Sirius and Kreacher Have a Complicated Relationship / The Lovegood House Has a Rather Eccentric Design ...

Harry has Sirius completely under his thumb, even more so than James did back in the day!

Chapter 440 Sirius's relationship with Kreacher is very complicated.

Of course, Harry had to try to dissuade Sirius.

The lake was teeming with Inferi, numbering perhaps several hundred or even over a thousand. To rush in like that—were they just throwing their lives away?

But there's a right way to persuade someone. Sirius is the kind of person who is bold and meticulous, but by no means lacking in adventurous spirit. If Harry keeps interfering when Sirius is being stubborn, it will only end up causing a bad fight.

So Harry might as well play the victim and let Sirius realize the real trouble his impulsive actions would cause Harry. Out of concern for his godson, he would naturally give up.

Of course, Sirius could see through Harry's tricks, but if he thought things through calmly, he would eventually accept Harry's advice and stop acting impulsively.

It's true that his younger brother Regulus is important, but aren't Harry and Lupin important too?

From now until summer vacation, just to bring the deceased Regulus home three months earlier, he wants the living people around him to impulsively go on adventures with him... Sirius asked himself, perhaps his thinking was too selfish.

In short, the Regulus affair is now over, and Harry has successfully retrieved the intact Slytherin's Locket... though the ending isn't exactly a happy one.

Because of this locket, Kreacher has now become Harry's sworn enemy.

As mentioned before, Kreacher is the quintessential House-elf, always sticking to his principles and never shirking orders.

Regulus's dying wish to Kreacher was to destroy the locket and keep it a secret from everyone, including the Black family... But now, because of Harry, Kreacher can no longer obey either of these orders.

The House-elf was forced to reveal the secret he had kept all along, and he could no longer keep the locket. This was an unprecedented blow to Kreacher.

Unfortunately, the people in the room couldn't explain the whole story to him.

Kreacher was just a House-elf; he knew nothing about Horcrux or soul fragments, and he certainly wouldn't interpret Regulus's orders in any way.

The deceased owner's order was to destroy the thing, but not only was it not destroyed, Harry has also taken it away. Therefore, in Kreacher's eyes, Harry is a bastard who deserves to be torn to pieces.

Even if Sirius forces Kreacher to believe Harry and explain Regulus's true intentions, Kreacher won't listen and won't genuinely develop any affection for Harry.

This House-elf can bow to Harry at an angle of over ninety degrees and still not mention the locket again... but in his heart, he's probably cursing Harry right now.

But it doesn't matter. He likes to curse, so let him curse to his heart. After all, he's not Harry's House-elf.

Moreover, Harry's acrimonious relationship with Kreacher wasn't entirely a bad thing. It allowed a certain girl who had always felt sympathy for House-elf to witness firsthand what it felt like to receive poison in return for kindness.

Unlike Hermione, Harry never once considered 'saving' all House-elf... because he knew very well that not all House-elf longed for freedom like Dobby.

Giving a guy like Kreacher freedom is tantamount to a great insult; he might even risk his life to fight you!

So, during Harry's stay at the Black family, the only thing he told Sirius was...

Try to argue with Kreacher as little as possible, and at the same time, be sure to treat him well.

His suggestion was naturally highly praised by Lupin.

"Luckily, Padfoot listened to you. His attitude was indeed a bit excessive. Kreacher has served his family for so long; even if he's a House-elf, you can't just hit and scold him all the time."

When Lupin discovered that Sirius would actually humbly admit his mistakes to Harry, he said this with satisfaction.

However, Harry shook his head noncommittally at his opinion.

"Uncle Lupin, you still don't understand my godfather, and the same goes for Kreacher."

Sirius Black is a man who can befriend Werewolf, lend his motorcycle to Hagrid, Half-blood- Giant, without hesitation, and even frolic with all sorts of Fantastic Beasts.

He rarely displayed any sense of superiority; even when he was studying at Hogwarts, he never acted House-elf in the kitchen.

But why was Sirius so harsh and even cruel towards Kreacher?

Because Kreacher is the only remaining embodiment of the Black family, he embodies all the traits that Sirius despises.

The glory of Pure-blood, the supremacy of family, the self-proclaimed nobility, the rejection of ordinary people and wizards of ordinary birth as if they were pests... all of these are things that Sirius has hated from the beginning to the present.

But perhaps because of the painting in the first-floor corridor, Sirius had no choice but to live here, enduring the constant torment of the Black family's so-called glory, which was so incompatible with him, every day.

Therefore, Sirius and Kreacher are essentially from two different camps; the fundamental motivation behind the various forms of abuse he inflicted on Kreacher is similar to his original plan to kill Snape.

Of course, Harry wasn't saying this to excuse Sirius... In any case, mistreating or beating a House-elf is extremely wrong.

He was only analyzing the problem from Sirius's perspective, which was the best way to persuade his godfather.

Kreacher was, after all, a Black family House-elf. Even if Sirius disliked Kreacher's outdated ideas and values, he should at least be more lenient with the old elf for Regulus's sake.

Harry and Hermione stayed at the Black family for about a week, during which time he took some time to visit Bathilda Bagshot, who lived alone in Godric's Hollow.

Before this trip, Harry had originally planned to let old Bathilda stay at the Black family so that a House-elf could help take care of her health.

But after Harry actually met Kreacher, he readily abandoned the idea.

The Black family is indeed not very livable, and it might be better for old Bathilda to live alone until the nursing home is completed.

While in Godric's Hollow, Harry gave old Bathilda a small dose of Veritaserum, which somewhat alleviated her current dazed state, at least making her less confused when talking to people.

For the same reason, while Harry received permission to rewrite the History of Magic, he also learned some information that he found quite interesting.

The story involves Dumbledore's past and that of a certain Dark Lord, as well as... a powerful magical artifact known as the Deathly Hallows.

This prompted him to stop being a mushroom and decide to immediately visit Luna Lovegood's father, Xenophilius Lovegood.

Chapter 441 Luna Lovegood's family's style is quite bizarre.

Autry Ottery St Catchpole is a small village in Britain Devon. After the signing of the International Statute of Secrecy in the 17th century, it gradually became a well-known place in the Wizarding World where ordinary people and wizards lived together.

Many famous wizarding families live here, such as Cedric Diggory, Harry's classmate at Hogwarts; and the Weasley family, who live in a house called the Burrow outside the village.

The Lovegood family, whom Harry is visiting today, is also here. Their house is located on a hilltop near the Burrow, and it's almost instantly recognizable.

"That must be the Loony's house. It looks like a chimney. No one but her would live in a place like that."

It was an absolutely bizarre house, a huge black cylinder standing alone on the mountaintop, looking like a rook in chess, and also like a round chimney.

Especially when the wind blows from the mountaintop, the drifting clouds seem to emerge from that house.

"The chimney is a bit much, but it does look like a castle tower," Harry said with a laugh.

"Yeah, there's a crazy princess living in that castle, eagerly waiting for you, the hero, to rescue her~" Hermione was inexplicably annoyed by her own unfounded association, and in the end, she even pouted jealously.

"No... this is completely absurd!" Harry shrugged, both amused and exasperated.

Hermione's so sourness is so strong, you could probably smell it from ten meters away.

Fortunately, the rumors that were circulating at school were about Harry keeping Ginny as a mistress. If Luna Lovegood had been the one in the rumors, Hermione would probably have made a huge scene.

But after today, the situation seems to be about the same.

The Lovegood family's entire income came from the magazine "The Quibbler," and now that the magazine has been shut down, Luna Lovegood and her father are essentially starving.

But once Harry injects the funds, the Quibbler will essentially become Harry's own business, making it no different from him supporting the Lovegood family...

Upon reaching the summit, the two immediately confirmed that they had not gone to the wrong place.

Outside the black round house, there is a small courtyard with three hand-painted nameplates nailed to the rather simple gate.

'Editor-in-Chief of <The Quibbler>: X. Lovegood', 'Please Pick Your Own Bunch of Mistletoe', 'Don't Touch the Dirigible Plum '

The lettering on the doorplate was somewhat faded, and even the words "The Quibbler" had obvious scratches, but it still helped Ha and He confirm their destination.

"Harry! The Know-it-all!!"

However, just as the two were about to push the door open and enter, the quirky blonde girl suddenly jumped out from the nursery in the yard.

"Ah! Loony, what are you doing?" Hermione was startled by Luna Lovegood and patted her chest in lingering fear as she complained.

"This is a welcoming ceremony," Luna Lovegood replied solemnly. "After being bitten by the Garden Engineers, I received wisdom from them, so I decided to welcome you in this way."

"A garden... what's that?" Hermione was speechless for a moment upon hearing this.

This Loony is saying things that no one can understand again.

"It must be Gnome." Harry understood what Luna Lovegood was saying immediately.

Gnome are a type of Fantastic Beasts that typically feed on plant roots. These 'pests' are often found in ordinary wizarding households, especially those wizards who enjoy gardening.

However, speaking of the welcoming ceremony...

Harry looked Luna Lovegood over carefully and found that she had indeed taken great care in dressing up.

Luna Lovegood was wearing a robe that looked like it was pieced together in different colors, along with Butterbeer cork necklace and carrot-shaped Dirigible Plum earrings. She also had a wreath of mistletoe woven with white beads on her head.

Standing in her yard filled with exotic plants, she didn't seem out of place at all; she was like a spirit perfectly in harmony with nature.

Hmm... if Hermione were to describe her, she'd probably be considered a chameleon.

"Let me take you inside, Dad is already waiting for you."

Luna Lovegood stepped forward, took Hermione's hand, and led her through the two old crabapple trees and the large clump of mistletoe by the door... then completely forgot about Harry.

"This... sigh~" Harry could only sigh helplessly at the sight, following behind them like a little follower.

There was nothing he could do; Harry couldn't afford to mess with either of those two girls.

After following the two women into the house, Harry saw a strangely dressed man.

He was slightly cross-eyed, with a head of fluffy white hair that cascaded over his shoulders, looking like a marshmallow; he wore a pale yellow robe, a hat with tassels that reached down to his nose, and even a tie around his neck.

This man must be Luna Lovegood's father. It's clear he made serious preparations to welcome Harry and Hermione, though his attire is rather incongruous.

What attracted Harry most, however, was the gold chain he wore with his tie, with a strange pendant hanging from the bottom that looked like a triangular eye.

After talking to old Bathilda, Harry now knows that it's the symbol for the Deathly Hallows.

It seems that Luna Lovegood's father was indeed aware of this.

"You must be Xenophilius Lovegood. I apologize for bothering you today. I am Harry Granger." Upon seeing the man, Harry immediately extended his hand politely.

"I am Xenophilius Lovegood, Harry and Hermione Granger. I've heard Luna Lovegood mention you often."

Luna Lovegood's father quickly grasped Harry's hand, his attitude appearing very kind.

After everyone was seated, Xenophilius Lovegood poured some Gurdyroot Tea for Hach and Luna Lovegood... supposedly a drink they both particularly enjoyed.

"Adding a little sugar would taste great."

Xenophilius Lovegood seemed very confident in his drink. Harry took a small sip and found the pale purple liquid tasted exactly like juiced green onions—a truly strong flavor.

I recall Luna Lovegood saying that when the magazine was first shut down, Xenophilius Lovegood asked many people for investment, but most of them refused without even having a cup of tea... Perhaps the culprit was this cup of tea.

However, out of politeness, Harry didn't show anything unusual, but simply stopped touching the cup.

"Harry, I heard from Luna Lovegood that... you're planning to buy out the Quibbler magazine and then reissue it?"

After a long, pointless chatter, Xenophilius finally couldn't help but press for an answer.

Chapter 442 Harry and Xenophilius immediately

From the moment Harry walked in, Xenophilius had been eager to get straight to the point and discuss the magazine with him.

However, Harry kept beating around the bush, praising the unique decorations of his house or mentioning funny stories about Luna Lovegood from school, but never getting to the point.

Xenophilius, whose self-control was not up to par, could only take the initiative to ask.

"The Quibbler" was the Lovegood family's sole source of income in the past, and since its closure, Xenophilius has been living off his savings.

Luna Lovegood doesn't actually spend much money at Hogwarts, but Xenophilius is an adult whose daily expenses are much greater than those of a student Luna Lovegood.

If his daughter hadn't repeatedly assured him that Harry was absolutely trustworthy, he might be doing some kind of part-time job right now.

Perhaps he'd end up like Arthur Weasley, barely scraping by repairing broken magical items, or doing something similar... but Xenophilius knew for sure that it would never be something he enjoyed doing.

"Xenophilius Lovegood, I have a question..." After sensing the other's urgency, Harry finally spoke slowly, "If we were to revive the Quibbler, what kind of content do you plan to publish in it this time?"

"Um... what did you say?"

Harry's question startled Xenophilius. In his mind, if he sold the magazine to Harry, he would become a miserable corporate slave working for Harry, and wouldn't have the right to decide the magazine's content.

"Xenophilius Lovegood, you've misunderstood." Seeing the other's puzzled expression, Harry shook his head slightly. "I do intend to provide some funding to help you get the magazine back on track, but I don't want to interfere too much in the operation of the new magazine. So... you can treat me as a shareholder or a sponsor, and you can publish whatever you want from now on. I'm just curious about your founding ideas."

Admittedly, Harry desperately needs a media outlet to rival the Daily Prophet, and the Quibbler certainly fits the bill, but Harry has no intention of having Xenophilius work for him... even if Luna Lovegood doesn't mind.