With a snap, the locket closed, sealing all the chilling and evil aura within. The suffocating pressure in the room instantly dissipated.
Sirius let out a long sigh of relief. For a moment, the whispers of family and approval had almost breached his defenses, even though that was never what he wanted.
"This thing is too sinister!"
Harry also nodded, still shaken. He now had a deeper understanding of Voldemort's manipulative methods.
Only Sagres looked at the now calm locket with an expressionless face. Finally, he shook his head and commented in a low voice:
"Pathetic."
He reached out, picked it up, and carefully placed it in the inner pocket of his robe.
"Using every means, yet merely clinging to life—not even living as well as a mortal."
Just then, a trembling voice came from the corner.
Kreacher broke free from his fear, his large eyes fixed on Sagres's pocket, filled with unprecedented anxiety.
"Pro… Professor, sir…" The house-elf stammered. "Kreacher… Kreacher must ask… What will you do with what Young Master Regulus exchanged his life for?"
Sagres turned around and looked calmly at Kreacher.
"I will not destroy it, at least not now."
He said, "I need to take it back for research. The creation of a Horcrux involves extremely dark and complex magic. By studying it, I might be able to find a way to detect and even locate other potential Horcruxes."
"Other Horcruxes?!"
Harry and Sirius exclaimed in unison, their faces filled with incredulous shock.
"Professor, do you mean… there's more than one of these things…?"
Harry's voice trembled slightly. He couldn't imagine that multiple such evil objects could exist in the world.
Sagres nodded slightly, his expression placid.
"Although my understanding of Tom Riddle is mostly from secondary sources, one obvious fact is: someone so terrified of death and resorting to such extreme measures for immortality would never place all his hope in just one container. Multiple backups align with his paranoid personality. Moreover…"
He paused, his gaze becoming somewhat distant. "This is already the second Horcrux I've seen with my own eyes."
"The second?!" Sirius gasped. "What was the other one? Where is it?"
"The story and fate of the other, I will tell you another time, should the opportunity arise."
Sagres did not directly answer the question about Voldemort's other Horcrux. He looked back at the anxious Kreacher and solemnly promised, "I assure you, Kreacher. Once I have obtained the information I need, I will immediately destroy this Horcrux."
"This is not only for the safety of the magical world, but also to honor the brave sacrifice of Regulus Black. The goal he gave his life to destroy will ultimately be achieved, I guarantee you that!"
Kreacher listened to Sagres's firm words, looking into his eyes, which held no deception. His large ears trembled slightly.
He no longer shrieked or self-harmed, but simply bowed his head deeply, whimpering in an almost inaudible voice: "Kreacher… Kreacher believes Professor sir… Kreacher hopes… hopes Young Master can rest in peace…"
The house-elf's large eyes welled up with tears, and his emaciated body shook violently with sobs. Then he suddenly collapsed to the ground, repeatedly hitting his forehead against the cold floor, making a series of heartbreaking thuds.
"Noble sir… Powerful Professor… Kreacher… Kreacher has one more request… an unwelcome request…"
He raised his tear-streaked face, his eyes a mix of endless humility and a glimmer of desperate hope. "Young Master Regulus… he is still in that cold black water… with those terrifying things… Kreacher… Kreacher wants to ask sir… if you could… if you could bring Young Master back? Let him return to the family cemetery to rest… Kreacher knows this is a very unreasonable request, but…"
His voice grew softer and softer, as if he was already prepared to be punished for this excessive request.
To Harry and Sirius's surprise, Sagres did not immediately refuse.
He was silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Kreacher, then slowly spoke: "If things are truly as you say, and Regulus Black displayed extraordinary courage beyond bloodline and prejudice, then he truly should not be forgotten in that dark place, to sink alongside the enemy's creation."
He paused, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. "Moreover, I am also very interested in seeing with my own eyes what kind of guardianship the infamous Dark Lord chose for his most important secret."
"I'm coming too!"
Sirius immediately said, his voice hoarse but firm.
The expression on his face was incredibly complex, a mixture of shock, regret, and a certain pride for his brother.
"He shouldn't be unknown. His deeds deserve to be remembered."
Sagres nodded.
"Then, without further ado. House-elf, take us."
A hint of joy appeared on Kreacher's face. He extended his branch-like fingers, grasping Sagres's robe, Sirius's arm, and Harry's sleeve in turn.
With a loud crack, their figures vanished from Number 12, Grimmauld Place.
The next moment, they were thrown out by an uncomfortable squeezing sensation, landing on rough, damp rock.
A salty, cold sea breeze hit them, and before them was a pitch-black cave entrance, like the gaping maw of a giant beast.
The dull sound of waves crashing below the rocks echoed, sounding unfathomable and sending a chill down their spines.
"This is it… the place where that bad wizard whose name cannot be spoken hid things…" Kreacher stammered, pointing at the cave entrance.
Sagres did not hesitate. He stepped forward to the unusually smooth rock face.
"Needs… needs blood… fresh blood…" Kreacher whispered.
Sagres, however, simply raised his wand.
"A complex spell, but not impregnable."
He chanted a very tongue-twisting incantation in a low voice, and a crimson light blossomed from the tip of his wand, slowly spilling onto the stone wall like blood.
The magical runes on the rock face briefly appeared under the red light, then a soft sound like shattering glass emanated. A hole quietly dissolved, revealing the deep cave behind.
Kreacher watched, dumbfounded.
The group slowly entered the cave. It was very cold inside, and the air was so thick it felt like it could be wrung out.
Sagres waved his wand, and a large orb of light flew from its tip, slowly rising to illuminate everything in the cave.
Sagres's gaze swept over the still lake surface and the small island in the center. A hint of an imperceptible sneer seemed to curl at the corner of his mouth.
"Professor… esteemed sir, there's a small boat… in the lake…" Kreacher said timidly.
"Hmm, I imagine that small boat can't carry all of us," Sagres said without turning his head.
He then raised his wand, and a stream of water immediately condensed and rose from the lake, solidifying instantly to form a hard ice bridge.
Ignoring their surprised expressions, he was the first to step onto the bridge. Harry and Sirius followed closely, and Kreacher also scurried along on his short legs.
As they reached the island, Sagres's attention was immediately drawn to the raised stone basin in the center of the stone platform.
The basin appeared to be carved from a single piece of dark jade, with smooth edges, but its body was covered in intricate magical runes.
The basin was filled with a clear yet ominously glowing emerald liquid. Even from a distance, the agonizing magic it contained could be felt.
"It seems this is the price."
Seeing the poison in the stone basin and the fake locket, Sagres nodded slightly.
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