บท 497: Slytherin's Locket
บรรณาธิการ: Atlas Studios
Kreacher's face was a mask of fear, but he insisted on saying nothing, allowing Sirius to berate him, murmuring under his breath, "Poor old Kreacher, he should never have believed the whelp…"
Yvonne rolled her eyes. The destruction of the Horcrux was unlikely, and there was no point in keeping it from Sirius. He would have to know sooner or later whether she told him or not.
However, Ivan stopped Sirius, who was trying to teach Kreacher a lesson, and spoke up for him. "I don't think Kreacher is to blame. Maybe someone put a gag order on it. Let's just go there and find out."
Sirius had calmed down enough to consider the possibility that house-elves would not normally disobey their masters, so he gave Kreacher a dirty look.
'Right! Let's go! Where to!' Sirius promptly led the group downstairs, Kreacher following them as they went, stopping at one of the cupboards.
"Is it here?" Ivan asked, approaching.
Kreacher nodded hesitantly.
Sirius pushed it away, opened the cupboard and rummaged through it, although his actions alerted the creature hiding inside.
A creature with many legs and what looked like a silver duster sprang out, its long silver needle-like tail stabbing at Sirius's arm, but he dodged it.
Sirius grabbed the black book next to him and slapped it to death, causing more of the creatures to flee in panic, burrowing into the cracks in the floor.
'Shit! I'm going to have to buy some spray and clean the whole house!' Sirius could do nothing about the annoying creatures.
However, this was obviously not the time to think about it, so Sirius quickly turned his attention to the cupboard.
There was a music box, a hair clip, a bunch of antique seals, a dusty box, and a bunch of junk…
Sirius picked up the nearest box and opened it, revealing a shiny golden Order of Merlin.
Sirius recalled that it was given to his grandfather as a reward for his "contributions" to the Ministry.
The box and medal were thrown aside by Sirius, who was not looking for them.
"And these are not…" Sirius then threw the Black family's seal, as well as the music box, to the ground and picked up a display case.
It was very simple and unadorned, with a silver-white chain. The front was like a compass, with mysterious runes carved around it, and a large S-shaped mark in the middle. It was drawn in the shape of a snake, and was inlaid with green gems. It was obviously expensive!
However, the Black household was full of such precious antiques, so Sirius did not pay much attention to it at first, until he realised that he could not open it.
Ivan's eyes were drawn to it as well. Having been in contact with the Slytherin Chamber, he knew full well that the snake-shaped mark was the trademark of Slytherin.
He had seen it on the door of the Slytherin Laboratory. Apparently, this was Voldemort's fourth Horcrux, the Slytherin Locket!
"That's it…" Kreacher whispered to himself.
Sirius's head snapped around. He had been watching Kreacher, so he could hear him.
'You say Regulus left this behind? Why would he leave it behind? And how do I open it?' Sirius demanded.
However, the house-elf merely shook his head and muttered that he couldn't say, as his bulb-sized eyes were filled with tears and his nose was twitching.
Sirius, however, showed no pity for it and continued to press it for more information.
Unable to withstand the pressure from Sirius, the elderly house-elf let out a piercing shriek.
"Destroy that thing! Master Regulus, tell Kreacher to destroy that thing!"
Kreacher's face fell, and he grabbed the book and threw it over his head.
"Bad Kreacher! Bad, bad Kreacher!" Kreacher screamed as he smashed the book against his head.
"Stop, I said stop!" Sirius grabbed the book and Kreacher slammed his head against the wall, forcing Sirius to repeat himself several times before the house-elf stopped.
'You'd better not push it, Sirius! It seems, as I suspected, there are restrictions…' Ivan shook his head at Kreacher's pathetic state.
Ivan then turned his attention to the locket in Sirius's hand and spoke after a moment's hesitation.
"I think it looks a bit like something the man left behind…"
"That man? You mean Lord Voldemort?!" Sirius was taken aback at first, but when he realised who Ivan was referring to, he frowned.
"Yes! When I was in my second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I saw something that You-Know-Who had left behind, and it felt like this!" Ivan couldn't explain how he had learned that this was Voldemort's Horcrux, so he resorted to falsehoods.
"You mean the diary?" Harry immediately remembered that he and Ron had asked Hermione about it, so they knew.
'What are you talking about?' Sirius looked at them strangely.
Before Ivan could say anything, Harry told Sirius about Lockhart's second year at Hogwarts when he was bewitched by a Dark object and attacked a student.
"A lot of people were scared out of their wits, and it was Ivan who got rid of Professor Lockhart and destroyed the Dark Arts artefacts…" Harry excitedly recounted Ivan's glorious history.
Sirius and Lupin both looked at Ivan in surprise. They knew that Ivan was no ordinary young wizard, but they had never expected him to have such a legendary experience in his second year!
Ivan shrugged. He didn't think the experience was worth bragging about. He'd almost lost his car against a fifth year Tom Riddle.
At that moment, Kreacher suddenly grabbed Ivan's corner and asked excitedly, "S-Sir, d-did you destroy the Dark Lord's belongings? Is that true?"
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