When Severus and the others returned to the Prewett house, Muriel was having lunch with Meilia.
"I certainly didn't prepare lunch for this many of you!"
Muriel's voice remained gruff. Though her words weren't polite, her actions told a different story.
Seeing that Severus and the others had clearly returned hungry, she got up from the dining table, muttering as she headed towards the kitchen.
"Mrs. Prewett, please wait a moment."
Hearing Severus's voice, Muriel stopped at the kitchen door, turning to glare at him.
"You seem to have been on good terms with the Fawley Family, correct?"
"That couple, though a bit odd and old-fashioned in their thinking, were indeed very good friends with our family before they joined that man's ranks."
Muriel was puzzled about why Severus was asking this.
"What have you found out?"
"Since you're familiar with their family, you must also know about the house-elf that used to work for the Fawleys?" Severus continued.
This question made Muriel ponder for a few seconds. Then her expression turned somewhat irritable.
"You mean that elf named Lucas? I thought it was as loyal to the Fawleys as any other house-elf! But after the trouble at the Fawleys', it just disappeared somehow!"
"Probably after the Fawleys died, its contract with the family ended, finally freeing it! That's why it ran off, abandoning Meilia without a care!"
Hearing her words, Sirius's eyes showed clear disbelief.
Though he had never liked his own family's Kreacher, he had never doubted the loyalty of any house-elf.
The concept of serving wizards faithfully unto death was like a steel seal, firmly stamped in their minds.
In Sirius's understanding, no house-elf in the world could possibly develop the subjective idea of betraying its master's family. This was purely the delusion of Muriel, the last family member of the Prewetts, who didn't own a house-elf.
"Lucas..." Severus softly repeated the house-elf's name, then looked directly into Muriel's eyes again. "I need Meilia to cooperate and help me with something, ma'am."
This request surprised Muriel.
"She barely has basic self-care ability. What could she possibly do?"
This time, Severus didn't state his request directly. Instead, he walked over to Muriel and spoke to her in a low voice about certain matters. Only then did Muriel nod with a complex expression, her eyes fixed intently on Severus.
"Remember, I'm only agreeing because you guaranteed she wouldn't be in any danger."
Severus's expression was serious.
"I assure you, ma'am."
"You certainly should!" Muriel's voice was still brusque. "But one shouldn't do anything on an empty stomach! Let's have lunch first. It'll only take a few more minutes!"
After lunch, Muriel pulled Meilia aside and spoke to her for a while. After that, the girl, whose gaze had been consistently vacant and who could hardly communicate with others, finally showed some signs of being responsive.
She followed Severus as they left the Prewett house, appearing to leave in a hurry.
"Are you sure this will work? We ourselves don't even know where we're going!" Lockhart muttered softly.
Severus's voice was absolutely certain. He never doubted his own decisions.
"Precisely because of that, that house-elf also can't guess whether what we're about to do is what it fears."
"Muriel is certainly wrong. Lucas must be a traditional house-elf with absolute loyalty to its master's family. It's most likely trying to protect Meilia. So, it will definitely take the risk and appear now."
At Severus's description of a 'traditional house-elf', Sirius couldn't help but curl his lip.
"What 'traditional house-elf'? All house-elves are like that."
Severus didn't argue with him.
"I'm certain it will come. You need to be prepared. Don't let your guard down just because it's a house-elf."
To this, Sirius just grinned, baring his teeth.
"If we didn't know what it was beforehand, that would be one thing. But since we know it's a house-elf, we definitely won't let it escape this time!"
Almost the instant Sirius finished speaking, a crack like a whip sounded in everyone's ears.
The sound was close, so close it seemed right beside them.
Alerted by Severus's earlier warning, Lockhart and Sirius reacted quickly.
The moment the sound rang out, they fixed their eyes on the short figure that had suddenly appeared next to Meilia.
Sirius lunged forward with a roar, biting down on the figure's arm.
This action clearly made the already panicked house-elf even more frantic!
It cried out in pain but refused to let go of Meilia's hand, which it had grabbed.
Just as it was about to Disapparate again, intending to take Meilia away, two spells struck it precisely.
The house-elf's body instantly became as still as a statue, its large eyes filled with tears and despair!