The Search Begins
The atmosphere in the Potters’ cottage was charged with purpose. The journal had given them a direction, a task that would change their understanding of the war and possibly their fate. If what Hermione wrote was true, they needed to act before Voldemort strengthened his hold on immortality.
They had no choice but to divide and conquer.
James stood at the center of the sitting room, rubbing his hands together. “Right. We need every bit of information we can get on these Horcruxes. That means books on powerful Dark artifacts, the history of Riddle’s family, and anything that can lead us in the direction of the other objects, maybe Hogwarts will have something.”
Sirius stretched his arms over his head. “I’ll head to Grimmauld Place. My dear old mother might not be the sharing type, but that library is full of exactly the kind of twisted magic we’re looking for.” He shot a smirk at Marlene. “Care to join me, McKinnon? Someone has to keep me from hexing her portrait.”
Marlene crossed her arms. “I think you mean someone has to keep her portrait from hexing you.”
James nodded. “Good. Bring back whatever you can, especially if anything’s marked with the Black family crest.”
Remus, who had been quietly taking notes, closed his notebook. “I’ll go to Hogwarts. McGonagall trusts me enough to let me poke around the Restricted Section. She might not ask too many questions.”
Lily glanced at him. “Do you think she knows anything about this?”
Remus hesitated. “If she does, she’s kept it quiet. But I’ll see if I can find anything useful without letting anything leak on what I am looking into.”
James turned to Lily. “What about you?”
Lily squared her shoulders. “I’m going to look through the Ministry archives. There must be some record of the Gaunt family. Even if they were off the grid, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement might have something.”
James nodded. “I’ll help you.”
Lily shot him a look. “James—”
“Lily,” James countered smoothly, “you need someone to run interference if they start asking too many questions.” He grinned. “And let’s be honest, love, I am rather good at getting into places I shouldn’t be.”
Lily sighed, but there was a small smirk on her lips. “Fine. Just don’t get us arrested.”
James threw an arm around her shoulders. “No promises.”
Marlene tapped the journal. “What about Peter?”
A heavy silence fell over them.
Sirius’s face darkened, but he didn’t argue. James’s jaw clenched.
“We don’t tell him about this,” James said quietly. “Not until we know for sure.”
Marlene nodded. “Agreed.”
With their plan set, the group scattered to their separate missions, the weight of their task pressing heavily on their shoulders.
Grimmauld Place
Sirius had forgotten how much he hated this house.
The moment he and Marlene stepped through the front door, the air grew heavy with the suffocating presence of the past. Dust clung to the ancient furniture, and the scent of old parchment and decayed grandeur lingered in the air.
A shrill, familiar scream erupted the moment they set foot in the hallway.
“BLOOD TRAITOR! FILTH! YOU DARE RETURN TO THIS HOUSE?”
Marlene groaned as Sirius rolled his eyes. “Oh, shut up, Mother.” He flicked his wand, yanking the curtains over the portrait of Walburga Black.
The silence that followed was blissful.
Marlene turned to him, arms crossed. “You love annoying her, don’t you?”
Sirius smirked. “It’s one of my great joys in life.”
They moved quickly, navigating the dusty halls until they reached the Black family library. Ancient tomes lined the shelves, filled with knowledge that no decent person should possess.
Marlene ran a finger along the spines of several books. “Half of these should be locked away in the Ministry’s vaults.”
Sirius grabbed a particularly thick volume labeled The Art of the Dark Soul. “Yeah, well, the Ministry has never been good at keeping dangerous things out of reach.” He flipped through the pages. “Here we go. This section mentions objects tied to a wizard’s life force.”
Marlene peered over his shoulder. “That could be about Horcruxes.”
Sirius tucked the book under his arm. “Let’s grab a few more books. The sooner we’re out of here, the better for both of us.”
Hogwarts – The Restricted Section
Remus Lupin had never been a rule-breaker. Not really. At least, not without good reason.
And this? This was the best reason of all.
He moved quietly through the dimly lit stacks of the Hogwarts library, keeping a careful ear out for any signs of Filch. The Restricted Section smelled of aged parchment and secrecy.
With a whispered spell, he eased a book off the shelf. Cursed Objects and Their Creators.
He flipped it open, scanning for any mention of Horcruxes. His heart sped up when he found a passage.
There exists a form of magic so vile that even the darkest of wizards hesitate to speak its name. A Horcrux, a vessel for a fractured soul, is the ultimate perversion of life and death.
Remus swallowed. They were dealing with something far worse than he had imagined.
Potter Cottage – The Reveal
By the time they regrouped, the table in the Potters’ sitting room was stacked with books and parchment. Everyone looked exhausted but determined.
Sirius dropped a book onto the pile. “Found some lovely bedtime reading in the Black library.”
Lily, flipping through an old Ministry record, didn’t look up. “Remus?”
Remus exhaled and placed his book on the table. “I found confirmation that Horcruxes are real. And incredibly dangerous.”
James glanced at Lily. “And the Gaunts?”
Lily frowned. “Tom Riddle’s mother was a Gaunt. Her father—Marvolo—was obsessed with blood purity and Slytherin’s legacy. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the Horcruxes was tied to that.”
Marlene picked up the journal and turned the page, looking for new entries. And there—written in ink that shimmered and pulsed—was another cryptic message.
Some names you need to remember.
Beneath the sentence was a list.
- McGonagall, Moody, Potters, McKinnon’s, Parkinson’s
- Greengrass, Lestrange’s, Malfoys,
Pettigrew, R.A.B., Blacks - Tonks, Snape,
Dumbledore
Sirius. Lily. James. Marlene. Remus. Marauders
Sirius frowned. “She doesn’t say if they’re trustworthy or not. But considering Dumbledore and Peter are crossed out, we can rule them out of being trustworthy. Our names are underlined, which may mean that we are trustworthy”
James exhaled sharply. “That means something.”
Sirius leaned back, staring at the list. “So, who the hell is R.A.B.?”
Marlene shook her head. “We’ll have to find out.”
Lily tapped the crossed-out name. “Whatever happened in the future… Hermione completely lost faith in Dumbledore.”
James set his jaw. “Then we’re on our own.”
Marlene looked at the journal one last time. The ink glowed faintly before fading into the page.
They were rewriting destiny, one step at a time.
And there was no turning back.