Chapter 201: Cleaning Up the Old House

Wade didn't know the details of how Sirius and Kreacher talked or how much Harry and Lupin contributed to smoothing things over.

In any case, by the time Dumbledore arrived in a rush, Kreacher respectfully presented a golden locket.

It was about the size of an egg, with a green gemstone inlaid to form an ornate "S" , and a long gold chain dangled from it.

Sirius looked at the object with an expression of loathing and hatred. He didn't reach for it, instead signaled Kreacher to hand it directly to Dumbledore.

Lupin placed a hand on Sirius's shoulder and gave it a gentle pat.

While holding the locket in his hands, Kreacher asked Dumbledore in a hoarse voice, "I failed to complete the task… Can you destroy it?"

"Of course. I promise."

Dumbledore, who had already heard the full story from Lupin, spoke earnestly. He lowered his gaze to the house-elf, with a very cautious attitude. "I will not let Regulus's sacrifice be in vain."

Kreacher let out a small sob and carefully placed the locket in Dumbledore's hands.

Dumbledore's expression was inscrutable as he examined the Horcrux. In his hands, it lay as still as any ordinary trinket, showing no reaction.

He shifted his grip on the locket and murmured incantations that none of them could understand. After a while, he said:

"Ordinary spells and attacks are indeed ineffective. Even fire or crushing force will leave the locket unchanged. Voldemort has cast exceptionally strong protective enchantments on it."

Kreacher glanced around nervously.

But the others in the room—Dumbledore, Lupin, Sirius, Wade, and Harry—showed no fear at the mention of the Dark Lord's name.

Seeing this, Kreacher straightened his posture and tried hard to appear as composed as the rest.

Earlier, from what Sirius and Lupin had explained, Kreacher had finally come to understand that Regulus had died because he had changed his beliefs and chosen to oppose Voldemort.

Knowing this, Kreacher reminded himself that Voldemort was his enemy, and he must not fear him.

"So…" Lupin glanced at Wade and asked Dumbledore, "Do we have to use Fiendfyre?"

"At present, Fiendfyre seems to be the most effective method, though not necessarily the only one," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "However, using Fiendfyre would destroy everything entirely, and we would lose any chance of gathering further information."

"It's clear that Voldemort has created more than one Horcrux… The question is, how many?"

The group fell into silence.

Harry didn't fully understand what was being discussed. He glanced around but didn't interrupt, and decided he'd ask Lupin later.

Compared to Wade, Harry often felt like an accidental intruder in these situations. He feared that if he spoke up, the others would realize he didn't belong there and would promptly send him away.

Kreacher, on the other hand, was far more accustomed to staying quiet. He stood nearby, and listened silently with his eyes occasionally darting toward the locket.

"Sirius, Kreacher," Dumbledore said, "I'd like to study this locket for a while. I believe it may provide us with important insights. When the time comes to destroy it, I promise to invite both of you to be part of the process."

"Alright," Sirius replied in a low, curt voice.

Kreacher nodded vigorously in agreement.

...

Meanwhile, Michael and the others, unaware that Dumbledore had visited, were taking a break in the grimy kitchen. They had tried to make themselves some tea but found the state of the kitchen too overwhelming.

Fortunately, there were still some butterbeers and food Lupin had purchased from outside. After hastily eating to fill their stomachs, they exchanged glances and really didn't have the motivation to continue cleaning.

Finally, Hermione stood up.

She clapped her hands and said, "Come on, everyone! Let's pull ourselves together. At the very least, we need to sort out a proper place to sleep, don't we?"

"Good point."

Theo and Ryan rolled up their sleeves to get back to work, while Neville got up to look for a brush.

Michael raised his hand and said, "I'm not trying to slack off, but we're running low on cleaning supplies in the storeroom. I was thinking of going to Diagon Alley to buy a couple of buckets."

"Two buckets won't be enough!" Fred chimed in. "We'll need at least five. But you probably can't carry that many on your own. I'll go with you to help."

"I'll go too…"

Several arms shot up in unison. They looked at one another sheepishly and then slowly lowered their hands.

Hermione scolded, "We promised Harry we'd help! Are you all planning to run away now?"

At that moment, the kitchen door swung open.

"So this is where everyone is," Wade said, standing in the doorway. "We're planning to tackle the kitchen, living room, and bedrooms first, to ensure we have usable spaces to rest. What do you think?"

"Ahem." Michael coughed awkwardly and stood up. "Well, Wade, Fred and I were just about to head to Diagon Alley to pick up some cleaning supplies…"

"Oh, no need for that," Wade said with a smile. "I brought plenty of cleaning agents and tools. They're all my own creations and much better quality than what you'd find in Diagon Alley."

"You brought them?" Michael exclaimed in shock. He quickly lowered his voice and added, "How come I didn't see them when we came in?"

As he spoke, he walked out of the kitchen and was left speechless by the sight before him.

Lupin, Harry, and Sirius were using Levitation Charms, causing all the chaotic mess to float in midair in the living room, and some were gently bumping into one another as they hovered.

Kreacher directed an old carpet to roll itself up. A line of a dozen or so cleaning crabs, neatly arranged like a regiment, scrubbed the floor with military precision. Within a few passes, the floor was gleaming.

One particularly large crab, about the size of a golden retriever, was devouring garbage and leaving behind basketball-sized black spheres in its wake.

A smaller crab followed close behind, carrying those black spheres out of the living room and stacking them in the overgrown garden outside.

Kreacher laid down a new carpet, and the old furniture descended neatly onto the floor. Miraculously, as the pieces landed, the grime and filth on them disappeared entirely.

The tables and chairs looked as though they had just been freshly polished, and the tea sets and dishes sparkled, as if meticulously cleaned.

Think about it carefully, they were just cleaned!

Scanning the room, countless fist-sized little figures were hard at work on the furniture. Like tireless bees, they scrubbed, washed, and polished everything to perfection.

Some of the figures carried marble-sized tanks on their backs, wielding tiny nozzles as they carefully sprayed varnish on the furniture. The tanks seemed bottomless, as the spraying continued endlessly without a pause.

Just as the group opened the door and stepped out, the cleaning crabs and miniature figures streamed into the kitchen. Armed with tiny clothes and brushes, they began a new round of vigorous cleaning.

"Can someone lend a hand here?" Wade called out as a heap of pots and pans floated into the air. Turning back, he added, "I can't handle this entire kitchen all by myself!"

--------------------------------

🙏🙏Please consider supporting this translation project by becoming a P@treon member!!! 

Your support is greatly appreciated!

Available on my P@treon page for just $4!!

Early access to the following translations:-

⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +184 Chapters & 2 Chapters/Day

⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460

⭐Famous Police Detective in Detective World (FPDDW)- +165 advance chapters

⭐Marvel: Little Genius (MLG) (⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 450

p@treon.com/Lightreaper457

--------------------------------