Chapter 217: Regulus

During this period, Dumbledore had actually been checking literature and clues about Horcruxes.

The year Harry was in his second year, when he got that diary, he realized that the diary was some kind of evil black magic prop.

But at that time he couldn't confirm it.

Because that Horcrux had been destroyed by Harry.

Until recently, he went to find an old friend, a former Potions professor who had taught Voldemort, and confirmed from his memory that what Voldemort made was a Horcrux.

But that memory had problems.

It had traces of being tampered with, and some key clues were deliberately hidden.

It's just that he had no way of knowing now, and couldn't force his old friend to hand over the truth.

Dumbledore planned to recruit him back to Hogwarts as the Potions professor next year, and then let Harry and John, the two famous figures, be his students.

This was a temptation he absolutely couldn't refuse.

Back to the present.

Harry continued to ask Dumbledore about various knowledge regarding Horcruxes.

Professor Lupin listened on the side without stopping him.

For John, although he was still young, Dumbledore was still willing to tell him some dangerous information.

Because Dumbledore felt that John would definitely become Harry's help in the future.

"So Headmaster, the reason I felt uncomfortable when I touched this Horcrux was because it contained Voldemort's soul."

"His soul scared my other soul?"

Dumbledore nodded lightly, stroking his beard slowly with his fingertips.

"Roughly that's it; to be honest, the situation in your body is rarer than a Horcrux..."

"Horcruxes can at least be found in some ancient books, but your situation is unheard of."

Looking at John, Dumbledore rarely complained.

"Doesn't that prove my preciousness and rarity."

John smiled especially proudly.

Dumbledore was startled when he heard this, then laughed out loud.

Professor Lupin on the side didn't know about John's soul yet, and was stunned listening.

However, before he could ask, Sirius returned.

"Dumbledore, you were looking for me, hmm? Why is John here too; shouldn't you be at school?"

"Hey, the Headmaster personally brought me to skip class; who are you going to reason with for this treatment?"

Regarding Sirius's question, John responded with a smile.

"Today is Saturday, what kind of class do you have to skip."

Sirius didn't indulge him either, directly reaching out to rub John's hair and retorting.

Dumbledore watched this scene with a smile, but still spoke slowly.

"Sirius, since you're back, it's time to do serious business."

Dumbledore was seen slowly pushing the locket in front of the table to Sirius, asking him.

"Sirius, do you know the origin of this locket?"

Sirius was stunned when he heard this; he didn't hesitate to let Fawkes send him a letter from far away, just for this locket?

He picked up the locket, tilted his head strangely and said: "No, I don't recognize this thing, what is this?"

Dumbledore had expected Sirius's reaction, didn't show any expression, and continued to instruct.

"Then please call Mr. Kreacher over; we have some questions that need to be asked of him."

Although he didn't understand why he didn't get an answer to his question, out of trust in Dumbledore, Sirius still turned back and shouted toward upstairs.

"Kreacher! Come here immediately!"

As Sirius's order was issued, no matter how rebellious Kreacher was, the instinct of a house-elf made him choose to obey the order.

Kreacher was seen facing his master's order, still full of reluctance.

And seeing Kreacher arrive, Dumbledore finally stood up, took the locket and walked slowly to Kreacher, crouching down slowly.

Giving a house-elf the rare respect and eye-level treatment.

"Mr. Kreacher, can you tell me the origin of this locket?"

"And who is that young master you mentioned?"

Kreacher's turbid eyes dodged left and right, and his body also retreated timidly.

But Sirius on the side understood that Dumbledore wanted him to come, mainly to pry open this old guy's mouth.

"Answer Dumbledore's question, Kreacher."

Sirius ordered coldly.

Kreacher's ears twitched violently, and a dry, hoarse voice finally sounded in his throat.

"This...... is the Dark Lord's locket... it was Young Master Regulus who asked Kreacher to bring it back...."

The Dark Lord's locket, Young Master Regulus.

When these two nouns came out at the same time, except for Dumbledore, the expressions of the three of John changed to varying degrees.

First, it was confirmed that this thing was indeed Voldemort's stuff.

Secondly, he knew this person Regulus; the room he stayed in before had Regulus's big name written on the doorplate.

And he later learned from a wall in the Order of the Phoenix depicting the family branch tree that Regulus Black was exactly Sirius's younger brother.

Hearing Professor Lupin say that Regulus was once a Death Eater who followed Voldemort.

And this locket was brought back by Regulus, who was a Death Eater?

"Can you tell me what happened back then?"

Dumbledore continued to ask.

Kreacher's nails dug deep into his palms; he seemed very resistant to recalling that memory, his body trembling slightly.

"That...... that was a black lake—" Finally, Kreacher spoke slowly.

"16 years ago, Young Master Regulus asked Kreacher to follow the Dark Lord to a rock cave, inside, was a black lake..."

"The Dark Lord took Kreacher by boat across the lake water, arriving at a small island in the center of the lake..."

"There was a stone basin filled with poison... The Dark Lord ordered Kreacher to drink all the poison in the stone basin..."

"Young Master Regulus once instructed Kreacher to obey the Dark Lord's orders, so Kreacher did as told..."

Following Kreacher's narration, his expression became more and more painful, and he simply squatted by the wall holding his knees.

Like when Young Master Regulus asked him to hide back then, curled into a ball.

"Then what happened later?"

This time without Dumbledore speaking, Sirius on the side couldn't help but ask.

Although he hadn't figured out the ins and outs, he had already realized that this matter was very important.

Not just about Voldemort, but also about his younger brother he didn't know about.

"The poison made Kreacher suffer unspeakably... many Inferi also crawled out of the lake, intending to drag Kreacher into the bottom of the lake..."

"And the Dark Lord didn't care about Kreacher's life or death; he put this locket into the food basin, and filled it with poison again, leaving Kreacher behind and leaving..."

"But... Young Master Regulus required Kreacher to return home after completing the task..."

"So Kreacher came back..."

This was the whole process of Voldemort hiding the Horcrux back then.

Just listening to the description, it's not hard to imagine that it was a place full of dangers, and even after Voldemort left, there might have been other means left behind, it's just that Kreacher didn't witness it.

However, this history should still have a second half that hasn't been told yet.

Why did that locket put into the stone basin appear here?

And what was the ending of the story's protagonist, Regulus? ===== CHAPTER 218 =====