Privet Drive had always been quiet, tidy, and elegant, but recently, ear-splitting screams would occasionally erupt from one of its houses.
"I won't—I won't—I want cake! I want chocolate! I want steak—"
Dudley Dursley glared resentfully at the carrots and two lettuce leaves on his plate, howling at the top of his lungs.
Immediately following were Aunt Petunia's screams and sobs, then Vernon Dursley's furious roars.
Harry flinched, grabbed the two finger-length carrots from his plate, and mumbled, "I'm just going to check the mailbox for letters."
He wasn't sure if any of the three heard his excuse for leaving, but Harry wisely avoided the impending conflict, deftly darting out the Dursleys' front door, leaving all the terrible sounds behind him.
He casually flipped through the mailbox, placed the morning newspaper on the hall stand, and then ran all the way to the Black Family Home.
Needless to say, the table was already laden with fragrant, steaming breakfast: thick bacon sandwiched between slices of toast, fried eggs and sausages on plates, and a bowl of stewed black beans beside them.
Wade, who was helping set the table, saw Harry enter and asked curiously, "What did they give you for breakfast today?"
"Look!" Harry showed off the thin carrots in his hand, then popped one into his mouth, crunching off half of it in one bite.
"That's all?" Sirius asked, his voice tinged with anger.
Harry shrugged and said, "Dudley only got two carrots too, just a bit thicker than mine—Aunt Petunia has never been so fair!"
"That whale of a boy in their house certainly needs to lose weight, or he'll get fat enough to die eventually. But you're as thin as a stick, why are you dieting? This is abuse!" Sirius was still fuming.
Lupin's actions were more direct; he placed two more slices of toast on Harry's plate and said, "Eat more, there's plenty if you need it."
Harry contentedly filled his stomach and then crunched on the other carrot.
Lupin looked at Harry's carefree expression, chuckled softly, hid a hint of worry in his eyes, and exchanged a glance with Sirius beside him.
Sirius hadn't kept the information he knew from Lupin. Learning that Voldemort had returned and was once again targeting Harry, both of them felt a heavy weight in their hearts.
But they didn't show their feelings, simply chatting and laughing as usual.
"Wade, what are the plans for today?" Harry asked. "Aunt Petunia forgot to give me chores this morning, so I have all day free."
"Shopping," Wade said. "I'm visiting Mr. Nicolas Flamel in a couple of days, and I want to buy a suitable gift."
"Oh, shopping..."
Harry made a face as if he had a toothache, and Lupin's eyes darkened for a moment.
The last time Wade went shopping, he was kidnapped, which left both of them a little traumatized by the experience.
"What are you planning to buy?" Sirius reminded him. "Remember not to buy anything too expensive; it can be awkward."
"I haven't decided yet," Wade said, annoyed. "Is there any magical item Mr. Flamel hasn't seen? Muggle gifts are exquisite enough, but they feel a bit lacking in sincerity. I'm thinking of taking a look around Diagon Alley to see if anything is suitable."
Since the kidnapping incident, the Grey couple had stopped casually venturing into places like Diagon Alley to avoid becoming leverage against Wade.
That was also the reason he was here today—when buying gifts, it was always better to have an elder's advice.
Harry asked, "Wade, why don't you make something yourself? The Christmas gift you made for me last time was amazing."
That small Flying Broomstick could still fly around the house, and Ron had said that it was quite rare for a toy-like magical item to have such a long shelf life.
"Well..."
Wade rubbed his chin, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Nicolas Flamel was a leading figure in Alchemy. For Wade to give his own work as a gift, what was the difference between that and an elementary school student—at most, a middle schooler—giving their homework as a gift?
He figured no matter how one looked at it, it would scream "not skilled enough."
Wade stammered out his thoughts, and the three people opposite him burst out laughing.
Harry turned to Lupin and said, "Even though he didn't mention me at all, I feel like I just got roasted..."
"Wade... Wade..." Lupin said with a helpless smile, "Excessive humility is arrogance. You're underestimating your own skill."
Sirius, however, looked much more serious: "I remember there are some rare Alchemy books in my family's basement that even Nicolas Flamel might not have seen. You can take them for reference."
So, after resting for a while after the meal, everyone moved to Grimmauld Place.
The Black Family Home was no longer its former dilapidated self. Now, the house looked ancient yet tidy, and Kreacher, wearing a new tea towel, stood at the door, bowing to welcome the guests.
Although he still looked down on Werewolves, Half-bloods, and Muggles, after everything he'd been through, the House-elf had learned to treat Wade and the others with a double standard.
He diligently brewed hot tea for everyone and even added an extra sugar cube for the two minors. As Kreacher came out with the tray, he suddenly saw Sirius leading the others towards the basement, and his face twisted slightly.
"Spendthrift... Master is such a spendthrift... Is he planning to give away the Black Family's centuries-old collection again? No! Kreacher must protect the Black Family's property! Kreacher... Kreacher must stop him..."
The House-elf paced in circles for a few moments, finally unable to resist the sense of duty instilled in him since childhood. He clutched the tray and scurried towards the basement.
As an ancient Wizarding family, the Black Family Home naturally concealed several secret rooms.
For example, the basement at the end of the hall appeared to only contain a kitchen, with Kreacher's bed hidden in a cupboard. But by tapping specific bricks next to the kitchen in a particular sequence, a hidden library entrance would emerge.
When Kreacher ran down with the tray, he saw that Wade and the others had no intention of emptying the library.
Harry curiously explored the various ancient books in the corridors but didn't want to pick any of them up.
Remus Lupin was reading a Magic Book related to Werewolves.
As for Wade, after finding the book he wanted, he casually cast a Duplicating Charm.
Kreacher hastily stopped, a fawning smile on his face, and then distributed the tea to everyone.
When Kreacher poured the last cup, he noticed that his master was unusually quiet today. Kreacher hurried over and saw Sirius holding a bizarre Magic Book bound in human skin, his expression terrifying.
That look even reminded Kreacher of how his old master used to rage in the house before he passed away.
The House-elf instantly felt a bit afraid, and he timidly whispered, "Master... would you like some tea?"
Sirius glanced at him, tucked the book away, and commanded, "Kreacher, from now on, you are forbidden from approaching this book, or reading anything on these shelves."
Kreacher wouldn't have looked anyway, and he quietly replied, "Yes, Master... Master Regulus said the same thing once..."
"Regulus?" Sirius paused, then realized, "Ah, yes, of course he knew... He must have read it..."
A complex mix of regret and sorrow was etched on Sirius's handsome face.
As he emerged from between the bookshelves, he inadvertently recalled Regulus's expression back then—
"Sirius, what are you doing here?"
Sirius closed his eyes, dispelling the illusion in his mind. He walked past the bookshelves and saw his godson, calmly blowing on a teacup.
A single word from the book distinctly surfaced in his mind—
[Horcrux].
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