This was extremely similar to certain worlds Howl knew of that contained unspeakable beings. These beings could cause people's minds to descend into madness, leading to soul distortions, which in turn affected the physical body.
It's just that in this world, everything was in slow motion—it didn't seem so terrifying.
"So, as things stand, we can only constantly relieve the pressure on her soul and clear it periodically to maintain her healthy state?!" Dumbledore inquired.
He clearly knew he was a bit inferior to Howl in this regard.
And very quickly, he got a confirming answer from Howl's expression.
"Clearly, you can't accept such a result."
"Of course, my goal is for her to become an independent person, not for her to have to rely on others' help to survive in this world, even if it's me."
Dumbledore took a deep breath, gazing out the window, his hand invisibly clenching in mid-air.
A moment later, he said in a relaxed tone, "No matter what, I will suggest she eat some chocolate. Maybe it will have some effect. As for the problems after that, I don't think it's a short-term result."
"Tsk." Although Howl was a little helpless, he had to admit that Dumbledore was right.
"Rather than discussing this, I seem to have found the whereabouts of a Horcrux recently." Dumbledore raised a finger, his brows showing a hidden cunning, like a child sharing a secret about finding a cave or picking up money.
"That fast?" Howl was a little surprised.
"That's right!" Dumbledore nodded. "Initially, my approach was to follow Lord Voldemort's ten-year journey to search. However, you gave me a hint."
"Me?"
"That's right!" Dumbledore explained. "Remember Riddle's diary? He made it into a Horcrux. You took it then and said you would try to understand him, so you could better deduce what Horcruxes there might be."
"So you…"
"I followed Riddle's life trajectory and searched all the way!" Dumbledore smiled.
"It seems you've had a fruitful harvest."
"Yes, I'm very surprised." Dumbledore also sighed with emotion. "I even wonder if he attached a piece of memory to each Horcrux, representing a severance from the past."
"You'll know if you look," Howl said. "Or are you saying you've only found a clue so far?"
"No!" Dumbledore shook his head. "I haven't confirmed what the Horcrux actually is, so I have no way of knowing if there's a memory attached to it."
"Then what clue are you referring to?" Howl also picked up a chocolate.
"The Gaunt family mansion. Upon approaching it, magic is prohibited. There's an extremely strong resentment and death aura interfering with spellcasting."
Howl nodded. "You can't even handle it?"
"I really can't handle it," Dumbledore nodded frankly. "Riddle killed his grandparents and father at Riddle House. I suspect the anomaly there is related to this."
Howl's heart skipped a beat as he asked again, "His own father?"
Even back then at sea, there weren't many people who would kill their own blood relatives like that.
Moreover, such people were despised and secretly harmed within pirate communities.
After all, no one wanted to be on the same ship as someone who could even lay hands on their own parents.
"Yes," Dumbledore nodded, "at least according to my investigation, that's the case.
Riddle grew up in an orphanage and displayed a talent for Parseltongue from a young age. At least from that point, it wasn't difficult for him to find his family. Of course, as for why he would slaughter the family he painstakingly sought, that remains unknown."
"Perhaps… it's because he felt the family he found was too useless? Insulted him, or insulted the Slytherin bloodline or something."
Dumbledore paused, then nodded in agreement: "Perhaps that's truly the case."
Saying that, Dumbledore spread open the book in front of him.
"Secrets of the Darkest Arts."
"I'm studying it," he said with a helpless wry smile, pushing up his glasses. "The things in here are still a bit too dark. Honestly, I don't even dare to read too much of it every day."
Howl still remembered this book; it was the Dark Arts book that contained information about Horcruxes, originally hidden in the Restricted Section. Last year, after the Horcrux incident, Dumbledore had retrieved this book and some other very dangerous books that Howl had suggested.
This book contained information about Horcruxes. Since it was unclear what other dark rituals and spells Riddle had performed, starting the investigation from this book was clearly the most correct choice.
As for Dumbledore saying the book was too dark…
"I read it as a strange story back then," Howl also nodded in agreement. He had only briefly looked at the spells in it and had no desire to research them in depth.
"And what you mentioned, something like a magic-prohibiting array, isn't in this book."
"Ah?!"
Dumbledore looked down at the book in his hand, his face showing distress: "Then which book is it in?"
"Evil magic," "On the Unique Magical Reactions Between Similar Souls," "Necklace Array Manuscript."
"Oh, it seems I was looking in the wrong direction."
"Actually, you could just ask him," Howl said.
Dumbledore knew who "him" referred to.
"Ah…" Dumbledore opened his mouth, and after a long while, he whispered, "I'm sorry, that's really impossible. Neither he nor I want to have too much contact anymore…"
If you think sending letters doesn't count as contact, then fine...
Then Howl had nothing to say.
He inexplicably felt like two people facing each other but still chatting on their phones.
"Don't research it anymore. I'll go with you," Howl said indifferently, standing up.
A look of joy flashed across Dumbledore's face; he seemed to have been waiting for Howl to say those words.
"If there's anything good, I want it!!" Howl continued calmly.
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