Hero of the Story || James Potter x Hermione Granger Fanfiction

34 | be the light in the dark of this danger - part i

Silently, Hermione pulled out her wand from her back pocket. And then, twirling around as fast as she could, she exclaimed a booming 'Expelliarmus' towards the intruder.

Instead of a wand flying into her arms, her spell backfired and knocked her wand out of her hand. Blood rushed to her ears, already mentally coming up with an escape plan. But then, before she could execute a half-arsed plan, a resounding snap reverberated around her walls and illuminated the lamps in her room.

A soft shriek escaped from her lips when eyes the size of tennis-balls unblinkingly stared back at her. "How did you —" Her words died down as soon as she recognised the house-elf standing before her. He may have been younger and a little saner too, but this was definitely the Black house-elf who had tormented the Golden Trio when they'd stayed in Grimmauld Place while on the run from Voldemort. "Kreacher?"

His eyes widened a bit as he straightened himself. "Master Regulus sends Kreacher to Miss," he croaked. "Master Regulus said Miss is a friend."

"Regulus?" she echoed. "Why'd he send you to me?"

Kreacher snapped his fingers once more. A small, ornate black box appeared in front of Hermione's feet. "Master Regulus told Kreacher to bring this to Miss," he continued. "Master Regulus said Miss will know what to do."

There was a folded parchment on top of the box. Hermione grabbed the letter and opened it to read the words the Slytherin had written.

This houses the diary. I've placed decent wards, but I'm sure you'd want to place more of your complicated spells around it. I sent over Kreacher because I know owling it to you would be too risky.

R.A.B.

Her heart thudded wildly inside her chest as she warily glanced at the box. "Thank you," she breathed out to the house-elf, who was still curiously peering at the brunette.

"Kreacher will leave now, Miss," he said for his goodbye.

"Wait!"

The house-elf paused mid-snap and glanced questioningly at Hermione.

"Did Voldemort—" She flinched when Kreacher darkly hissed, his face crumpling in a mixture of raw fear and anger. "Did he borrow you from your Master already, Kreacher?"

"The Dark Lord wishes to bring Kreacher tonight, Miss," he suspiciously said. "How does Miss know about the Dark Lord's plan?"

Hermione thickly swallowed. "Never mind that," she said. "I just— be careful, Kreacher, all right?"

He looked genuinely surprised at her warning. Wordlessly, he bobbed his head and snapped once more, this time disappearing completely from her room.

Once he was gone, Hermione warily eyed the warded box. Although it was undoubted that she trusted Regulus, she still had to make sure that what was truly housed inside the box was Riddle's Diary.

Removing Regulus' wards was easy and by the time she'd opened the black box, the suffocating feeling of dark magic enveloped her whole room. She thickly swallowed and glared at the ominous black book, remembering how the soul inside almost killed Ginny Weasley.

Not wanting to bask under its residual dark magic any longer, Hermione shut the black box tight and proceeded to place her usual, complicated warding spells. Hermione then hid it inside the secret compartment in her trunk, together with the Diadem and the Cup.

Adrenaline hummed in her blood as she finally realised she already had three horcruxes in her possession. If what Kreacher said was true, she and Regulus would be able to steal Slytherin's locket soon as well.