Chapter 310: Voldemort's Mistake
Chapter 310: Voldemort’s Mistake
The terrain near the sea abruptly rises, the black cliff face exposed by the crashing waves forming a sheer drop.
Waves pound against the rocks, creating white foam and a deafening roar.
“Bang!”
Suddenly, three figures appeared on the exposed rock, two adults and one child, one of them wobbling and nearly falling over.
“Dragging you along during Apparition is like carrying a mountain, Felix,” Sirius said, panting.
“Please forgive me; I might have too many magical items on me,” Felix said uncomfortably. His ring still contained a dozen Dementors, these prisoners crammed into a small compartment without any magical separation, so Sirius was essentially Apparating with a group of people.
They finally had the chance to observe their surroundings. The black, jagged cliff rose sharply, with the turbulent sea on one side and a winding mountain path on the other. Felix scanned the area and could faintly see a village halfway up the mountain.
Apart from that, the surroundings were barren and desolate, with nothing but the vast sea and rocks; there was not a single tree, no grass, and no sand.
Sirius pointed to a rock in the water, “The entrance is directly below the cliff. We can’t see it now, but we can Apparate to that rock and transfer from there…”
“Let’s go.”
This time, Felix led them, and they quickly Apparated to a narrow crevice at the base of the cliff. They took a few steps forward before the surging water reached their feet.
Soon, the crevice turned into a dark tunnel. The walls, covered in slimy mud, were only a few feet apart, and they occasionally stepped on broken shells or similar debris. The air had a salty, decaying smell.
“This is what the tide brings in,” Sirius said, raising his glowing wand and kicking a fish out of their path. It hit a rock and splashed against the wall. “I cleaned it out before, but it’s back within a few days.”
Felix carefully examined the rock walls. In his black and white vision, the dark walls were overlaid with powerful magic, and he detected the scent of a strong curse.
It was clear that Voldemort was very skilled with curses.
“I was blocked here. When I asked Kreacher, he didn’t know. He and Regulus didn’t encounter this wall when they came…” Sirius explained.
“Kreacher, I remember you came here twice?” Felix asked softly, feeling the magic on the walls.
“Yes, Mr. Heap,” Kreacher said, his face showing fear. “The first time, Master Regulus found Kreacher and said the Dark Lord needed a house-elf… It was an honor. Master Regulus had Kreacher complete the Dark Lord’s task and then… go home.”
“Kreacher followed the Dark Lord here and didn’t encounter the wall. We arrived at a large black lake with a boat… On the island, there was a stone basin filled with a potion. The Dark Lord forced Kreacher to drink it…”
“Kreacher remembered many terrifying things, punishments, and the illusion of being cast out… My insides felt like they were on fire… I begged the Dark Lord, but he just laughed and made me drink the potion…”
Sirius was silent, having heard this story before, but it still left a sour taste in his mouth. Felix said softly, “He was testing, testing his protective measures.”
“Kreacher felt like he was dying. The Dark Lord left Kreacher behind and went alone… But Kreacher remembered Master’s command to return home. Master Regulus found Kreacher, very worried, and hid me, taking care of me…”
The house-elf sniffled and said,
"After a while, Master Regulus came to find Kreacher... at night. His demeanor was strange. I knew he was troubled during that time, as if he was worried about something... Master told Kreacher to take him to the cave. We didn't encounter this wall back then. We boarded the boat and reached the small island in the lake, then... then..."
Sirius clenched his fists. He knew what happened next. Regulus had drunk the potion himself, ordering Kreacher to return home and never come back, and to keep the secret from the Mistress. He instructed Kreacher to destroy the locket—the Horcrux.
And Regulus himself was dragged into the water by the Inferi in the Black Lake...
Felix was moved by this story. It was hard to imagine a Pureblood sacrificing their life for a house-elf, but he was conflicted. He had once fervently followed Voldemort, genuinely believing that Voldemort could bring a better life to wizards.
"My brother—Regulus, he was young then, easily swayed by Voldemort's lies. He was only eighteen..." Sirius's voice was hoarse, "He was... a fool."
Drops of water dripped from the cave entrance, masking Sirius's sharp intake of breath. Felix pretended to be interested in the magic on the wall, focusing intently on it without speaking for a long time. Eventually—
"Voldemort was quite confident. When he added the outermost protective measures later, he didn't check—"
"No, Mr. Heap, Master Regulus made a replica of the locket, a fake one... When he came, and drank the potion, he dropped it in and let the potion cover it again..."
"Hmm", Felix said softly, "That makes sense. He missed a chance to correct the mistake."
Sirius asked, "How do we get past this wall? I've tried several spells, but none of them worked. The closer I get, the more my casting is disrupted. Look—"
He pointed his wand at the wall, and a thin spell shot out from the tip, outlining an arch on the wall that glowed with a bright white light, as if there was a strong light behind the crack. But soon, the outline disappeared, and the rock remained as solid and thick as before, with nothing on it.
"My theory is that the wall harbors a malicious intent. It's a rare curse that makes visitors pay a price by weakening themselves. Voldemort wanted us to coat the walls with magic-infused blood. However", Felix's face twisted with a mocking expression, and he said with disdain, "All his efforts were in vain... We have a better way."
Felix removed his ring and placed it on a nearby seashell, saying gently, "Kreacher, are you willing to help us get through?"
Kreacher looked at him in surprise, "M-me? I can? I am just a lowly, obedient servant—"
"No, Kreacher. In some ways, you are more clever than Voldemort."
Kreacher's eyes widened, and his bat-like ears twitched in agitation. He didn't even have a proper set of clothes, but someone was telling him that he was more clever than the Dark Lord feared by many.
"Are you willing, Kreacher? To do this for Regulus?"
"Y-yes! Kreacher is willing!"
Kreacher trembled as he extended his hand, and Felix took it. The old, wrinkled house-elf then looked up at Sirius with hopeful eyes, and Sirius also extended his hand.
In the next moment, the three of them disappeared before the wall.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
