few people think like that, Tom, less and less. It's better to die. ”

But Riddle's hunger was evident now, and his expression was greedy, unable to hide his desires.

"How do you split the soul?"

"Oh," Slughorn said uneasily, "you must understand that the soul should remain intact. Splitting it is a transgression, an anti-natural. ”

"But how do you divide it?"

"By evil deeds - the most wicked acts, through murder. Killing splits souls, and wizards who want to create Horcruxes take advantage of this destruction: seal the fragments of the split souls—"

"Sealed? But what—?"

"There's a spell, don't ask me, I don't know!" Slughorn shook his head like an old elephant bitten by mosquitoes, "Do I look like I've tried—am I like a murderer?"

"No, sir, of course not," Riddle said hurriedly, "I'm sorry—I didn't mean to offend—"

"Where, where, no offense," Slughorn said gruffly, "it's normal to be a little curious about these things—talented wizards are always drawn to the magical side—"

Phoenix agrees with Slughorn that dark magic is always noticed by good wizards. The difference is where they are used.

"Yes, sir," said Riddle, "but what I don't understand—just out of curiosity, I would like to ask, is a Horcrux of great use? Is it true that a soul can only be split once?

"My God, Tom," Slughorn cried, "seven! isn't it evil enough to kill a man?

Slughorn looked very uneasy now: he glared at Riddle as if he hadn't seen him clearly, and could see that he regretted being part of the conversation.

"Of course," he whispered, "we're talking about assumptions, aren't they?

"Yes, sir, of course. Riddle said right away.

"But don't say what Tom - I'm talking about - what we're talking about. People wouldn't be happy to know that we talked about Horcruxes. It's forbidden at Hogwarts, you know - Dumbledore is especially fierce - "

"I won't say it, sir. Riddle finished and left. The moment he turned around, Phoenix caught a glimpse of his face, full of ecstasy, as he had when he first found out that he was a wizard, and that joy did not make his face more handsome, but rather a little hideous—

Slughorn also noticed, his hands trembling uncontrollably. His eyes looked in the direction Riddle had left, and his mouth was slightly open—

Phoenix whispered, "Let's go—"

Harry fell back to the floor of his office, behind which Phoenix was already seated in the chair at his desk. Harry sat down as well, waiting for Phoenix to speak. Snape hasn't come back yet.

"I—we've been waiting for this evidence for a long time," Phoenix finally said, "it confirms Dumbledore's speculation, proves him right. ”

The old headmasters in the portraits on the walls are all awake and eavesdropping on their conversations. A fat wizard with a red nose also took out a hearing aid.

"Congratulations, Professor Dumbledore. There was no hint of joy in Phoenix's words, and the portrait of Dumbledore shook his head and did not answer.

"The number of Horcruxes we know, six-"

"Aren't there five?" Harry interrupted Phoenix.

"You have to count the piece of soul in his own body. This means that he is one more than one. Phoenix continued, "Dumbledore thought that the snake might be a Horcrux. That big snake called Nagini, you know, right?"

Harry nodded, surprised.

"Can you use animals as Horcruxes?"

Phoenix doesn't explain specifically, but admits that it's possible.

"I've pressed a few nails next to Voldemort. If we were caught in the process of destroying the Horcrux - ah, that's pretty much for sure, Gringotts wasn't that easy to get in and out of, after all. We'll know if that snake is a Horcrux or not. ”

"How?" Harry didn't follow Phoenix's train of thought.

"Think about it," Phoenix said with a hint of impatience in his tone, "what would he do if he knew someone was destroying his most precious thing?" As a living creature, Nagini will certainly not be sent out at will like before. Voldemort would keep it by his side and protect it. ”

"This is the last Horcrux we need to destroy, and then it's Voldemort himself. Phoenix looked into his turquoise eyes, "If not, that's good—or worse." ”

"So let's pray that his Horcrux is the snake. ”

This time Harry reacted quickly and agreed loudly.

Harry sat there pondering for a moment and asked, "If all the Horcruxes were destroyed, Voldemort would be killed?"

"Definitely," said Phoenix, "without the Horcruxes, Voldemort would be a mortal with a broken soul." Without Horcruxes, killing a wizard like Voldemort would require extraordinary abilities and abilities. ”

"But I don't have extraordinary abilities and abilities. Harry blurted out.

"You have," Phoenix said firmly, realizing that he had said too much, "you have—"

"I know!" said Harry impatiently, "I have love!

After saying that, he turned his head to look at Dumbledore, with a kind of revenge in his eyes.

"Dumbledore said the same, but he said far more to his good friend Grindelwald than to me. Do you believe it too?"

"Yes, Potter, I believe," Phoenix replied after a moment, "love is also an emotion, and as long as it is an emotion, it is a strength." The reason why the Avada mantra is so long-awaited is because it is the embodiment of all negative feelings. If you don't want to kill someone in your heart, just chanting a spell won't help. ”

"How do you know?" said Harry, raising the bar.

Phoenix drew his wand at breakneck speed, pointing it at Harry. (To be continued.) )