Hermione promptly turned her attention back to the elf in front of her. "Kreacher,
why did you call me Mistress? Why did you obey me?"
He glared at her, shaking his head. "Kreacher can see the bond with his own eyes.
Kreacher sees the Mudblood Mistress tied to his blood-traitor Master. Oh, my poor
Mistress," he wailed. "To see what's become of her beloved House. Mistress would never
forgive Kreacher."
"You see the bond? You see the bond between Sirius and me?" she asked him.
"That doesn't make sense, Kreacher; Sirius and I are not married. I am not your Mistress."
"Kreacher sees the magic." He looked at her as though examining her for
something. Clearly disgusted by whatever it was that he saw, Kreacher grimaced and looked
away. "Marriage makes no difference; magic was used to make a bond. The Mistress tied
herself to the Noble House of Black with her filthy blood."
Hermione swallowed again, her heart racing. "Kreacher, you will speak of this to no
one, do you understand me?" She looked down at the elf, feeling wretched for giving him
orders and watching as he bowed before her.
"Kreacher lives to serve the Noble House of Black."
"Kreacher, did you see Mundungus steal the locket?" she asked him, getting back
on topic.
"Kreacher saw him!" The elf gasped, tears pouring over his snout. "Kreacher saw
him coming out of Kreacher's cupboard with his hands full of Kreacher's treasures.
Kreacher told the sneak thief to stop, but Mundungus Fletcher laughed and r-ran.. ."
"You called the locket 'Master Regulus's'. Why? Where did it come from? What did
Regulus have to do with it? Kreacher, sit up and tell me everything you know about that
locket and everything Regulus had to do with it."
The wizards all sat in the upstairs drawing room, waiting for Hermione.
When Harry entered, Sirius raised a questioning brow at his godson, who shook his
head, looking confused, and muttered something under his breath about Hermione and
her bloody elves. Sirius could tell that Harry was hiding something, but as he himself had