"Then did you… find Ravenclaw's diadem?"
Dumbledore asked it as if in passing, but his expression gradually turned grave.
"I sensed the traces of Dark Magic in it, so I destroyed it," Sean said without trying to hide anything.
When it came to Horcruxes, there were gaps in his memory—things he'd forgotten. Perhaps the Headmaster could clear them up.
"Only traces of Dark Magic?"
Dumbledore echoed, then gave a soft chuckle.
"You understand—always have. You're a clever boy. But this is a burden that people like us must carry.
I'm revealing a portion of what's hidden, and I hope you'll keep your distance from danger—farther and farther still.
If you'll indulge an old man's rambling, have some tea. I hope this time the sweetness is moderate."
There was a seriousness on his face Sean had rarely seen.
Sean took a sip. It was still sweet enough to rot teeth.
"I must emphasize again: young minds can bring about some interesting changes…
But young people should focus on realizing their potential."
As he spoke, Dumbledore produced a Pensieve.
In all of Hogwarts, perhaps only the two of them used a Pensieve like this.
Most people considered it dangerous—a tool with immense power over memory and thought.
Whether you were the owner of the memory or someone else—and that was where the danger lay—you could enter those memories and walk around inside them.
Inevitably, anyone with secrets, anyone ashamed of their past, anyone desperate to protect their privacy, would keep well away from something like a Pensieve.
"Do you remember what I said last time?"
Dumbledore asked.
"Tom Riddle liked collecting trophies. He favored objects with powerful magic and historical significance," Sean replied.
"Oh-ho-ho—yes. Let's call him Tom Riddle.
Tom Riddle. His pride, his sense of superiority, his determination to carve out an astonishing place for himself in magical history—those things compelled him to choose his Horcruxes carefully, and to prefer objects worthy of that 'honor.'"
Dumbledore always seemed pleased by a wizard's quick mind—
especially when that wizard was named Sean Green.
"It seems you aren't surprised by Horcruxes," Dumbledore said suddenly.
Sean fell silent for a moment.
"A harmless little joke. Some people simply aren't puzzled by the future."
Dumbledore's tone carried meaning.
"Very well, then… later, we found Tom Riddle's diary.
I did not witness the Riddle that emerged from it, but Harry described something I had never seen.
A mere memory—acting and thinking on its own? A mere memory draining the life of the girl who held it?
No… the diary contained something far more evil than that—a fragment of a soul. I was nearly certain the diary was a Horcrux.
But that raised more questions. What intrigued—and shocked—me most was that the diary had functioned both as a shield and as a weapon."
"So you suspected Tom Riddle had more than one Horcrux," Sean continued naturally.
"An excellent answer," Dumbledore said, nodding in approval.
"If Tom intended the diary to be passed on—or to take root in some future Hogwarts student—then he was being extraordinarily careless with the precious shard of soul inside it.
A Horcrux is meant to keep part of one's soul safely sealed away—not tossed onto someone else's path, risking destruction.
And that is precisely what happened:
That fragment is gone. You've seen it.
Voldemort's carelessness with this Horcrux filled me with deep foreboding. It suggests he may have already made—or planned to make—more Horcruxes, so losing one would not be so dangerous.
I dislike believing it, but I see no other explanation that fits."
Sean knew the Headmaster's mind was formidable—he'd drawn an extraordinary amount from a single diary.
Which meant Dumbledore had likely uncovered many more clues…
Sean's schedule would have to accelerate. Before summer, he needed to deal with Slytherin's locket—and reach the Gaunt house as soon as possible.
Sean thought this, and carefully glanced at Dumbledore's hands.
Dumbledore's smile became even more knowing.
"You know, I've spent many years trying to understand Voldemort's past—traveling far, following his trail.
But I suspect the work I've done is nowhere near as impressive as yours."
Dumbledore smiled.
"You exaggerate," Sean said.
"Let me tell you something: don't always hunt for the single 'most correct' answer to other people's problems. If you do, how is that different from living in an endless exam?"
Dumbledore's smile was gentle.
"I've only done… a small, insignificant part," Sean said.
"All right, all right," Dumbledore said, sounding helpless.
"Now, back to our topic—
Finding proof about the young Riddle is difficult enough. Finding someone who remembers the adult Voldemort in detail is almost impossible.
In fact, I doubt there is a living person—besides himself—who can truly tell us what his life was like after he left Hogwarts.
So I have some memories to share with you."
Dumbledore gestured to the small crystal vials gleaming beside the Pensieve.
"Afterward, I'll be very glad to hear what a young mind thinks."
Sean knew this was what he'd been waiting for.
He knew Slytherin's locket was in a cave, and he also knew the cave was a decoy. But from that decoy, he could infer one crucial name:
Regulus Arcturus Black.
In other words:
R.A.B.
And by following that false locket, Sean could get a house-elf—Kreacher—to retrieve the real one…
The problem was, Sean didn't know where the cave was.
Now, it seemed the Headmaster had already found it.
"I hope you aren't tired of stepping into other people's memories—it's a peculiar experience."
Dumbledore explained.
"This one came from a very old house-elf. Her name is Hokey.
Before we look at Hokey's testimony, I must briefly explain how Voldemort left Hogwarts.
You may have guessed: he rose to seventh year with top marks in every exam.
His classmates were thinking about careers. Almost everyone believed Tom Riddle would do something remarkable—Head Boy, brilliant student, specially commended by the school.
I know several teachers, including Professor Slughorn, urged him to join the Ministry and even offered to introduce him, but he refused them all.
Later the staff learned he had gone to work at Borgin and Burkes."