William's concern was straightforward.
Even if they managed to defeat Old Tom, he wouldn't truly die due to the existence of Young Tom, who could persist in waiting for resurrection. Conversely, the same would apply for Young Tom.
What is a Horcrux?
It is a fragment of a soul stored in an object outside the body. This way, even if the body is attacked or destroyed, the person does not die because part of their soul remains in the world, unscathed.
For Young Tom and Old Tom, each was a fragment of the soul left in the world.
They had essentially become each other's Horcrux, creating a Horcrux Matryoshka, the ultimate immortal duo.
"William, your concern is highly plausible… and, I fear, has already come to pass," Dumbledore said with a sigh.
"No one has ever created more than one Horcrux before. The act of splitting the soul multiple times would drive a normal person mad.
"Yet Voldemort may have created several.
"No one has ever seen a Horcrux regain physical form from a fragment of a soul.
"But Tom has accomplished it.
"Voldemort has ventured into magical territory that is completely uncharted. I believe Young Tom and Old Tom have indeed formed a bizarre state of Horcrux symbiosis."
"Does that mean we can never truly kill them?" William was aghast.
"My boy, have you noticed something? When Tom spoke to you, he kept emphasizing that he was a fragment of Voldemort's soul."
"Yes," William replied.
"To a wizard like me, that was not just a hint… it was nearly an outright declaration: 'I am a Horcrux.' He was revealing the secret of Voldemort's immortality."
"Why would he do that?" William asked, puzzled.
"Tom is merely a fragment of a soul. Since it was the first fragment created, it may carry more weight than the others.
"Additionally, because Voldemort wanted someone to open the Chamber of Secrets, this fragment had more autonomy.
"These two unique aspects allowed him to successfully revive.
"However, at the end of the day, he remains just a fragment of a soul. No matter how large it may seem, it is still incomplete and cannot compare to a whole soul.
"His growth will forever be capped at the level of his sixteen-year-old self."
"Why would he go to such great lengths to sacrifice part of his own soul to escape from the diary, instead of simply killing others for the ritual?
"As he himself said, the most powerful sacrifices come from offering what one loves most.
"That kind of sacrifice brings power closer to the level of his sixteen-year-old original self. Sacrificing others would never achieve the same effect."
"Even so, his power after revival is limited to his sixteen-year-old state.
"At sixteen, he had not yet reached adulthood, and his magical power cannot grow further. In fact, his magical strength is even inferior to yours."
"In this state, Tom Riddle's abilities are naturally restricted. Apart from his immortality, many people could defeat him.
"That isn't what Tom desires. He is ambitious. He craves unmatched power, wants to regain his peak, and even surpass it.
"He won't settle for mere immortality."
Dumbledore paused, his tone growing serious.
"That's why he, too, needs to find the other Horcruxes and figure out a way to extract the souls within, so that his own soul can grow stronger.
"His true goal is the restoration of his soul's completeness."
"Right now, the obstacles in his path are not us, but the Horcruxes themselves, and even Voldemort's own main body.
"I daresay Tom is eagerly waiting for us to kill Voldemort."
"In a sense, Tom currently shares the same goal as we do," Dumbledore said with a small chuckle. "To kill Voldemort."
William was momentarily stunned. This world was truly insane.
The younger snake had essentially become the henchman of the old phoenix. The two seemed ready to join forces and take down the elder serpent king first?!
Dumbledore smirked faintly. "If there ever comes a day when we can completely destroy Tom, it will be because of his own excessive greed."
"But the same question remains," William hesitated. "Because of Young Tom's existence, the two are a Horcrux symbiosis. How can we possibly kill Voldemort?"
"William, I believe Tom may have already figured out how," Dumbledore said calmly. "He knows how to sever that unique soul connection."
"What?" William was completely baffled.
"Slytherin's guidance!" Dumbledore said. "Tom mentioned Slytherin's guidance.
"As far as I know, the Four Founders each specialized in different branches of ancient magic… Slytherin's expertise was in soul-related studies.
"Since Tom possesses records left by Slytherin, he's bound to seek out what Slytherin left behind."
"Slytherin's wand!" William blurted out after a moment of thought.
"Oh, it seems Nicolas has already told you," Dumbledore said calmly. "Indeed, Slytherin's wand. Aside from the Chamber of Secrets, it is the only other relic he left behind.
"I can think of nothing else that could serve as a guide for Tom."
"Nicolas told me that Slytherin's wand was stolen by Isolt Sayre from her aunt Gormlaith Gaunt. After Isolt's death, all clues regarding the wand were lost," William said, frowning.
"The trail is indeed cold," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "But sometimes we must revisit the end of the story to search for overlooked details."
He continued, "The last known location of the wand was when Isolt and her husband, James Steward, buried it outside their school.
"Within a year, a strange snakewood tree sprouted at the burial site which was resistant to cutting and destruction."
"Is the wand still beneath the tree?"
"No… it has been checked thoroughly. The wand is no longer there. However, since that was its last known location, Tom is bound to go to Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"If you were Tom, what would you do?"
"Reincarnate… or attach myself to a young wizard to investigate Ilvermorny in secret," William replied.
"Exactly," Dumbledore said with a slight smile. "Both Tom and Voldemort have done similar things, it's one of their signature strategies."
Dumbledore stood and retrieved a locked book from a nearby shelf. The embossed cover bore the image of a phoenix.
He touched the lock, and it sprang open instantly.
Inside, each page contained a photograph with a name written beneath it. As Dumbledore flipped through, William noticed that all the photographs were empty, none of the people depicted were present.
"This is a very small international network I established long ago to combat—"
Dumbledore paused briefly.
"—Gellert Grindelwald."
William noticed a slight tremor in Dumbledore's voice.
"Even after he agreed to stay in Nurmengard, the network was not disbanded. It has continued to function, even during Voldemort's time."
Dumbledore stopped at one particular page.
The photograph depicted an elderly women with snow-white hair.
—Eulalie Hicks.
"Eulalie is the Headmaster of Ilvermorny School. When I first met her, she was a young professor, not much older than Newt," Dumbledore explained.
"What's the matter, Albus?" the photo of Eulalie asked.
"Tom Riddle has been resurrected… I need to warn you that his target may be the snakewood tree," Dumbledore said.
The figure in the photograph immediately hurried away, likely to inform others of the news.
Dumbledore closed the thick book, steepled his fingers, and said softly, "I cannot leave here. We'll need a trustworthy wizard to monitor Tom in America."
"Any suggestions, William?" Dumbledore's blue eyes locked onto the young man.
"America?" William said without hesitation. "I think Old Man Newt would be willing to go."
"Indeed. Newt has always been fond of America," Dumbledore said with a small smile. "He has many memories of that place."
"Didn't Rita Skeeter write in the newspaper that… Seraphina Picquery still thinks of him? It would be a good opportunity for him to visit Madam Picquery as well."
…
By the Seine, at a café on the Left Bank…
Newt Scamander sneezed suddenly.
"Windy day," he muttered.
He tightened the collar of his coat, a sense of unease washing over him.
The last time he'd felt this strongly was during his previous trip to America.
At the time, Grindelwald had disguised himself as Percival Graves, infiltrating MACUSA.
Later, Grindelwald had sentenced him… to death!
The elderly wizard sipped his cappuccino and muttered under his breath:
"God! I hate America!"