It was as if Severus Snape was trying to convince himself, and others.
If he had never known about the Resurrection Stone, he could have continued as before.
Suppressing his emotions.
Protecting Harry Potter in silence.
Serving as Dumbledore's spy.
Perhaps one day he would die in some unnoticed accident.
Or perhaps Lord Voldemort would discover his betrayal and kill him without hesitation.
There were too many possible endings.
If one had never seen the light, then remaining in darkness would not matter.
But now, a light had appeared.
It pierced the abyss.
It brought hope.
And it awakened everything buried deep within him.
Why?
Because he wanted to bring Lily Potter back.
No matter the cost.
He wanted to try.
Everyone present had their own thoughts.
Meanwhile, Albus Dumbledore studied the options carefully.
To an outsider, every option seemed possible.
Among them, the most tempting was the Resurrection Stone.
Dumbledore had encountered the Philosopher's Stone before.
He understood its nature.
It could grant extended life at a cost.
It could influence the soul.
But it could not restore a soul once lost.
At least, not to his knowledge.
He had studied it under Nicolas Flamel.
But he was not its creator.
And certainly not as knowledgeable as Flamel himself.
So he ruled out the first option.
His gaze moved to the second.
The Resurrection Stone.
Dumbledore possessed one of the Deathly Hallows.
The Elder Wand.
So he knew that the legend was not entirely false.
He had wielded the Elder Wand for years.
He understood its power.
He also knew there were deeper secrets connecting the three Hallows.
Some time ago, he had obtained the Invisibility Cloak that once belonged to James Potter.
Through observation and deduction, he believed it was the Cloak from the Deathly Hallows.
Out of the three, he had once held two.
Though he later returned the cloak to Harry.
As for the Resurrection Stone, he had never found any reliable trace of it.
Only false leads and rumors.
Over time, he had abandoned the search.
Yet now, it appeared before him as a possible answer.
His eyes shifted to the third option.
Horcrux.
A term unknown to most.
Only those who had studied the darkest magic would understand it.
And Dumbledore was one of them.
In his youth, he had read Secrets of the Darkest Art.
He knew what a Horcrux was.
He knew what it required.
Murder.
The deliberate tearing of the soul.
But Dumbledore would never choose such a method.
If he truly wished for immortality, he could have obtained it through Nicolas Flamel.
But then he would not be himself.
As for the Time-Turner, those who tamper with time are eventually destroyed by it.
And Tom's current condition showed no signs of time magic.
So the answer was clear.
Either B or C.
And between the two, Dumbledore leaned toward Horcrux.
Tom noticed that gaze.
It made him sigh inwardly.
This was the one secret he least wanted exposed.
Even though his soul had now been restored, even though he had become an independent being once more, some truths could not be erased.
Tom frowned.
He hesitated.
Should he reveal it?
Logically, he should not hesitate.
If he were the future Lord Voldemort, he would have chosen without a second thought.
Even if Dumbledore stood before him.
Seeing Tom's hesitation, Dumbledore understood.
He had long suspected that Voldemort had not truly died.
He had even considered the possibility of Horcruxes.
But he had never confirmed it.
Now, the answer was right in front of him.
Still, this was Tom's question to answer.
He would wait.
Would Tom reveal his secret?
After all, if Horcruxes existed, then Voldemort would be nearly immortal.
It was a method feared and desired by those who feared death.
"Why isn't he choosing?"
"Because he is hesitating. He is deciding whether to expose his greatest secret."
Snape's voice was cold.
There was something sharp in his tone.
What he did not say was clear.
If the truth was revealed, Dumbledore might act immediately.
To eliminate the threat before it could grow.
Tom raised his head.
The options on the parchment seemed glaring.
He had never expected his secret to be exposed like this.
He did not know how many Horcruxes his future self had created.
But he had a feeling.
Seven.
It was instinct.
And self-awareness.
A person who truly understands themselves is the most dangerous of all.
"Tom, was this your goal all along?"
Dumbledore's voice was steady.
"Yes, Professor. Perhaps it was."
Tom's expression slowly relaxed.
"I am the original one."
...
📢 Author's Note
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