Staring at the ceiling of the room and with his limbs slightly stretched out as he lay on the bed, Harry couldn't help but think that he felt bored. He had friends and his godfather around, but that also meant that he couldn't do too much magic or do whatever he wanted, like at home.
Yes, he had demonstrated and created perfect excuses for everything he received from the memories, but that didn't mean that he just went around the house doing amazing or wonderful things. In the end, he would still receive slightly strange looks.
The worst of all?...
Fleur was coming today, but they couldn't interact as if they already knew each other. Harry had asked him not to say anything, mostly for safety. He didn't want the fact that he now owned his own house to be revealed, or that he had a friendship with Fleur, and that it slowly seemed to be turning into something else.
He also had to start thinking about some things he would have to do at Hogwarts: the basilisk, a horcrux, and also the whole Umbridge thing.
And just thinking about that woman made Harry want to punch something.
"Wait a minute!" Harry shot up and smiled to himself.
"Since I was planning on destroying the horcrux here, I might as well use it for some fun."
Harry got out of bed and went in search of the damn thing. It was Slytherin's locket, and maybe it could be of some use. Gryffindor's sword was incredibly sharp, and it could absorb certain things, like basilisk venom. Ravenclaw's diadem could literally enhance things like Legilimency and Occlumency. He also recently discovered that Hufflepuff's cup could summon water and wine. Maybe the locket Slytherin was carrying really had something interesting.
Determined not to be bored and discover something new, Harry left the room with his invisibility cloak in the form of a sweatshirt.
Harry remembered that the locket had first been in the living room, but also that Kreacher had kept it in the cupboard where he lived. For that very reason, he went to the cupboard and spoke quietly, just enough for the house-elf to hear.
"Kreacher, I need you to open it."
There was no response.
Harry sighed a little before being more direct.
"I can help you with the last mission Regulus gave you."
For a few long seconds, there was no response. But after waiting a bit, Harry saw the cupboard open a little and Kreacher reveal his head.
"The half-blood is lying... you can't help Kreacher."
"I can do that, really. Regulus told you to destroy the locket, right?" Kreacher's eyes widened when he heard those words. His body shook a little as he looked down at his feet.
"Master... Master Regulus told me that... I couldn't! Kreacher couldn't do anything!"
Harry rushed over and stopped Kreacher when he saw that he was about to hit his head against the cupboard door.
"I can help, Kreacher. The locket has a part of the Dark Lord's soul in it, and Regulus wanted to destroy it. Sadly, he ended up dying."
"The half-blood really can? Kreacher wishes to fulfill the Master's last wish."
"I can. I assure you."
Kreacher looked into Harry's eyes before nodding and bending down as he pulled the locket out of the cupboard. Harry smiled before patting the old house-elf on the head twice.
"Come. I think Walburga should know about her son, right?"
Kreacher nodded a few times and followed Harry who had taken a chair. However, he stopped when they reached the hallway near the entrance of the house and saw a green flash illuminate the place. Kreacher gulped a little at the sight of that green light before it faded away. The magic had come out so easily and faded just as easily; it was so fast and so precise that Kreacher couldn't help but freak out a little.
Harry sighed a little at having to use that specific curse, but it was the only thing he had on hand that could remove a soul without damaging the body, or in this case, the locket.
When he reached Walburga's portrait, he knocked on the painting a little before he placed the chair a meter in front of it and sat down.
"Half-blood! You dare wake me!"
"Don't shout, Walburga. It's too late and you'll end up waking everyone up."
"Of course, you can do that if you want. Or you could listen to me and Kreacher as we tell you what happened to Regulus, your beloved son."
Walburga had been about to interrupt Harry, but stopped when she heard her son's name.
"Regulus? Kreacher, what does this mean?" Walburga spoke in a much calmer voice, her eyes moving slowly and looking at Kreacher, who had his head down, looking at his feet.
"Madam...Madam, Kreacher tried. Kreacher wanted to comply with Master Regulus' order."
"Kreacher failed," the old house-elf pinched his ears and flattened them a bit as tears began to fall from his large eyes.
"What order? Speak more clearly, Kreacher. What order did my son give you?!" Walburga growled angrily, about to start insulting the elf, but she heard the sound of a chain and looked at Harry, who was holding the locket in front of him. Walburga saw the locket slowly spinning. It was gold and had an S created with small green gems.
"This is Salazar Slytherin's locket, and just moments ago, it was also a Horcrux of the Dark Lord. Your son, Regulus, was ordered to hand over his house-elf. An order from the Dark Lord himself."
"Kreacher was supposed to help the Dark Lord hide his Horcrux, but when Regulus asked Kreacher to tell him what he did, he discovered the locket; he discovered the Horcrux... He didn't like that at all."
"Regulus sacrificed his life trying to get the Horcrux out of the traps surrounding it. And Kreacher was left with the order to destroy it, but he hasn't been able to... until now."
"Impossible... Regulus is... Regulus was..." Walburga didn't know what to say. Her eyes remained frozen staring at the locket, not looking away.
Harry looked at her before taking the locket with both hands and opening his mouth.
Walburga and Kreacher flinched when they heard Harry speak Parseltongue. It was something between whispers and the hiss of a snake, but neither of them could understand anything. After Harry finished, a small click was heard and the locket opened.
"Mm... there's nothing inside. I wonder what this thing can do...", Harry murmured, looking curiously at the locket.
"You... you can speak Parseltongue," Walburga said, surprised.
"Ah... yes. I don't know if it's something Voldemort left behind when he attacked me, or just a trait I inherited."
"The Potter family is not descended from Slytherin, boy."
"But it is from the Peverell family. Who knows, maybe the brothers could speak Parseltongue. The Gaunts are descendants of one of the brothers and also of Slytherin, that's why Voldemort can speak it."
Walburga frowned a little.
This time it was Harry who showed surprise.
"You agreed with Voldemort without knowing who he was? That's just nonsense. When you want to be part of a movement as big as the one Voldemort created, then you should do some research."
"And for your information, Voldemort is also a half-blood. His mother fell in love with a muggle who lived near them. Although there is no evidence anymore: Voldemort ended up killing his entire family on his father's side."
"Kreache, I'd like to keep this..."
"Kreacher doesn't care. What the master wanted to destroy has already been destroyed. Kreacher thinks the half-blood should have that."
"Thank you."
Walburga snorted, but looked at Harry with some interest.
"Boy, why did you decide to teach me all this?"
Harry smiled and said, "I thought you should know the reason why Regulus died. You are his mother after all."
"Besides, I needed your help to tease Sirius a bit."
"I won't get involved in his silly jokes. It's nonsense."
"Hey, this joke is related to your other son's future. I'll get that old dog out of his troubles in no time. But I know if I do that, he'll get a bit of a pain in my life, especially when it comes to relationships."
Harry shook his head, "Sirius needs a woman, as soon as possible. And I think you'd agree that the House of Black needs to continue to exist."
"Hmph," Walburga snorted. "In case you don't know, Narcissa had a son. Even if the House of Black can't continue under Sirius, then it can continue to exist because of that boy or his children."
"Bah, Draco Malfoy is just as much of an idiot as his father. He likes to pretend that he's smart and cunning, but he's a complete arrogant idiot. All he does is bring up his father in every conversation. He barely knows how politics and relationships work."
"Besides, don't you think it's better for a direct line to produce inheritance? And if he can find a good woman, maybe that will mature him where he's lacking."
"I like that idea."
A new voice appeared, causing Harry, Kreacher, and Walburga to jump. The Black woman looked to the side before stepping slightly aside, revealing a man who seemed to come from out of the portrait.
"Arcturus..." Walburga said acidly.
"Ah... Sirius' grandfather. I'd say it's an honour to meet you, but it's really not," Harry said as he shifted a little and placed his arm on the back of the chair.
"You have no respect for your elders, boy."
"A man who pays for a Merlin's order has no respect from me."
Arctus' dark eyes stared into Harry's green eyes without looking away. His neutral expression had changed and he looked a little scary, but Harry didn't look away. He wasn't afraid of a mere portrait, and if the old man were alive, he wouldn't be afraid either. Arcturus Black was the typical man who had a certain level of pretty good magical power, but he used it to oppress others, and thanks to the political power he possessed when he was alive, he was a person who would cause some fear in some people.
He wasn't someone who deserved Harry's respect.
In a way, you could say he was even worse than Lucius Malfoy.
He might even be the one to blame for the Black family's behavior.
"You have a sharp tongue, boy. You should be careful not to talk too much to other people. If I were alive, I would have killed you already."
"Ha!" Harry let out a laugh filled with amusement. "Kill me? You? Please, you don't even have what it takes to resist your granddaughter."
"You better shut up, boy," Arcturus said harshly, but you could tell how angry he was getting.
"You probably underestimated women your entire life. I would have liked to see your face when Bellatrix sent you to hell!"
Walburga gulped a little when she heard that and looked at Arcturus' completely darkened expression.
"While Walburga was busy keeping Sirius away from everything that was happening in the family and thus leaving hope for the family to survive, Bellatrix was in charge of murdering you on Voldemort's orders," Harry smiled coldly as he unraveled the secrets of the Black family.
"Lucretia Black was poisoned a little over two years ago so that she could not decide anything about the Black family. Cygnus died as well. And by Lucius no less! I wonder what Mrs. Narcissa would think when she finds out that her husband is guilty of the deaths of several of her relatives!"
Harry's eyes showed contempt for Arcturus as he looked at him without looking away.
"In the end, your family was always in the hands of others. And Walburga was the only one who knew how to see that and left a small glimmer of hope, hoping that one day, that star can make the family shine once again. "
"Don't talk to me about respect when you're just trash, Arcturus!"
Arcturus fell silent as his face turned a little paler than it already was. He turned his head to ask Walburga if it was all true, but found that she was looking at Harry with big eyes and her mouth half open.
"You... you... How do you know that?" Walburga asked as she seemed to swallow hard.
"I know many things, ma'am," Harry replied as he moved his hand from her a little, almost as if he had shooed away a fly near him.
"You knew everything from the beginning. That's also why you came to talk to me. You knew I would agree to help Sirius so you can joke around a bit too," Walburga shook her head a little, looking in disbelief at the ground as she clenched her dress in her hands.
"No... you were expecting Arcturus to show up too, weren't you?"
Harry raised his head a little and looked down, his expression a little arrogant as he said with a slight smile, "A lot of things are within my plans, this is just something I've counted on my fingers, nothing too impressive."
Harry wasn't one to act arrogantly, but he just felt like doing it for once. Especially in front of Arcturus Black. And while it was all thanks to the memories he received, if he didn't act and plan some things, they wouldn't be happening the way Harry wants. For these reasons, he decided to act a little arrogant and tease the old man beside Walburga.
Walburga let out a long, deep sigh before letting her shoulders slump.
"Alright, boy. I'll help you out and you can tease Sirius a bit. But not because you've just discovered things, but to help my son."
Harry simply smiled before nodding.
Arctus simply huffed and turned back to his portrait of him, but was slightly startled when Harry grabbed it from the wall.
"What are you doing?"
"You're not needed in the future of the Black Family, and you don't deserve to be in that future either. And even if he didn't, Sirius would probably end up destroying your portrait. I'll just move things forward."
"Stop!" Arcturus exclaimed angrily, trying to move towards other portraits, but to no avail. For some reason, he couldn't do it anymore. He didn't notice that Harry's hands were glowing slightly in a pale blue color.
Walburga just watched with some fascination and joy the destruction of Arcturus III Black's portrait.
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