The Headmaster's office was utterly silent.
Although Severus hadn't explicitly stated who 'he' was, Dumbledore clearly understood from the context whom he had captured.
Based on the items Severus had previously given him, Dumbledore had already fully grasped that Voldemort had created multiple Horcruxes.
So, initially, Dumbledore guessed that the 'he' Severus referred to was Voldemort, but he only thought Severus had acquired one of Voldemort's Horcruxes.
"I found him in the forests of Albania. His state was extremely weak. Even with the existence of Horcruxes sustaining his life, preventing his direct death, he could only linger on in a state that was neither human nor ghost."
It was at this moment that Dumbledore's expression shifted, and he truly realized what Severus had actually captured.
His face became exceptionally grave and astonished. Those blue eyes, usually deep and inscrutable, now couldn't conceal the turmoil within him.
"You're saying you caught his..."
"Not something of his, but him," Severus corrected the implication in Dumbledore's words. Then, he opened his suitcase and took out a teacup that looked utterly tattered and old from the outside.
"This cup I obtained from Nicolas Flamel. Its primary function is to capture ghost," Severus explained.
"Voldemort's remnant soul has been tricked into it. As long as the lid remains closed, he cannot escape."
Dumbledore interlaced his fingers, his expression complex as he looked at Severus.
"So, before you went to Albania to find him, you already knew what state he was in at that time?"
Severus did not deny this. He was well aware that Dumbledore would have various speculations about his origins. The peculiarities about himself that he revealed from time to time would only make it harder for Dumbledore to determine who he truly was.
"More or less," Severus said ambiguously. However, he quickly steered the conversation back to Voldemort. "But although Voldemort himself has been captured, the Horcruxes he created have not all been retrieved yet."
Dumbledore had originally intended to discuss with Severus upon his return how many Horcruxes Voldemort might have made. But now, realizing he didn't need to say much, he asked directly,
"Aside from the diary and the diadem you brought me, how many remain?"
Severus didn't beat around the bush. He listed all of Voldemort's existing Horcruxes.
"There is also a Resurrection Stone ring, a Hufflepuff cup, a Slytherin locket, and..." He paused for a few seconds before uttering the final name. "...Harry Potter."
Upon hearing the previous items, Dumbledore showed no particular reaction. But when he heard Harry's name at the end, his entire body visibly stiffened.
Not only him, but even the portraits of past Headmasters on the walls, who had been holding their breath and listening intently, couldn't help but let out a collective gasp at this moment!
And Ghost Snape, who had been residing within Severus's body, was also left utterly dumbfounded.
The first to react was actually Ghost Snape, who couldn't restrain a roar.
[You've been hiding this from me all along! Why didn't you tell me such an important thing from the beginning!!]
Severus paid him no mind, maintaining eye contact with Dumbledore.
Compared to Ghost Snape, Dumbledore's reaction was less fierce, but his deeply furrowed brow was enough to reveal his inner turmoil.
"I have carefully studied the two items you sent me: the diary from Riddle's school days and Ravenclaw's lost Diadem of Wisdom. Both have been turned into Horcruxes, and they exhibit the most fundamental characteristics of Dark Magic."
"They themselves possess deadly curse."
Dumbledore's expression was somber. The notion that Harry was also a Horcrux was both appalling and critically important. Even though the information Severus had provided so far had been entirely accurate, Dumbledore needed to confirm the veracity of this specific claim further.
Severus began explaining to Dumbledore, starting with recent events.
"After I took Harry to the Albanian forest, we found a Puffskein. Voldemort, unable to maintain a proper form, was hiding on this Puffskein. Then, one night, Harry came to me in the middle of the night, saying he had an incredibly realistic dream."
"In that dream, he turned into a snake slithering through the forest and used Parseltongue to summon a basilisk. On the night I encountered Voldemort and tricked him into the teacup, I asked him about the process of how he found and summoned that basilisk. The scene he described to me was identical to what Harry dreamed."
"I suspect that on that night, while Voldemort was resting on the Puffskein, he dreamed of the day he possessed a snake to find the basilisk. And on that same night, Harry, through the fragment of Voldemort's soul residing within him, formed a faint connection with Voldemort himself and had the same dream!"
This incident alone, of course, wasn't sufficient proof that the connection between Harry and Voldemort was due to Harry being a Horcrux.
So, Severus spoke more bluntly.
"On the night Harry's parents were killed by Voldemort, Lily's protective magic saved Harry, causing Voldemort's Killing Curse to rebound and kill its caster."
"In that process, unbeknownst to him, a Horcrux was passively created. His soul was split in two. One half remained within Harry's body, turning him into a living Horcrux, while the other half, protected by the Horcrux's immortality magic, fled to Albania."
"Harry became a Horcrux, yet he is completely different from other Horcruxes. He doesn't carry a powerful curse upon him, but he has acquired some of Voldemort's traits."
"For example, he became a Parselmouth, and he shares a sensory connection with Voldemort himself, among other things."
"However, the most fundamental characteristic of a Horcrux is also present in Harry."
At this point, Severus's voice trailed off, and he did not continue.
Both Dumbledore and Ghost Snape understood what he had left unsaid.
To truly kill the master of a Horcrux, the Horcruxes must be destroyed.
Now that Harry is a Horcrux, if one wants to kill Voldemort, then one must...
The Headmaster's office fell into complete silence. The portraits looked at each other wide-eyed, none making a sound.
After a long while, Dumbledore finally seemed to have processed his emotions and spoke softly.
"Do you have a solution?"
Severus looked at him and offered the only answer he knew.
"I only know of one method that was originally guaranteed to work, but it is extremely risky. You might even think it's essentially sending Harry to his death."
Ghost Snape became extremely agitated, yet he tried hard to control his emotions, understanding that he shouldn't interrupt the conversation between Severus and Dumbledore now.
Dumbledore looked at Severus calmly.
"I would like to hear it."
"You are aware, Professor Dumbledore, that Lily's protective magic on Harry remains active. Even if Voldemort were to be resurrected now, he couldn't harm Harry, not even touch him."
Severus said calmly.
"If the current, barely-alive Voldemort uses Harry's blood in the ancient resurrection ritual to regain a human body, then Lily's protective charm would also enter Voldemort's body. At that point, if Voldemort were to attack Harry and use the Killing Curse, it's highly probable that he wouldn't kill Harry, but only destroy the fragment of his own soul hidden within Harry's body."
After his words fell, the Headmaster's office remained very quiet. Ghost Snape was completely shocked, as he had never imagined this could be a solution!
"Of course, I'm not certain this will definitely be the outcome, as there are many other variables involved. For instance, Harry's own courage, his capacity for love, or whether the wand in your possession is also one of the variables... I cannot be sure of any of that."
Severus shrugged, adding this final remark.
His uncertainty made Dumbledore's brow furrow even deeper. If Ghost Snape weren't a specter, his body would have been swaying precariously.
After another long silence, Dumbledore finally let out a deep sigh. His brow relaxed as he looked back at Severus.
"The greatest piece of good news we have now is that Voldemort himself is under our control. Whether he lives or dies, he can no longer pose a threat to the world. This essentially gives us an almost infinite amount of time, correct?"
Severus leaned back in his chair and nodded at Dumbledore's words.
"That is indeed the greatest advantage. If, in the end, we truly cannot find a way to remove the soul fragment from Harry, you could also find a way to deal with that teacup, seal it away completely, keeping Voldemort in this state of neither living nor dying until Harry's natural life reaches its end."
"But based on the countless adventure stories I know, such sealing methods often leave hidden dangers. It's best to resolve things thoroughly in one go if possible."
Having said that, Severus stood up from his chair.
"This headache is better left to you. I can't do everything, or it would make the so-called greatest white wizard of the twentieth century seem somewhat undeserving of the title, wouldn't it?"
Hearing Severus's words, a faint smile appeared on Dumbledore's face.
"I have never claimed such a title. You are the first to say this to me, so, even if it's undeserved, it doesn't matter."
Severus raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so? Perhaps I misremembered. You know, sometimes when you encounter too much information, it's hard to verify the truth of each piece."
Then, he picked up the teacup from the desk again.
"I'll take Voldemort with me for now. There's a group of fence-sitters waiting for me. I need him to help solidify their confidence in siding with me, so we can capture Barty Crouch Jr. and his lot."
"He definitely can't escape. The cup itself has been modified by Nicolas. Unless specific alchemical runes are used, no matter where he goes, the cup can always recapture him."
Since Severus was the one who captured him, Dumbledore naturally had no objections to how Severus intended to use Voldemort afterward.
He simply looked at Severus, curious about his tone, which held no trace of fear or trepidation towards Voldemort, treating him merely as an object.
"Next, are you planning to retrieve the remaining three Horcruxes?"
Severus waved his hand.
"No, we have plans tonight. We're going to The Burrow for dinner and to resolve the lingering issue with that brainless dog. Once his problem is solved, the true Slytherin locket can also be obtained."
With that, Severus turned and walked towards the door of the Headmaster's office.
Watching his retreating back, just as he was about to leave, Dumbledore suddenly asked,
"One day, will I be able to truly know who you are?"
Severus's steps did not halt. He clearly heard Dumbledore's question but offered no response.
…
The Burrow was bustling all afternoon.
After receiving Severus's letter in Diagon Alley, Molly had taken Arthur and Ron to purchase another batch of ingredients, the kind they usually only had at Christmas or Easter.
Upon returning home, the only two children left at home, Ron and Ginny, were put to work.
Molly assigned them the task of thoroughly cleaning the garden, as their dinner was to be held there.
Arthur wasn't idle either. Under Molly's strict orders, he went to tidy up the various messy Muggle contraptions he usually tinkered with in the backyard, lest they give the guests a bad impression of him knowingly breaking the law.
Meanwhile, Molly started preparing the lavish dinner from three o'clock onwards. Ginny and Ron, partly loafing and partly working, dealt with the weeds and gnomes in the garden until four o'clock, finally completing the task Molly had given them and returning to the sofa to rest.
But before they could even settle down properly, a burst of green flame erupted from their fireplace, and a stream of people emerged from it.
Along with the noise came the bickering of two boys.
"This fireplace is so narrow! You're squashing me, get out!"
"You're squashing me! And we're both stuck in here now. If you don't take a step back, neither of us can get out!"