Chapter 270: The Cave’s Secrets


    <strong>Disimer:</strong>


    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.


    I own nothing but the original characters I make.


    "Dialogue"


    ''Thoughts''


    -Author notes-


    <strong>Chapter 270: The Cave''s Secrets</strong>


    As they approached the cave, the presence of magic became more obvious.


    "There is a powerful anti-Muggle ward set around the area," Dumbledore noted.


    "It should be in that hole over there." Harry pointed at a nearby opening, just tall enough for a person to pass without bending down.


    "Should be? I had assumed you had been here before. At the very least in your… previous world," Dumbledore said.


    "I did, but… it''s been too long. And you were the one who brought me here that time. I''ll say we are already lucky I managed to Apparate this close to the target," Harry chuckled.


    "Considering your mastery of lumency, I doubt it was luck. But let us not dwell on that." Dumbledore nced at the pitch-ck hole.


    "Yes, let''s." Harry made a hand gesture. "Old people, children, and women first… isn''t that what the Muggles like to say?"


    Dumbledoreughed. "You want to use your Headmaster as a shield?"


    "Well, I do recall doing absolutely nothing thest time I was here. So you either removed any protections by yourself or… there was nothing dangerous to remove. I would still be extra careful with any detection charms put in ce by him."


    "Fair enough." Dumbledore scanned the entrance, using all the detection spells he knew. He was being very thorough with this; he didn''t want to miss anything.


    Harry left the work to the Headmaster. The old man was much more knowledgeable than him about these types of things.


    "I am done… there is only a detection charm ced near that wall. It seems a bit light on protections," Dumbledoremented.


    "Not really. How many people know about his real identity and his past? The only reason you found this cave thest time was because you spent a very long time studying his early years of life. When he still lived at that orphanage." Harry spoke as the Headmaster cleared out the charms.


    Once he was done, he stood in silence for a moment, considering something.


    "I remember that orphanage well enough… it was an awful ce. No child should grow up in a ce like that." There was a tinge of sadness in his voice.


    "Yes, growing up with no parents or anyone who cares for you is… rough," Harry spoke from personal experience.


    "Maybe I shouldn''t have left him there. I always wondered if… if I had done things differently."


    "Oh please, stop that nonsense, Professor. Having a bad childhood doesn''t excuse bing a murdering psychopath," Harry told him.


    "Mm… yes, I suppose you are right," Dumbledore said. "I suppose you are right…" he repeated.


    "Come on, let''s open this thing." Harry cast a Lumos charm. "I believe that wall can move."


    Dumbledore nced at it. "I was going to suggest the same." He tapped it with his wand.


    After feeding it a bit of magic, the wall moved aside, revealing the real entrance to the cave.


    "Oh… very impressive." Dumbledore stared at the insides of the cavern. It was much bigger than he expected.


    There was argeke that went all around it, with a small rocky ind in the middle.


    Dumbledore''s eyes moved around beforending on the small ind.


    "I assume that what we came to look for… is there?"


    Harry smiled. "It used to be the first time around."


    "And now?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. Usually, he was the one with answers and not the questions.


    "He hid one of his Horcruxes on that ind. There is a magical fountain that needs to be emptied first," Harry said.


    "What? Did you know about this since the beginning? Why did we wait this long toe here?" Dumbledore eximed.


    "Because… it was a fake. Sirius''s brother was one of his most trusted men, but he betrayed his Dark Lord in the end. Regulus ck took the Horcrux from here and left an imitation. The real one should have been hidden in the ck household," Harry exined.


    "But it won''t be there anymore. Is that what you think? Otherwise, you would have already tried to gain ess to that house."


    "I think at this point it is very safe to assume that Voldemort has recalled all his Horcruxes. The Ravenw diadem was missing, and so was the diary. We did find the ring but there was no soul in there."


    "Very well then, we are not looking for a Horcrux… what did wee here for?" Dumbledore questioned him.


    Harry approached the waters and waved his wand over it. "Pyros."


    Several balls of fire appeared and were sent flying to several spots before they stopped and remained levitating over theke.


    Harry knelt down and stared at the dark waters. He could still see nothing.


    "It''s too dark…"


    "Is there supposed to be something there?" Dumbledore looked too. "I''m not sure what I''m supposed to be looking for."


    "Help me out a bit. Use your most potent light spell inside the waters. I need to make sure."


    Dumbledore nodded, even if he still was not sure what Harry was trying to find. He did detect traces of some very unpleasant magic inside this cavern.


    They both manifestedrge spheres of light inside the waters. Everything became as clear as if it was day and they were able to even look at the stones at the bottom of theke.


    Other than stones… there was nothing in there.


    "They are gone…" Harry now wasmenting noting here before. But perhaps, he had taken them years ago.


    "Wha-"


    "Inferi," Harry answered the question before Dumbledore finished it.


    "An army of Inferi."


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