"Mama I found a horcrux in the girl's bathroom!"
"What!?"
The shadow hacked up the small book like it was a hairball. Alabasandria looked upon the innocent item in shock.
"What were you doing in the girl's bathroom?" she asked, letting one of her shadows reach out to pick up the horcrux. Oh, the Dark magic that rolled out of it was spectacular.
"Bloody hell," Ron whispered. He was watching the whole affair with horror in his eyes, whereas Luna looked confused but not very concerned.
"It's probably what's petrifying people, right mama?" Harry asked, ignoring her question.
"Well, the horcrux itself cannot petrify. Hmm… It's likely the horcrux of Slytherin or his Heir as they would know about the Chamber of Secrets. Thus they could have told the living Heir about the Chamber. This is not the work of an amateur." She explained as shadows examined the book.
"A necromancer?" Harry asked.
"It is likely. There is a considerable amount of power and personality stored here. It's not nearly old enough to be Slytherin's though. An interrogation is in order." She turned to the two stunned students still sitting on the floor. "But first…"
"Hello, Ms Adams," Luna said after a moment of tense silence. "How was your weekend?"
"Are either of you planning on telling anyone about what you've seen or heard today?" She demanded, ignoring Luna.
"I don't know how I'd explain anything even if I wanted to," Ron said. "What's happening, exactly? Is that book the Heir of Slytherin?"
"Would you be willing to swear an oath or shall I obliviate you?"
"Mama!"
"No! Harry, do not argue. My priority is to protect you! If we are discovered, it would not be safe to return to England for at least two hundred years."
"Did you want an Unbreakable Vow because I promised daddy I wouldn't do one of those." Luna asked.
"Mama," Harry insisted. "Please, I trust them. They're my friends." He held her cold, empty gaze for a long moment but she sniffed out the small seed of doubt in the back of his mind and Alabasandria shook her head.
"I've lost more than a few apprentices to mobs and witch burnings started by people they trusted." She argued.
"I'm fine with taking an oath," Luna clarified.
"Yeah," Ron agreed. "I have a lot of questions, though."
"Fine. I won't make you swear an Unbreakable. A regular magical oath will do. But you both - and Hermione - will be learning occlumency if you want to understand anything further."
The two children nodded in agreement and quickly gave their oath. Before anything else could be said, Alabasandria swept them away through the shadows back to their dorms.
"It was unavoidable that your minions would become suspicious," she said. "Look, Harry. I'm not going to tell you how much you should share with them, but please be cautious. What we do is highly illegal, viewed as highly immoral, and most people - your friend or not - would not hesitate to turn you in. You must realize that to the public, our actions put us on the same level as Voldemort."
"But he's a muggle-hating lunatic fascist who wants to take over the government!" Harry protested.
"Most people will not argue the semantics, little apprentice." She bent down to his level. Her hand rested on his shoulder in a rare display of comfort. "Besides, we also desecrate bodies and steal magic and make monsters out of bones. The truth is that necromancy is a self-serving practice. Neither of us may have lofty goals of taking over the world but most necromancers do. It's why we're a dying breed. You can't exactly fault people for being scared. That's why I can't encourage you to tell them more than is necessary. Nothing about the killing or the horcruxes at least. Even if they are your friends, that could very well be more than they can handle. We do not have the same moral code as other humans do."
Harry pondered over her words for a long moment. He didn't really understand what was so bad about necromancy. To him, it was just like transfiguration or charms. Sure he sometimes had to hurt people in their rituals, but in transfiguration he had to turn living, breathing animals into inanimate objects. And the little mice and birds they practiced on did not lose their sentience while they were trapped as those objects. Why was that perfectly reasonable while grave-robbing was not? Would his friends understand or would they be disgusted if they found out the whole truth?
"Harry, if you insist, then tell your little group of minions whatever you like. I know I cannot stop you if you really want to tell them. If they get upset, it's not too late for a memory charm. But you must not rouse suspicions or tell another soul, understood? Especially when we are separated for your schooling. If Dumbledore discovers this and ambushes you, there may be little I could do to help, and ultimately, I cannot afford to blow my own cover to save yours."
"I understand," Harry said. "I didn't mean to bring them here, I just panicked!"
"That's alright. It was good to bring the horcrux to me as soon as possible. If it had been anyone else with you I would have taken care of them. But, speaking of which, worry yourself about that later. Right now we have something more pressing to look into."
The duo turned back to the horcrux struggling against the heavy shadows. Alabasandria was impressed and alarmed by the amount of power held within the soul container. With a sharp tug, the astral form of a young man, clad in Slytherin robes and a fierce scowl emerged from the diary.
....
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