Chapter 305: The Pensieve
"Very good. Thank you for your help, Dobby," Dudley said solemnly.
"You do not need to be so polite," Dobby replied with humble earnestness.
"The diary that was sent into Hogwarts before—does the Malfoy family have anything similar?" Dudley asked.
"Do you mean a similar diary, or...?" Dobby widened his eyes.
"Not necessarily a diary. Voldemort's old possessions in general. In fact, that diary was Voldemort's," Dudley said.
At the Dark Lord's name, Dobby could not help but shiver.
"I understand. I will keep an eye out for anything like that," Dobby said.
"It is getting late. Dobby must go back, or there will be trouble if I am discovered. Goodbye, Mr. Dursley, and Mr. Potter. Bless you both," Dobby said, bowing to each of them. Then, with a soft snap of his fingers, he vanished from sight.
"That is it?" Ron said, a little surprised.
"What else did you expect?" Harry countered.
"I thought it would be a whole ordeal. Did not expect it to be that easy," Ron said, then turned his attention to Dudley. "Tsk, tsk. You have to admit, Polyjuice Potion works brilliantly. I could not tell at all that you were fake."
"Unless someone uses specialized magic to check, Polyjuice's disguise will not be pierced," Dudley said.
That was the strength of Polyjuice Potion. Compared to the Faceless' (Fool Pathaway) kind of power, though, it still fell short by a fair bit. Dudley was not going to demand too much; this was the magical world, not the world of Beyonders.
"Let us wait for me to change back, then we will return," Dudley said.
If he walked around the castle looking like this and ran into anyone, it would be troublesome.
An hour passed quickly. As the time neared its end, Dudley's body began to change. In less than a minute, he was back to his original appearance.
"Come on," he said.
The four of them slipped back to Gryffindor Tower.
In the next few days, everyone attended classes as usual while also discussing matters concerning the Kingdom of Order. Dudley decided to hold the first meeting of the Kingdom on Saturday night and had already informed everyone of the plan.
On Friday, just after lunch, Dudley received word from Professor Dumbledore asking him to come to the headmaster's office.
He knocked on the door.
"Dudley, do come in," came Dumbledore's voice from within.
Dudley pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"Good afternoon, Professor Dumbledore. Is there something you needed me for?" Dudley asked.
"Good afternoon, Dudley," Dumbledore said. "This is about the Horcruxes."
"Have you found a lead on the others?" Dudley's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Yes. A small one," Dumbledore said with a mild smile and a nod. "But before that, I want to ask you a question. Please answer me truthfully."
"No problem."
Dumbledore regarded Dudley for a moment, then asked, "What is your relationship with Borgin and Burkes?"
Dudley blinked, not expecting that. After a brief pause for thought, he said, "Fairly good, but limited to mutual interest. If you mean how much I trust him, not that far. He is very deep and hard to read. I cannot say what he is really thinking."
Dumbledore nodded in silence.
After about a minute, he said, "I discovered that after Voldemort was refused by me, he worked for a time in Borgin and Burkes."
"Hmm?" Dudley's gaze tightened. He had not known that part of Voldemort's past, and Borgin had never mentioned it.
"At that time, he was still called Tom Riddle, working as a shop assistant," Dumbledore continued. "What I very much want to know now is what, exactly, he came into contact with while working at Borgin and Burkes."
Hearing this, Dudley immediately understood Dumbledore's intent.
"There are plenty of valuable items at Borgin and Burkes, and they often get information that other wizards cannot. If Voldemort went to work there, it was most likely for something in particular, am I right?" Dudley voiced his guess.
"Very astute, Dudley," Dumbledore said with a nod and a smile. "I suspect he went there to seek out suitable objects for making Horcruxes. It is a point I have overlooked for too long, and I am hoping you can help fill in some of the gaps. After all, I am aware your relationship with Borgin and Burkes seems relatively good."
Dudley nodded. "I would be happy to help."
"Good. Find a suitable time to speak with him, and see whether he is willing to provide me with the relevant memories," Dumbledore said.
"Memories?" Dudley looked puzzled.
"Yes. Memories," Dumbledore said, tapping his temple. "I often revisit my own memories to make sure I have not missed crucial details. It works remarkably well."
He smiled. "I am old. The mind does not turn as swiftly as before, so I often need other means."
As he spoke, Dumbledore raised a hand. A cupboard nearby swung open, and out drifted a shallow stone basin covered in ornate, classical carvings. It looked exceedingly ancient.
"This is a Pensieve. I can draw memories from my mind and place them into the basin, then enter them from an objective vantage point and review them as often as I like," Dumbledore explained.
"A Pensieve?" Interest flickered in Dudley's eyes.
He looked into the moving substance within the basin. It was not wind, nor liquid, nor mist. He found it hard to describe what flowed there—only that it seemed fathomless, drawing him to sink into it.
"Dudley, I imagine there are many scenes in your own memory you would like to revisit," Dumbledore said, his gaze meaningful.
Dudley's expression did not change. He looked away from the Pensieve and said, "If a memory is forgotten, that means it does not want to be seen. In that case, I would choose not to look."
"It is a form of self-protection, Professor."
Dumbledore pressed his lips together thoughtfully. After a moment, he said, "If you need it, I can lend you the Pensieve."
But Dudley immediately shook his head. "I do not want to end up damaging such a precious magical artifact."