✓ | PLAY WITH FIRE ⎯⎯ harry potter

thirty-five

"You know," began Marina, suddenly feeling unsure. "The first time I fainted. It was the first day of classes, I was staying behind after Potions to help Slughorn with cleaning, and I asked him about my family and about-"

"No, Marina, you passed out during his class. Draco brought you up here right away - Slughorn never got the chance to speak to you."

Marina shook her head. "No, you're wrong. I spoke to him - Slughorn - and he told me about Horcruxes."

As she spoke the last word, a gush of wind flew through the office. Chills went down her spine, and she turned quickly to search for anything that could've caused it. When she turned back, Dumbledore had opened a drawer of his desk. He pulled out a dusty book with a gigantic hole in it, and placed it on the desk.

"This was Tom's diary," he explained. "Could you open it for me?"

Marina reached out to take the diary, but let out a shriek instead: a sharp, intense pain spread through her body just as her finger touched it. She squeezed her eyes shut, pictures of a young Riddle gripping the diary in his hand, smiling at the sight of a dead, pale girl in a uniform on the floor in front of him.

Dumbledore snatched the diary out of her hand, and she opened her eyes again. Quietly, she muttered a word Narcissa would have hexed her for using. The Headmaster put the diary back in his drawer, and adjusted in his seat.

"Precisely... Marina, I do believe I know why you have memories of speaking to Slughorn. If I have understood this correctly, you have a special connection to Voldemort."

"I am able to talk to him in my mind and in my dreams," Marina confessed, "if that is what you are asking."

"Is he able to see what you are doing and where you are?"

"No - no, I don't think so. He used to guide me when I was younger, but that was only if called for him first."

Dumbledore didn't seem taken back by her comments. He only looked at her, his mouth closed. She turned her head to look out of the window. The sun was slowly getting replaced by the moon. She wondered what Draco was doing now. They were supposed to work together and fix the Vanishing Cabinet after dinner...

"Why are you speaking about Horcruxes, Marina?"

She tried to swallow the big lump in her throat before answering. "This summer, I found Father's diary in his old bedroom at Grimmauld Place. On the last pages of it, he had written about Horcruxes and how to destroy them. Actually, he had written about Tom's Horcruxes."

"Now, tell me, what did you see when you touched Tom's diary?"

"I saw him, and his diary, and a girl on the floor-"

"What did the girl look like?"

"She was pale... wearing a Hogwarts uniform... But, Headmaster, this doesn't make any sense. Why did I see Tom?"

Dumbledore stood up, walked closer to her, and folded his hands.

"I believe there is a reason why you have the memory of speaking to Slughorn about Horcruxes, Marina. I believe that Slughorn was the one to give Tom the information he needed to create one. The reason why you passed out that day, was that Tom knew what you were about to ask the Professor for. He used his powers to knock you out. Once you were unconscious, he played with your mind. While you thought you were talking to Slughorn, you were talking partially to Tom's memory of him, and Tom himself. And I believe there is a reason why you could see him standing over a body... Do you think it's possible that, because of your connection with him, you might remember his memories?"