Chapter Thirteen: The Second Secret: The Muggle’s Revenge

Harry waited for the orphanage to open. At eight in the morning he knocked. The room was opened by a slim young woman. Harry asked if he could meet Mrs. Rosetta. He was taken inside to Rosetta’s room. The orphanage had changed. It was not grim anymore. It was bright and more positive. When he went inside, he found a very old woman, who had a very pleasant face. She asked Harry to sit down. He sat.

‘Yes, my dear, how may I help you?’ she said.

‘I want to know if you know anything about R. A. B.?’

Her face changed. She looked scandalized. ‘How do you know about that? You have read that note, haven’t you? Who are you?’ she said.

‘I am Harry, Harry Potter. I want to know where the locket is. I want to destroy it. And I want to know how you came to know about the Horcrux.’

‘Well, I knew him, Tom Riddle, you know. He used to share this orphanage with me. He was strange. Very strange, demented if you ask me. And then he took me to that place, that c-c-cave.’

Harry could see just how the mention of the cave had changed her. She was no longer the amiable woman who had welcomed Harry a minute ago. But she was a scared petrified and even sad woman.

‘He spoke to snakes. I was petrified. I was never the same after that day. But then he left. He went to Hogwarts. He used to come every year during holidays, and he became scarier every year. There was something sinister about him. And then, after seven years he left for good. Never returned.’

She took a sigh. The woman who had opened the door came with a cup of coffee. Amy took a sip and started again, ‘and then after some years, I met Gordon. Gordon was a wizard, an auror. For some years, we lived happily. But then dark times began. Voldemort came to power. Things were dark and dangerous. And on one night, Albus Dumbledore came to our house. I heard him tell Gordon that he suspects Voldemort to be actually a former Hogwarts student called Tom Riddle. I was shocked to hear that name again. That night I told Gordon about Tom. He asked me about Tom, I told him about the cave incident. He decided that we go to the cave.’

Again that fear was on her face. She continued, ‘we went to the cave. It was dark and cold. There was a lot of hidden magic out there. At one point, he had to give some of his blood. It was all so evil. Then we went on a boat. Gordon said that the boat was meant for only one wizard. But since I was a muggle I could come to. There on the goblet, a locket was lying. He said it was a horcrux. He told me what it was and what it could do. He asked me to take out my locket, the one I was wearing at that time. He them transformed it to copy of locket in the goblet. He said that he is going to drink the whole potion. And after he has finished it I should swap the two lockets. And then he drank that awful potion. He had told me to make him finish the whole potion.’

As she was saying this, Harry could visualize the scene between him and Dumbledore in the cave. Even he was scared of what he might hear next next.

‘And then,’ she continued, ‘he became thirsty. I told him to drink some water from the lake. He was in terrible pain. I could see that. He told me to take the locket. He then drank some water from the lake. And then, b-b-bodies came out. They t-t-took him with t-t-them. I had taken the locket from the goblet. But before keeping the fake locket in the goblet, I decided that I will write a note in it. I took out a parchment and wrote a note to him. And then I came back. I tried to break that locket, burn it but nothing happened. And then, one night, when I was defeated, sad on my incapability to finish the locket, I cried. Ever since my husband’s death I had kept the tears in my eyes. But that night, they came out. The tears of pain, of agony and of love. And they fell on the locket. My tears fell on the locket. And a scream came out of it. It was destroyed. The locket was destroyed. What knives, fire and guns cannot do, the tears did it. Even I don’t know how, but it happened.’

‘I know,’ said Harry. ‘Dumbledore always said that love if the most powerful magic. It was your love for your husband that the horcrux couldn’t bear. But I don’t understand one thing. I thought your name Amy Benson. Where did Rosetta come from?’

‘Gordon gave this name to me. After his death I left that world forever. I have no news of what’s happening there for the last fifteen years. I had heard of you, destroying Voldemort. Is everything in the wizarding world fine?’ She said.

‘Everything will be fine. I am glad you destroyed the locket. The two things that thought were of no good are the two things that finished a part of him. Muggles and Love.’

There was silence for some time. Harry finished his coffee. And said, ‘I must go now, M’am. It was really good to see you. just one more thing, can I apparate from here?’

‘yes, off course’

And Harry dissapparated. He went to Dumbledore’s house and told Hermione and Ron everything. When he finished, they jumped in joy. They were now one more horcrux down.