Yesterday Once More

When Kano returned home, Kreacher was standing by the living room door and set off a magical firework.

Kano immediately flicked his wand from his wrist sheath into his palm, nearly sending a gust of wind flying at him.

Fortunately, he saw that it was only a shower of colorful streamers and glitter, and silently slipped his wand back into its sheath.

"Dinner is about to begin, young master. Please follow me."

It was only four in the afternoon, but Kreacher had already prepared more than a dozen dishes, all laid out in dazzling array across the long table.

Only one chair, meant for the master, stood beside the table. Kreacher guided Kano into it, then waited at his side with a white towel draped over his thin arm, ready to serve him at any moment.

Kano had once tried to get Kreacher to sit and eat with him, but Kreacher's mind was filled with hierarchy and status. He regarded the rules of pure-blood families as his very life. Even when Kano ordered him to sit nearby, he looked as though he might spring to his feet at any second to obey a command.

In the end, Kano cited Kreacher's many years of guarding the Black Family's ancestral home as grounds to "grant" him the honor of sitting down during ordinary meals when there were no guests. Only then did Kreacher accept, trembling all over.

But today was Christmas dinner. Kreacher stood quietly at the side, and to be honest, Kano was thoroughly sick of it.

Once Hermione got that "Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare" up and running, he would invest some money in it.

Wait, he first had to figure out where house-elves' servile nature came from.

Kano ate as he thought. Today's meal was still mainly a traditional British Christmas dinner, with various roasted meats, potatoes, desserts, and so on.

The main course was not roast turkey, because Kano had eaten turkey once in his previous life, and its fibers had been so coarse that he could barely swallow it.

Though Kreacher repeatedly assured him that he could make turkey delicious, Kano had insisted on replacing it with roast leg of lamb.

After finishing the final, calorie-packed pudding, Kano signaled that Kreacher could clear the table. The house-elf swiftly removed every dish, wiped the long table clean, and stood beside Kano with his head lowered.

"Kreacher, have you thought about how you're going to tell me about my parents?" Kano took a sip of grape juice and looked at Kreacher's bowed head.

"Young master, I'm ready." Kreacher drew a deep breath, and his frail body seemed to swell slightly.

"You are not allowed to punish yourself. Begin."

Kano pulled over a chair for Kreacher, and Kreacher climbed onto it in alarm before sitting down.

"Master Regulus was different from that vulgar... different from his brother. He had always been an obedient, good child." Kreacher seemed to choke when he mentioned Sirius Black, but he still remembered Kano's instruction from earlier.

"He had been elegant since childhood and held himself to the standards of a pure-blood heir in every respect. He took pride in the Black Family, and the old mistress took pride in him."

"When Master Regulus entered Hogwarts, unlike his good-for-nothing brother, he was sorted into Slytherin." A proud smile appeared on Kreacher's face.

But when Kreacher came back to himself, he immediately explained in panic, "I wasn't criticizing young master for not entering Slytherin. It's just that the noble and pure Black Family... Slytherin is still the best."

Kano shook his head to show that he did not mind. Kreacher let out a breath and continued.

"Master Regulus didn't have many close friends at school, but because he strongly believed that pure-bloods were inherently superior, he was never lacking in companions."

"But there was an older girl who always publicly opposed his views. That girl was Miss Vivian, young master's mother."

"Master Regulus would always tell old Kreacher how hateful Vivian was. They could argue on any occasion."

Kano felt his teeth ache. So his parents in this life had gone through the same kind of idol-drama romance.

Kreacher continued, "A few years passed like that, and Master Regulus was gradually drawn to the Dark Lord's ideals. Because of that, he had a fierce argument with Miss Vivian."

"Wait," Kano interrupted Kreacher. "Didn't they dislike each other? From what you're saying, it sounds like they actually got along pretty well."

Kreacher actually nodded. "Master Regulus once said that although Miss Vivian, as a Weasley, had something wrong with her head, she was a respectable opponent. Perhaps Miss Vivian thought the same way. So while they were always competing with each other, their relationship was actually not bad."

Kano nodded. It seemed that both of them had wanted to change the other's beliefs, but still thought well of each other as people.

"After their argument, Master Regulus joined the Dark Lord's ranks."

"Master Regulus was very happy. He wanted to contribute to the future the Dark Lord described, where pure-blood families controlled the wizarding world. But Miss Vivian completely distanced herself from him, and only the Dark Lord's supporters remained by his side."

Kano could understand Regulus's thoughts. At the beginning, Voldemort had still been that handsome, brilliant Hogwarts graduate. His beliefs were radical, but they suited the tastes of pure-blood families perfectly.

Before he revealed his brutal and greedy side, he had represented a school of thought. Many people supported him, while most of the rest remained neutral.

But once Voldemort began gathering strength and openly hunting down wizards born to ordinary people and those who opposed him, he had fallen into a lowly terrorist.

Regulus had probably been misled by the image Voldemort presented at first, joining the Death Eaters and becoming nothing more than a mascot used to win the support of pure-blood families.

"Later, the Dark Lord's power grew stronger and stronger, but Master Regulus began to grow silent," Kreacher continued.

That was probably because Regulus had discovered that Voldemort was fundamentally unlike him, and had grown fearful of the things he was being asked to do.

"But the only people around him were Voldemort's supporters. He had no one to confide in, so he started speaking with Vivian again, didn't he?" Kano seemed to understand.

"Yes, but old Kreacher didn't know what Master was thinking." Kreacher nodded. "After that, Master did not seem so despondent anymore."

"Master told Kreacher that he wanted to leave the Death Eaters and live in seclusion with Miss Vivian. He said that the Dark Lord would not make things difficult for the Black Family, because pure-blood families were the foundation of his rule."

"But then one day, Master returned home completely distraught."

Kano nodded. It seemed that his mother had already met with disaster by then.

"Master Regulus was like a man who had lost his soul. Every day, no one knew what he was doing, until one day, the Dark Lord... needed a house-elf."

Kreacher began to tremble violently, as though he had remembered something terrifying.

Kreacher could not go on. The rest of the story involved an enormous secret. Kano had no intention of forcing him, and he already knew what happened afterward.

Kano made a stopping gesture and placed a hand on Kreacher's frail shoulder.

"I already know what happened afterward." Kano looked at the uneasy Kreacher. "I'll fulfill what Regulus asked of you."

"After all, I am his son."

Kreacher nodded forcefully, tears dripping onto the towel he wore.