.Kreacher,..said.Hermione.brightly..;>.
.It.had.better.not.be.clothes!..Ron.warned.her...You.know.what.Sirius.said:
.Kreacher.knows.too.much,.we.can.t.set.him.free!..
.It.isn.t.clothes,..said.Hermione,..although.if.I.had.my.way.I.d.certainly.give.him.something.to.wear.other.than.that.filthy.old.rag..No,.it.s.a.patchwork.quilt,.I.thought.it.would.brighten.up.his.bedroom...
.What.bedroom?..said.Harry,.dropping.his.voice.to.a.whisper.as.they.were.passing.the.portrait.of.Sirius.s.mother..
.Well,.Sirius.says.it.s.not.so.much.a.bedroom,.more.a.kind.of.‐den,..said.Hermione...Apparently.he.sleeps.under.the.boiler.in.that.cupboard.off.the.kitchen...
Mrs.Weasley.was.the.only.person.in.the.basement.when.they.arrived.there..She.was.standing.at.the.stove.and.sounded.as.though.she.had.a.bad.head.cold.as.she.wished.them..Merry.Christmas.,.and.they.all.averted.their.eyes..
.So,.is.this.Kreacher.s.bedroom?..said.Ron,.strolling.over.to.a.dingy.door.in.the.corner.opposite.the.pantry..Harry.had.never.seen.it.open..
.Yes,..said.Hermione,.now.sounding.a.little.nervous...Er….I.think.we.d.better.knock...
Ron.rapped.on.the.door.with.his.knuckles.but.there.was.no.reply..
.He.must.be.sneaking.around.upstairs,..he.said,.and.without.further.ado.pulled.open.the.door...Urgh!..
Harry.peered.inside..Most.of.the.cupboard.was.taken.up.with.a.very.large.and.old‐fashioned.boiler,.but.in.the.foot.of.space.underneath.the.pipes.Kreacher.had.made.himself.something.that.looked.like.a.nest..A.jumble.of.assorted.rags.and.smelly.old.blankets.were.piled.on.the.floor.and.the.small.dent.in.the.middle.of.it.showed.where.reacher.curled.up.to.sleep.every.night..Here.and.there.among.the.material.were.stale.bread.crusts.and.mouldy.old.bits.of.cheese..In.a.far.corner.glinted.small.objects.and.coins.that.Harry.guessed.Kreacher.had.saved,.magpie‐
like,.from.Sirius.s.purge.of.the.house,.and.he.had.also.managed.to.retrieve.the.silver‐framed.family.photographs.that.Sirius.had.thrown.away.over.the.summer.
.Their.glass.might.be.shattered,.but.still.the.little.black‐and‐white.people.inside.them.peered.up.at.him.haughtily,.including.‐.he.felt.a.little.jolt.in.his.stomach.‐
.the.dark,.heavy‐lidded.woman.whose.trial.he.had.witnessed.in.Dumbledore.s.Pensieve:.Bellatrix.Lestrange..By.the.looks.of.it,.hers.was.Kreacher.s.favourite.photograph;.he.had.placed.it.to.the.fore.of.all.the.others.and.had.mended.the.glass.clumsily.with.Spellotape..
.I.think.I.ll.just.leave.his.present.here,..said.Hermione,.laying.the.package.neatly.in.the.middle.of.the.depression.in.the.rags.and.blankets.and.closing.the.door.quietly...He.ll.find.it.later,.that.ll.be.fine...
.Come.to.think.of.it,..said.Sirius,.emerging.from.the.pantry.carrying.a.large.turkey.as.they.closed.the.cupboard.door,..has.anyone.actually.seen.Kreacher.lately?..
.I.haven.t.seen.him.since.the.night.we.came.back.here,..said.Harry...You.were.ordering.him.out.of.the.kitchen...
.Yeah…..said.Sirius,.frowning...You.know,.I.think.that.s.the.last.time.I.saw.him,