Chapter 179: Echoes of war
When Dumbledore heard this, he looked at Phineas with interest and said,
"Oh? Tell me."
Phineas smiled and explained,
"First, take two doses of Polyjuice Potion and one person into Azkaban to visit Sirius. The visitor transforms into Sirius, while the real Sirius transforms into the visitor using the other potion. Then, the person disguised as Sirius leaves Azkaban. After the potion wears off, the person left behind dies. Once buried by the Ministry, there are no loose ends."
"Or," he added, "he could become an Animagus. From my research, Dementors are only drawn to humans. Even centaurs aren't targeted—let alone animals."
Dumbledore's eyes lit up. He now understood why Phineas had insisted on Peter Pettigrew being kissed by a Dementor before being sent to Azkaban—only that would ensure there was no chance of escape.
Phineas continued, "Alright, Professor, back to the main point. The Pettigrew affair is nearly settled."
Dumbledore looked at him seriously. "So, what did you want to tell me?"
Phineas nodded. "Well, I promised to tell you the location of one Horcrux each year. The agreement we made last year doesn't count as a full year, so this time I'll tell you two."
Dumbledore's expression turned grave as he waited.
"Professor, do you currently have the Potters' Invisibility Cloak?" Phineas asked.
Dumbledore was momentarily stunned and gave Phineas a thoughtful look.
Phineas waved it off. "It wasn't hard to guess. I know some of the Potters' family history. By tracing their lineage, it's easy to see their connection to one of the original three brothers. I also happen to know who the descendants of the other two brothers are, so naturally I could guess the cloak's origin. When the Potters died, no one reported the cloak missing—so I figured it was with you."
Dumbledore sighed and nodded. "Yes. I borrowed it before they went into hiding. I'd hoped to study it and help them hide better. But, alas…"
Phineas shook his head. "So, Professor, you now possess two Deathly Hallows—the Elder Wand from Grindelwald and the Invisibility Cloak. I'll now tell you where to find the third."
Dumbledore blinked. Weren't they discussing Horcruxes? Then his eyes widened. "You mean... Tom made the Resurrection Stone into a Horcrux?"
Phineas laughed. "Exactly. I had the same reaction when I realized it. He probably had no idea the Hallows were real—or that the ring he used was the Resurrection Stone."
"The ring?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes, the Gaunt family's ring. Like the snakewood wand and the locket, it was thought to be a Slytherin relic. But really, it came from another Gaunt ancestor and has almost no connection to Salazar Slytherin."
"Where is it now?"
"Still in the old Gaunt shack. Your former student must have thought that leaving it in a ruined house made it safe."
Dumbledore stood to retrieve it, but Phineas quickly stopped him.
"Wait, Professor. The ring is cursed by the Dark Lord. You must resist its lure. It's no secret your sister's story is known in the wizarding world—so the Resurrection Stone may tempt you more than the other Hallows."
"The second Horcrux is Ravenclaw's diadem. It's in the Room of Requirement. You can retrieve it yourself."
Dumbledore nodded, then looked at Phineas. "So, what do you want in return?"
Phineas smiled. "Very simple. After I remove the fragment of soul from the Resurrection Stone, I'd like to study the Deathly Hallows—yours included. I know you have your own wand; the Elder Wand is simply stored in the ring."
Dumbledore nodded.
"Alright. Then you'd best return to bed."
Phineas couldn't help but feel amused and a little exasperated at how quickly Dumbledore was trying to close the conversation.
Truthfully, Phineas had hoped he wouldn't need to reveal the ring's location just yet. He knew how deeply the Resurrection Stone would tempt Dumbledore—who longed for family, who once said he wanted only a pair of woollen socks for Christmas. Knowing the ring was cursed might not be enough.
Dumbledore was a legendary wizard, one of the greatest of the age. Surely he could have recognized the curse. And yet in the original timeline, he had still put on the ring—weakening himself and sealing his fate.
And right now, Dumbledore's survival was critical to Phineas. The elder wizards of the Black family had long withdrawn from the world. The Council of Elders didn't offer him much support. But Dumbledore was different—he was unaffiliated and bound to Phineas by an unbreakable vow.
Of the remaining Horcruxes, the diary currently in the hands of the Malfoy family would be sent to Hogwarts next year. That one was crucial for opening the Chamber of Secrets, so Phineas couldn't mention it yet.
Hufflepuff's cup lay in the Lestrange vault at Gringotts. Though he could eventually tell Dumbledore about it, Phineas was also interested in the vault's other contents. Besides, it was the safest of the Horcruxes, being locked in a goblin-run bank.
But the ring, hidden in a crumbling shack, was the most vulnerable. In two years' time, the Dark Lord would rise again. If he discovered that most of his Horcruxes had been destroyed, he might try to reclaim the ring.
And then there were the final two Horcruxes: Nagini and Harry. Neither could be revealed yet. Whether Nagini even was a Horcrux remained uncertain.
All things considered, Phineas had no choice. He had to take the risk now—and reveal the one Horcrux most likely to disappear.