Different

Astronomy Tower

"Do you feel the magic here?" Dumbledore asked lowly. "We need to go past this antechamber."

The professor walked around the cave until he reached a spot, laying his hand on the rock. Despite multiple spells, the door refused to open until the professor cut his hand on the rock, earning a cry from Harry and making Claire cringe. 

"Professor, let me do it!" Harry protested. 

"I'm afraid your blood is worth more than mine," Dumbledore said kindly. The door opened up as soon as his blood touched the wall, leading into a dark passageway. Claire's chest felt tight when she saw a green glow emanating from a lake. "Be careful not to touch the water."

Harry was careful to stay away from the water, instead focusing on a small island in the middle. 

"How do we get there? Is that where the horcrux is?" Harry questioned. 

"I believe so," Dumbledore answered. Harry attempted a summoning charm, but to no avail. Dumbledore frowned and started walking around until he found a place, smiling to himself. He started pulling in the air until a boat appeared, looking old and unsafe. 

"Can we actually use that?" Harry wondered, looking green himself. 

"Oh, of course," the professor said. "Even Voldemort needs a way to get across."

With that, Harry trusted the professor and got into the boat. The boat was made for just one person, which meant that the pair were shoved together like a pack of sardines. The boat moved through the water without any human intervention, going farther and farther away from the shore. 

"Professor!" Harry exclaimed suddenly. "I saw a hand in the water!"

"I'm sure you did," Dumbledore said kindly. Harry continued to stare in the water, gasping when he saw a body floating by. Claire cringed, tears filling her eyes when she thought of her uncle. She had realized that this was where he had died, all alone and terrified, which wasn't helping her worry. "We don't need to worry about them at the moment."

"At the moment?' Harry questioned, sounding unsure. 

"There is nothing to be feared about a body, Harry," Dumbledore explained. "It is the unknown that we fear when we look at death. Nothing more."

As someone who had died before, even if just for a second, Claire understood the truth behind the man's words. However, knowing Regulus, she doubted that the man would agree. 

The two men reached the island shortly after, both of them carefully getting out of the boat to see a stone basin. An emerald liquid glowed, casting an eerie light on the professor and the student. Dumbledore attempted to touch the liquid, only for his hand to be pushed away. Harry tried, only for the same thing to happen. 

"We must drink the potion," Dumbledore deduced after attempting multiple times to get the liquid out of the basin. "Now, this will not kill me immediately, but I doubt that it would be pleasant. I need you to force me to drink all of this, even if I fight."

"But, Professor!" Harry complained. Dumbledore simply raised his hand and Harry fell silent, his face showing his worry when Dumbledore used a goblet to drink from the basin. Within seconds, the elderly man was almost completely hunched over, breathing heavily. "Drink more, Professor."

"Don't make me..." Dumbledore pleaded. Harry looked close to tears as he forced the man's mouth open to drink more. Claire wished that she was actually there to help when she was forced to listen to the man's pained cries and Harry's insistence.