𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐓 ━━ golden trio era

[007] DUMBLEDORE'S LETTER

The musty air of Grimmauld Place hung heavy with tension as Harry, Ron, and Hermione huddled in the dimly lit kitchen. Days of fruitless searching had left them frustrated and on edge. The locket Horcrux seemed to be slipping further from their grasp with each passing hour.

Harry paced the length of the room, his footsteps echoing in the silence. "There has to be something we're missing," he muttered, running a hand through his already messy hair.

Hermione sat at the long wooden table, surrounded by piles of books and parchments. Her usually neat hair was frizzier than ever, a testament to the stress they were all under. "We've been through everything, Harry," she said, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "If there was any clue about R.A.B. or the locket in this house, we would have found it by now."

Ron, sprawled in a chair by the fire, looked up from the old copy of the Daily Prophet he'd been halfheartedly scanning. "Maybe we should try asking Kreacher again? He's been here longer than anyone. If there's anything we've missed, he'd know about it."

Harry stopped his pacing, considering Ron's suggestion. It wasn't a bad idea, but dealing with the cantankerous old house-elf was always a challenge. Still, they were running out of options.

"Kreacher," Harry called out, his voice firm but not unkind.

With a loud crack, the ancient house-elf appeared before them. His bat-like ears drooped, and his bloodshot eyes darted suspiciously between the three young wizards.

"Master called for Kreacher?" he croaked, his tone a mixture of obligation and disdain.

Harry took a deep breath, trying to keep his frustration in check. "Kreacher, we need to ask you about something important. It's about a locket that used to be in this house. A big gold locket with an 'S' on it. Do you remember seeing anything like that?"

At the mention of the locket, Kreacher's entire demeanor changed. His eyes widened, and his gnarled hands began to twist the dirty pillowcase he wore.

"Locket?" he muttered, more to himself than to the others. "Master Regulus's locket?"

Hermione leaned forward, her interest piqued. "Regulus? As in Regulus Black? Sirius's brother?"

Kreacher nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving the floor. "Master Regulus was a good boy. Not like nasty Master Sirius. He understood the importance of blood purity, he did."

Harry felt a flicker of excitement. This was the first real lead they'd had in days. "Kreacher, please. It's very important. What do you know about the locket?"

The house-elf remained silent for a long moment, clearly wrestling with some internal conflict. Finally, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "Kreacher knows about the locket. Kreacher promised Master Regulus──"

"Promised him what?" Ron asked, leaning forward in his chair.

Kreacher shook his head violently. "Kreacher can't say. Kreacher promised."

Harry knelt down, bringing himself to eye level with the elf. "Kreacher, listen to me. We're trying to finish what Regulus started. We want to destroy the locket. But we need to find it first. Can you tell us where it is?"

At these words, Kreacher's eyes filled with tears. "The locket is gone," he wailed. "Kreacher failed Master Regulus!"

Hermione gasped. "Gone? What do you mean, gone?"

Kreacher wrung his hands, clearly distressed. "The locket isn't here anymore. Kreacher doesn't have it."

Harry felt his heart sink. Another dead end. But something in Kreacher's manner made him press on. "Kreacher, please. If you know where the locket is, you have to tell us. It's crucial in defeating Voldemort."