"Holy shit!" Nymphadora Tonks was stunned by what he saw.
Her height jumped from 167cm to 182cm; her bubblegum pink hair turned grayish-brown; her breasts instantly grew from an A cup to an E cup; her masculine features became delicate and Gnome; and the color faded from her skin, turning from wheat-colored to fair.
She is a natural-born Metamorphmagus, able to freely manipulate her facial features, body shape, and hair color even as an infant.
She used her powers to turn into a black-haired, black-skinned girl from birth, which almost made her father think that her mother was having an affair.
During my growth, I often had unstable emotions and would change my expression, causing a lot of trouble.
But after the age of 11, her ability to Metamorphmagus stabilized.
They can even transform into someone else instantly based solely on their mental image, without taking Polyjuice Potion.
It was precisely because of this that he achieved a perfect score in stealth during the Auror's entry exam.
She thought that no matter what happened, she wouldn't change her expression like she did when she was a child.
Just like when she learned that her cousin Sirius had been released from prison and his name had been cleared, it didn't change her in the slightest; even the tips of her hair didn't change color.
But today, she was so frightened that she reverted to her original form.
As a witch aspiring to become an excellent Auror, she sacrificed a great deal.
Their towering height, pretty face, and hot figure were all discarded.
She turned into a tomboy like Madam Hooch.
Even so, she was still not given important responsibilities in the department because of her gender.
Unable to go out on fieldwork like his colleagues, he could only sit in his own little cubicle in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement on the second floor of the Ministry of Magic and do clerical work.
The photos of wanted dark wizards on the partition were almost worn rough from her handling.
"Walter White? A genius criminal Master of Potions sells controlled Potions?"
"Gustavo Flynn? The leader of the wild wizarding group that hunts murderers across the country?"
"Mike Ermenshout? A former Auror, a Black Auror who disappeared for many years after killing his superior and several colleagues?"
Nymphadora Tonks' voice trembled.
These notorious criminals, whom she dreaded, were packaged together and appeared in front of her cubicle.
While other colleagues were out on fieldwork.
Finally, her bleak career began to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Who was that middle-aged man with a similarly dejected air whom I saw on Sirius not long ago?
And that ambiguous invitation—now, she's completely forgotten about it.
Why bother with romance? Isn't focusing on your career more appealing?
——
12 Grimmauld Place, Black Family Home.
A deep, cave-like room with rough stone walls on all sides.
Most of the light came from a large fireplace at the far end of the room.
The smoke billowing from the pipes filled the air like gunpowder smoke on a battlefield. The heavy iron pots and pans hanging from the dark ceiling looked grotesque and terrifying in the smoke.
On the long wooden table, there were scattered parchment scrolls, ink bottles, quill pens, and several plates of sumptuous food.
Lupin and Sirius sat facing each other, both staring blankly at the stove.
Sha!
Sirius moved his chair because he hadn't changed position in a long time.
He coughed awkwardly. "Looks like I guessed wrong."
Three days ago, at a party at the Black family's house, Narcissa, Andromeda Tonks's family, and Lupin had dinner together in this room.
He noticed that Andromeda Tonks's daughter, Nymphadora Tonks, had been secretly watching Lupin on several occasions.
Lupin was also secretly observing Nymphadora Tonks.
So, while Andromeda Tonks was chatting with her husband Ted Tonks and Narcissa, he extended an invitation to Nymphadora Tonks.
The excuse was that Lupin was about to teach at Hogwarts and he wanted to ask her, who had only graduated a few years ago, about the current situation at Hogwarts.
The date is today. At that time, Nymphadora Tonks' attitude was ambiguous, but he was clearly somewhat tempted and wanted to agree.
So yesterday he assured Lupin, "Nymphadora Tonks is interested in you too. She'll definitely show up for the lunch gathering tomorrow."
As a result, even now...
1:30 p. m.
Nymphadora Tonks didn't even show up.
They didn't even write a letter saying they couldn't come today because of other commitments.
"That's normal. She's Auror, and perhaps she's been investigating my identity these past few days and discovered that I'm Werewolf."
"She might not mind being friends with Werewolf. But no one would want to be lovers," Lupin sighed.
Perhaps he should focus all his attention on preparing the Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"Remus." Sirius didn't know how to comfort him.
Then, with a loud crack, the room was filled with the sounds of fighting and screams.
Sirius looked closely and saw two House-elf rolling around on the floor in the center of the hospital room.
One of them was wearing an old pillowcase with several holes cut in the arms and legs.
The other one had a dirty rag wrapped around his buttocks.
"Dobby? Kreacher?" Sirius exclaimed in surprise.
Upon returning from prison, he was surprised to find that Kreacher was still alive.
But it was mad, listening to the commands of the portrait of Sirius's equally mad mother.
She completely ignored him. Even when she had to communicate with him, she always called him an unfilial son and a scoundrel.
Because of Lucius Malfoy's death, he and Narcissa reconciled.
During a dinner gathering at Black Family Home, they were surprised to find that the old man became lucid in Narcissa's presence, able to prepare delicious food and keep the house impeccably clean. He kept referring to her as Cissy.
Narcissa's family also happens to have a crazy House-elf Dobby who craves freedom and doesn't want to work for a family like Malfoy's.
But Dobby became normal again when facing him, just like Kreacher did with Narcissa. He was called a hero, a hero who sacrificed himself for the great Harry Potter.
So he and Narcissa traded House-elf.
He thought he would never see Kreacher again in his life, but unexpectedly he saw it again today, and it even got into a fight with Dobby.
"That despicable Kreacher! How dare he steal Sirius's property! And insult him!" Dobby's prominent green eyes were filled with rage.
"That's not the property of an unfilial son! Kreacher can say whatever he wants to his former master, that's right. What former master? The young master was a despicable, ungrateful scoundrel who broke his mother's heart—" Kreacher's fleshy nose, which looked like a pig's snout, twitched.
Then he lamented, "Oh, my poor mistress, oh, what a disgrace, that Werewolf, that Half-blood bastard, poor old Kreacher, what can he do? If she knew from the afterlife, if she knew what kind of scum the young master had brought into her house, what would she say to old Kreacher?"
They didn't hear what Kreacher's mistress was going to say, because Dobby shoved his little fist into Kreacher's mouth and knocked out half of his teeth.
Sirius and Lupin stood up together.
The two House-elf were separated, but they were still trying to kick and punch each other.
Sirius was getting impatient. "You two, stop fighting! I forbid you from fighting again!"
Dobby tilted his wrinkled little face up and said, "Dobby is willing to obey the great hero's orders!"
Sirius covered his face, "I'm not a hero!"
Kreacher reluctantly lowered his clenched fist. "Young Master is no longer Kreacher's master. But Cissy orders me to obey the spendthrift's orders."
Lupin looked at Kreacher's bruised and swollen face and asked gently, "Are you alright?"
Kreacher gasped, as if he had seen something filthy, and quickly turned his head away. "Kreacher doesn't talk to filthy Beast."
Lupin wasn't angry; "filthy Beast" was a rather polite term for him.
But Sirius was furious. "Shut up! Kreacher! You filthy, old, stupid House-elf! Tell me, what did you take!"
Sirius didn't really care about the Black family's so-called wealth.
If Lupin hadn't advised him to be thrifty, he would have thrown away all that valuable trash long ago.
Kreacher's eyes, which had always held a look of disdain, suddenly closed, and he began to tremble and sway.
He hissed, "Golden Locket."
Seeing Kreacher's pained expression, Sirius smirked. "Oh, what's its origin?"
He had been wanting to teach this crazy House-elf a lesson for a long time, and this was clearly a good opportunity.
Lupin tried to stop him, but Sirius stopped him with a look.
After a moment of silence, Kreacher shook his head. "Kreacher has been ordered not to speak."
Sirius's eyes gleamed with even more delight. "Me neither? Your Cissy, your current master said you had to listen to me. Besides, I am now the heir to the Black family. And I am also your former master."
Kreacher gasped for breath, his shrunken chest heaving, then he opened his eyes and let out a blood-curdling scream.
"That is—Master Regulus Black's locket. Kreacher made a mistake; Kreacher failed to carry out the young master's orders!"
The next second, Kreacher rushed toward the poker standing by the stove.
Sirius predicted Kreacher's actions. "Dobby, stop him!"
Dobby pinned Kreacher down, and Kreacher cried out helplessly.
Sirius's smile vanished, his face turning deathly pale. "Kreacher, I command you, do not move!"
Kreacher lay stiffly on the cold stone floor, tears streaming from his sunken eyes.
Sirius swallowed hard, his voice hoarse, "The young master you're talking about, is it Regulus Black?"
"Yes!" the House-elf cried, tears streaming down his long nose and into his gaping mouth, revealing a set of grayish teeth. "That locket belongs to Master Regulus Black!"
"You said that locket belongs to 'Master Regulus Black'," Sirius clenched his fist. "Why? Where did it come from? What is Regulus Black's connection to it? Did he die because of it? Kreacher, sit up and tell me everything you know about that locket and Regulus Black's connection to it!"
The House-elf sat up, curled up into a ball, tucked its wet face between its knees, and began to rock back and forth.
When he spoke, his voice was low and muffled, but it was quite clear in the quiet, echoing kitchen.
"Sirius ran away, which is good, because he was a bad boy, and his unruly behavior broke my mistress's heart. But Young Master Regulus Black had pride; he knew what the Black name and his pure blood meant. For many years he often spoke of the Dark Lord Dark Lord, who wanted wizards to no longer have to hide, but to come out and rule over Muggle and Muggle descendants... When Young Master Regulus Black was sixteen, he joined the Dark Lord's organization, and he was so proud, so very proud, so happy to be able to serve..."
"A year later, one day, Master Regulus Black came to visit Kreacher in the kitchen. Master Regulus Black had always liked Kreacher. Master Regulus Black said... he said..." The old House-elf swayed even faster.
"... He said the Dark Lord wanted a House-elf."
"Voldemort wants a House-elf?" Sirius and Lupin exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with confusion.
Why would Voldemort ask his loyal heir, the Black family, for a House-elf?
"Oh, yes," Kreacher said painfully. "Master Regulus Black has sacrificed Kreacher. It is an honor, Master Regulus Black said, an honor for himself and for Kreacher. Kreacher must do everything the Dark Lord wants him to do... and then go—home."
Kreacher swayed faster, his breathing turning into sobs.
"So Kreacher went to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord didn't tell Kreacher what he was supposed to do, but instead led Kreacher to a cave by the sea. It was a large cave, and inside it was a large, black lake..."
Sirius's neck hairs stood on end, and his eyes began to well up with tears.
He had already guessed that Regulus Black had died here.
Kreacher's hoarse voice seemed to come from the black water.
He saw the scene as if he had experienced it himself.
"... There was a boat..."
"On the island there was a stone—a stone basin, filled with Potions. The Dark Lord— the Dark Lord made Kreacher drink it..."
The House-elf trembled all over.
"Kreacher drank it, and while he was drinking it, he saw many horrific sights... Kreacher's internal organs were on fire... Kreacher cried out to Master Regulus Black to save him, and to the mistress, but the Dark Lord just laughed... He forced Kreacher to drink the Potions... He threw a locket into an empty basin... and then filled the basin with the Potions."
"Then the Dark Lord boarded the ship and left, leaving Kreacher on the island..."
Sirius could almost see that scene.
He watched Voldemort's pale snake face disappear into the darkness, his red eyes coldly fixed on the writhing House-elf.
The House-elf would die in a few minutes, but he couldn't understand how it could be related to Regulus Black's death.
"Kreacher needed water, so he climbed to the edge of the island to drink from the Black Lake... Many hands, the hands of the dead, reached out from the water and dragged Kreacher in..."
"You escaped?" Sirius asked, not surprised to hear his own voice sound like a whisper.
Kreacher raised his ugly head and looked at Sirius with his bloodshot eyes.
"Young Master Regulus Black said he wanted Kreacher to come home," he said.
Sirius could no longer contain his anger. "Just because of this? The escape of a lowly House-elf? Voldemort found you were still alive and killed him? My foolish brother— Regulus Black?"
Why don't you just die?