Chapter Text
Haru's POV
Ever since the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, many things had been bothering me. First and foremost was the fact that Voldemort had been a half Demon. It made me wonder all over again how he came to be such a monster. I also wondered how Voldemort was able to survive even after his body was destroyed. As far as I knew, this was beyond rare, even among Demons, who didn't tend to return after their bodies disintegrated. So, if there wasn't a Demonic explanation, there might be a magical one. I decided to go to my Headmaster with these questions.
"Headmaster..." I gently knocked on his office door. "Might I have a moment of your time?"
Once he gave permission, I slipped inside. The Headmaster, a kindly, middle-aged man, regarded me curiously.
"What can I do for you, Rengoku-san?" he inquired.
I sighed, staring down at my hands which were folded in my lap.
"You know how I fought and killed this "Lord Voldemort" at the end of the Tournament, right? Well... some things about that encounter haven't been sitting right with me."
I noticed my Headmaster's brow twitch at the mention of the tournament. He'd given many of the officials in charge of the Tournament an earful for allowing one of his students to be kidnapped. The revelation of a traitor only made it worse and, well... let's just say Mahoutokoro wasn't on the best of terms with the British Wizarding World right now. The man nodded at me to continue my explanation. I twisted my fingers together as I described what I had seen that night. It was the first time I'd told anyone the full story of what had happened, preferring to only tell those who were curious the bare bones of it. The headmaster nodded at me.
"There may be some truth to your words, young man. It is possible that this "Voldemort" was able to find another way to escape death that doesn't involve being part Demon."
The man abruptly rose and began to pace.
"One of the most dangerous yet most foolproof ways to do this would be to create something called a Horcrux. It involves splitting the soul in pieces through murder, and then storing the pieces of the souls in objects."
I looked at him, knowing he wasn't mentioning this for no reason.
"What makes you think he used a Horcrux?"
The man sighed, bowing his head.
"Mostly because of what you'd told me. The way he survived is consistent. Most everyone else who manages to cheat death are not able to have any semblance of a body unless certain conditions are met. However, in your case, Voldemort had a body, albeit a small and weak one, before the ritual that revived him. There's also the fact that none of the pieces he stored his body in became his new body. Some people tie their souls to clones of themselves, and will bewitch their soul to enter a new one upon death. Voldemort didn't do that, but used a ritual to regrow the original. Since the other soul pieces are smaller, they wouldn't have as much control over their hosts, although they would act as parasites."
As my headmaster continued to explain his reasonings, I felt like some things made sense to me. Once he was done, I rose to my feet.
"Headmaster... I feel an obligation to hunt these Horcruxes down. Voldemort was a Demon, and I must ensure he will stay dead, especially since he is operating outside of Japan. Do I have your support?"
My headmaster smiled grimly at me, placing an encouraging hand on my shoulder.
"Should you ever need support, you only need to ask."
I gasped and then smiled, bowing.
"You have my thanks, Headmaster."
I hesitated, something else occurring to me.
"Headmaster... can living things host parts of his soul as well?"
The older man frowned at me.
"Yes, although the creature usually must be either weak or completely subservient to the one relinquishing the shard of his soul."
I fidgeted.
"I... I think I might be a Horcrux. This whole year, my scar from when he tried to kill me as an infant has been aching. When he revived himself, I thought my head was splitting open from the pain, and that pain only stopped after he was killed. It has become clear to me that my scar is not normal. It is possible that Voldemort accidentally housed a shard of his soul inside of me, perhaps as a last ditch for survival, when he killed my parents?"
The Headmaster was fully frowning at me now, stroking his bearded jaw.
"I... suppose it could be possible," he said slowly.
He turned to the door.
"Come with me. There are spells, albeit obscure ones, that can reveal such things."
My shoulders sagged in relief. I had had the sudden thought that my possible status as a Horcrux would make me untrustworthy in his eyes. I looked at him as we began walking.
"What about a way to remove the soul shard without killing me? Is it possible?"
He frowned at me.
"There... is a spell, but it is considered to be dark magic and is forbidden in most countries, including Japan. It is incredibly dangerous, as the soul shard will be tied to your own soul, and separating the two often causes death in the host. If that is what you truly wish for, we would have to ask for permission from the Minister of Japan."
The information caused a cold shiver to run down my spine. Of course it wouldn't be easy. I shivered visibly, closing my eyes for a moment. I opened them, full of determination.
"If I am a Horcrux, I would like to try the spell. Voldemort is a Demon. I am a Demon Slayer. If I have a shard of his soul living inside of me, I want it gone, no matter the cost."
He stared at me, then huffed and patted my head.
"You idiot teenagers, always trying to get yourselves killed. Alright then, if your theory of being a Horcrux is correct, I will pen a letter to the Minister."
Thankfully, the ritual that detected a foreign soul was much simpler than the one that would be required to remove it. And, it showed that I was correct. I had a foreign soul shard attached to me-or, more specifically, my scar. I winced as the Headmaster prodded at the soul shard with his magic, obvious now that we knew it was there.
"This soul shard has latched onto you like a parasite. It has been draining your magic at a slow pace for over a decade. At this rate, your magic reserves will be completely depleted before you turn thirty, even if your magic continually replenishes itself. Such a phenomenon would result in your eventual death."
I was shocked at the news. I had been carrying a parasite along all this time. One that was slowly killing me. I turned to the Headmaster.
"There should be no question about it now. I want to remove the soul shard."
The man nodded.
"I will send to the Minister immediately. I'm sure he will make an exception due to the... circumstances. Just also be aware that you may require extra training afterwards to ensure your magic adapts to the change without exploding."
I nodded gratefully.
"I will also ask for time off from missions until this is resolved."
Thankfully, both Oyakata-sama and the Minister gave their full permissions for the procedure to proceed. I was taken to the best hospital in the Japanese Wizarding World, with the best doctors on standby in case things spiraled out of control. My brothers plus Sanemi and Sensei were also present, per my request. Masachika-Sensei smiled at my, clearly trying to mask his own nervousness.
"We'll be right here to support you, young Rengoku." Masachika-Sensei smiled at me.
"I'm sure the procedure will be a success!" Kyojuro boomed, although I could see the worry in his eyes.
"Good luck, Nii-chan..." Little Senjuro hugged me tightly.
"You better beat that stupid parasite, brat." Sanemi glared at me, suspicion (mostly of the procedure) in his eyes.
I smiled at them, immediately feeling more confident.
"You have my thanks, everyone."
As the Wizards herded me to a back room for the procedure, I looked behind me, hoping that wasn't the last time I'd see them. As I was laid down onto a table, I heard the sound of voices chanting around me, before everything went dark. For the next however-long I drifted in and out of consciousness. I occasionally heard the sound of someone screaming, and sometimes felt a pain so great, it felt like my very soul was being rendered in two.
Sometime later, I groaned as I opened my eyes. I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. I blinked, squinting as a familiar visage appeared above me, a familiar scowl on his face.
"How dare you scare us like that, you brat?!" Sanemi scolded me. It turns out that it was a close call, and I very nearly did not survive.
Despite his scowl, I could practically taste his worry. I gave him a weak smile.
"T's good to see you too, Nemi..."
He scoffed, crossing his arms as he leaned back from my face.
"Don't call me that."
I would have been concerned, but there wasn't any heat behind his words. Typical Sanemi to hide his caring nature behind aggression.
And so, I survived the procedure to remove Voldemort's soul shard from my body.
A month later, after I'd recovered, myself, Sanemi, and Kyojuro were having a meeting with Oyakata-sama.
"Master," we chorused, bowing as the man entered, the usual serene smile on his face.
"Please rise, my children. Haru-kun... in your letter, you mentioned that you had a special request to make of me. I wish to hear it."
I straightened at the command.
"Master! It has become known to me that the one known in the British Magical society as "Voldemort" is a Demon. My headmaster has hypothesized that Voldemort created certain devices called "Horcruxes" that enable him to survive even when decapitated. As a Demon Slayer, it is my duty to exterminate all Demons, even those outside of our borders. I wish for your blessing for myself, Sanemi-kun, and Kyojuro-kun to embark on a mission to eradicate this creature."
Oyakata-sama regarded the three of us for a long moment, even as we awaited his answer in a calm silence. Finally, he replied.
"Will anyone from the British Wizarding World be accompanying you?"
I nodded.
"Yes, Master. Professor Severus Snape has replied to my letter regarding this matter. He will accompany us until our task is completed."
Oyakata-sama nodded serenely.
"Very well. You have my blessing to hunt this Demon. The Corps will be redistributed to cover your patrols. Please send word by crow if you should need assistance."
The three of us bowed in unison.
"Arigato, Oyakata-sama!"
*****Time skip a few days*****
Haru's POV
Myself, Sanemi, and Kyojuro slipped into the pub where we were meant to meet Professor Snape, who had offered to help us on our quest to destroy the other Horcruxes. The three of us were wearing cloaks that concealed our identities. Unfortunately, my appearance was common knowledge after the events of the Tournament, so I needed to be careful.
Scanning the dark room, I spotted the familiar thin figure with dark clothes, and approached his table, lifting my hood just enough to reveal my face to him. He nodded at me, and, after exchanging a predetermined code, we sat.
"It is well that you informed me of your situation, Rengoku. As a former Death Eater, I might have some ideas as to where he would hide a Horcrux, as well as what objects are storing his soul shards."
It had been a risk trusting the professor with such a thing since he worked so closely with Dumbledore, who I didn't trust at all. However, given his background, his knowledge could be vital. I never did tell him I was a Horcrux, just that I believed Voldemort had made some. Meanwhile, the professor continued.
"Voldemort had many trusted servants at his disposal. Some of the most prominent supporters of his were the Black, Lestrange, and Malfoy families. These have since intermarried, as you might have guessed, as being purebloods they rarely married outside of their blood status. It would not surprise me if each of these families were entrusted with a Horcrux, knowingly or not. Searching significant places such as Hogwarts, the Ministry, and Gringotts could yield results, as each of those places are key in the Wizarding World. Given the Dark Lord's... pride, I highly doubt that he would place the pieces of his soul anywhere less significant than those." The professor began to share his knowledge.
I considered his words for a long moment.
"What sort of objects would he consider worthy of his soul?"
The man thought for a long moment. I glanced at Sanemi and Kyojuro, who simply watched in silence, having agreed to leaving the detective work to me.
"I believe an item pertaining to Salazar Slytherin is a likely candidate. Voldemort was known for his snakelike... aesthetic, and was a part of his House when he attended Hogwarts many years ago."
I tilted my head, filing the last bit of information away for later.
"What items of Salazar Slytherin's are either unaccounted for or, perhaps, passed down as heirlooms?"
The man thought for a moment longer.
"Slytherin had a certain locket that was rumored to be an heirloom passed down through his bloodline. However, all traces of it have vanished in the last century."
I tapped my chin.
"Still, it's possible he found it. Unless there's another heirloom important to Slytherin, we should consider the locket as a possible Horcrux. Now, was Voldemort the type to only use Slytherin artifacts, or would be use heirlooms from other House Heads?"
The man considered my question with a frown.
"His pride would not limit him to just one House. He would have wanted to dominate them all... it is likely that he created Horcruxes with other heirloom objects. The chief heirlooms from the other Houses were Ravenclaw's diadem, Hufflepuff's goblet, and Gryffindor's sword. However, aside from the sword which resides in Hogwarts, the locations of the other heirlooms are a mystery."
Haru considered his words for a long moment, tapping the wooden table with his index finger.
"So then... we can likely conclude that at least one piece of his soul resides in Hogwarts, the Ministry, and Gringotts. That's three Horcruxes.... do you think there are only three, or would he make more that were entrusted to his followers, and might be outside of these places?"
The man nodded.
"I had considered that as well. I think that there are more than three. Another suspect for a Horcrux is his pet snake, Nagini. It followed him everywhere and was clearly some sort of sentient magical creature. With the way he guarded it, it wouldn't surprise me. Voldemort was a superstitious man as well, and would have chosen a magical number. If there are more than three, there are likely at least seven, the next important number in magical spells."
I raised a brow at the information. After all, it was possible for a sentient being to become a Horcrux - my own situation notwithstanding. And this snake seemed like the type who could become a Horcrux - subservient and weak. Also, the knowledge that were looking for at least three was more than plausible. After all, if I was one, I had no doubt that he had created many more before me. He had bought into a prophecy that said I was meant to destroy him, after all. It makes sense that he would have made a few beforehand. So seven...we had the locket, the diadem, the goblet, the snake, possibly the sword, and me... that's five, maybe six. What could another one be...? Could there be eight if I was an accident? Maybe not, since perhaps he intended to make the seventh one while killing me and my parents... too many questions, not enough answers.
"So... I suppose we have the barebones of a plan. We need to get into each of these places and search for the Horcruxes, possibly identified as a snake, a diadem, a locket, a goblet, and maybe a sword." I turned to the professor. "Given the state of the Wizarding World in the aftermath of the Tournament, where would you suggest searching first?"
The man considered for a moment, stroking his chin.
"I would suggest you search in Gingotts first. Since the Lestranges are fugitives, we might be able to get in. However, we would need permission. Sirius Black is the head of the Black family, and Bellatrix was once a Black, I assume he could authorize our entry."
I could tell it pained the man to say those last words. In the last few months, especially after the Tournament, he had confided in me about many things, especially pertaining to my parents and their friends, and how they treated Severus himself. He explained why he'd hated my father and his friends, but he was getting better at letting some things go, although things were still rough with Sirius and Lupin. However, he had accepted my request for help in this matter without a moment's hesitation despite his hatred of my father. I knew his hatred for my godfather still ran deep, but I was grateful he was willing to consider asking him for assistance.
"Let me handle that," I interjected. "He's been trying to get into my good books ever since he was released, even though I've told him multiple times that his part in my life is over. I do not like giving him false hope, but I believe this is the best way."
The professor frowned, but slowly nodded.
"Very well, Rengoku. I will allow you to take the lead on gaining access to the Lestrange vault. I will search Hogwarts for any likely places it could be."
I nodded and glanced at Kyojuro and Sanemi-kun, who were busy trying to read the tavern menu, Sanemi not knowing how to read at all and Kyojuro only knowing a smattering of English from what I'd taught him over the years. I rose to my feet and looked back at the professor.
"We should meet here again in a week's time to discuss our findings. I wish you luck, professor."
I bowed slightly as my companions followed my lead. The man inclined his head towards me.
"And you, Rengoku."
*****Time skip 1 week*****
The week seemed to fly by. Thankfully, getting Black's approval to enter the Lestrange vault was an easy matter. The man was quite eager to please. Unfortunately, Professor Snape had little luck in locating a possible location of the Horcrux, which clearly irritated him.
"I'm sure it's in a magically hidden place," I tried to reassure him during our planned meeting a week later. "If it was easy to find, someone would have found it already, and you were only given a week to look for it in a remarkably huge castle."
He sighed, leaning back in his chair with a scowl on his face.
"Well, Rengoku... I suppose you have a good point."
I could tell that, despite my admission, the pill was still bitter to swallow. I smiled, holding up a piece of parchment.
"Your hunch about Black paid off, though! He was able to give me a parchment giving access to the Lestrange Vault. Since Bellatrix is a fugitive and Sirius is her next of kin, he has control over it."
The professor nodded.
"It is good that she is still at large. Hopefully she will not discover that we were looking for Voldemort's soul shards. She was obsessed with him like nothing else."
I nearly shuddered at the thought of the crazed woman.
The professor suddenly pulled another surprise out of his sleeve. Literally. He flashed me the hilt of a sword.
"I searched the Headmaster's office while he was absent, and found this... I did some research on it, and it can absorb pretty much any sort of attack. It might be useful in killing the soul pieces we find. I have already tested it for a soul shard and it's clean. Consider it an early birthday gift."
I stared at him. Gift aside, why didn't he bring this up earlier?!
Sometime later, we left the tavern and went to Diagon Alley, where the majestic bank sat at its head. The building was quite beautiful, likely the result of goblin architecture. I didn't admire it much last time since I was so caught up in other things. I could hear Kyojuro's quiet awing as he regarded the structure. Once we entered, I could see that it hadn't changed since I was last there. The same rows of goblins scribbling steadily on their parchments were present, as was the tall podium at the end of the hall, with a single, small goblin perched on an equally high seat. As we approached, I removed the parchment from my coat pocket and addressed him, bowing politely.
"Greetings, goblin-san. My name is Harry Potter. I wish to enter the Lestrange vault. I have been given permission to do so by the head of the Black family, of whom the Lestranges are a part."
The goblin eyed me behind his spectacles, glaring at the parchment I handed him. He turned to the side and called a goblin to escort us, then went back to his writing. The four of us turned to follow the goblin, who led us to a familiar cart.
"Oh dear," I muttered. "I forgot about this part."
Kyojuro and Sanemi eyed the cart with distrust after seeing my expression.
"What is this thing supposed to be?!" Sanemi asked with his trademark scowl.
I looked at them.
"It's safe, I promise. But... you might want to hang your head over the side when we're done."
They stared at me in suspicion, but we were quickly hurried along by the professor.
"We'd best not waste any time here. Let's go."
The ride was as painfully dizzying as I remembered. When we stopped, all of us but the professor were at least a little green in the face. Kyojuro was the worst off, taking a minute to heave over the side of the cart when we stopped. I wondered if his slight hearing loss made this worse for him.
Once Kyojuro recovered, we were left alone at the entrance to the vault with naught but a key and stomach-fulls of angst. The professor entered first.
"Be wary of traps, that woman sure loved her tricks," he warned us softly. "Whatever you do, don't. Touch. Anything."
I nodded back to show we understood, and we entered. The Lestranges were clearly on the rich side, artifacts that must be hundreds of years old decorating its walls, and piles of gold covered the floor. I carefully looked around for anything resembling a goblet that might have belonged to a Hogwarts Founder.
"There..." I heard behind me.
I turned, and Sanemi, who was carefully standing between two large piles of gold, was pointing to a high shelf. There, resting on it, was a beautiful goblet. I carefully stepped closer. From what I remembered, the symbol of the House... it was a beaver. There was an engraving of a beaver on the goblet.
"Professor!" I called to him softly. "I think we found it!"
He glided over to me and stared up at it, exhaling in relief.
"Good... we should destroy it. But be careful. We are allowed to enter the vault, but did not gain permission to remove anything. Destroying it could still set off the security."
The professor removed the sword from his robes and handed it to me.
"This is your mission, Rengoku. Finish the job."
I gripped the sword hilt and nodded firmly.
"Hai."
I spun the sword in my hands a couple times, getting used to the weight. It was a little lighter than my own katana, which would make thing difficult. Sanemi and Kyojuro drew their katanas, and I saw the professor fiddling his wand from the corner of my eye. All of them were at the ready. I breathed deeply, turning back to the cursed goblet. As I focused, I could feel it-a malevolent energy similar to the one I faced that day in the graveyard. I dashed forwards, jumping up as I released a technique.
"Wind Breathing... Seventh Form...Gale... Sudden Gusts..."
With that, I unleashed a technique which allowed me to shred the goblet from the air. It worked, as there was a sudden, ear-piercing shriek. A black mist emerged from the goblet, bleeding into the air around us before dissipating. But that wasn't the only thing that became a problem... one of my slashes just slightly grazed another object, and it began to rapidly multiply. I barely had time to think or move as I landed, replicating objects falling on my head. A solid hand jerked me from under the avalanche, and I saw Kyojuro's mouth moving, even though I couldn't hear him though the racket. Thankfully, I didn't need to. The need to get out was pretty clear. With our combined spells and Breathing Techniques, we were able to escape without getting buried under an endless pile of treasure. As we pressed our backs against the door, panting slightly, I just grinned at my companions.
"Well... that was an adventure! And one Horcrux is down!"