The Slytherin Prince

¹⁹| Questions Answered {Part 2}

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The Slytherin Prince

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"Thoughts"

Letter

"~Parseltongue~"

":Deathtongue:"

~~~ August 2, 1990. Right where we left off ~~~

~~~ Harry's POV ~~~

Then Ragnok had to explain to everyone but Lucius what a Horcrux was. He had to explain that a piece of Riddle's soul was in Hadrian. And that was the first time he was scared for his life. The sheer amount of raw magic that rolled of Hadrian in waves pushed everyone back and knocked Susan of her feet.

I had to calm myself. I took deep breaths and tried to reign in my emotions. "Are you telling me that I have a piece of that filth stuck in my forehead?" I asked, utterly disgusted. "Yes Hadrian, he made you a Horcrux, probably by accident. It doesn't make sense to use a human, any living being really, as a Horcrux. A Horcrux, by definition, means an item or object that is utilised as a container for part of a soul of a wizard", he explained, after taking a moment to compose himself after my unintentional display of power.

"The object can be anything really, from a piece of curbside rock to the most expensive diamond on the planet. The object is something that usually holds a lot of emotional value to the maker. The object itself may not be that dangerous, but the enchantments and curses placed upon it and the location that protects it are extremely dangerous and in some cases, the soul may affect the person who comes into prolonged contact with it".

"Horcruxes weren't always considered evil and dark. The origins of Horcruxes are lost to wizardkind, but not to us Goblins. Horcruxes are a snub made on something pure and holy - Love. Horcruxes were made imitating something else, Soulcruxes. A Soulcrux is formed in a pair, it is formed when two people are so in love with each other, and trust each other with all their life and all its secrets, they can form a Soulcrux. When the pair share intimate moments of love and affection, like a kiss or a simple look of love and adoration, a piece of their soul is transferred to the other" said Ragnok, with a tone like he was lecturing a class.

All of us listened with curiosity. "Over time, the pair would have sent over a large portion of their soul to the other person, like storing a piece of their soul in an object, but, unintentional. Thus, when one of them dies, they will simply be brought back to life, as half a part of their soul is in the land of the living, inside their other half, literally. When this was discovered many people started looking for someone like that, their soulmate. But in most cases, it never worked. This is when a Dark wizard who had gone through true horrors found a way to make rip-off versions of a Soulcrux". At this everyone's interest was piqued.

"The wizard discovered that when a person goes through a truly traumatic experience their soul is splintered. But with time and affection from loved ones, it can be healed. But instead of letting it heal, the wizard found another way to use that splintered part of his soul. He stored it away in an object, far from human eyes - this became the first known Horcrux". Everyone listened with reverence. They were listening to the lost history of wizardkind. I had to remind myself to note this all down in a book, to ensure that this knowledge isn't lost once more.

"But, once again, not everyone could do this. Not everyone had experienced truly horrific events, yes that where the name came from 'Horror', thus it was known as a Horcrux. So another wizard found a way to splinter his soul, on purpose. By doing an act of 'horror'. This became much easier as anybody who truly wished it could do it. Committing an act of 'horror' usually consisted of murder or torture. They then stored the splintered soul to create a Horcrux. But over time the wizards who created Horcruxes became unstable without a part of their soul and killed themselves. Thus, with time, the knowledge was lost to time", he finished his tale.

"Usually the way to destroy a Horcrux is by destroying the object it is contained within. But obviously, we cannot kill Hadrian, but I believe there is a way to transfer the soul shard into another object. I will have to research it" he said consolingly. I just shook my head ruefully, what was I supposed to think or feel. Most looked at me with sorrow. 

"Well let's move on from this sad topic," I said with cheer. "How exactly am I the 'Master of Death' ?" I asked looking at the list on the table.

"Ah, that is a question that has its answer connected to another. Let me explain how you became the Lord of House Peverell", he said. "The Peverell line is descended from the three brothers. I'm sure you know 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'?" he asked the other wizards. They all nodded their head. Lupin understood what he was trying to say and told me the concise version. "To simply put it, that story is not just a story," he said smirking at the slack-jawed look the wizards gave him. "Are you serious, the Hallows are real?!?!" sputtered Remus. "No Uncle, he's Ragnok. Sirius is in prison, remember" I joked. He tried to swat the back of my head but I ducked, and maturely stuck my tongue out at him. Everyone chortled at that.

"So the Peverell line is descended from the three brothers - Antioch, Cadmus and Ignotus Peverell. All three of them had only daughters, which is the reason the line went dormant and was labelled extinct until the heir of all three brothers could claim Lordship. Ignotus Peverell's descendants are the easiest to track and are quite well known, his daughter married into the Potter line".

"They have had the Invisibility cloak ever since, passing it down, generation after generation. Your father had it too, but I do not know its current whereabouts. Cadmus Peverell's daughter married into Slytherin's line, you and Riddle are the only living descendants. Riddle was a bastard-born from the House of Gaunt. It is they who were last in possession of the Resurrection Stone, in the form of a family heirloom", by now everyone's mind was buzzing with all the new information gained.

"Antioch Peverell was the least known of all three brothers, but his Hallow is the most popular - The Elder Wand. It was known by many names - The Elder Wand, The Deathstick, The Wand of Destiny, The Peverell Wand and many others. But it has a bloody history, with each owner being murdered in their sleep and stabbed in the back. But, before he was murdered he wrote in his will that his wand is his daughter's. She married into the House of Black. So, technically any Black by blood could claim it, but, as you are the Head of House you get as the muggles say, 'first dibs'. Thus, as the Heir of all three brothers, you have are the Lord of House Peverell. The Elder wand was considered lost to time, until now", he finished, smirking.

"What do you mean 'until now', isn't it still lost?" I asked with curiosity. Damn my curiosity, it had an insatiable thirst to know everything and anything there is to know, about anything and everything there ever was. "It is not lost, because you are its owner," he said smirking at me. I frowned in concentration, before gasping, when I realised what he meant.

"I am its rightful owner, as well as the other Hallows', that's why I am Death's master. The Invisibility cloak is mine by blood, I am the last Potter left. Everything the Potters owned is now mine. The Resurrection Stone is mine by conquest. I defeated Riddle and gained Lordship of House Gaunt, along with House Slytherin. Therefore, all their assets are mine by the will of Lady Magick. As the Lord of House Black the Elder wand is mine. Clearly, Lady Magick agrees, which is why I am Death's master" I explained to the curious looks I got from the others.

"Technically, Aunt Andro, Dora, Cissa and Draco could lay claim to the Elder wand, but as Lord Black, I have the best claim. And it seems it worked" I joked once I realised that little tidbit of information. The mentioned people just gave me amused smirks in return.

"Hadrian, I don't think that's how you gained the wand," said Narcissa, deep in thought. "What do you mean Aunt Cissa?". "You may be right, it could be because you are the Head of House. But I think its another reason. You see, Andro and I are only half Blacks, Dora and Draco quarter Blacks. At least in the direct sense. My mother, Druella Black was a Rosier by birth. But you are different. You are a Black as you were blood-adopted by our cousin. But you also have Black blood through your father. Your paternal grandmother, Potter grandmother that is, not Walburga. She was Dorea Black, who became a Potter through marriage. So that also could be a reason, and the Potters have married into the Black family a lot, especially in the last two centuries" she explained. I just nodded and soaked up all the information from what I heard.

"Well, onto the next question I say".