Dumbledore sighed internally and then audibly as he attempted another tactical shift. "I am quite sure that if you focus on the blur, "Dumbledore said sternly, banishing all traces of grandfatherly twinkle from his eyes, "you can give me a better answer."
Bellatrix stared off into space. "I see teacups… large teacups… moving in circles… always moving. And I hear something about a, uh… a small world."
Dumbledore again sighed internally, struck by the absurdity and obscurity of her reference. "For some reason, I cannot see you living among the Muggles, Mrs. Black."
"It was a magical place," Bellatrix said dreamily, her violet eyes dancing with vicious mirth.
Frustrated to find himself at another dead end, the Headmaster pursed his lips and picked up the Rubik's cube. "Seeing as you do not care to speak of whereabouts, perhaps you could enlighten me on this little artifact."
Bellatrix looked at it and shrugged. "It is a portkey. What more do you want to know?"
"A portkey capable of being reused to visit multiple destinations," Dumbledore clarified.
"I suppose so," Bellatrix admitted, still leaning back casually in her chair.
"If I may ask," Dumbledore inquired, recommitting himself to tactical politeness, "where did you come by it?"
"Harry bought a bunch from some Muggle toy store-probably right after you fired him. He put some spells on them, and they have been lying around ever since then," Bellatrix explained. "You can keep that one, of course," she added skeptically, in no hurry to repossess an object upon which the Order could have placed their own clever little charms.
"Thank you," Dumbledore replied with tactful graciousness.
"You're welcome," Bellatrix said with equivalent magnanimousness. "If that is all you wanted, I should probably get going."
"I would rather you did not," Dumbledore requested. "I should like to discuss three subjects, namely Tom Riddle's diary, Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets, and the riddle of Harry Ashworth himself."
"I see no need to discuss any of that," Bellatrix responded lightly.
"I am asking you to enlighten me," Dumbledore replied with an almost icy politeness and an unspoken 'or else,' even as his blue eyes sought unsuccessfully to lock onto Bellatrix's violet ones.
"Very well," Bellatrix replied, seeing no benefit from further provoking the Headmaster. "As a show of good will, I shall tell you everything you want to know about the diary and the Chamber of Secrets. However, I will limit my comments on Harry Ashworth."
"Am I correct in understanding that you and Harry Ashworth entered the Chamber of Secrets and killed the basilisk?" Dumbledore asked, feigning patience.
"Yes." Bellatrix said curtly.
"How were you able to open it?" Dumbledore continued.
"How were you able to open it during this past school term?" Bellatrix countered.
Professor Dumbledore took a slow, deep breath. "I benefitted from whatever it was you did to ensure that you would be able to enter more easily. But clearly, there were other original mechanisms to limit access. Please, humor me, Mrs. Black."
Bellatrix then made a tactical shift of her own. "Harry Ashworth was a parselmouth," she admitted, launching into a precise, if succinct, recitation of the basic events.
Professor Dumbledore listened closely, occasionally nodding in respectful acknowledgment of the highlights of her story. "So, Mr. Ashworth also had knowledge that the diary existed and could be used to open the Chamber."
"Yes," Bellatrix said carefully, pausing briefly to parse her words. "He knew that it was only a matter of time before the diary would cause trouble."
"How did he know the diary existed?"
Bellatrix paused again. "That particular question," Bellatrix replied, "is one I cannot answer."
"You told Rose Potter and Leo Black that Lord Voldemort would do nearly anything to recover his diary," Dumbledore redirected.
"Yes."
"Why is that?"
"I was trying to intimidate them," Bellatrix admitted.
"You misunderstand me,." Dumbledore said, frowning. "I wish to know why it is that the diary is so valuable to Voldemort."
Bellatrix lapsed into an immature smirk. "Would you want someone reading your diary?"
Dumbledore paused, overmastering his internal frustration. "Is that the value of the diary then?" Dumbledore countered politely.
Bellatrix dropped her smirk-silently berating her penchant for pointless mockery-and shook her head. "Not at all. To my knowledge, Riddle never kept that kind of a diary."
"What kind of diary could it be then?"
"The diary is a horcrux," Bellatrix explained with sudden, disarming candor. "You can appreciate why I would be willing to pay as much as fifty thousand galleons to capture it."
Dumbledore leaned forward, eyes wide with astonishment. "The diary is a horcrux? As in a dark magical object in which Voldemort has deposited a portion of his very soul?"
"That would be correct, Headmaster."
Dumbledore paused in apparently horrified contemplation. "Mrs. Black," he said gravely, "I must insist that your surrender that diary to me."
Bellatrix fought an urge to look the Dumbledore in the eye, recalling rumors rampant among her fellow Slytherins concerning the Headmaster's mastery of legilimency. Instead, breathing deeply, she steeled herself for a difficult exchange. "I'm afraid that I must refuse."
"Mrs. Black," Dumbledore argued urgently, "this is a war-a war that your father started. He died in the fight against Voldemort. Your refusing to surrender the diary impedes the war. If Voldemort has split his soul, we will need to take certain actions, and your refusing to cooperate will hinder us."
The invocation of her father's death angered Bellatrix, causing her to sit stock upright, straight backed and proud. Reigning in her emotions like a true Slytherin, Bellatrix kept her composure as she mentally dissected Dumbledore's words and prepared her retort. "You assume that you are the only person capable of taking responsible action toward this diary," she said. "I was raised with the Dark Arts, Headmaster. You may know more facts, but my inherent understanding very well could outstrip your own. Even Harry deferred to my expertise when we investigated the possibility that the dark lord had created horcruxes."
"Wait-horcruxes?" Dumbledore asked, amazed, eyes now even wider.