Headmaster's Office.
The room was empty, save for the Pensieve swirling with milky white mist, spinning endlessly.
After what seemed like an indeterminate amount of time, Dumbledore and William emerged from the memory, returning to the office.
Having just reviewed Harry's and William's memories back-to-back, Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his eyes closed, as if deep in thought.
William waited quietly, his gaze roaming around the room.
Fawkes had returned to its perch, now completely featherless. The phoenix had tucked its bare head into its nest, sleeping soundly.
It seemed determined to stay put until its feathers grew back.
After all, a bald phoenix had less dignity than a common chicken!
The Sorting Hat had also returned to its original place, alongside Godric Gryffindor's sword.
William still found it remarkable that the Sorting Hat could summon Gryffindor's sword.
Was it Gryffindor's enchantment, or Dumbledore's doing?
He leaned toward the latter; the Headmaster did love playing these little tricks after all. They were unexpected and left you with a sense of divine predestination.
"See? Only a true Gryffindor can pull the sword from the Sorting Hat!"
Suddenly, your courage gets a double boost, and off you charge, roaring into battle!
After about ten minutes, Dumbledore finally opened his eyes, picked up the destroyed diary, and sighed deeply.
"Remarkable… Truly remarkable. There's no doubt that Tom was one of the most brilliant students Hogwarts has ever seen."
William nodded in agreement but raised a middle finger in response to Tom. After all, if the Dark Lord wasn't outstanding, he wouldn't be the Dark Lord.
William refrained from asking who the other "brilliant students" were. Now wasn't the time for idle chit-chat or mutual flattery.
"William, you've done well, as always," Dumbledore said softly.
"But I made a grave mistake. I placed too much faith in the power of the ring, hoping to help Harry grow."
"Time and time again, reality has proven that I, too, am prone to errors, just like any ordinary person. And, as you must forgive me for saying, because I am far more intelligent than most, my mistakes are correspondingly graver."
"I never imagined that deep within the Chamber of Secrets, there would be records left by Salazar Slytherin himself."
Dumbledore's tone was heavy with remorse.
"So, we're in trouble now, serious trouble, possibly even worse than Voldemort."
"Sixteen-year-old Riddle?"
"Precisely. I've said it more than once: Tom, in his youth, was far more terrifying than Voldemort.
"The two had very different approaches. Voldemort, having acquired immense power, lost his patience and, believing himself immortal, preferred straightforward slaughter.
"Young Riddle, however, was keen on manipulation and plots.
"And with the lessons of his older self as Voldemort, I suspect he will be even more cautious when dealing with me."
Dumbledore set the diary down and leaned lightly against his chair.
"Professor, there's something I don't understand. Neither Riddle nor Voldemort died after being hit by the Killing Curse.
"Riddle claimed to be Voldemort's soul, exiled and contained within the diary.
"What kind of magic is that? I've thought about it for a long time, but I can't recall any book mentioning anything similar."
Dumbledore's expression grew grave. He studied William carefully, his long, slender fingers steepled together at the tips.
After a long silence, he finally spoke in a cautious tone.
"William, have you ever heard of the term Horcrux?"
"Hmm… Yes, briefly. The Restricted Section's Most Potent Dark Arts mentions it, saying, 'No detailed account of the most evil invention known as the Horcrux shall be provided.'
"Other than that, I've never seen the term in any other book in the Restricted Section."
"That's because I removed all books with detailed descriptions of Horcruxes."
Dumbledore raised his hand slightly, and a thick book flew out from a cabinet.
It was bound in dark brown leather, with the title Secrets of the Darkest Arts emblazoned on its cover.
"This book contains nothing but dark magic, including the most detailed instructions on how to create and destroy a Horcrux."
Dumbledore opened the book, turning to the page on Horcruxes.
The page depicted a man killing someone, letting out a scream of agony as his soul visibly tore apart.
"By committing murder, one splits the soul and seals a fragment of it into an object.
"This way, even if your body is attacked or destroyed, you cannot die, as part of your soul remains intact in the world…"
"So that's Voldemort's secret to immortality. The diary was his Horcrux?" William raised an eyebrow.
Dumbledore nodded gravely. "Indeed. I realized long ago that Voldemort might have created Horcruxes.
"That's why I moved all books related to Horcruxes into my office, to prevent anyone else from discovering them.
"In the meantime, I've been searching for evidence. Finally, the diary provided it."
"Then there's another question, Professor," William asked perceptively. "How did the diary end up in Ron's hands?"
"I believe Lucius Malfoy gave it to him. Recently, he's been far too conspicuous, too ostentatious.
"Malfoy's house-elf has approached Harry more than once, hinting at impending attacks… All signs suggest that the diary previously belonged to Malfoy."
William thought carefully for a moment. "The only time Malfoy came into contact with Ron was at Flourish and Blotts, when he got into a fight with Mr. Weasley.
"He must have slipped the diary to Ron at that time."
"But how could he dare… to give Voldemort's Horcrux to Ron?" William asked in confusion.
"Malfoy probably didn't realize it was a Horcrux. Arthur's repeated searches likely made him nervous.
"He was eager to rid himself of his master's belongings and simultaneously frame Arthur," Dumbledore analyzed.
"This raises yet another question, Professor," William said, furrowing his brows. "Why was the Horcrux in Malfoy's possession?
"I mean, why would Voldemort entrust something so important to one of his followers?
"Knowing Voldemort's character, such a crucial item should have been hidden in a highly secure place, away from anyone's reach.
"Wasn't he being… careless?"
"William, your observation is astute," Dumbledore said with a slight nod. "I've been pondering this as well.
"Voldemort's negligence regarding this Horcrux means that he likely created multiple Horcruxes, making the loss of one relatively inconsequential.
"As much as I wish to believe otherwise, no other explanation seems plausible."
William hesitated for a moment before saying reluctantly, "Doesn't that mean we can never truly kill Voldemort? We don't know how many Horcruxes exist, nor do we know their precise locations."
Voldemort was truly living up to his name as the Dark Lord… lurking in the shadows and thriving in his secrecy.
If William were in his place, he'd find a beautiful, remote island and hide away, letting time wear down Dumbledore instead.
"I am investigating the locations of other Horcruxes and have already found a few small leads," Dumbledore said.
William was astonished. The Headmaster's efficiency was incredible.
Truly, no one knows you better than your enemy!
"As for the number of Horcruxes, there may be someone who knows," Dumbledore continued.
"Who?"
"A former colleague of mine, Horace Slughorn. He was once the Head of Slytherin House and was particularly fond of Tom. The two had a close relationship."
"Voldemort wouldn't have told him about such a thing, would he?"
"I suspect Tom might have consulted Horace on the matter," Dumbledore said cautiously.
"Twelve years ago, when Horace heard that Voldemort had been defeated by Harry, he was so relieved that he nearly lost control of his expression.
"His reaction was peculiar. During our conversation, he consumed a significant amount of alcohol and inadvertently let slip a few words.
"That's when I grew suspicious that Horace might have shared some secrets with Tom."
"Later, I approached him delicately on several occasions, but he steadfastly refused to speak. Shortly afterward, he resigned."
William nodded. That kind of reaction did have the air of someone hiding a guilty conscience.
"Then, Professor, I have one last question."
Dumbledore made a sound of acknowledgment, gesturing for William to proceed.
"Did you notice that Tom, after separating from the diary, was able to revive himself in a soul form?
"Even though he was hit by the Killing Curse, he didn't die. He became a shadow, much like Voldemort, waiting for the chance to be reborn."
"That may be due to the presence of other Horcruxes," Dumbledore explained. "If Voldemort created multiple Horcruxes, they may now serve as shared Horcruxes for both the younger Tom and the older Voldemort."
"But is there a possibility," William pressed, "that even if we locate and destroy all the Horcruxes, we still won't be able to eliminate young Tom or old Voldemort?
"Since they both originate from Tom Riddle's soul, could they each function as independent Horcruxes for the other, creating a sort of Horcrux matryoshka?"