"It's an artefact of dark magic, isn't it?" I follow up my guess and watch the house-elf's face go white. "I saw it in the cave." I pick up my wand and hold it ready in the sleeve of my shirt. Slowly approaching, I tell him about my dream and my thoughts.
"The cave, you know it, you've been there, haven't you?" My grey eyes hover over the small figure, analysing. "You were there with your master."
The eleven had eyes like slits as my wand slips back into my hand.
"Your master, Lord Voldemort." I finished my train of thought accompanied by the screaming and flapping of ravens outside.
"The storm is over and so is your stay. You have exhausted the hospitality and are not wanted here, blood traitor."
He took his time with each word and spoke it with venom in his voice.
"You seem to have forgotten that you serve House Black, only House Black.
Sirius will remain in Azkaban alongside his other madmen until death shows him mercy. Regulus is dead and so I am the last descendant of the male line.
I am the HEIR.
And I am here to take up this inheritance."
The last sentence echoed throughout the house. From the filthy kitchen to the neglected parlour, from the antique library to the family paintings.
The eleven looked like a poisonous dwarf and seemed to want to jump on me and tear my eyes out with his fingers.
"Your loyalty is my birthright, do you hear elf?
Now you will tell me what you have to do with the dark lord. Otherwise you will end up in the mistery in front of the department for the guidance and supervision of magical creatures, or worse."
To give my words strength, I press the tip of my wand against the face of the puny figure.
"I have never served the dark lord and never will, only the noble and ancient house of black I vow to serve until my last breath."
A feeling comes over me, a feeling of certainty. He's not lying, but is he telling the truth?
"I want to trust you, Kreacher, but you have to trust me with something." My wand goes into the back pocket of my trousers and I continue. "Who were you in that cave with and what were you doing there?"
The elf seemed confused and was talking to himself while perplexedly scratching his head and pulling out the last of his white hair.
"Kreacher should not say Kreacher has an order from the master."
"Who is your master, Kreacher?"
"No, no, NO. Kreacher should not tell."
I just watched through my eyes as I put a hand on the little creature's shoulder and made him an offer.
"Calm down Kreacher, I recognise your loyalty to your master and will not investigate further who this person was.
However, in return, I want you to swear to recognise me as your only master from now on and to show me the same loyalty.
If you cannot swear this to me, I will have to dismiss you."
The elf is shocked by the possible consequence of being dismissed. House elves are very peculiar creatures who show unrivalled loyalty to their liege lord and care for him as much as possible.
To be dismissed as an elf is one of the worst stigmas and is equivalent to being banned from the Ministry of Magic.
Can I even dismiss him? How is that even possible? Is there a job centre in England where I have to register?
I ignore Kreacher's answer as I continue to think about how to legally dismiss a house-elf.
'Do I just give him back where he came from, or does he have a house of his own?
"I swear if you do."
"Please what?"
I ask, having lost my train of thought about whether the elves have some kind of health insurance and what happens if they are unemployed.
"I swear loyalty if you swear not to investigate further."
"I swear not to investigate your former master any further." I said to the room as the smell of the end of the rain hit my nose.
"Kreacher swears loyalty to his new master, Julius."
As I dropped to my knee and held out a hand for him to shake, he looked at me like I was a complete idiot. I grab one of his hands and place it in mine.
"It's a handshake, businessmen do it when they've agreed on something."
"I think so." I add as I go back through my memories.
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That's the end of the chapter. Thanks for reading. Feedback and powerstones are more than welcome.