"Help?"
Tom Riddle raised an eyebrow. "What exactly do you mean?"
"Since you listened to my entire plan without openly objecting," Ken replied calmly, "I'll take that to mean you agree with my philosophy. And based on what I know of my younger self, you should be the Horcrux that most wants the original body to regain his wisdom—am I wrong?"
Ken's expression grew solemn. "I need you to cooperate with me. Together, we must gather the remaining Horcruxes—and completely eliminate Dumbledore, whom you've forced into hiding."
"Eliminate Dumbledore? Before the original body returns?"
Tom frowned. "You of all people should understand Dumbledore's strength. As we are now, we're not capable of confronting him directly. And what do you mean by 'gather the remaining Horcruxes'? As the final Horcrux, don't you possess memories of the others' locations?"
"The original body left behind a way to kill Dumbledore."
Ken smiled mysteriously, pulled a plain-looking ring from his pocket, and slid it across to Tom. Set into the ring was a dull gray stone, engraved with a triangle enclosing a circle, with a straight line running through the center.
"This is—?!"
A sudden chill ran through Tom. He recognized that crest at once—it was the sigil of his mother's lineage, the Gaunt family! And more than that, the ring radiated the same blood-linked sensation as the Cup itself…
"You have another Horcrux?"
"More than that," Ken said with a smile. "This ring was created by the original body specifically to kill Dumbledore. That's why it lacks independent mobility. It carries an extremely powerful curse—any living being that touches it will die instantly. Of course, it doesn't affect us."
Tom pulled the wand of that wretched student from his pocket and tested the ring cautiously, his eyes filling with dread. "A terrifyingly powerful curse."
"You still underestimate the original body's strength," Ken said proudly. "All I need to do is deliver this 'Horcrux' I painstakingly retrieved into Dumbledore's hands, and his life will end—naturally, after we reclaim the original body from him."
"And your task," Ken continued, "is to manipulate your pure-blood followers and create circumstances that force Dumbledore to return to the school. Whether he comes back openly or sneaks in to protect the students doesn't matter. Given how dangerous the original body is, Dumbledore will carry him on his person at all times. I have no direct way to reach him—I must rely on your side."
"Then why didn't you kill Dumbledore at the start of the school year?"
Tom asked suspiciously after a moment of thought.
"You've got the nerve to ask that?!"
Ken suddenly snapped, grinding his teeth. "My original plan was to kill Dumbledore only after collecting all the Horcruxes, minimizing instability during the original body's resurrection. But then you went and pulled this stunt!"
"Dumbledore has already figured out that a Horcrux is behind everything! Once he fully understands how destructive Horcruxes are, how much effort do you think he'll put into finding and destroying them? How much danger will that pose to the others?!"
"If he destroys even one Horcrux, the original body's soul will never be whole again!"
"..."
Tom opened his mouth, then closed it, at a loss for words.
"But ultimately, I share some blame," Ken said, suddenly sighing. "It was I who suggested early on that Dumbledore use a rooster's crow to kill the basilisk—no doubt that put you on alert. We both acted correctly from our own perspectives. It was the lack of communication that turned this into such a mess."
"And besides killing Dumbledore, there's one more matter that requires your help."
"What is it?"
"Another Horcrux—Ravenclaw's diadem—has gone missing."
Ken rubbed his temples, clearly troubled. "Of the original body's five Horcruxes, counting you makes three. Of the remaining two, I know where Slytherin's locket is, though retrieving it will be troublesome. The real problem is the fourth Horcrux—Ravenclaw's diadem."
"The original body hid it in a secret room within Hogwarts. After I entered the school, the first thing I did was search for it, hoping to gain its assistance. But when I reached the place where it should have been… it was gone."
"Does it have independent mobility as well?"
Tom's expression turned grave as he grasped the seriousness of the situation.
"Independent mobility? If only it were that simple."
Ken gave a bitter smile. "Ravenclaw's diadem grants its wearer extraordinary intelligence. As a Horcrux using that as its vessel—combined with the original body's own brilliance—how terrifying do you think that would be?"
"The fact that it escaped its hiding place means it has its own agenda. If we're unlucky, it could become a major obstacle to my plan. At best, it causes misunderstandings like the mess between you and me. At worst…"
His throat bobbed as his voice grew hoarse. "At worst, it abandons the original body entirely, uses its terrifying intellect to stand alone, and becomes another Voldemort. And if that happens—what becomes of the original body? Of us Horcruxes?"
"..."
"I understand."
After a long silence, Tom nodded heavily. "I'll arrange for them to quietly search for any trace of the diadem. I'll also keep watch myself—to see if it's lurking in the school like we are."
"Thank you."
Ken finally exhaled in relief and raised the golden cup toward Tom once more.
"One more thing—what about the basilisk?"
Tom suddenly remembered and asked.
"Leave it for now," Ken replied after a moment's thought. "You may still need it to force Dumbledore out. We can kill it later."
"As for what happens next, that's up to you. All I need is for Dumbledore to return to the school. How you accomplish that is your decision."
"I understand."
Tom nodded.
"And one last thing," Ken added, as if remembering something. "Things are complicated now. We've reached a preliminary alliance—let's avoid any more misunderstandings. We need a way to stay in contact."
"…For now, regular meetings," Tom said after some thought. "I don't have the necessary magical tools yet. But once the Christmas holiday ends, I should be able to obtain something like a pair of two-way mirrors."
"Then during this holiday, we'll meet here once every three days," Ken decided with a clap of his hands. "And you can continue concealing your vessel and host like you did today—I don't mind, as long as you carry out my plan."
"That's for the best."
Tom's grip on his wand loosened slightly. "I should go. My host has been outside long enough."
"Very well. See you in three days."
Ken raised the golden cup casually. Tom nodded in return, his form fading as he slipped through the wall like a ghost, returning in an instant to the host concealed beneath the invisibility cloak.
'It seems… he truly has sincerity.'
Throughout the conversation, Tom had kept a sliver of attention on his host. Had anyone approached, he would have immediately lashed out, subdued Ken, and decided on the spot whether to kill him.
'Three days from now…'
He opened his mouth and hissed a few commands in Parseltongue to the basilisk coiled within the pipes, then turned and left. After his departure, the basilisk ceased watching Ken, its massive body slowly slithering away into the depths of the plumbing.
(End of Chapter)