https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-495-Destroying-the-Fourth-Horcrux/13447413/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-497-Advanced-Dark-Magic-Decoded-/13447415/
Chapter 496: The Dark Lord's Secret
Chapter 496: The Dark Lord's Secret
No!
A shrill scream echoed from the open area, and all the figures in the black mist twisted their faces and lunged at Ivan, including Asia, Hermione, Luna, and others who had fallen to the ground but had not yet disappeared.
Their faces were now terrifying, their expressions contorted, with black mist continuously spewing from their eyes and mouths.
"Expecto Patronum!" Ivan swiftly drew his wand, and the flashing white light tore through the black mist. The dark shadows that had just rushed to his face dissolved and dispersed in the blinding white light, and the screams ceased.
Everything around them returned to normal, with Harry, Sirius Black, and Lupin standing nearby.
The Horcrux on the table grew dim, and the inside of the Locket developed many fine cracks. Ivan stepped forward, picked it up, and saw that it was already damaged.
Ivan sighed. Voldemort's fragment of soul was too deeply intertwined with this magical item, and destroying the soul fragment inevitably caused damage to it.
"What was that black mist just now? I suddenly couldn't see anything", Harry, who hadn't understood what had happened, looked at Ivan in confusion.
"Don't worry, that mist was caused by this thing. I've destroyed it now", Ivan shook the Locket in his hand and then asked Harry and the others what they had seen in the black mist.
The three of them shook their heads, indicating that they had been trapped in a dark space with nothing but the black mist.
Ivan immediately understood that the Horcrux had used most of its power against him, only reading some of Harry and the others' memories without specifically targeting them.
"Sirius, can I borrow this Locket for a while to study it?" Ivan asked Sirius.
Although the Locket was already damaged, it was a Slytherin artifact, and there might be something to learn from it.
"Don't be formal, I'll just give it to you!" Sirius waved his hand, not caring about the Locket, which looked like an antique.
Besides, Ivan had destroyed it, and he hadn't even thanked him for what he had done for Regulus.
"But Ivan, you used Parseltongue to open this Locket just now, didn't you?!" Sirius suddenly remembered the strange sounds Ivan had made to the Locket and hesitated to ask.
"Yes, I learned it last year. Honestly, it's not that difficult; many people can learn it!" Ivan moved his gaze from the Locket, finding Sirius's reaction a bit overblown, and turned to Harry, continuing.
"Right? Harry!"
"Ah, that's correct, I can also speak Parseltongue", Harry hesitated for a moment, then nodded. He could communicate with snakes, which should count as Parseltongue.
Sirius and Lupin looked at each other, surprised. Parseltongue was a rare talent, often associated with dark Wizards. When did it become so common, and it could be learned?
"I heard Professor Dumbledore can also speak Parseltongue! So your views are really outdated. Just like your family, Sirius, while many of them are scoundrels, there are also righteous people like you and Regulus", Ivan explained again, trying to dispel their doubts.
Sirius and Lupin smiled bitterly, unsure how to respond.
Kreacher, who had also recovered from the black mist, was staring intently at the cracked Locket in Ivan's hand, screaming excitedly.
"Master! You destroyed it, oh my, you really destroyed it! Kreacher has finally fulfilled Regulus's request!" The old House-Elf's body trembled, and large tears continuously rolled down his cheeks, dripping to the ground.
"Thank you so much, sir!" Kreacher was so excited that he stretched out his dirty hands, smeared with snot and tears, to hug Ivan's leg, but Ivan quickly dodged.
Sirius Black quickly ordered Kreacher to stay where he was, waiting until the House-Elf's emotions had calmed down a bit before he began to interrogate him.
"Kreacher, I want to know more about Regulus, and what happened at home after I left."
Kreacher sniffed, speaking in a broken voice, recounting how sad the mistress and the other family members were after Sirius left home.
"Hmph, they were sad? Don't make me laugh. They were probably more upset about the damage to the Black family's reputation after I left. Don't think I don't know that my mother had me removed from the family tree!" Sirius sneered.
Kreacher stared at him with his large, bulbous eyes, but eventually pouted and continued his story.
Not long after Sirius left home, the Dark Lord's power grew, which caught the attention of the Black family. The mistress was very impressed with the Dark Lord's ideals and provided a large amount of funding to support Voldemort in building his forces.
Bellatrix joined the Death Eaters after that, and other members of the Black family followed suit, with Regulus being the last to join.
"Master Regulus was overjoyed because the Dark Lord held him in high regard, considering him a trusted right-hand man. But that's only natural; which Wizard could be as outstanding as Master Regulus?" Kreacher said proudly.
Sirius, however, poured cold water on his enthusiasm. "That's only because Voldemort wanted to keep the Black family as his financial backers!"
Sirius saw through it clearly and knew very well his younger brother's abilities and talents. Regulus wasn't so exceptional that Voldemort would value him to such a degree.
What Voldemort truly wanted was the abundant funds and the influence of having the heir of the ancient Wizarding family, Black, under his command.
"Sirius, you should stop interrupting! At this rate, when will Kreacher finish his story?" Ivan rolled his eyes. The people were dead, so why bother with such trivial details?
"Fine, I'll try to keep quiet from now on", Sirius shrugged and turned to Kreacher. "Skip the useless parts. You haven't told us why Regulus eventually betrayed Voldemort."
Kreacher shook his head blankly, not knowing why Regulus had made such a change, but he tried to recall.
"About a year after joining the Death Eaters, the young master changed. He wasn't as happy as before."
"He often confided in Kreacher, because Kreacher is a trustworthy House-Elf. Master Regulus said that the Dark Lord's plans were different from what he had imagined, and that he might have made a mistake."
"Then, after some time, the Dark Lord personally summoned Master Regulus. After that, the young master spent days in the library, flipping through books without coming out. The library was in a mess, and Kreacher had to tidy it up every day."
"Moreover, Master Regulus didn't eat properly for several days. On the sixth night, he came out of the library, very excited, saying he had figured out the Dark Lord's secret." Kreacher recalled, speaking in a broken voice.
(End of Chapter)
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