Dumbledore: Long Time No See, Tom. Horcrux (4000 words)

Headmaster's Office.

"Want some sweets to calm your nerves? You've had quite the rollercoaster tonight."

Dumbledore smiled at Lucien, conjured several plates of candy and pastries, and then took a milk candy and popped it into his mouth.

Lucien picked up his glass and took a sip of honey lemonade. He slew the snake, confronted Tom, triggered the Slytherin, and saved Hagrid...

I'm quite busy, I really should eat something sweet.

Lucien avoided the plate of Fudge Flies and grabbed a Cream Peppermint.

The sweetness bursting on his taste buds truly made him feel relaxed and satisfied. No wonder the old bee loves sugar so much; consuming sugar after a busy day can relieve fatigue.

"The Order of Merlin, I was hoping to surprise you, but it seems that's not an option now."

Dumbledore put down his teacup and looked at Lucien with a smile.

"Headmaster, do you really think what Mr. Malfoy said is feasible?"

Actually, Lucien was quite surprised when Lucius proposed the Order of Merlin, First Class, as he was surprised that it was Lucius who made the suggestion.

However, upon closer reflection, Lucien felt that the other party's suggestion was also a form of "showing goodwill."

From Lucius's perspective, he wasn't sure if Lucien knew the true source of the diary, but to be on the safe side, he was willing to sell such a favor.

However, Lucien wasn't sure about the Order of Merlin, First Class. He had heard from Dumbledore that he was originally qualified for the Order of Merlin, Second Class.

From the perspective of enhancing one's reputation, receiving the Order of Merlin at one's age, whether it's a first or second class, would be sensational enough.

This is different from the impact of previous Transfiguration papers within the circle; the Order of Merlin is a major event that can be spread throughout the entire Wizarding World.

Not only in Daiying, but Europe, the Order of Merlin enjoys high recognition and generates considerable global impact.

Once they become famous, the sales volume and value of those magical products will skyrocket, and the repayment progress of the Emerald Tablet Fragment (annual loan) will be greatly accelerated.

"Actually, after Lucien application for the Order of Merlin, Second Class, was approved, some concerns and obstacles have been resolved, and your contribution tonight fully meets the requirements for the Order of Merlin, First Class..."

Dumbledore then explained to Lucien the standard requirements for the Order of Merlin, First Class, which Lucien already knew, but Dumbledore, as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, explained it more clearly.

Dumbledore: "The Order of Merlin, Second Class, was originally set and would be awarded to you before the Christmas holidays. However, if you apply for the Order of Merlin again, it may be delayed until next semester. But with your previous foundation, it will be faster this time, probably around the beginning of next semester."

Lucien: "Good things come to those who wait."

Seeing that Lucien could remain calm in the face of such an honor, Dumbledore thought he was really composed. Normally, he shouldn't be jumping around excitedly. This was the youngest recipient of the Order of Merlin in history, and he had won the highest first-class award!

"Principal, so this diary?"

Lucien's gaze shifted to the old diary beside Dumbledore.

Dumbledore looked down at the diary, a complex light flickering behind his half-moon spectacles.

"Tom..."

"By the way, Lucien, you said that when the Slytherin legacy was triggered, Tom was dealt with using methods left behind by that person?"

Lucien nodded. After Salazar passed on the legacy to him, he instructed him to inform the current headmaster of Hogwarts about it.

Sighing, Dumbledore found it "ironic" that Slytherin's best student had been abandoned by Slytherin.

Dumbledore opened the cover of the diary, revealing the yellowed parchment.

As if sensing that someone had accessed the diary, a line of writing slowly appeared on the page:

"Lucien, you win. I'm willing to share all the knowledge I possess with you..."

Perhaps because their vitality had been completely stripped away, these characters appeared very slowly.

Dumbledore pondered for a moment, then reached out and grasped, producing a white quill pen between his fingers. He began to write in his diary:

"Long time no see, Tom. I never thought I'd see you as a teenager again."

As the ink disappeared, Dumbledore's magic seeped into the diary along with it.

Sensing this aura, the diary instantly suppressed its already extremely weakened soul fluctuations.

After playing dead for a few minutes, Tom seemed to realize the reality and knew that there was no point in continuing.

A line of text slowly appeared, the usually elegant and delicate handwriting now somewhat sloppy:

"Dumbledore!"

Dumbledore continued writing:

"It's me. It's hard to believe you were only in sixth grade when you made this diary, right? You were so outstanding back then; you were once the best student in Hogwarts ' history."

Yes, Hogwarts once had a student even more outstanding than Tom.

Dumbledore looked up and saw Lucien quietly drinking his Honey Water, about to pick up a piece of Sherbet Lemon.

This time, the diary only responded after a long delay:

Whether I am good or not is not for you to judge.

The diary remained unchanged after that.

So Dumbledore took out the Elder Wand, and its segmented shaft shimmered with magical light, which seeped into the diary little by little.

"Headmaster, the Slytherin Head of House mentioned a term back then, Horcrux, was it referring to this diary?"

Upon hearing Lucien's words, the magic that Dumbledore was channeling momentarily faltered.

"Horcrux!"

Several gasps suddenly rang out from the previously dormant portrait of the principal.

"Horcrux? A young wizard who was still a student back then created Horcrux?!"

The headmistress, Sharon, a Ravenclaw alumna, wore glasses and her delicate eyebrows were furrowed, her eyes filled with surprise and anger.

Sharon was well-versed in countermeasures against Dark Magic curses, and she was well aware of the evil nature of Horcrux. How could a young boy commit such a heinous crime!

"Horcrux? Is that something important? What are you all making so much noise about so late at night?"

A sarcastic voice rang out, and Phineas, sporting a small mustache, appeared lazily in the picture frame.

In fact, most headmasters are unaware of the existence of Horcrux, which are rarely known even in Dark Magic, and are only mentioned in snippets in some ancient texts.

However, Phineas's behavior was still unpleasant, and soon a burly man with a dignified appearance rushed into his picture frame, grabbed Phineas by the neck from behind, and rendered him speechless.

Seeing that Principal Morgan from Gryffindor had knocked out Phineas, Sharon began to explain:

"Horcrux is a Dark Magic item. A wizard uses evil acts such as murder to split their soul and seal the fragments within an object. As long as the Horcrux remains intact, the wizard who created Horcrux can remain immortal..."

As Sharon explained, the faces of the headmasters changed; they hadn't expected a student to dare create such an evil thing!

After Sharon finished explaining the effects and creation methods of the Horcrux, the portraits in the Headmaster's Office fell silent.

"I was wrong, I misjudged him, how could he...?"

The speaker was Armando Dippet, Dumbledore's former headmaster who had witnessed Tom Riddle's student days.

Armando was an extremely old-looking man; he was already over three hundred years old when he became the Hogwarts Headmaster.

At this moment, Armando's face was deathly pale, and his eyes were vacant. Back then, he not only failed to see Tom's true colors, but even admired Tom greatly, which was an undeniable mistake.

If Dumbledore insisted on dissuading Tom, Armando might not have refused Tom's application to stay at the university after graduation, which could have led to even greater trouble...

Seeing Armando's self-blame, Dumbledore offered words of comfort:

"Armando, that's all in the past. We now have Tom's Horcrux, which can stop him from doing evil again."

"A terrible thing... Albus, the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago, Tom stopped the crisis back then, but could this be his doing? Did I wrong that boy Rubeus Hagrid?!"

Lucien was somewhat surprised that Principal Armando could immediately recall Hagrid, as many years had passed.

Lucien remembered reading in the Hogwarts history that Armando was described as a decisive and responsible headmaster who handled many events with great care and efficiency.

"Don't worry, Armando, I'll handle Hagrid's matter."

Dumbledore comforted Armando once again.

Lucien listened quietly. Hagrid would now be cleared of his name and could use magic openly from now on, no longer needing to hide his wand in that little pink umbrella.

"The key is still the Horcrux; we need to find a way to destroy it! Sharon, do you know how to destroy Horcrux?"

The question was directed at Morgan, who had already retreated back into his portrait frame, his tone extremely grave.

Sharon rubbed her temples, thought for a moment, and then said:

"Horcrux are protected by powerful Dark Magic, and ordinary methods cannot completely destroy them. To destroy Horcrux, the destructive power must be extremely strong, so strong that the Horcrux itself can no longer repair itself with Dark Magic..."

"The essence of Horcrux is a fragment of a soul. The most effective method against the soul is probably the Avada Kedavra, and perhaps a special curse like the Fiendfyre could also work..."

After Sharon finished speaking, Lucien added:

"During the battle, I accidentally dripped Basilisk Venom onto my diary, and Tom's spirit became extremely painful and unstable at that moment."

As he spoke, Lucien took a small vial from his pocket, which contained the Basilisk's venom.

He then took out the Sword of Gryffindor and the Sorting Hat and placed them on the table.

"The Sword of Gryffindor!"

Morgan in the portrait instantly recognized the silver longsword, his eyes lighting up with excitement. This was a treasure left behind by the Founders of Gryffindor, and legend had it that only those who truly possessed the qualities of Gryffindor could obtain it when needed!

"Young man, you should go to Gryffindor..."

Morgan hadn't finished speaking when a sarcastic voice interrupted him:

"Foolish Lions, is it appropriate to bring this up when we're discussing the serious matter of Horcrux?"

Phineas, who had just regained consciousness after being choked unconscious by Morgan, rubbed his neck and mocked Morgan's recklessness, seemingly unafraid that the other man would rush over and beat him up again.

Struggling to resist the urge to go and fight Phineas, Morgan's gaze was fixed intently on the Sword of Gryffindor.

He had only seen this treasure repeatedly in ancient books; today was truly an eye-opener for him.

Dumbledore didn't pick up the bottle containing the Basilisk Venom; instead, he grabbed the Sword of Gryffindor first.

"Lucien, did you use this sword to come into contact with the Basilisk's venom?"

Lucien nodded, thinking that Dumbledore must have thought of the properties of the Sword of Gryffindor.

Sure enough, Dumbledore lightly slashed the diary with his sword. A flash of white light appeared, and a cut appeared on the surface of the diary. Thin black smoke rose from it, and upon closer listening, one could hear wails and shrieks.

"The Sword of Gryffindor absorbed the Basilisk Venom!"

Morgan, seeing this, excitedly explained:

"This sword was forged by Goblin. Swords forged by Goblin can absorb anything that strengthens them!"

"Quickly, Albus, use the sword to shatter the soul in the diary! Kill him quickly!"

Many school principals shared Morgan's view, believing that the Horcrux should be destroyed immediately.

But Dumbledore didn't act immediately. After pondering for a moment, he said:

"This complete Horcrux might allow me to find Voldemort's true form, since there must be a connection between the soul fragment and the original body."

Dumbledore knew that Voldemort was still lurking somewhere, but the world was so big that finding a person, a soul that had lost its body, was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Now that we have Horcrux, things will be much more convenient.

Dumbledore believed this was the biggest "surprise" Lucien had given him that night!

Horcrux are definitely Voldemort's trump card for survival. The sooner Dumbledore knows his opponent's trump card, the sooner he can formulate a countermeasure.

"Headmaster, I have a question. Can a wizard only create one Horcrux?"

Upon hearing Lucien's words, the joy in Dumbledore's eyes from catching Voldemort's tail gradually subsided, replaced by contemplation and seriousness.

For a moment, the portraits that had been whispering among themselves fell silent.

They found Lucien's question unbelievable, yet couldn't help but be skeptical.

According to Sharon, the process of creating Horcrux is extremely painful; it's a pain that tears the soul apart!

Moreover, tearing apart one's soul can lead to a drastic change in one's personality, potentially making one no longer like oneself, which is terrifying to think about.

Could anyone really be this crazy?

Would someone go to such lengths to survive, to avoid death?

But what if Tom dared to create Horcrux when he was a teenager? That can no longer be viewed from a normal person's perspective!

Lucien felt his "reminder" was effective, hoping it would alert Dumbledore sooner and Horcrux to begin his search for the Horcrux Voldemort.

Defeating Voldemort sooner would have prevented those tragedies and kept the Wizarding World from descending into turmoil.

Lucien prefers to study quietly and does not want to be disturbed by so-called evil forces.

Death Eaters could spend their remaining days in Azkaban, while Voldemort could "generously die" after destroying the Horcrux.