"It's Dumbledore! Hold your fire!" Alastor Moody shouted.
One by one, wizards dressed as Aurors emerged from the bushes or stepped out from around the corners of the old shack... They stepped forward one after another, gathering behind Mad-Eye Moody, eyeing Albus Dumbledore and the black-cloaked figure beside him with open curiosity.
Two Aurors, working together under the Anti-Disapparition Jinx, approached while restraining a man and woman—both unconscious Death Eaters.
"This is incredible, Dumbledore... Over the past week, we've caught more than twenty Death Eaters!" Mad-Eye said excitedly. "More than we captured in the last ten years combined!"
"Indeed, Alastor. Your work has played no small part in this," Dumbledore replied with a smile.
Moody's magical eye swiveled sharply toward Jon. He asked carefully, "Are you the friend Mr. Dumbledore mentioned?"
"Yes." Since he'd had almost no contact with the real Moody, Jon wasn't worried about being recognized. Wearing his black hood, he nodded calmly. "Hello, Mr. Moody."
The youthful voice startled Moody. In his mind, Dumbledore's "friend" should have been at least a hundred-year-old wizard or witch.
Probably downed some sort of rejuvenation potion... Moody thought privately. One never knew what peculiar habits ancient wizards might have.
He shook Jon's hand, then stepped back.
"I think you and your team can return to rest now, Alastor... And you as well, Gawain," Dumbledore said gently. "You've all worked hard these past days."
"Catching so many Death Eaters? Hard work means nothing compared to that..." Gawain Robards said with a dismissive shrug.
"Leave these two Death Eaters here," Dumbledore instructed. "I can handle things from this point. With so many already captured, Voldemort won't send anyone else."
At the mention of that name, Gawain Robards shivered. "Very well, Professor Dumbledore... We'll return to the Ministry first."
One after another, the exhausted Aurors Disapparated. Moody cast a questioning glance at Dumbledore; when Dumbledore gave a slight nod, Moody also Disapparated.
Now only Dumbledore, Jon, and the two bound Death Eaters remained before the Gaunt Shack.
...
"They might know the spells the Dark Lord cast around here," Jon said, pointing at the Carrow siblings.
Dumbledore nodded. He raised his wand toward Alecto Carrow and murmured, "Rennervate."
A flash of red light burst forth as the female Death Eater struggled to open her eyes. Dumbledore's pale blue gaze locked onto hers, holding her completely still.
"Rennervate!" Jon echoed, pointing his wand at the other Death Eater, Amycus Carrow.
Then he called out, "Legilimens!"
...
More than ten minutes later, Dumbledore and Jon withdrew their gazes.
They stepped close and whispered a brief exchange to confirm their findings, then turned their attention to the Gaunt Shack. As for the Carrow siblings, they had already been stunned again.
Albus Dumbledore lifted his wand and flicked it lightly at the grimy door.
The door flew open at once, and a fierce gust of icy wind blasted outward... but Dumbledore had prepared for this. A flash of gold shimmered before him as he conjured a shield, blocking the chill entirely; the surrounding grass and shrubs froze solid.
The two stepped inside slowly... The interior was a wreck, every piece of furniture splintered and scattered.
A miserable hut like this would hardly attract anyone's attention.
After reviewing the Carrows' memories, Jon and Dumbledore ignored everything else and walked straight to a corner by an open window. There lay a clutter of bottles and jars, along with bedding so decayed it could barely be called fabric.
This had once been the home of Voldemort's mother, Merope Gaunt—though that was many years ago.
Dumbledore extended a finger, but Jon moved faster... He bit the tip of his left index finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the bedding once used by Voldemort's mother.
Dumbledore lowered his hand, shaking his head. "Blood magic. Tom has always loved these little tricks."
A crack appeared across the bedding, then split fully open... A giant serpent made of green smoke erupted from within, lunging viciously at the two wizards—
A wave of pale blue light surged from the tip of Dumbledore's wand, and within seconds, the serpent dispersed into nothing.
Jon turned sharply, eyes tense and alert as he watched Dumbledore.
...
Dumbledore couldn't look away.
His gaze was fixed on the object lying within the torn bedding.
It was a golden ring set with a black gemstone... seemingly ordinary.
But what held Dumbledore's attention was the emblem carved into the gem.
A symbol resembling a triangular eye, with a vertical line through the center of its pupil... The triangle and line were faint, but the circular outline forming the "eye" was unusually clear.
Marvolo Gaunt had called it the Peverell Crest, knowing only that the ring had been handed down through the Peverell line (and, in truth, the Gaunts were descendants of Cadmus Peverell). He had no idea it was the Deathly Hallows symbol—or that this ring contained a Horcrux.
Jon could hear Albus Dumbledore breathing sharply. In his entire life, he had rarely lost composure or shown such excitement.
"It's one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, Professor!" Jon shouted.
But Dumbledore had already reached out.
"Impedimenta!" Jon pointed his wand at Dumbledore without hesitation.
An invisible barrier surged between Dumbledore and Marvolo Gaunt's ring, hurling Dumbledore backward as Jon's Impediment Jinx knocked him to the ground.
He lay there trembling, suddenly seeming like a frail old man, his wand slipping from his grasp and clattering aside.
But his mind was clear. "My apologies, Jon. I lost control."
Jon didn't respond. After snapping Dumbledore out of it, he aimed his wand directly at Marvolo Gaunt's ring.
A wisp of black smoke was slowly rising from the dark gem.