Hogwarts' Golden Glory

"According to Clause 14 of the Supplementary Terms of the Contract,"

His voice was exceptionally clear in the dimly lit room.

"From this day forward, ownership of all house-elves within 12 Grimmauld Place is transferred to the Malfoy family."

Sirius Black suddenly looked up, his eyes blazing with fury: "You fucking—"

"Including Kreacher."

Kane added calmly, his grey-blue eyes turning to the old elf huddled in the corner, "Isn't that right, Kreacher?"

The house-elf trembled, his tea towel twisted into a pretzel: "The...the esteemed Master Malfoy is now Kreacher's master..."

Harry saw his godfather's face turn deathly pale. Sirius grabbed Kreacher's ear: "Tell me about Regulus! That's an order!"

"It's no use, Black." Kane leaned against the desk, his wand twirling gracefully between his fingers.

"He only listens to me now."

He paused deliberately, then took a Galleon from his dragon-skin money pouch, which gleamed in the candlelight.

"However..." The gold coin twirled between his fingers, "Perhaps from the ten thousand Galleons compensation the Ministry of Magic just gave you, you could set aside... say, one thousand Galleons?"

The gold coin landed on the oak table with a "clink." "Buy the truth."

Sirius Black's wand instantly pointed at Kane's throat: "You little bastard—"

"Two thousand." Kane said without changing his expression, and then offered two more gold coins.

"Think about it, Blake, this money is enough for you to buy Potter some clothes... or get your brother's last words back."

Harry saw that his godfather's hands were trembling.

The gold coins cast dazzling spots of light on the table, like a malicious mockery.

"Three thousand Galleons."

Kane continued to raise the stakes, "Buying a piece of Kreacher's memory. Fair enough, isn't it? After all..."

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. "When you ran away from home back then, you didn't consider the family treasury."

These words were like a blunt knife stabbing into a wound.

Sirius stumbled, and Harry quickly steadied him.

"No..." Harry whispered, "We can go to Dumbledore—"

"It's no use, child."

Sirius's voice suddenly sounded ten years older: "A contract is a contract."

He knew the other party's contractual obligations came at a high price!

He turned to Kane, his eyes filled with a weariness Harry had never seen before. "Five thousand Galleons. That's all I can add, and I need to know everything."

Kane clapped softly: "A wise choice."

He magically produced a roll of parchment. "Sign it. Five thousand Galleons for Kreacher's memory of the truth about Regulus Blakker's death."

As Sirius Black trembled as he signed his name, Harry noticed a line of smaller print below the contract: "Voluntarily waives the right to pursue legal action against the Malfoy family for their acquisition of the Black Library."

The moment the ink on the parchment dried, the air in the study seemed to freeze.

Kane Malfoy gracefully put away the contract, and the tip of his wand glowed with a silver-blue light.

"Let's begin, Kreacher." His voice softened unusually. "Let's start from the beginning."

Kreacher huddled by the fireplace, his gaunt back casting a distorted shadow in the firelight.

"That was the summer of 1979," his ears drooped limply, "The Dark Lord needed... needed a house-elf."

Sirius Black suddenly sat up straight: "Voldemort?"

"Yes," the old elf stammered, "Back then, young master Regulus still... still believed in him."

His withered fingers dug into the carpet. "The young master said, 'Kreacher is suitable; it is an honor to serve the master.'"

Harry recalled what Dumbledore had said—that many pure-blood families initially supported that man.

"Hmph, my foolish brother!" Sirius also cursed at Regulus.

"There is a large black lake inside the cave."

Kreacher's pupils began to dilate. "The Dark Lord took Kreacher to the stone basin and ordered... ordered him to drink all the green potion."

"Every sip feels like swallowing a red-hot knife."

The old elf tore open his clothes, revealing a hideous scar on his chest. "But Kreacher must obey..."

"Kreacher cried out for Master Regulus to save him, and cried out for his mistress, but the Dark Lord just laughed... He made Kreacher drink all the potions... He put a box in an empty bowl... He filled it with more potions."

Kreacher suddenly slammed his head against the coffee table. "Then the Dark Lord rowed the ship away, leaving Kreacher alone on the island."

Harry could almost see Voldemort staring at the poor little elf, forcing him to drink that deadly potion.

But how did the other person survive?

"How did you escape?"

Sirius Black had also thought of this. He immediately asked.

"Young Master Regulus has sent Kreacher back," he replied.

"I know... but how did you escape from those undead?"

Kreacher didn't seem to understand Sirius's words.

"Young Master Regulus has sent Kreacher back," he repeated.

"A house-elf's Apparition! I can only say Voldemort was too careless! He underestimated the magic of house-elves."

Kane also helped explain, otherwise the original master and servant might have spent a whole day asking about this matter!

"After hearing this, young master Regulus..."

The old elf suddenly burst into tears, "He didn't leave his study for three days and three nights. In the end, he held up the fake locket and said, 'The Dark Lord should taste the bitterness of betrayal.' It's all my fault, young master..."

"Stop crying! Keep talking!" Sirius still couldn't believe his younger brother would do such a thing!

He was more interested in knowing what happened next!

"The young master said... he wanted Kreacher to take him to the cave where the Dark Lord had taken Kreacher..."

Tears still welled in the old elf's large eyes. "Kreacher doesn't want to go...there are terrible things there...but the young master said it's an order..."

Harry held his breath. The firewood in the fireplace crackled and popped, sparks flying onto the carpet, but no one paid any attention.

"We've arrived at the cave..."

"The stone basin needs to be emptied by constantly drinking the medicine." Kreacher started pulling his ear again. "The young master said, 'This time I'll drink it, you go get the real locket!'"

Sirius Black suddenly stood up, then slumped back down: "Merlin..."

"Then Kreacher...switched the locket..."

Kreacher's withered fingers traced the scratches on the locket. "The young master said... said, 'I'll make that arrogant bastard taste defeat'..."

Sirius opened his eyes wide in shock.

These words actually came from the mouth of his younger brother, whom he considered "cowardly".

Even Harry was filled with admiration for the other party's bravery at this moment!

"And then?" Sirius's voice was hoarse and barely audible.

Kreacher's sobs turned into wailing: "The young master drank the entire potion in the stone basin himself..."

"Order Kreacher to leave! Order Kreacher to destroy the locket! And then...and then..."

His voice suddenly became so low that it was almost inaudible.

Sirius looked as if he had been punched in the chest, and curled up.

Harry saw his godfather's lips trembling, but he couldn't make a sound.

Without a doubt, Sirius knew that his younger brother had died just like that!

"The water...the dead people in the water have come back to life..." Kreacher continued to bang his head against the floor.

"They grabbed the young master's legs... his lips were turning purple... and he was still yelling at Kreacher, 'Go! Go now!'..."