Night Talk

Many miles outside of London, a massive chimney stands eerily tall, a remnant of an abandoned mill. All is silent except for the sobbing of the dark river. There is no sign of life. The mist that once lingered outside the Prime Minister's window now floats on a filthy river, its banks overgrown with weeds and littered with garbage.

Along the riverbank are rows of old gatehouses, their nameplates covered in dust, but the characters are still legible— Spinner's End.

Snape's footsteps echoed on the cobblestone path as he approached a house. He paused for a moment, then pushed open the door and returned home.

Two lights were on in the spacious living room, but no one was in sight. However, Snape was used to this kind of environment—dim lighting and a gloomy atmosphere. His long-time residence, the Slytherin Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, was the same. He rarely returned here. This overly spacious house was vacant for most of the year and was quiet and deserted.

Perhaps it was for this reason that Voldemort abandoned the luxurious Malfoy Manor and chose to stay here temporarily.

The house was quiet all over. The sound of the door opening startled the House-elf who had been borrowed from the Malfoy family to do the cleaning and laundry. His slightly ugly head peeked out from the Kitchen doorway. "Mr. Snape, have you had dinner yet? Would you like something to eat?"

Snape glanced at it indifferently and shook his head. He understood why the poor little servant was so cautious. Ever since the great Dark Lord decided to stay here temporarily, this empty house had been shrouded in a gloomy and terrifying atmosphere.

One of the House-elf has already turned into the silt at the bottom of the river outside. In the eyes of that Dark Lord, the lowly non-human Magical Creatures is no different from an insect.

Would anyone feel guilty for stepping on an ant?

At least Voldemort certainly wouldn't...

Snape deftly changed out of his coat, hung his robe on the rack in the Entrance Hall, glanced at the frail figure trembling by the Kitchen door, ignored the House-elf's fearful expression, and went upstairs.

He arrived outside the Dark Lord's study and knocked on the door. "Master, there is new information about Harry Potter."

"Severus, come in..." A deep, languid voice came from inside the door, tinged with pleasure and a hint of interest. Voldemort, sitting behind his desk, looked up. No matter how many times he had seen him, that grotesque snake-like face with its bloodshot eyes and flat nose with only two nostrils still sent chills down one's spine. "You've found where he's hiding?"

Snape suppressed the strange feeling in his heart, bowed his head respectfully, and quickly composed himself. "He was hidden by Dumbledore in a place I cannot reveal. I have another piece of information to tell you."

The room was dimly lit, making the pair of blood-red, predatory snake eyes all the more captivating. They seemed to hold some eerie black hole, making one afraid to look directly at them. "You said..."

"Someone from the Ministry of Magic sent Dementor to attack Harry Potter; they weren't ours. According to the Order of the Order of the Phoenix's investigation, Minister Fudge believes Dumbledore is plotting to overthrow his rule, the Boy Who Lived is his tool, so..."

"Oh?" Voldemort's red eyes lit up, and a smirk of pleasure curled at the corner of his mouth. "Now, that old Dumbledore is finally tasting the bitter fruit of his indecisiveness and timidity... I heard that the Ministry of Magic nominated him to be Minister many times, but he always declined. During the years when I had to lie low, he finally chose this Cornelius Fudge to be Minister."

Snape nodded, glancing unhurriedly at the book on his desk, about wand making. "The original candidate was Barty Crouch, but he was implicated..."

"That's just a rhetoric to fool the public. If Dumbledore were to speak up for him with his own reputation, what couldn't be salvaged?" Voldemort said coldly. "It's just that he doesn't think highly of the ruthless and cold-blooded Mr. Crouch Albus Dumbledore always has the big picture in mind, arrogantly believes that the Ministry of Magic needs a minister with a mild temperament, so he recommended the unworthy Cornelius Fudge."

"Ha..." Voldemort chuckled, seemingly recalling certain experiences and mocking with empathy, "A short-sighted fool, a fat-headed good-for-nothing, a cowardly and incompetent mediocre man, stupid without realizing it. Dumbledore would rather put such a person in a position of power than appoint those who are truly learned and far-sighted."

Snape suddenly remembered that this Dark Lord had once been rejected for a job at Hogwarts, and the person in charge of the interview was none other than Dumbledore, who had recently become the headmaster. His expression became somewhat peculiar. "..."

A bloodthirsty glint flashed in Voldemort's eyes as he casually closed the book and tossed it onto the table. "Can we really control this idiot minister? With his name on our side, our business will be much easier."

Snape paused for a moment. "As you said, Cornelius Fudge is a foolish and oblivious fellow, power-hungry yet cowardly. If we were to actually appear before him, he would probably be so frightened that he would immediately seek Dumbledore's protection."

"Then forget it, let's proceed according to the original plan."

Voldemort casually remarked, no longer concerned with matters of the Ministry of Magic, "Have you investigated the wand issue?"

Snape remained expressionless and calmly began, "I spoke with Ollivander in Diagon Alley while concealing my identity. According to him, Twin Wands wands with cores from the same source will not be hostile to each other. If both sides are determined to duel, there is a certain chance of triggering some kind of phenomenon..."

After hearing his report, Voldemort's serpentine pupils slowly contracted, his gloomy snake face revealing no emotion. "What a fateful coincidence, don't you think, Severus? That Prophecy from back then connected Harry Potter and me, and the cores of our two wands also echoed destiny!"

"Next time we deal with Harry Potter, we'll just use a different wand," Snape said casually.

"I'd like to get a different wand too, and the most powerful wand in the world," Voldemort said with a sigh of relief. "Bellatrix has already started working on it, and I'm sure he'll be sending back good news soon..."

"Bellatrix ..."

Snape's eyes narrowed slightly, then he noticed the wand and book beside Voldemort. Forcing himself to remain calm, he asked casually, "Can she do it alone? Should we send a few more people to help?"

"No need, it's just going to Germany to deal with an old guy." Voldemort seemed unwilling to elaborate, and instead asked about something else, "How's your progress in studying Horcrux going?"

Snape memorized the information about "Germany" and "old man," his eyes gleaming with a burning intensity, his voice no longer as calm and collected as before. "I've meticulously rehearsed this many times; we can begin at any time..."

Voldemort narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing the servant before him who was different from the other Death Eater. A sinister smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he said in a chilling tone, "Although you have carefully studied that book before, there is a big difference between actual crafting and theory. It requires a guiltless murder to split your soul. Severus, are you sure you can do it?"

"Never wavered."

"Don't rush, Severus, it'll begin soon, very soon..."

Late at night, at 12 Grimmauld Place.

The lively and joyful dinner had come to an end. Dumbledore personally brushed aside the many questions that the young wizards had accumulated. Although they still didn't get any real answers, he provided plenty of emotional value. Harry and the Weasley family siblings left satisfied and, urged on by Molly, happily went upstairs to sleep.

The joy made them lower their guard, so no one noticed that Loren and Hermione had returned to their bedroom and then came back to sit at the long table in the basement for a conversation between the three of them.

"Truly admirable..." After hearing Regulus's story, Dumbledore wiped his eyes, his voice slightly choked with tears.

The pale yellow candlelight wasn't very bright, so Loren and Hermione couldn't see whether he was crying or not. Nearly two months had passed since they last saw him, but the headmaster still looked the same: his hair and beard were silver-white, his eyes were deep blue, and his nose was long but crooked, making him look like he had been punched several times. His gray robe made his demeanor even more gentle.

Nothing seemed to have changed, but the principal seemed to have aged a bit.

But Loren couldn't remember exactly how many wrinkles he had or how many hairs he had, so he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination. He rubbed his pendant and handed the locket box to the old headmaster.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, this is Slytherin's Locket."

The three of them looked at the exquisite locket together. The serpent pattern inlaid with emeralds shimmered slightly in the pale yellow candlelight, as if the serpent's scales were reflecting light inch by inch, making one wonder if the little snake had come to life and was wriggling.

Dumbledore silently observed the locket, then glanced up at the two people sitting side by side opposite him. They were already about the same size as adult wizards. Although he had witnessed the growth of enough young wizards in his long life, he still couldn't help but be momentarily stunned when he saw Loren and Hermione now.

Since Voldemort's resurrection, everyone in the Order of the Order of the Phoenix has been on edge, fearing that one day they might see that familiar Dark Mark again, or see an obituary in the newspaper that hasn't been seen for over a decade... The leader of the Order of the Order of the Phoenix has also been busy, dealing with external surveillance while searching for places where Tom Riddle had stayed, trying to find some clues about the Horcrux.

The Slytherin's Locket was a key focus of the search, but unexpectedly, after many twists and turns, it was Loren who ultimately handed it to him personally...

"I have already made a copy of the Rune above, and I have identified thirteen of them. There are still four I don't recognize..." Loren pointed to the four mysterious characters.

"Hmm..." Dumbledore snapped out of his reverie, squinting his deep blue eyes as he carefully examined the runes for a moment. "Ancient Rune that have been abandoned. I've seen them on the coffins of Egypt Pharaoh. Magic targeting the soul..."

Can you confirm what it means?

"Cannot."

"..."

Hermione was also curious about the meaning of the Rune, but she was even more curious about what was hidden inside the locket. She asked in a low voice, "Should we open it here?"

"Why not?" Dumbledore smiled gently. "With Loren Morgan and Hermione Granger by my side, there is nowhere I feel more at ease."

"If we rely on the two of us, we'll run into big trouble," Loren thought to himself, glancing down at the locket. "Open it with Parselmouth. Headmaster, you come here."

Dumbledore waved his wand at the teacup on the table, and the white porcelain trembled slightly, transforming into a coiled Little White Snake that slowly crawled toward the locket.

The contents of the locket seemed to have been disturbed, like some restless little animal rustling and wagging its tail in a begging manner.

The Little White Snake flicked its tongue at the Emerald-inlaid Serpent Pattern, emitting a hoarse hiss, "Open..."

The last word was spoken slightly louder, and the small metal lid of the locket clicked open, revealing two lively eyes behind two small glass windows, their black and white pupils distinct and bright.

A faint blue light appeared in Loren's eyes, and he could clearly see a faint but agile Magic Power rapidly spreading out. Just as he was about to wave his wand to defend himself, he found that this Magic Power had receded and had not caused any harm to him or Hermione.

As the eyes rolled around, a hissing sound came from the Horcrux.

"I see your heart, and it is mine."

"I see your dreams, Albus Dumbledore, and I also see your discontent. You don't want to be confined to little Godric's Hollow, you don't want to be tied down by your family for the rest of your life..."

Loren turned to look at Dumbledore, Fiendfyre poised to strike at the tip of his wand, ready to set the Horcrux should the headmaster show any sign of distress. Hermione gripped her wand tightly, numerous healing spells and sanity-restoring incantations ready to be unleashed.

However, Dumbledore calm and seemed quite lucid. "Tom? Are these your original eyeballs? When were they left?"

"You dare not recall what happened that day, you dare not think about who cast the deadly curse... You made a mistake, you are forever trapped in guilt for the rest of your life, you are afraid to move forward..."

"Is this information you gathered through investigation, or did you use the magic Slytherin left behind in the locket to access my memories?" Dumbledore remained unmoved, even pleading for interaction. "Then do you see that I've already collected several other Horcrux? Your attempt to conquer death is about to fail..."

"Shut up!" The locket's voice sounded somewhat annoyed and angry.

The metal box glowed red, the two small glass windows swayed gently, and many scarlet blood vessels suddenly appeared around the eyes. Dark black mist rose abruptly, spreading wildly in the air like steam. Three bizarre bubbles slowly emerged from the black mist, their tops gradually transforming into human heads, then bodies, limbs, and finally three clear human figures.