15th June 1992
The days after the final exams were spent frolicking in the sun. My friends and I hung out in the grounds by the Black lake, like most of the other students. The only excitement after our midnight jaunt was the final Quidditch match of the season between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, which had the entire school in attendance.
Unlike the Slytherins, the 'claws were like a well-oiled machine. They managed to build an early lead of 50-20, and it only got more intense from there. Finally, Harry caught the snitch just as the game was entering the half-hour mark. Gryffindor won the match with 210-100 and secured the Quidditch Cup.
The results were declared a week after the final exam. As expected, I aced every test and was awarded as being the top student of our year. Hermione had been a close second, getting O's in all subjects. Her theory papers had been impeccable, it was the practicals that pulled me ahead of her.
Harry had scored Os in DADA, Transfiguration and Charms, followed by EE in Herbology and As in Astronomy, History of Magic and Potions. Neville too, had done exceptionally well, managing an O in Herbology, EEs in Transfiguration, Charms and DADA, and As in Astronomy, History of Magic and Potions. It was commendable given the fact that he was basically using a defective wand.
This morning, I was having breakfast in the Great Hall when Professor Flitwick approached me.
"Mr. Carter, the headmaster would like to have a word with you," he started, "in private," he added, taking a look at my friends. "Please make your way to his office after you finish your meal. The password is 'sugar quills'."
"Of course, professor." I replied, and he went on his way.
After placating my friends with assurances of telling them everything we discuss, I made my way to the Headmaster's sanctuary. I rode the moving staircase and gently knocked on the door, before it opened to admit me.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" I asked as I entered the office.
"Indeed, Mr. Carter," Dumbledore replied jovially, gesturing to a chair. "Please have a seat."
"Thank you," I said, taking the offered seat. "And you can call me Ben, sir. All my friends do."
"Very well, Ben," he accepted with a smile. "As you might have surmised, I called you to discuss the recent revelations about the source of voldemort's seeming immortality. I remember what you said a few days ago, but I must once again confirm this." Dumbledore said with an extremely serious expression. "Are you sure that Voldemort made 6 horcruxes? No more, no less?"
"I am fairly certain. He turned his personal Diary into his first horcrux. His second was the Gaunt family ring. He managed to swindle information about the Diadem of Ravenclaw from the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw and made it into his third. He came across Hufflepuff's Cup and Slytherin's locket while working at Borgin and Burkes. He killed Hepzibah Smith, stole them from her and turned them into his 4th and 5th. And when he got blasted apart, a portion of his unstable soul broke and latched itself onto Harry, turning him into an unwilling horcrux."
Dumbledore let off a great sigh and closed his eyes. "I had hoped....prayed that I was wrong about his scar being anything more than a remnant of the curse he survived. Merlin knows the boy has suffered enough because of voldemort's deeds." He opened his eyes and looked at me with a hopeful expression. "You implied that you had a way to help Harry survive this tribulation. Is that true?"
"It is," I verified. "I learnt a lot about Spirit Magic from a witch in another world. I am confident I can remove the piece of Voldemort from Harry without harming him. In fact, I plan to remove the bits of Riddle's soul from all those artifacts. It would be a shame to destroy all those historical relics just to deal with a dark lord."
"Indeed," he said, with a relieved smile. "Now, you said you had some requests. Let's hear them."
"First, I need an unused classroom, to turn it into my workshop. I have seen a lot of magic regarding enchantments and artifact making. I want to experiment in my free time. Also, it would be good to have a private place to study with my friends. The Library and the Great Hall are often too crowded for my tastes."
"That is easily done," said the headmaster. "Both Ms.Granger and yourself are the top students of your year. We would be happy to provide you with a place to hone your potential. Although, it goes without saying that I hope you won't endanger yourself or your friends with these experiments."
One of the downsides of being the top student of the year, as well as being best friends with The Harry Potter, is that people will take note of you. At first it's nice, especially the attention of the females. But after a while it gets annoying. I can't just disappear for hours in the Room of Requirement without people asking questions. But now that my friends were in the loop, I could set up shop in one of the empty rooms in the castle and work on my projects in my free time, instead of the middle of the night.
"Secondly, in the coming school year, I plan on creating and marketing some entertainment media and products at Hogwarts. Nothing extraordinary, just some films and toys to make life in the castle interesting. I want your formal permission for that." I requested.
"Why would you need my permission for that?" asked Dumbledore.
"Because the caretaker, Mr. Filch cannot stand watching the students have fun. The toys I intend to create are both magical and fun. Nothing dangerous, but truly exciting. I have no doubt that Mr Filch will try to confiscate them and get them banned. So, I'm asking for permission beforehand." I explained.
"Very well. As long as they are not dangerous and don't make a mess for Mr Filch to clean, I give my permission to spread your works." affirmed Dumbledore.
"Thank you, professor. I don't have anything more at the moment, but if I find myself in need of aid or require something for a project that I cannot myself acquire, I hope you will help me if you can." I requested.
"But of course, my dear boy," he said, looking at me strangely. "I must say that I am surprised. A young man such as yourself, intelligent and powerful, I had expected you to ask for the Philosopher's Stone or the Elder wand. Are you not tempted by them?"
"Why would I be interested in such defective objects?" I said, with a nonchalant air. "The Elder Wand, the Wand of Destiny, a Deathly Hallow. The most powerful wand in the entire world, yet so incredibly fickle. A wise man once said 'value loyalty above all else'. I stand by that. Besides, if I wanted a magical focus, I would just build one with all the knowledge at my disposal."
"As for the stone, it's even more useless to me. It can turn things into gold, so can I. Transmutation is such a useful spell, after all. And as for the Elixir of Life that grants eternal life? I ask you, what is eternal life without eternal youth? Self-imposed torture, that's what it is. I reckon the only reason your friend, Mr. Flamel managed to last this long, was because he was lucky enough to have the company of the love of his life. Love is the balm that makes any kind of pain bearable, isn't it?" I said.
"It does," he answered with a bittersweet smile. "I am gratified to see that you have already discovered the wisdom it takes powerful wizards decades to find."
"I am afraid I can't take all the credit for that. I have watched so many stories across space and time. They have more in common than you'd think. I am merely trying to avoid the pitfalls that ruined others."
"Don't sell yourself short, Ben. A smart man learns from his own mistakes. A wise one learns from the mistakes of others. You are a remarkable young man with a good heart." He complimented.
"Thank you, professor." I replied somewhat shyly, at his honest praise. "Now about the horcruxes. I will most likely be able to acquire the Diary sometime in the summer. The Diadem is close by and we can deal with it anytime. The locket remains inaccessible for now, but we will be able to get it in a year. The Cup is somewhat tricky, as it is currently sitting in the Gringotts vault of Bellatrix Lestrange." I summarized.
"Hmm....you are right. Removing the cup will be....problematic," said the Headmaster with a thoughtful expression. "I will have to consult with the goblins at the Bank. It might be possible to find a loophole in their Charter regarding the storage of such Dark objects. If not, we will have to consider other avenues of approach."
"I agree, which is why I think it would be best if you could deal with the Gaunt ring this summer. It lies behind powerful enchantments laid down by Voldemort on the Gaunt shack. The house is located in the woods outside the village of Little Hangleton, Yorkshire. Also, if you could acquire a dagger made of Goblin Silver and infuse it with a pint of basilisk venom, it would make an effective horcrux-destroying weapon." I advised.
"Thank you, Ben," he said. "With your invaluable assistance, it just might be possible to defeat Voldemort without anymore pain and suffering."
I looked at him for a moment. "Speaking of pain and suffering, I would like you to take someone with you on that trip, someone powerful you can trust. Mad-eye Moody, perhaps." I said.
"I may not be as powerful as I was in my prime, but I can assure you Ben, I can deal with any defenses Tom may have put up." he replied with a smile.
"It's not the defenses I am worried about, it's the ring itself." I said carefully. "You will be particularly susceptible to it. After all, it contains something you have been searching for decades. The Resurrection Stone."
Dumbledore jumped off his seat and practically flew around the table. He came in front of me and held my shoulders tightly.
"Are you certain?" He demanded, like a man possessed. "Are you certain that the Resurrection Stone is there?"
I slowly pried his hands from my arms. "Professor, I know why you want the stone. But trust me when I say this, Arianna is in a much better place now. Her soul has moved on to another world." I gently explained to the broken man in front of me. "Besides, the stone can't bring back the dead, not really. All it does is summon a spectre of those already gone."
He should there, utterly defeated. For a moment, he looked nothing like the powerful wizard that everyone looked up to. Instead, he looked like any other old man, burdened by age and regret. He dragged himself back to his chair and sat down heavily, with his face buried in his hands.
"That's how you died in the other world," I told him. "You recognised the stone. There was a powerful compulsion charm on the ring. Despite knowing that it was probably a trap, you still put it on. That's when you got affected by the Withering Curse on the ring. Professor Snape confined it to your arm when you came back to Hogwarts, but the damage was already done. You only had a year left to live."
"Thank you for telling me this, Ben." Dumbledore finally said, raising his head. "I will make sure to take someone with me to prevent me from doing something foolish. Now, if there is nothing more, perhaps you should go and join your friends. I am sure they're waiting for you."
Realising the polite dismissal for what it was, I stood up to leave. Then I remembered something.
"Professor, I have another request." I stated. Dumbledore looked at me curiously.
"I'm listening."