"Can't believe I'm saying this but even when possessing the body of Lockhart, they managed to make him look charming—"
"But I-I am charming—"
"Shut it! Hmm.. the way the soul talked, I mean the pauses, phrases and demeanor looked similar to yours—Hey old man, why do you look like that?"
"Ah.. it's nothing.. I just think I already know who that person is..." Dumbledore let out a long sigh.
Kasenhis understood immediately. A physical version of Muffliato was in order—he suddenly conjured a Creeper head and plopped it right onto Lockhart's head in one swift motion.
"Tom Riddle... you know who he is..." Dumbledore said helplessly.
"Wait, seriously? How many times does this guy need to die?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "In any case, we now know that Tom is currently possessing a book, and this book must be something he created during his sixth or seventh year. It likely contains a fragment of his memory or personality, much like... a portrait."
"Hmm?" Dumbledore turned to Kasenhis.
"It's not just a personality or a memory. It's a [soul] fragment," Kasenhis said seriously.
"What makes you say that?"
For a moment, Kasenhis didn't know how to explain it. So, instead of fumbling for words, he simply took off the monocle from his eye, flipped it around, and held it up in front of Dumbledore's face.
"Human... Magic... MC? What does MC mean?" Dumbledore asked in confusion as he peered through the monocle at Kasenhis's essence.
"Don't mind the details."
Kasenhis put the monocle back on. "What I'm trying to say is, when Voldemort was possessing Lockhart, Lockhart's status included [Soul]."
"Soul..." Dumbledore murmured, and after a long pause, he sank into his chair.
He wasn't sure whether he should feel sorrow or despair.
"A man... beyond saving."
"What?" Kasenhis asked.
"Tom is a man beyond saving... So he had already..."
"Please be a little clearer with your words," Kasenhis said, pouring Dumbledore a cup of tea.
"He killed someone... If what was inside Lockhart was truly a soul, then that means, even back then, he had already killed someone—an innocent person..."
"Using such a cruel method, he tore apart his own soul and created a Horcrux. That is the secret of his immortality... and also the secret of his growing madness," Dumbledore said with a grim expression.
Dumbledore nodded. "By murdering an innocent person for a dark ritual, one can tear apart their soul, attaching a fragment of it to an object, then using ritual magic to protect that object. This way, even if their physical body is killed, a piece of their soul remains tethered to the world, preventing them from passing on. They become a wretched spirit, trapped between life and death..."
"He tore his own soul apart by killing someone... Who did he kill back then?" Kasenhis asked.
"At that time... Moaning Myrtle. She was the only one. Now, she lingers as a ghost in Hogwarts, haunting the abandoned girls' bathroom on the second floor of the castle."
Kasenhis took a sip of his tea. "You're right... That guy truly is beyond saving..."
The crystal ball on the desk flashed red. Kasenhis pressed it, and the office door swung open in the distance.
Snape walked in, momentarily startled by the absurdly large office. The next second, he simply cast a Flying Charm on himself, swiftly gliding over to the desk, pulling a chair towards him, and sitting down.
He sipped his tea, glancing at the nearby Lockhart, who still had a Creeper head covering his face and was swaying dizzily. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝·𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚·𝔫𝔢𝔱
Meanwhile, the four little ones had begun yet another round of... extended physical training.
"Next time, I should bring my broomstick," Harry muttered.
"I think... that makes sense," Ron agreed.
"What is it? Did you accidentally knock Lockhart stupid and now need me to fix him?" Snape asked, sitting in his chair and looking at Kasenhis.
Kasenhis rubbed his chin, not saying much, while Dumbledore beside him looked slightly embarrassed.
He had called Snape here to administer some Veritaserum to Lockhart, planning to pair it with Legilimency for a thorough body-and-soul interrogation.
But now that they had already confirmed who was behind it all, to put it simply… Snape's presence was pointless.
"...Don't tell me I came here for nothing," Snape said, looking at Dumbledore with narrowed eyes.
"Of course not. Just now, we have... Let's discuss this in the Headmaster's office," Dumbledore said.
And so, just as the four little ones finally caught their breath and reached the desk, Dumbledore grabbed Kasenhis and Snape and promptly Apparated away.
"...Are they messing with us? Just having fun at our expense?"
"Definitely Snape's idea."
"Even though… but… rude!"
"The secret to Voldemort's immortality has been uncovered… A truly wicked alchemical creation… a Horcrux." Dumbledore sat in his chair, speaking gravely.
"So that's how it is. As long as we find that Horcrux..." Snape nodded.
"I don't think Tom would settle for just one Horcrux. A single Horcrux wouldn't be enough to turn him into that… thing, neither man nor ghost," Dumbledore shook his head.
Kasenhis and Snape exchanged a glance before simultaneously directing their deadpan expressions toward Dumbledore, clearly dissatisfied with his cryptic way of speaking.
"Bridget Wenlock discovered a number with magical significance," Dumbledore explained.
"Don't tell me.. the most powerful magical number—Seven? He made seven Horcruxes?" Snape asked.
"I'm afraid so," Dumbledore nodded.
".....How many do we know of?"
Kasenhis shook his head. "Lockhart picked up that diary and ended up possessed by Voldemort. When I caught him and locked him up in my office, Voldemort's soul must have suddenly left his body. I searched Lockhart thoroughly, and I searched the office. The diary is nowhere to be found."
"A Horcrux… a fragment of a soul. Other than its ability to manipulate people, it should not even hold much magic. How did it disappear?" Snape frowned.
"That idiot Lockhart followed Voldemort's instructions and poured his own magic into the diary," Kasenhis explained.
"....Truly a complete and utter fool indeed!" Snape sneered.