Dumbledore pointed solemnly at the diary resting on his desk. "At first, I thought Tom was simply curious whether Mr. Lovegood knew him because the first half of that story seemed to be about himself," he said. "But after examining this diary, I've formed another theory.
"The magical traces lingering on this diary are primarily soul-protection enchantments. Coupled with the form in which Tom manifested, as you described… Well, I saw him last year, and the difference is striking. That's why almost no one connects Voldemort with the clever, handsome Head Boy who once walked these halls.
"So, I'm quite certain—the Tom in this diary isn't the present-day Dark Lord, but Tom as he was during his school years…"
Douglas nodded, lifting the magazine in his hand. "I think I get it now. So what I faced was a teenage Voldemort, just a soul fragment. No wonder he was so fragile. In other words, the story's 'seal' was never about his body, but his soul?
"And if we follow that logic… does this mean Voldemort split his soul into seven pieces? That's not something ordinary Dark Magic could accomplish, is it?"
Dumbledore fell silent, nodding thoughtfully. After a long pause, he replied, "I'm not certain yet. I'll need more time to look into it. For now, our priority is to find a way to open Salazar Slytherin's Chamber—so we can prevent Tom from ever opening it again. Parseltongue…"
Douglas couldn't tell if Dumbledore was talking to him or just thinking aloud. He was careful to keep his mind shielded with Occlumency, not daring to let his thoughts wander. Still, one thing gnawed at his curiosity: when he produced the diary, Dumbledore had seemed genuinely unaware of its existence.
He remembered Professor Flitwick once telling him, in private, that Dumbledore claimed Tom Cruise's memories could only be restored by the original caster—Voldemort. Douglas hadn't believed it. He'd always suspected Dumbledore had already gleaned some crucial information from Tom Cruise's memories, which was why the Headmaster seemed so at ease.
So he asked, cautiously, "Professor, is it really impossible to restore Tom Cruise's memories? He spent the most time with Voldemort's diary, maybe even opened the Chamber himself. If we could access his memories, we might learn exactly how to open it…"
Dumbledore shook his head. "It's possible, but extremely dangerous and time-consuming. If something goes wrong, it could cause irreparable harm to that boy's fragile mind. There must be other ways—we'll take it slow. Ahh…" He stifled a yawn. "It's nearly four in the morning, Douglas. I think that's enough for tonight. I'm over a hundred years old, you know—not as spry as you…"
He smiled, gesturing at the clock on the wall.
Seeing Dumbledore yawn, Douglas couldn't help but yawn himself. He stood and stretched. "Alright then, Professor, have a good rest. Oh, and about the diary—if you don't need it anymore, I'd like to take it back for research. It's damaged, but the magical residue could be valuable."
Dumbledore yawned again. "Of course. Strictly speaking, it's your trophy."
Douglas packed up the diary and made his farewells, heading for the door. But as his hand touched the handle, he paused and turned back, catching Dumbledore's eye.
"Professor, I have one more question…"
Before he could finish, Fawkes let out a hoarse, disgruntled squawk, as if annoyed by the late-night disturbance. Both men glanced at the phoenix.
Dumbledore shrugged. "Ah, I've told him time and again to go ahead and be reborn, but he refuses. Seems he rather enjoys this leisurely old age. You know how it is—everyone gets a bit stubborn as they grow older."
Douglas chuckled, but pressed on. "Actually, I wanted to ask—why did you set the password to 'Wife Cake'? Did you… did you know I'd be coming?"
Dumbledore looked as if he'd been waiting for this question. "Of course. I thought you might bring me a delightful surprise one day. And clearly, you didn't disappoint."
Douglas was left speechless. That answer was as good as saying nothing at all. He let it go—he'd only been curious, after all, and hadn't expected a straight answer.
He turned to leave again—then spun back, catching Dumbledore's startled expression. "Professor, just one last thing. What do you plan to do about Miss Luna Lovegood?"
Dumbledore blinked, then asked, "Do you have any suggestions? I'd be happy to hear them."
Douglas hadn't expected the question to be tossed back at him, but he didn't hesitate. "Personally, I think Miss Lovegood deserves a Hogwarts Special Award for Services to the School. And perhaps Ravenclaw should get a hundred or two hundred points. The announcement should be made when everyone's present, and the reason for the reward made clear to all. The school's attitude should be one of encouragement for this sort of bravery and wisdom. I don't want another Tom Cruise situation on our hands.
"We can't choose their paths for them, but we can guide them in the right direction. What do you think, Professor?"
…
The next morning, at half past six.
Everyone who joined the morning run gathered on the castle lawn, illuminating the grounds with their Lumos charms. But even after waiting a while, there was no sign of Professor Holmes.
"Did the Professor oversleep today?"
"No way. For two months, he's been here on the dot every morning. Something must have come up."
"Sigh, yesterday's story was only half-finished…"
Seven o'clock came, but the Professor still hadn't appeared. Led by the sixth-years, the group started running anyway. Even the most enthusiastic volunteers wouldn't slack off just because the Professor was missing.
From the very start, Douglas had set the rules: you didn't have to join the run, but if you showed up, you had to run—no exceptions. Otherwise, don't bother turning up at all.
Naturally, no one was foolish enough to challenge a professor's authority.
Even after their run, as everyone split off for their own business, Douglas was nowhere to be seen. He didn't show up for the advanced practical session, either.
Whispers and speculation spread quickly.
Luna grew anxious when she heard the news. She hurried to Douglas's office, but no matter how hard she knocked, the door wouldn't open.
At first, no one worried—professors had their own private business, after all. But when Professor McGonagall passed by and noticed Luna's worried expression—so rare for her—she grew concerned.
When Luna explained that she'd given Professor Holmes a very dangerous Dark Magic artifact the day before, and hadn't seen him since, McGonagall's concern turned to alarm.
Soon, all four Heads of House had gathered at Douglas's office door.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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