Order of the Phoenix.
"Voldemort has lost the support of the Death Eaters," Moody said, his wooden leg thumping against the floor. "But we all know his ambition—he'll look for others."
"Werewolves, giants, banshees…"
"He might even look for new followers."
Moody was technically retired, but he still knew Voldemort all too well.
Lupin continued, "Voldemort was dealt a heavy blow in the Ministry—he was nearly killed."
"Yes, we all know that, Moony," Sirius interrupted, clearly unwilling to revisit the past. "But right now, he's still out there, and we can't easily leave the Order."
"The Weasleys' enchanted clock still points to 'mortal peril.' That means we could die at any moment."
Tonks said in a low voice, "The Ministry hasn't stopped searching either. The new Headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Slughorn, has even requested Aurors to stay on campus for protection."
"He's aware of how dangerous Voldemort is now," Lupin said gravely. "Losing his Death Eaters took away his ability to wreak havoc openly—but it's also made him even more dangerous."
A Dark Lord with nothing to lose was far more terrifying.
Kingsley, his dark skin catching the lamplight, turned to Dumbledore and said, "There's a troubling rumor going around—a certain object said to grant wishes is hidden somewhere within Hogwarts."
"We can't be sure if any pure-bloods are still loyal to Voldemort. That kind of news puts us at a serious disadvantage."
"The Holy Grail," Sirius said suddenly, leaning sideways in his chair. "Does that thing really have such power?"
"I think so—unless your eyes have gone blind for some reason."
That familiar, mocking tone made Sirius's face darken instantly.
Snape, seated at Dumbledore's right, drawled sarcastically, "You saw it yourself—an old Dark Lord regaining his youth."
"Really? You probably wouldn't know. After all, when we were fighting at the Ministry, you were still at school, clutching your cauldron and trembling." Sirius shot back without hesitation.
Snape's cold gaze locked on him, but Sirius refused to back down.
"The great Potions Master, Severus Snape—fooled by a student's fake death trick," Sirius continued mockingly. "I honestly doubt you have the competence to teach anyone without ruining them."
"You dare question me?" Snape said darkly. "A mangy, broken-ribbed mutt like you—Sirius Black."
The air between them grew thick with gunpowder, and Tonks couldn't help rubbing her arms to ease the tension.
Dumbledore finally spoke, cutting through the hostility.
"You're mistaken, Sirius."
At first, it sounded as if he were siding with Snape—but that wasn't the case.
Dumbledore's tone remained calm. "John died once."
"Impossible—we all know that…" Kingsley began to object instinctively.
"Magic cannot bring back the dead, yes—we all know that," Dumbledore said evenly. "But he did it. Sirius met him in the Death Chamber, beyond the archway that connects to somewhere no one understands."
"Could he be the same as the Dark Lord?" Tonks asked, and the atmosphere immediately turned cold.
Everyone understood what she meant. In this century, the only person that comparison could possibly refer to was Voldemort.
Voldemort had lost his body in Godric's Hollow and become a wandering spirit.
After more than ten years, he had managed to resurrect himself just last year.
It was the only possibility they could think of.
Dumbledore skipped over the topic and turned to Kingsley. "What about the other one? How has the international community reacted?"
"Not well," Kingsley said with a shake of his head. "The Ministries of Magic in various countries are pointing fingers, accusing us of negligence."
"Yes, who could've imagined he'd ever leave that place," Dumbledore said softly, a trace of sadness in his eyes.
Grindelwald.
What could possibly make Grindelwald leave Nurmengard now?
"His last known location was the same as Voldemort's—Germany," Kingsley said in a low voice. "We haven't been able to investigate over there."
"I'll reach out to some old friends," Dumbledore said calmly.
Never underestimate the network Dumbledore had built over a century.
From the renowned Nicolas Flamel to petty thieves like Mundungus Fletcher—
they were all part of Dumbledore's vast network.
Even abroad, he had old friends scattered across many countries.
The meeting concluded with a discussion about Hogwarts' defenses.
Tonks was officially assigned by the Ministry of Magic to help strengthen the school's protection, and the members of the Order of the Phoenix were all reminded to stay vigilant.
No one knew when Voldemort might strike back.
…
When the meeting ended, Kingsley and Tonks departed.
Sirius approached Dumbledore and said quietly, "He's at it again."
At that, Dumbledore turned his gaze toward Mundungus in the corner.
Lupin came over as well, looking helpless. "This morning he was rummaging through Kreacher's bedding in the kitchen, trying to find something to sell."
Sirius's expression darkened with anger. "This isn't the first time!"
"I'll have a word with him," Dumbledore said, calling Mundungus over.
Caught red-handed, the thief's expression was equal parts guilty and ridiculous.
Half of Mundungus's head still had hair, while the other half was completely bald.
One side of his face was dark, the other pale.
His teeth kept falling out and growing back again.
By the time he walked over, another tooth had dropped to the floor.
"Mundungus, why are you so obsessed with stealing the Black family's belongings?" Dumbledore asked patiently, without a trace of anger.
Mundungus spat out a tooth and pleaded, "If I don't pay off my debts soon, I'll lose my mind."
He had been used as a human test subject for various experimental products and had spent most of his time in the Silver Cross Hospital.
He was nearly insane now—those experiments had left him with lingering side effects.
His skin tone had turned abnormal, and his teeth fell out regularly.
Lately, he'd begun to feel his mind slipping too, possibly a result of a botched Daydream Charm experiment.
This time, he had tried to steal something Kreacher had hidden, got into a scuffle with the house-elf, and was caught by Sirius.
Just as Dumbledore was about to speak, Harry came running in, panting.
"Sirius—what's this?"
He was holding a golden locket in his hand, with Hermione and Ron hurrying after him.
Sirius looked over when he heard Harry call out and, upon seeing the object, said casually, "Just a broken trinket box. You found it in Kreacher's pile of junk?"
"Yes," Harry said quickly. "I mean—where did you get this thing?"
"No idea," Sirius replied, confused by the question. "The Black family kept all sorts of odd things lying around. Maybe Kreacher picked it up somewhere."
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed as he noticed the locket. Seeing the markings on its surface, he said to Harry, "Harry, let me take a look at that."
Harry froze for a moment, then handed it over, noticing Dumbledore's unusually serious expression.
"You recognize it?" Harry asked as Dumbledore examined it closely. "John has one exactly like it."
"That's impossible," Dumbledore said, shaking his head. His gaze met Harry's as he spoke solemnly, "If I'm not mistaken, this is Salazar Slytherin's locket."
"Slytherin's relic? How could it be here?" Harry said in shock.
At that, Sirius's expression changed. Something clicked in his mind.
"Fletcher was trying to steal this locket this morning."
He turned toward Mundungus, stepped forward in a flash, grabbed him by the collar, and roared, "What's your game? What are you after?"
Mundungus's legs trembled as he stammered, "N-nothing! I just wanted to steal a few things to pay off my debts!"
His terrified expression didn't look fake.
Dumbledore stopped Sirius before he could act on impulse. He placed a firm hand on Mundungus's shoulder, as if sensing something.
"Tell me—who told you to do this?"
Mundungus was terrified. He kept muttering apologies, spilling everything in a panic.
"I—I only stole once because I was desperate! Tommy Shelby told me I could keep paying off my debts using these valuable items."
"Tommy Shelby?" Lupin froze for a moment, then asked urgently, "Johnny Silverhand's Tommy?"
"Yes, that's him," Mundungus said with a frantic nod.
Dumbledore's expression changed as he looked down at the object in his hand.
In that instant, he was certain.
"John is searching for it," he said quietly, holding up Slytherin's locket.
Sirius turned to Harry. "You did very well, Harry."
Then he looked at the locket, and at the grave look on Dumbledore's face. "It seems we've uncovered one of that clever boy's secrets."
"Using Fletcher… he really is clever," Sirius said.
Harry looked utterly confused.
Meanwhile, John had no idea that he was only one step away from the Horcrux hidden by the Order of the Phoenix.
He was busy setting his own plans into motion.
An unremarkable rumor—sparked at a banquet by the drunken murmurs of the Malfoy matriarch—began to spread through Knockturn Alley.
Like a tiny spark falling onto dry grass, it slowly grew into a blaze.
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