0304 Hocruxes

0304 Hocruxes

"Well, let's leave it at that--" Bryan pushed those thoughts back into his mind and regained his focus.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, what do you plan to do with this soul fragment in the Locket? Destroy it or temporarily keep it?"

"In my opinion, there is no need to keep it."

When it came to Horcruxes, Dumbledore's tone became solemn again.

"Alright--"

Bryan shrugged his shoulders, the wand falling into his palm.

"The soul fragment is hidden in the Locket, and it can only be destroyed along with the Locket. But after that, I'll need you to repair it. I have a feeling that these things will play an important role someday in the future. Please step back, Headmaster Dumbledore, unless you wish to lose your beard as well."

"Not just my beard, Bryan--" Dumbledore quickly waved his hand.

"If possible, I also hope to preserve many items in this office that belong to Hogwarts rather than myself. Don't worry, we can choose a gentler way--"

The mention of a 'gentler way' to deal with the Horcrux piqued Bryan's interest, his mind racing with the possibilities. Horcruxes, the darkest of dark magics, demanded extreme measures for their destruction. The spells at Bryan's disposal were potent, capable of annihilating the Horcrux, but at the risk of devastating the surrounding environment. Fiendfyre, a spell of controlled chaos, seemed the most viable option, yet Dumbledore's alternative intrigued him.

Dumbledore went to the shelf where he used to hide wine and tapped on the innermost partition with his wand. Immediately, the dark wooden board twisted like liquid and quickly lost its color until it became as clear as water.

Dumbledore reached in and searched for a while, then under Bryan's gaze, he took out a box. He then quickly walked back to his desk, holding the box.

"What is this--"

When Dumbledore opened the box and exposed its contents to the air, a foul smell made Bryan squint his eyes.

"Hehe, you recognize it--"

Dumbledore's silver-white beard fluttered as he controlled the venomous fangs floating in the box.

"It is the venomous fang of the Basilisk that you subdued."

"Fudge told me that the Ministry entrusted Mr. Scamander to take care of the Basilisk--" Bryan remarked, recalling the conversation.

"Yes, Newt is a good friend of mine; it's no secret," Dumbledore replied, his smile broadening. "I am not as skilled as you in controlling spells like Fiendfyre, but I must ensure that I can destroy the Horcruxes at any moment when found. So, I asked Newt to check the remnants in the Basilisk's teeth and also see if this aged snake creature has any cavities."

Bryan nodded. "He has a good reputation as a Magizoologist, and it seems that Mr. Scamander is indeed very good at dealing with magical creatures."

"Newt is a wizard with a pure soul--"

Dumbledore nodded.

"A person with a pure soul is always more likely to gain the trust of those magical creatures. To be honest, I am quite grateful to Salazar Slytherin. If it weren't for him leaving behind this Basilisk, it would have been very difficult to find a safe way to destroy Tom's Horcrux--"

Bryan blinked his eyes and his thoughts wandered for a moment.

Salazar Slytherin left the Basilisk behind and accidentally provided significant help in destroying the Horcruxes created by his own bloodline after a thousand years. Was this a coincidence, or was there another possibility?

This space was boundless, similar to the high-dimensional space where wizards briefly stayed during apparition. Chaotic spatial turbulence filled the surroundings, and Bryan and Dumbledore stood on opposite sides, one with a cold expression and the other with a solemn expression.

Boom!

Just as Voldemort's soul fragment became anxious and uneasy, Dumbledore and Bryan's aura surged at the same time. The golden and purple colors, like flames, manifested as magical power bursting out of their bodies. In the void, they formed a sky-covering net, firmly imprisoning the raging soul fragment in a closed space.

The surrounding space currents, ebbing and flowing like the sea, seemed to encounter three massive celestial bodies, striking the magical net that imprisoned the Horcrux with even more chaotic trajectories. The soul fragment, trapped within the spherical net, thrashed in every direction, distorting the net with each furious attempt to break free, but it could never escape.

Under the magical oppression of Dumbledore and Bryan, two powerful wizards, the soul fragment of Voldemort, relying on the special properties of the Horcrux, never dissipated.

"Bryan--"

Dumbledore's aged voice precisely reached Bryan's ears amidst the chaos. Signaled by Dumbledore, Bryan nodded slightly and raised his right hand toward the empty space beyond the turbulent currents. A miniature tornado, carrying the serpent's fang, suddenly appeared.

Sensing the arrival of something that could destroy it, the imprisoned soul fragment descended into madness. The large face abruptly disintegrated into hundreds of black streams, like shooting stars, frantically striking the purple-golden magical net from all directions.

Bryan squinted his eyes, and the erratic trajectories of the black flowing clouds were clearly reflected in his eyes. After a brief analysis, he locked onto one of them.

With a flick of his index finger, the Basilisk fang trembled and emitted a deep buzzing sound. Then, accompanied by an earth-shattering brightness, it collided with the black flowing cloud like a comet hitting the earth!

Ding!

In an instant, a crisp and pleasant sound echoed through the illusory space. Following that, a light that seemed to create the world rolled in, melting everything in the field of vision and erasing the unwillingness and fear of the soul fragment's furious roar!

...

Bryan had already left. Before leaving, he requested to take Ravenclaw's diadem and Slytherin's pendant that he had found. After a brief thought, Dumbledore agreed to Bryan's request, with one condition--not to sell these two items for money.

"Albus--"

The headmaster's office, shrouded in an inexplicable atmosphere, fell silent for a long time. Finally, Armando Dippet, the Ex-headmaster of Hogwarts, spoke. He gazed at Dumbledore, who sat in his chair, removed his glasses, and gently rubbed his eyebrows, asking solemnly,

"You have made up your mind to change your original plan, haven't you? I mean, to let Bryan Watson--" Dippet's query hung in the air, a question of profound implications.

"For a long time, I have been searching for a safe way to deal with Tom's problem."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, looked up at the ceiling, and said expressionlessly,

"We all know that maybe I can overpower Tom in a duel, but that won't solve the problem. The Horcruxes are just one part of it. As long as I am alive, Tom will not let his guard down. He will continue to hide in the shadows and use his expertise in conspiracy to plunge the wizarding world into long-lasting chaos. Plus, there's the connection between Harry and Tom's soul. In short, I am growing weaker day by day, and time is on Tom's side."

"But Bryan Watson--" Headmaster Dippet spoke bluntly, "I don't deny that this young man is powerful, Albus. Given time, he may truly reach the heights you once did. But you know very well that if we let him take over, the Wizarding world, our world will be plunged into a war as fierce and as devastating as any we have ever known."

A heavy silence descended once more, a shroud that seemed to weigh upon the very air they breathed.

After a long pause, Dumbledore sighed inexplicably.

"It's inevitable."

*******************************

For More Chapters; /FicFrenzy