Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to JK Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 123: Dumbledore Suspicion
---The Day After The Attack---
It had been a day since the attack on the Ministry and Dumbledore finally summoned Dudley to his office.
Earlier, he had called for Harry Potter, but after a brief conversation, he quickly realized that Harry knew nothing about Horcruxes. That left only one person who might know more about it, Dudley Dursley.
"Headmaster, you called for me?" asked Dudley as he entered the office.
"My boy, please, have a seat," said Dumbledore gently, his tone calm while looking at him.
"Thank you," replied Dudley, pulling out the chair before sitting down. "May I ask why you called me here, Professor?"
That morning, before returning to Hogwarts, Dudley had already told Amelia Bones everything about Horcruxes, how Voldemort survived all these years and why he and Harry had dared to confront him. He had also shared his theory on how to prevent lycanthropy patients from transforming into werewolves. Amelia, now armed with that knowledge, had left Hogwarts more confident than ever just after she met her niece, Susan Bones, then departed to continue her work.
Now, inside the headmaster office, Dudley had a feeling Dumbledore wanted to talk about one thing only, the Horcruxes.
"Yesterday," Dumbledore began, resting both hands on the desk, "you seemed rather certain that you would survive facing Voldemort. Why were you so confident?"
"Headmaster, my cousin came here earlier," replied Dudley calmly. "I believe he told you about our plan."
"Yes," said Dumbledore, nodding. "Harry revealed some of it. But I have the impression you know something that he doesn't. Tell me, my boy what exactly do you know?"
"Headmaster," Dudley replied bluntly, "if you want the truth, just ask directly. I don't enjoy playing word games."
Dumbledore blinked, surprised by the boy's honesty, before letting out a quiet chuckle. "You truly are an unusual young man. Every professor who's reported on you said the same thing. Even your duel with Professor Snape has become something of a legend among the student and even professor in Hogwarts. Now tell me, do you know about Horcruxes?"
Dudley leaned back slightly, a faint smile forming on his face. "Yes, Professor. Harry is one of them."
The office fell utterly silent.
Dumbledore eyes widened in shock, and even the portraits lining the walls stirred, whispering amongst themselves. In the wizarding world, portraits weren't alive, but they carried traces of memory and personality that has been coded into the picture, Dudley called it the magical AI. And every single one of them reacted to Dudley words with disbelief.
"I suspected as much," Dumbledore said finally, his voice quiet but tense. "But to hear it confirmed…" He exhaled slowly. "Tell me, what exactly happened yesterday?"
"Don't worry," said Dudley. "Harry isn't a Horcrux anymore. Voldemort tried to kill him, but Harry survived. I think the curse removed the fragment of horcrux inside him. He's no longer bound to Voldemort and I believe he's lost his Parseltongue ability too."
For a long moment, Dumbledore said nothing. Relief slowly filled his expression. For a long time since he suspected Harry is Horcrux, something filled him with sadness, the thought of a child carrying part of the Horcurx had always unsettled him.
"Does Harry know?" he asked at last.
"No," said Dudley. "He only mentioned that it felt strange, that the curse didn't kill him. He said he saw something while unconscious, something that resembles Voldemort in the form of baby."
Dumbledore's eyes grew thoughtful. "You did a good job, Mr. Dursley. It seems you've known about Horcruxes for some time. May I ask how you learned of them? And how many have you destroyed?"
Dudley smirked slightly. "Professor, you're almost accusing me of doing something dark."
"My apologies," said Dumbledore softly. In his heart, he remembered another gifted friend Gellert Grindelwald, a boy who had been called as the Dark Lord. Dumbledore wondered if history was repeating itself.
"There are five Horcruxes destroyed so far," said Dudley, cutting straight to the point. "Nagini, Ravenclaw Diadem, Slytherin Locket, the Diary and Harry."
Dumbledore blinked several times, struggling to process of what he was hearing. "Five already?" he repeated.
"Yes," Dudley said, his tone casual, as if discussing a school project. "I started this year. When I saw Harry's memories, I began researching the nature of Voldemort survived. Long story short... five are gone."
Dumbledore stared at him, taking a slow breath, Dumbledore asked, "How many do you think Voldemort created?"
"Seven," replied Dudley confidently.
"Why seven?"
"Because seven the most powerful magical number," said Dudley simply. "It just makes sense."
Dumbledore studied him carefully, concern flickering in his eyes. "You don't mean to..."
"Create one myself?" Dudley interrupted with a grin. "No, Professor. That's foolish. You can't cheat death. When God decides it's your time, you die and furthermore Horcrux are not splitting soul it was just a dark magic that kept your body from being killed by physical or magical object."
That answer startled Dumbledore. "You believe in God?" he asked softly.
"Of course I do," said Dudley. "Some people believe the sun, mountains, and sky exist naturally. I don't. Take a television, for example, it's a complex device, right? Nobody would believe it appeared on its own. Humans are far more complex than a TV. So if a television can't exist naturaly, how could humans exist by natural meaning? That's why I believe God exists. And one day, I'll die and meet my Creator."
For a brief moment, the old wizard was silent. He had spoken with thousands of students, some brilliant, some foolish, some arrogant. But none had ever spoken like this, with clarity, with conviction.
"I see now," said Dumbledore softly. "I was wrong to doubt you. Once, there was a boy here at Hogwarts, a genius, gifted beyond measure. But he was misguided and that boy became Lord Voldemort."
Dudley nodded knowingly. "I know, Professor. But don't worry, I'm not him. I won't walk that path."
"But if you ever plan to hunt Horcruxes like I do," Dudley added, "don't go alone. It's too dangerous, even for someone like you."
Dumbledore smiled faintly, a touch of irony in his expression. "How did you even find them, if I may ask?"
"The first one I found was here at Hogwarts," Dudley explained. "It was cursed, and I realized it was the reason every Defense Against the Dark Arts professor never lasted a full year. The second, I found with the help of a house-elf, hidden in a cave. The third, I destroyed yesterday. And that's only the beginning."
Dumbledore listened intently, his expression unreadable. He had spent decades unraveling the mysteries of Voldemort, but this boy, this muggle-born prodigy had done in months what the greatest minds had failed to do in years.
"Professor," Dudley continued, his tone serious now, "promise me something. If you ever go after the next Horcrux, don't do it alone. Bring me with you. I've seen what they can do, and I know how dangerous they are. Believe me..... one wrong move, and even you could fall."
Dumbledore nodded slowly, his blue eyes thoughtful. "You have my word."
Author Notes: To read advanced chapter you can go to my patreon.
Chapter 151: New Family Member
Chapter 152: Little Violet
Chapter 153: Voldemort Adventure
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