Leaving the portrait of Mrs. Black, they go through the door at the end of the corridor and into the basement.
The ground floor appeared to be the kitchen, which was almost as dark as in the hall above, a cavernous room surrounded by rough stone walls.
Most of the light came from a few short candles around the large fireplace at the other end of the room. The walls around the pipes were all blackened by gunpowder smoke, and the heavy iron pots and pans hanging from the equally black ceiling stood in the darkness. It looked hideous and eerie.
Adjoining the kitchen was a small dining room with a sink in the corner and two cobweb-hung wooden cupboards filled with silverware.
Through the moldy carpet, you can see the exquisite patterns carved on the green marble floor below. In the center of the house is a table and many chairs that can accommodate many people. The temperature here is much lower than above, and the air The musty and rotten smell is more serious.
"This way!" Sirius tore off a green tapestry with the Black family crest on the north wall of the dining room, revealing the black brick wall.
He tapped on a wall with his wand, opening a hidden secret door.
Like the wall leading from the Leaky Cauldron to Diagon Alley, the wall swung open to reveal a narrow, steep staircase that continued downward.
Ivan noticed a small silver snake on the brick, but it was very inconspicuous, and it was impossible to notice it if he didn't look for it carefully.
"In the ancient pure-blood wizard families, there are usually such secret rooms, which hide some unknown secrets of the family." Sirius said as he bent down and walked in. "This is the Black family library. The place, at least it was here when I left this home, where the
Halfway through his speech, he stopped immediately.
Over Sirius' shoulder, Alvin saw a house elf standing in the dark passage.
Not something to hang on the wall, but a living house-elf.
The house-elf looked very old, with wrinkled skin several times more than his body actually needed, and though his head was bald like all house-elves, the two bat-like There are a lot of white hairs growing out of the big ears.
His eyes were bloodshot and watery and gray, and his fleshy nose was as large as a pig's.
Around his waist was a dirty rag, like a loincloth that men in tropical countries wear to cover their bodies, but otherwise he was almost naked.
Aiwen suddenly realized that this guy should be the house elf Kreacher. He was still wondering when he would be able to see him.
Kreacher is like a statue, standing at the corner of the dark staircase, standing still.
Bending over, with his head up, he looked at Sirius Black in amazement, with an indecipherable strange expression on his face, and then he began to murmur incessantly in a husky, low voice like a bullfrog.
"What did the poor old Kreacher see? The prodigal young master who disappeared for more than ten years has returned, leading a group of brats back to ruin my mistress's house." Kreacher's voice was very slow, his eyes were full of disdain, and he Talking, bowing to Sirius as if instinct asked him to do so.
"Long time no see, Kreacher, I didn't expect you to be alive." Sirius said calmly.
Although he met an acquaintance, there was no joy in his voice at all.
"Who is he?" Harry asked quietly.
"Kreacher, a house elf serving the Black family." Sirius paused, and added, "A crazy guy."
"Master always likes to make a little joke. Kreacher is not crazy. Kreacher just didn't see the three young masters just now." The elf bowed to Ivan, Harry, and Hermione again. Bow, and then said in a soft but clear voice, "Kreacher smells of Mudblood, and if the poor mistress knows that the young master has brought such scum into her house, she will be right." What did old Kreacher say, what a shame!"
"Shut up, Kreacher, don't call them Mudbloods in the future." Sirius shouted angrily.
"It's okay! This house-elf doesn't seem to know what he's talking about." Hermione looked at Kreacher in fear, and she took a step forward, trying timidly, "Hello, Kreacher! I'm Hermione Granger , this is Evan Mason, and the one next to him is Harry Potter."
Seeing Hermione talking to him again, Kreacher's light-colored eyes suddenly opened wide, and the words in his mouth were more irritating than before.
"The bitch bastard brought back by the master actually talks to Kreacher again, pretending to be nonchalant, as if she is my friend, if Kreacher's mistress sees him with such a person, oh, she What would you say, think about it"
"I'll say it again, shut up, Kreacher!" Sirius said through gritted teeth.
Hearing Sirius' order, Kreacher immediately shut his mouth.
He walked up from the secret passage, his eyes gliding over Hermione, Ivan, and Harry one by one, and then his eyes widened suddenly, and he began to mutter softly again.
"Is this real, really Harry Potter?! Kreacher saw the scar, it must be real, the boy who stopped the Dark Lord, Kreacher doesn't know how he did it"
"We all know how that is," said Sirius aloud.
"Kreacher only knows that the young master has just returned from Azkaban." Kreacher turned his gaze back to Sirius, "My poor mistress, she swore she would not recognize his son, and now he is back, He is said to be a murderer."
"Sirius was vindicated, he didn't kill anyone, he's a hero now!" Hermione explained hastily.
"You don't need to tell him that!" Sirius glared at Kreacher in disgust, "He won't listen, that's what he used to be, a nasty house-elf."
"Young master, how can you say that about Kreacher? Kreacher has never done anything out of line. Kreacher just obeyed the orders of his master and served the noble Black family all his life!" Kreacher bowed again, then lowered his voice. He muttered, "Even if the young master didn't kill someone, he is still a nasty, ungrateful bastard who broke his mother's heart."
"My mother has no heart, Kreacher," said Sirius grimly. "She lives entirely on resentment."
"Anyway," Kreacher muttered indignantly, "the young master is not worthy to shine his mother's shoe soles, my poor mistress, what will she say if she sees the young master back again, how much she once hated him ah!"
"Enough, what are you doing hiding here?" Sirius said contemptuously, "Don't think I don't know, as soon as we enter this house, you will find us."
"Kreacher is guarding the last legacy of the Black family." Kreacher walked around Sirius and picked up the tapestry that was still on the ground just now. Kreacher will never forgive it, it has been in this family for seven centuries, Kreacher must keep it, Kreacher must not let the young master and these three little cubs destroy the tapestry."(.)