Flames

As a branch of humanity, wizards are no different from humans in terms of mindset.

In the magical world, wizards, with their chaotic minds like humans, are the most complex and Wisdom beings compared to Magical Creatures such as centaurs and Goblin.

A complex array of thoughts also means being more easily influenced.

Thus, faced with the temptation of the Locket, Kreacher, with a mind as pure as a child's, remained unmoved, steadfast in his beliefs, and stood in front of the wavering Ron and Draco.

His long, ugly fingers were like a magic wand, pointing at the two Pure-blood wizard descendants whom he had once dared not disobey and who had only dared to vent his anger verbally.

As expected of Voldemort, the Locket was now filled with darkness and a corrupting magic.

"I'm just stopping Harry, I won't hurt him. Besides, Harry is obviously acting strange, maybe I'm actually helping him," Ron thought.

But on the other hand, his deep-seated trust and friendship with Harry made him stand still.

So Ron just took out his wand as a formality.

Draco's thoughts and actions were similar to Ron's, but he was more inclined to believe that this was for Harry's good, because this behavior was endorsed by Regulus, a Death Eaters.

However, he also chose to believe Harry.

Wizards' power, like their thoughts, is chaotic and full of infinite possibilities.

They may be more easily influenced, but they can also unleash unexpected power under the influence of positive emotions.

Harry continued to walk slowly forward, fiery magic flowing through his blood, acting as a shield in the ocean of dark magic.

The wand in my pocket was slightly warm, and it flew out as if it had come to life.

The cool sensation on his forehead kept Harry alert and heightened his intuition to its limit.

Everything made him feel like he had to destroy it!

That golden Locket is a threat!

A flame emerged from the Holly Wood wand; it had no color, yet it seemed to contain all colors.

All the wonderful qualities that Harry Potter embodies seem to be revealed in this invisible and intangible flame.

And this is the best magical substance to destroy this Voldemort Horcrux.

Better than the Basilisk Fang and the all-consuming Fiendfyre!

"No, no!"

"You—you too?"

"You'll regret this!" The hissing of the Locket grew more urgent as the flames drew closer, followed by a long, sharp scream.

A blinding light flashed, and Ron and Draco's wands fell to the ground. Harry couldn't help but cover his eyes.

Harry slowly and tentatively opened his eyes. The golden Locket was still lying in the same spot, but it had lost its luster and was no longer as Winky as before.

Even the inlaid emeralds seem like cheap plastic handicrafts.

Kreacher sensed something in Ron and Draco's eyes, and he slowly turned around in an extremely comical manner, as if afraid of waking up from a beautiful dream.

"Young Master Regulus's orders! Young Master Regulus's orders have been completed! Kreacher has finally completed Young Master Regulus's orders!" Kreacher gasped for breath, his shrunken chest heaving violently, tears and snot streaming down his face like a waterfall, letting out a blood-curdling scream.

Then, he rushed to the fireplace with a speed completely out of character for his age, and reappeared next to the dull Locket, holding a fire poker in his hand.

Crack!

Then there was the sound of something being smashed.

It's Locket!

Kreacher smashed the Locket!

Upon seeing the fragments of the Locket in front of him, the House-elf froze and released the fire poker in his hand.

Kreacher lay stiffly on the cold stone floor, tears streaming from his sunken eyes, his wrinkled lips splitting comically to reveal gray teeth.

It looked like a mix of crying and laughing.

The teeth were intact, as if they hadn't been broken by Dobby's punch.

After a long silence, a voice rang out, "Is he still alive? I mean, Kreacher."

"Could he be under some kind of curse? — Because he damaged the Locket," Ron said worriedly.

His ears turned slightly red, as if he were ashamed of what he had just done to betray Harry.

"No, I don't think so. Kreacher is just too happy."

"But what's inside that Locket?"

"He can actually talk," Draco exclaimed, his pink lips also tinged with shame.

But what shamed Draco the most was that he didn't know whether to tell Harry about his and Rhodes's misdeeds— Harry had his back to them and hadn't noticed anything.

"My dad said never trust anything that can think independently unless you see where it hides its mind."

"That Locket is clearly not a good thing."

"And Harry, I just, I—" Ron's lips trembled slightly.

"Me too, Ron and I were just wavering."

"The thing inside Slytherin's Locket seems to be able to see into our hearts."

"Ron and I both pulled our wands at you," Draco said first.

At this moment, both he and Ron had their heads down, awaiting Harry's verdict.

"I have a secret I haven't told you."

"Every time I enter that state, I can say that I can sense everything around me."

"But I didn't sense any danger behind me."

"Because my intuition tells me that my friends will not betray me."

"I believe that even if you did use some kind of spell on me, it's just because you're worried about me."

"Instead of being fooled by this strange thing," Harry said gently with a smile.

He picked up the wands that had fallen to the ground and returned them to their respective owners.

Ron and Draco couldn't help but smile, their eyes brimming with tears.

About ten minutes later, Harry and the others finally snapped out of their daze and had time to look at the Boiler Room.

"Is this Kreacher's little house?"

"Could we have come to the wrong place?" Ron and Draco couldn't help but ask.

In that small room, only the items belonging to the Black House were relatively clean.

The rest of the place, including Kreacher's makeshift bed made of rags and the rest of the house, looked like a garbage dump.

Now, the dark ground is spotless and white, and Kreacher's den has shed its years of grime and become colorful and vibrant.

Even the tattered cloth on Kreacher's body revealed its original vibrant colors.

Harry looked at all this strangely; his spell always seemed to have some other odd effect.

When used against Quirrell, it will purify the stench in the house.

And now it seems like they've done a thorough cleaning?

Even Kreacher, who was no longer lying down but sitting up, curled up in a ball with his wet face between his knees, couldn't help but look around.