Hogwarts: I'm Truly a Model Wizard

After retrieving what he needed, Kyle didn't linger and left immediately. But rather than returning to St. Catchpole Village, he accepted Sirius's invitation to London.

Late that night, the two arrived at Grimmauld Place, not far from King's Cross. Kyle recalled what Sirius had just told him about 12 Grimmauld Place when, suddenly, a battered door materialized out of nowhere between numbers 11 and 13. This was the Black family mansion, now Sirius's residence, protected by the Fidelius Charm.

Despite Fudge's assurances that all Dementors and Aurors pursuing him had been withdrawn, Sirius felt safer here, under the Fidelius Charm's protection.

He drew his wand and tapped it against the door. Kyle heard a loud, metallic clanging sound as if chains were being unlocked, followed by the creaking of the old door swinging open.

"Come on in," said Sirius.

Kyle stepped over the threshold and entered a pitch-black hallway. The air was thick with dampness and an overwhelming odor of decay.

"No one's lived here for ages," came Sirius's voice from behind him. "I'll clean it up before Harry arrives."

Kyle heard a rustling, and then the row of ancient gas lamps along the walls flickered to life, casting a shaky, dim glow over the hallway. The light revealed peeling wallpaper and a carpet with frayed threads. Kyle touched a nearby table and instantly felt a thick layer of dust clinging to his fingers.

"It's going to be quite the job to clean up. A lot of things will need replacing," he remarked.

"Take your time," said Sirius. "I'd hoped to bring Harry here in a few days, but Dumbledore says that rat'll need a full month's worth of Mandrake Restorative Draughts to recover. Then there's the trial. So, it won't be this holiday—it'll have to wait until Christmas. Plenty of time."

At that moment, Lupin came striding down the hall to greet them, his footsteps echoing.

"Oh, Kyle, it's so good to see you," he said warmly.

"You too, Professor," Kyle replied.

"I'm not a professor anymore. Just call me Lupin—or Moony, if you like."

Kyle was about to respond when he suddenly noticed a pair of large, tennis-ball-sized eyes staring at him from near a cabinet behind Lupin. It was a House-elf, and he looked ancient, with sagging skin, a bald head, large bat-like ears with tufts of white fur, and a nose that resembled a pig's snout. Compared to this one, even Dobby could be considered a handsome House-elf.

"That's Kreacher, a House-elf," said Sirius, with a hint of distaste. "He's lost it, though, completely useless. If he hadn't gone mad, the house wouldn't be in this state."

Kreacher, realizing he'd been spotted, gave a low bow. "Greetings, Master," he muttered, then continued in a voice just loud enough to hear, "...smells of sewer and crime. The prodigal son has returned. Brought a cub and a Werewolf into his mistress's house. Oh, the shame. Poor Kreacher, what's he to do…"

"Get out of here, Kreacher!" Sirius snapped impatiently.

"Yes, Master," Kreacher replied, bowing again and shuffling out of the room. But not before muttering, "Ungrateful brat, broke his poor mother's heart… but Kreacher will still do as he's told…"

"Sorry about that, Kyle," Sirius said, shaking with anger. "He's been alone too long, listening to my mother's portrait and losing his grip on reality…"

"Oh, it's fine," Kyle replied, waving off Kreacher's exit with a casual hand, showing he didn't mind.

"Come on, I'll take you somewhere quieter," Sirius said. "Just be careful not to make too much noise or—"

Bang!

Before Sirius could finish, he tripped over an umbrella stand and nearly went sprawling, but Kyle caught him just in time.

"Oh, no…" Lupin muttered, covering his face in dread.

A second later, a horrible, piercing scream filled the room. Two moth-eaten velvet curtains on the wall suddenly flew open, revealing a portrait of an old woman in a hat, who was shrieking hysterically.

"Brute, slut, good-for-nothing, disgrace to the family! Get out! How dare you defile my ancestral home…!"

The old woman's shrill curses seemed intent on piercing their eardrums.

"Shut up!" Sirius was the first to react. Covering his ears, he hurried over and grabbed the curtains on either side of the portrait. The old woman's face went pale at the sight of him, but before she could spit out another insult, Sirius yanked the curtains closed with a sharp tug, silencing her mid-scream.

A tense silence followed.

"Well, I see you've already met my mother," Sirius said with a wry smile. "She hated me for being sorted into Gryffindor, and after I ran away at sixteen, her dislike turned to pure loathing. But as long as you keep quiet when you pass, she won't know anyone's here."

"I didn't expect it to be so… lively in here," Kyle said with a grin.

"Believe me, I don't either," Sirius muttered. "Let's go, quickly, before she starts up again."

Sirius led them through the hallway to a cleaner, more spacious room with a magnificent round table at its center. It looked like a former drawing room.

"If you want to study that box, this is the place," Sirius said. "With the Fidelius Charm on the house, you're free to use magic without the Ministry tracking it. All they'll detect is magic coming from Grimmauld Place, but they won't find anyone here."

"A box? What box?" Lupin asked, looking puzzled.

"Don't ask me, Moony," Sirius said, rubbing his forehead. "Honestly, I'm more confused than you. Can you believe it? Kyle waltzed into the Lestrange mansion and found a hidden box like he was just rummaging around his own kitchen."

Lupin looked at him, speechless, but his eyes widened as Kyle placed the small box on the table.

"Is that something from the Lestrange family?" he asked.

"It was," Kyle said, but didn't elaborate further. Instead, he looked at the two men and said, "If you choose to stay, you'll need to promise to keep everything here a secret. Whatever happens, don't tell anyone. Not even Professor Dumbledore."

"Of course," Sirius nodded immediately, the corners of his mouth curling into a smile. Although he still had many questions, it didn't matter. Watching Kyle in this moment gave him a nostalgic feeling, as if he'd traveled back to his student days. This was how the Marauders had done things too—keeping secrets, pulling pranks, creating the Marauder's Map without anyone else knowing. The feeling was strangely comforting.

Lupin hesitated, but then nodded as well.

"Good," Kyle said with a grin. "Remember, keep it a secret. Or else I'll have to beat up Harry—you know he doesn't stand a chance against me."