Since it was impossible to Apparate into Hogwarts, Sirius, Lupin, and Mrs. Weasley could only go to Hogsmeade first before heading to the castle.
To avoid being ambushed by Death Eaters lying in wait, they had deliberately chosen a relatively secluded spot... a hollow to the left of the Shrieking Ice Cream Parlour.
This place had once been the Shrieking Shack. After Sirius took it over a year ago, he changed its name. Though the shop name was a little strange, after saying it enough times, it had become barely manageable.
After all, one could hardly expect someone who lost eight thousand Galleons in a year to come up with a particularly good shop name.
After concealing themselves, they hurried toward Hogwarts.
Along the way, Sirius found time to tell Harry and Lupin about how Regulus had swapped Slytherin's Locket and tricked Voldemort. He looked immensely proud.
Proud that the decaying House of Black had produced such a brave and fearless young wizard.
"That's incredible," Harry said quietly. "It's hard to imagine a Death Eater betraying Voldemort over a House-elf. He must have been prepared to die when he drank those potions."
"Kreacher was only one reason," Sirius said. "At heart, Regulus never agreed with Voldemort's methods. That wasn't what he believed pure-blood wizards should do."
"He was a true Slytherin," Harry said sincerely. "So the thing in that cave was a Horcrux, and you already took it?"
"That's right." Sirius nodded. "It happened years ago. When we were cleaning 12 Grimmauld Place, Kyle found Slytherin's Locket on a display stand in the entrance hall.
"That was the real one. The one in the cave was the fake Regulus had left behind."
"No wonder Voldemort was so angry." Harry recalled the horribly twisted face from the memory and suddenly wanted