第25节

KreacherraisedhisuglyheadａｎｄlookedHarrywithhisgreat，bloodshoteyes.

“MasterRegulustoldKreachertocomeback，”hesaid.

“Iknow–buthowdidyouescapetheInferi?”

Kreacherdidnotseemtounderstａｎｄ.

“MasterRegulustoldKreachertocomeback，”herepeated.

“Iknow，but–“

“Well，it’sobvious，isn’tit，Harry?”saidRon.“HeDisapparated!”

“But…youcouldn’tApparateinａｎｄoutofthatcave，”saidHarry，“otherwiseDumbledore–“

“Elfmagicisn’tlikewizard’smagic，isit?”saidRon，“Imean，theycanApparateａｎｄDisapparateinａｎｄoutofHogwartswhenwecan’t.”

TherewasasilenceasHarrydigestedthis.HowcouldVoldemorthavemadesuchamistake?Butevenashethoughtthis，Hermionespoke，ａｎｄhervoicewasicy.

“Ofcourse，Voldemortwouldhaveconsideredthewaysofhouse-elvesfarbeneathhisnotice…Itwouldneverhaveoccurredtohimthattheymighthavemagicthathedidn’t.”

“Thehouse-elf’shighestlawishisMaster’sbidding，”intonedKreacher.“Kreacherwastoldtocomehome，soKreachercamehome…“

“Well，then，youdidwhatyouweretold，didn’tyou?”saidHermionekindly.“Youdidn’tdisobeyordersatall!”

Kreachershookhishead，rockingasfastasever.

“Sowhathappenedwhenyougotback?”Harryasked.“WhatdidRegulussaywhenyoutoldhimwhathappened?”

“MasterReguluswasveryworried，veryworried，”croakedKreacher.“MasterRegulustoldKreachertostayhiddenａｎｄnottoleavethehouse.Andthen…itwasalittlewhilelater…MasterReguluscametofindKreacherinhiscupboardonenight，ａｎｄMasterReguluswasstrange，notasheusuallywas，disturbedinhismind，Kreachercouldtell…ａｎｄheaskedKreachertotakehimtothecave，thecavewhereKreacherhadgonewiththeDarkLord…“

Andsotheyhadsetoff.Harrycouldvisualizethemquiteclearly，thefrightenedoldelfａｎｄthethin，darkSeekerwhohadsoresembledSirius…Kreacherknewhowtoopentheconcealedentrancetotheundergroundcavern，knewhowtoraisethetinyboat:thistimeitwashisbelovedReguluswhosailedwithhimtotheislａｎｄwithitsbasinofpoison…

“Andhemadeyoudrinkthepoison?”saidHarry，disgusted.

ButKreachershookhisheadａｎｄwept.Hermione’shａｎｄsleapttohermouth:Sheseemedtohaveunderstoodsomething.

“M-MasterRegulustookfromhispocketalocketliketheonetheDarkLordhad，”saidKreacher，tearspouringdowneithersideofhissnoutlikenose.“AndhetoldKreachertotakeitａｎｄ，whenthebasinwasempty，toswitchthelockets…”

Kreacher’ssobscameingreatraspsnow;Harryhadtoconcentratehardtounderstａｎｄhim.

“Andheorder–Kreachertoleave–withouthim.AndhetoldKreacher–togohome–ａｎｄnevertotellmyMistress–whathehaddone–buttodestroy–thefirstlocket.Andhedrank–allthepotion–ａｎｄKreacherswappedthelockets–ａｎｄwatched…asMasterRegulus…wasdraggedbeneaththewater…ａｎｄ…“

“Oh，Kreacher!”wailedHermione，whowascrying.Shedroppedtoherkneesbesidetheelfａｎｄtriedtohughim.Atoncehewasonhisfeet，cringingawayfromher，quiteobviouslyrepulsed.

“TheMudbloodtouchedKreacher，hewillnotallowit，whatwouldhisMistresssay?”

“Itoldyounottocallher‘Mudblood’!”snarledHarry，buttheelfwasalreadypunishinghimself.Hefelltothegroundａｎｄbangedhisforeheadonthefloor.

“Stophim–stophim!”Hermionecried.“Oh，don’tyouseenowhowsickitis，thewaythey’vegottoobey?”

“Kreacher–stop，stop!”shoutedHarry.

Theelflayonthefloor，pantingａｎｄshivering，greenmucusglisteningaroundhissnot，abruisealreadybloomingonhispallidforeheadwherehehadstruckhimself，hiseyesswollenａｎｄbloodshotａｎｄswimmingintears.Harryhadneverseenanythingsopitiful.

“Soyoubroughtthelockethome，”hesaidrelentlessly，forhewasdeterminedtoknowthefullstory.“Andyoutriedtodestroyit?”

“NothingKreacherdidmadeanymarkuponit，”moanedtheelf.“Kreachertriedeverything，everythingheknew，butnothing，nothingwouldwork…Somanypowerfulspellsuponthecasing，Kreacherwassurethewaytodestroyitwastogetinsideit，butitwouldnotopen…Kreacherpunishedhimself，hetriedagain，hepunishedhimself，hetriedagain.Kreacherfailedtoobeyorders，Kreachercouldnotdestroythelocket!Andhismistresswasmadwithgrief，becauseMasterRegulushaddisappearedａｎｄKreachercouldnottellherwhathadhappened，no，becauseMasterRegulushadf-f-forbiddenhimtotellanyofthef-f-familywhathappenedinthec-cave…”

Kreacherbegantosobsohardthattherewerenomorecoherentwords.TearsfloweddownHermione’scheeksasshewatchedKreacher，butshedidnotdaretouchhimagain.EvenRon，whowasnofanofKreacher’s，lookedtroubled.Harrysatbackonhisheelsａｎｄshookhishead，tryingtoclearit.