Unique (Hermione x M! OC)

57. What's a Horcrux?

"Sir, is it true that Professor Merrythought is retiring?" Riddle asks. He's at a table in a familiar room. He's part of the Slug Club

"Now, Tom, I couldn't tell you if I knew, could I? I must say, m'boy, I'd like to know where you get your information. More knowledgeable than half the staff, you are." Slughorn compliments, "By the way, thank you for the pineapple -- you're quite right, it is my favourite -- how is it you knew?"

"Intuition." Riddle says, his sinister smile revealing darker implications.

Slughorn chuckles uneasily, "Good gracious, look at the time. Off you go, boys, or Professor Dippett will have us all in detention. Lestrange, Avery, don't forget your essays..." As everyone files out, one remains. Tom Riddle, who lingers, observing the hourglass that sits even today. "Look sharp, Tom. You don't want to be caught out of bed after hours..."

"I know a secret shortcut or two." Riddle says.

"Yes, I imagine you do." Slughorn says, nodding, "Something on your mind, Tom?"

"Yes, sir. I couldn't think of anyone else to go to. The other professors, well, they're not like you. They might... misunderstand." Riddle explains.

"Go on." Slughorn speaks.

"I was in the library the other night, in the Restricted section, and I read something rather odd, about a bit of rare magic, and I thought perhaps you could illuminate me..." Riddle speaks.

Suddenly a thick haze blurs the background of the image, thicker than I've ever seen before, "I don't know anything about such things and I wouldn't tell you if I did! Now get out of here at once and don't ever let me catch you mentioning it again!" Slughorn shouts, it doesn't take the smartest person in the world to figure out that Slughorn is hiding something.

***

Me and Harry pull our heads from the pensieve, regard each other and then Dumbledore. "Confused? I'd be surprised if you two weren't."

"It's a lie." Me and Harry say at once, "And a big one at that." I add.

"Very good, both of you. Sammy, I sometimes forget just how experienced you are with magic, did they discuss memories in America?"

"Yes, in fact, they did." I nod.

"This is perhaps the most important memory I've collected. It is also, as you both know, a lie." Dumbledore states, "This memory has been tampered with. In this case by the person whose memory it is, our friend Professor Slughorn." Didn't know people aside from yourself could tamper with your memories.

"Why did he tamper with his memory?" Harry questions.

"I suspect he is ashamed of it." Dumbledore answers.

"Why?" I interject.

"Why indeed." Dumbledore utters as his even worse looking hand grazes the water in the pensieve. "I asked you both to get to know Professor Slughorn and you've done so. Now I want you to persuade him to divulge his true memory. Any way you can."

""I don't know him that well, sir." Harry tries.

"Neither do I, really." I add.

"You're the Chosen One, Harry, you're the heir to the Great Wizard's throne, Sammy, and Horace is, at heart, a decent man. Provide the proper circumstances and he will confess his sins." Dumbledore pulls his fingers from the pensieve and they appear back in their normal appearance, "Boys, this memory is everything. Without it, we are blind. Without it, we leave the fate of our world to chance. You have no choice. You must not fail." The water from the pensieve drips away, leaving his fingers blackened once more.