December 25th, Snow

Fred immediately shielded Joey, and the two of them listened intently to the noise coming from the attic door.

"Kreacher is useless... Master Regulus asked Kreacher to destroy this thing, but Kreacher has failed... Kreacher is useless! Kreacher should cut off his own head! Waaah!"

It was Kreacher. Fred and Joey exchanged a glance.

The sound of Kreacher banging his head against the wall made Joey's scalp tingle. She couldn't take it anymore. "Hey, stop hitting the wall! It's not going to help!"

Fred, though annoyed by Kreacher's usual antics, didn't want to see the attic stained with blood. He and Joey stood up together.

Kreacher was startled by the sudden appearance of the two young wizards. He clutched a silver locket, kneeling in the corner of the attic, tears streaming down his face. His expression twisted with grief and anger as he growled, "You filthy little brats! Eavesdropping on Kreacher! You've defiled this place! Get out!"

Joey and Fred both rolled their eyes, unfazed by Kreacher's insults. They were used to his tirades and found his lack of creativity disappointing.

"My poor mistress would be heartbroken to see this place spoiled by you brats..."

"Isn't she long dead?" Joey interrupted, her tone matter-of-fact. She wasn't trying to be cruel—just stating the truth.

But Kreacher took it as an insult. His face contorted with rage. "How dare you speak of the great and noble mistress! You... you... Mudblood!"

Joey smirked. "That's the best you've got? Mudblood? Really? I thought you'd come up with something more creative."

Fred stifled a laugh. Joey's sharp tongue was one of her most defining traits.

Kreacher, in his fury, dropped the locket. It hit the ground with a sharp "clink". Horrified, Kreacher scrambled to pick it up, banging his head on the floor. "No! Kreacher is so hateful! How could Kreacher drop Master Regulus's locket!"

Joey and Fred approached, crouching down to examine the locket. "Is this what you're trying to destroy?" Joey asked.

Kreacher looked up, hope flickering in his teary eyes. "Do you know how?"

Joey scratched her head, a bit embarrassed. "I don't know if it's the best way, but if you've tried everything else, you could try Fiendfyre. I've used it before—it's pretty destructive."

Fred nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's definitely effective."

Kreacher's eyes widened. "Kreacher knows Fiendfyre! Kreacher will do it!"

"Wait!" Joey and Fred shouted in unison. "You can't just cast it here! It'll destroy the whole house!" Fred added, his voice panicked.

"And it's dark magic! You have to be careful not to hurt anyone—or yourself!" Joey added, suddenly regretting her suggestion.

Kreacher nodded solemnly. "Kreacher understands. Kreacher will find a safe place." With a loud "crack", he disappeared.

Joey and Fred exchanged a look. "Where do you think he's going to cause chaos?" Joey asked.

"As long as it's not here," Fred replied with a shrug.

The peaceful night had been interrupted, and Joey soon began to yawn. Outside, snow began to fall, swirling and sliding down the glass roof of the attic. It felt like they were inside a giant snow globe.

"It's like a Muggle snow globe," Fred said, but Joey was already asleep on the blanket, her face smushed against the fabric.

Fred poked her cheek, amused. "You can fall asleep anywhere."

---

The next morning, everyone gathered around the Christmas tree to open presents. Two long packages caught everyone's attention—one for Ron and one for Harry. Sirius urged them to open the gifts, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Wow! A Firebolt!" Harry exclaimed, holding up the sleek broomstick.

Ron was speechless, staring at his own Firebolt. "This... this is for me?!"

Sirius grinned. "Thought you'd like them."

Harry and Ron immediately dashed outside to try their new brooms, despite Hermione's protests. "Put on your coats! It's snowing!"

Joey watched them go, sighing wistfully. "What a perfect gift."

Just then, Kreacher appeared with a loud "crack". He held a glowing red egg and bowed deeply to Joey. "Miss Joey, this is a gift from Kreacher. It is a Fire-ash snake egg, sealed with a Freezing Charm. Kreacher destroyed the locket with Fiendfyre, as you suggested. Thank you, Miss Joey!"

Flami, the only one familiar with such treasures, gasped. "A Fire-ash snake egg? Those are incredibly rare!"

Kreacher nodded, tears streaming down his face. "Kreacher is forever grateful to Miss Joey!"

Joey took the egg, feeling a mix of awe and guilt. Kreacher's gratitude was overwhelming, and she wasn't sure she deserved it.

Sirius, however, was baffled. "What did you do to make Kreacher so grateful? He's never this respectful to me!"

Joey shrugged. "I just gave him a small suggestion."

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "It must've been more than that. Kreacher, tell me what happened."

Kreacher stiffened, his voice trembling as he recounted the events. "Miss Joey helped Kreacher destroy a wicked locket. Master Regulus ordered Kreacher to destroy it. It was an evil thing, from the Dark Lord's secret base. Master Regulus... he was killed by it."

Sirius froze, his face pale. "Regulus... dead? No, that's impossible. He's just hiding somewhere, cursing me..."

Kreacher's voice rose in anguish. "Master Regulus is not a coward! He found the Dark Lord's secret! He sacrificed himself to destroy it! Kreacher couldn't save him!"

Sirius's anger dissolved into grief. "Take me to him. Take me to Regulus."

The room fell silent, the weight of Kreacher's words sinking in. Joey and Fred exchanged a glance, realizing the gravity of what had just been revealed.