Hogwarts' Golden Glory

Dark clouds hung over Grimmauld Place.

Kane Malfoy's black dragon-skin boots clattered heavily on the steps in front of number 12.

The Black family crest in his hand gleamed with an eerie silver light in the dim light.

"Open the door," he commanded softly.

With a sickening metallic scraping sound, the scratched black lacquered door slowly opened.

An air filled with the smells of mildew, camphor, and ancient potions wafted towards us.

"Welcome to the Black family mansion, Your Excellency Malfoy."

Kreacher bowed deeply, his prominent eyes flashing with a complex light—resentment, fear, and a hint of eerie expectation.

Kane's gaze swept across the foyer: a portrait of Mrs. Black, who was always screaming, hung on the peeling wallpaper; the candlesticks were covered with thick wax; and suspicious stains on the carpet looked like dried blood.

"Where is Regulus Black's room?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

Kreacher's large ears twitched violently: "Master Regulus's Sanctuary... No, Kreacher cannot..."

Kane took a roll of parchment from his pocket: "According to Article 37 of the Magic Contract, I have the right to inspect any room in the mansion."

"Take him with you!"

Suddenly, the portrait of Mrs. Black on the wall erupted in a piercing scream, "Let Kane see how good my son is! A million times better than that good-for-nothing!"

Kane raised an eyebrow at the portrait: "Madam may have forgotten that the 'spendthrift' you mentioned has just restored the family's honor."

"Honor?" the old woman laughed shrilly. "The honor of associating with Mudbloods? The honor of befriending werewolves?"

Kane ignored her screams and followed Kreacher up the creaking stairs.

Each time you pass through a door, the old-fashioned gas lamp on the wall will automatically turn on.

Illuminate more unsettling decorations: a house-elf skull specimen, a spider web fixed with black magic, and a troll tapestry that spits at passersby.

"This is it."

Kreacher stopped in front of an ebony door on the third-floor corner, his withered fingers trembling as he traced the gilded "RAB" lettering on the door panel.

Kane pushed open the door and was surprised to find that this room was completely different from the gloomy atmosphere of the rest of the mansion.

The light blue wallpaper is printed with a faint star map.

The desk was so tidy it looked like its owner had just left. On the bedside table sat a framed photo—the boy in it had a similar profile to Sirius Black, but with softer eyes.

"A photo of my young master when he was sixteen..." Kreacher sobbed, "He would smile at me back then..."

"Kreacher," he said without turning his head, "bring me Master Regulus's diary from the last year."

The house-elf's large eyes gleamed in the shadows: "How did Your Excellency Malfoy know...?"

"Diary entry from July 1980."

Kane interrupted him, his grey-blue eyes reflecting the candlelight like a frozen lake.

"It's the record from the day the Dark Lord borrowed you."

Kreacher froze on the spot as if struck by lightning, the tea towel slipping from his shoulder.

He walked shakily to the top of the bookshelf and took down a book with a dark green cover.

The gold lettering on the cover has faded.

Kane opened the diary and stopped precisely on the middle page—a piece of paper had been deliberately torn out, leaving only a few scraps.

"Master...Master ordered Kreacher not to say it..."

The old elf began banging his head against the wall.

"But the contract stipulates that you must obey the current head of the family, doesn't it?"

Kane took out a yellowed parchment tatter from his pocket; the edges of it fit perfectly into the diary.

Kreacher stopped self-harming, his bulbous eyes widening even further: "This...this is impossible..."

"July 31, 1980," Kane murmured, "Today I learned my master's secret. That locket... I must do something. Merlin, I sent Kreacher to such a hell..."

Suddenly, a loud bang came from downstairs as a door was kicked open and Sirius Black cursed.

Kane smiled slightly—the other party's arrival was quite timely.

"Bring me the locket," he commanded. "Now."

When Sirius stormed into the study in a rage, this was the scene he saw: Kane Malfoy holding a rusty gold locket, while Kreacher knelt on the floor, weeping bitterly.

"What the hell are you doing—"

Sirius's voice abruptly stopped, his gaze fixed on the familiar locket.

"Do you recognize this, Blake?"

Kane turned the locket over, revealing the inscription inside: "RAB"

Sirius seemed to be petrified, his face turning deathly pale instantly.

He mechanically took the locket, his fingers tracing the letters: "Regulus...this is Regulus's..."

Sirius felt a surge of powerful dark magic emanating from the locket, and his heart began to race.

"He actually collects these dark magic items!"

"Your brother's belongings," Kane said calmly. "To be precise, the spoils of war he earned with his life."

Sirius Black looked up abruptly, his eyes burning with anger and confusion: "What the hell are you talking about? My brother is a cowardly Death Eater!"

"Is that so?" Kane took out a suicide note, and the words on it floated in the air with the help of his wand:

To the Dark Lord:

"I know I will be dead by the time you read this letter, but I want you to know that I discovered your secret, and I have taken the real Horcrux and destroyed it as soon as possible."

I would risk my life so that when you meet your destined opponent, you are merely a mortal of flesh and blood.

RAB

Sirius's hands began to tremble, and the locket fell to the ground with a clatter.

Kreacher immediately pounced on it and hugged it tightly as if it were a sacred object.

"My young master is the bravest!" the old elf shrieked. "He switched the Dark Lord's treasures! He drank the potion pool dry! He...he was dragged underwater!..."

Harry rushed up to the third floor, holding onto the rotten stair railing.

Just then, Sirius Black grabbed Kreacher's tea towel and lifted him into the air.

The old elf clutched the rusted locket tightly in his arms.

It hissed threateningly like a mother animal protecting her cubs.

"Regulus is dead!" Sirius's voice shook the windows. "And you've been keeping this secret right under my nose all these years?"

"Sirius!" Harry blurted out.

He saw dangerous sparks fly from the tip of the Godfather's wand.

Meanwhile, Kane Malfoy was leaning against his desk, fiddling with a gold quill pen, as if watching an interesting play.

"Ah, the savior has arrived."

Kane snapped his fingers. "I advise your godfather that it's not very dignified to lay a hand on someone else's house-elves."

Sirius Black suddenly turned around.

This was the first time Harry had ever seen such a ferocious expression on his face.

"What have you done, Malfoy? How did Kreacher become your house-elf?"

"What's in the contract is simply the exercise of legal rights."