How does one create a Horcrux?
Hodge had stumbled across fragments of information in the Restricted Section of the library, and combined with his own "special intelligence," he had pieced together a vague theory about the process: First, a murder must be committed, and the killer must feel no remorse. Then, a spell is used to split off a piece of the soul. Finally, another spell seals that soul fragment into a specific object—a complex and grueling process that tests the wizard's skill. Since the soul is intangible, the fragment must fully merge with the object and be permanently sealed, uniting them on a magical level for the Horcrux to be complete.
Hodge believed that Horcruxes involved an exceptionally advanced principle of property transformation. If successful, the soul fragment would "share" the physical properties of its vessel, such as its natural lifespan, while the object gained magical traits, like self-repair and near-indestructibility. To destroy a Horcrux, one would need an item or spell of immense destructive power to obliterate the vessel, causing the soul fragment within to vanish.
Because of this, wizards creating Horcruxes typically took extra precautions—spells like the Strengthening Charm (Fortifex Incantatum), Counter-Curse (Finite Maleficium), or even curses to prevent theft or damage.
However, Riddle's first Horcrux was unique. It wasn't created for immortality but as a weapon.
At sixteen, Riddle opened the Chamber of Secrets, leading to Myrtle Warren's death. This triggered a chain reaction—student deaths could lead to Hogwarts being shut down for investigation, something Riddle desperately wanted to avoid. So, he framed Hagrid for his actions. Knowing it was no longer safe to reopen the Chamber, Riddle created a diary, hoping it would one day guide someone else to follow in his footsteps and fulfill Salazar Slytherin's "noble cause."
Unlike other Horcruxes, the soul fragment in the diary didn't lie dormant. It was highly active, obsessed with reopening the Chamber. In the original timeline, it even drained Ginny Weasley's life force to gain agency. Now, it had done the same to Hodge's magical projection, briefly allowing Riddle to manifest from the diary.
This led directly to his downfall—
A blinding green light flashed, and Riddle's form melted away like snow under boiling water. Ink gushed from the diary in torrents, then everything fell silent. Hodge stepped forward, using the light from his wand to inspect the diary. It seemed lifeless, radiating an eerie stillness, as if it were truly dead.
Hodge examined the diary closely, unsure if he had truly destroyed the Horcrux. He decided to test it further—likely soon, as he planned to head straight to the Chamber of Secrets to deal with the Basilisk once and for all.
Leaving the boathouse and retracing his steps to the second floor, Hodge glanced at the Marauder's Map again. He arrived at Myrtle's bathroom, but the moment his fingers grazed the door handle, he recoiled as if shocked—it was enchanted. Had Dumbledore done this? Hodge paused, then turned and headed to another room.
It was an abandoned classroom.
Hodge had once fought a Voldemort-possessed Quirrell here, and later, he, Evelina Selma, and Neville had been trapped in a broom cupboard. To escape, he'd smashed through a wall. If he remembered correctly, the other side of that wall connected to Hogwarts' underground pipes, offering a way to bypass the enchanted bathroom. As expected, when he pushed open the cupboard door, the damaged wall had been repaired.
That wouldn't stop him. Pocketing the Marauder's Map, Hodge mentally calculated the pipes' location. Moments later, he raised his wand, and magical traces filled the air. Sound seemed confined to a small area, unable to travel outward. Then, from his other pocket, wisps of black mist emerged, coalescing around his left arm into dense, metallic scales—a dragon's arm. When Hodge pressed it against the wall, a teeth-grinding screech echoed through the room.
Compared to six months ago, Hodge was far more adept.
He even had the presence of mind to mentally review his plan: After killing the Basilisk, he'd need to talk to Dumbledore—about the Chamber, Sirius Black, and the headmaster's plans for his training. Perhaps Dumbledore had initially intended to groom him as a master of memory magic, gradually revealing secrets, like curing the Longbottoms or others. After all, they weren't the only ones whose memories had been damaged by the Cruciatus Curse during the war. But Hodge was already entangled in the fight against Voldemort. For the sake of his late grandparents, killed in that war, he couldn't stand by. Besides, as his magical research deepened, it made practical sense to keep open communication with Dumbledore.
Admittedly, Riddle's words tonight had struck a chord.
Riddle saw Hodge as a fellow ambitious dark wizard, but Hodge disagreed. From start to finish, he considered himself one of the good guys.
Under the force of his dragon arm, the wall began to buckle, forming a deep crater. Stone fragments clattered to the ground. But just as the wall was about to give way, a figure burst into the room.
"Freeze! Hands up!" Tonks barked, her wand trained on Hodge.
In the dim moonlight, she saw a distorted figure—a grotesque arm covered in shimmering, menacing scales. She gasped, gripping her wand tighter.
Hodge turned slowly, mildly surprised.
"Hodge?" Tonks blurted, stunned.
She started to lower her wand but quickly grew wary again. "Is that really you? Not someone disguised? Why are you here?" The more she spoke, the more incredulous she sounded, her dark eyes fixed on the scaled, beastly claw.
"The real deal," Hodge muttered. Seeing Tonks still tense, he realized the silencing spell was still active. Stepping out of the cupboard, he waved his hand, and the scales on his arm vanished.
"Need more proof?" he asked, clapping his hands.
"How?" Tonks pressed.
Hodge nodded toward her, unhurriedly raising his wand to the side. He summoned his magical projection, which appeared with a gleeful smirk, clearly enjoying the scene. Hodge felt a twinge of annoyance, but Tonks relaxed, lowering her wand.
"Seriously," she said, holstering her wand, "when I sensed something off, I nearly jumped out of my skin—let alone seeing…" She trailed off, visibly shaken, no doubt recalling the sight of Hodge's dragon arm. As she approached and saw the massive dent in the cupboard wall, her jaw dropped again.
"Don't tell me you've got a personal grudge against this wall…"
————
Supporting me on Pa-treon to gain early access to advanced chapters and enjoy expedited updates. Your support is greatly appreciated.
pat-reon .c-om/Dragonhair
(Just remove the hyphen - and space, to access Pa-treon normally.)