(One more chapter and free, reason: a lot of original content.) Ask for a referral ticket!)

Lockhart and Harry threw Ron down to sleep with the two old men...... Carrying Hermione to her bedroom, covering her with the quilt, she followed Harry to the Headmaster's office.

into memory......

"Sir, I would like to ask if you know...... Horcruxes. Lockhart also had to admit that Voldemort, who was at school, was handsome and gentle, so it was no wonder that Slughorn could answer such questions without warning.

Slughorn glared at him, his fat fingers caressing the foot of the cup absentmindedly, "Defence Against the Dark Arts subject, huh?"

"No, sir, what I read in the book, I don't understand much. If it had been Lockhart, he might have taken his word for admitting that it was a Defense subject, but Tom Riddle was clearly smarter and knew Slughorn better, and his honesty clearly impressed the Potions professor at the time.

"Hmm...... Oh, yes...... It's hard to find a book at Hogwarts that goes into detail about Horcruxes, Tom. That's very evil stuff, very evil. Slughorn said.

"But you obviously know well, sir? I mean, a wizard like you -- I'm sorry, I mean, if you can't sue me, obviously-- I just know that if anyone can sue me, it's you, so I wanted to ask—"

Just the right amount of hesitation, casual tone, and subtle compliments are not overdone at all. Lockhart is also very good at acting, but he thinks Voldemort is far superior to him in this regard.

"Well," said Slughorn, who didn't look at Riddle, but played 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 is an object that holds part of a person's soul. ”

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

"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 there is zài...... "he shook his head...... Few people think like that, Tom, less and less. It's better to die. ”

But Riddle's ** is now obvious that his expression is greedy and can no longer hide his **. "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?"

"Evil deeds - the most evil acts, 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 busily, "I'm sorry...... I didn't mean to offend ......"

"Where, where, no offense," Slughorn said in a gruff voice, "it's normal to be a little curious about these things...... Talented wizards will always be drawn to the dark side of magic......"

"Yes, sir," said Riddle, "but what I don't understand—just out of curiosity, I would like to ask, is a Horcrux useful? Is the soul only split once? Is it better to divide a few more pieces to make you stronger? Isn't seven, for example, the most magical number? Seven-?"

"Merlin's beard, Tom!" Slughorn cried, "Seven! Isn't it evil enough to kill a man......? Splitting souls is evil enough...... And divided into seven pieces......"

Slughorn looked very uneasy now: he glared at Riddle as if he hadn't seen him clearly, and he was now clearly beginning to regret being part of the conversation. "Of course," he whispered, "we're talking about assumptions, aren't they? just academic ......."

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

"Tom, though...... What I'm talking about -- what we're talking about, let's not say it. People wouldn't be happy to know that we talked about Horcruxes. It's forbidden at Hogwarts, you know...... Dumbledore was particularly intense......"

"I won't say it, sir. Riddle departed, and despite his attempts to disguise it, his face was still visibly filled with ecstasy, as it had been when he first found out that he was a wizard, and the joy had not made his face more handsome, but rather a little hideous......

The memories are over.

Lockhart and Harry fell back to the floor of the office, Dumbledore trembled and leaned on the table and sat down in his chair, for some reason, Lockhart felt that Dumbledore was a little uneasy, could it be that he was so frightened that he sat in a daze for a while before speaking.

"Gildero, and Harry, you're doing a good job this time...... Dumbledore finally said, "but this memory ...... It's worse than I thought......"

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.

"He actually made six Horcruxes," Dumbledore said, "one more than I could have predicted...... worst"

"Isn't it seven?" asked Harry, curiously.

"The seventh soul is within himself, Harry. "Lockhart explains, the eighth is in you, Harry.

"More than ten years ago, when Voldemort disappeared," Dumbledore paused, gathered his thoughts, and then said, "The Ministry of Magic arrested a large number of Death Eaters and found that the dark magic mark on their arms had not disappeared. ”

"He didn't die because of the Horcruxes?"

"That's right," Dumbledore nodded haggardly, "but it wasn't until four years ago, when Gilderoy was attacked by Ginny, that I got the first evidence from Ginny that Voldemort split his soul. ”

"Where?" Harry asked, "How do you know?"

"Remember the Horcrux we destroyed not long ago," Dumbledore said, "that clearing is the destruction left behind by the Order of the Phoenix when it destroyed the first Horcrux, Riddle's diary, which taught people how to reopen the Chamber of Secrets. ”

"Ah, I see. Harry suddenly realized, "Is that the diary that is controlling Ginny?"

"That's right, but with what I know about Voldemort, since he dared to release the soul in this diary and teach people how to open the secret room," Dumbledore continued, "it means that this is definitely not the only one, so I have been looking for traces of other Horcruxes through various channels in the following days...... With the help of my preserved memories, as well as the news of Voldemort's whereabouts provided by Mundungus, I was able to find the second ring and the third locket......"

"What about the other three?"

"From memory, we can be sure that Huffpuff's gold cup has also become a Horcrux, and I have a bold guess that Ravenclaw's relics have also suffered misfortunes......" Dumbledore nodded, "That's four, this is a worse situation, now it seems that Ravenclaw's relics must have been dealt with, and we don't know anything about the whereabouts of the remaining two Horcruxes." ”

"But what about the other one?" Harry looked at Lockhart and Dumbledore, as if he thought Dumbledore couldn't count.

"There's one more that I have some ideas ......" Dumbledore also looked at Lockhart, "Back then, several members of the Order of the Phoenix once encountered a snake that was well protected by magic, it was Voldemort's pet Nagini, and I guess it was also a Horcrux." ”

"Using a living creature as a Horcrux is obviously a risk, but it's also more difficult to deal with......" Lockhart shook his head, he had been thinking about what to do with the snake, Gryffindor's sword was useless, he had to think of a new way, "just destroy all the Horcruxes......"

"Voldemort is mortal!" Harry figured out.

"A wizard with extraordinary mana, to be exact," Dumbledore said approvingly, "Obviously, the Horcrux makes his strength abnormally strong, I don't understand the principle of this, but I can feel that his mana is far above mine, this is theoretically impossible, no potion that stimulates potential can produce such an effect, and defeating him requires extraordinary ability and ability." ”

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

"You have," Dumbledore said firmly, "you have abilities that Voldemort never had. You've — "

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

"Except for love," Lockhart agreed with Harry's last words, "you're a powerful wizard. Don't you realize that your grades in Defence Against the Dark Arts class are not in my favor, your magic is stronger than most students, and it takes almost a few attempts to learn spells, it's your bloodline, and it's your ability and ability. ”

"Yes, Harry, you're going to be a powerful wizard," Dumbledore seemed to understand Harry's words under his tongue, "and in fact you're already there, it's just that your professors are more powerful than you, and it's not that much of a teenager seems like you're underage." You're too young to know how special you are, Harry. ”

"I'm so amazing, so why did Hermione join the Order of the Phoenix, and I still have to be protected by you?"

"When you're an adult, you can join in. Dumbledore interrupted Harry's complaints, "Now, go back and rest, we must hurry up and find the Horcruxes." (To be continued.) )