Chapter 51: “Horcrux”

Kreacher returned with a locket, crafted from weighty gold, featuring an intricate 'S' shaped like a serpent, embedded with a sparkling green stone on its facade. Arcturus, with his deep knowledge of Dark Magic, sensed the malevolence emanating from it, a sensation not perceptible to Sirius or Harry to the same extent.

Sirius said, "That locket seems special. The symbol looks like it's from the Slytherin house. Could this be Slytherin's own locket?"

Arcturus said, "It very well might be. It's said only someone who can speak Parseltongue can open it, and Voldemort was known for that skill. But it looks like he has misused this significant artifact."

Arcturus didn't touch the locket directly. He used his wand to lift it and examined it closely. "Just as I thought," he said, looking closely at the locket, "this has a piece of Voldemort's soul inside. To think he'd use soul anchors in our time..." His voice trailed off, a mix of disbelief and concern in his tone.

Sirius, puzzled, inquired, "Soul Anchors? What exactly are those?"

Arcturus proceeded to elucidate, "A Soul Anchor, more commonly known as a Horcrux, is a dark artifact. It's an object in which a wizard or witch conceals a part of their soul, achieving a twisted form of immortality. As long as the Horcrux remains intact, the soul fragment within it ensures the creator's anchor to the living world, making them immune to physical death."

Without waiting for more questions, Arcturus shared more details. "Making a Horcrux is considered the darkest kind of magic. It goes against nature. To create one, you have to commit a murder in a specific cold-hearted way, which splits the soul. Then, with a spell, the torn piece of the soul is placed inside an object. This process of splitting and placing the soul creates a Horcrux."

The revelation struck Sirius with a chilling reality, "So, Dumbledore was right when he said that Voldemort isn't completely gone."

Arcturus nodded, "Yes. The sacrifice made by Harry's grandmother should have defeated Voldemort, but it seems this soul anchor kept him connected to our world. Dumbledore likely suspects Voldemort created this anchor."

Harry chimed in, sharing his own experience, "I saw him turn into something ghost-like that night. It was so odd; I thought I had imagined it. Now it looks like he could come back. Dumbledore probably knew more about Voldemort, considering he might have been his teacher."

Sirius wondered, "You might be right, Harry. But if these Horcruxes are so powerful, why don't more dark wizards make them? They'd be happily willing to kill many people for immortality."

Arcturus explained, "Well, there are quite a few reasons why not many wizards choose to make Horcruxes. For starters, Horcruxes don't exactly stop you from dying; instead, they keep your soul tied to the living world, kind of like a ghost. Not many people would want to exist like that, preferring death over such a state. Plus, getting back into a real body from being a ghost is really tough."

He continued, "Also, when you split your soul to make a Horcrux, it messes with your mind and who you are. Your soul is what keeps you thinking straight and being yourself. Look at Voldemort; he went completely mad and evil in the last part of his fight. At first, he might have thought he was protecting other wizards from the threat of muggles, but that idea got twisted, and he ended up causing a lot of harm. His battles almost destroyed the wizarding world, making it weaker than it had been in a very long time."

"Another thing is Horcruxes don't last forever. They can keep you from dying too soon, but when it's naturally time for your soul to move on, you'll die anyway. If Horcruxes worked forever, we'd have a bunch of old Dark Wizards still kicking around. I've heard that in Egypt, they were into making these soul anchors. Treasure hunters often find stuff that might have been Horcruxes, but the souls in them have already died a natural death."

The weight of Arcturus's words hung in the air, marking a moment of sober reflection on the complexities of dark magic and the costs of seeking immortality.

Harry pondered aloud, "I bet Voldemort didn't know everything about Horcruxes. If he did, I can't imagine he'd risk everything for such an uncertain form of immortality. He was able to draw people to him because of his charm and strength. It doesn't make sense for him to throw all that away."

Arcturus nodded, adding, "Information on Horcruxes is highly guarded. It's likely that a young Voldemort stumbled upon partial knowledge and, intrigued by the prospect of living forever, decided to pursue it without fully understanding the consequences."

"Let's set aside that topic for now. We've got something more pressing to address," Arcturus said, turning his attention back to the locket on the table.

Sirius, with determination in his voice, said, "I still can't believe Regulus figured out what this locket was without even seeing it. We shouldn't wait any longer to fulfill his final wish of destroying this locket."

Arcturus paused for a moment, reflecting, "Regulus's actions, turning against Voldemort and rejecting the dark path to sabotage his attempt at immortality, show he was a true Black. He might have even made a worthy Lord Black," he said, a note of pride in his voice.

"As for the locket, yes, we will destroy it, but not in haste. There's something unusual about its size that needs a closer look. I suspect Voldemort did something unprecedented. I ask for your patience, Kreacher. We will proceed with its destruction once I've confirmed my suspicions," he assured them, signaling that they would take action soon.

As Arcturus exited the room, Harry and Sirius were left to process everything they had just learned.

"So, what's the plan now? Are we going to start planning how to redo this place?" Harry asked, trying to shift the mood towards something lighter.

Sirius let out a sigh, looking weary. "Not right now, Harry. My head's still spinning from all that information. But yes, eventually, we will. Kreacher, you're dismissed for now. Feel free to start cleaning up around here if you want. And Kreacher... after Voldemort is truly defeated, I promise to retrieve Regulus's remains from that cave," he said, his voice carrying a newfound respect for the house-elf.

Kreacher, visibly moved by Sirius's promise, gave a small nod before disappearing with a soft pop, presumably to start tidying up the neglected mansion or to attend to his own matters.

Harry, reflecting on the day's events, turned to Sirius. "Your brother was much smarter and braver than you've given him credit for, Padfoot. He figured out Voldemort's true nature on his own and bravely sought to destroy one of his tools for immortality. You, on the other hand, needed a lot of signs before you finally saw through Dumbledore's manipulations."

Sirius, his usual bravado tempered by the day's revelations, simply nodded in agreement. They remained in the house for a while longer, each lost in their own thoughts. Harry was contemplating the possible changes these new revelations could bring to the future, while Sirius was consumed with thoughts of his younger brother, filled with regret for not having reached out to him when he had the chance.

Eventually, they decided it was time to leave and made their way back to Black Castle.