Chapter 17-  Of brothers

 “You made me very proud Reggie,” Sirius whispered in tears.

At the sound of the portrait opening Sirius whipped his tears and looked up at Remus, Albus and Severus that were coming inside. Albus had a grim look on his face as if his deepest fear had been confirmed. They took seats around the coffee table and Albus asked to see the locket. Sirius gave it to him and just watched as Albus inspected it.

With a heavy sigh Albus said, “Just last week I promised to not keep sensible information from you. I shall do so. I have been looking into why Voldemort didn’t die when hit by the rebounding killing curse for some time now and I had a theory that Harry confirmed when he brought me the diary. This is another confirmation.”

“What is this Albus?” Remus asked weary.

Albus looked at him and heavily said, “A Horcrux.”

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Chapter 18- Pieces of soul

The look on the three young teachers could have been described as comical if the situation hadn’t been so dire.

“When you say Horcrux you mean-“ Severus started.

“A soul container. Lord Voldemort has divided his soul to make himself immortal,” Albus said calmly, “You had already told me, Severus, that Voldemort had bragged to his Death Eaters that he had taken measures to become immortal. I researched the methods he could have used together with what I knew of his personality. Tom Riddle didn’t like to depend on others so I discarded things that made him dependent such as the Philosopher Stone or other potions. He may have wanted the stone as a temporary method for obtaining a body, but not depend on it. This was the only method I found that would make him rely on no one. I just needed to figure out how many he made and where he may have hidden them. I had already started looking for places. I must confess, I did not foresee young Regulus’ help.”

“So,” Remus asked shakily, “What you mean is he made more than one. He ripped his very own soul more than once?”

Albus nodded gravely.

“How many?” Sirius asked.

“It is my belief that he would have chosen to make seven, as it is the strongest magical number. But I still need to confirm that. I am looking into that. I may need to borrow Harry for that.”

“Why?” Remus asked worried.

“Don’t fret. It’s nothing dangerous. I just want to use Harry’s influence to obtain information from a former colleague. As soon as I find him that is. He is thoroughly avoiding my letters.”

“So we already have two,” Severus said business like, “The diary and the locket.”

“Yes,” Albus said, “I believe the diary was his first one. I don’t think Lucius knew what he was guarding or he wouldn’t have been so flippant with it. The diary was also what confirmed my thought of there being more than one. If Voldemort had only one he would have guarded it better.”

“Do you have any idea what the others may be?” Sirius asked.

“I have been looking into that since I first suspected it. I tried to find information on what Tom was up to between the years he left school and he started gathering followers to see if I can find clues. I think they must be significant objects, such as this one. Look at this S.”

Remus took the locket and gasped, “Slytherin’s symbol.”

“Yes. Voldemort was very obsessed with his heritage and the founders so I think he may have looked for heirlooms from them. The only heirlooms from Gryffindor are the hat and the sword which are both safe, but I know of a cup from Hufflepuff that went missing and of course, Ravenclaw’s famous diadem.”

“That went missing when Ravenclaw was still alive,” Remus shook his head.

“I know, but we have to keep an open mind. And as for the cup, I managed to collect a memory of an old house elf that worked for a woman called Hepzibah Smith a few years ago. It’s from the time when young Tom Riddle worked at Borgin and Burkes. Apparently Hepzibah was the owner of the Hufflepuff cup and if I am not mistaken that very same locket. She showed it to Riddle and not long after she was poisoned. Her house-elf confessed to the crime and was sent to Azkaban,” Albus said sadly.

“The house-elf?” Sirius asked incredulous.

Albus nodded grimly, “I believe Voldemort may have Confounded the elf into confessing.”

“So we still need to look for four Horcruxes considering the last piece is Voldemort,” Severus counted.

“Three,” Albus said, “I believe Voldemort chose significant deaths to make them and he had planed to make one the night he killed Harry. As we know he failed, and therefore failed to make his last Horcrux.”

“Still, three Horcruxes that can be anywhere,” Sirius said, “And we have to destroy this one.”

“At least we have an idea of what one is,” Remus said, “The cup, is one for sure.”

“Gryffindor sword will do it,” Albus said, “But we need to open it.” He finished frowning.

Severus took the locket and examined it. Grimacing he said, “This is from Slytherin and Voldemort. He must have closed it with a password, just like the chamber. We need Harry.”

“I don’t want Harry to witness something like that,” Sirius said.

“Me neither Padfoot,” Remus said,” But it’s the only way. We’ll be there with him.”

“When you say you looked into the Dark Lord’s personality what do you mean?” Severus asked trying not to think of what they would have to subject Harry to.

“I had always kept a close watch on young Tom ever since I first met him at the orphanage he lived at. He showed me then that he enjoyed cruelty and liked to be special. But he was a child, he still had a chance,” Severus rolled his eyes at this. Albus and his ever need to give second chances, “I even made my own research into his heritage. That is how I found he was the son of Merope Gaunt. When I first went to fetch him at the orphanage and tell him about Hogwarts, he had been sure his father had been the Wizard. But the Matron had told me his middle name was for his grandfather and that before she died his mother said her name was Merope, so I had other thoughts. Wizards are more known for eccentric names than Muggles. Tom is quite common. But it wasn’t until a few years back that I learned of a Marvolo Gaunt that had a daughter named Merope and was a direct descendant from Slytherin. I found a Morfin Gaunt that had been locked in Azkaban some years back and have a memory of his regarding young Riddle. Following the paper trail of Morfin’s trials I recently found a former Ministry employee who visited the Gaunts once. He gave me the memory and I was going to look at it right before I was sent away. I have to confess, I still haven’t had the time to do it. You are welcome to join me and maybe view the elf’s and Morfin’s memories too.”

“We will,” Sirius said, “Let’s first dispose of the locket. We should wait until school is off in case something goes wrong; it’s just another couple of days. Then we can view the memory before Moony and Harry go to Privet Drive.”

The other three nodded and Albus said goodbye and left. He had had his doubts about sharing his findings but he couldn’t help the feeling that this journey could be easier if shared.

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Harry was definitely annoyed as he said goodbye to his friends. He knew it sounded stupid but the train rides to and from Hogwarts were part of the fun and Harry always looked forward to them. But his dad said they had something important to do and he and Uncle Moony would be Apparating to Privet Drive from Hogsmead tomorrow. Not that Harry was looking forward to Privet Drive but he wanted to have his last hours of adult-free fun in the train where he could celebrate Gryffindor winning the House Cup a little more.

He didn’t know what it was they had to do as Sirius hadn’t told him, but he knew Sirius, and he knew that whatever it was, Sirius was not happy at all to include Harry. After the last carriage left Harry walked back to the staff wing dragging his feet. He passed a few ghosts and greeted them. One of them was the Grey Lady, who in Harry’s opinion always looked so sad. As he got inside the Marauders’ Quarters he found his dad and Uncles ready for him. His dad had Regulus’ locket griped firmly in one of his hand and looked like he would be sick any moment now.

Remus walked to him and laid his hand on Harry’s shoulder. Harry looked at him and saw he too had a serious expression. “Harry, we are going to destroy this locket just like Kreacher asked you to,” he said.

“What is it?” Harry asked.

Remus shared a look with the other two and turned back to Harry, “It’s like the diary Harry. It’s a piece of Voldemort’s soul that he stored in this object.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s sick,” Sirius mumbled.

“Because he was trying to make himself immortal,” Severus said grimly, “By dividing his soul and concealing it in an object. It’s called a Horcrux. If you split your soul and conceal it in an object outside your body, even if that body is attacked you cannot die  because a piece of your soul still remains earthbound and undamaged. That is why the Dark Lord didn’t die when he was hit by the killing curse.”

“He ripped his soul apart?” Harry asked horrified.

“We believe he divided it in six, tried to divide in seven but wasn’t able to,” Remus said darkly, “You destroyed one when you destroyed the diary. We believe this is another one and Albus is looking for the rest.”

Harry nodded. As a wizard he had known that one’s soul was precious, to split it was an awful act. He didn’t even know how you did it and to be honest; he didn’t want to know. He jumped when he felt another hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his dad’s worried face.

“I would have preferred for you not to be privy to any of this Harry,” he said heavily, “But we need your help and I don’t want you to face anything unprepared.”

Harry nodded, “What do you need?”

“We think that only a Parselmouth can open this locket,” Severus explained. “We will go to the Room of Requirement and open it there. With Gryffindor’s sword we will destroy it.”

Harry nodded. He’d been in the Room of Requirement many times when he was little and the weather was bad. The room would turn into a playroom for him and it would seem like he was outside.

His dad hugged him and whispered, “It’s going to be fine. We’ll be there.” Harry nodded as he pressed his head to his dad’s chest. His dad rested his chin on Harry’s head, and Harry noticed how the top of his head almost reached Sirius shoulders. He guessed he was growing up, and growing up meant things couldn’t be kept simple. He knew his friends didn’t have to deal with pieces of Dark Lord’s souls but he also knew that pretending he was normal would only hinder him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

“You killed them, you killed them all, James, Lily, Regulus…. They asked you for help and you skirted away, flat out ignored Regulus.”

Those words kept running through his mind. How had Voldemort known that? They destroyed the Horcrux; Severus stabbed it with the sword, but not before the image of Voldemort tried to undermine them. Dumbledore said that it was because Sirius had kept the locket close to him. That the piece of Voldemort could sense his fears.

“It wasn’t true you know that Paddy.”

Sirius looked up. Remus was kneeled in front of the couch where Sirius had been seated for the last hour hunched forward, head on his hands.

“I don’t want to leave you like this alone. Maybe we can postpone the Dursleys…”

“No,” Sirius said firmly, “We have to renew the protection before the year is up and we are already cutting it close. You go. I’ll be fine. I’ll be busy. We have to find that town, Little Hagleton was it?  And I have an idea about where a Horcrux could be. If what I think goes right maybe we’ll have at least another Horcrux destroyed before you come back. Three Horcruxes in less than a month, that’s what I call efficiency,” he tried to joke.

Remus looked like he had other ideas but nodded. He got up and went to his room to fetch his things. At that same moment Sirius saw Harry come out of his room fighting to close his rucksack. Sirius smiled.

“If you leave the Dungbombs and the Ice Mice behind you’ll have a better chance of closing it,” he said.

Harry scowled, “How did you know?”

“Saw you packing them yesterday.”

“It’s just to give Dudley a scare.”

“As much as the idea entices me, I think it best not to antagonize your Aunt. The summer before you turn seventeen we’ll go out with a blast okay?”

Harry grinned and took out the offending items. He closed his rucksack and went to sit next to Sirius.

“Are you going to be okay dad?”

“Yes, don’t worry. How are you?”

Harry shrugged, “Okay I guess. The memories weren’t fun, but I understand Grandpa needed a translator. They were kind of sick, all of them. I mean, I kind of feel sorry for Merope but the others.” Harry shivered. “It was scary seeing him again in the Room of Requirement. I kept thinking the Basilisk would show up any second. I was very glad when Uncle Sev stabbed that locket.”

“Me too,” Sirius said.

Harry hugged him and said quietly, “You did help him dad. You helped Uncle Regulus in the end."

XXXXXXXXXX

He exited the building calmly and firmly. In his best aristocratic stalk he walked purposely to the Apparition point in Diagon Alley. If someone saw him in such formal robes they would not recognize him. He was wearing black silk robes under a black velvet cloak with the Black Family crest embroidered on the chest and silver clasps. He was holding a black cane with a silver handle that had the Black crest engraved in it. It was always passed to the head of the family and was the symbol of power in the family. Personally he thought that carrying a cane when you didn’t need one was stupid but tradition was tradition.

He reached the Apparition point and turned with a soft pop. The next moment he was in Hogsmead and purposely walked to the Castle Gates. He didn’t stop to greet anyone just kept walking until he reached the entrance to the Headmaster’s office. He said the password and entered. There he found Severus and Albus and smirked at them. He pulled an object from his cloak and deposited it on the desk.

“Never thought it would be that easy,” he said sitting down

 “I must confess. I was skeptic when you said you could get one other Horcrux easily but I bow to you Sirius,” Albus said smiling.

“As Lord Black I have access to Bellatrix’s accounts in case she and her husband are unable to do so. Something Narcissa and Lucius don’t have. When they were arrested I personally supervised the team that raided their house and there was nothing there even similar to the cup or that ring that Riddle stole from Morfin Gaunt. Of course we don’t know what the other Horcrux is so maybe we could look in the Lestrange Manor again, I think Shackelbolt could get me in, but I don’t think we will find anything. I doubted that if Bellatrix had anything she was storing for her precious Dark lord she would keep it in the house. She would probably keep it in Gringotts. So I paid them a visit”

“You have to love our archaic system sometimes,” Severus smirked. “If the Dark Lord asked Lucius and Regulus help to safe guard two Horcruxes it make sense that he could have asked other Death Eaters and none was as faithful as Bellatrix. I hate to admit it to you Black but that was a stroke of genius.”

“So you would admit it to others?” Sirius asked innocently and Severus glared at him “I made it look as if I was just interested in seeing if they had anything dangerous. Goblins don’t talk but it’s better not to raise suspicions. I also left a replica of the cup that Moony made before he left. It won’t hold if Voldemort himself tests it or if an expert looks at it, but at least they won’t miss the cup without a closer inspection. Good idea Severus.”

“That was actually Regulus idea,” Severus said, “From what Kreacher told us.”

“What about Little Hangleton?” Sirius asked

“The Ministry registries are lacking in detailed information and unfortunately there are quite a few towns with the same name. That will take some time since we will have to check all of them and we won’t have as much time once school starts,” Dumbledore said.

“I can start checking these two first weeks now that Harry is at Privet Drive. I am sure I can manage something later,” Sirius said.

“I’ll help,” Severus said.

“No Severus,” Dumbledore said, “I am sorry. But I can’t risk you being seen looking for the Gaunt’s house. If anything happens and Voldemort returns to power before we find all his Horcruxes he cannot have anything against you.”

Severus scowled but nodded. He knew Albus was right. But that would hinder their search.

“Now, shall we dispose of this,” Albus said nodding at the cup.

“Let me,” Sirius said. He had a score to settle with a certain spirit.

XXXXXXXXX

So far the Holidays had been weird. After the two mandatory weeks at the Dursleys Harry went back to Grimmauld Place, except his dad almost immediately carted him off to Spinner’s End. Apparently Remus and Sirius would be going around the country looking for the town that Voldemort’s parents came from. They thought that he might have hidden a Horcrux in the old house where the Gaunts lived. They hadn’t been lucky so far.

Harry spent the better part of that time with Severus, helping him on his experiments and hearing about his mother. He especially liked when Severus abused Petunia. Apparently she’d been jealous of her sister and that is why she acted the way she did. Harry tried to understand but her comments still hurt.

Now Harry was at the Weasleys. They would be leaving soon for Egypt, as Mr. Weasley had won a prize at work and they were going to visit Bill, so Harry and Ron were enjoying some last hours together. Tomorrow Harry would go back to Grimmauld Place and Ron would leave for his trip.

They had been playing Quidditch with Ginny, Fred and George, two Chasers on each team against a common Keeper, Ron. From the air Harry saw a figure stalk out.

“Harry, get down here, we’re going home!”

Harry zoomed down.

“But dad you were supposed to come tomorrow!”

“Change of plans.”

“But dad-“

“Grab your things now Harry!” Sirius snapped and Harry goggled. Sirius never snapped at him. He went to fetch his things and came back to the kitchen were Sirius was waiting. They Flooed home where he was engulfed by Remus.

“Thank God you’re okay.”

“I was just playing Quidditch. What’s going on?”

Sirius looked at him grimly, “Kingsley called to let me know. Bellatrix Lestrange and Peter Pettigrew escaped Azkaban.”

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A/N- Things start to change drastically. Two Horcruxes on one chapter. I hope you don’t get too annoyed but I had the feeling that Dumbledore took so long finding the Horcruxes because he was doing it all alone. And I just couldn’t help but think that someone would think of Bellatrix even though in the book it was mostly by accident that they found out.

Also, from rereading HBP I came to the conclusion that Dumbledore had to have gotten those memories many years before, the elf was already old when Voldemort was young and Morfin couldn’t have been young either so I don’t think he would last that long in Azkaban. But I figured that the memory that actually shows the name of the town had to be more of a recent acquirement or Dumbledore would have found the ring earlier.

Ice Mice- I had originally thought to use Acid Pops but Harry only wanted to scare Dudley so I figured having his teeth chatter and squeak was enough. Besides, Dudley would never pass away the chance for sweets.

Issue about Little Hangleton- I looked a map up and only found one place called Hangleton in Britain, but I don’t want it to be easy to find so I am taking a poetic license here and pretending that there are more than one Little Hangletons in Britain. I hope I didn’t offend anyone by doing so.