Happy New Year, everyone!
Chapter 32
Walburga watched them suspiciously.
"Very well, but be quick about it," Alex said.
"First things first, Walburga, you must never tell a single thing we tell you to anyone else," Harry said. "If you do, permanent sticking charm or not, I will destroy you."
Walburga's onyx colored eyes narrowed. She knew his words were not an empty threat. She could feel something off about both boys...but while she could tell the blue-eyed twin was dark and powerful, the green-eyed boy felt more dangerous...like a predator constantly watching their prey. It sent shivers through Walburga, despite her being only a portrait.
"Very well, I will not tell anyone," Walburga said. "As if I would want to tell those filthy mudbloods anything."
A silencing charm surrounded them. Walburga felt it even through the portrait and looked around in surprise.
"Just a safety precaution," Harry said. "We can't have anyone listening to this conversation. You never know who could be listening~"
"Get on with it," Alex said, slightly irritated now.
"Our true names are Alex and Harry Riddle," Harry said. "We are the sons of the Dark Lord Voldemort."
Walburga's eyes widened in shock.
"I-Impossible!" she exclaimed.
"If that isn't proof enough, then here," Harry said.
Harry grabbed Alex's left arm and slid the sleeve up, banishing the wrappings with a wordless spell. Walburga's eyes bugged out when she saw the Dark Mark on Alex's wrist.
"Satisfied?" Harry asked.
Walburga grinned crazily.
"Very," she said. "But I never thought the Dark Lord would willingly have children."
"He only wanted one heir, but he got him too," Alex said, pointing at Harry with his free arm.
"So mean," Harry pouted.
Alex took his arm back, wandlessly replacing the wrappings and rolling the sleeve back down.
"Why are you here with the Order?" Walburga asked. "And how did you get in?"
"It wasn't easy," Alex said. "It took us three years to plan the entire thing out, but now, they trust us enough to at least stay in the house for a few weeks. They currently believe our home life isn't the best, to put it shortly."
"And so they took pity on our poor souls and gave us refuge for a few weeks until we are forced to come back home until fourth year," Harry exclaimed dramatically.
Alex rolled his eyes and whacked Harry on the head.
"Ow!" Harry yelped, rubbing his head.
"How interesting," Walburga said. "Your plan must've taken meticulous planning and time to work. I am very impressed. Who came up with this plan?"
"I did," Harry said.
"You must be a genius, child," Walburga said. "The Dark Lord is lucky to have such a person in his ranks."
"He doesn't think so," Harry muttered under his breath.
Only Alex heard him, but he did nothing.
"Tell me, what do you need? I will help you." Walburga said eagerly.
"We are on a mission to find a special locket," Harry said. "You wouldn't happen to know where it is, would you?"
"You mean Slytherin's locket?" Walburga asked. "Of course I know where it is. The Dark Lord has sent you to retrieve it before the Order can find it then?"
"...More or less," Harry said.
Walburga didn't notice his hesitation.
"l have been keeping that locket safe since my youngest son, Regulas, hid it in here," she said. "But now, it can go back to its rightful owner!"
Walburga pointed down the hallway.
"Down that hallway, there is a small room, it is hidden in there," she said. "I don't know where exactly, but I know it is in that room."
"Thank you, Walburga," Harry said, bowing his head.
"Anything for the Dark Lord," Walburga said, cackling. "And don't worry, I won't tell a soul about what you've told me!"
The twins walked towards the indicated room. It was dusty and messy and absolutely crowded with items.
"You're going to make us search this entire room, aren't you?" Alex asked dully.
"No need, Alex," Harry said. "Search for dark magic. Horcruxes are of a very dark magic, darkest of the darkest. And we are very in tune with dark magic, right?"
Alex grunted in acknowledgement and stretched out his magic. The twins simultaneously found a pulse of dark magic. Drawn towards it, they walked over to the far corner of the room. Alex banished the dust and Harry opened a box. A dark golden colored locket laid in the box. It had emerald green gems set in the cover of it in the shape of an S.
"Salazar Slytherin's locket," Harry breathed.
He reached out to touch it, but was stopped by a hand grabbing his wrist. The twins looked over to the old house elf attached to the hand.
"What are you two doing here?" the house elf asked. "The young master, Regulus Black, ordered me to guard that locket with my life since neither he nor I could destroy it. Do you know what that is?"
"We know perfectly well what it is," Alex said. "We're taking it back to where it belongs."
"You're Kreacher, right? I heard about you from Sirius," Harry said, smiling kindly.
His smile twisted into a dark sadistic grin, making Kreacher take an involuntary step back. Harry's slit glowing sickly green eyes pierced into him.
"You're not going to stop us from taking this locket, little house elf," Harry said in a deadly tone. "It doesn't belong to you. If you attempt anything, I'll kill you."
Harry snatched the locket up.
"Let's go, Alex," he said.
Harry paused and glanced back at Kreacher.
"And one more thing, Kreacher," he said.
Kreacher looked at him, a tinge of fear in his eyes.
"One word about any of this and I will use you for my experiments," Harry said.
He grinned psychotically.
"I've never experimented on a house elf before. Only rodents and the occasional human," Harry said, cackling. "So, don't give me an excuse to add house elf to my list of species I've experimented on~"
The twins left the room, leaving a shaking house elf behind. Alex closed the door while Harry pocketed the locket.
"Alex, Harry?"
The twins stiffened and turned to see the trio standing there, looking at them in confusion.
"What were you doing in there?" Hermione asked.