第23节

“LikeVoldemortputonthestonebasininthecave，”saidHarry，rememberinghowhehadbeenunabletoSummonthefakelocket.

“Howarewesupposedtofinditthen?”askedRon.

“Wesearchmanually，”saidHermione.

“That’sagoodidea，”saidRon，rollinghiseyes，ａｎｄheresumedhisexaminationofthecurtains.

Theycombedeveryinchoftheroomformorethananhour，butwereforced，finally，toconcludethatthelocketwasnotthere.

Thesunhadrisennow;itslightdazzledthemeventhroughthegrimylａｎｄingwindows.

“Itcouldbesomewhereelseinthehouse，though，”saidHermioneinarallyingtoneastheywalkedbackdownstairs.AsHarryａｎｄRonhadbecomemorediscouraged，sheseemedtohavebecomemoredetermined.“Whetherhe’dmanagetodestroyitornot，he’dwanttokeepithiddenfromVoldemort，wouldn’the?Rememberallthoseawfulthingswehadtogetridofwhenwewereherelasttime?ThatclockthatshotboltsateveryoneａｎｄthoseoldrobesthattriedtostrangleRon;Regulusmighthaveputthemtheretoprotectthelocket’shidingplace，eventhoughwedidn’trealizeitat…at…“

HarryａｎｄRonlookedather.Shewasstａｎｄingwithonefootinmidair，withthedumbstrucklookofonewhohadjustbeenObliviated:hereyeshadevendriftedoutoffocus.

“…atthetime，”shefinishedinawhisper.

“Somethingwrong?”askedRon.

“Therewasalocket.”

“What?”saidHarryａｎｄRontogether.

“Inthecabinetinthedrawingroom.Nobodycouldopenit.Andwe…we…“

Harryfeltasthoughabrickhadsliddownthroughhischestintohisstomach.Heremembered.Hehadevenhａｎｄledthethingastheypasseditaround，eachtryinginturntopryitopen.Ithadbeentossedintoasackofrubbish，alongwiththesnuffboxofWartcappowderａｎｄthemusicboxthathadmadeeveryonesleepy…”

“Kreachernickedloadsofthingsbackfromus，”saidHarry.Itwastheonlychance，theonlyslenderhopelefttothem，ａｎｄhewasgoingtoclingtoituntilforcedtoletgo.“Hehadawholestashofstuffinhiscupboardinthekitchen.C’mon.”

Herandownthestairstakingtwostepsatatime，theothertwothunderingalonginhiswake.TheymadesomuchnoisethattheywoketheportraitofSirius’smotherastheypassedthroughthehall.

“Filth!Mudbloods!Scum!”shescreamedafterthemastheydasheddownintothebasementkitchenａｎｄslammedthedoorbehindthem.Harryranthelengthoftheroom，skiddedtoahaltatthedoorofKreacher’scupboard，ａｎｄwrencheditopen.Therewasthenestofdirtyoldblanketsinwhichthehouse-elfhadonceslept，buttheywerenotlongerglitteringwiththetrinketsKreacherhadsalvaged.TheonlythingtherewasanoldcopyofNature’sNobility:AWizardingGenealogy.Refusingtobelievehiseyes，Harrysnatcheduptheblanketsａｎｄshookthem.Adeadmousefelloutａｎｄrolleddismallyacrossthefloor.Rongroanedashethrewhimselfintoakitchenchair;Hermioneclosedhereyes.

“It’snotoveryet，”saidHarry，ａｎｄheraisedhisvoiceａｎｄcalled，“Kreacher!”

TherewasaloudcrackａｎｄthehouseelfthatHarryhadsoreluctantlyinheritedfromSiriusappearedoutofnowhereinfrontofthecoldａｎｄemptyfireplace:tiny，halfhuman-sized，hispaleskinhangingoffhiminfolds，whitehairsproutingcopiouslyfromhisbatlikeears.Hewasstillwearingthefilthyraginwhichtheyhadfirstmethim，ａｎｄthecontemptuouslookhebentuponHarryshowedthathisattitudetohischangeofownershiphadalterednomorethanhisoutfit.

“Master，”croakedKreacherinhisbullfrog’svoice，ａｎｄhebowedlow;mutteringtohisknees，“backinmyMistress’soldhousewiththeblood-traitorWeasleyａｎｄtheMudblood–“

“Iforbidyoutocallanyone‘bloodtraitor’or‘Mudblood，’”growledHarry.HewouldhavefoundKreacher，withhissnoutlikenoseａｎｄbloodshoteyes，adistinctivelyunlovableobjecteveniftheelfhadnotbetrayedSiriustoVoldemort.

“I’vegotaquestionforyou，”saidHarry，hisheartbeatingratherfastashelookeddownattheelf，“ａｎｄIorderyoutoanswerittruthfully.Understａｎｄ?”

“Yes，Master，”saidKreacher，bowinglowagain.Harrysawhislipsmovingsoundlessly，undoubtedlyframingtheinsultshewasnowforbiddentoutter.

“Twoyearsago，”saidHarry，hisheartnowhammeringagainsthisribs，“therewasabiggoldlocketinthedrawingroomupstairs.Wethrewitout.Didyoustealitback?”

Therewasamoment’ssilence，duringwhichKreacherstraighteneduptolookHarryfullintheface.Thenhesaid，“Yes.”

“Whereisitnow?”askedHarryjubilantlyasRonａｎｄHermionelookedgleeful.

Kreacherclosedhiseyesasthoughhecouldnotbeartoseetheirreactionstohisnextword.

“Gone.”

“Gone?”echoedHarry，elationfloatingoutofhim，“Whatdoyoumean，it’sgone?”

Theelfshivered.Heswayed.

“Kreacher，”saidHarryfiercely，“Iorderyou–“