Thanks for such a nice review! 

Thank you so much for your very kind words! And thanks, too, for your story suggestions – I will take them to heart, for Weasleys are my very favorite-est characters.

Actually, my next fanfic, which I stupidly thought was nearly half-finished before an evil plot-expanding virus infected it (Grr!), centers around Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley. Harry & Ginny as well as Bill & Fleur figure heavily in it, along with George & Annie's raft of kids. It's my stab at the Next-Gen trope.

Unfortunately, progress on that story is on hiatus, as I'm currently slaving madly away on posting Charlie's story as well as putting a final spit-polish on my o-fics in preparation to launch my very own website and make them available as ebooks. (Squee!) I hope to have details on that adventure to post on my profile by the end of this year.

Thanks again for reviewing!

Thanks! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story and hope you feel better soon! :)

I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! And this comment really got me to thinking - I love trying to figure out these kinds of questions! You bring up some really good points, too.

Okay, so in reviewing my research and digging a little deeper, I realize that last line of my Chapter 9 author's note can't be correct: Dumbledore states in HBP that he began to suspect horcruxes were involved when Harry handed over Riddle's destroyed diary at the end of CoS in the spring of 1993, well before Charlie's story about the "magic crown" got back to him in January of 1996 (as per my story). But I still think my story (if not my author's note) as it stands could work and *not* contradict canon, and here's how…

First, when I had Dumbledore maneuver Charlie into Romania in 1991, I was working on the assumption that Dumbledore had strong suspicions about the snake being critical to finding whatever remained of Riddle, not as a living Horcrux. In my mind, Dumbledore set Charlie the task (in 1991, now that Harry is back at Hogwarts) of sniffing around for a magical snake in Albania in exchange for getting him his dream job in Romania, based on my imagining that somehow Dumbledore got wind of some kind of Voldemortian connection there (perhaps he has some suspicion of Quirrell's adventures the previous summer?). Charlie's conversation with Arthur (in my story) reveals only that Dumbledore thinks Voldemort wasn't destroyed in 1981 and nothing more about the snake.

Presumably, sometime between the spring of 1993 (post-diary destruction) and January of 1997 (when he sets Harry the task of recovering the untampered-with memory), Dumbledore questioned Slughorn about his association with Riddle. Slughorn's tainted memory would've confirmed Riddle's interest in Horcruxes as a Hogwarts student. Next, throughout his time with Harry in HBP, Dumbledore drops several hints but admits that "This is all guesswork," (HBP Chapter 10, p. 197) and, "Tom Riddle liked to collect trophies," (HBP Chapter 13, p. 277). Then in April 1997 (HBP Chapter 23, p. 503-507), Dumbledore tells Harry that Riddle "…only made 6 horcruxes," (we learn later he is wrong about this, or maybe he only meant Riddle "intentionally" made 6 and didn't reveal his hunch that Harry is, in fact, the seventh, or maybe he just flat-out lied when he claimed the seventh bit remained within Voldie). Dumbledore goes on to summarize for Harry, claiming 2 horcruxes have been identified and destroyed by this point (diary, ring), 2 others are strongly suspected and known to have coincidentally disappeared in Riddle's presence (cup, locket), and 2 others are based on pure conjecture (snake, and "something of Ravenclaw's or Gryffindor's").

So even though Charlie didn't inspire Dumbledore to initially think about horcruxes, as you very astutely pointed out, his information about the "magic crown" remains a possible inspiration for Dumbledore to start seriously considering what Riddle was using as Horcrux fodder – so why didn't Dumbledore direct Harry to search specifically for the diadem?

Here's the theory I was working from, even before I realized Charlie couldn't have inspired Dumbledore to initially consider horcruxes: Dumbledore wasn't stone-cold certain of anything but the diary and the ring, and therefore didn't want to prejudice Harry when it came to searching for specific items. It seems to me that in his limited remaining time before his imminent death, Dumbledore thought it might even be more important to figure out the hiding places rather than the objects.

Based on the only 2 verified horcruxes (the diary & ring, which in Riddle's knowledge was nothing more than a family heirloom, having failed to recognize the Resurrection Stone) by the April 1997 lesson, Dumbledore knew there was a reasonable possibility that Riddle might strictly be using stuff significant to his pedigree, thereby eschewing the Founder's items entirely (perhaps his suspected possession of the cup and locket was an intentional diversion to confuse his enemies or nothing more than his penchant for theft). My story still works if you consider that while Dumbledore might've had his suspicions about the diadem based on Riddle's deduced selection of cup and locket and Charlie's tale about the magic crown, he didn't have direct confirmation yet that either the cup or locket were horcruxes and therefore didn't want to prejudice Harry too much about the items, because the truth remained they could've been just about anything. Throughout HBP, Dumbledore could reasonably assume only that Gryffindor's sword was NOT a Horcrux, nor was his Sorting Hat, having easy access to that Founder's special artifacts. But the diadem, while as likely a candidate for Horcrux-dom as the cup and the locket, had been purportedly lost for ages, and there was no guarantee Riddle ever found it (though he was searching for it in the 1950s, as Charlie confirmed). And, as revealed by the Grey Lady to Harry in DH, no one besides him and Riddle ever managed to get the complete story out of her (not even Dumbledore!). And as we all know, Dumbledore died before ever getting confirmation of his suspicions about the locket and cup, leaving Harry to puzzle out the rest on his own. 

Thanks again for the review, and a fun challenge! 

 I really like how you thought this out! Yes, all this really makes sense now and I can so totally see your point.  I would so love to sit in a cafe or at a convention and just theorize about this stuff, the probablitites and such. I really like how you've broken it all down, examined it and make it fit! Awesome job!

Thanks! And I just adore a reader paying close enough attention to keep me on my toes :) Cheers!

 Well, honestly, I thought it was a pretty good place to stop. Charlie's gone through a significant personal journey of discovery and acceptance, resolved his "mother" issues, and gets to look forward to a happily ever after. Though I can't rule out a one-shot here or there, and he & Sasha will *definitely* pop up in another planned project of mine, I'm afraid this is the end of the road regarding his starring role in anything. Thanks for the review, and thanks for reading!

Thank you, my dear, for all your support throughout. I've got some original things occupying my time and attention right now, but I'm not done with fanfic, I don't think. Keep an eye out for me! :) + hugs...

hahaha - I will!!!  i'll look forword emails from TPP with info about snip-its in the future.  Maybe there is an outtake or two rumbling around in your brain or on your hard drive that will be begging to be posted ;) hugs back at you

i know it was an evil cliffie, but thanks for the nice review anyway! :)

Thanks for the review! :)

<hugs you> You sounded like you needed one. (Thanks for reading!)

Thanks! And yeah, Charlie is a lucky fella, despite what it might seem otherwise. :)

Thanks for the review! And while that scene sounds lovely... nope. 

Dum dum dum <suspenseful music>. Thanks for the review!

Thanks! I think Charlie feels it acutely, for sure.

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks for the review!

Thanks! Charlie might not be a born leader, but he can get the job done when it matters! Slughorn, on the other hand, was a chore to get to show up. 

Thanks! He was a lot of fun to write :)

Oh, yes, repercussions will ensue... <snickers wickedly>. Thanks for the review!

Absolutely, there will be aftermath... bwah ha ha! Thanks for the review.

Yes, there's always fallout from something like this... <cackles evilly>. Thanks for the review!