Chapter 381: "The Flying Fish"
Chapter 381: "The Flying Fish"
Sherlock had never met Regulus, but since he had visited the ancestral home of the Black family, the name was not entirely unfamiliar to him.
"Sirius Black's younger brother?"
Dumbledore nodded.
"Regulus had already become involved with the Death Eaters during his school years. After graduation, he openly declared his allegiance and became a loyal follower of Voldemort."
Once they confirmed the identity of the newcomer, they remained silent, watching as Regulus and Kreacher, the house-elf, approached the stone pedestal.
Regulus seemed to say something to Kreacher, who became extremely frightened.
Kreacher panicked, his already large eyes bulging out as if they might pop from his sockets.
But Regulus's expression was resolute. He shook his head, refusing Kreacher's suggestion, and then sternly issued a command.
Kreacher's face turned mournful. It was clear that he was being forced to do something he did not want to do.
Then, Regulus's white spectral form scooped up the poison from the stone basin and drank it.
The poison Voldemort used to protect the Horcrux was incredibly potent. By the third mouthful, Regulus had collapsed to the ground, weeping and unable to drink any more.
At this point, Kreacher, in painful loyalty, began forcibly administering the potion to Regulus, regardless of his desperate pleas.
Clearly, before drinking the poison, Kreacher had received a higher-level instruction.
Thus, Regulus drank all the potion from the stone basin. In the end, he lay on the ground, his body convulsing in excruciating pain.
Kreacher did not stop.
He took a locket from the now-empty basin and replaced it with a new one from his own person.
Regulus, unable to resist the burning thirst in his mouth, struggled to the lake's edge, just as Kreacher had done before, intending to drink from the water.
But before he could open his mouth, something seemed to pull him back. Numerous hands grabbed him, dragging him into the depths of the lake!
Kreacher screamed, rushing to Regulus's side and grabbing his master's ankle, as if trying to Apparate.
However, while Kreacher's body disappeared from the spot, Regulus did not leave with him!
The magic Voldemort had set up here was extremely powerful. Although house-elves were a loophole, even with a house-elf's help, a wizard could not Apparate away.
Upon realizing he had failed to bring Regulus to safety, Kreacher returned.
He fell to his knees in despair, watching in agony as his beloved young master was slowly dragged into the lake, until the white spectral form of Regulus vanished completely from the rocky island.
Kreacher's white spectral form knelt and wept for a long time before finally disappearing into the cave with the locket he had retrieved from the stone basin.
Silence fell over the island.
Sherlock and Dumbledore remained silent, neither speaking. The quiet lasted for a long time.
Finally, Sherlock broke the silence.
"Regulus betrayed Voldemort. After obtaining information about the Horcrux from Kreacher, he came here with him to retrieve it."
Dumbledore's expression was complex, a mix of amazement, relief, anger, and guilt. He spoke.
"He didn't let Kreacher sacrifice himself in his place. He truly regarded this house-elf as family. Everyone thought he was Voldemort's most loyal Death Eater until the end. But from his actions, it's clear that he was very different from what others believed. I, too, had misconceptions about him. The fact that he was willing to die himself rather than let Kreacher take his place speaks volumes about his character."
Sherlock was also deeply moved. Not everyone in pure-blood families was blindly obsessed with self-interest.
There were outliers like the Weasley Family, the noble Longbottom Family, and the Black Family, which was divided into two extremes. Some members were willing to die for Voldemort, while others became figures like Sirius Black and Regulus.
"Since we've seen this, we need to clear Regulus's name. Professor, the key now is that the real locket that was originally here has already been taken by Kreacher. The one under the poison is likely a fake. The real Horcrux is probably only known to Kreacher."
"We need to find Kreacher and ask him where the locket he swapped is."
The historical scene made them avoid unnecessary risks. From the current situation, Sherlock's intuition was spot-on; the object hidden here had nothing to do with the Horcrux.
Dumbledore transformed back into a crow and perched on Sherlock's shoulder, joining him on the small boat.
As soon as they sat down, the ghostly boat began to move automatically, leaving the rocky island.
However, as the boat glided toward the shore, the once calm lake surface began to ripple uncontrollably!
"They've been alerted", Sherlock said, frowning.
Dumbledore, perched on his shoulder, opened his sharp beak.
"Fire, the one thing Inferi fear most."
As soon as he finished speaking, countless pale arms emerged from the lake!
The mindless, beast-like Inferi leapt out of the water, like a school of flying fish in the sea.
Their sole target was the small boat carrying Sherlock and Dumbledore!
Without uttering a spell, dozens of wands had already appeared around Sherlock.
The wands floated beside him, moving in unison with precise, synchronized movements!
As the last wave of wands completed their final motion and swung downward, the air around them suddenly became agitated!
Just as the first Inferi, leaping from the depths of the lake, soared through the air toward Sherlock's head, a burst of red and yellow flames exploded like fireworks!
The intense heat radiated outward from the small boat, where Sherlock and Dumbledore were. The Inferi, unable to escape, didn't even have time to scream in pain before they were engulfed by the overwhelming flames!
The once tranquil lake was now a sea of fire. The small boat continued its journey toward the shore, and as it moved forward, the flames parted to create a path for them to leave this dark and gloomy place.
(End of Chapter)
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