Chapter 445: The Locket in the Glass Case
Watching the thought of tens of thousands of Galleons slip away gave Kyle a pang of regret. But he had to let it go; as valuable as the gold was, the Hufflepuff Cup was far more important.
Like Ravenclaw's Diadem, the Cup was one of the few relics left by the Founders of Hogwarts. And after Voldemort, in his twisted extravagance, had turned it into a Horcrux, he'd entrusted it to Bellatrix for safekeeping. Unlike Lucius Malfoy, who had stored Voldemort's belongings in his own manor, Bellatrix had opted to hide the cup in the Lestrange vault at Gringotts, which she considered impenetrable.
But speaking of Horcruxes... Apart from the elusive Hufflepuff Cup, there was another Horcrux, even closer—practically within arm's reach. This was the real reason Kyle had agreed to accompany Sirius to 12 Grimmauld Place.
As for the box, it had been an unexpected bonus. Kyle hadn't anticipated that the key to unlocking it would be Sirius himself. His original plan was to try some standard unlocking spells and, if those failed, consider using Fiendfyre or ask Nicolas Flamel for help during his next visit to Devon.
His thoughts drifted back to the present, and he glanced at Kreacher, who was still bound on the floor. With a flick of his wand, Kyle lifted the binding spell. He then turned to Sirius. "Sirius, would you mind if I took a look around?"
Kreacher, who had just been about to slink away, froze in horror at Kyle's request.
"The Master's son has brought a young demon! Kreacher has never seen such an evil wizard. Blowing up the sitting room wasn't enough; now he wants to destroy something else too. Kreacher will defend the mistress's house. No one will ruin it..."
"Shut up, Kreacher!" Sirius snapped. "No one's planning to destroy this place, and if anyone does, it'll definitely be me!"
He turned to Kyle, shrugging. "There's not much to see here, but feel free to look around. Just be careful not to wake the portraits. And avoid the second basement and the area above the third floor if you're alone. Lupin and I haven't finished checking those areas for safety."