Chapter 443: Grimmauld Place 12
Chapter 443: Grimmauld Place 12
After obtaining what he wanted, Kyle didn't linger and immediately left. Instead of returning to St. Cackle's Village, he accompanied Sirius to London.
In the late night, the two of them appeared near King's Cross at Grimmauld Place.
Kyle recalled Sirius' words, and just as he thought of Grimmauld Place 12, a dilapidated door suddenly appeared between numbers 11 and 13.
The luxurious mansion of the Black family, where Sirius currently resides, is a place protected by the Loyalty Oath Charm.
Although Cornelius Fudge had promised to remove all the Dementors and assign Aurors to capture him, Sirius still felt that living here would be relatively safer.
He took out his wand and tapped on the door. Kyle heard the loud clanging of metal and the rustling of chains.
The door creaked open.
"Come in quickly," Sirius said.
Kyle stepped over the threshold and entered the almost pitch-black entrance hall. The room was damp and filled with a lingering stench of decay.
"No one has lived here for a long time. I plan to clean it up before Harry arrives," Sirius said from behind.
Kyle then heard a rustling sound, and a row of old-fashioned gas lamps lit up, casting an unreal flickering light on the peeling wallpaper and the worn-out carpet in the entrance hall.
Kyle touched the table beside him, and his fingers were immediately covered in a thick layer of dust.
"It's not easy to clean up here, and many things need to be replaced," Kyle said.
"Yes, we'll take it slow," Sirius said. "I originally planned to bring Harry over in a few days, but Dumbledore told me that the rat needs a full month of Revive Potion to recover.
With the upcoming trial, the summer holidays are not enough time. We'll have to wait until Christmas."
As the sound of hurried footsteps approached, Lupin walked out from a door at the other end of the entrance hall and strode towards them.
"Oh, Kyle, I'm so glad to see you," he said with a smile.
"Me too, Professor," Kyle replied.
"I'm no longer a professor. Call me Lupin or Moony," Lupin said.
Just as Kyle was about to speak, he suddenly noticed a pair of eyes as big as tennis balls staring at them from behind Lupin, near a cabinet.
It was a house-elf, and it seemed very old. Its loose skin hung in folds, its head was bald, and its bat-like ears were filled with white hair. Its fleshy nose was huge, almost like a pig's snout.
To be honest, compared to this elf, Dobby could be considered a well-behaved house-elf.
"That's Kreacher, a house-elf," Sirius said. "But he's gone mad and is of no use now. Otherwise, the house wouldn't have become like this."
"Greetings, Master," Kreacher said upon being noticed, bowing slightly. Then, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, he muttered, "Smells like a drain and crime. The wastrel has returned, bringing a wolf and another youngling to the mistress's house. Oh, the shame... What can poor old Kreacher do..."
"Get lost, Kreacher!" Sirius said impatiently.
"Yes, Master," Kreacher said, bowing again. He shuffled away on his two feet but continued muttering, "Master is hateful, an ungrateful scoundrel who broke his mother's heart. But Kreacher will still listen to him..."
"Sorry, Kyle," Sirius said, shaking with anger. "He's been alone for too long and received some crazy orders from my mother's portrait, causing him to talk to himself and become mentally unstable.
"Oh, it's fine." Kyle watched Kreacher leave and waved his hand dismissively.
"Follow me, I'll take you to a quiet place." Sirius said, "But don't make too much noise, otherwise..."
"Bang!"
Before Sirius could finish his sentence, he kicked over an umbrella stand and nearly tripped, but Kyle managed to pull him back just in time.
"Oh, damn..."
Remus covered his face, feeling a bit helpless.
The next moment, a terrifying and bone-chilling scream filled the entire house.
Behind them, two worn and tattered velvet curtains were mysteriously drawn open, revealing a painting of an old lady wearing a hat, screaming her lungs out.
"Scoundrel, good-for-nothing, disgrace to the family, get out of here, how dare you defile my ancestors' manor..."
The piercing curses seemed to deafen one's ears.
"Shut up!" Sirius reacted the fastest, covering his ears and rushing over in two strides to grab the curtains on both sides.
Upon seeing him, the old lady's face turned deathly pale.
But before she could open her mouth again, Sirius forcefully drew the curtains closed.
The curses ceased, leaving behind a lingering silence.
"It seems you've met my mother." Sirius smiled bitterly, "She doesn't like me because I was sorted into Gryffindor, and by the time I ran away from home at sixteen, her dislike turned into hatred.
But as long as you keep the noise down when passing by here, she won't know there's someone outside."
"I didn't expect it to be so lively here." Kyle said with a smile.
"I don't think so." Sirius said, "Let's go, quickly, before she wakes up again."
Sirius led them through the corridor to a relatively cleaner room.
It was spacious, with a grand round table in the middle, seemingly a living room.
"If you want to study that box, do it here." Sirius said, "This house is protected by a Loyalty Oath Charm, you can freely use any magic here, and the Ministry won't know who's doing it. They can only trace it back to Grimmauld Place and find no one there."
"Box? What box?" Remus asked, puzzled.
"Don't ask me, Moony." Sirius rubbed his forehead, "Honestly, I have more questions than you.
Can you believe it? Kyle just took a stroll around the Lestrange family estate and found a deeply hidden box... as if he was at home, getting a piece of bread from the kitchen."
Remus was utterly confused.
But then he saw Kyle actually take out a box and place it on the table.
"Is this something from the Lestrange family?"
"It used to be." Kyle said.
He didn't explain much, just looking at the two of them, "If you choose to stay, remember to keep it a secret. No matter what happens here, don't talk about it to anyone, including Professor Dumbledore."
"Of course." Sirius immediately agreed, a slight smile curving his lips.
Although he still had a lot of questions, it didn't matter... Looking at Kyle before him, he suddenly felt like he was back in his student days.
They had secretly made the Marauder's Map together... That feeling was truly nostalgic.
Remus hesitated for a moment, then nodded as well.
"Good, remember that, or I'll beat up Harry. You know he can't beat me."
(End of Chapter)
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