Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures - H.P.S.T Chapter 1443: Voldemort in Search of Love

“Of some kinds of magic,” Dumbledore corrected him quietly. “Of some, Tom. Of others, you remain … forgive me … woefully ignorant.”

For the first time, Voldemort smiled. It was a taut leer, an evil thing, more threatening than a look of rage.

“The same old argument,” he said softly. “You are still the same as before, Dumbledore, but nothing I have seen in the world has supported your famous pronouncements that love is more powerful than my kind of magic. No, it seems to me that your so-called love is fragile and vulnerable in the face of powerful magic.”

“Oh, is that so? Perhaps you have been looking in the wrong places,” suggested Dumbledore.

“Well, then, what better place to start my fresh researches than here, at Hogwarts?” said Voldemort. “Will 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. And, might you help me find love here.”

Evan’s lips curved slightly downward. Now that was an interesting topic — helping Voldemort find love at Hogwarts.

Did he need love?

Was the love he sought even present at Hogwarts?

And, love, could Voldemort even understand such a complex emotion?

Hogwarts was not a school of love, teaching students how to get love. Those who understood love could find it no matter where. Those who didn’t, never would — no matter how close it was, even if it was right under their nose.

Sure enough, Dumbledore, seated behind his desk, raised his eyebrows slightly.

“You want to return to Hogwarts? And what will become of those whom you command? What will happen to those who call themselves — or so rumor has it — the Death Eaters?”

Voldemort’s eyes flashed red again, and his slit-like nostrils flared. Obviously, he had not expected Dumbledore to know this name.

“My friends,” he said, after a moment’s pause, “will carry on without me, I am sure.”

“I am glad to hear that you consider them friends,” said Dumbledore. “I was under the impression that they are more in the order of servants.”

“You are mistaken,” said Voldemort.

“Then if I were to go to the Hog’s Head tonight, I would not find a group of them — Nott, Rosier, Mulciber, Dolohov — 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.”

There could be no doubt that Dumbledore’s detailed knowledge of those with whom he was traveling was even less welcome to Voldemort; however, he rallied almost at once.

“You are omniscient as ever, Dumbledore.”

“Oh no, merely friendly with the local barmen,” said Dumbledore lightly. “Now, Tom …”

Dumbledore set down his empty glass and drew himself up in his seat, the tips of his fingers together in a very characteristic gesture.

“Let us speak openly. Why have you come here tonight, surrounded by henchmen, to request a job we both know you do not want?”

Voldemort looked coldly surprised. “A job I do not want? On the contrary, Dumbledore, I want it very much. Whether in the past, present, or future, I am extremely eager to stay at Hogwarts to teach. This is my home and I want to go home.”

“I’m not entirely surprised that you see Hogwarts as your home,” said Dumbledore. “And Hogwarts is always open to any student who returns with good intentions. But let’s be honest, Tom — you never really wanted to teach. Not when you were eighteen, and not now. What is it you’re after, Tom? Why not try an open request for once?”   

Voldemort sneered, “Dumbledore, if you do not want to give me a job —”

“Of course I don’t,” said Dumbledore. “And I don’t think for a moment you expected me to. Nevertheless, you came here, you asked, you must have had a purpose.”

Voldemort stood up. He looked less like Tom Riddle than ever, his features thick with rage. “This is your final word?”

“It is,” said Dumbledore, also standing.

“Then we have nothing more to say to each other.”

“No, nothing,” said Dumbledore, and a great sadness filled his face. “The 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. … I wish I could. …”

Voldemort sneered. Dumbledore’s tone hadn’t moved him in the slightest — if anything, it only made him angrier. For a brief moment, he reached toward his pocket and his wand…

But the moment had passed, Voldemort had turned away, the door was closing, and he was gone.

“Alright, let’s go back,” said Dumbledore, bringing Evan and Harry back into the real-world office.

“Sir, why did he come back?” said Harry at once. “Did you ever find out?”

“I have ideas, and Evan helped me confirm some of them,” said Dumbledore. “For example, when he came back that time, he hid a Horcrux in the Room of Requirement.”

“Room of Requirement?!” Harry muttered, a spark lighting in his mind.

He suddenly realized — that room wouldn’t appear on the Marauder’s Map.

Malfoy had been disappearing inexplicably recently. Could he have been going there?!

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that was possible. Although Dumbledore and Evan had told him not to worry about it, Harry decided to continue tracking.

“Yes, the Room of Requirement, Voldemort hid Ravenclaw’s diadem there, and I tracked it for a long time before I found it,” Evan explained, and added, “Lady Ravenclaw herself had left clues about the diadem…”

The gem on the diadem was now in Evan’s hands. It was both the key to the secret treasure left by Ravenclaw and the proof of wisdom, which could allow the wearer to gain absolute wisdom.

“Voldemort is very interested in objects that carry the history of Hogwarts,” said Dumbledore. “And the treasure keys left behind by the Four Founders fall into that category. So, we’ve been rather fortunate. By solving the riddles they left behind, we’ve managed to locate most of the Horcruxes as well.”

Thinking about it that way, they really had been quite lucky!

“So, sir, did you notice anything else from that meeting?” Evan asked.

“Yes, I must admit that his appearance made me alert,” said Dumbledore. “It was also at that time that I began to guess he made Horcruxes, but to be honest, I never thought he would fall as far as he did. Anyway, that’s all for tonight’s lesson. I hope the two of you can obtain that memory from Professor Slughorn as soon as possible, before I retrieve that particular item…”

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