Dumbledore's Visit

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Ethan planned to leave the old mansion and return to Hogwarts.

He first exited the Black's dilapidated house, then apparated to Hogsmeade with a swift Apparation spell, and finally walked the remaining distance to Hogwarts.

It was late at night, and an eerie silence enveloped the castle grounds.

Undisturbed, Ethan reached the entrance to the headmaster's office. The gargoyle guarding the entrance seemed accustomed to such visitors, and it slid aside as soon as Ethan arrived.

Ethan entered the headmaster's office, only to find it empty. Albus Dumbledore was nowhere in sight.

The only occupant was Dumbledore's Phoenix, Fawkes, who eyed the unexpected guest curiously. He let out a pair of sharp chirps, then flew to the back of the office and vanished from view.

After a moment, Dumbledore emerged from behind a wall. He was not in his usual robes but snow-white pajamas, with furry slippers on his feet. He squinted at Ethan, clearly taken aback.

"Ethan, what's the matter? Disturbing an old man's sleep is a poor habit," Dumbledore said, attempting to lighten the mood.

"I think you'll find this interesting," Ethan replied, holding a pocket watch.

"Ah, Ethan, you've found quite a fascinating pendant. Is it Slytherin's work," Dumbledore remarked with a hint of admiration.

"Is it an early Christmas gift?" Dumbledore inquired.

"If you want," Ethan said with a slight smile.

"Consider it your Christmas present."

Ethan placed the pendant on the headmaster's desk.

"I found this in the Black Mansion. It appears to be another of Voldemort's Horcruxes."

The mention of "Voldemort's Horcrux" immediately shifted Dumbledore's demeanor from relaxed to intensely focused.

"You mean another one?"

Dumbledore asked, quickly moving to examine the pendant. He retrieved his glasses from the pocket of his pajamas and scrutinized the pendant box closely.

Dumbledore then took out his wand and performed several detection spells. As he examined the results, his face grew more serious.

"Yes, it's a Horcrux," Dumbledore confirmed in a low voice.

"This pendant contains a piece of his soul and uses the same enchantments as the diary."

Dumbledore looked intently at Ethan.

"There are undeniably more of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Your discovery is invaluable, Ethan. The magical world owes you a great debt."

"As I've said before, Dumbledore, defeating Voldemort is our shared mission," Ethan replied.

"Yes, indeed," Dumbledore agreed.

"Can you tell me how you came by this pendant?"

Ethan recounted the story Kreacher had told him.

"My word, Regulus," Dumbledore murmured, rubbing his temples in disbelief.

"I still remember when he was at Hogwarts. His nature wasn't bad, but he was weak-willed and lacked strong opinions. However, I always knew he had courage and kindness in his heart," Dumbledore said, his voice tinged with emotion as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Regulus displayed great bravery. He didn't lack courage," Dumbledore continued.

"Yes, he did," Ethan agreed, sighing. He also felt deep sorrow for Regulus.

"Sirius hopes to retrieve Regulus's body. It would be a grave dishonor to leave it among the Inferni in that lake," Ethan remarked.

"Indeed," Dumbledore nodded.

"I will accompany you. I wish to investigate the situation myself."

Ethan remained silent, appreciating the added confidence Dumbledore's presence would bring to their mission.

"Dumbledore, what will you do with this Horcrux?" Ethan asked.

"I will handle it carefully. I'll destroy it immediately once I've completed my research," Dumbledore assured him.

Ethan trusted Dumbledore's words and nodded in agreement.

"Let's join Sirius now," Dumbledore said, and they set off.

Dumbledore had cleverly circumvented school regulations, allowing him to use Apparition within Hogwarts. Soon, they arrived on the street where the Black Mansion stood with a soft pop.

As Ethan moved to enter the house, he noticed Dumbledore staring ahead in confusion. Realizing he hadn't provided Dumbledore with the address, Ethan whispered in his ear, "The Black Family House is at 12 Grimmauld Place."

Immediately, Dumbledore's expression shifted to understanding, and the house came into clear view.

"Alright, let's go in," Ethan said, stepping into the house first.

Kreacher was the first to greet them. He had abandoned any thoughts of harming himself and was now glaring at Ethan with visible irritation.

"Another intrusion by the mutant and his peculiar friend!" Kreacher croaked in his toad-like voice.

As soon as Kreacher laid eyes on Dumbledore, his demeanor shifted dramatically. He fell silent, like a chicken stunned into stillness.

Kreacher recognized Dumbledore and understood his significance.

"Welcome, Mr. Dumbledore," Kreacher said in an unusually subdued tone.

"Your presence brings a spark to the Black family."

Kreacher bowed deeply to Dumbledore, his voice dripping with strained respect.

At that moment, Sirius appeared, looking somewhat taken aback by Dumbledore's unexpected visit.

"Prof. Dumbledore! Uh, welcome to my home," Sirius greeted, his bewilderment evident.

Sirius then noticed Kreacher standing nearby, head bowed peculiarly.

Sirius sighed deeply, recognizing that Kreacher had probably been misbehaving again.

"I apologize, Dumbledore," Sirius said.

"Kreacher's behavior results from listening to my mother's portrait. She's been giving him rather mad commands, which has affected him."

Dumbledore smiled and waved off the apology, showing he wasn't bothered. He then asked curiously, "Is Mrs. Black's portrait still around? I would love to have a word with her. It's been quite some time!"

Both Sirius and Ethan exchanged a look of surprise at Dumbledore's request.

They both knew how deranged Mrs. Black had become over the years.