Dumbledore carefully stepped back from the ring, though he kept his wand pointed on it.
"And how, precisely, does one go about destroying such a heavily protected piece of soul?"
"Well, normal magic can't even scratch it," Victor said. "Horcruxes are anchored and protected by dense dark magic. They can't be easily destroyed. But..."
He reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a long, deeply curved, ivory-white object.
Dumbledore peered at it over his half-moon spectacles. "A Basilisk fang. I see. A vessel for some of the most potent venom in existence."
"Exactly. Fiendfyre can also do the job," Victor said, adjusting his grip on the bone, "but a fang is a lot easier than a sentient cursed fire. So—"
Before Dumbledore could utter another word, Victor brought his arm down hard, driving the point of the fang directly into the dark stone of the ring.
There was a sharp crack, loud as a gunshot in the cramped, rotting house.
A high-pitched, terrible scream ripped through the air instantly, vibrating in the floorboards beneath their feet.
Thick black blood bubbled violently from the fractured stone, hissing and smoking as the venom ate through the dark enchantments. Smoke curled toward the ceiling, forming a brief, twisted face before dissolving into nothing.
The shrieking stopped. The heavy, oppressive weight in the room lifted almost immediately.
Victor pulled the fang free and wiped the tip on the dusty floorboards.
Dumbledore stared in silence at the ruined artifact, then slowly lifted his gaze to Victor.
The gold band lay melted, but the dark stone at its center remained completely untouched by the venom, the faint etching of the triangle, circle, and wand catching the dim light through the ruined shack.
Well, as expected of one of the Deathly Hallows, Victor thought.
He bent down and casually plucked the unblemished Resurrection Stone from the smoking ashes of the ring, holding it in his palm, acutely aware of Dumbledore's lingering gaze.
The Headmaster's blue eyes were fixed on the dark stone, a sudden, intense longing visible beneath his usual calm.
Dumbledore swallowed hard, the years seeming to catch up to him all at once.
"Victor," he began, voice unusually quiet and strained, "I know it is a great imposition... but might I borrow that stone for a short time? If you wish, I would gladly offer you something of considerable value in return."
Victor looked at the old wizard, seeing the raw vulnerability written across his face.
"Hmm." Victor held his hand out. "Since it's you asking, Professor, I can lend it to you temporarily. No need to give me anything in return."
Dumbledore reached out with slightly trembling fingers and took the Hallow, cradling it as if it were the most fragile thing in the world.
"Thank you, Victor," he said softly, not looking away from the stone. "You have my deepest gratitude."
After a long moment, he took a steady breath and pocketed the stone, finally turning his attention back to the present reality of the rotting shack.
"So, only two Horcruxes remain, Victor," Dumbledore said, watching him closely. "Do you also know where Hufflepuff's cup is?"
"Well, it's in Gringotts. Inside a high-security vault, so getting to it is going to be hard."
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "If it is there, it is indeed difficult. Gringotts does not permit unauthorized wizards into their vaults. If we attempt to use force or break in, the goblins would retaliate, and the entire Ministry would brand us as criminals."
"Yeah, that's what's stopping me," Victor admitted. "But don't worry. I'll find a way." He stepped back toward the doorway. "So, bye-bye, Professor."
With a sharp crack, he Apparated away, leaving Dumbledore alone in the dusty ruins of the Gaunt house.
Dumbledore smiled faintly at the empty space where the boy had stood. But as the silence of the room settled around him, his thoughts drifted toward Harry.
The undeniable reality of Voldemort's Horcruxes brought a grim, terrible realization to the front of his mind — a dark theory that fit perfectly with the lingering connection he'd sensed between the boy and the Dark Lord.
He looked down at the floorboards, sorrow shadowing his eyes.
"Harry..." he murmured to the empty room. "Can fate truly not be changed?"
***
With a quiet crack, Victor reappeared in the familiar, quiet hallway of his mansion.
Before he could even catch his breath, semi-transparent blue notifications flared into existence in front of his eyes.
[You have destroyed another Horcrux and improved your relationship with an influential figure.]
[Your fortune has increased.]
[Reward 1: Shadow Magic - Shadow Apparition]
Use: Allows the user to sink directly into shadows and travel at insane speeds undetectable by normal means.
[Reward 2: The One Ring - The Ring of Power]
Description: One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
"Huh?"
Victor stared at the screen. The first reward didn't surprise him — Shadow Apparition sounded extremely useful, and it fit his style well. But what in Merlin's name was that second one?
Before he could even process the absurdity of it, the air twisted, and a plain, unadorned gold ring dropped through the air with a soft clink onto the polished wooden floor.
Victor instinctively leaped backward, nearly crashing into the wall.
Why the hell did the system give me this thing?!
This wasn't some fractured shard of a mortal wizard's soul.
This was the literal master ring forged by a primordial dark lord, more dangerous and corruptive than anything Voldemort could ever dream of making.
Almost instantly, a heavy, seductive whisper began to curl at the edges of his mind.
The plain band of gold seemed to gleam with a hypnotic, dark warmth, pulling at his thoughts, urging him to reach down, pick it up, slide it onto his finger...
Come... wear me...
"Fuck no," Victor muttered through gritted teeth.
Refusing to get within arm's reach of the cursed thing, he pulled a magically compressed box from his coat and flicked his wand — Engorgio — expanding it to full size on the floor.
Without breaking eye contact with the ring, he snapped his wand upward. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
The gold band lifted from the floorboards, floating under his control.
Victor didn't hesitate — he hurled it straight into the open container and slammed the heavy lid shut with a resounding thud, slapping three locking charms and a sealing ward across the latch in the same motion.
The whispering in his head cut off instantly.
Victor let out a long breath and wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead.
"System... you are officially out of your damn mind."
*****
A/N : 🔥 On Patreon🔥
⚡ A 15-chapter early access is available for those who want to read ahead ⚡
👉 patreon.com/JakeA30