So That Was It

"We should tell you, none of the rest of us can Apparate."

"Yeah, you're all heroes, but I never pretended I was planning to risk my life—"

"We're not interested in why you abandoned Mad-Eye and ran."

Harry held his wand close to Mundungus's swollen, bloodshot eyes. "We already know you're an unreliable piece of trash."

"Then why is that House-elf pestering me? Is it about those goblets again? I haven't got a single one left, otherwise you could take them—"

"It's not about the goblets, but you're getting warmer," Harry said. "Shut up and listen."

It felt good to have something to do, to be able to pry some truth out of someone.

Harry's wand was now so close to Mundungus's nose that the man had gone cross-eyed.

"When you stole everything valuable you could find from this house—"

But Mundungus interrupted him again. "Sirius never cared about that rubbish—"

There was a slap of bare feet, a flash of brass, a loud clang, and a howl of pain. Kreacher rushed forward and smashed Mundungus over the head with a long-handled pan.

"Make him stop, make him stop! He ought to be locked up!"

Mundungus cried out, cowering as Kreacher raised the heavy pan again.

"Kreacher, don't!"

Kreacher's thin arm trembled beneath the weight of the pan, but he still held it high.

"One more, Master Harry? For good luck?"

Ron laughed.

"We need him conscious, Kreacher. But if he needs persuading, you may handle it."

"Thank you very much, Master."

Kreacher bowed and stepped back a few paces, his pale eyes still fixed on Mundungus with loathing.

"When you stole everything valuable you could find from this house," Harry began again, "you took a batch of things from the kitchen cupboard. One of them was a locket."

Harry's