Chinese students at Hogwarts

Chapter 244 Regulus Arcturus Black

It was a gray, inconspicuous-looking square pendant box, and the silver S-shaped snake on it seemed to be cast in an obscure light.

I don’t know if this Horcrux is special or if all Horcruxes have this function.

Being too close to a Horcrux will cause people to be affected unconsciously and gradually go crazy.

It seems like Kreacher often wears this pendant.

"Zhang - what's wrong?" Sirius asked curiously, following his gaze, he saw that it was a pile of 'scrap' from the Black family.

Blake tilted his head and showed an I-know-you smile:

"You don't have to be so polite, Zhang, just take whatever you like. If you want, you can take them all with you."

Either that, Sirius is a good person, and he won't say anything if something happens. The key is to be really generous.

Zhang Xiao looked away, smiled and shook his head:

"Forget it, I'll find someone to get some display cabinets to store these things properly. There's also a portrait of Mrs. Black. I think it's better to put it in the tapestry room of your house."

"Tapestry? Have you seen that thing?" Blake shrugged: "Okay, Zhang, you have the final say. Anyway, the right to use this place belongs to you."

The two chatted for a while and then began to classify the pile of things.

During this period, the four little ones upstairs kept sending some weird things down, but there were fewer and fewer of them. Hermione was already sitting on a wooden chair in the hall holding a few thick books and reading them carefully. With.

Ron and Harry chased after Malfoy with evil smiles on their faces, trying to get him to call him uncle.

The young master's face turned red with anger, but there was nothing he could do, because according to the genealogy, he really should be called uncle.

At noon, at Zhang Xiao's suggestion, several people went out and found a Muggle restaurant to have a good meal, and also packed a portion for the elves.

The elves ate the food with tears in their eyes and said those slightly exaggerated thanks. Everyone felt a little uncomfortable.

Especially Kreacher, when Sirius handed over a pizza with a very bad attitude, his shocked expression and gray eyes bulged outwards, as if he didn't expect Sirius to do this.

Everyone noticed that the old elf's ears were hanging down, and he shuffled to a deserted place while carrying the pizza.

It took another afternoon to finally sort out most of the items by category.

Zhang Xiao stretched out and flicked a few glasses of ice-cold lemon juice in the air. The glasses slowly flew toward the disgraced little wizards and Blake.

Sirius wiped his sweat feebly, and the original exquisite casual suit had been thrown aside, and the hair modified with hair wax lay softly on his head.

Straight casual trousers have a lot of dust on them.

He took the lemon juice: "Nice magic, Zhang."

After taking a sip, Sirius complained: "I really don't want any of these things."

Kreacher immediately glared at him.

Zhang Xiao was actually a little tired, but for him, this old house was the headquarters to be cleaned, and with the addition of the Horcrux, he could kill two birds with one stone. More importantly, he found a lot of interesting little people in Black. stuff.

They are all rare gadgets that can no longer be seen on the market. For example, there is a small handheld mirror with a built-in beauty function. You will look very beautiful in the mirror, and it will praise your beauty with all kinds of exaggerated compliments.

"Sirius, you are still so young, maybe you will meet someone who will make you want to get married?

To say the least, you have to think about Harry, you know what I mean. "

Sirius nodded thoughtfully:

"Zhang, you are right. Although I think the possibility of me meeting a soul mate is very small, I do have to think about Harry. I now know why Dumbledore asked me to value your opinion.

To be honest, I think we get along very well chatting with you, just like the two of us did before, more like buddies. "

He drank the lemon juice in his hand and cheered up: "Let's end this damn job today."

Zhang Xiao let go of the hand holding the cup and calmed down. His eyes closed and then opened suddenly. Sirius felt as if he saw a flash of light in Zhang Xiao's eyes.

He rubbed his eyes, feeling that he had seen something wrong, but when he looked carefully, he found that Zhang Xiao's eyes seemed different.

It seems to be the most luxurious and exquisite gemstone, full of an indescribable charm.

"Zhang, what kind of magic is this? It seems very interesting. How did you do it?

Wow, your eyes look very beautiful. "

Sirius asked with interest.

"Ah, this is an Eastern magic. It is mainly used to observe things that cannot be seen with the naked eye. I will check to see if there are any missing dark magic items."

Zhang Xiao said, his eyes scanning back and forth on the sorted things.

He looked at the ferocious snake and Voldemort's virtual image displayed on the pendant box in his vision, paused, and said in a tone of unclear meaning:

"Sirius"

"uh-huh?"

"Send a message to Professor Dumbledore as soon as possible. I think we have hit the jackpot."

Sirius was stunned for a moment, and then showed an excited smile. It was an adventurous factor in his blood that was unwilling to settle down - in fact, he just wanted to have fun.

"Go now!"

When the moon jumped onto the branches and formed a picture called night together with the stars, Dumbledore rushed to Grimmauld Place after a long journey.

"I was in Bulgaria at an international wizarding conference, and it was pretty boring.

I was overjoyed to receive your news, but I had to pretend to be very serious to announce that there was a very important matter that I needed to go back and deal with immediately. "

Dumbledore was wearing a very rare black wizard robe (actually the uniform of the International Federation of Wizards), and said with a smile through the half-moon moon lenses.

The four little ones were a little tired after playing all day and were sitting on the sofa taking a nap.

Seeing Dumbledore's figure, they stood up in surprise:

"Principal Dumbledore, why are you here?"

Zhang Xiao came over, put the pendant box in Dumbledore's hand, nodded slightly at him, and said nothing, but his meaning was quite clear.

Dumbledore's smile disappeared. He thought there were many urgent things, such as getting clues about Voldemort, encountering Death Eaters, etc., but they definitely did not include Horcruxes.

Voldemort's Horcruxes are not potatoes in the field, so how could they be found everywhere?

He took the pendant box and looked at it carefully with his eyes, the tip of his long and slightly crooked nose even touching it, looking at it carefully bit by bit.

Then he took a deep breath and his expression became strange.

A little solemn, a little relieved, and a little happy.

Dumbledore pretended not to see Sirius' impatient curiosity, but looked at the four young wizards sitting in a row with shining eyes and extremely energetic:

"Girls and boys, I think it's getting late and it's time to rest."

"Oh no, it can't be like this!" The four little wizards sighed in disappointment.

Harry jumped up: "Professor Dumbledore, we want to know too."

"That's right, we have been here all day to contribute our strength, we can't just throw us away." Ron clenched his fists, and the freckles on his face turned red.

Hermione tried to find a theoretical basis for her curiosity:

"Professor, I think curiosity is the most important thing for students. You can't just kill our imagination."

Malfoy said seriously: "I strongly object to your behavior. Since Zhang can know, then we demand the same right to know!"

Dumbledore was amused by several people. He lowered his head and looked past the half-moon lenses, with a smile in his blue eyes:

"Yes, you are all right, but that doesn't mean that the third-year wizard doesn't need to rest."

After saying that, he ignored the dissatisfied cries of the four little wizards, stretched out his arms, and said with a smile:

"So, come together."

Several children complained and winked at Zhang Xiao, expressing envy that he could stay, but also having a profound meaning - waiting for your news, man!

Zhang Xiao waved to them:

"Good night!"

With a 'crackling' sound, the figures of Dumbledore and the four people stretched, twisted and disappeared in an instant.

Sirius raised his eyebrows: "I remember that this house seemed to be protected by an anti-Apparition spell."

He looked at Zhang Xiao and said with great curiosity:

"Okay, Zhang, now that there's no one else here, can we talk about this locket? What's the secret in it?"

Dumbledore looked surprised. "

Zhang Xiao's eyes quietly looked towards the shadow of the stairs, where Kreacher was squatting there like a small statue.

"Sirius, don't worry. This cannot be explained in one or two sentences. We will talk about it after Professor Dumbledore comes. Compared with this, I think we should pay more attention to one thing.

That's how this locket came about. "

The small figure in the darkness trembled.

In fact, Zhang Xiao didn't know if Dumbledore was willing to tell Sirius about the Horcruxes. If he hadn't already known the facts, he might not have wanted to tell him even himself.

It wasn't that he was worried that Sirius would make Horcruxes, the main reason was Harry.

I'm afraid Dumbledore had long suspected that Voldemort's soul might be in Harry's body, but there was no evidence. He was afraid that Sirius would do something irrational if he knew that Harry was also a Horcrux.

Because in the wizarding world, the only way to destroy a Horcrux is to destroy the Horcrux itself.

Dumbledore came back quickly, and it was obvious that he was quite anxious.

"Zhang, Sirius, tell me how you found this locket."

Sirius suppressed his curiosity and told Zhang that he wanted to give the Black family's mansion to Zhang as a thank you, as well as a series of things that happened in the future.

At the end, Zhang Xiao added:

"I wanted to do one last screening to see if there were any hidden dark magic items among the items we classified as normal, and then I discovered this pendant."

Dumbledore glanced at Zhang Xiao's eyes and praised:

"I have to sigh again, Zhang, it is really a magical oriental magic."

He placed the pendant in the palm of his hand and stared at it: "So the next question is, how did this thing get here."

Sirius had just been reminded by Zhang Xiao and had been thinking for a certain amount of time. He suddenly remembered that this pendant was taken by Kreacher, so...

"Kreacher!"

In the shadow of the stairs, the little figure trembled more and more, but it could not resist Sirius's order.

It shuffled over slowly, bowed low, and muttered to its head and knees: "Master."

Then it looked at Dumbledore in awe and continued to mutter:

"Dumbledore. A powerful and noble wizard. Even the old master is afraid of his power even as he curses."

Sirius frowned and asked:

"What's going on with this locket?"

Kreacher's body was shaking, and it could be seen that it was trying hard to resist the order, but Sirius had already said sharply:

"I order you to answer truthfully, do you understand?"

Kreacher gasped for air, his withered chest heaving rapidly, then he opened his eyes and let out a blood-curdling scream.

"The locket, Master Regulus's locket, Kreacher made a mistake, Kreacher failed to carry out the master's order!"

It rushed towards the poker standing by the stove, wanting to punish itself, but it was frozen in the air. Dumbledore put down his finger, with a thoughtful look on his face.

Zhang Xiao showed the same thoughtful look just right.

Also frozen along with Kreacher was Sirius. He looked at Kreacher blankly, with an expression on his face that was both surprised and confused:

"Regulus? My brother? Him. Him."

"Sirius, you might as well let Kreacher continue talking." Zhang Xiao reminded him in time.

Sirius suddenly understood, and he ordered urgently:

"Kreacher, tell the whole story without hiding anything. This is an order!"

The elf sat on the ground and huddled up, put his wet face between his knees, and began to rock back and forth.

When he spoke, his voice was low and muffled, but audible in the quiet, echoing kitchen.

"Master Sirius has escaped, and it would be better if he was gone, for he is a bad boy, and his unruly behavior has broken my mistress's heart.

But Master Regulus has self-respect, and he knows what the name Black and his pure blood mean.

For many years, he often talked about the Dark Lord, who wanted wizards to stop hiding and come out to rule Muggles and their descendants...

When Master Regulus was sixteen, he joined the Dark Lord's organization. He was so proud, so proud, so happy to be able to serve..."

"A year later, one day, Master Regulus came to visit Kreacher in the kitchen. Master Regulus has always liked Kreacher. Master Regulus said...he said..."

The old elf shook faster.

"...He said the Dark Lord wanted an elf."

"The Dark Lord needs an elf?" Sirius asked doubtfully, because everyone knew that the Dark Lord looked down on everything except pure blood.

"Oh, yes," Kreacher said bitterly, "Master Regulus contributed to Kreacher.

It was an honor, Master Regulus said, an honor for himself and for Kreacher. Kreacher had to do whatever the Dark Lord asked him to do... and then go back - home. "

Kreacher shook faster, his breathing turning into sobs.

"So Kreacher went to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord didn't tell Kreacher what to do, but took Kreacher to a cave by the sea. It was a big cave, and there was a big black lake in the cave..."

Zhang Xiao noticed that Dumbledore was stunned for a moment, as if he had remembered something, but then quickly continued to listen carefully.

"...there is a boat..."

"There is a stone basin on the island, filled with magic potion. The Dark Lord asked Kreacher to drink it..."

The elf was trembling all over.

"Kreacher drank and saw many horrific scenes while drinking...Kreacher's internal organs were on fire...

Kreacher called to Master Regulus to save him, and to call the mistress.

But the Dark Lord just laughed... He forced Kreacher to drink up the potion... He threw a locket into the empty basin... and filled the basin with the potion. "

"Then the Dark Lord got on the boat and left, leaving Kreacher on the island..."

"Kreacher needed water. He climbed to the edge of the island to drink the water from the black lake...Many hands, dead hands, stretched out from the water and dragged Kreacher down..."

"How did you escape?" Sirius asked softly.

Kreacher raised his ugly head and looked at him with big bloodshot eyes.

"Master Regulus said he wanted Kreacher to come home," he said.

"It seems that this elf has disapparated." Dumbledore sighed, "The elf's magic is different from the wizard's magic.

Voldemort looked down upon house elves, treating them like dirty and despicable beasts.

It would never have occurred to him that the elf might have magic that he didn't have. "

"The highest law for a house elf is the master's command," Kreacher said in a sing-song voice. "The master told Kreacher to go home, and Kreacher went home..."

Zhang Xiao was as quiet as if he was not there, acting as a qualified listener.

"What happened next, Kreacher?"

Sirius's voice became hoarse at some point. He stared at Kreacher and asked:

"What did Regulus say when you told the master what happened?"

"Master Regulus is very worried, very worried."

Kreacher shouted: "Regulus told Kreacher to hide and not leave the house.

Then... a while later... one night, Master Regulus came to the cupboard and found Kreacher.

Master Regulus looked strange, not like his usual self, and Kreacher could see that he was in a state of confusion... The master asked Kreacher to take him to the cave, the same cave where Kreacher and the Dark Lord had been... "

Kreacher grabbed his big ears hard, knelt on the ground in pain, and cried bitterly:

"Thunder - Master Regulus took out a locket from his pocket, just like the Dark Lord's,"

Kreacher said, tears streaming down the sides of his long nose, "He asked Kreacher to hold it and change the locket after the stone basin was dry..."

Kreacher's sobs became so thick and harsh that everyone had to concentrate to hear his words.

"He ordered - Kreacher to leave - to leave him alone.

He called Kreacher - go home - don't tell the mistress - what he did -

But it must be destroyed - the first locket.

Then he drank—drank the potion—Kreacher replaced the locket—and watched... Master Regulus... being dragged underwater... and then..."

Sirius was like a statue and even forgot to ask Kreacher why he didn't bring Regulus back.

His expression became extremely complicated. The idiot brother who he had always regarded as a fool and a weak character joined the ranks of Death Eaters and finally disappeared mysteriously.

But he was willing to die to resist the Dark Lord?

But why did he never tell me? He clearly knows that I have been resisting the Dark Lord?

Sirius felt a little out of breath in his chest. He opened his mouth, and the thin child with black hair seemed to appear in front of his eyes again. He always liked to follow behind him, shouting about his brother.

He always seemed to be cowardly, saying nothing when he had an argument with his parents, and abiding by all the arrangements of the pure-blood obsessed couple.

When he did something disobedient, his parents, who made him feel depressed and painful, would always scold him and say, 'Fortunately there is Regulus.'

Isn’t he a good boy for his parents? Why are you so stupid?

Sirius was suddenly stunned. He felt as if something was filling his chest. It was a huge, unspeakable sadness.

I understand that two children cannot both be rebellious. Regulus took my share of responsibility, so I can live freely.

Tears fell silently from his eyes. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

During the summer vacation of my first year, Regulus was obviously fascinated by what Gryffindor life was like.

Sirius lowered his head, covered his face with his hands, and let out low sobs.

Fate seems to have always been cruel to me. Friends, family, it seems that these things have been stripped away one by one.

The entire foyer was silent except for the sounds of Sirius and Kreacher crying.

Zhang Xiao sighed lowly. Although it was a story he already knew, the feeling of hearing it again was still so heavy.

"Regulus." Dumbledore said in a low voice with memories in his eyes: "That Slytherin boy"

He did not continue.

"Kreacher, continue." Sirius said with a strong nasal voice, his eyes red, letting tears cover his entire face.

The elf was lying on the ground, panting and trembling all over. The area around his nose was shiny with green mucus. His pale forehead had already swollen into a big bag, and his eyes were red, swollen and bloodshot, and filled with tears.

"Kreacher couldn't leave any trace on it." The elf said sadly:

"Kreacher tried every method, every method, but none, none succeeded...

There are so many powerful magics on the box that Kreacher believes that it can only be destroyed from the inside, but it cannot be opened...

Kreacher punished himself and tried again, punished himself and tried again.

Kreacher failed to carry out the order, Kreacher could not destroy the locket!

The mistress was beside herself with grief, for Master Regulus was missing, and Kreacher could not tell her what had happened.

No, because Master Regulus forbids him from telling his family what happened in the cave..."

Kreacher burst into tears.

Sirius roared: "So why don't you bring Regulus back? Why? Since that potion won't be fatal, you are still alive and well after all!"

why not? "

Kreacher let out a scream of pain and jumped up to punish himself again, but was stopped by Dumbledore.

"Sirius, I'm afraid I know why."

Sirius turned his head sharply to look at Dumbledore.

"Because... it's a Horcrux."

"Horcrux?"

"Yes, Horcrux." Dumbledore picked up the pendant box, placed it in his palm, and said in a low voice:

"It is something very important to Voldemort. If it disappears without any reason, when Voldemort finds out, it will probably be an unprecedented massacre for the Black family.

Regulus used his own life to end everything on himself. "

In fact, the matter is not complicated, and it is not difficult for everyone present to understand.

Sirius obviously understood. He raised his head and closed his eyes in pain. For the proud Sirius, there was nothing more painful than discovering that he had actually been escaping.

Nothing saddened him more than his weak brother who was far more courageous than he thought.

After a long time, he said hoarsely:

"Dumbledore, I'm asking for your help, Zhang, I want to ask for your help too."

Dumbledore and Zhang Xiao looked at him.

"I want to bring Regulus' body back, give him a decent funeral, and bury him in the Black family cemetery."

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