Harry and Ron left the hospital wing first thing on Monday morning, restored to full health by the ministrations of Madam Pomfrey and now able to enjoy the benefits of having been knocked out and poisoned, the best of which was that Hermione was friends with Ron again. Hermione even escorted them down to breakfast, bringing with her the news that Ginny had argued with Dean. The drowsing creature in Harryโs chest suddenly raised its head, sniffing the air hopefully.
โWhat did they row about?โ he asked, trying to sound casual as they turned into a seventh-floor corridor which was deserted but for a very small girl who had been examining a tapestry of trolls in tutus. She looked terrified at the sight of the approaching sixth-years and dropped the heavy brass scales she was carrying.
โItโs all right!โ said Hermione kindly, hurrying forwards to help her. โHere
โฆโ She tapped the broken scales with her wand and said,ย โReparo.โ
The girl did not say thank you, but remained rooted to the spot as they passed and watched them out of sight; Ron glanced back at her.
โI swear theyโre getting smaller,โ he said.
โNever mind her,โ said Harry, a little impatiently. โWhat did Ginny and Dean row about, Hermione?โ
โOh, Dean was laughing about McLaggen hitting that Bludger at you,โ said Hermione.
โIt mustโve looked funny,โ said Ron reasonably.
โIt didnโt look funny at all!โ said Hermione hotly. โIt looked terrible, and if Coote and Peakes hadnโt caught Harry he could have been very badly hurt!โ
โYeah, well, there was no need for Ginny and Dean to split up over it,โ said Harry, still trying to sound casual. โOr are they still together?โ
โYes, they are โ but why are you so interested?โ asked Hermione, giving Harry a sharp look.
โI just donโt want my Quidditch team messed up again!โ he said hastily, but
Hermione continued to look suspicious, and he was most relieved when a voice behind them called, โHarry!โ, giving him an excuse to turn his back on her.
โOh, hi, Luna.โ
โI went to the hospital wing to find you,โ said Luna, rummaging in her bag. โBut they said youโd left โฆโ
She thrust what appeared to be a green onion, a large spotted toadstool and a considerable amount of what looked like cat litter into Ronโs hands, finally pulling out a rather grubby scroll of parchment that she handed to Harry.
โโฆ Iโve been told to give you this.โ
It was a small roll of parchment, which Harry recognised at once as another invitation to a lesson with Dumbledore.
โTonight,โ he told Ron and Hermione, once he had unrolled it.
โNice commentary last match!โ said Ron to Luna, as she took back the green onion, the toadstool and the cat litter. Luna smiled vaguely.
โYouโre making fun of me, arenโt you?โ she said. โEveryone says I was dreadful.โ
โNo, Iโm serious!โ said Ron earnestly. โI canโt remember enjoying commentary more! What is this, by the way?โ he added, holding the onionlike object up to eye-level.
โOh, itโs a Gurdyroot,โ she said, stuffing the cat litter and the toadstool back into her bag. โYou can keep it if you like, Iโve got a few of them. Theyโre really excellent for warding off Gulping Plimpies.โ
And she walked away, leaving Ron chortling, still clutching the Gurdyroot. โYou know, sheโs grown on me, Luna,โ he said, as they set off again for the
Great Hall. โI know sheโs insane, but itโs in a good โโ
He stopped talking very suddenly. Lavender Brown was standing at the foot of the marble staircase looking thunderous.
โHi,โ said Ron nervously.
โCโmon,โ Harry muttered to Hermione, and they sped past, though not before they had heard Lavender say, โWhy didnโt you tell me you were getting out today? And why wasย sheย with you?โ
Ron looked both sulky and annoyed when he appeared at breakfast half an hour later, and though he sat with Lavender, Harry did not see them exchange a word all the time they were together. Hermione was acting as though she was quite oblivious to all of this, but once or twice Harry saw an inexplicable smirk cross her face. All that day she seemed to be in a particularly good
mood, and that evening in the common room she even consented to look over (in other words, finish writing) Harryโs Herbology essay, something she had been resolutely refusing to do up to that point, because she had known that Harry would then let Ron copy his work.
โThanks a lot, Hermione,โ said Harry, giving her a hasty pat on the back as he checked his watch and saw that it was nearly eight oโclock. โListen, Iโve got to hurry or Iโll be late for Dumbledore โฆโ
She did not answer, but merely crossed out a few of his feebler sentences in a weary sort of way. Grinning, Harry hurried out through the portrait hole and off to the Headmasterโs office. The gargoyle leapt aside at the mention of toffee eclairs and Harry took the spiral staircase two steps at a time, knocking on the door just as a clock within chimed eight.
โEnter,โ called Dumbledore, but as Harry put out a hand to push the door, it was wrenched open from inside. There stood Professor Trelawney.
โAha!โ she cried, pointing dramatically at Harry as she blinked at him through her magnifying spectacles. โSo this is the reason I am to be thrown unceremoniously from your office, Dumbledore!โ
โMy dear Sybill,โ said Dumbledore in a slightly exasperated voice, โthere is no question of throwing you unceremoniously from anywhere, but Harry does have an appointment and I really donโt think there is any more to be said โโ
โVery well,โ said Professor Trelawney, in a deeply wounded voice. โIf you will not banish the usurping nag, so be it โฆ perhaps I shall find a school where my talents are better appreciated โฆโ
She pushed past Harry and disappeared down the spiral staircase; they heard her stumble halfway down and Harry guessed that she had tripped over one of her trailing shawls.
โPlease close the door and sit down, Harry,โ said Dumbledore, sounding rather tired.
Harry obeyed, noticing as he took his usual seat in front of Dumbledoreโs desk that the Pensieve lay between them once more, as did two more tiny crystal bottles full of swirling memory.
โProfessor Trelawney still isnโt happy Firenze is teaching, then?โ Harry asked.
โNo,โ said Dumbledore. โDivination is turning out to be much more trouble than I could have foreseen, never having studied the subject myself. I cannot ask Firenze to return to the Forest, where he is now an outcast, nor can I ask Sybill Trelawney to leave. Between ourselves, she has no idea of the danger she would be in outside the castle. She does not know โ and I think it would
be unwise to enlighten her โ that she made the prophecy about you and Voldemort, you see.โ
Dumbledore heaved a deep sigh, then said, โBut never mind my staff problems. We have much more important matters to discuss. Firstly โ have you managed the task I set you at the end of our previous lesson?โ
โAh,โ said Harry, brought up short. What with Apparition lessons and Quidditch and Ron being poisoned and getting his skull cracked and his determination to find out what Draco Malfoy was up to, Harry had almost forgotten about the memory Dumbledore had asked him to extract from Professor Slughorn โฆ โWell, I asked Professor Slughorn about it at the end of Potions, sir, but, er, he wouldnโt give it to me.โ
There was a little silence.
โI see,โ said Dumbledore eventually, peering at Harry over the top of his half-moon spectacles and giving Harry the usual sensation that he was being X-rayed. โAnd you feel that you have exerted your very best efforts in this matter, do you? That you have exercised all of your considerable ingenuity? That you have left no depth of cunning unplumbed in your quest to retrieve the memory?โ
โWell,โ Harry stalled, at a loss for what to say next. His single attempt to get hold of the memory suddenly seemed embarrassingly feeble. โWell โฆ the day Ron swallowed love potion by mistake I took him to Professor Slughorn. I thought maybe if I got Professor Slughorn in a good enough mood โโ
โAnd did that work?โ asked Dumbledore. โWell, no, sir, because Ron got poisoned โโ
โโ which, naturally, made you forget all about trying to retrieve the memory; I would have expected nothing else, while your best friend was in danger. Once it became clear that Mr Weasley was going to make a full recovery, however, I would have hoped that you returned to the task I set you. I thought I made it clear to you how very important that memory is. Indeed, I did my best to impress upon you that it is the most crucial memory of all and that we will be wasting our time without it.โ
A hot, prickly feeling of shame spread from the top of Harryโs head all the way down his body. Dumbledore had not raised his voice, he did not even sound angry, but Harry would have preferred him to yell; this cold disappointment was worse than anything.
โSir,โ he said, a little desperately, โit isnโt that I wasnโt bothered or anything, Iโve just had other โ other things โฆโ
โOther things on your mind,โ Dumbledore finished the sentence for him. โI
see.โ
Silence fell between them again, the most uncomfortable silence Harry had ever experienced with Dumbledore; it seemed to go on and on, punctuated only by the little grunting snores of the portrait of Armando Dippet over Dumbledoreโs head. Harry felt strangely diminished, as though he had shrunk a little since he had entered the room.
When he could stand it no longer he said, โProfessor Dumbledore, Iโm really sorry. I should have done more โฆ I should have realised you wouldnโt have asked me to do it if it wasnโt really important.โ
โThank you for saying that, Harry,โ said Dumbledore quietly. โMay I hope, then, that you will give this matter higher priority from now on? There will be little point our meeting after tonight unless we have that memory.โ
โIโll do it, sir, Iโll get it from him,โ Harry said earnestly.
โThen we shall say no more about it just now,โ said Dumbledore more kindly, โbut continue with our story where we left off. You remember where that was?โ
โYes, sir,โ said Harry quickly. โVoldemort killed his father and his grandparents and made it look as though his uncle Morfin did it. Then he went back to Hogwarts and he asked โฆ he asked Professor Slughorn about Horcruxes,โ he mumbled shamefacedly.
โVery good,โ said Dumbledore. โNow, you will remember, I hope, that I told you at the very outset of these meetings of ours that we would be entering the realms of guesswork and speculation?โ
โYes, sir.โ
โThus far, as I hope you agree, I have shown you reasonably firm sources of fact for my deductions as to what Voldemort did until the age of seventeen?โ
Harry nodded.
โBut now, Harry,โ said Dumbledore, โnow things become murkier and stranger. If it was difficult to find evidence about the boy Riddle, it has been almost impossible to find anyone prepared to reminisce about the man Voldemort. In fact, I doubt whether there is a soul alive, apart from himself, who could give us a full account of his life since he left Hogwarts. However, I have two last memories that I would like to share with you.โ Dumbledore indicated the two little crystal bottles gleaming beside the Pensieve. โI shall then be glad of your opinion as to whether the conclusions I have drawn from them seem likely.โ
The idea that Dumbledore valued his opinion this highly made Harry feel
even more deeply ashamed that he had failed in the task of retrieving the Horcrux memory, and he shifted guiltily in his seat as Dumbledore raised the first of the two bottles to the light and examined it.
โI hope you are not tired of diving into other peopleโs memories, for they are curious recollections, these two,โ he said. โThis first one came from a very old house-elf by the name of Hokey. Before we see what Hokey witnessed, I must quickly recount how Lord Voldemort left Hogwarts.
โHe reached the seventh year of his schooling with, as you might have expected, top grades in every examination he had taken. All around him, his classmates were deciding which jobs they were to pursue once they had left Hogwarts. Nearly everybody expected spectacular things from Tom Riddle, prefect, Head Boy, winner of the Special Award for Services to the School. I know that several teachers, Professor Slughorn amongst them, suggested that he join the Ministry of Magic, offered to set up appointments, put him in touch with useful contacts. He refused all offers. The next thing the staff knew, Voldemort was working at Borgin and Burkes.โ
โAt Borgin and Burkes?โ Harry repeated, stunned.
โAt Borgin and Burkes,โ repeated Dumbledore calmly. โI think you will see what attractions the place held for him when we have entered Hokeyโs memory. But this was not Voldemortโs first choice of job. Hardly anyone knew of it at the time โ I was one of the few in whom the then Headmaster confided โ but Voldemort first approached Professor Dippet and asked whether he could remain at Hogwarts as a teacher.โ
โHe wanted to stay here? Why?โ asked Harry, more amazed still.
โI believe he had several reasons, though he confided none of them to Professor Dippet,โ said Dumbledore. โFirstly, and very importantly, Voldemort was, I believe, more attached to this school than he has ever been to a person. Hogwarts was where he had been happiest; the first and only place he had felt at home.โ
Harry felt slightly uncomfortable at these words, for this was exactly how he felt about Hogwarts, too.
โSecondly, the castle is a stronghold of ancient magic. Undoubtedly Voldemort had penetrated many more of its secrets than most of the students who pass through the place, but he may have felt that there were still mysteries to unravel, stores of magic to tap.
โAnd thirdly, as a teacher, he would have had great power and influence over young witches and wizards. Perhaps he had gained the idea from Professor Slughorn, the teacher with whom he was on best terms, who had
demonstrated how influential a role a teacher can play. I do not imagine for an instant that Voldemort envisaged spending the rest of his life at Hogwarts, but I do think that he saw it as a useful recruiting ground, and a place where he might begin to build himself an army.โ
โBut he didnโt get the job, sir?โ
โNo, he did not. Professor Dippet told him that he was too young at eighteen, but invited him to reapply in a few years, if he still wished to teach.โ
โHow did you feel about that, sir?โ asked Harry hesitantly.
โDeeply uneasy,โ said Dumbledore. โI had advised Armando against the appointment โ I did not give the reasons I have given you, for Professor Dippet was very fond of Voldemort and convinced of his honesty โ but I did not want Lord Voldemort back at this school, and especially not in a position of power.โ
โWhich job did he want, sir? What subject did he want to teach?โ Somehow, Harry knew the answer even before Dumbledore gave it. โDefence Against the Dark Arts. It was being taught at the time by an old
Professor by the name of Galatea Merrythought, who had been at Hogwarts
for nearly fifty years.
โSo Voldemort went off to Borgin and Burkes, and all the staff who had admired him said what a waste it was, a brilliant young wizard like that, working in a shop. However, Voldemort was no mere assistant. Polite and handsome and clever, he was soon given particular jobs of the type that only exist in a place like Borgin and Burkes, which specialises, as you know, Harry, in objects with unusual and powerful properties. Voldemort was sent to persuade people to part with their treasures for sale by the partners, and he was, by all accounts, unusually gifted at doing this.โ
โIโll bet he was,โ said Harry, unable to contain himself.
โWell, quite,โ said Dumbledore, with a faint smile. โAnd now it is time to hear from Hokey the house-elf, who worked for a very old, very rich witch by the name of Hepzibah Smith.โ
Dumbledore tapped a bottle with his wand, the cork flew out and he tipped the swirling memory into the Pensieve, saying as he did so, โAfter you, Harry.โ
Harry got to his feet and bent once more over the rippling silver contents of the stone basin until his face touched them. He tumbled through dark nothingness and landed in a sitting room in front of an immensely fat old lady wearing an elaborate ginger wig and a brilliant pink set of robes that flowed all around her, giving her the look of a melting iced cake. She was looking
into a small jewelled mirror and dabbing rouge on to her already scarlet cheeks with a large powder puff, while the tiniest and oldest house-elf Harry had ever seen laced her fleshy feet into tight satin slippers.
โHurry up, Hokey!โ said Hepzibah imperiously. โHe said heโd come at four, itโs only a couple of minutes to and heโs never been late yet!โ
She tucked away her powder puff as the house-elf straightened up. The top of the elf โs head barely reached the seat of Hepzibahโs chair and her papery skin hung off her frame just like the crisp linen sheet she wore draped like a toga.
โHow do I look?โ said Hepzibah, turning her head to admire the various angles of her face in the mirror.
โLovely, madam,โ squeaked Hokey.
Harry could only assume that it was down in Hokeyโs contract that she must lie through her teeth when asked this question, because Hepzibah Smith looked a long way from lovely in his opinion.
A tinkling doorbell rang and both mistress and elf jumped.
โQuick, quick, heโs here, Hokey!โ cried Hepzibah and the elf scurried out of the room, which was so crammed with objects that it was difficult to see how anybody could navigate their way across it without knocking over at least a dozen things: there were cabinets full of little lacquered boxes, cases full of gold-embossed books, shelves of orbs and celestial globes and many flourishing pot plants in brass containers: in fact, the room looked like a cross between a magical antique shop and a conservatory.
The house-elf returned within minutes, followed by a tall young man Harry had no difficulty whatsoever in recognising as Voldemort. He was plainly dressed in a black suit; his hair was a little longer than it had been at school and his cheeks were hollowed, but all of this suited him: he looked more handsome than ever. He picked his way through the cramped room with an air that showed he had visited many times before and bowed low over Hepzibahโs fat little hand, brushing it with his lips.
โI brought you flowers,โ he said quietly, producing a bunch of roses from nowhere.
โYou naughty boy, you shouldnโt have!โ squealed old Hepzibah, though Harry noticed that she had an empty vase standing ready on the nearest little table. โYou do spoil this old lady, Tom โฆ sit down, sit down โฆ whereโs Hokey โฆ ah โฆโ
The house-elf had come dashing back into the room carrying a tray of little cakes, which she set at her mistressโs elbow.
โHelp yourself, Tom,โ said Hepzibah, โI know how you love my cakes. Now, how are you? You look pale. They overwork you at that shop, Iโve said it a hundred times โฆโ
Voldemort smiled mechanically and Hepzibah simpered.
โWell, whatโs your excuse for visiting this time?โ she asked, batting her lashes.
โMr Burke would like to make an improved offer for the goblin-made armour,โ said Voldemort. โFive hundred Galleons, he feels it is a more than fair โโ
โNow, now, not so fast, or Iโll think youโre only here for my trinkets!โ pouted Hepzibah.
โI am ordered here because of them,โ said Voldemort quietly. โI am only a poor assistant, madam, who must do as he is told. Mr Burke wishes me to enquire โโ
โOh, Mr Burke, phooey!โ said Hepzibah, waving a little hand. โIโve something to show you that Iโve never shown Mr Burke! Can you keep a secret, Tom? Will you promise you wonโt tell Mr Burke Iโve got it? Heโd never let me rest if he knew Iโd shown it to you, and Iโm not selling, not to Burke, not to anyone! But you, Tom, youโll appreciate it for its history, not how many Galleons you can get for it โฆโ
โIโd be glad to see anything Miss Hepzibah shows me,โ said Voldemort quietly, and Hepzibah gave another girlish giggle.
โI had Hokey bring it out for me โฆ Hokey, where are you? I want to show Mr Riddle ourย finestย treasure โฆ in fact, bring both, while youโre at it โฆโ
โHere, madam,โ squeaked the house-elf, and Harry saw two leather boxes, one on top of the other, moving across the room as if of their own volition, though he knew the tiny elf was holding them over her head as she wended her way between tables, pouffes and footstools.
โNow,โ said Hepzibah happily, taking the boxes from the elf, laying them in her lap and preparing to open the topmost one, โI think youโll like this, Tom
โฆ oh, if my family knew I was showing you โฆ they canโt wait to get their hands on this!โ
She opened the lid. Harry edged forwards a little to get a better view and saw what looked like a small golden cup with two finely wrought handles.
โI wonder whether you know what it is, Tom? Pick it up, have a good look!โ whispered Hepzibah, and Voldemort stretched out a long-fingered hand and lifted the cup by one handle out of its snug silken wrappings. Harry thought he saw a red gleam in his dark eyes. His greedy expression was curiously
mirrored on Hepzibahโs face, except that her tiny eyes were fixed upon Voldemortโs handsome features.
โA badger,โ murmured Voldemort, examining the engraving upon the cup. โThen this was โฆ?โ
โHelga Hufflepuffโs, as you very well know, you clever boy!โ said Hepzibah, leaning forwards with a loud creaking of corsets and actually pinching his hollow cheek. โDidnโt I tell you I was distantly descended? This has been handed down in the family for years and years. Lovely, isnโt it? And all sorts of powers itโs supposed to possess, too, but I havenโt tested them thoroughly, I just keep it nice and safe in here โฆโ
She hooked the cup back off Voldemortโs long forefinger and restored it gently to its box, too intent upon settling it carefully back into position to notice the shadow that crossed Voldemortโs face as the cup was taken away.
โNow then,โ said Hepzibah happily, โwhereโs Hokey? Oh yes, there you are โ take that away now, Hokey โโ
The elf obediently took the boxed cup, and Hepzibah turned her attention to the much flatter box in her lap.
โI think youโll like this even more, Tom,โ she whispered. โLean in a little, dear boy, so you can see โฆ of course, Burke knows Iโve got this one, I bought it from him, and I daresay heโd love to get it back when Iโm gone โฆโ
She slid back the fine, filigree clasp and flipped open the box. There upon the smooth crimson velvet lay a heavy golden locket.
Voldemort reached out his hand without invitation this time and held it up to the light, staring at it.
โSlytherinโs mark,โ he said quietly, as the light played upon an ornate, serpentine S.
โThatโs right!โ said Hepzibah, delighted, apparently, at the sight of Voldemort gazing at her locket, transfixed. โI had to pay an arm and a leg for it, but I couldnโt let it pass, not a real treasure like that, had to have it for my collection. Burke bought it, apparently, from a ragged-looking woman who seemed to have stolen it, but had no idea of its true value โโ
There was no mistaking it this time: Voldemortโs eyes flashed scarlet at her words and Harry saw his knuckles whiten on the locketโs chain.
โโ I daresay Burke paid her a pittance, but there you are โฆ pretty, isnโt it? And again, all kinds of powers attributed to it, though I just keep it nice and safe โฆโ
She reached out to take the locket back. For a moment Harry thought Voldemort was not going to let go of it, but then it had slid through his fingers
and was back on its red velvet cushion.
โSo there you are, Tom, dear, and I hope you enjoyed that!โ
She looked him full in the face and, for the first time, Harry saw her foolish smile falter.
โAre you all right, dear?โ
โOh yes,โ said Voldemort quietly. โYes, Iโm very well โฆโ
โI thought โ but a trick of the light, I suppose โโ said Hepzibah, looking unnerved, and Harry guessed that she, too, had seen the momentary red gleam in Voldemortโs eyes. โHere, Hokey, take these away and lock them up again
โฆ the usual enchantments โฆโ
โTime to leave, Harry,โ said Dumbledore quietly, and as the little elf bobbed away bearing the boxes, Dumbledore grasped Harry once again above the elbow and together they rose up through oblivion and back to Dumbledoreโs office.
โHepzibah Smith died two days after that little scene,โ said Dumbledore, resuming his seat and indicating that Harry should do the same. โHokey the house-elf was convicted by the Ministry of poisoning her mistressโs evening cocoa by accident.โ
โNo way!โ said Harry angrily.
โI see we are of one mind,โ said Dumbledore. โCertainly, there are many similarities between this death and that of the Riddles. In both cases, somebody else took the blame, someone who had a clear memory of having caused the death โโ
โHokey confessed?โ
โShe remembered putting something in her mistressโs cocoa that turned out not to be sugar, but a lethal and little-known poison,โ said Dumbledore. โIt was concluded that she had not meant to do it, but being old and confused โโ
โVoldemort modified her memory, just like he did with Morfin!โ
โYes, that is my conclusion, too,โ said Dumbledore. โAnd, just as with Morfin, the Ministry was predisposed to suspect Hokey โโ
โโ because she was a house-elf,โ said Harry. He had rarely felt more in sympathy with the society Hermione had set up, S.P.E.W.
โPrecisely,โ said Dumbledore. โShe was old, she admitted to having tampered with the drink and nobody at the Ministry bothered to enquire further. As in the case of Morfin, by the time I traced her and managed to extract this memory, her life was almost over โ but her memory, of course, proves nothing except that Voldemort knew of the existence of the cup and
the locket.
โBy the time Hokey was convicted, Hepzibahโs family had realised that two of her greatest treasures were missing. It took them a while to be sure of this, for she had many hiding places, having always guarded her collection most jealously. But before they were sure beyond doubt that the cup and the locket were both gone, the assistant who had worked at Borgin and Burkes, the young man who had visited Hepzibah so regularly and charmed her so well, had resigned his post and vanished. His superiors had no idea where he had gone; they were as surprised as anyone at his disappearance. And that was the last that was seen or heard of Tom Riddle for a very long time.
โNow,โ said Dumbledore, โif you donโt mind, Harry, I want to pause once more to draw your attention to certain points of our story. Voldemort had committed another murder; whether it was his first since he killed the Riddles, I do not know, but I think it was. This time, as you will have seen, he killed not for revenge, but for gain. He wanted the two fabulous trophies that poor, besotted old woman showed him. Just as he had once robbed the other children at his orphanage, just as he had stolen his uncle Morfinโs ring, so he ran off now with Hepzibahโs cup and locket.โ
โBut,โ said Harry, frowning, โit seems mad โฆ risking everything, throwing away his job, just for those โฆโ
โMad to you, perhaps, but not to Voldemort,โ said Dumbledore. โI hope you will understand in due course exactly what those objects meant to him, Harry, but you must admit that it is not difficult to imagine that he saw the locket, at least, as rightfully his.โ
โThe locket maybe,โ said Harry, โbut why take the cup as well?โ
โIt had belonged to another of Hogwartsโ founders,โ said Dumbledore. โI think he still felt a great pull towards the school and that he could not resist an object so steeped in Hogwartsโ history. There were other reasons, I think โฆ I hope to be able to demonstrate them to you, in due course.
โAnd now for the very last recollection I have to show you, at least until you manage to retrieve Professor Slughornโs memory for us. Ten years separate Hokeyโs memory and this one, ten years during which we can only guess at what Lord Voldemort was doing โฆโ
Harry got to his feet once more as Dumbledore emptied the last memory into the Pensieve.
โWhose memory is it?โ he asked. โMine,โ said Dumbledore.
And Harry dived after Dumbledore through the shifting silver mass,
landing in the very office he had just left. There was Fawkes, slumbering happily on his perch, and there, behind the desk, was Dumbledore, who looked very similar to the Dumbledore standing beside Harry, though both hands were whole and undamaged and his face was, perhaps, a little less lined. The one difference between the present-day office and this one was that it was snowing in the past; bluish flecks were drifting past the window in the dark and building up on the outside ledge.
The younger Dumbledore seemed to be waiting for something, and sure enough, moments after their arrival, there was a knock on the door and he said, โEnter.โ
Harry let out a hastily stifled gasp. Voldemort had entered the room. His features were not those Harry had seen emerge from the great stone cauldron almost two years before; they were not as snakelike, the eyes were not yet scarlet, the face not yet masklike, and yet he was no longer handsome Tom Riddle. It was as though his features had been burned and blurred; they were waxy and oddly distorted, and the whites of the eyes now had a permanently bloody look, though the pupils were not yet the slits that Harry knew they would become. He was wearing a long black cloak and his face was as pale as the snow glistening on his shoulders.
The Dumbledore behind the desk showed no sign of surprise. Evidently this visit had been made by appointment.
โGood evening, Tom,โ said Dumbledore easily. โWonโt you sit down?โ โThank you,โ said Voldemort, and he took the seat to which Dumbledore
had gestured โ the very seat, by the looks of it, that Harry had just vacated in
the present. โI heard that you had become Headmaster,โ he said, and his voice was slightly higher and colder than it had been. โA worthy choice.โ
โI am glad you approve,โ said Dumbledore, smiling. โMay I offer you a drink?โ
โThat would be welcome,โ said Voldemort. โI have come a long way.โ Dumbledore stood and swept over to the cabinet where he now kept the
Pensieve, but which then was full of bottles. Having handed Voldemort a
goblet of wine and poured one for himself, he returned to the seat behind his desk.
โSo, Tom โฆ to what do I owe the pleasure?โ
Voldemort did not answer at once, but merely sipped his wine.
โThey do not call me โTomโ any more,โ he said. โThese days, I am known as โโ
โI know what you are known as,โ said Dumbledore, smiling pleasantly. โBut
to me, Iโm afraid, you will always be Tom Riddle. It is one of the irritating things about old teachers, I am afraid, that they never quite forget their chargesโ youthful beginnings.โ
He raised his glass as though toasting Voldemort, whose face remained expressionless. Nevertheless, Harry felt the atmosphere in the room change subtly: Dumbledoreโs refusal to use Voldemortโs chosen name was a refusal to allow Voldemort to dictate the terms of the meeting, and Harry could tell that Voldemort took it as such.
โI am surprised you have remained here so long,โ said Voldemort after a short pause. โI always wondered why a wizard such as yourself never wished to leave school.โ
โWell,โ said Dumbledore, still smiling, โto a wizard such as myself, there can be nothing more important than passing on ancient skills, helping hone young minds. If I remember correctly, you once saw the attraction of teaching, too.โ
โI see it still,โ said Voldemort. โI merely wondered why you โ who is so often asked for advice by the Ministry, and who has twice, I think, been offered the post of Minister โโ
โThree times at the last count, actually,โ said Dumbledore. โBut the Ministry never attracted me as a career. Again, something we have in common, I think.โ
Voldemort inclined his head, unsmiling, and took another sip of wine. Dumbledore did not break the silence that stretched between them now, but waited, with a look of pleasant expectancy, for Voldemort to talk first.
โI have returned,โ he said, after a little while, โlater, perhaps, than Professor Dippet expected โฆ but I have returned, nevertheless, to request again what he once told me I was too young to have. I have come to you to ask that you permit me to return to this castle, to teach. I think you must know that I have seen and done much since I left this place. I could show and tell your students things they can gain from no other wizard.โ
Dumbledore considered Voldemort over the top of his own goblet for a while before speaking.
โYes, I certainly do know that you have seen and done much since leaving us,โ he said quietly. โRumours of your doings have reached your old school, Tom. I should be sorry to believe half of them.โ
Voldemortโs expression remained impassive as he said, โGreatness inspires envy, envy engenders spite, spite spawns lies. You must know this, Dumbledore.โ
โYou call it โgreatnessโ, what you have been doing, do you?โ asked Dumbledore delicately.
โCertainly,โ said Voldemort, and his eyes seemed to burn red. โI have experimented; I have pushed the boundaries of magic further, perhaps, than they have ever been pushed โโ
โOf some kinds of magic,โ Dumbledore corrected him quietly. โOf some. Of others, you remain โฆ forgive me โฆ woefully ignorant.โ
For the first time, Voldemort smiled. It was a taut leer, an evil thing, more threatening than a look of rage.
โThe old argument,โ he said softly. โBut nothing I have seen in the world has supported your famous pronouncements that love is more powerful than my kind of magic, Dumbledore.โ
โPerhaps you have been looking in the wrong places,โ suggested Dumbledore.
โWell, then, what better place to start my fresh researches than here, at Hogwarts?โ said Voldemort. โWill you let me return? Will you let me share my knowledge with your students? I place myself and my talents at your disposal. I am yours to command.โ
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.
โAnd what will become of those whomย youย command? What will happen to those who call themselves โ or so rumour has it โ the Death Eaters?โ
Harry could tell that Voldemort had not expected Dumbledore to know this name; he saw Voldemortโs eyes flash red again and the slitlike nostrils flare.
โMy friends,โ he said, after a momentโs pause, โwill carry on without me, I am sure.โ
โI am glad to hear that you consider them friends,โ said Dumbledore. โI was under the impression that they are more in the order of servants.โ
โYou are mistaken,โ said Voldemort.
โThen if I were to go to the Hogโs Head tonight, I would not find a group of them โ Nott, Rosier, Mulciber, Dolohov โ awaiting your return? Devoted friends indeed, to travel this far with you on a snowy night, merely to wish you luck as you attempted to secure a teaching post.โ
There could be no doubt that Dumbledoreโs detailed knowledge of those with whom he was travelling was even less welcome to Voldemort; however, he rallied almost at once.
โYou are omniscient as ever, Dumbledore.โ
โOh, no, merely friendly with the local barmen,โ said Dumbledore lightly.
โNow, Tom โฆโ
Dumbledore set down his empty glass and drew himself up in his seat, the tips of his fingers together in a very characteristic gesture.
โโฆ let us speak openly. Why have you come here tonight, surrounded by henchmen, to request a job we both know you do not want?โ
Voldemort looked coldly surprised.
โA job I do not want? On the contrary, Dumbledore, I want it very much.โ โOh, you want to come back to Hogwarts, but you do not want to teach any
more than you wanted to when you were eighteen. What is it youโre after,
Tom? Why not try an open request for once?โ Voldemort sneered.
โIf you do not want to give me a job โโ
โOf course I donโt,โ said Dumbledore. โAnd I donโt think for a moment you expected me to. Nevertheless, you came here, you asked, you must have had a purpose.โ
Voldemort stood up. He looked less like Tom Riddle than ever, his features thick with rage.
โThis is your final word?โ
โIt is,โ said Dumbledore, also standing.
โThen we have nothing more to say to each other.โ
โNo, nothing,โ said Dumbledore, and a great sadness filled his face. โThe time is long gone when I could frighten you with a burning wardrobe and force you to make repayment for your crimes. But I wish I could, Tom โฆ I wish I could โฆโ
For a second, Harry was on the verge of shouting a pointless warning: he was sure that Voldemortโs hand had twitched towards his pocket and his wand; but then the moment had passed, Voldemort had turned away, the door was closing and he was gone.
Harry felt Dumbledoreโs hand close over his arm again, and moments later, they were standing together on almost the same spot, but there was no snow building on the window-ledge, and Dumbledoreโs hand was blackened and dead-looking once more.
โWhy?โ said Harry at once, looking up into Dumbledoreโs face. โWhy did he come back? Did you ever find out?โ
โI have ideas,โ said Dumbledore, โbut no more than that.โ โWhat ideas, sir?โ
โI shall tell you, Harry, when you have retrieved that memory from
Professor Slughorn,โ said Dumbledore. โWhen you have that last piece of the jigsaw, everything will, I hope, be clear โฆ to both of us.โ
Harry was still burning with curiosity, and even though Dumbledore had walked to the door and was holding it open for him, he did not move at once.
โWas he after the Defence Against the Dark Arts job again, sir? He didnโt say โฆโ
โOh, he definitely wanted the Defence Against the Dark Arts job,โ said Dumbledore. โThe aftermath of our little meeting proved that. You see, we have never been able to keep a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for longer than a year since I refused the post to Lord Voldemort.โ