Two Birds with One Stone

Waves struck the reefs outside the cave, reaching its depths as nothing more than a low rumble.

Gavin sat deep inside the cave, undid the seal on the black leather diary, then picked up his Wand and watched it quietly.

The soul inside the Diary sensed something was wrong. A line of ink appeared:

[What are you going to do?]

"Get rid of a little poison for you."

[Poison? I haven't been poisoned.]

Gavin smiled. "You're the worst poison of all."

Every page sprang up at once. The spine battered against the stone in a rapid series of dull thuds.

Cyril had certainly learned a thing or two. Over the past few days, he had already begun to control the Horcrux.

But that ended here.

Gavin reinforced the Binding Charm, pinned it back in place, and cast a spell.

"Obliviate."

His consciousness sank into the pages, and he soon found the fragment of soul curled up deep within.

Countless silvery-white threads extended from it, each connected to a different memory. Hidden in the thickest bundle at the center was its name—

Cyril Rosier.

Beneath the name hung memories of his life—

The Saints' ambitions, an orphanage in Austria, a child held fast in a Restraint Garment, and his fiercest obsessions. Image after image flashed past, finally stopping in a basement, on Gavin's own face.

[No!]

The soul fragment struggled again.

Gavin remained unmoved. He guided the white spell-light with precision, cutting away everything tied to Cyril.

The white light passed through the paper and advanced slowly along the silver threads connected to the name.

When the final image belonging to Cyril went dark, the Diary stopped struggling at last.

Gavin checked it again.

The memories were all gone. Its language abilities remained, as did the soul's capacity to process information.