Harry Potter and the Dovahkiin-Chapter 128: Foresight and Firelight

"Seven," Dumbledore echoed, almost to himself. "Of course he would. A magically powerful number. Stable. Complete."

"Yeah, well," Ben muttered, "he wasn't exactly stable, was he?"

That almost got a smile out of Dumbledore. Almost. "You didn't mention this after the Chamber incident."

Ben shifted in his chair. "Yeah, well. I was still processing everything and didn't know what to make of it." He folded his arms. "And besides, you probably suspected it already."

"I did," Dumbledore said quietly. "But suspicion without proof is a dangerous thing. Especially with something like this."

"Well, it's good that we know for sure then," said Ben. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"You saw this through the diary?" asked Dumbledore again.

Ben nodded. "When I destroyed it, I saw... all of it. His childhood. Hogwarts. The moment he killed Myrtle. I'm not going to lie, Professor. It messed with me. I see him in my dreams sometimes."

Dumbledore quietly lowered himself back into his chair. Just listening for a while. "And do you... feel him?"

Ben looked up again and chuckled. "Don't worry, Headmaster, I'm not possessed. I dream about a lot of things, it comes with the territory."

"A Seer's territory," Dumbledore said.

Ben gave a vague shrug. He wasn't about to correct him. Let Dumbledore believe what he liked.

"Seers glimpse possibilities," Dumbledore continued, walking back to his chair. "But what you saw in that diary... that was not a possibility. It was a memory. Quite unusual for a Seer."

"What can I say, Professor, I am nothing but unusual," said Ben.

"Perhaps so," Dumbledore said, stroking his beard. "Did you see anything... useful? Anything that might help us find the others?"

"Not much. The memories only went up to Myrtle. Most of it was schoolboy stuff. Arrogance, charm, a few hexes no teenager should know. But one thing stood out."

Ben hesitated for a beat. "A ring. He stole it from his uncle, Morfin Gaunt. And then he murdered his Muggle father and Muggle grandparents to create his first Horcrux—the Gaunt family ring."

Dumbledore's eyes closed briefly, and he exhaled through his nose.

Ben showed a look of disgust. "He was only sixteen that year. Can you believe it, Headmaster? A sixteen-year-old Dark Lord."

"I have no choice but to believe it, Mr Brown, for I have known Tom Riddle even longer," said Dumbledore, staring into the fireplace as if lost in an old memory.

Ben didn't press. I'll need help with this one, he thought, watching the old man closely. That curse is clinging to the ring like a dying man. I'm not touching it unless you're there to take the hit.

A moment passed in silence. Just as Dumbledore reeled out of his memory and opened his mouth to question further, Ben spoke out, with an edge of nonchalance, "Before you ask—no, I didn't get any big visions of caves or vaults or secret family heirlooms. Just the one smug little sociopath making his first soul-box."

Dumbledore's mouth twitched.

Take that, you old fox. Yeah, I know about the cave too. You better take good care of me if you want to know more, Ben thought, grinning to himself.

"If you say so, Mr Brown. I suppose it is getting late for your classes now, and I don't seem to have any reason to keep you any longer," said Dumbledore, without showing any frustration on his face.

"Before I leave, Headmaster, I'd like to add that if you want to ask any more questions, you should just ask me directly. No matter how easy it may seem to just poke around in the heads of unsuspecting students." Ben gave Dumbledore a hard stare as he said it.

Dumbledore didn't flinch. His eyes, cool and pale, met Ben's evenly.

"I have never entered your mind, Benedict."

"That wasn't what I asked."

The silence that followed was neither sharp nor heavy—just... honest.

After a moment, Dumbledore sat back and said, "Miss Fawcett's mind, much like yours, is unusually shielded. I could no more read her thoughts than yours without permission."

Ben didn't react. He only said, "That's comforting. But perhaps you should let Cho know how easy it was for you to skim her thoughts next time you give her one of your quiet little chats."

Dumbledore exhaled softly, folding his hands again. "Surely you understand how the situation called for it, Ben."

"Sure," Ben said, rising from the chair. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it. And please don't pretend you don't have a problem, Headmaster. I think you just can't help yourself at this point."

He didn't wait for a dismissal.

"Let me know if you find the ring's whereabouts... I might be useful," he said, already halfway to the door. "Wouldn't mind helping."

Dumbledore called out, "Why?"

Ben blinked. "Why?"

"You're a second-year boy, Mr Brown. This has nothing to do with you. Why would you involve yourself further?"

Ben looked at him flatly. "It wasn't my business. Tom Riddle made it my business when he tried to kill my friends."

His gaze sharpened. "I don't mind giving Death a hand rounding up her escapee. Who knows... maybe if I do a good enough job, she'll show me a little grace when my time comes."

Dumbledore's eyes went a little wide, then focused back on Ben standing at the doorway. "You are a remarkable young man, and an even better friend."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like the setup for a 'but.'"

Dumbledore smiled thinly. "No 'but.' Only a warning. Voldemort's soul fragments were created through acts of deliberate evil. The kind that doesn't wash off. And the echoes they leave... well. Even the strongest minds can find themselves changed by them."

Ben tilted his head slightly. "You mean like going a bit dark around the edges?"

Dumbledore gave a quiet nod. "Or acting out in ways that feel justified in the moment, but might trouble your conscience later."

Ben gave him a crooked grin. "Right. About that, Headmaster. Just a tiny little thing."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"If anyone asks, I didn't threaten Edgecombe with snakes. I just... gave her a friendly warning about the natural consequences of being a bully."

A small smile tugged at Dumbledore's lips. "I'll bear that in mind."

Ben stepped through the door, letting it close quietly behind him.

To be continued...

Looks like Ben's put a bait for the old man. Check out P@treon/DreamyApe to know if he caught anything.