Dumbledore didn't bother to summon the small boat Voldemort had prepared from the depths of the black lake, nor did he place the locket onto the central stone platform.
Instead, he casually bent down and placed Salazar Slytherin's locket on the ground, right in the spot where, if Wade remembered correctly, Regulus had once lain as an Inferius.
"This is a relic of Salazar Slytherin," Dumbledore said with regret. "If possible, I would have liked to preserve it."
"Unfortunately…" Sirius's voice was cold, "it is tainted by the filthy soul of Salazar Slytherin's descendant."
Standing in the place where Regulus had met his end seemed to stir many unpleasant memories for Sirius. His expression was dark, and even in Dumbledore's presence, his tone carried little respect.
"Who could predict what might happen a thousand years later?" Lupin said gently. "At least when the four founders built Hogwarts, they must have done so with noble and pure ideals. We've all studied there and gained so much."
His calm words, like warm water, soothed the resentment and bitterness simmering in Sirius's heart.
"Let's step back a bit," Dumbledore said. "What happens next may not be pleasant to watch."
The group retreated to the edge of the cave, where they watched Dumbledore point his wand at the locket on the ground. A hissing sound emerged.
"Open?" Harry asked, surprised.
"Parseltongue?" The two adult wizards looked even more shocked.
"I believe Dumbledore mastered the pronunciation back when Harry opened the Chamber of Secrets," Wade explained.
As they spoke, the locket on the ground opened, and a faint, spectral figure emerged from it, gradually taking the form of a young girl.
"Why would you do this to me? Why kill me? What did I do wrong?"
The group watched as Dumbledore's previously steady posture suddenly seemed frail and weary. The hand holding his wand trembled.
Sirius and the others looked between Dumbledore and the girl, bewildered and unsure of what was happening.
The girl's mournful voice cried out, filled with resentment. Her red eyes gleamed with eerie malevolence, her face twisted in hatred.
"You know… you're the one who did it… you know what you've done… You're just like him, aren't you, Albus? You and Grind—"
"Diffindo!" (Severing Charm)
Without hesitation, Wade cast a spell, scattering the girl's image. But almost immediately, the figure reformed, this time as a blonde-haired boy.
The boy's voice dripped with a seductive tone as he said, "I see your heart, Dumbledore… Do you really understand what it means to…"
Before he could finish, Dumbledore's wand suddenly slashed through the air!
An ancient incantation echoed through the cave. With a soft whoosh, blue-white flames surged upward, instantly engulfing the spectral figure.
The group heard a brief, piercing scream—so short it seemed almost like an illusion. The figure vanished as though it had been a soap bubble bursting, leaving no trace of its existence.
Seconds later, the flames dissipated. Salazar Slytherin's locket had transformed entirely—its colorful silk lining and embedded gemstones were scorched away.
All that remained on the ground was a lump of molten gold and crimson metal, which slowly darkened into black.
A strange atmosphere settled over the group, leaving the younger members too intimidated to speak.
Moments later, Kreacher finally seemed to process what had happened. He threw himself onto the ground and wailed inconsolably. His piercing cries echoed through the empty cave, amplifying its eerie desolation.
Sirius snapped out of his daze, his immediate instinct to check the portrait he had been clutching tightly in his arms.
All he saw was a corner of the painted robe.
Regulus had left the frame, wandering off to an unknown place.
—Even if he's only a portrait, perhaps he needs some quiet time…
Sirius thought, and a sudden emptiness filled his heart.
Dumbledore returned, and his expression looked no different from before.
"Professor…" Harry mustered the courage to ask, "That figure just now—was it…"
"Merely one of Tom's tricks to confuse and manipulate," Dumbledore said calmly. "I must admit, he has quite a talent for sowing discord."
For reasons he couldn't quite explain, Harry, who is usually a bit slow on the uptake, instinctively felt he shouldn't press further.
"The locket is destroyed," Dumbledore continued. "I trust that, wherever he may be, Regulus would find some comfort in knowing this."
A faint, warm smile crossed Dumbledore's face. "You should take the children back now—this place may still harbor remnants of the Inferi."
"Yes, Professor," Sirius and Lupin replied in unison, like obedient students.
"Let's go!"
Sirius put his arm around Harry and guided him toward the exit.
They had to leave the cave before they could Apparate home.
"Wade, let's leave as well," Lupin said, extending his hand.
"You go ahead," Wade replied. "I have a few things to discuss with Professor Dumbledore."
Lupin glanced at him, then noticed that Dumbledore did not object. Nodding, he said, "Alright."
He picked up Kreacher, who was still sobbing on the ground, and left the cave as well.
Dumbledore removed his glasses and rubbed his brow, and seemed to have a hunch about why Wade stayed behind.
"Wade, do you want to ask about that spell just now? I understand your curiosity, but it's far too dangerous for you… While it's not exactly Dark Magic, it's even more hazardous than the Fiendfyre Curse…"
His mood appeared off, and he spoke in an uncharacteristically rambling manner.
"Professor," Wade interrupted gently, "that… I have another one of those."
"Another what?"
For a moment, Dumbledore didn't quite follow.
Wade didn't immediately clarify. He looked at Dumbledore, knowing the Headmaster would soon understand.
Sure enough, after a moment, realization dawned on Dumbledore. His eyes slowly widened, and his brilliant blue gaze turned indescribably complex.
It wasn't a mere shock, nor was it delight…
A myriad of emotions seemed to tear through his composed facade all at once, reflecting in the cave's eerie green glow. The intensity made Wade shiver involuntarily.
Instinctively, he wanted to step back, but as his foot began to move, he forced himself to stay still.
He held his breath and met Dumbledore's gaze.
After a few tense moments, Dumbledore finally spoke in a soft voice, "You have… another Horcrux?"
"Unbelievable, isn't it?" Wade replied with a deliberately lighthearted smile. "But I do."
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
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