R.A.B.

"Is this Voldemort's last Horcrux?" Sirius circled the stone basin twice, carefully inspecting the locket without rashly making a move.

He knew his own limits. Faced with something so unfamiliar and mysterious—especially something left behind by Voldemort—he didn't dare touch it carelessly. It would be a problem if he failed to help and only made things worse.

"That's right. This is Slytherin's Locket. Now we need to figure out how to get it out." A faint silver gleam shimmered deep in Anduin's eyes as he peered into the secrets of the basin.

"Any ideas?" Sirius had great faith in Anduin. Even though the eerie surroundings put him under considerable pressure, he remained quite calm.

"From what I've learned by analyzing the spell, the only way to make the Horcrux appear is to drink all the Potions in the basin." Anduin pointed to the shell beside it, which was used to scoop up the liquid.

"Can't we just pour the Potions out?"

Sirius picked up the shell, scooped up some of the Potions, and tried to pour them out. But after five or six scoops, the basin was no emptier than before. He couldn't put his hand into the liquid, either, and neither the Disillusionment Charm nor Transfiguration had any effect.

"As you can see." Anduin shrugged. "These Potions are protected by powerful magic. They can't be reduced except by drinking them."

"And besides, I don't really understand what these Potions do. I won't know until someone tries them. After all, Potions isn't my strong suit."

Sirius nodded, then quietly watched Anduin. He figured that someone with Anduin's abilities must have another way to solve the problem.

Anduin gave a wry smile. "Don't keep looking at me like that. The magic Voldemort placed on the basin is far more complicated than