Chapter -3
"Kreacher!" Regulus Black called for his house-elf, casually tucking the charm box into his belt.
This charm box, modified by magic, had now become a magical item akin to a small parchment.
Its significance lies in the fact that the traveler Regulus has not only perfectly fused with the soul and the corpse of Regulus Black.
The system brought by the travel has also perfectly integrated with the magic of this world; otherwise, such a magical item could not have been created.
"Oh! My master, Kreacher has always hoped you are well; Kreacher's wish has come true."
A small elf with bat-like large ears appeared, his hoarse voice and aged face enough to prove he was very old. He wore a garment made of rags, which was essentially just something like a bag; many house-elves dress like this, with towel pillowcases and torn clothes as their first choice.
"Kreacher, I am very weak now and need to go home to rest as soon as possible."
Regulus Black knew that he could not be too kind to house-elves; otherwise, they would harm themselves in excitement. Scolding them would also lead to self-harm. Regardless of how they were treated, as long as there was a slight misunderstanding or it was excessive, they would harm themselves. In this regard, they are a truly magical race.
"Yes, yes, my master is weak and needs rest; Kreacher will take master home immediately."
Kreacher reached out and grabbed Black's hand, the cold temperature making it feel a pang of heartache.
With a snap of his fingers, Kreacher brought Regulus Black back to the old house at 12 Grimmauld Place.
This is Sirius's home, as well as Regulus Black's home, the ancestral home of the Black family, a wizard's house protected by layers of magical defenses, hidden among ordinary Muggle residential areas, with numbers 11 and 13 on either side, but the missing 12 has never been noticed or questioned as to why there is a missing number.
Regulus Black was very clear that this was all due to the Muggle repelling charm.
"Kreacher, prepare hot water for me to take a bath. After I finish, I hope to have hot soup, and finally, I need a copy of today's newspaper."
Regulus Black's attitude towards house-elves was not particularly good, but this was the best attitude for Kreacher.
House-elves hope to serve noble wizard families, wishing to have things to do and to keep doing them. This is an essence deeply rooted in their souls. From a normal person's perspective, this is completely incomprehensible servitude, but this is their way of survival.
"Yes, master, Kreacher will prepare right away; please follow me."
Kreacher was delighted to serve the esteemed Black family member again, carefully guiding Regulus Black into the bathroom.
The water in the bathtub immediately heated up under Kreacher's magic, assisting Regulus Black in removing the clothing from his body. After his master lay in the bathtub and essential oils were sprinkled, Kreacher bowed and withdrew to prepare food.
The Black family, in this generation, has three daughters and two sons: Bellatrix Lestrange , Andromeda Tonks , and Narcissa Malfoy . These three women are cousins of Black.
Among them, two have children: Nymphadora Tonks and Draco Malfoy.
Bellatrix has never had children, neither with her husband nor, as rumored, with Voldemort. However, some fan-fiction suggests that she did have a child, but it was sacrificed to Voldemort.
Lost in thought, Regulus Black was sorting through his memories when he discovered a distant relative.
Arthur Weasley is the great-grandson of Sirius Black's uncle, and Molly Weasley is his cousin by marriage, so... the entire wizarding world is actually one family. This is truly hard to comment on!
Stepping out of the bathtub, Regulus Black naturally took a bathrobe from the nearby cabinet, choosing a comfortable and warm set.
He also discovered a benefit of his system: the panoramic map could display the places he had visited, and these places would provide a sense of familiarity, preventing him from rummaging through his own home like a stranger.
"Master, the temperature of the hot soup is just right."
Kreacher carefully led the way, seeming a bit embarrassed.
Regulus Black was somewhat puzzled, but soon realized what was making Kreacher so awkward.
On the long table in the dining room, there was only a large soup pot and some fruit. It was clear that the Black family was short on money, and it was uncertain when these food items had been saved. Although wizarding families could use magic to preserve food, they generally purchased fresh ingredients for cooking.
Indeed! One could not expect house-elves to manage finances, but there was one magical item that Kreacher was in charge of.
"Kreacher, I have always liked your cooking; the soup tastes good."
Regulus Black did not want to see Kreacher harm himself, so after taking a sip of the soup, he expressed his satisfaction, although the soup was indeed quite good.
For some reason, the dishes made by house-elves, regardless of the type, could achieve the highest level, akin to that of top chefs.
Regulus Black ate more than half of the red vegetable soup, then picked up the "Daily Prophet" that Kreacher had brought for him.
September 1, 1991, it seemed to be the day Hogwarts was starting again, which meant he had missed the chance regarding Harry Potter. He had originally planned to get in touch with him before his enrollment!
"I have been gone for 11 years! Kreacher, thank you for your loyalty to the family. What about the charm box I asked you to bring back?"
Putting down the newspaper, Regulus Black prepared to first acquire what he wanted, which was the Slytherin charm box.
A Horcrux, like a key, can be an ordinary object before it is made into a Horcrux, but Voldemort seemed to prefer using valuable items for this purpose. Once infused with a part of his soul, that object becomes one of the most evil dark magical items in the world.
The method of creating a Horcrux is kept secret; even in the restricted section of Hogwarts, there are no answers. However, in the seventh book of the original series, Hermione mentioned that after Dumbledore's funeral, she summoned a book called "Secrets of Dark Magic" from Dumbledore's office to the dormitory using the Summoning Charm, which contained detailed instructions on how to create Horcruxes.
Creating a Horcrux requires a dark wizard to commit evil acts such as murder, causing their soul to shatter and split, then separating a part of the soul from the body and sealing it in a vessel, which is the Horcrux.
Thus, even if the body is destroyed, one does not die, because a part of the soul remains unharmed and still exists in the world.
However, the soul should remain whole; splitting it is a perverse and evil act against nature.
At Hogwarts, discussing matters related to Horcruxes is prohibited.
It is known that Voldemort created a total of seven Horcruxes, killing and sacrificing through evil means to split his soul, resulting in these top magical items, the Horcruxes.
"I am very sorry, my master. Kreacher cannot destroy that thing. Kreacher has tried every method, but cannot destroy that thing."
Upon hearing his master's request, Kreacher first thought of Regulus Black's last command to destroy the charm box, but despite trying everything, Kreacher was unable to fulfill this command.
Failing to complete his master's command was a disgrace for a house-elf. Kreacher prepared to harm himself, banging his head against the wall or whipping himself with a fire poker.