Chapter 382: The Rebellious Regulus
Chapter 382: The Rebellious Regulus
"Voldemort has set up magic here. Either drink the poison in the stone basin to retrieve the Horcrux, which will make you thirsty and lead you to drink from the lake, where the Inferi will drag you under, or do nothing and leave, only to face the attacks of these monsters."
Dumbledore, still in his Crow form, spoke softly as he watched the Inferi trapped in the ring of fire.
The wands floating around Sherlock returned to their original positions, and he pursed his lips.
"Such a tactic is really low, and it doesn't seem like something a clever Wizard would design."
Crow Dumbledore chuckled lightly.
"Riddle is very intelligent, but he has obvious flaws in certain areas, which is precisely why we can find ways to counter him."
As they spoke, the boat finally reached the shore. After the boat docked, Dumbledore spread his wings and flew off Sherlock's shoulder, transforming back into human form.
The two did not linger in the cave. They returned the way they came and used Apparition to go directly to 12 Grimmauld Place.
They had spent an entire day in the cave, and the sky was already completely dark when they arrived at 12 Grimmauld Place.
"It looks like we're destined to miss the opening Feast today."
As Dumbledore spoke, he waved his hand in the air. The next second, a golden light shimmered in front of him, and Fawkes appeared, landing on his shoulder.
With a casual wave of his wand, Dumbledore conjured a parchment and a quill, quickly wrote a short letter, and handed it to Fawkes.
"Take this to Minerva. She'll know what to do."
After arranging the school matters, he and Sherlock walked from the entrance hall into the inner rooms.
Someone inside heard the commotion, and Mrs. Weasley emerged, looking surprised.
"Dumbledore, and Sherlock. Shouldn't you be at the opening Feast right now?"
"We have more important matters to handle."
Dumbledore gave her a brief explanation, then asked solemnly,
"Have you seen Kreacher, Molly?"
Though Mrs. Weasley was somewhat confused, she could tell from his expression that he wasn't joking.
"I saw him cleaning the third floor a little while ago, sir. He should still be there."
"Thank you very much. And your pie from yesterday was delicious."
Dumbledore and Sherlock nodded to Mrs. Weasley and made their way to the third floor.
As they turned the corner at the top of the stairs, they saw the emaciated house-elf muttering resentfully while cleaning the floor.
The noise of Sherlock and Dumbledore ascending the stairs was loud enough that Kreacher had already fixed his large, protruding eyes on the stairwell corner.
When he looked at Dumbledore, Kreacher's eyes were filled with obvious annoyance, but the command given by Sirius Black forced him to bow to the old man.
"Sir."
Dumbledore did not appear overly urgent. His gaze was calm and gentle, just as it would be with any other Wizard.
"Kreacher, can I talk to you?"
Kreacher showed some resistance at the request.
“I still have work to do, sir. This place needs cleaning.”
“It won’t take long. I want to talk to you about Regulus,” Dumbledore said, staring into the house-elf’s eyes.
Kreacher visibly trembled at the mention of Regulus’s name.
His already large eyes widened even more.
“Master Regulus?”
Dumbledore nodded, his deep blue eyes conveying both seriousness and respect.
“Yes, Regulus Black.”
Kreacher finally agreed to talk with Dumbledore. He set aside his work and sat down at a square table on the third floor.
Sherlock remained silent, knowing that Dumbledore was better suited for this conversation.
“We just returned from a cave,” Dumbledore began.
Kreacher looked at him with a mix of shock, unease, and fear in his eyes.
“A cave? A cave with a large lake?”
“Indeed, there was a lake, and in the center of it, there was a stone platform with a stone basin. We used some means to see events from the past. In that story, you appeared twice, Kreacher, each time with a different person.”
Kreacher’s body trembled even more. He seemed to be recalling some terrifying past, and his large eyes were filled with fear.
“Master Regulus and that person…”
He stuttered, his voice tinged with sobs, managing only a few simple words.
Dumbledore did not rush or pressure him. Instead, he placed a teacup in front of Kreacher and poured some tea for him.
The house-elf’s nature made Kreacher instinctively fearful. He looked at the tea, his eyes already misty with tears, now even more tense.
“If you don’t mind, could you tell us about your experience?”
Kreacher was already sobbing softly, his emotions overwhelming him, making it hard for him to speak.
Dumbledore and Sherlock waited quietly. After about ten minutes, the old house-elf finally calmed down.
“When Master Regulus was sixteen, he joined the Dark Lord’s organization. He was so proud, so happy. Especially after Master Sirius Black left, he became the only pride of the mistress.”
“A year later, one day, Master Regulus came to the kitchen to see Kreacher. Master Regulus always liked Kreacher. He said… he said… the Dark Lord needed a house-elf.”
Sherlock and Dumbledore exchanged a glance. They had already guessed that in the cave, they had seen Voldemort bringing Kreacher there.
As Kreacher continued his story, they fully understood the entire sequence of events.
Just as they had suspected, Regulus, originally a loyal follower of Voldemort, discovered his true nature and ultimately chose to resist. He learned from Kreacher that Voldemort had hidden something very important in the cave. Regulus decided to retrieve the Pendant Box and replace it, while he himself drank the poison in the stone basin and died at the bottom of the lake.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
