The Devil's In The Details

Chapter Seven

When Harry woke the next morning Ron was long gone and his bed was cold. Kreacher was at the foot of his bed with a glass of water.

"For the young one."

Harry took it gratefully. "Thank you, Elder." He took slow sips of the warm water, pleased it wasn't cold, he didn't think his stomach would appreciate anything cold just now. Looking around at his room, he noticed it wasn't as dank and dusty as it had been the night before. "Kreacher? Did you clean my room?"

Kreacher looked up at him, pleased with himself. "Yes, young one. Do you like it? Mistress said you might appreciate it."

"I do! You honour me with your practiced work, Elder."

Kreacher beamed before growing more serious. "Young one, Mistress said you might be able to help poor Kreacher."

Kaerim sat up straighter. "What's wrong?" he said in alarm.

"The other guests," he said with a sneer, "are cleaning. But they are throwing out many of Mistress' things and the heirlooms of the Noble House of Black."

Kaerim's eyes hardened. "What?"

"They are destroying or putting things in the rubbish, Young One!" He cried moving closer to the bed, sensing an ally. "Kreacher has been rescuing things, but they keep taking them!"

Kaerim sat, thinking frantically. This was unacceptable. This was a Noble and Ancient House and its property should be treated with respect. If Sirius didn't want to deal with it, he should put the objects in the family's vault for the next heir, as is tradition.

"Okay," Kaerim said. "Okay. How is your magic fairing?"

"Much better now."

"Alright. We will save your Mistress' belongings and the Black family's heirlooms." Kreacher looked up at him in awe, eyes glistening. "Okay, so, we are going to need a trunk. We can put it somewhere in the attic so no one goes peeking in it. I'll enchant it to safely hold all of the objects and books that they're getting rid of."

"But how should Kreacher take them without being found?"

"Today the older Weasley woman will want me to help clean, right?" Kreacher nodded, his ears flopping back and forth. "If we say that, as a favour to me, I asked you to clean the house and finish what they've started, as long as you clean a bit as you go around rescuing everything, nobody will question where they've gone."

"The Young One is as smart as the Mistress says!" Kreacher cried. "Kreacher will go get a spare trunk right away."

Kaerim blinked and the old house-elf was gone and back with a large black trunk with the Black crest boldly displayed.

"Okay, let me grab my wand and we'll get started. How about you start getting things that have been binned or that you've hidden?" Kreacher popped from the room as soon as word stopped leaving Kaerim's mouth.

Kaerim nodded to himself and slipped out from under his bed covers. Reaching into his pile of clothes from yesterday he pulled out his mahogany wand. Kaerim knelt gingerly in front of the glossy trunk. He opened it and peeked inside. It was, thankfully, empty. There was a little peeling label in the corner on the lid,

Regulus A. Black

It had been Sirius's brother's trunk. A good choice. Sirius was unlikely to look or let anyone else look inside it.

Kaerim got to work. He pulled out his wand with a flourish and began mumbling spells. Spells to cushion the objects inside, to keep things from breaking, to expand the inside, and notice me not spells on the outside, to keep people from finding it too easily. When he was satisfied he sat back on his heels and waited for the Elderly house-elf to return.