You can hinder me, but you'll never stop me

Horcruxes

After the entire escapade that was getting a ruddy translation, Jay could continue her search.

What she found was worrying, to say the least. The rituals in the book were worse as any other she had come across.

What is also was, was very fruitful.

The Horcrux. A way of storing a piece of one's soul in an object. The ways the book described the horcrux's ability to interact with the world fit perfectly.

Tom's diary had been from the 1943. That was the year that was written on the inside of the book's cover. The same year, according to auror records, a young woman had been murdered. Where she'd been murdered was unclear, since the aurors had concluded that the woman was killed elsewhere. The killer was never found.

On top of that, a very complicated potion had to be brewed. One a student normally wouldn't have been able to brew. One most potions masters would find very difficult to brew. According to records, Tom had perfect scores in potions. One Horace Slughorn was the head of Slytherin house at the time.

Perhaps it was time to pay the man a visit. She knew him vaguely from parties around the years. The man knew a lot of celebrities and had a huge social network. And it just so happened that the man owned a potions shop. Lucky her.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

The retired professor was exactly as she remembered him. Big, with a bubbly personality that one would not normally affiliate with a Slytherin, and oh so eager to speak to her.

Which is how she ended up in the back room with a cup of tea. They chatted a bit, and the man became very excited when he heard about her academic accomplishments. She waited just a bit before starting about the real reason she had come to his shop.

"Mister Slughorn, I was actually wondering about one of your previous students." She began carefully.

"Oh," He man was started cheerfully, "Well, you have to be a bit more specific, my dear girl! I taught for a long time..."

She took a big breath and hoped she wasn't about to slam the door on one of her biggest leads. "It's about Tom Marvolo Riddle."

Immediately she could tell the difference in the atmosphere. The man's easy smile slid off his face and his face showed shame. He tried to play it off however.

"Oh, well, Tom. Yes, he was had to forget. Brilliant mind, capable of great things-"

"Did he ever talk about a certain diary?" She asked. "This one?" She grabbed the two halves of the diary out of her bag.

From the way his breath hitched, she guessed he did in fact know the diary.

"When I found it, there was a mist that appeared out of it. It told me that it was Tom. An imprint, left behind by him. I don't believe that, however."

Slughorn just looked defeated. "Do you know what it is then?"

"I believe we both do, Professor." She gave him an intense stare, weighing her options. "Professor, I'm not here to accuse you of anything. I just need to know for sure it is what I think it is." She fell silent for a few moments, hoping Slughorn to fall in. no such luck however. Fine by her. She just had to deliver a small push. "I need to know, because I think there are more than just this one."

That got his attention.

"More?" He breathed out. "I never thought... I didn't mean to..."

"I know." She could understand the man's pain and guilt. But it wasn't his fault. "Professor, Tom was twisted from the start. You didn't cause that. There were records of him terrorizing other orphans at the orphanage, even though they could never prove it. He would have found something else. But I need you to tell me, is it a horcrux?"

Silence fell once more. "Sir, I promise that this conversation will never leave the room. But I have to know for sure. Is it a horcrux?"

"Yes." The man forces out. "I never meant to, to cause so much..."

Jay just nodded her head. She holds the diary up again, "I killed this one with a sword. I suspected the reason it worked was probably because the sword had been used to kill a basilisk. Now I know for certain. Thank you."

When jay left, she say Slughorn bring out a chalice of some alcoholic beverage, and honestly? Same.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Now that she knew for certain what it was, the next step was to figure out what was wrong with herself.

That night, she didn't dream of a snake. She dreamt of a green pendant that had not seen light in years until she herself came digging around in its cupboard.

End of Book 2