"Dumbledore, tell us what you think." Professor McGonagall rubbed her temples.
"My head is still in a muddle. I'm really not up to thinking at a time like this. If you have any ideas, just tell us. Was it that man who did this to Severus?"
"I think, at the very least, it must be closely connected to Voldemort. And..." Dumbledore nodded first, then hesitated slightly and pointed at the black notebook.
"If I'm not mistaken, that notebook should be a Horcrux."
"A Horcrux?!" Professor McGonagall, Professor Sprout, and Hagrid all looked horrified, seemingly unable to believe it.
"A Horcrux?" Harry looked bewildered and at a loss.
"A Horcrux... No wonder that thing felt so unusual to me. So it was a Horcrux..." Professor Flitwick murmured, nodding.
"Are there really still people who use such terrible things...?"
Harry felt awkward. It seemed he was the only person in the room who didn't know what a Horcrux was. Even Hagrid, who was only interested in fantastic beasts, knew about the thing.
Seemingly noticing Harry's embarrassment, Dumbledore briefly explained the origins and uses of Horcruxes, placing particular emphasis on how they were made.
Harry was stunned.
One tore one's soul apart through murder, then sealed a Soul Fragment inside an object. This prevented one from dying outright upon suffering a fatal injury.
This thing really was terribly sinister. No wonder the professors had all looked like that.
But...
Something suddenly occurred to Harry, and his expression became very peculiar again. This time, however, no one noticed.
"Even if it was that man, I still find it rather hard to believe he would use a Horcrux." Professor McGonagall shook her head repeatedly, her face full of disbelief.
"Yes, to be honest, I find it a little hard to believe myself. Perhaps, Minerva, you