The Room of Requirement became Dean's laboratory, his workshop, his sanctuary.
Using knowledge that came from both his previous life and the Horcruxes he'd absorbed, Dean transformed the room into something far more sophisticated than the simple hiding place Harry had used in previous years.
He created multiple chambers within the room, each one sealed off by powerful wards. One chamber was a library, filled with books on magic that went far beyond what Hogwarts taught. Another was a ritual space, with intricate circles carved into the floor and walls. A third was a laboratory, equipped with cauldrons, scales, and ingredients for potion-making and magical experimentation.
But the most important chamber was the one where Dean kept his research on the Horcruxes.
He'd mapped out all seven of them, tracking their locations and histories. The one in his scar, already absorbed. The one in the locket, absorbed. The one in the cup, absorbed. The one in the diadem, absorbed. That left three.
And one of them was in the possession of Dumbledore.
Dean had learned through careful observation and subtle magical probing that Dumbledore kept a Horcrux in his office. Not the ring he'd already destroyed, but another object. A snake, perhaps, or something more subtle.
The question was: how could he get to it without alerting the headmaster?
The answer came from an unexpected source.
Severus Snape.
Dean had been studying the Potions Master carefully, trying to understand the man's true allegiances. From Harry's memories, he knew that Snape was a Death Eater, or at least had been. But there were layers to the man's loyalty that didn't quite add up.
One evening, as Dean was leaving Potions class, Snape called him back.
"Potter," the professor said, his voice dripping with disdain. "A word."
Dean approached the desk carefully, his hand ready to draw his wand if necessary. But Snape simply studied him with his black eyes, his expression unreadable.
"You've changed," Snape said finally. "You're not the same foolish boy who entered the Triwizard Tournament."
"People change," Dean said neutrally.
"Indeed," Snape replied. "Some people change in ways that are... interesting. Tell me, Potter, do you know what a Horcrux is?"
Dean's hand moved toward his wand, but Snape raised his own hand in a gesture that was almost peaceful.
"I'm not attacking you," Snape said. "I'm simply observing. You reek of dark magic, Potter. The kind of dark magic that comes from absorbing a piece of another's soul. I'm curious how you've managed to do this without destroying yourself."
Dean made a quick decision. Snape knew something was wrong. He could either kill the man or recruit him. And Dean was beginning to realize that he needed allies if he was going to survive what was coming.
"I absorbed a Horcrux," Dean said carefully. "And then others. I've learned to integrate them without losing myself."
Snape's expression flickered, showing something that might have been respect. "Impressive. And dangerous. If Dumbledore knew..."
"He'd try to stop me," Dean finished. "Which is why I'm going to ask you not to tell him."
"And what would I gain from your silence?" Snape asked.
"Freedom," Dean said. "I'm going to break Dumbledore's hold on this school, on the magical world. I'm going to give people the choice to live their own lives instead of following his grand design. If you help me, you'll have that freedom too."
Snape was quiet for a long moment. Then, slowly, a thin smile crossed his face.
"Very well, Potter. I'll help you. But know this: if you betray me, I will kill you myself."
"Fair enough," Dean said.
And just like that, he'd gained an unexpected ally.
Over the next few months, Snape became invaluable. He provided Dean with information about Dumbledore's movements, about the protective charms on the headmaster's office, about the locations of the remaining Horcruxes.
Through Snape's help, Dean learned that the last Horcrux in Dumbledore's possession was a snake named Nagini. The creature was kept in the headmaster's office, protected by wards that would take a master-level wizard to break through.
But Dean was becoming a master-level wizard. And he was running out of time.
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