2 | CONFESSIONS° HARRY POTTER

15 | HORCRUXES

ACT FOUR, grief
CHAPTER FIFTEEN, horcruxes

Iris bit the inside of her cheek as she waited for Harry to come to the dungeons. They had parted ways after they left Hagrid's so that he could give the memory to Dumbledore. He promised to come back and tell her what they discovered. She caught a glimpse of his shadow making its way towards her and she rushed to meet him.

"Come inside," She said the password and pulled him inside. Harry examined the common room that he hadn't been in since second year and eyed the giant squid that swooshed by. Iris turned to face him. "Everyone's asleep so we'll be fine. What did Dumbledore say?"

"Slughorn told Voldemort about the Horcruxes. Dumbledore thinks Voldemort split his soul and placed pieces of it within six Horcruxes." Harry explained. "He said the last Horcrux remains inside of him and Riddle's Diary and Dumbledore destroyed the Gaunt family ring."

"He split his soul?" Iris asked incredulously. She fiddled with her fingers as she thought about this new information. "Does Dumbledore know what the other Horcruxes are?"

"Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup are two of them. Dumbledore suspected that the other two are most likely related to Ravenclaw and Gryffindor but he said Gryffindor's relic is safe which means that Nagini is the sixth." Harry said.

"His snake? Why would he put part of his soul in a living creature?" Iris frowned.

"Dumbledore said it's because he didn't have a sixth one when he killed my parents and it must've occurred to him to make Nagini the sixth Horcrux." Harry explained. A thought crossed Iris's mind and she stopped messing with her fingers. Her expression turned gravely serious.

"Do you think it's possible that Rhea created a Horcrux too?" She asked. "She and Voldemort are in this together. Does Dumbledore think it's possible she could've created them?"

Harry frowned.

"He never said. I asked him but I think he wants to speak to you about it." Harry said. "But, I think there's a good chance she split her soul too."

"Damn." Iris cursed. If Rhea split her soul that would make her even harder to beat than Iris originally thought. She knew Rhea was powerful but, if she did split her soul, then how would they figure out where she put the fragments? "So . . . is Dumbledore going to look for Voldemort's Horcruxes?"

"He and I are going to search for them." Harry said. "I want him finished and I want to do it.

Iris nodded her head. She understood, probably better than most. Here she was being driven by the need to stop Cordelia, Bellatrix, and Rhea for everything they've done. She was tired of the killing and death and wanted it to be over.

"You do whatever you need to do." Iris said softly. She cracked a weak smile. "Just try not to die."

"Dean and I broke up." Ginny said sitting down beside Iris. Iris looked at her with a surprised look as Ginny dipped her hand into the bag of crystalized pineapple that Iris was eating out of.

"Why?" asked Iris.

Ginny sighed.

"He's always trying to help me through the portrait hole like I can't get in by myself!" Ginny said irritated. Iris raised an eyebrow at that. "And-and he's too nice to me . . . and . . . and . . ."

Ginny trailed off and cast her gaze downward as though she was ashamed of what she was about to say. Iris frowned deeply at Ginny's upset expression. Tears brimmed the corner of Ginny's eyes and Iris quickly set her quill and parchment down before putting her hand on Ginny's back.