บท 65: Accidental Discoveries

Raja paced quietly in a dimly lit corner of Grimmauld Place, surrounded by the most trusted members of the Order of the Phoenix. He knew where the Horcruxes were—his extensive knowledge of Voldemort's history, combined with his understanding of the future, had given him that advantage. But he also knew he couldn't reveal too much. Any explanations would raise questions, and any answers he gave might unravel more than he was prepared to share. He needed a careful approach, a strategy to make each Horcrux appear as an accidental discovery.

Raja took a deep breath and held up the device he had created. "This," he said, "is the Horcrux locator. It senses the unique frequency of a piece of Voldemort's soul."

The Order members stared in curiosity. He continued, "If we channel magical energy into it, we can amplify its reach, extending our sensing range significantly."

Curious murmurs filled the room as they watched him channel his energy into the device. Within seconds, it emitted a loud beep, echoing through the room.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Maybe it's broken, Raja. That thing's going off like crazy."

Raja shot Sirius a playful glare. "Just watch and learn, Sirius."

He adjusted the settings on the device, making it hum with a low, resonant frequency. Its needle pointed toward one end of the house, and the beeping grew louder as they moved closer to the source.

After following the signal through a series of dark, narrow hallways, the Order arrived at a small vault tucked away in a forgotten corner of the Black family home. Sirius frowned. "Why would a piece of Voldemort's soul be here?"

With a smirk, Raja nodded toward the door. "Only one way to find out."

Sirius hesitated before reluctantly summoning Kreacher, the house-elf. The old creature appeared with a low growl, eyeing the assembled Order members suspiciously.

"Kreacher," Sirius said with authority, "open this vault."

Kreacher hesitated, scowling as he crossed his arms. "Kreacher doesn't want to. Kreacher has orders to keep Master Regulus's secrets."

Sirius's eyes flashed dangerously. "Kreacher, open it. Now."

Reluctantly, the house-elf muttered something under his breath and snapped his fingers. The lock on the vault door clicked, and the door swung open, revealing an old, tarnished locket hanging from a chain.

Dumbledore approached the vault cautiously, examining the locket from a distance. "I recognize this artifact. It once belonged to Salazar Slytherin."

A murmur of surprise passed through the group. Sirius turned to Kreacher, who was shifting nervously. "Kreacher, where did this come from?"

Kreacher's voice dropped to a barely audible whisper. "Master Regulus... Regulus took it from the Dark Lord's cave and tried to destroy it, but Kreacher could not do it. It was... too powerful."

The revelation left the room in stunned silence. Sirius's face fell as he processed the meaning behind Kreacher's words, the truth of his brother's brave final act. "So, Regulus tried to stop Voldemort... to save us all," he murmured, the weight of his brother's sacrifice settling heavily on his shoulders.

Raja, sensing an opportunity, cleared his throat and pretended to be lost in thought, furrowing his brows in contemplation. After a moment, he suddenly brightened, shouting, "Eureka!" He did a little victory dance, drawing curious, amused glances from everyone around him.

Unable to hold back, Sirius smirked and asked, "What are you celebrating, Raja? Find out something exciting?"

Raja grinned, feigning a spark of inspiration. "I think I know what the other Horcruxes are. Voldemort wouldn't stop at Slytherin's locket. I bet he used other significant relics to house parts of his soul."

Everyone's interest piqued. Dumbledore leaned forward, his gaze piercing. "And what might these other Horcruxes be?"

Raja launched into his "theory," laying out his deduction for the Order. "Think about it. Voldemort has a flair for theatrics. He wouldn't settle for ordinary objects—he'd use things that symbolize power, lineage, or history. He's already used Slytherin's locket, which leads me to believe that he's probably used other relics from the Founders."

He took a breath before continuing, "I'd bet on Helga Hufflepuff's Cup and Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem. There's also Nagini, his pet snake, and... well, Harry."

Raja nodded, playing into the speculation. "I know it sounds wild, but consider this. Voldemort's essence has always lingered around Harry, his the Slytherin heir act and him being magical prodigy even Dumbledore consider him as Disciple ."

There were murmurs of agreement as they processed the theory. Sirius looked thoughtful and turned to Dumbledore, who wore a look of solemn understanding.

Sirius cleared his throat and asked, "So, what about locations? If we know what they are, where do we find them?"

Raja let a sly smile creep onto his face as he turned to Sirius. "Funny you should ask, Sirius. I was thinking... maybe Bellatrix Lestrange's vault at Gringotts?"

Sirius shivered slightly at Raja's expression, but agreed to accompany him to Gringotts. Within the grand halls of the wizard bank, Sirius and Raja were soon seated in front of the Black family's account manager, a goblin with a glint of shrewdness in his eyes.

Raja tried negotiating access to the Lestrange vault, but the goblin scoffed. "That vault is off-limits without explicit permission from Bellatrix herself."

Undeterred, Raja smirked and reached into his enchanted pocket, pulling out one gold bar after another, stacking them methodically on the table until he reached ten bars. The goblin's eyes widened, flicking between Raja, the gold, and Sirius, who watched the scene unfold with amusement.

Feigning indifference, Raja began to gather the gold bars back. "Ah, well, if ten bars aren't enough..."

"Wait," the goblin interrupted, his gaze now fixed on the gold. "What is it you want?"

Raja gave him a devilish grin. "One item from the vault, and complete discretion. No one outside this room needs to know."

After a tense moment, the goblin nodded. "One item, and our mouths remain shut."

Both Raja and Sirius mimicked a zipping motion across their lips. With the deal sealed, they proceeded to the Lestrange vault, their hearts pounding with a mix of excitement and tension. Inside, they found Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, nestled among dark artifacts and cursed relics. Raja, wary of touching the cup directly, used his psychokinesis to lift it carefully into a specially prepared containment box.

With their prize secured, they left Gringotts with a sense of triumph. But their mission was far from over. Raja knew they still had the Diadem to locate, and for that, he needed help from someone who knew Ravenclaw's relics intimately.

Back at Hogwarts, Raja set out to find Helena Ravenclaw, known as the Grey Lady, a ghost who was also Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter. With his natural charm and gentle persistence, he eventually convinced her to share the location of her mother's lost diadem.

Helena's voice was barely a whisper as she revealed the diadem's resting place. "It is hidden within the castle itself... in a room that changes according to one's needs."

Raja's eyes lit up. He knew exactly where to go—the Room of Requirement.

Later that night, he slipped into the Room of Requirement, which transformed to meet his unspoken wish for a place of concealment. Stacks of forgotten relics and lost objects filled the space, and among them was the coveted diadem. Raja carefully lifted it, noting the faint dark energy emanating from the artifact.

To avoid any potential backlash, he sealed the diadem in another containment box, ensuring it was fully secured before leaving the room.

With three Horcruxes in hand—the locket, the cup, and the diadem—Raja and Dumbledore reconvened to discuss the next steps. They both agreed that while they had made significant progress, they had to be cautious and thorough in handling these dark artifacts.

Dumbledore called an urgent meeting with the Order, eager to share their achievements. As the members gathered, he recounted their successful retrieval of the Horcruxes, giving Raja full credit for his "discoveries" and the device that had made it all possible.

"We have a chance to weaken Voldemort, piece by piece," Dumbledore announced. "But we must continue to tread carefully. Each Horcrux destroyed is a victory, but until we eliminate every fragment, Voldemort remains a threat."

The Order members were visibly moved, their spirits lifted by the recent victories. Sirius, his face reflecting both pride and determination, placed a hand on Raja's shoulder. "You've given us hope, Raja. You're more than just our 'dark hand behind the curtain'—you're a true hero."

Raja smiled humbly, determined to see this mission through. Their battle against Voldemort was far from over, but for the first time, they had a clear path forward. The Order now had the knowledge, tools, and courage needed to take down Voldemort's twisted legacy, one Horcrux at a time.