Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [7]

⚡️ Chapter 13 ⚡️

Harry ran down the stairs taking two steps at a time, Vega, Ron and Hermione thundering along in his wake. They made so much noise that they woke the portrait of Sirius's mother as they passed through the hall, screaming after them as they dashed down into the basement kitchen and Vega slammed the door behind them, silencing yells of –

"Filth! Mud-Bloods! Scum!"

Vega ran the length of the room, skidded to a halt at the door of Kreacher's cupboard, and wrenched it open. There was the nest of dirty old blankets in which the house-elf had once slept, but they were not longer glittering with the trinkets Kreacher had salvaged.

The only thing there was an old copy of Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy. Refusing to believe her eyes, Vega snatched up the blankets and shook them. A dead mouse fell out and rolled dismally across the floor. Ron groaned as he threw himself into a kitchen chair; Hermione closed her eyes. Harry looked the most optimistic, however.

"It's not over yet," Harry said, and he raised his voice and called, "Kreacher!"

There was a loud crack and the house elf that Harry had so reluctantly inherited from Sirius appeared out of nowhere in front of the cold and empty fireplace: tiny, half human-sized, his pale skin hanging off him in folds, white hair sprouting copiously from his bat-like ears. He was still wearing the filthy rag in which they had first met him, and the contemptuous look he bent upon Harry showed that his attitude to his change of ownership had altered no more than his outfit.

"Master," croaked Kreacher in his bullfrog's voice, and he bowed low; muttering to his knees, "Back in my Mistress's old house with the Blood-traitor Weasley, smear on my Mistress's name Lestrange and the Mud-Blood –"

"I forbid you to call anyone 'blood traitor' or 'Mud-blood or insult Vega,'" Harry growled. "I've got a question for you, and I order you to answer it truthfully. Understand?"

"Yes, Master," Kreacher said, bowing low again.

Vega saw his lips moving soundlessly, undoubtedly framing the insults he was now forbidden to utter – but she could not care for what that right now.

"Two years ago," Harry continued onward. "There was a big gold locket in the drawing room upstairs. We threw it out. Did you steal it back?"

At this, there was a moment's silence, during which Kreacher straightened up to look Harry full in the face. Then he said, "Yes,"

"Where is it now?" Harry asked jubilantly as Vega, Ron and Hermione looked gleeful.

Kreacher closed his eyes as though he could not bear to see their reactions to his next word but it seemed like he himself couldn't stand it, "Gone,"

"Gone?" Harry echoed. Vega's shoulders slackened. "What do you mean, it's gone?"

The elf shivered. He swayed.

"Kreacher," Harry said fiercely. "I order you –"

"Mundungus Fletcher," croaked the elf, his eyes still tight shut. "Mundungus Fletcher stole it all; Miss Bella's and Miss Cissy's pictures, my Mistress's gloves, the Order of Merlin, First Class, the goblets with the family crest, and – and –"

By now, Kreacher was gulping for air: His hollow chest was rising and falling rapidly, then his eyes flew open and he uttered a bloodcurdling scream. "– and the locket, Master Regulus's locket. Kreacher did wrong, Kreacher failed in his orders!"

Almost instinctively, Vega reacted first – as Kreacher lunged for the poker standing in the grate, she launched herself upon the elf, flattening him. Hermione's scream mingled with Kreacher's but Harry bellowed louder than any and all noise in the room –