Chapter 3
Albert soared from the roof of Azkaban, the roof was not sealed at all, allowing him to escape effortlessly.
…
Two days later
Albert flapped his wings, enjoying the fresh air and the breathtaking scenery of towering mountains, lush green forests, and vast grassy plains. His gaze fell upon a spot in the middle of the forest, where he saw a massive black mansion. He recognized it as the very place he and his uncle, Regulus, had once fled from.
He quickly descended, transforming back into his human form as he neared the ground. He climbed the steps of the mansion and reached for the door. But the moment he placed his left foot on the stairs, he heard a deep voice, its tone heavy with sadness.
"Welcome, young master."
The moment Albert heard the voice, he heightened his alertness, pointing his finger towards the room from which the sound had come. He almost cast the *Petrificus Totalus* spell, a curse that freezes the opponent, only to find that the mysterious figure was just a house-elf of the Black family.
Upon seeing the elf, Albert suddenly remembered that his family had an elf or a servant named Kreacher, who was over 600 years old. Kreacher had served his family since the 14th century, up until this very day.
"Hello, Kreacher, how are you?"
"Where is that scoundrel Sirius? Has he died as well?"
Hearing Kreacher insult his father, Albert raised his finger towards the elf.
"Levicorpus!"
A pure white light shot out, wrapping around Kreacher and lifting him into the air, with his ankles above and his head below. Kreacher was stunned by this, but what surprised him even more was Albert's ability to perform magic with just his hands, without a wand.
Then suddenly, Kreacher burst into tears.
"Waaah, waaah, waaah!"
Kreacher cried bitterly, saying, "You were right, Master, waaah."
Albert was also surprised, as he thought Kreacher was crying because of what he had done to him. But when he heard Kreacher say that his master was right, he let the elf fall to the ground and asked him, "Kreacher, what do you mean your master was right? Who is your master?"
"I was talking about Master Regulus." Albert remembered when Kreacher mentioned his uncle's name, that his father had told him to inquire about his uncle's condition.
"Tell me! Is my uncle still alive?"
"Waaah, Master, my master is dead, waaah." Kreacher exploded in tears as he recalled the incident and the death of his beloved master, Regulus, the only member of the family who had been kind to him.
Albert felt deep sorrow over the death of his uncle, even though he had only lived with him for three months many years ago. He had loved him and had hoped to find a way to escape from Voldemort.
"Kreacher, calm down... You said my uncle was killed. Were you there? Did you see who did it? Please, tell me everything you know."
"Alright, I'll tell you everything."
Eleven years ago, after Regulus returned from Azkaban to send Albert to his father, Sirius, Kreacher heard Voldemort's voice in his mind, instructing him to go to the Forest Lake. Years ago, when Regulus was still a Death Eater and a follower of Voldemort, he had ordered Kreacher to carry out any task Voldemort assigned to him. So when Voldemort gave Kreacher this mission, he obeyed immediately.
Kreacher did not know that at the time Voldemort gave him the mission, Regulus had betrayed Voldemort and was on the run. Voldemort and his followers were searching for him. Voldemort could have killed Kreacher, knowing he was a servant of the Black family, but he needed his blood while he was still alive to create a transport circle. Voldemort could not use normal human apparation to reach the lake. Using house-elf blood was one of the ways to bypass these wards, which is exactly what Voldemort intended.
When Kreacher arrived at the Forest Lake, he was shocked to see Voldemort swimming in the lake, performing strange rituals, his body encircled by the lake's waters.
As Kreacher approached, Voldemort spoke to him, extending an empty goblet.
"Wound yourself and fill this cup with your blood," Voldemort commanded.
"Yes, Master," Kreacher replied.
He cut his hand and let his blood fill the cup. When he finished, Voldemort took the blood and began drawing strange symbols in a circle around him with his wand. As the circle began to glow and Voldemort prepared to transport, he felt something behind him. When he turned around, he saw Regulus, holding his precious necklace and stabbing it with a bone dagger.
Before Voldemort could react, he felt an unbearable pain emanating from the depths of his soul.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Regulus had been hiding nearby, waiting for the right moment to catch Voldemort off guard.
Kreacher seized the opportunity, running away from Voldemort's grasp and towards his master, Regulus.
"Master, what are you doing here?"
"Kreacher! We don't have time, get me out of here quickly."
Before Regulus could finish his sentence, a green light struck his body, killing him instantly and leaving him lifeless on the ground. Voldemort had used the *Avada Kedavra* curse. With the apparition spell complete, Voldemort vanished from the spot.
…
Back to the present.
Albert was shocked to realize that the events leading to Regulus's death were not the same as those in the original story. This made Albert aware that the plot had changed.
"Alright, Kreacher, can you tell me what happened to the necklace Regulus was holding?"
The moment Kreacher heard the word "necklace" from Albert's mouth, he went mad and began to rage. Albert quickly used the *Petrificus Totalus* spell to freeze Kreacher before he could become even more agitated. It worked; Kreacher stopped moving and raging.
"What happened to you?" Albert asked.
Kreacher responded angrily, "Damn that cursed necklace! It's the reason my master is dead!"
"Alright, calm down. Just tell me where the necklace is. I want to see it."
Kreacher immediately calmed down, feeling the bond he had signed with the Black family compelling him to obey, confirming Albert's true lineage.
"Alright, follow me, Master," Kreacher said.
He led Albert to a secret room that was completely empty. But after Kreacher uttered the word "Surgetto," a cabinet appeared on the wall. This spell Kreacher used was a spell to remove the concealment charm that had been placed around the cabinet. If anyone else had used this spell, it would not have worked on Kreacher's magic unless they were truly a skilled wizard.
Kreacher approached the cabinet, opened it, and pulled out the necklace. Its chain was a gray color adorned with crystals, while the jewel on the necklace was engraved with a green serpent.
As soon as Albert received the necklace from Kreacher, he felt his heart race, and his mind was filled with confusion and intense anxiety. Albert could hear laughter inside his head, terrifying laughter.
"Master, are you alright?"
"Kreacher, do you hear that voice?" Albert asked, surprising Kreacher with his question.
"No, Master, I don't hear anything. What's happening to you?"
After hearing Kreacher's response, Albert realized that these sounds were nothing more than hallucinations stemming from his mind, or more accurately, from the connection between him and the necklace.
The voice appeared again, saying, "Come on, Albert, your mother died because of you. Give me your will, and I will give you the power you desire to take revenge on Voldemort. This is an offer you can't—"
The voice did not finish before Kreacher removed the necklace from Albert's hand and placed it back in the cabinet. Albert sat on the ground, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath.
"Huff, huff… My God, I underestimated the power of this thing. If this necklace had fallen into anyone else's hands, they would have been completely controlled. Huff… Damn it!"
Albert now fully understood the danger of Horcruxes. No wonder Dumbledore didn't dare touch them with his bare hands.
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I hope you like the chapter, I am still working on my writing style, I welcome your advice and observation to improve this novelI hope you like the chapter, I am still working on my writing style, I welcome your advice and observation to improve this novel.