Standing in the dim foyer, Ivan looked around curiously.
As the mansion of the Black family, No. 12 Grimmauld Place is a typical pure-blood wizard's house. The decorations that can be seen everywhere have a history of hundreds of years. If they are placed outside, they are definitely priceless antiques.
In front of them was a long and narrow corridor with no end in sight.
Facing the foyer is a tree-shaped decorative lamp, and not far away on a rickety table is a candelabra that looks like a large poisonous snake.
After Voldemort's return, the house was used as the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. It should not be used by anyone yet, and naturally it has not been protected by magic. From the thick dust around it, it can be seen that no one has been here for a long time.
Ivan didn't know why Sirius brought them here. It stands to reason that he should be full of disgust for this house. But he just mentioned that he wants to come here to pick up a Christmas present for himself and Hermione, what is it? !
"No one has lived here for more than ten years. We'd better hurry up and leave here after we get our things." Sirius whispered, and he walked into the hall first.
There was a creaking sound from the dilapidated floorboards, which sounded particularly creepy in the old, deserted big house.
Ivan didn't know what they were going to get, but he knew that Slytherin's locket was kept here. If he could find it and destroy it, it would save a lot of trouble.
The locket should be kept in Sirius' younger brother Regulus' room, but Ivan didn't know where it was placed.
If there is an opportunity, he is ready to look for it.
Ivan hurriedly followed Sirius' footsteps, Hermione involuntarily held his arm, and Harry walked in front of the two of them, with inexplicable tension and excitement mixed on his face.
In the dark, narrow corridor, they walked around a large umbrella stand that looked like it was made from a broken leg of a troll.
On the left side of the umbrella stand, there is a dark staircase, and the wall next to it seems to be decorated with something.
Sirius didn't go upstairs, but Ivan, Harry, and Hermione moved over curiously to see the fuzzy decorations hanging on the wall. Then, the three of them took a breath in unison, and they saw a row of crumpled heads gathered on the plaque on the wall.
They were all the heads of house-elfs, and they all had the same big ugly noses.
"I don't understand, this house, it looks like it belongs to the most evil dark wizard ever." Harry whispered, "Why do Sirius' parents live here?"
"Remember, except for Sirius, all the members of the Black family are from Slytherin College." Ivan also replied in a low voice, "Thinking about their taste, you should be able to understand."
"Why did they hang house-elf heads on the wall?" Hermione's face was full of fear and confusion, with a hint of anger hidden in it.
"That's not what they put it on. It should be the tradition of the house elves. They serve in a certain wizarding family from birth until they are too old to do it. Then they cut off their heads and hang them on Decorate the wall of the master's house. This is probably the most honorable thing for them."
"I don't get it, it's the most ridiculous thing!" said Hermione hesitantly, "Not like Dobby"
"He's an oddball, he's different from other house elves." Ivan patted Hermione on the shoulder lightly, "We'd better wait until we get back to school to discuss this matter, it makes me feel bad here .”
I don't know if it's an illusion, but Ivan always feels that there is something hiding in the house, watching them secretly in the dark. This feeling is very strong.
But I looked around and saw nothing.
While the three of them were talking, Sirius didn't stop, and his figure had disappeared around the corner of the long and narrow corridor.
They hastened to follow, and then they passed two long, bug-ridden curtains behind which a door appeared to be concealed.
Harry glanced curiously behind the curtain as he passed.
In the next second, he involuntarily took a few steps back, with a panicked expression on his face, as if he saw something extremely terrifying.
"What's the matter, Harry?"
"In, inside is a portrait, above is"
Ivan turned his head, and he saw that the curtains on the wall automatically slid to the sides, revealing what was hidden behind, and there was a portrait of a fierce old lady hanging on the wall.
Seeing Ivan, Harry, and Hermione, the old lady screamed like a ghost, and she waved her claw-like hands as if to grab their faces.
"You bastards, bastards! Get out of here, who allowed you to enter my ancestor's house, this is the Black family"
The expression on the old lady's face was terrifying and ferocious. Just when Ivan and the three of them stood there, not knowing what to do, Sirius Black rushed back.
"Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut up!" he roared, trying to close the curtains again.
"You, you!" The old lady's face was pale, her eyes widened, she looked at Sirius in disbelief, and then made a sharper voice, "It's you, the prodigal son, the disgrace of the family, the evil son I gave birth to! How dare you Have the face to come back, you"
"I told you, shut up!" roared Sirius, pulling the curtain back with all his might.
The scream died away, followed by a reverberating silence.
"Who is this?" Harry whispered, still looking terrified.
"My mother, I think you should be acquainted, she was like this when she was still alive." Sirius said with a straight face.
"She, she is yours"
"Yes, my dear good mother." Sirius said, "Didn't I just say that this is my parents' house, they originally planned to leave him to my brother, but I am the only one left in the Black family I'm dead, so the house is mine now."
"What are we doing here?" Ivan asked.
"Come here to get a Christmas present for you and Hermione." Sirius explained, "I asked Lupine, Hagrid and others about your hobbies. You and Hermione both like to read books. The library of the Black family In this house, there are many out-of-print magic books, many of which have been handed down by the Black family for centuries and cannot be seen outside, I think you will be interested."
"Precious magic books?!" Ivan was taken aback for a moment.
Compared to Harry and Hermione, who were confused, he knew the value of these books.
Because he has been asking Lihen Bookstore to collect magic books in this area, Aiwen knows the actual value of magic books very well.
The value of an out-of-print magic book is incalculable and priceless.
These are the roots of the inheritance of the pure-blood wizard family, and no one will show them unless it is absolutely necessary. If there is no certain opportunity, outsiders will have no chance to check.
The longer the wizard family has been passed down, the more valuable the magic books it collects.
The history of the Black family can be traced back thousands of years. The noblest and oldest Black family can be said to be one of the only remaining pure-blood wizard families in the magic world. Ai Wen became excited just thinking about their family's collection of books.
He can't wait to take a look, but isn't it too expensive to use these magic books as Christmas gifts? !
Seeming to see Aiwen's worry, Sirius explained in a flat tone, "Don't refuse, the help you guys have given me cannot be repaid by a few magic books. Besides, if you don't read, those books are nothing more than Just leave it there to get moldy." (.)