"Kreacher!"
Sirius, who had been knocked to the ground, whirled around. What he saw made his whole body shudder, and the sharpness in his eyes gave way to bewilderment.
A black steel spike had grown from the steel-mesh floor. It was five or six feet long, needle-sharp at the tip, with a base as thick as a wrist where it connected to the floor.
Drip, drip, drip.
Blood trickled from the pierced left side of Kreacher's chest, flowing down the steel spike and dripping into the dark space beneath the mesh.
Hanging in midair, Kreacher laboriously lowered his head for a look, then revealed a sorrowful smile.
"Kreacher?"
The world seemed to fall silent, leaving only Sirius's slightly bewildered call.
He slowly pushed himself up from the ground and staggered toward Kreacher. Sirius examined the steel spike from top to bottom, apparently still trying to figure out how to get Kreacher off it.
"Master Sirius needs to stop Harry Potter as soon as possible."
Kreacher shook his head, telling Sirius not to trouble himself any further. Its voice was weak.
"Harry?"
Sirius's body trembled, and the look he gave Kreacher grew even more confused.
"Kreacher heard that Master Harry insists he saw Master Sirius captured by the Dark Lord. He said he saw Master Sirius being tortured in the Ministry of Magic, and he and his friends left Hogwarts to save Master Sirius."
Harry and his friends had left Hogwarts to save him at the Ministry of Magic?
Sirius opened his mouth in confusion, his body shaking even harder, while Vitia behind them lowered her head.
"Master Sirius."
Kreacher struggled to raise one hand. Sirius immediately clasped the hand that was gradually losing its warmth, his expression still bewildered.
"Tell me, Kreacher. I'm listening—"
"Kreacher saw Mistress—"
Kreacher merely looked